Free Essays on Milosevic Speech

: You should stay here. This is your land. These are your houses. Your meadows and gardens. Your memories. You shouldn’t abandon your land just because it’s difficult to live, because you are pressured by injustice and degradation. It was never part of the Serbian and Montenegrin character to give up in the face of obstacles, to demobilize when it’s time to fight†¦ You should stay here for the sake of your ancestors and descendants. But I don’t suggest that you stay, endure, and tolerate a situation you’re not satisfied with. On the contrary, you should change it with the rest of the progressive people here, in Serbia and in Yugoslavia. (Silber and Little 37) He made this speech at a crucial moment when the Federation of the Yugoslav Republics was in the midst of a political crisis and a single word would have provoked tense nationalistic emotions. On the one hand, some sources claim that the speech was given spontaneously by Slobodan Milosevic, whereas other sources claim it was a carefully planned and delivered speech. In the following I will prove, by analyzing the situation and the speech, that it was in fact carefully planned. Being aware of the growing nationalism amongst Kosovar Serbs, the Serbian President, Stambolic, had decided not to attend this gathering of the local Serb leaders. He telephoned Milosevic telling him that he should postpone any other plans he had and attend the meeting. Milosevic was not aware of anything that was going to happen, â€Å"It was a stroke of good fortune for the young party chief. The Serbian President, Stambolic, should have gone to Kosovo himself for talks with local leaders, but casually sent Milosevic in his place† (Silber and Little 37). As Silber... Free Essays on Milosevic Speech Free Essays on Milosevic Speech On 28th of June 1989 Milosevic visited Kosova ostensibly to calm the Kosovar Serbs’ anger against their perceived mistreatment by the Albanians. In the event, he delivered an inflammatory speech culminating in the words: You should stay here. This is your land. These are your houses. Your meadows and gardens. Your memories. You shouldn’t abandon your land just because it’s difficult to live, because you are pressured by injustice and degradation. It was never part of the Serbian and Montenegrin character to give up in the face of obstacles, to demobilize when it’s time to fight†¦ You should stay here for the sake of your ancestors and descendants. But I don’t suggest that you stay, endure, and tolerate a situation you’re not satisfied with. On the contrary, you should change it with the rest of the progressive people here, in Serbia and in Yugoslavia. (Silber and Little 37) He made this speech at a crucial moment when the Federation of the Yugoslav Republics was in the midst of a political crisis and a single word would have provoked tense nationalistic emotions. On the one hand, some sources claim that the speech was given spontaneously by Slobodan Milosevic, whereas other sources claim it was a carefully planned and delivered speech. In the following I will prove, by analyzing the situation and the speech, that it was in fact carefully planned. Being aware of the growing nationalism amongst Kosovar Serbs, the Serbian President, Stambolic, had decided not to attend this gathering of the local Serb leaders. He telephoned Milosevic telling him that he should postpone any other plans he had and attend the meeting. Milosevic was not aware of anything that was going to happen, â€Å"It was a stroke of good fortune for the young party chief. The Serbian President, Stambolic, should have gone to Kosovo himself for talks with local leaders, but casually sent Milosevic in his place† (Silber and Little 37). As Silber...

Properties and Functions of Money

Properties and Functions of Money Money is an important feature of virtually every economy. Without money, members of a society must rely on the barter system, or some other exchange program, in order to trade goods and services. Unfortunately, the barter system has an important downside in that it requires a double coincidence of wants. In other words, the two parties engaged in a trade must both want what the other is offering. This feature makes the barter system highly inefficient. For example, a plumber looking to feed his family would have to search out a farmer who needs plumbing work done on his house or farm. If such a farmer were not available, the plumber would have to figure out how to trade his services for something that the farmer wanted so that the farmer would be willing to sell food to the plumber. Luckily, money largely solves this problem. What Is Money? In order to understand much of macroeconomics, its crucial to have a clear definition of what money is. In general, people tend to use the term money as a synonym for wealth (e.g. Warren Buffett has a lot of money), but economists are quick to clarify that the two terms are not, in fact, synonymous. In economics, the term money is used specifically to refer to currency, which is, in most cases, not an individuals only source of wealth or assets. In most economies, this currency is in the form of paper bills and metal coins that the government has created, but technically anything can serve as money as long as it possesses three important properties. The Properties and Functions of Money The item serves as a medium of exchange. In order for an item to be considered money, it must be widely accepted as payment for goods and services. In this way, money creates efficiency because it eliminates uncertainty regarding what is going to be accepted as payment by various businesses.The item serves as a unit of account. In order for an item to be considered money, it must be the unit that prices, bank balances, etc. are reported in. Having a consistent unit of account creates efficiency since it would be pretty confusing to have the price of bread quoted as a number of fish, the price of fish quoted in terms of t-shirts, and so on.The item serves as a store of value. In order for an item to be considered money, it has to (to a reasonable degree) hold its purchasing power over time. This feature of money adds to efficiency because it gives producers and consumers flexibility in the timing of purchases and sales, eliminating the need to immediately trade ones income for goods a nd services. As these properties suggest, money was introduced to societies as a means of making economic transactions simpler and more efficient, and it mostly succeeds in that regard. In some situations, items other than officially designated currency have been used as money in various economies. For example, it used to be somewhat common in countries with unstable governments (and also in prisons) to use cigarettes as money, even though there was no official decree that cigarettes served that function. Instead, they became widely accepted as payment for goods and services and prices began to be quoted in the number of cigarettes rather than in official currency. Because cigarettes have a reasonably long shelf life, they do in fact serve the three functions of money. One important distinction between items that are officially designated as money by a government and items that become money by convention or popular decree is that governments will often pass laws stating what citizens can and cannot do with money. For example, it is illegal in the United States to do anything to money that makes the money unable to be further used as money. In contrast, there are no laws against burning cigarettes, aside from those banning smoking in public places of course.

Empirical Finance Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Empirical Finance Coursework - Essay Example These risks emerge due to the uncertainties associated with the future. Therefore, investment basically is a risk-inclusive undertaking, and individuals’ levels of risk taking vary depending on investment instruments and the expected returns. Successful investments must take into account relevant strategies that should aid the realization of the investment objectives. A number of investment strategies in the UK investable universe are evaluated and assessed for their performance: Small Cap vs. Large Cap Portfolios Volatility of returns is the principle determinant of whether a portfolio is a small cap or a large cap. The size of a company is determined by its market capitalization, a situation that further defines that company’s market cap. A small cap portfolio is defined by a market capitalization that is between 300 million and 2 billion. An amount less than this will enter the portfolio into a lesser marker cap, normally referred to as the micro-cap. Small cap portf olio is characterized by high volatility in the market, and the price of the stock keeps fluctuations due to the underlying market uncertainties. Large cap portfolios on the other hand are the direct opposite of small cap portfolios. Large cap portfolios are less volatile in the market, and the prices of these stocks are therefore relatively constant over time (Fama and French, 2011, p.46). Investors that prefer less volatile portfolio often opt for the large cap portfolios. However, this does not rule out risk prevalence in investment. Large cap portfolios are characterized by market capitalization of about 10 billion and above. This kind of portfolio experiences hardships in in and out trade activities. As a result, price swings are minimized, leading to the realization of consistency in its price. Value vs. Growth Portfolios Investors have different motives for investment. While some opt to invest in value stocks, others prefer growth stocks. These stocks share some common charac teristics, but their distinguishing features outline the outstanding difference between the two stocks. The valuing of stocks is done with regard to market trends, incorporating risks and benefits to the value of the stocks. Investors prefer undervalued stocks, so that once the prices of the stocks changes, they are in a position to reap huge investment returns. Value stocks are depict the flowing features: less than 10 % price earnings ratio, less than 1 price to earnings growth, current assets that are twice the current liabilities, matching debt and equity and share prices that are at par with the tangible book value or even less (Fama and French, 2011, p.53). Growth stocks are defined by their outstanding feature of expansion and ability to generate more and more returns with time. They are referred to as growth stocks because they have the ability to diversify the underlying portfolio. Growth stocks are characterized by a growth rate that is strong and reliable. This is to say that the portfolio remains vibrant and beneficial over a long period of time. It is important to account for the fact that different companies grow at different speeds and rates, and it essential that an investor be accommodative in regard to growth portfolios. Equity returns are also strong with growth stocks. Company-industry comparison is used to determine the strength of the stock returns. Growth stocks are characterized by per share earnings that surpass the industry’

Government Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Government Regulations - Essay Example Pharmaceutical counterfeiting is an age-old problem. Counterfeit drugs are readily and cheaply available in need. Patients can't differentiate in between the fake and real drugs and fall easy prey to the counterfeiting. Counterfeit drugs pose health problems to public. It is necessary to prevent these fake drugs to enter the drug supply chain to become legitimate. The legitimacy has to be broken by attacking the chain and identifying the culprits. Through strict regulations, a relatively comprehensive system of laws, and enforcement by Federal and state authorities has kept drug counterfeiting rare in United States. Recently it is gradually raising its head again. Most of the countries worldwide could not fight the menace effectively.. This has put the genuine drug companies, wholesalers and retailers into big loss. Many that are involved in shady deals have to face legal actions and punishments. It is through accepting the problem, going into the depth and abiding by the government regulations firms in drug dealing and manufacturing could take strategic decisions to get rid of the problems. Strategic decisions by pharmaceutical companies in cooperation with FDA have been taken in USA to develop comprehensive framework for pharmaceutical supply chain to secure against threat of counterfeiting in drugs. Multinational pharmaceutical companies are developing inter-firm cooperation with supply chain and partnering with government and health advocates to work on the new methods to fight the problems. Track and trace method with the help of new technology of Radio frequency Identification (RFID) has been adopted to foil counterfeiting in drugs. The RFID would enable to tag all products by manufacturers, wholesales, and retailers which can't be altered easily and be verified when required with authentication It will make copying of medicines either very difficult or very costly to deter counterfeiting. Many other authentication technologies such as holograms,

YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO... Essay Example for Free

YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO Essay Kalamkari the ancient Indian art of painting Kalamkari refers to a method of painting natural dyes onto cotton or silk fabric with a bamboo pen or kalam. The name kalamkari translates as pen (kalam) work (kari) in Hindi/Urdu, and was most likely derived from trade relationships between Persian and Indian merchants as early as the 10th  century CE. European merchants also had names for this type of fabric decoration: the Portugese called it pintado, the Dutch used the name sitz, and the British preferred chintz. The name kalamkari is used prominently today, and is synonymous with both painted and hand blockprinted textiles that incorporate natural vegetable/organically-derived dye stuffs. While there are many forms of kalamkari throughout India and the world, the focus of this site is on extant kalamkari practice in Sri Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh, in South India. WASHING/SCOURING CLOTH Methods for scouring and bleaching of gada cloth vary. Some artists simply immerse gada cloth in cool water over night then beat the wet cloth to remove further impurities. The following sheep dung treatment for bleaching has been described by some artists, -Gada cotton fabric is scoured by immersing it overnight in a sheep dung/water solution (1 lump of dung for 10 liters of water). * The cloth is exposed to the sun for a day by spreading it on the banks of the river. * Water is continually sprinkled on the cloth to prevent it from drying. * In the evening the cloth is washed by folding it and  slapping it against a washing stone, followed by rinsing  in the flowing river. * The cloth is then re-immersed in a freshly prepared sheep dung solution and the process is repeated. * On the second day the sprinkling is stopped in the late evening to allow the cloth to dry. The first step in making a kalamkari painting is the treatment of gada, or unbleached cotton cloth in kaccha or myrobalam and buffalo milk solution.

Essay --

Sandra Anderson DSOC 3010: Theories of Society and Development December 13th, 2013 defines explains argues recognizes details illustrates notes asserts shows suggests affirms 1. Do processes of globalization pose a challenge to classical theories of modernity? If so, how? And what is the significance of the distinction between ‘Globalization Theory’ and a ‘Theory of Globalization’? â€Æ' 2. Discuss the notion of postmodernity as developed by Jean Franà §ois Lyotard, and the counter-critiques of it by Jà ¼rgen Habermas and Anthony Giddens. Jean Franà §ois Lyotard’s concept of the â€Å"postmodern condition† is concerned with the status of knowledge in society (Hall, 1996, p. 640). The central characteristic component of the Enlightenment approach, according to Lyotard, is its concern with scientific legitimacy, particularly the â€Å"objective and impartial knowledge of the world† rather than the prevailing â€Å"narratives† or stories that individuals create to give their lives significance (Hall, 1996, p. 640). Narratives, as per the Enlightenment approach, taint real, scientific knowledge by offering existential or ideological comforts through â€Å"their essentially local, social, and personal contexts† (Hall, 1996, p. 640). In fact, Lyotard believes that the Enlightenment idea of â€Å"pure† knowledge is a formidable myth, specifically the concept that scientific knowledge is never tainted with narrative stories, since much of the objective knowledge derived from science is vindicated by mentions of metanarratives, or what Lyotard refers to as â€Å" higher-level storylines† (Hall, 1996, p. 640). Scientific progress, combined with economic growth in society, is hardly ever viewed objectively, especially since the former is thought to necessitate the latte... ...istribution-recognition dilemma through â€Å"socialism in the economy plus deconstruction in the culture† (Fraser, 1995, p. 91). Fraser compares socialism in the economy with transformative redistribution politics, where the fundamental political-economic organization of society is reformed primarily through the relations of production and through the social allocation of labor thus improving the living circumstances everyone in society (Fraser, 1995, p. 83). Fraser also likens deconstruction in the culture to transformative recognition politics, where prevailing collective identities and disparities would be destabilized, in turn restoring the self-esteem and confidence of members of disparaged groups (Fraser, 1995, p. 83). Once we embarks on these revolutionizing policies, Frye argues, can society â€Å"meet the requirements of justice for all† (Fraser, 1995, p. 93) â€Æ'

Discuss the discovery of the structure of Benzene

Benzene is a chemical compound of the hydro-carbon group. It is a colorless liquid with a characteristic odor and burning taste, formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is a closed ring of six carbon atoms connected by bonds that resonate between single and double bonds; each carbon atom is also bound to a single hydrogen atom. It is insoluble in water, but miscible in all proportions with organic solvents. Benzene itself is an excellent solvent for certain elements, such as sulphur, phosphorus, and iodine; for gums, fats, waxes, and resins; and for most simple organic chemicals.It is one of the most commonly used solvents in the organic chemical laboratory. Benzene melts at 5. 5 ° C (41. 9 ° F), boils at 80. 1 ° C (176. 2 ° F), and has a relative density of 0. 88 at 20 ° C (68 ° F). It is widely regarded as carcinogenic and, if inhaled in large quantities, is poisonous. The vapors are explosive, and the liquid violently flammable. Many compounds, such as nitrobenzene, are obt ained from benzene. Benzene is also used in the manufacture of drugs and in the production of important derivatives, such as aniline and phenol (see Hogben, Lancelot.Science for the Citizen: A Self-Educator Based on the Social Background of Scientific Discovery, 1999). Benzene and its derivatives are included in the important chemical group known as aromatic compounds. II. Discussion Benzene is only slightly soluble in water, but can be mixed in all proportions with acetone, alcohol, ether, or glacial acetic acid. It burns with a smoky flame. The vapor forms an explosive mixture with air, and has been used in parts of the world as a motor fuel.At one time, most benzene was obtained from tars and gases produced during the making of coke for the iron and steel industry. Now, however, much of the world’s supply of benzene is obtained by the refining of petroleum. Moreover, the benzene molecule is believed to be shaped like a ring, rather than like a cube or a chain as are other hydrocarbon molecules. The theory of the benzene ring is an important principle in organic chemistry. The aromatic series of hydrocarbons are compounds containing benzene ring.The theory of the structure of the benzene molecule was first stated by the German chemist August Kekuke in 1865. He suggested that the six carbon atoms of benzene were arranged in a hexagonal ring, with each of the six hydrogen atoms attached to one of the carbon atoms. Since each carbon atom has a valence of 4, alternate carbon atoms share two valence bonds in the benzene ring (see Aftalion, Fred and Benfey,Otto Theodor. A History of the International Chemical Industry, 2000).Pure benzene burns with a smoky flame because of its high carbon content. When mixed with a large proportion of petrol it makes a satisfactory fuel. In Europe benzene mixed with some methylbenzene and other related compounds has long been added to motor fuels. The wisdom of this in the face of benzene's carcinogenic qualities has only r ecently been addressed as a concern. Benzene was discovered in 1825 by the English scientist Michael Faraday, and in 1842 it was made available in large quantities after it was found that coal tar contains benzene.A ton of coal, if coked in a by-product oven, yields about 7. 6 liters (2 gallons) of benzene (see Audrieth, Ludwig Frederick. Salts, Acids, and Bases: Electrolytes Stereochemistry, 2001). Large quantities of benzene are now obtained from petroleum, either by direct extraction from certain types of crude oils or by chemical treatment of petroleum (hydroforming and cyclization). III. Conclusion The structure of the benzene molecule is of the utmost importance to the theory of organic chemistry.The first to formulate the resonating ring structure described above was the German chemist Friedrich August Kekulà © von Stradonitz, in 1865. For various reasons, 20th-century theorists found difficulties with this picture and instead developed a â€Å"molecular orbital† pict ure of electrons orbiting the entire molecule rather than particular carbon atoms. In the 1980s, however, more advanced studies returned to Kekulà ©'s picture, but with the electrons in deformed orbits around their particular atoms.

Orion Shield Project Case Essay

In this paper, The Orion Shield Project is critically analyzed to determine how effective the project manager, Mr. Gary Allison, is in operating as leader. Specifically, the paper focuses on what technical, ethical, legal, contractual, and other managerial issues plague the success of The Orion Shield Project. The paper attempts to analyze these issues by first introducing the reader to background about the project, and then moving into a deeper discussion of every one of the previously mentioned issues. Due to the individuals he works with and the differing situations he is placed, Mr. Allison must make difficult decisions at every corner. After examining the project, it is found that Mr. Allison can improve his responses to these issues by accounting for the complexities of dealing with technology, becoming more solid in his ethical stance, understanding law and contracts and how they relate to the project, and connecting better with his team. Introduction There are many nuances to project management which can negatively affect a manager or project. The Orion Shield Project exemplifies why proper management is integral to any successful project. The project is a venture that NASA is promoting in order to improve the structural capabilities of the Shuttle Launch Booster. The prime contractor that NASA is using for this project is the Space Technologies Institute (STI), who put out a request for proposal (RFP) for a subcontractor to help with this project. SEC won the bid to become the subcontractor on this project, and the Director of Engineering, Mr. Henry Larsen, appointed Mr. Gary Allison as the project manager (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). As The Orion Shield Project advances, many issues arise which forces Mr. Allison to make difficult decisions. In this paper, I will critically analyze the issues Mr. Allison faces while managing The Orion Shield Project. In critically examining the way The Orion Shield Project is handled, I wi ll touch on the technical,  ethical, legal, contractual, and other management issues faced by Mr. Allison and analyze both his positive and negative actions in an effort to gain a better understanding of how project management plays a role in the outcome of this project. Technical Issues The Orion Shield Project gives rise to many technical issues which Mr. Allison has to navigate as he manages the project. The technical issues that specifically alter the integrity of the project are incapable components and a poorly designed test matrix. Incapable components present issues all throughout the project, with the most glaring problems occurring in the beginning and end of the project. The original technical specification that STI listed in their RFP was that all components must be able to operate efficiently between temperature ranges of -65 degrees F to 145 degrees F (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). This was an issue for the SEC project because testing within the company shows that their current component design would not function above 130 degrees F, and that the requirements would not be able to be met without different materials (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). This creates an issue for a bevy of reasons, including throwing off the timeline, the amount of resource s used, and commitments to stakeholders. While performing final tests on the component as the project was coming to a close it was found that the product was again not up to the specifications requested in the RFP. The purpose of The Orion Shield Project was to get the Shuttle Launch Booster to support an age life of at least 9 years, and after testing it was found that the age life would most likely be less than 5 years. This is actually less than what the original component NASA was using lasted, which was 6 years (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). Both of these points in the project are technical issues Mr. Allison is responsible for overcoming as project manager of The Orion Shield Project. In addition to the aforementioned technical issues, Mr. Allison also deals with a test matrix in the technical volume of the proposal which will not produce acceptable results. The test matrix is â€Å"an effective way of recording the coverage of the scope delivered† (Boyde, 2012, p. 701). From  this matrix, you should be able to tell what has been implemented, what has yet to be implemented, and what was determined to be out of scope for the current milestone release (Boyde, 2012, p. 701). Realizing the importance of the test matrix, Mr. Allison echoes his concern to his Chief Project Engineer Ms. Paula Arnold, who warned him around changing the test matrix and scope of the work. This would in turn affect the cost of the project which is not viable due to the nature of the contract that SEC is working under. Instead of addressing this issue up front and trying to find a way to trim some work off downstream to keep the budget manageable, Mr. Allison pushes on for three more weeks until the test matrix and research results are ultimately deemed unacceptable. This puts Mr. Allison and his team in a deeper hole and extends their timeline, while also projecting a sense of disarray when meeting with their stakeholders. In analyzing this project, it seems that the technical issues Mr. Allison was faced with while managing The Orion Shield Project amounted to three major sources, technology interdependence, technology novelty, and external factors. Technology interdependence refers to requirement of different expertise to perfect a final product (Hussein, Pigagaite & Silva, 2014, p. 706). One of the difficult duties that comes with managing is understanding how different elements of a project interact with each other, and how to get the elements to work together in an efficient manner. If Mr. Al lison got better with technology interdependencies, he would have been able to establish a more effective test matrix. Technology novelty is one of the biggest culprits for the technical issues Mr. Allison faced in The Orion Shield Project. Technology novelty refers to the idea that â€Å"no matter how much planning you do beforehand, when you assemble a final product – or even a part of it – testing will always reveal problems† (Hussein, Pihahaite & Silva, 2014, p. 706). In production, you should always assume that something can, and will go wrong. In reading The Orion Shield Project case, its glares out that Mr. Allison does not have a contingency plan built it, and did not allow himself enough time to tinker with the project to get it right. This in turn led to a lot of sleepless, stressful nights and still an insufficient, unacceptable product and project. The final sources of technical issues which are found to be relevant to Mr. Allison’s management case are external factors. Factors such as pressure from Mr. Larsen to force SEC into The Orion Shield Project and pressure from Ms. Sarah Wilson, a representative from STI, to stick to the schedule SEC proposed, led to many of the poor technical decisions Mr. Allison makes. Mr. Larsen’s pressure on The Orion Shield Project leads to Mr. Allison making false promises and trying to cover his traces throughout the entire project. This in turn leads to a strained relationship with Ms. Wilson, who pushes Mr. Allison to take on more of an administrative role, instead of the research focused position he prefers. In the end, Mr. Allison could have mitigated all of the external issues by maintaining a strict ethical code in his actions, which delves into the ethical issues he faces in managing this project. Ethical Issues Out of all the issues presented in The Orion Shield Project, the ethical issues seem to be the most devastating to the success of the project. The specific moments in which ethical issues arise all seem to occur within some type of interaction with Mr. Larsen. The first and most important of which occurs when Mr. Allison raises concerns with Mr. Larsen about the specifications that STI put out for the components. Mr. Larsen’s response to this concern was to lie to STI and express in the proposal that SEC had the capabilities to make a component that would go above and beyond the specifications required. Specifically, Mr. Larsen advocated that Mr. Allison say that SEC had a component design that would operate at up to 155 degrees F in hopes of later cornering STI into accepting the actual specifications that the SEC component could handle. Deceiving a partner about what you can provide them just to earn a contract or project is unethical on many levels. In an article written by Dr. Thomas Mengel (2006), communication between project stakeholders and project management is found to be extremely important. The article goes further to say that â€Å"project managers need to comprehensively determine the impact of any decision to be made† (Mengel, 2006, p. 230). Mr. Allison did not think this situation with Mr. Larsen all the way through, and because of that not only did technical issues arise,  but an ethical one as well. An ethical issue which Mr. Allison also has to deal with is the testing of new materials without his knowledge. After Ms. Wilson met with Mr. Allison and displayed her angst with how the administrative side of the project was going, Mr. Allison focuses more of his time and effort with the administrative tasks. This gives Mr. Larsen time to move in and work with Ms. Arnold on a new material, using more STI money in the process when the contract and Ms. Wilson specifically state that SEC would bear all costs of additional research beyond the original scope of work (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). It is understandable that Mr. Larsen is Mr. Allison’s boss and he does not always need to tell him what he is doing, but with a venture as big as this and with Mr. Allison being the project manager and the one ultimately responsible for results, it seems ethical to discuss these major decisions. One way Mr. Allison could have addressed this issue could have occurred before agreeing to accept this position and project. While Mr. Larsen was originally describing the position to Mr. Allison, Mr. Allison could have requested to include ethic checks in decision making processes and to â€Å"define a joint process and mutually agreeable criteria for ethical decision making† (Mengel, 2006, p . 231). This would help Mr. Allison set parameters around his interactions with Mr. Larsen. He could then use these well-defined parameters as a basis to disagree with an action or even refuse an action Mr. Larsen proposes if unethical. In failing to do so, Mr. Allison allows these unethical procedures to ultimately fall on his shoulders. An ethical issue which falls directly on the shoulders of Mr. Allison occurs when he withholds information from upper management about the short age life of the component near the end of the project. The ethical dilemma is clear here and could have far reaching damages for both SEC and STI. Mr. Allison should have told upper management as soon as testing shows the shorter age life of the component. No matter how difficult it is, maintaining an ethical code is essential to the proper management of not only projects but organizations as well. Legal & Contractual Issues The Orion Shield Project exposes SEC to a variety of legal issues, some coming from managements own unethical actions and many more coming from  contractual complications. The initial legal issue that arises from The Orion Shield Project occurs when SEC responds to the RFP issued by STI. When Mr. Larsen requests for Mr. Allison to make the proposal reflect that SEC’s component can operate at up to 155 degrees F, when in actuality it cannot operate above 130 degrees F, SEC breaches the RFP contract. At first glance you may not think a RFP is legally binding, but according to legal precedent it is. In the 1981 case of R. (Ontario) V. Ron Engineering, it was found that RFP’s are part of a two part contract, and that they are the bidding portion of the contract. What this means is that once a proposal is presented in response to a RFP, both sides are now legally tied to the contract and must abide by the terms stipulated in that proposal (The Legal Implications,† 20 12). In providing false promises in their proposal, Mr. Allison and SEC open themselves up to sanctions and being sued. Mr. Allison and SEC also open themselves up for legal action when they breach the firm-fixed-price (FFP) contract they agreed to with STI. As defined by Charles Russell Jr. and Susan Moser (2009) in Firm-Fixed-Price Contracting: The time and Materials Requirements Dilemma, a FFP is â€Å"a completion contract,† which means that â€Å"profit or fee is earned by the delivery of end items† (p.46). FFP’s also carry fixed prices and leave little room for adjustments as the project moves along. The fixed price and the need to make adjustments as the project went along are what opened SEC up to legal action. Ms. Wilson from STI specifically mentioned that after the first test matrix failed and a new one was developed, all additional research and development would be at the expense of SEC. But, when Mr. Larsen and Ms. Arnold began developing the new material for the component they used STI funding for it. This again was a breach of contract, and by not addressing this is sue Mr. Allison left SEC vulnerable to being dropped from the contract and sued for the wrong use of project funding. One way Mr. Allison could have avoided this situation would be to push for a different type of contract from STI for The Orion Shield Project. In an article written by Frank Kendall (2013) on the uses of FFP contracts, the restricting nature of the contract is described in great detail. Kendall describes how FFP contracts tend to restrict flexibility as contractors  learn more â€Å"about what is feasible and affordable as well as what needs to be done to achieve a design that meets requirements during a product’s design and testing phases† (Kendall, 2013, p. 2). Mr. Allison experiences this dilemma all too much as he runs The Orion Shield Project. A FFP contract was the perfect contract for STI; FFP contracts offer the lowest risk to the buyer due to the fact that it is not subject to any cost adjustments resulting from contractors carrying out the project (Russell Jr. & Moser, 2009, p.47). Instead of agreeing to such a rigid contract when you know your component will need multiple tests to meet specifications, SEC and Mr. Allison should have instead pushed for a more flexible contract like a time-and-materials (T&M) contract. A time and materials contract can be used when the duration, extent of effort, and costs associated with a project are generally unknown up front (Russell Jr. & Moser, 2009, p. 47). This contract would be more beneficial to SEC and Mr. Allison specifically when he changes the test matrix, and has to find new materials and incur more costs to complete the project. In the end, Mr. Allison mishandles many issues which leave himself and SEC vulnerable to legal action, luckily no such action occurs. Other Management Issues Separate from the main issues discussed earlier in this paper, there are also other, more managerial issues. The two other management issues that are present in The Orion Shield Project are staffing concerns and employee motivation. Mr. Allison’s first dilemma while working The Orion Shield Project is finding the staff he wants to help him with the venture. He is not given top priority in picking his staff, which make it difficult to get the key people necessary to ensure a smoothly run project. Many managers do not want to give up their main people, but with the help of Mr. Larsen he finds an â€Å"adequate† staff to fill in (The Orion Shield Project, 2003). This puts Mr. Allison in a dilemma because he does not have the option of working with the people he feels most comfortable with. Being uncomfortable while leading a project can do nothing but have negative effects on results. This also leads to Mr. Allison putting the burden of doing most of the work on his self, instead of leveraging his team better. Since this is a situation most project managers will have to deal with on their first project, Mr.  Allison could have done a better job utilizing his staff to create more positive project results. As The Orion Shield Project progresses, many of the members of the project team lose motivation to work on the project. The lack of team motivation came from the teams dissipating trust in Mr. Allison and the plans they were told would be final. Also, a lack of communication leads to heightened tension between the team. As Dorothy Ann Brenner (2007) points out in a recent article, communication, no matter what the form, helps with team chemistry and â€Å"gives them a clearer idea of their roles and what is expected of them so they understand their goals, as well as the team’s overall goal for a successful project† (p.19). Mr. Allison’s lack of communication with his team leads to certain members feeling out of the loop and disappointed with the direction of the project. In order for the Orion Shield Project to have even had a chance of working effectively, Mr. Allison has to motivate his project team so they will give their best effort and work (Brenner, 2007, p . 16). Conclusion As The Orion Shield Project progressed from the initial proposal to the final testing, issues seemed to arise around every corner. Mr. Allison had to make serious decisions at every level of the project and unfortunately many of those decisions were the wrong ones. Mr. Allison made critical mistakes when faced with technical, ethical, legal, contractual, and other managerial issues. After analyzing The Orion Shield Project case, findings show that Mr. Allison could improve his responses to these issues by accounting for the complexities of dealing with technology, becoming more solid in his ethical stance, understanding law and contracts and how they relate to the project, and connecting better with his team. In conclusion, Mr. Allison did not perform well in his first opportunity to operate as project manager, but, with a few tweaks to his approach, he could excel if he ever wanted that opportunity again. References Boyde, J. (2012). A down-to-earth guide to SDLC project management: getting your system development life cycle project successfully accross the line using PMBOK– in an adaptive way. S.l.: CreateSpace Independent Pub. Platform]. Brenner, D. A. (2007). Achieving a succesful project by motivating the project team. Cost Engineering, 49(5), 16-20. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu Hussein, B. A., Pigagaite, G., & Silva, P. P. (2014). Identifying and dealing with complexities in new product and process development projects. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences , doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.078 Kendall, F. (2013). Use of fixed-price incentive firm (fpif) contracts in development and production. Defense AT&L, 42(2), Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu Legal Implications of Issuing RFP. (2012, January 1). Rss. Retrieved April 16, 2014, from https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/legal-implications-of-issuing-rfp Mengel, T. (2006). Project management ethics: Responsibility, values, and ethics in project environments. AMA Handbook of Project Management, 227-235. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=1ba019be-81fb-4f39-8ccd-06cfe83e33b1@sessionmgr114&vid=5&hid=107 R. (Ont.) v. Ron Engineering, (1981) 1 S.C.R. 111. Retrieved from: http://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/2504/index.do Russell Jr., C. A., & Moser, S. J. (2009). Firm-fixed-price contracting: The time and materials requirement dilemma. Contract Management, 49(8), 44-49. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu The Orion Shield Project — HOME. (2003, January 1). The Orion Shield Project

The Scarlet Letter - The Goals of Life essays

The Scarlet Letter - The Goals of Life essays Take a creepy old mad man, and a reverend who wont confess his devil-like sin, mix in a little psychology, and mind games, and you get The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. As this story goes, Hester Prynne has committed an evil sin, and must wear a red A on her chest for the rest of her life. Later, Hawthorne introduces her husband, Roger Chillingworth who finds out about her evil sin, and is ready to take revenge to the person who committed this act of adultery. Then, we find the towns minister, Dimmesdale, in a poor state of being, so Chillingworth becomes his doctor, and soon finds out that his real ailment is that hes committed a sin. The mind games between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth continue, until Dimmesdale steps up, and admits his sin. On that spot, Dimmesdale dies. The most fascinating part of the book is the time in which Chillingworth is playing mind games with Dimmesdale. Even more fascinating are the characters themselves. While it seems that Dimmesdale and Chil lingworth are two separate characters, both with different goals, they have several things in common with each other. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are two different, yet interesting characters. Dimmesdale is a younger reverend of the town that everyone looks up to. Also, Dimmesdale... [is like] a coward (Kestner, 2), because of his weakness against confessing his sin, and his guilt, his prison, festered inside him until he started to physically deteriorate (Kestner, 2). On the other hand, Chillingworth was Dimmesdales physician, and had a remarkable way of healing people. Even though he could have used his healing powers for good, throughout the book, Chillingworth is described by the townspeople, and Hesters daughter, Pearl as the black man (the devil), and that Chillingworth is plotting against Dimmesdale. Hawthorne makes Chillingworth out to be a monster (Brayton...

Hernan Cortes and His Tlaxcalan Allies

Hernan Cortes and His Tlaxcalan Allies Conquistador Hernan Cortes and his Spanish troops did not conquer the Aztec Empire on their own. They had allies, with the Tlaxcalans being among the most important. How this alliance developed and how their support was crucial to Cortes success. In 1519, as conquistador Hernan Cortes was making his way inland from the coast on his audacious conquest of the Mexica (Aztec) Empire, he had to pass through the lands of the fiercely independent Tlaxcalans, who were the mortal enemies of the Mexica. At first, the Tlaxcalans fought the conquistadors viciously, but after repeated defeats, they decided to make peace with the Spanish and ally with them against their traditional enemies. The aid provided by the Tlaxcalans would eventually prove crucial for Cortes in his campaign. Tlaxcala and the Aztec Empire in 1519 From 1420 or so to 1519, the mighty Mexica culture had come to dominate most of central Mexico. One by one, the Mexica had conquered and subjugated dozens of neighboring cultures and city-states, turning them into strategic allies or resentful vassals. By 1519, only a few isolated holdouts remained. Chief among them were the fiercely independent Tlaxcalans, whose territory was located to the east of Tenochtitlan. The area controlled by the Tlaxcalans comprised some 200 semi-autonomous villages united by their hatred of the Mexica. The people were from three main ethnic groups: the Pinomes, Otomà ­, and Tlaxcalans, who were descended from warlike Chichimecs who had relocated to the region centuries before. The Aztecs tried repeatedly to conquer and subjugate them  but always failed. Emperor Montezuma II himself had most recently tried to defeat them in 1515. The Tlaxcalans hatred of the Mexica ran very deep. Diplomacy and Skirmish In August of 1519, the Spanish were making their way to Tenochtitlan. They occupied the small town of Zautla and pondered their next move. They had brought with them thousands of Cempoalan allies and porters, led by a nobleman named Mamexi. Mamexi counseled going through Tlaxcala and possibly making allies of them. From Zautla, Cortes sent four Cempoalan envoys to Tlaxcala, offering to talk about a possible alliance, and moved to the town of Ixtaquimaxtitlan. When the envoys did not return, Cortes and his men moved out and entered Tlaxcalan territory anyway. They had not gone far when they came across Tlaxcalan scouts, who retreated and came back with a larger army. The Tlaxcalans attacked but the Spanish drove them off with a concerted cavalry charge, losing two horses in the process. Diplomacy and War Meanwhile, the Tlaxcalans were trying to decide what to do about the Spanish. A Tlaxcalan prince, Xicotencatl the Younger, came up with a clever plan. The Tlaxcalans would supposedly welcome the Spanish  but would send their Otomà ­ allies to attack them. Two of the Cempoalan emissaries were allowed to escape and report to Cortes. For two weeks, the Spanish made little headway. They remained camped out on a hilltop. During the day, the Tlaxcalans and their Otomi allies would attack, only to be driven off by the Spanish. During lulls in the fighting, Cortes and his men would launch punitive attacks and food raids against local towns and villages. Although the Spanish were weakening, the Tlaxcalans were dismayed to see that they were not gaining the upper hand, even with their superior numbers and fierce fighting. Meanwhile, envoys from Mexica Emperor Montezuma showed up, encouraging the Spanish to keep fighting the Tlaxcalans and to not trust anything they said. Peace and Alliance After two weeks of bloody fighting, Tlaxcalan leaders convinced the military and civil leadership of Tlaxcala to sue for peace. Hotheaded Prince Xicotencatl the Younger was sent personally to Cortes to ask for peace and an alliance. After sending messages back and forth for a few days with not only the elders of Tlaxcala but also Emperor Montezuma, Cortes decided to go to Tlaxcala. Cortes and his men entered the city of Tlaxcala on September 18, 1519. Rest and Allies Cortes and his men would remain in Tlaxcala for 20 days. It was a very productive time for Cortes and his men. One important aspect of their extended stay was that they could rest, heal their wounds, tend to their horses and equipment and basically get ready for the next step of their journey. Although the Tlaxcalans had little wealth- they were effectively isolated and blockaded by their Mexica enemies- they shared what little they had. Three hundred Tlaxcalan girls were given to the conquistadors, including some of noble birth for the officers. Pedro de Alvarado was given one of the daughters of Xicotencatl the elder named Tecuelhuatzà ­n, who was later christened Doà ±a Maria Luisa. But the most important thing the Spanish gained in their stay in Tlaxcala was an ally. Even after two weeks of constantly battling the Spanish, the Tlaxcalans still had thousands of warriors, fierce men who were loyal to their elders (and the alliance their elders made) and who despised the Mexica. Cortes secured this alliance by meeting regularly with Xicotencatl the Elder and Maxixcatzin, the two great lords of Tlaxcala, giving them gifts and promising to free them from the hated Mexica. The only sticking point between the two cultures seemed to be Cortes insistence that the Tlaxcalans embrace Christianity, something they were reluctant to do. In the end, Cortes did not make it a condition of their alliance, but he continued to pressure the Tlaxcalans to convert and abandon their previous idolatrous practices. A Crucial Alliance For the next two years, the Tlaxcalans honored their alliance with Cortes. Thousands of fierce Tlaxcalan warriors would fight alongside the conquistadors for the duration of the conquest. The contributions of the Tlaxcalans to the conquest are many, but here are some of the more important ones: In Cholula, the Tlaxcalans warned Cortes of a possible ambush: they participated in the ensuing Cholula Massacre, capturing many Cholulans and bringing them back to Tlaxcala as slaves and sacrifices.When Cortes was forced to return to the Gulf Coast to face conquistador Panfilo de Narvaez and a host of Spanish soldiers sent by governor Diego Velazquez of Cuba to take command of the expedition, Tlaxcalan warriors accompanied him and fought at the Battle of Cempoala.When Pedro de Alvarado ordered the Massacre at the Festival of Toxcatl, Tlaxcalan warriors helped the Spanish and protected them until Cortes could return.During the Night of Sorrows, Tlaxcalan warriors helped the Spanish escape by night from Tenochtitlan.After the Spanish fled Tenochtitlan, they retreated to Tlaxcala to rest and regroup. New Aztec Tlatoani Cuitlhuac sent emissaries to the Tlaxcalans urging them to unite against the Spanish; the Tlaxcalans refused.When the Spanish re-conquered Tenochtitlan in 1521, thousand s of Tlaxcalan soldiers joined them. Legacy of the Spanish-Tlaxcalan Alliance Its not an exaggeration to say that Cortes would not have defeated the Mexica without the Tlaxcalans. Thousands of warriors and a safe base of support only days away from Tenochtitlan proved invaluable to Cortes and his war effort. Eventually, the Tlaxcalans saw that the Spanish were a greater threat than the Mexica (and had been so all along). Xicotencatl the Younger, who had been leery of the Spanish all along, tried to openly break with them in 1521 and was ordered publicly hanged by Cortes; it was a poor repayment to the young Princes father, Xicotencatl the Elder, whose support of Cortes had been so crucial. But by the time the Tlaxcalan leadership began to have second thoughts about their alliance, it was too late: two years of constant warring had left them far too weak to defeat the Spanish, something they had not accomplished even when at their full might in 1519. Ever since the conquest, some Mexicans have considered Tlaxcalans to be traitors who, like Cortes interpreter and mistress Doà ±a Marina (better known as Malinche) aided the Spanish in the destruction of native culture. This stigma persists today, albeit in a weakened form. Were the Tlaxcalans traitors? They fought the Spanish and then, when offered an alliance by these formidable foreign warriors against their traditional enemies, decided that if you cant beat em, join em. Later events proved that perhaps this alliance was a mistake, but the worst thing the Tlaxcalans can be accused of is lack of foresight. References Castillo, Bernal Dà ­az del, Cohen J. M., and Radice B. The Conquest of New Spain. London: Clays Ltd./Penguin; 1963. Levy, Buddy. Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs. New York: Bantam, 2008. Thomas, Hugh. The Real Discovery of America: Mexico November 8, 1519. New York: Touchstone, 1993.

Music 100 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Music 100 - Essay Example The Seattle Symphony is an important part of the Pacific Northwest cultural scene and is acknowledged for its extraordinary performances, recordings, programming, and community engagement. With a dedicated subscriber base of more than 30,000 patrons, the band presents over 200 performances annually to an audience of more than 300,000 music lovers. The Seattle Symphony made its first performance on December 29, 1903 and still holds an important place in the world of symphonic music. The Orchestra is currently under the mentorship of Ludovic Marlot, one of the leading conductors of his generation. The band performs at Benarayo Hall, where people of all ages come to explore the world of symphonic music through classes, exhibits, and live music presentation. Symphony orchestra uses a number of instruments depending on how big the symphony is. Seattle Symphony used violin, viola, flute, harp, violin, trumpet, double bass, cello, marimba, Piccolo, Timpani, piano and trumpet. The instruments that Seattle Symphony uses to play melodies include xylophone and marimba. They soloist plays only the melody instruments in the first movement. Generally, all instruments in an orchestra can play harmony, excluding unturned percussions. The instruments that Seattle Symphony uses to play include violin, piano, and cello. Instruments used in rhythm section usually vary, but Seattle symphony used bass, piano, drums, xylophone, timpani, snare drum, chimes, and guitar. The aim of these instruments is to provide the backing for melodic instruments such as saxophone. The orchestra mainly played major keys but deviated on the Symphony in G minor, resulting in a dramatic, expressive piece. Symphony music is quite better than any other type of performance. The concert opened with the track â€Å"Concerto Fantasy,† which opens brashly. It has interplay between two timpanists against strings on the

Oberation objectives at the Penang mutiars Case Study

Oberation objectives at the Penang mutiars - Case Study Example to cater to all requests of the customers and at the same time maintain its promise of quality service to the visitors by being flexible according to the demand of the situation. Penang Mutiara never  compromises the quality of its service in order to cut back costs. Thus, it becomes clear that the operations management of this hotel is highly appropriate for its strategy. Operation strategy means the â€Å"total pattern of decisions and actions† that sets the activities, objectives and roles of the operation in order that they facilitate as well as provide support to the business strategy of the firm (Nieuwenhuizen 124). Making good ideas, creating products and giving services are among the primary focus of every business, as well as that of each manager, especially the operations managers. Operations management is the function of business that involves â€Å"making products and providing services† (Nieuwenhuizen 114). There are mainly three functions of operation management that are relevant for the success of strategy adopted by Penang Mutiara. They are business implementation strategy, supporter of business strategy and Driver strategy. Business implementation relates with the functioning and implementation of a plan. It is the actions that have to be taken following any initial plans in order for something to really happen. The seco nd function of the operation management is supporter of business strategy and this helps to attain strategic achievement for the hotel. The supporter of the business strategy helps to attain the goals of a  business, and besides the  administrator, the staff also utilizes  this strategy. Driver strategy is another important role of operation management function and it can assist to attain strategic achievement for Penang Mutiara Hotel. This role is defined as the major factor that helps in deciding the failure or success of an industry’s strategy. Managing a hotel of this size is an immensely complicated task, especially so