France †Change over Time Essay (French Revolution) Essay

*As the title indicates, this is a change/continuity AP essay written for World History class. Vaguely, the essay question was: Describe change and continuity in France from the mid-1700s to the mid-1800s.*Like many other European nations in the 1700’s, France experienced a dramatic shift of sentiments against the monarchy, nobility, and Catholic Church as the people, fired by rousing new Enlightenment ideals, began to question authority and emphasize the need for equality, liberty, and democracy. The social and political changes in France were best characterized by three different periods – the weak monarchy of King Louis XVI and the subsequent period of confusion after his removal from power, the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte and his downfall, and the new order brought about by the Congress of Vienna; central to these changes were Enlightenment influence, nationalism, and France’s relations with other countries. However, despite the great social upheavals of this time period, gender roles remained more or less unchanged and although women had begun to rouse the idea of women’s rights, little changed in the way that society viewed women because men still held economic power. France was the most advanced country of Europe in the 1700’s, home to many leading philosophers such as Voltaire and Montesquieu. Despite its prominence, it was experiencing domestic instability and civil unrest. The aloof King Louis XVI paid little attention to what was happening outside his opulent court and was unable to control the rebellions when they started cropping up. Goaded by Enlightenment ideas, the lower classes began to demand equality and liberty. When their demands were not met, they stormed the French prison Bastille on July 14, 1789 and the revolution was truly underway. The National Assembly became the dominant political power, taking away the feudal privileges of the First and Second Estates and establishing control over church lands. It created a limited constitutional monarchy, giving Legislative power to the Assembly. Wary of rebellions within their own borders, Austria and Prussia attempted to preserve absolute monarchy in Europe by quelling the French revolution. The Legislative Assembly responded by setting aside the Constitution of 1791, deposing the king, and creating a new governing body. A consequent Reign of Terror ensued during which the Jacobins, and later on Robespierre, gained power and instituted a period of  wide spread executions and radical policies. It was during this period that use of the guillotine became popular. Eventually, the Reign of Terror was overthrown and a moderate government under the Directory was installed. This period saw France change from an absolute monarchy to a period of radical rule then finally to a more moderate form of government. Throughout this, women played a key role in facilitating the spread of ideas by opening their salons to Enlightenment thinkers, creating an environment for new philosophies to form and proliferate. However, they had little direct power and were still seen as inferior to man, albeit new Enlightenment ideals of equality. The Directory chose talented military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, to become general of the French army; he later moved on to become one of three counsels holding executive power. However, Napoleon’s coup d’etat would put all of France under his control and return France to an absolute monarchy. Napoleon’s reign achieved many Enlightenment ideals despite his Hobbes-like policies; he equalized taxation, repaired the corrupt government, struck a balance between state and church power, and created the Napoleonic Code. He managed to quell the Austrian threat although he did not succeed in Egypt. Napoleon turned away from the New World and sought, instead, to create French dominance in Europe, conquering many neighboring countries and establishing control over Spain and Portugal. Unfortunately, his three mistakes – the Continental System, the Peninsular War, and the invasion of Russia – eventually caused his downfall. The Fourth Coalition, comprised of Britain, Russia, Prussia, Sweden, and Austria, defeated Napoleon and exiled him to the island of Elba. Despite a brief attempt to regain control of France, called the Hundred Days, Napoleon would never again dominate France. During Napoleon’s reign, France saw the return of the absolute ruler. However, growing nationalism brought about Napoleon’s removal from power. This period is also marked by the continuity of woman’s role in France. Despite the tumultuous events of the time, women saw little change in their rights and status. Philosophers like Mary Wollstonecraft found little support for her ideas and France politics and society continued to be a male dominated arena. After Napoleon’s removal from power, the Congress of Vienna, comprised of Prussia, Russia, Austria, Britain, and France, met to forge peace. Using conservative polices, the map of Europe was redrawn to ensure the balance of power and monarchs were restored, created peace in Europe until 1853. However, the French revolution had flamed a support for nationalism as more conquered nations demanded autonomy; the majority of the rebellions were unsuccessful. France had a final revolution had removed the monarchy for good and established a democratic republic. France had finally made the transition from absolute monarchy to democracy. With this change came many social changes such as the end of serfdom in Western Europe and the decreased power of the nobility and the increased importance of wealth in determining power. Women continued to work for women’s rights, including suffrage, but were met with unenthusiastic responses. In fact, despite the radical political changes France had undergone, gender roles hardly changed at all, demonstrating the continuity of women’s status from the time of Louis XVI to after the Congress of Vienna. On a global scale, the basic trends of the French Revolution were very similar to those of the American Revolution. Both were flamed by Enlightenment thinkers advocating equality and liberty and democracy over monarchy and Church control. Both would encourage other rebellions later on – the American Revolutionary ideas would spread to Latin America while French Revolution sentiments would bring about revolts in Germany, Hungary, and other parts of Europe. Woman’s rights also remained rather static in both areas of the world; it would be several more years before women’s rights were considered seriously. The main difference, however, lay in the fact that while the US simply separated itself from Britain authority, France underwent the whole transformation, from absolute monarchy to democracy, despite the periods of unrest in between. The 1700’s was a period of great change in Europe, and France’s progression from absolute monarchy to democracy illustrates the movements of Enlightenment thinkers and the growth of nationalism and the new importance of domestic stability and a satisfied lower class. Three distinct time periods – Louis XVI’s rule and the Reign of Terror, Napoleon’s reign, and  Europe following the Congress of Vienna – illustrated this profound political change. Throughout the political change, however, was continuity in women’s rights and status. Gender roles remained largely the same. There were many parallels between the French Revolution and the American Revolution, depicting an international trend – the growing power of democratic governments. Bibliography All information from AP World History textbookWorld Civilizations: The Global Experience, Third Edition, AP* Edition

Cell Phone Should Be Banned in High School

Hussein Hmood ENG, 1101 Mrs. Myers Cell Phone should be banned in high school When I was in high school, I saw many students in school using cell phones. The students were supposed to come to school to learn, but instead they were texting. I was one of those students. I did not pay attention in class and my grades began to drop. Finally my parents took my cell phone away, and my grades started to go up; from personal experience, I know cell phones should be banned in high school. Cell phones distraction in class.Student would be texting each other or playing with their cell phone instead of listening and paying attention to the teacher. Jesse Scccia English teacher from New York said â€Å"when I was teaching, all too often I turned around from writing something on the blackboard to find students text messaging or otherwise playing with their phones. † When student playing with their cell phone and texting each other they are not listing or learning anything, which mean they w asting the teacher time by not paying attention to the teacher and playing with their cell phone.Cell phone in classroom effect teachers teaching in class, when a teacher trying to teach in class and student be listing to music, texting, playing games or watching movies in the internet. Eventually, the teacher notices and warns them that their phones will be confiscated. The phones disappear with reluctant obedience until the next opportunity arises to surreptitiously pull them out again. By doing that the teacher going to be distracted from teach by having to tell students to stop playing with their phones.When the teacher think about the student playing with their cellphone the quality of teaching going to go dawn because the teacher going to keep thinking some student playing with their phone the teacher going to keep to turn around trying to find the once that using their cellphone. cell phones can cause cheating by students by looking up answers during test and quizzes. For exa mple, one of the students during class sends answers to his friends and it continued to other students cell phones are causing problem for others students because not cheating students work hard and those cheating ruin integrity of the class.Although all parents do not agree about cell phone use hurts students. The New York time had an article that said, â€Å"If my children are not allowed to keep their phones during the school day off and in their backpack or lockers the school is governing my parenting and children’s behavior during non-school time the school has no such right. † However, these parents are incorrect, and are somewhat helping the cheating continue.These parents who feel their child should be allowed to keep his/ her phone clearly do not understand how it is hurting a child’s education. Mobile phones can cause a distraction. They can disturb teachers and students. For example, if I was working hard on a piece of work, trying to concentrating, a nd a student’s phone rings, it disrupts the whole class. I may become side-tracked or the teacher may be interrupted during speaking to the class. Teaching would be constantly disrupted if this kept happening.Education standards would deteriorate. Looking then at long term effects, if this was happening every day, you would be wasting five minutes a day, so nearly half an hour a week, and so that would be over ten hours a year of disruption. Also, mobile phones provide a large temptation to cheat in tests. They can communicate to almost anywhere and anyone in the world. Because they are small, students can quietly and discreetly send a text and it can go unnoticed. You got to school to learn, not to waste time playing games or cheating in tests.

Culturally Competent Nursing Care Essay

Culturally Competent Nursing Care The United States is a diverse accumulation of cultural backgrounds which can often set the stage for feelings of confusion, anger, mistrust, and a host of other emotions when dissimilar cultures disagree. Cultural competence in nursing can help eliminate these barriers and provide a platform for nursing to follow in the quest to understand a patient’s culture and background. When a nurse takes the time to learn about a given culture prior to providing care, it conveys she respects the patient’s right to their beliefs, customs, and culture. It does not necessarily mean the nurse agrees with their practices but it does show that she is willing to be open minded and deferential. It is the responsibility of the health care provider to take the time to educate themselves on the various cultures they may be exposed to in their work (Purnell & Paulanka, 2003). Evidence of Culturally Incompetent Care One act from the case study that exhibited cultural incompetence was the racial slur made by Connie when she referred to her clients as â€Å"This Mexican family†. If she would have taken the time to review the baby’s chart, she would have known that the family identified with the term Hispanic, not Mexican. Connie made a statement about the number of family members in the room and she gave the impression that the family was invading her work space unnecessarily. Connie identified that the family was speaking Spanish then stated she could not get them to understand her. Her tone indicated that the family was at fault for the lack of communication even though Connie did not bother to engage an interpreter. Connie even went so far as to label the family’s inability to understand her as noncompliance. She also proceeded to go about her task of putting in and intravenous (IV) line without establishing autonomy and getting informed consent from the mother. Connie’s action of cutting the â€Å"ragged, old red string† off the baby’s wrist without asking for permission first is proof of her cultural insensitivity. Many cultures tie strings around various parts of the body to ward off evil, aid  in healing, or as a symbol of faith. Connie knew she did something wrong because she admitted that the mother screamed at her when she cut the string. However, she did not take the time to understand why the mother was upset. She appeared to be more concerned with getting her nursing tasks done right away and with leaving for the day. Importance of Values, Beliefs, and Practices The iceberg model splits the nursing skill set into two parts; technical and behavioral. The tip of the iceberg represents what can be easily seen or the technical skills and knowledge a person has that allows them to perform their job. Examples of technical skills demonstrated by Connie were obtaining IV access and identifying the signs and symptoms of dehydration. These particular skills are considered visible to others so they correlate with the upper portion of the iceberg in the model. The lower part of the iceberg is under water or invisible and is indicative of the behavioral aspects of self that demonstrate who we are as a person. Understanding one’s own values, beliefs and practices helps when trying to understand those same characteristics in a different culture. Nurses need to understand how they view themselves and others before they can achieve cultural competence (Buffalo, 2001). The behavioral or lower portion of the iceberg is represented by social role, self-image, traits, and motives. The social role identifies with one’s image. It refers to how people want others to see them and how others actually do see them. The social role is important because it can establish how health care professionals determine what skill sets are important in their job. Self image is how people see themselves and once they understand themselves they can decide whether or not change is needed for personal growth. Another area on the hidden portion of the iceberg is traits or those characteristics and habits that determine how a person responds in a given situation. The last area of the iceberg is motives. Motives are formed early in life and are the driving forces behind personal actions. The status of the areas depicted in the lower part of the iceberg model also determine what characteristics are present on the visible portion of the model (Buffalo, 2001). Barriers to H ealthcare Communication is going to continue to be a huge barrier to healthcare for  this family. They live in Texas which is very rich in Spanish culture and the Spanish language is common. Health care workers are often bilingual so this family should not have any trouble being understood when they go in for care in their home state. The general population of Texas has been exposed to the Hispanic culture and can relate to the beliefs and practices that are followed. However, this family migrates to Northern Minnesota, an area that is mostly comprised of white, non-Hispanic, English speaking people of European descent. From a transcultural nursing standpoint, nurses from the Northern areas of Minnesota may not even know they are lacking because the degree of interaction with the Hispanic population in the healthcare setting is minimal. There will be language barriers, especially in the smaller, rural farming areas where the migrants tend to work. Many small rural hospitals do not have access to interpreters and it is common to have little to no cultural education provided to the employees. Unless there is a cultural change in this area of the country, communication will continue to be a problem. The disparity is one of population and geographic location relative to the Hispanic culture in Northern Minnesota (U.S., 2010). Cultural Sensitivity Information Additional information that could have been added to the kardex was the preferred method of communication so the nurse would know right away if an interpreter would be needed. Family demographics could have been put on there so the nurse had information regarding the cultural background. Notes could have been put on the kardex that identified the family dynamics so other nurses would understand why so many family members were present. The religious preferences would also be significant because that would give the nurse insight to the possible importance of certain charms, icons, or beliefs. Another item that could have been on the kardex was the history of the patient from the perspective of the clinic nurse. She may have passed on more information to Connie but as flustered as Connie was, that information was more than likely minimized or forgotten because it was not written down. Connie only gave the bare facts during report, then hurried out of the workplace, leaving Gina with mor e questions than answers. Provisions of Culturally Competent Care Gina recognized that she was lacking in cultural knowledge about this family and took the time to look up some information prior to interacting with them. She was respectful of the role of the elders and addressed each person accordingly, gaining some measure of respect in doing so. This helped her establish a mutually satisfying relationship with the family which in turn helped build trust. She also intervened and got an interpreter rather than allowing one of the younger teenagers to interpret. Gina also took the time to find out what interventions the family had provided and did not belittle them for their actions. Gina went from conscious incompetence to conscious competence and will more than likely advance into unconscious competence with time (Purnell & Paulanka, 2003). Transcultural Competency Model The Camphina-Bacote competence model identifies cultural competence as a process that a healthcare worker goes through to enable themselves to work in a manner that falls within the cultural context of a client. The model has five constructs: Awareness, skill, knowledge, encounters, and desire. The first construct of the model, awareness, asks healthcare workers to question their own cultural consciousness by identifying biases and prejudices they may have toward other cultures. It is an attempt to help one understand just how sensitive they may or may not be toward other cultures. The second construct focuses on whether or not the healthcare worker has the necessary skills to conduct a cultural assessment in a manner that will insure insightfulness. This is important for insuring that the assessment is properly done and that it contains information necessary to others who may rely on it. Having the skills alone is not enough; the person conducting the assessment also needs to have k nowledge of the culture. The assessor needs to research the culture to understand the worldview. There are many blanket questionnaires available to use for the assessment if one does not care about personalization. However, understanding the culture is important before the interview begins if the person conducting the interview wants to develop questions that are more in-depth and of a personal nature. The Camphina-Bacote model also recommends that the person conducting the cultural assessment determine what type of encounter they wish to use for the interaction. Some examples of encounters include face-to-face meetings, attending group cultural activities, phone interviewing, or any other type  of communication method. Some people may be more comfortable filling out a questionnaire, others may want to meet in a relaxed, public environment and still others might want the professional atmosphere of an office setting. Whatever type of encounter is chosen, it is important that the comfort of the person being interviewed is taken into consideration and a mutual setting is agreed upon. The last construct of the model is desire. If there is no desire on behalf of the professional to learn about cultural differences then the process of attempting to become culturally competent will fail. At the very best, the information gained will be inadequate and could cause more misunderstand and mistrust (Ingram, 2012). Ladder of Cultural Competency Based on the case study Gina was not being racists and was not blind to the patient and family’s needs or their culture. Purnell and Paulanka (2003) describe racism as a display of power in combination with prejudice: Gina did not exhibit either of these characteristics. She had a modest awareness and knowledge of the Hispanic culture and was sensitive to the family’s needs. Gina does not have the language proficiency yet so she would not be at the fifth step. Gina is on step four: Competence. She demonstrated her ability to provide culturally competent care for this family. Even though she did not already have all of the necessary information to care for this child, she knew where to go look for it and how to interpret it. She demonstrated that she valued the family’s cultural differences by taking the time to treat them with respect according to their beliefs. Utilization of an Interpreter Gina knew that the patient and the family had a right to have an interpreter provided. She also knew that it would be disrespectful to allow a younger person to translate for an older person. In addition, the younger teenager who offered to translate stated she spoke very good English but indicated that she only attended summer school while in Minnesota. What the teenager considered good English more than likely would not have been adequate to translate medical terminology. Gina made a very good decision when she brought in an interpreter. She also obtained a resource for herself because the interpreter could have had additional knowledge about the culture. The  Standards of Practice for Culturally Competent Nursing Care states that it â€Å"is critical that the healthcare system provides resources for interpretation when appropriate† (Douglas et al, 2009, p. 265). History of Present Illness Gina could have asked the mother or family what they felt the cause of the illness was. This would have given her insight as to whether the family believed the cause was physical or spiritual. If it was believed to be spiritual in nature, the family may have wanted to call in a Hispanic healer to perform a ceremony for the child. She asked how many days the child had diarrhea and could have asked whether the child’s diet had changed before her diarrhea started. She also could have asked if any other family members had experienced the same symptoms. Coming to Minnesota may have precipitated a change in diet for the entire family with the possibility of contaminated food. Gina could have addressed the pathophysiology of the illness by asking whether or not the child had experienced any functional changes. The family did indicate the they brought the child to the clinic after she became listless. Getting a background on other functional changes may provide clues to other factors that might be making the illness worse. For example, was the child falling down, crying a lot before she became listless, et cetera. Another area to look at would be the course of the illness. Gina could have the mother describe how the illness started and give a timeline of signs, symptoms, and interventions up to the present time. This could include the treatments the family provided along with what the expected outcomes were. Gina could ask the family whether or not they felt any of the interventions were successful, even if it was only mild success. It would also give Gina information about the remedies used so she could research and pass the information on to the health care provider. Two of the treatments supplied by the family were actually not conducive to good health. The manzanilla tea can cause diarrhea and the family was giving it to the child as a treatment for diarrhea. According to the CDC, greta is an orange powder used as a Hispanic remedy for stomach ailments. The powder contains concentrations of lead as high as 90% and contributes to lead poisoning (CDC, 2009). Getting the family’s perception on the illness is very important to increasing one’s awareness of how the family views the illness. Cultural Diversity Care Plans Cultural Preservation Practice| Nursing Diagnosis| Goal| Interventions| Gina provided care congruent with the culture via an interpreter. The family was unable to understand the plan of care for the child.| Knowledge deficit related to language barriers.| Patient will verbalize an understanding of the child’s condition and the need for the current treatment plan via an interpreter.| 1) Using an interpreter, explain the illness, causes, and treatment plan to the patient’s family.2) Have the primary care-giver demonstrate understanding by repeating back the plan of care and the potential benefits. 3) Allow for questions and answers.| Cultural Accommodation Practice| Nursing Diagnosis| Goal| Interventions| Gina attempted to put the family at ease by using an interpreter to find out what the family understands about the child’s illness and the interventions that were tried in the home environment. She discovered that the red string was on the child for good luck and to keep her safe from spirits.| Anxiety related to cultural lack of understanding of the illness and the treatment plan practices.| Collaborate with the family to identify treatments that are culturally acceptable and that can be used in conjunction with western medicine to address the child’s medical needs.| 1) Allow a spiritual advisor to place new red strings on the child and support a ceremony if need be.2) Explain the need for an IV and make sure it does not violate the family’s beliefs.3) Praise family for their efforts thus far.| Cultural Restructuring Practice| Nursing Diagnosis| Goal| Interventions| Gina found out the baby had been given manzanilla tea and greta. Neither of these remedies is a good choice. The manzanilla tea is used for constipation and the baby had diarrhea. According to the CDC, greta is high in lead content and causes lead poisoning.| Ineffective health maintenance related to lack of understanding.| Educate patient’s family on the illness and potential harm of some folk remedies and identify harmful remedies that the family needs to change.| 1) Provide family with culturally appropriate educational material in whatever configuration they require.2) Work with the family to develop a plan of action and identify alternatives to the harmful remedies.| Reflection Providing culturally competent care can be challenging at times and it requires nurses to be aware of their own limitations, strengths and beliefs. It was evident in the case study that Connie was not prepared to take on the task of developing her own cultural competence. Gina, however, showed good leadership ability and a willingness to learn about a culture different than her own in order to provide the best nursing care she could. Gina is the type of nurse that will continue to grow in her position and garner respect from her patients and co-workers. Her actions showed she was capable of doing what was in the best interest of the patient and family. Cultural competence does not just happen; nurses have to make it happen. References Buffalo State, (2001). Technical and behavioral success factors. Retrieved June 23, 2013, from The State University of New York: http://www.buffalostate.edu/offices/hr/pepds/sf/tb.asp. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2009). Folk medicine. Retrieved July 17, 2013, from the National Center for Environmental Health: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/folkmedicine.htm. Douglas, M., Pierce, J., Rosenkoetter, M., Callister, L., Hattar-Pollara, M., Lauderdale, J., & †¦ Pacquiao, D. (2009). Standards of practice for culturally competent nursing care: a request for comments. Journal Of Transcultural Nursing, 20(3), 257-269. Ingram, R. (2012). Using Campinha-Bacote’s process of cultural competence model to examine the relationship between health literacy and cultural competence. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 68(3), 695-704. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05822.x Purnell, L., & Paulanka, B. (2003). Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach. Philadelphia, PA : F. A. Davis Company. Sitzman, K., & Eichelberger, L. (2004). Understanding the work of nurse theorists: A creative beginning. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (2010). Disparities. In Healthy People 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2013, from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/DisparitiesAbout.aspx. Walsh, S. (2004). Formulation of a plan of care for culturally diverse patients. International Journal Of Nursing Terminologies & Classifications, 15(1), 17-26.

Reasons why the two United States Embassies in Africa in 1998 were so Essay

Reasons why the two United States Embassies in Africa in 1998 were so vulnerable to terrorists. What went into the planning of those attacks - Essay Example The department of state gathered intelligence on this attacks prior to them occurring but were dismissed as too vague to be useful. (The washington Post, 1999) The second reason is that state agencies such as the FBI and CIA failed to predict the consequences of their pressure on the bin Laden network. In 1997 and 1998 the state agencies put a lot of pressure on the network plus other affiliated groups such as the Al-Haramain thinking that such pressure will make the network to stop its activities. They did not think past the consequences of this which led to the bin laden declaration of war on America especially on embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. (IPP Media, 2011) The third reason is that the two countries Kenya and Tanzania were chosen by the bin laden network because they were convenient for the terrorist organization. A look at both countries shows as that they lacked adequate security during this time especially in Tanzania. The two countries have also a sizeable number of Muslims and people of Arab origin and therefore it was easy to blend in to accomplish their mission. The two nations especially Kenya are known to have close ties with America and therefore bombing such nations meant successful bombing on US territory. The above mentioned factors contributed largely to the vulnerability of the US embassies to Terrorist attacks. (James M. Lutz, 2004) The two bombing attacks in Nairobi and Dar es salaam are believed by many to be a revenge mission for the bin laden network on America for its involvement in the extradition and alleged torture of some members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad that are said to have been arrested in Albania two months before the attacks. The four men were said to be involved in the assassination of Rifaat el-Mahgoub and a plot against the Khan el-Khalili market in Cairo. There was a communiquà © prepared by the bin

Mid3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mid3 - Essay Example This was swiftly followed by the addition of Florida as a slave state (Brinkley, 440). Additionally, the US-Mexican war was potentially provoked during Polk’s presidency, as they were already annoyed by the annexation of Texas. He was also interested in purchasing Baja California and New Mexico, which was seen as an insult and the Mexicans felt disarmed by this new president and his choices (Brinkley, 443). Polk himself provoked the war, using the new Texas-Mexico border as justification. The US-Mexican war was another provocation towards disunion because many of those living in the Southern states and former Mexican territories were in support of the war, but those living in the north felt it to be unnecessary. Ulysses S. Grant felt the war to be immoral, which suggests the position of many of the Northern Whigs. At the time, there was mounting tension about a number of issues in the U.S. which eventually led to a break-up of the Union between 1848 and 1861. Slavery was a gro wing concern, with many slave-owning states being concerned about the lack of economic security that would come from abolition, and those in the north feeling slave ownership to be immoral. Millard Fillmore became the last Whig president. Fillmore hated slavery but enforced the new Fugitive Slave Law, which meant that many African Americans were being arrested and had to escape to Canada to escape slavery (Brinkley, 425). The Whig party was also affected by many of the developments at the time, as they felt offended by the compromise of 1850, and there was a divide in the presidential candidate backed by Southern Whigs and Northern Whigs. This dissent in the party ranks eventually led to the dissolution of the Whig party, and is the reason why Millard Fillmore was the last Whig president. Additionally, Pierce was elected President by the majority but is widely acknowledged to be one of the worst U.S. presidents in history (Brinkley, 424). He attempted to save the Union by backing pr o-slavery sentiments, which makes him unusual for a Yankee. He signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act drafted by Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas, allowing the people of all Western Territories to vote whether or not to permit slavery (Brinkley, 426). This meant that there could be a change in the divide between pro- and anti-slavery states in the United States, starting a period of intense turmoil. It is important to note that slavery was not the only important aspect of the break-up of the Union, but is a major contributing factor to a number of problems that were occurring across the new continental United States, which was growing in size. Part TWO: The Civil War: In what way did the Confederacy embody Calhoun’s version of Jeffersonianism? In what way did the Union under Lincoln embody the Whig/Republican version of Hamiltonianism? How did Lincoln turn the war into a Second American Revolution? Why were Antietam, Vicksburg, Gettysburg and the election of 1864 important? How and w hy did the Union eventually prevail? The Confederacy was born out of several states, started by South Carolina in 1860, declaring their independence from the United States as it was (Brinkley, 451). There were several issues that led to this disillusion, one of which being slavery. The Confederacy can be said to embody Calhoun’s version of Jeffersonianism by promoting minimal government, preventing the use of tariffs and funding public works. This is in stark contrast to Hamiltonianism and many of the elements of the United

Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Research Paper - Essay Example Traditionally, these problems were not apparent because tourists were very responsible in helping preserving the pristine nature of places they visit. But today the environment are becoming an eye sore because of exploitation through ecotourism. Wildlife is also threatened. Reasons for this could be poor management so that the environment and wildlife are not conserved. Ecoutourism became a form of business rather than appreciation of nature. Thus, most often it hastens the decline of natural resources and causes the imbalance of environmental ecology as a result of some extinction of fauna brought about by extensive tourism. Modern ecotourism should be transformed from its current state to the position where it contributes to ecological preservation, nature protection, and social responsibility. (Make sure you describe the problem fully in introduction. I think the problem was fully described. Besides I will be going beyond 5 pages if I will revise the introduction. I even went beyo nd the number of word count required in your paper)(he said to me need more describe so you can change some words by another words which is more value of describe) Ecotourism is believed to contribute to ecological preservation. This had been observed in the case of turtle based ecotourism at Mon Repos Beach just near Bundaberg, Australia (Tisdell, Clem & Wilson, Clevo, 1). The development of turtle based ecotourism contributed positively in its preservation. It was even adopted by other countries like Sri Lanka as their â€Å"come on† tourist attraction. Observation also reveals that when people are interested in certain place, the more that the host communities are going to exert effort to preserve its natural beauty. An example of this is the Great Wall of China. Ever since it attracted tourist from all over the world, the Chinese government started to pay particular attention in the maintenance of the wall as well as planting

The Sacred World of Imagination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Sacred World of Imagination - Essay Example The artificial animals are meaningless and superficial trappings. He worships any truly living animal as sacred. Still, in his quest for spiritual guidance, he is also forced to turn to the fraud and trickery of Mercerism. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a book that parodies man's superficial quest for religion through the fraud of animal worship and shows how man will even turn to inanimate objects for moral guidance. The story is told through the world of Rick Deckard. He is a bounty hunter who hunts down and kills the illegal Androids. The Rosen Corporation has built the new Nexus-6 robots so lifelike that they are almost undetectable. In a world where there is little that resembles life in the past, Deckard must seek out and destroy that which has the potential to replace it. The world has become splintered and alienated. People exist on the margins of life, outcast and distanced from any reality. Humans are segregated by health and kept at a distance from truth by the propaganda of the Android Buster Friendly's non-stop television show and the fraudulent religion of Mercerism. Having destroyed nearly all of the original creation, man must now decide which of his own replacements are good and which are evil. The story of morality is told through the animal kingdom. Animals are the one constant that everyone has a connection to. ... The Sidney's Catalogue has become the new bible, carried wherever they go and looked to for truth and guidance. When an animal that appears to be real confuses Rick he states his belief in Sidney's. He says, "Sidney's never makes a mistake. We know that too. What else can we depend on" (p.41). The bounty hunter that was trying to eliminate the false humans from earth was also dedicated to finding the only true animals left on the planet. Syndey's had become his bible. Virtue was evaluated by man's treatment and care of the animals he owned and knew. When Deckard was trying to purchase a horse from his neighbor, his neighbor rebuffed his request. Barbour, the neighbor said, "It would be immoral to sell my horse" (p.10). Deckard replied, "Sell the colt, then. Having two animals is more immoral than not having any" (p.10). Deckard and his neighbor were in a tug of war over the contention that there was a proper and moral responsibility to owning an animal. It did not involve the treatment of the animal, only the ownership. Ownership of one animal was righteous, more was gluttonous, and less was depraved. In Dick's book, animals were elevated to the elite level of ethics and Godliness. To know an appreciation for an animal was to make you a better human being. When John Isadore was returning to the pet repair shop to have what he believed was a robotic cat recharged, the cat expired. He was glad that it had died and now he "...no longer had to listen to the nerve wracking wheezing of the construct: he could relax" (p.72). Animals, and especially robotic ones, did not move Isadore. The war had left Isadore mentally challenged and he had been, "...reduced to this ignomous task with its attendant emotional by-products" (p.72). His mind had been reduced and

Stock Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stock Analysis - Essay Example Surprisingly, the same investment could pose different influences on the over all levels of portfolio risk. Under-diversification of investments influences portfolio returns and portfolio risk in many ways. Investors in this company rend to follow in the group that refutes the standard finance theory. The theory supports the consensus of portfolios falling under proper diversification. Clearly, investors appear to focus portfolios in a small number of stocks with a maximum of three and a minimum of two stocks. The tendency dubbed ‘naive diversification’ suffers from the effect of minimum finances. Personal differences in the expected degree of risk uptake make it possible to differentiate between various degrees of risk in search of investors. Calculating the expected value of distribution helps investors to evaluate various levels of returns. Most of them use returns of expected probability distribution of portfolio. Variability around expected value involving probabili ty distribution on returns measures the risk. Standard deviation and variance remain the most accepted measures of variability. Harmonizing the choice of asset mix constituents remains another essential factor that determines portfolio return/risk as a characteristic that requires through evaluation during the construction of portfolio. The criteria applied in the choice of diversity levels of portfolio. Bonds that receive lower ratings in the ratings undertaken by official rating agencies such as Fitch are riskier investments compared to those that receive higher ratings. Bonds with lower ratings include small cap bonds while those that receive higher ratings include state treasury bonds and large cap bonds among many more.The context presents a situation where a clear difference must exist between the ability of the investor to take risk and his or her willingness to take part in the risk. Does the current risk profile

Capriccio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Capriccio - Research Paper Example For purposes of this brief analysis, Phillip Sparke’s work â€Å"Capriccio† will be analyzed. It is the understanding of this particular author that Sparke’s â€Å"Capriccio† represents many of the tell tale markers that music of the latter half of the 20th century engenders. Moreover, this short analysis will also integrate with an understanding of some of the primary influences that can be determined from a close listening and reflection upon Sparke’s â€Å"Capriccio†. Even though it might be convenient to assume that the most talented composers rely only upon their own ideas to create famous compositions, the fact of the matter is that many individuals, musicians, and former composers have a profound impact upon the way in which these composers integrate with the subject matter. Finally, from a technical and mechanical as well as theoretical understanding of music, the analysis will seek to draw inference upon the range of the instrumentat ion that is employed, the use of Marshall music, and the reintegration of neoclassicism and/or a greater emphasis and or focus upon harmony melody point and counterpoint. Firstly, with regards to the means by which the piece deviates from the traditional understanding of 20th and 21st century music, the listener quickly notes the complete and total absence of dissonance and/or abstraction within the music. Although the pioneers of early 20th-century music were keen on exhibiting the hopeless and often times and meaningless nature of the human condition through abstract means of musical expression, as with most friends and classical music, this approach has since become far less common. In the same means that baroque music is no longer composed, many of the themes and developments that abstraction and made so popular within the 20th century are now no longer realized within the current compositions (Ivry 13). More specifically within Sparke’s â€Å"Capriccio†, the liste ner is continually integrated with an understanding of a complex relationship between the melody played by the soprano cornet and the harmony which is played by the remainder of the brass instruments. Naturally, in order to keep the development and ideas presented fresh, trade-offs are made at various intervals with regards to the way that they soprano cornet assumes the role of playing harmony while the backup instrumentation within the other brass instruments briefly take on the melody (Altena 41). From a personal experience perspective, it must be noted that Phillip Sparke’s â€Å"Capriccio† integrated within this listener is strong level of remembrance and recognition with regards to the level of pollution and/or influence that the piece has with Aaron Copland’s â€Å"Appalachian Spring†. This cannot be said to cheapen or otherwise reduce the originality that is displayed within Sparke’s â€Å"Capriccio†; rather, it reinforces the previo usly mentioned understanding that a range of prior ideas, techniques, styles, and means are oftentimes illustrated within the works of later composers. Instead of taking away from the merits of such an original work, this can be seen as a means of paying tribute to some of the most influential members of the classical composing community. With regards to Copland, it comes as no surprise that Phillip Spark

International Legal and Ethical Issues in Business Essay

International Legal and Ethical Issues in Business - Essay Example 113). For instance, if the employee chose to present the issue to the higher management, then it is expected that the company would incur losses for product test and recall. However, the action would benefit customers to stop from patronizing the defective products. In the code of ethics, it is an employee’s responsibility to act in professional manner and report promptly to the higher management about any information he or she knows about wherein the business is directly involve so that it could be given appropriate corrective actions. However, â€Å"it is not uncommon practice for lower-level employees to communicate upwards about only those matters which are likely to appeal to people at higher levels (Rashid, 1983, p. 133); therefore, the employee should present first the subject matter to his or her next in command particularly if the company’s structure is following an upward communication by subordinates. In addition, he or she is not at all responsible to tell directly to the company’s CEO and executives about the knowledge of potentially defective products that are being sold to the customers until such time that it is delegated to the immediate supervisor. In the first place, the employee is uncertain about the organization’s ethical guidelines which are supposed to be communicated to them to ensure that they understand the company’s values and policies. Lastly, he is just maintaining the welfare of the company and at the same time fulfilling his duties, respecting the higher authorities and maintaining social order. Values for professionals and employees in particular are not bound for the organization alone but it needs to serve for the good of the public. * How would you specifically notify customers of such an occurrence? Satisfied customer contributes higher revenue growth, therefore, it is their right to be notified and it is the company’s responsibility to provide them with real information. In case th e issue is effectively presented to the top management, then it is the company’s responsibility to test and recall the product to know the defects. This process is costly but it could prevent further losses. Also, it is one of their ethical and social responsibilities to secure the safety of their customers in return for their reputation (Jennings, 2009, p. 511; Shaw, 2010, p. 222). It should consider the seriousness and frequency of the injury that the product could create to the customers and remember that quality of products should be prioritized first. The customer will be notified through a press release, describing to them the real problem, guarantee their safety, and most importantly, ask for an apology. In this case wherein defective products are involved, it is a requirement that the company should respond promptly and efficiently. It should ensure that the remaining defective products will not reach the customers by tracking them through helpful signs, and setting u p tracking system for customers’ complaints. Through this way of keeping the customer informed, everything will be centralized and easier to control. * What kind of internal actions would you take to prevent future problems? The employee must define the problem clearly and be responsible on all his or her actions. For instance, if he or she discovers material information that involves the business, he or she should promptly report this to the

Buddhism Before 1850 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Buddhism Before 1850 - Essay Example The three major sects of Buddhism are the Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana. A schism at the second Buddhist Council in 443-379 BCE, led to the formation of the Mahayana sect. In addition to the Tipitaka, this sect also gives importance to the sutras as a precept for life and is relatively liberal in its beliefs. Emphasis is given to Bodhisattvas or living saints. At the third Buddhist Council of 247 BCE, a second schism resulted in the Theravada sect in which the Tipitaka is the main scripture. According to this school, total renunciation is the way to salvation. The Vajrayana school developed from 320-100 and is characterized by the use of mantras – incantations, and tantras – mystic symbols. In addition to the three main schools of Buddhism, there are two other contemporary lines of belief in China and Japan: Pure Land, or Jodo and Ch’an or Zen (Tamney, â€Å"Buddhism†). Buddhism spread during the reign of Emperor Asoka in 247 BCE. Asoka sent emissarie s to Sri Lanka Burma, Afghanistan and even Egypt and Greece. 65 CE witnessed the entry of Buddhism into China and Thailand. Vietnam was entered in the second century, followed by Korea in 372, Nepal in the fourth century, Java, Sumatra and Borneo in the fifth century, Cambodia in the fifth century and Japan in 552 CE. Buddhism spread to Tibet in 641 CE. In all the countries of its adoption, Buddhism experienced its highs and lows due to repression and persecution by some rulers, and violent encounters with Islam.

Inherent Fallacies Essay Example for Free

Inherent Fallacies Essay We humans live in a world were illogical fallacies run rampant. In 12 Angry Men the author illustrates everyday illogical fallacies people have in the setting of a court jury. Jurors: 3, 4, 7 and 10 have their own fallacies that are unique to them in the play; but can be found in common people in everyday people. In 12 Angry Men the illogical fallacy for Juror Number 3 is a general fallacy. This fallacy is the result of an emotional prejudice by juror 3 has as he compares the defendant with his own child. Juror 3 says in the play, You’re right. Its the kids.  The way they are—you know? They dont listen. Ive got a kid. When he was eight years old, he ran away from a fight. I saw him. I was so ashamed, I told him right out, Im gonna make a man out of you or Im gonna bust you up into little pieces trying. When he was fifteen he hit me in the face. Hes big, you know. I havent seen him in three years. Rotten kid! You work your heart out. All right, lets get on with it. (Reginald Rose 8) His emotional prejudice gets in the way of his critically thinking through the evidence because he has emotional conflict with his own son. He is grouping all teens together because of his altercation with his son, and Juror 3 is just punishing the young man on trial because he cannot come to turns with his own failings as a parent with his child. Towards the end of the play Juror 3 is all alone on the vote count; he â€Å"looks around at all of them for a long time. They sit silently, waiting for him to speak, and all of them despise him for his stubbornness. Then, suddenly, his face contorts as if he is about to cry, and he slams his fist down on the table† †¦ (thundering) All right† (30). Juror Number 4 and 10 each has prejudices about slum dwellers. This prejudice gives way to genetic fallacies in each juror’s thinking that at the beginning of the deliberations cause them to vote guilty in the initial preliminary vote. Juror 4, for example, says, Were missing the point here. This boy—lets say hes a product of a filthy neighborhood and a broken home. We cant help that. Were not here to go into the reasons why slums are breeding grounds for criminals. They are. I know it. So do you. The children who come out of slum backgrounds are potential menaces to society. 23) The play says that he is a man of wealth and position. We can also determine this by his attitude about people from the ghetto from his previously mentioned statement. Juror 10 is prejudice for the fact that he came from the slums,I don’t mind telling you, mister. We don’t owe him a thing. He got a fair trial, didn’t he? You know what that trial cost? He’s lucky he got it. Look, we’re all grownups here. You’re not going to tell us that we’re supposed to believe him, knowing what he is. I’ve lived among ’em all my life. You can’t believe a word they say. You know that. 5) This line of thinking also can be seen when Juror 4 tells them, â€Å"Next, the boy claims that on the way home the knife must have fallen through a hole in his coat pocket, that he never saw it again. Now theres a story, gentlemen. You know what actually happened. The boy took the knife home and a few hours later stabbed his father with it and even remembered to wipe off the fingerprints† (9). Juror Number Seven has no need to go over the facts again; he votes with whatever the majority of the vote is deciding. Juror 7 is in a hurry to get to the play he has tickets for as noted on page 3, â€Å"Right. This better be fast. Ive got tickets to The Seven Year Itch tonight. I must be the only guy in the whole world who hasnt seen it yet. (He laughs and sits down. ) Okay, your honor, start the show† (3). His prejudice that gets in the way of him critically thinking through the case is selfishness, which leads to a slippery slope illogical fallacy in the play. He says to the foreman,I dont know, most of its been said already. We can talk all day about this thing, but I think we’re wasting our time. Look at the kids record. At fifteen he was in reform school. He stole a car. Hes been arrested for mugging. He was picked up for knife-fighting. I think they said he stabbed somebody in the arm. This is a very fine boy. (7) This statement highlights the laziness of juror 7 to mean for not necessarily do any of those things correlate with killing his father. The prejudices of all jurors are the basis of the story. These prejudices lead to many illogical fallacies that are shown and resolved throughout the play for each juror. They are attempts by the author to show how every day are riddled with fallacies of logic and how people’s personal conflicts cloud their critical thinking to reason. This play suggests that we all need to examine ourselves before we rush to any type of judgment.

The HC Bridge Frame Work

The HC Bridge Frame Work â€Å"The traditional HR paradigm defines HR contribution as supporting organisation goals through aligned HR services, policies, practices, and programs†, (Bodreau, et al., 2005). Typically, this HR paradigm is combined with the traditional definition of organisations success. The result is an emphasis on reducing risks of costly legal actions in HR process such as reducing cost per hire, time taken for training, HR staff per employee and the client satisfaction with HR practices. The best example is measuring return on investment of HR programmes, such as showing that improved sales knowledge which are offset by training costs, leads to increase in sales. â€Å"The traditional HR paradigm of service delivery is also typically how HR connects to sustainability†, (Bodreau, et al., 2005). For example, the ILO declaration urges the elimination of child labor, employment discrimination and promotion of free association and collective bargaining. â€Å"The UN Global Compac t adds that companies should protect internationally proclaimed human rights abuses†, (Bodreau, et al., 2005). HR programs such as performance management, selection and training can reflect upon respect for collective association rights and reward not only economic performance, but also community involvement. HR can measure sustainability-related knowledge, behaviors and motivations, and employee health and safety. Such measures are often reported in corporate sustainability or social responsibility while reporting to the investors. â€Å"While this is important, but the HR paradigm is still traditional-applying sustainability to the policies, practices and activities within the HR function†, (Bodreau, et al., 2005). â€Å"HR has struggled to define what it means to be ‘strategic. The answer can be discovered not only in benchmarking HR organisations, but also in benchmarking the evolution of more mature strategic functions such as finance and marketing†, (Bodreau, et al., 1997, 2003). The decisions on marketing focuses on decisions about customers and the finance decisions focuses on money and cash flows, so a decision on talent should enhance decisions about talent, both within and outside the HR function. The finance decisions are not always generally made by the finance department, the decisions are made by managers across the organisations. These finance decisions is different from accounting but accounting still remains as a critical professional practice. â€Å"Todays HR is similar to accounting. It is and will remain a critical and important professional practice†, (Bodreau, et al., 2005). Yet, we still lack a well developed decision science for talent. It is increasin gly important to enhance talent decisions, including structures, behaviors, capability, learning, collaboration and shared culture. â€Å"In several companies, we have labeled it talent ship, because it focuses on decisions that improve the stewardship of the hidden and apparent talents of employees†, (Bodreau, et al., 2005). Any decision science will involve one element i.e. the logic, which connects decisions about the resource to organisations success. In finance though the formula for return on investment produces a number but it is important to know what factors are relevant to financial decisions. Similarly, a talent decision science requires showing factors those are relevant to make talent decisions. Boudreau and Ramstad created a model, the HC BRidge Decision frame work, which outlines the logical connections supporting talent ship. The HC BRidge framework is based on 3 anchor points efficiency, effectiveness and impact-that are common to all business decision sciences (see Figure-1). Efficiency The efficiency anchor point focuses on the resources that are used to deliver HR practices. Typical indicators of efficiency would be cost-per-hire and time to fill vacancies. When applied to sustainability, efficiency would focus on resources used to bring HR practices in to compliance that reflects upon community environment and social goals. Effectiveness The effectiveness focuses on the HR policies and practices that affect the talent pools and organisation structures to which they are directed. Effectiveness also refers to the outcomes of HR policies and practices on human capacity and the resulting aligned actions of the target talent pools. Impact Impact illustrates the fundamental differences revealed by a focus on talent decisions, beyond simply HR service delivery. Impact asks, â€Å"How do differences in the quality or availability of different talent pools affect strategic success?† Impact can deliver surprising results by using the traditional financial definition for success. HR investments, which had been relatively ignored can make a bigger difference in the talent pool affecting product development and thus offering improvement opportunity. Talent Management A review of the talent management literature reveals that their is a degree of debate as to the conceptual boundaries of the topic. Aston and Morton (2005: 30) noted that there â€Å"isnt a single consistent or concise definition† of talent management. â€Å"Lewis and Heckman (2006)identified three key streams of thought around the concept of talent management. First, those who merely substitute the label talent management for human resource management. A second strand of literature emphasises the development of talent pools focusing on â€Å"projecting employee/staffing needs and managing the progression of employees through positions†(Lewis Heckman, 2006: 140). The third stream focuses on the management of talented people†, (Collings, et al., 2009). Studies in the first part, which merely substitutes the label talent management for human resource management, limit their focus to few particular HR practices like recruitment, leadership development and succession planning. The contribution of this particular literature is limited beyond the strategic HR literature, as this relates largely to a rebranding of Human Resource Management. In the second part, by adopting a narrow focus, the literature builds on earlier research in manpower planning or succession planning. Studies in this tradition, at least provides a degree of differentiation as to what talent management is vis-à  -vis HRM. In the third part, literature argues that all roles within the organisation should be filled with â€Å"A performers†, referred to as â€Å"top grading† (Smart, 1999) and emphasises the management of â€Å"C players†, or consistently poor performers, out of the organisation (Michaels et al., 2001). â€Å"While the third approach is highly influential, we recognise limitations to this approach and argue it is neither desirable nor appropriate to fill all positions within the organisation with top performers. Equally, if the talent management system is applied to all of an organisations employees (i.e. including poor performers as well as top performing employees), it is difficult to differentiate talent management from conventional human resource management†, (Collings, et al., 2009). In addition to the above three streams, (Boudreau and Ramstad, 2005) and(Huselid et al., 2005) identified a fourth stream that emphasises on the identification of key positions that had the potential to impact the competitive advantage of the firm. The starting point here is to identify the key positions rather than talented individuals. â€Å"Therefore, as noted above, we view an organisational talent management as activities and processes that involve the systematic identification of key positions which differentially contribute to the organisations sustainable competitive advantage, the development of a talent pool of high potential and high performing incumbents to fill these roles, and the development of a differentiated human resource architecture to facilitate filling these positions with competent incumbents and to ensure their continued commitment to the organisation†, (Collings, et al., 2009). Over all we can say Talent Management is getting the right people in the right jobs at the right time. Talent is also defined as â€Å" Talent is seen in individual terms comprising ‘a sharp strategic mind, leadership ability, emotional maturity, communication skills, the ability to attract and inspire other talented people, entrepreneurial instincts, functional skills and the ability to deliver results ( Michaels et al., 2001, p. X)†, (Martin et al., 2009). Approaches towards Talent Management Talent management requires a new mind set among business leaders mainly because talent being so mission critical in todays world should not be left alone only to HR departments, instead the organisations board of directors should directly support and make talent as a core element of the work (See Table-1). Table-1, The new talent mindset. Old HR mindset New talent mindset The vague leadership and HR rhetoric of ‘people being our most important asset A deeply held conviction that talented people produce better organisational performance. The responsibility for people management lies with HR. The responsibility for managers to do all they can to strengthen the talent pool. Small-scale and infrequent programmes for succession planning and training managers in acquiring and nurturing people. Talent management as a central component of the business and part of the ongoing role of senior leaders. Managers have to work with the people they inherit. Managers constantly taking active and bold steps to attract and develop their talent pool and actively manage low performers. Source: Adapted from Handfield-jones et al., 2001 The organisations to become top performers should not only follow new talent mindset but also they should implement the three main elements of a talent management approach. (See Table-2) Disciplined talent management, by developing managers and matching them with the right jobs also rigorous and continuous assessment of employees. Creative recruitment and retention of employees through refined and meaningful employee value propositions. Executive development, using coaching and mentoring. Table-2, Three elements of a talent management approach. Danger signs Signs of progress Signs of achievement Disciplined talent management A focus only on obvious successors in succession planning exercises Some discussion of incumbents performance Clear identification of A, B and C performers in each talent pool Lists of high potential people, but little action Consultation of list when vacancies occur Written action plans for each high potentials development and retention Belief that there are no poor performers Admit that there are likely to be some, but avoid doing much about it Act decisively on poor performance by improving or replacing them Hold no one accountable for talent management except for HR Evaluate managers on how well they manage their staff Hold leaders directly accountable for developing their talent pool Creative recruitment and retention Empty rhetoric about being a good employer to work for Think about EVPs for each type of talent Understand the strengths and weakness of the EVPs for each type of talent and plan to strengthen them Hire only at entry levels and grow only from internal hires Occasionally bring in senior or specialist people from outside Recruit a steady flow of talent at all levels Go to the same sources for recruiting talent Experiment with new sources, but look for similar backgrounds Creatively tap new pools of talent, looking for essential capabilities Have high and consistent attrition rates among managers Analyse attrition data by department and type Know the attrition rates of A, B and C performers and understand why they are leaving, performing or underperforming Thoughtful executive development Leave the job assignments of managers to the manager who hires them Suggest some candidates from the high potential list or job posting systems Involve leadership teams on every assignment decision, seeking to optimise these across the company Recruit most qualified candidate with no discussion of development Stretch people, but not in the context of any development plan Thoughtfully consider the development needs of each assignment and the development needs of each candidate Assume that the best way to develop people is by throwing them in at the deep end Provide formal feedback through appraisal once a year Embed candidate feedback and coaching into the routines of the organisation and the jobs of leaders Invest in training driven by top-down assessments of candidates and then only in response to immediate needs, threats or crisis. Offer regular but basic programmes for management development and leadership, usually off-the-job Offer integrated management/leadership learning programmes for each transition point of managerial careers Source: Adapted from Handfield-jones, WWW.handfieldjones.com/diagnose/index.html (28 February 2006) Another similar approach to talent management is found in the four categories of employees that make up a ‘talent value chain (Rosen and Wilson, 2005; Zingheim, 2005). This approach can also be referred to as segmenting the employees within the organisation. The segments are as follows: The Super keepers: They are that 3-5% of employees who consistently demonstrate superior performance in ways that reflect the core values of organisation and also help others to do so. The Keepers: They are 25-30% of the organisation who exceed both performance expectations and in the demonstration of core competencies. The Solid citizens: They consist of 65% of employees who meet normal expectations of the job and sometimes they exercise leadership in some situations. The Misfits: The 3-5% of people who continuously underperform and does not meet the requirements of job skills. After identifying the segments we have to follow a process called as Talent Management process (TM process) (see Figure-2) Source: L.A. Berger and Associates Ltd. A handbook of talent management 2004 Competency Models Competency models helps organisations avoid business problems and thus enhance their business. We shall see this by looking at each and every available model. Daniel Golemans emotional intelligence model: Goleman in his model uses the research of David McClelland and his colleagues at McBer and Company. He ties that with modern theories of brain functioning that shows how these characteristics work and why they are important. He also shows that because these characteristics are tied to the brain, people are capable of developing and learning these characteristics. Goleman proposes that emotional intelligence is shown in four areas: self-awareness, social awareness, self-management and relationship management (see Figure-3). Aspects of emotional intelligence. Self Awareness Emotional Self-Awareness Accurate Self-Assessment Self-Confidence Social Awareness Empathy Organisational Awareness Service Orientation Self-Management Emotional Self-Control Transparency Adaptability Achievement Initiative Optimisim Relationship Management Developing others Inspirational Leadership Influence Change catalyst Conflict Management Teamwork and collaboration Source: Goleman, Daniel, Working with Emotional Intelligence, Bantam Books, 1998 Building Models for Job Families: Finding the right project management competencies for a financial service company would had been the upmost priority but it will not solve the whole issue. There is another approach to competencies that is especially useful when looking at specific functions. This involves finding the right set of skills that people should have in order to perform a job (see Figure-4). After following through this process as shown in Figure-4, a company should be able to find the right talent for the job and thus can improve its returns on that particular project. The top managment should play a very important role in implementing this kind of model for executing specific tasks. Building Models of Leadership: Using the Management Team There are three connected methods management groups can use to build a model for competencies that they agree should drive leadership or key roles in their company (see Figure-5). Figure-4 illustrates that firstly managers can use a list of characters and come to a consensus that which of these in the list is most necessary for companys success. If they had to choose only a limited number of people, they have to decide, which of these differentiate the best performers from average performers, they should also make a point on devastating impact they would create if not considered for the job. Secondly, management team can decide upon the key requirement for the role and make a matrix and map out critical competencies and later decide upon which individual can fulfill their accountabilities in really super ways. Alternatively, a management group could agree upon key accountability for the role, answer the question, â€Å"what attributes, characteristics, skills or competencies will enable the person in the role to perform this accountability in an outstanding manner?† This list of attributes will describe someone who is displaying that competence in an outstanding way. Thirdly, the group of managers should think concretely about whom they see as top performers and then keep a image of them in their mind. They then take some others who are typical performers but not below average and form their picture in their mind. Then chart out the differences that top performers create in accordance with typical performers. See what makes them outstanding? What motivates them? The managers should not only focus on results but also on what top performers are doing. After this exercise, the management can come out with one particular key player who can satisfy all their requirements. Also this exercise is not a step by step procedure; managers can take any one it and access it accordingly. Behavioral Benchmarking When organisations face changes or new situations, they often tend to rigorously study their best peoples actions, their behaviors, how these best people compare with others in the organisation or with people in different companies. Behavioral benchmarking is probably the most recent evolution from the competency approaches that spurred on all the attention to this area. Competency models used in any of these approaches are fundamental underpinnings of human resource systems. Organisations have different styles for describing their recruiting methods, training requirements, or criterias for promotions. Using a common competency model, companys can create a common language through which all of these organisational initiatives can converge. Principles of Talent Management After knowing about Talent management and the competency models involved in talent management it is far more necessary to know the risks which are being involved in talent management. The main problem which companies faces is â€Å"How to quickly respond to the changes in a competitive environment customer demands, innovation, regulatory factors, and quality standards which is marked by less predictable product markets and the pressures to have a financial returns for every set of uncertainty?† The risks involved in Talent management are mainly the mismatch between people and skills and the cost of losing your talent. Capellis four principles can be seen as the utilisation of HR performance management and succession planning practices within firms to overcome the above two risks mentioned. The important new contribution is the use of techniques from operations management and business forecasting to guide the choice of practices and organisational processes. Principle 1: Make and Buy to manage risk A deep bench of talent is expensive, companies should workout their estimates of their requirements and plan to hire from outside incase of any shortfall. Some positions may be filled easily from outside, so the companies must carefully assess about deploying their precious resources in development. For e.g. Think of situation where the supply chain fails down. We need to work out the immediate costs, the repair costs and the replacement costs. We should also answer the following questions: How long will it take to get new talent? The longer the talent is needed, easier to make investments in internal development payoff. Is there a hierarchy of skills that will enable you to learn through internal development? The more it is the easier to develop talent internally. How important is it to keep your culture? Especially at the senior level, outside people carry different norms and values. How accurate are your forecasts? Less certainty about forecasts, greater the risk and cost of internal development. Can you estimate mismatch costs? How can you estimate the demand for talent? Principle 2: Uncertainty in Talent Demand Uncertainty in demand is always present and smart companies find ways to adapt to it. One approach would be breaking up the development programmes in to shorter units and bringing all the functions together in a short duration say 18 month course that teaches general management skills and then send them back to their own departments to specialise. Another option would be creating talent pool that can be allocated as needs arises in the business units. The business approach would be: Use of models to estimate growth of talent requirements. Estimating the cost of hiring from outside but reducing the chances of promotion within. Estimate the costs of the time lag effect. Supply of labour always behind market demand. Design a development programme. Consider the problems that occur in a decentralised organisation. Should there be lots of different programmes or a corporate format? The first can be inefficient. The second costly if managers try to hide their key performers. Delays occur because of different time scales of different programmes. Managers end up waiting for specific development opportunities. Principle 3: Improve the Return on Investment in developing employees. The main problem is that employees want to acquire both firm specific but also general industrial and occupational skills. If the organisation is able to retain its employees then this is not a problem but in todays market scenario companys are seeking experienced people. One way to improve the payoff is to get employees to share in the cost of development that is asking them to volunteer on assignments. Another approach is to maintaining relationship with former employees, hoping that they might return back someday thus bringing back the investment and the skills. Third approach would be on reducing costs by mixing organisational and occupational learning with development, this would involve: Identify competencies associated with successful managers and identify assignments that will require their use. Learning from peers and colleagues. Training before hiring and then ‘promote and coach. Involving people in project work. Encourage working outside the organisation. Share the costs and connect development with retention. Try to ensure that you promote the right person on ‘economic ground. Principle 4: Preserve the investment by balancing Employee-Employer Interests. The main reason good employees leave an organisation is that they find better opportunities elsewhere. This makes talent development a perishable commodity. The key to preserving the investments made in developing efforts is by creating a balance in the interests of employees and employer by having them share in advancement decisions. Also to manage an internal market following things can be considered. Empowering employees to bid for jobs. Developing IT systems to match competencies with job requirements. Producing up to date information on what skills the company now requires in various job Identifying competencies for specific career paths. Conclusion The business environment is changing, more and more companies are going global. Corporate desicions should be rapid in order to prevent the competitors to take desicions. The search for talent is going to be a never ending process. With too many people in the higher management retiring in a very short period of time, HR department has a challenging job in filling these positions and thus keeping their companies competitive in this challenging environment. We have seen the traditional HR policies and the present HR policies, which emphasises more on talent ship. Companys have various competency models for identifying talents and methods for retaining them. Capellis four principles also help Companys to overcome the risks in talent management. With so much of available resources to the HR department and the constant management support in Talent management, in this process of talent hunt, are they neglecting the existing employees who are at the junior management level? The new policies in HR which emphasises on the Right man at the Right job at the right time will bring in more criticisms at the junior management level. In this present situation the companys are willing to invest more on junior management as the investment cost is very less when compared to the costs on higher management. The companies are looking to fill in the best talented people at this junior level. They train the junior management to become the future leaders, in this process if they do not find any one fitting in to the job position, there are more chances for that individual to be thrown out of the company. The chances to be thrown out are more for a existing employee. So what next to that individual? Will the company promise him a job; will they give him any benefits? If no, then how are they going to solve this issue, it just cannot be neglected. This is major challenge for the HR department in the coming years. Though Talent management helps companies to produce the best resources, the company should also learn to develop a resource which is not the best and make it best, as there is prediction in lack of resources for the future. References Arthur, 1994M.B. Arthur, The boundary less career: A new perspective for organizational enquiry,Journal of Organizational Behaviour15(1994), pp. 295-306. Arthur and Rousseau, 1996In: M.B. Arthur and D.M. Rousseau, Editors,The boundary less career, Oxford University Press, Oxford (1996). Arthur et al., 2005M.B. Arthur, S.N. Khapova and C.P.M. Wilderom, â€Å"Career success in a boundary less world,Journal of Organizational Behavior26(2005), pp. 177-202. Aston and Morton, 2005C. Aston and L. Morton, Managing talent for competitive advantage,Strategic HR Review4(5) (2005), pp. 28-31. Axelrod et al., 2002B. Axelrod, H. Handfield-Jones and E. Michaels, A new game plan for C players,Harvard Business Review, January(2002), pp. 81-88. Baterman and Organ, 1983T.S. Baterman and D.W. Organ, â€Å"Job satisfaction and the good soldier: The relationship between affect and employee citizenship,Academy of Management Journal26(1983), pp. 578-595. Batt, 2000R. Batt, Strategic segmentation in front-line services: Matching customers, employees and human resource systems,International Journal of Human Resource Management11(2000), pp. 540-561. Batt, 2002R. Batt, Managing customer services: Human resource practices, quit rates, and sales growth,Academy of Management Journal45(2002), pp. 587-597. Becker, Gerhart, (1996)B. Becker and B. Gerhart, ‘The impact of human resource management on organizational performance: Progress and prospects,Academy of Management Journal39(4) (1996), pp. 779-801. Becker and Haunschild, 2003K.H. Becker and A. Haunschild, The impact of boundaryless careers on organizational decision making: An analysis from the perspective of Luhmanns theory of social systems,International Journal of Human Resource Management14(2003), pp. 713-727. Becker and Huselid, 2006B.E. Becker and M.A. Huselid, â€Å"Strategic human resource management: Where do we go from here?,Journal of Management32(2006), pp. 898-925. Blumberg and Pringle, 1982M. Blumberg and C.D. Pringle, â€Å"The missing opportunity in organizational research: Some implications for a theory of work performance,Academy of Management Review7(1982), pp. 560-569. Boselie et al., 2005P. Boselie, G. Dietz and C. Boon, â€Å"Commonalities and contradictions in HRM and performance research,Human Resource Management Journal15(2005), pp. 67-94. Boston Consulting Group, 2007Boston Consulting Group, The future of HR: Key challenges through 2015, Boston Consulting Group, Dusseldorf (2007). Boudreau, J. W., Ramstad, P. M. (1997). Measuring intellectual capital: Learning from financial history. Human Resource Management, 36, 343-356. Boudreau, J. W., Ramstad, P. M. (2003). Strategic HRM measurement in the 21st century: From justifying HR to strategic talent leadership. In M. Goldsmith, R. P. Gandossy, M. S. Efron (Eds.), HRM in the 21st century (pp.79-90). New York: Wiley. Boudreau, J. W. (2004). Organizational behavior, strategy, performance and design in Management Science. Management Science, 50, 1463-1476. Boudreau, J. W., Ramstad, P. M. (2004a). Talent ship and the evolution of human resource Management: From â€Å"professional practices† to â€Å"strategi

Levels Of Pollution In The Brisbane River Environmental Sciences Essay

Levels Of Pollution In The Brisbane River Environmental Sciences Essay River Brisbane is the longest river in the southeast Queensland of Australia. It originated from the foothills of the great dividing and flows through Brisbane city before releasing its water into Moreton bay. The river was named after Thomas Brisbane, New South Wales Governor, by John Oxley in 1823. The river provided and still provides a main form of transport between the city of Brisbane and Sydney. Before the European settlement Brisbane River was very clean and unpolluted. It was then used as a source of food and also for recreational purposes. For quite a long time the growth and settlement of people around river Brisbane has adversely affected the quality of its water as well as the life that it supports (Straughan 1972 p.93). As the town of Brisbane grew the river became very unclear and polluted and by 1928 the water quality had deteriorated to the extent that it was not safe even for bath. However the government of Australia decided to protect the river from pollution and by adopting antipollution acts as well as educating the public on the importance of protecting the environment. The river was used the source for agricultural water and also provided sand used in the construction around the growing city. The river faced so many risks of pollution from the growing industries and from the waster vessels that transported petroleum products and other substances. Nitrogen from sewage treatment and phosphorous from industrial discharge as well as other metals, were and still are among the main pollutants (MacKey, Hodgkinson Nardella 1992). However the data taken on the nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the river shows that the efforts of protecting the river have bared some fruits. In 2000 the average nitrogen levels were about 2.2mg/l while in 2009 the average level had dropped to 0.5mg/l. A graph plotted for both nitrogen and phosphorous show a decrease in their concentr ation in the river. Introduction For more than 400 million years now, the Brisbane River has been flowing. Its catchments have endured a number of floods and droughts seasons while its origins have continuously shifted as the surrounding land kept changing from time to time. In 1823 when John Oxley entered River Brisbane for the first time, the river was very clean and unpolluted. After a while Oxley realized that the river could be used as a new site for new settlement and through his suggestion, the city of Brisbane was developed alongside the River in 1825. The Brisbane River, whose origin is at the base of Great Dividing Range, has a catchment area of about 30,000km square and it releases its water into the bay of Moreton (National Library of Australia 1988). The once pure water of Brisbane was mostly used for drinking and for recreational purposes like swimming and the like. However as the city of Brisbane developed, industries started growing in it. At that time industries took the river as an efficient and cheap point for waste disposal. The Brisbane River was the only means of transport between Brisbane town and Sydney until when the road links were established. This river has for long been the most important asset for of Brisbane city as its still used for transportation, recreational and relaxation purposes. For the better part of the twentieth century, this river has been polluted and overused as its basin provided grazing grounds as well as fertile lands for agriculture (Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1986). According to AsiaRooms.com, the river basin also provided suitable catchment areas which could be used for damming purposes. The river presented several advantages which for the town and its people but the people exploited these advantages so carelessly such that self reparation appeared unfeasible. Today the Brisbane River has undergone considerable modifications to meet the requirements of the citys population which is increasing. Through diverse public awareness on the need to protect the environment, the river has gained significant political support in form of anti-pollution acts and policies that were adopted by the government (Doyle Kellow 1995 p.180). Currently the duty of checking pollution levels and water quality of river Brisbane is currently on the Queensland parliament. The parliament has so far made a lot of progress in its efforts of maintaining the quality of the river by establishing two anti-pollution acts. These acts comprise the 1971; Clean Waters Act and the Pollution of Waters by Oil of 1973. Due to the current public awareness on environmental protection and by the help of these acts, the quality of River Brisbane has significantly improved although its not yet at the safe levels. According to Doyle Kellow (1995), the River is currently supporting a population of 2 million people while transport and industries and still dependent on the river, which then helps to understand why its pollution level is still above the safe levels (p.180). The aim of this essay is to give a report on the levels of pollution of Brisbane River from the year 2001 to 2010. For the 150 years that the Europeans have occupation the region, River Brisbane has seen a number of modifications. The river has survived waves of exploration including agriculture, grazing, urbanization and settlement, etc. the urbanization and settlement required flood mitigation strategies and water storage for drinking purposes (Straughan 1972 p.94). Shipping channels and flood prevention measures also needed to be taken as the river was the main means of transport between the city and Sydney. Sand dredging along the river has been the main activity as sand was highly needed for construction in the city. Between the year 1900 and 1970 approximately 12 million cubic meters of sand were extracted from the banks of River Brisbane. Extraction reached its peak latter in mid 70s when about 1.45 million cubic meters of sand were being extracted annually. The extraction later dropped to 1 million per year and eventually ceased in 1996/7. The riches of the river between mt Crosby and Wivehoe are most pleasing aesthetically because of their cool atmosphere. Between Jindalee and mt. Crosby the river widens and then flows through rural and residential areas. In this area pollution by human beings is very evident and likely. Currently the Brisbane port is accountable for extraction of sand in the lower reaches of the river so as to maintain deep channels for water vessels. This long time dredging has considerably deepened the river hence making its banks quite unstable (Olafson 1978). Strong urban development has been evident throughout the city and on the south bank reach. As this river proceeds towards the Pinkenba, commercial and industrial areas dominate while further down from Murarie to the mouth, the river passes through mangrove lined region which is dominated by commercial shipping activity (MacKey, Hodgkinson Nardella 1992 p 418-420). The speed of water in this region is often determined by season. In this region the river reaches its highest flow speed during summer when there is high rainfall while the minimum flow is in winter when rainfall is minimal. Due to the slow flow of water in this region, there is likelihood of pollutants accumulation and overall deterioration of water quality. However this accumulation of pollutants can be cleaned by the release of water from storage dams situated in the river upstream. Wivenhoe and Somerset dams release certain amounts of water that are satisfactory to the water needs of the people of Brisbane. These two dams enable a more even water flow throughout the year thus maintaining and improving the qu ality of water in the river. The dams are also used as a means for flood prevention by reducing water flow from the range. Analysis of the past and current pollutants of river Brisbane According to Connell Shaw (1980), the major sources of pollutants of the river comprise the many large scale discharge points where wastes from industries and treatment plants discharge into the river (p.356-358). Currently the discharge from sewage is treated to a safer secondary standard with only a small portion of it being left in the primary standard. The small portion of primary standard sewage discharged into river Brisbane does not only contribute considerably to the toxicant load in the river but also to the nutrient load and increased demand for oxygen. This pollution leads to the contamination of fish and other aquatic life by such substances. Sewage discharge around the city of Brisbane is usually chlorinated hence causing a negative impact to the river. The most common discharges to river Brisbane resulted from the highly industrialized section of the river. The city of Brisbane has two main treatment plants for waste water as well as Gibson Island on the Southside and a luggage point on the North side both of which are found at the industrialized section of the river. Moreover River Brisbane faces other risks of pollution from the BP and Caltex oil refineries which discharge into the river discharge streams from potentially contaminated areas. Other discharges into the river such as runoff from the urban and industrial parts, and from upstream parts of the catchment, discharge substantial toxic pollutants into the river (Wong Tam 2005). Sometimes accidents occur resulting to spills of petroleum and insecticides among other substances. This often results to contamination of the river leading to fish death and other water lives. For instance in April 1998, a tanker known as Barrington was docked at White Island in Brisbane collided with a local boat named Austral Salvor. This accident resulted to a spill of 8 tonnes of heavy fuel into the river. Conclusion In order to recommend any possible measures that can help improve the quality of River Brisbane one must understand the past and the current pollutions characteristics of the river. In this paper, the pollution analysis of river Brisbane is based on the data provided by Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management. Nitrogen and phosphorous which are the main pollutants of the river have been measured and their levels in the river minimized. Nitrogen is found in fertilizers and it usually reaches the river when rain water passes through agricultural fields where fertilizer has been applied. Its also produced during sewage treatment processes. Phosphorous is produced in the waste treatment plants in Brisbane and from confined livestock operations. According to Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (1997), both nitrogen and phosphorous are can be harmful and toxic to aquatic life since their enhance growth of aquatic plants which then depletes the water of oxygen hence posing d anger to fish and other organisms (p.35). The graph below shows the levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in River Brisbane from the year 2000 to 2009. The concentration of these pollutants was measured in milligrams per litre of water. Fig.1 graph of nitrogen and phosphorous concentration against years From the graph we see that in 2000 the level of nitrogen in river Brisbane was quite high with more than 2mg of nitrogen in every litre of water. However due to the extensive public awareness and the anti-pollution measures taken by the government these levels reduced drastically between 2000/1 to below 1.5 mg/l. the downward trend in decrease of nitrogen continued until 2008 when the average level was about 0.5 mg/l. in 2009 the levels appeared to be rising again which shows that the government as well as the general public of Brisbane may have relaxed in its efforts to maintaining the quality of the river. On the other hand phosphorous levels have been low all through with level of below 0.4mg/l in 2000. The phosphorous levels have also shown a general downward trend and show a likely hood of reaching zero levels within the next few years if the same trend is maintained. The analysis of the past and the present pollution situations of river Brisbane indicate the government as well as the local authorities have done tremendous work in controlling the water quality of the river. If the efforts are maintained, the river will reach its old clean levels within a few years.

Pi Essay -- essays research papers

The area of a circle is one of the first formulas that you learn as a young math student. It is simply taught as, . There is no explanation as to why the area of a circle is this arbitrary formula. As it turns out the area of a circle is not an easy task to figure out by your self. Early mathematicians knew that area was, in general to four sided polygons, length times width. But a circle was different, it could not be simply divided into length and width for it had no sides. As it turns out, finding the measurement to be squared was not difficult as it was the radius of the circle. There was another aspect of the circle though that has led one of the greatest mathematical voyages ever launched, the search of Pi. One of the first ever documented estimates for the area of a circle was found in Egypt on a paper known as the Rhind Papyrus around the time of 1650 BCE. The paper itself was a copy of an older â€Å"book† written between 2000 and 1800 BCE and some of the information contained in that writing might have been handed down by Imhotep, the man who supervised the building of the pyramids. The paper, copied by the scribe named Ahmes, has 84 problems on it and their solutions. On the paper, in problem number 50 he wrote; â€Å"Cut off 1/9 of a diameter and construct a square upon the remainder; this has the same area as a circle.† Given that we already know that the area of a circle is we find that the early Egyptian estimate for the area of a circle was which simplified to or 3.16049†¦ Though, the papyrus does not go into detail as to how Ahmes derived this estimate. This estimate for Pi given by the ancient Egyptians is less than 1% off of the true value of Pi. Given, there was no standard of measurement in that day and they also had no tools to aid them in such calculations such as compasses or measuring tapes, this is an amazingly accurate value for Pi and the area of a circle. Another early attempt at the area of a circle is found in the Bible. In the old testament within the book of Kings Vii.23 and also in Chronicles iv.2 a statement is made that says; â€Å"And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was round all about and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.† From this verse, we come to the conclusion that Pi is 30/10 or simply 3. The book of Kings was edited around the time of 550 BCE. Mu... ...ct, the rest of the mathematical world doesn’t dare question their founding mathematicians, and that they alone, the cyclometer, have discovered the true value of Pi. One circle squarer even went so far as to submit a law in his home state of Indiana that his value of Pi be used as the legal value of Pi. It was passed, but to this day awaits further legislation in regard to its factuality. In the end, there is still an ongoing search for the true area of a Circle in continued research of the number Pi. Scientists today have reached a record number of decimals of Pi to 206,158,430,000 using a Hitachi Supercomputer. The calculation took 37 hours, 21 minutes and 4 seconds. Using the latest calculation for Pi, if you were to assemble a circle a million miles in diameter, the circle would be less than an inch off. But why the pursuit of a solution that will never end? For many, being that there are no perfect circles even in nature, the perfect circle is an unattainable goal to seek. Through the adventure of discovering new aspects about the circle, other insights may be revealed. The mystery of the circle is an endless pursuit, but for mathematicians, it is the pursuit of perfection. Pi Essay -- essays research papers The area of a circle is one of the first formulas that you learn as a young math student. It is simply taught as, . There is no explanation as to why the area of a circle is this arbitrary formula. As it turns out the area of a circle is not an easy task to figure out by your self. Early mathematicians knew that area was, in general to four sided polygons, length times width. But a circle was different, it could not be simply divided into length and width for it had no sides. As it turns out, finding the measurement to be squared was not difficult as it was the radius of the circle. There was another aspect of the circle though that has led one of the greatest mathematical voyages ever launched, the search of Pi. One of the first ever documented estimates for the area of a circle was found in Egypt on a paper known as the Rhind Papyrus around the time of 1650 BCE. The paper itself was a copy of an older â€Å"book† written between 2000 and 1800 BCE and some of the information contained in that writing might have been handed down by Imhotep, the man who supervised the building of the pyramids. The paper, copied by the scribe named Ahmes, has 84 problems on it and their solutions. On the paper, in problem number 50 he wrote; â€Å"Cut off 1/9 of a diameter and construct a square upon the remainder; this has the same area as a circle.† Given that we already know that the area of a circle is we find that the early Egyptian estimate for the area of a circle was which simplified to or 3.16049†¦ Though, the papyrus does not go into detail as to how Ahmes derived this estimate. This estimate for Pi given by the ancient Egyptians is less than 1% off of the true value of Pi. Given, there was no standard of measurement in that day and they also had no tools to aid them in such calculations such as compasses or measuring tapes, this is an amazingly accurate value for Pi and the area of a circle. Another early attempt at the area of a circle is found in the Bible. In the old testament within the book of Kings Vii.23 and also in Chronicles iv.2 a statement is made that says; â€Å"And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was round all about and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.† From this verse, we come to the conclusion that Pi is 30/10 or simply 3. The book of Kings was edited around the time of 550 BCE. Mu... ...ct, the rest of the mathematical world doesn’t dare question their founding mathematicians, and that they alone, the cyclometer, have discovered the true value of Pi. One circle squarer even went so far as to submit a law in his home state of Indiana that his value of Pi be used as the legal value of Pi. It was passed, but to this day awaits further legislation in regard to its factuality. In the end, there is still an ongoing search for the true area of a Circle in continued research of the number Pi. Scientists today have reached a record number of decimals of Pi to 206,158,430,000 using a Hitachi Supercomputer. The calculation took 37 hours, 21 minutes and 4 seconds. Using the latest calculation for Pi, if you were to assemble a circle a million miles in diameter, the circle would be less than an inch off. But why the pursuit of a solution that will never end? For many, being that there are no perfect circles even in nature, the perfect circle is an unattainable goal to seek. Through the adventure of discovering new aspects about the circle, other insights may be revealed. The mystery of the circle is an endless pursuit, but for mathematicians, it is the pursuit of perfection.