Operation Management Eassy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operation Management Eassy - Essay Example (Chase, 2001, 5) Buffa discussed that 'OM had progressed from an entirely explanatory foundation through the Management Science/Operations Research (MS/OR) phase, and is currently in the course of finding itself as a practical field of organisation. Amoako-Gyampah, K., Meredith, J., 2004, 251), Many authors, since the beginning, advocated that OM should be an area of knowledge with a 'sense of purpose’, in terms of providing insight into problems of the real word, the ones engineers and managers face in their work. As Chase (2001) observed, when analysing the four journals that historically, at that time, had published most extensively with OM subjects - namely, AIIE Transactions, Decision Sciences, Management Sciences and the International Journal of Production Research - that the orientation (people or equipment) and emphases (from micro to macro) were heavily focused on equipment and micro analyses as, for instance, inventory control and scheduling. This picture was changed , as we will see in this literature review. 2.2 Areas of Operation Management As presented by Buffa, the first call for papers sketched out a list of topics that defined the Operation Management subjects. Since then, relevant studies as Miller and Graham, Voss, Amoako-Gyampah and Meredith, Pannirselvam et al. and Gupta, Verma and Victorino, among others, using different approaches, were carried out looking to identify the content, new topics and trends in the field, and also to establish new research agendas. Nowadays, the scope of the journals focused on OM is considerably broader. (Miller, J., and Graham, M., 2004, 548) Operation Management borrows theories from other areas and that 'this field has changed from its narrow occupation with strategic, disjointed topics toward more premeditated, incorporated and large-scale subjects. For instance, as an alternative of studies in the tactical, stand alone areas of 'Inventory' and 'Process Design’; researchers are now looking at the complete 'Supply Chain' and organisation-wide 'Flexibility', correspondingly (Anderson, 2008, 58). Decision Areas within Operation Management includes Design of products and services Quality Management Development and capacity plan Location strategy Layout strategy Human resources & employment design Supply chain management Inventory, material requirements, progression and JIT (Just-in-time) Intermediate and short-range scheduling Maintenance Description of Layout Strategy of Operation Management The arrangement of equipments, departments and work centers with special concentration on movement of work (consumers or materials) all over the system is called Layout of organization. Selecting an appropriate layout of an organisation requires significant investments of funds and hard work, which involves serious commitment. Appropriate layout of an organisation leaves considerable effect on cost and competence of various operations within the organisation. There are several types of layout, which are as follows. Fixed Position layout In Fixed Position layout manufactured goods and whole project remains motionless. However, employees, materials, and machinery move from their position according

The Effects of Global Climate Change on Clark County, Nevada Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Global Climate Change on Clark County, Nevada Essay Global climate change is a growing concern in areas all over the world, especially dry areas like Clark County, Nevada. Clark County is located in Southern Nevada; most people are aware of Clark County because of Las Vegas and the world famous strip of hotels and casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard. What people are not aware of is how rising sea levels can affect fabulous Las Vegas, and the detriment that is in store for Clark County if something big is not done to try and reverse the dangerous effects of global climate change. â€Å"Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, largely due to greenhouse gasses produced by human activities† (NASA, The Current and Future Consequences of Global Change, 2007). Because of rising global temperatures, people all over the planet are plagued by rising sea levels, melting Arctic sea ice, melting glaciers and permafrost, rising sea-surface temperatures, warming lake temperatures, heavier rainfall causing flooding, extreme drought increasing, withering crops, changing ecosystems, changes in the frequency and strength of hurricanes, human health being affected by warmer temperatures, and sea water becoming more acidic. So how does this affect Las Vegas and Clark County? First, Clark County is located in the Mojave Desert, and has a subtropical desert climate. Second, Lake Mead is located in Clark County and is a major source of water supply not only for Nevada, but also for Southern California and Arizona. Third, because of the changing global climate, Lake Mead is drying up. Water levels in Lake Mead have fallen over 100 feet since the year 2000. â€Å"Water levels are falling in America’s largest reservoir. If it dries up, so could power and water for much of the Southwest† (GOOD, Lake Mead is Drying Up, 2009). Currently, the Las Vegas Valley Water District has put watering restrictions in place and has raised the price that citizens of Clark County ay for water to try and fund research for water retention and future supply. Is this enough, though? In the summer months, temperatures exceed 100 degrees in Clark County, and the only relief from the heat is water. What can be done to help reverse or stop the effects of global climate change on Southern Nevada right now? There are a few simple things that citizens of Clark County can do to help stop the negative effects of global warming on their state. First, an act that would promote water conservation should become mandatory for all citizens of Nevada, not just Clark County. This water conservation act would require citizens of Nevada to not only limit their water consumption to a certain amount of gallons per year, but would require them to recycle their water using purification via a state issued water hepa-filtration system. This would require funding, so a water tax should be put in place specifically to pay for these water recycling devices. Once all Nevadans had a state issued water filtration device, they would be required to have five gallons of water per person in their homes at all times, and would be subject to inspection by a state official once a year to ensure they have their required amount. Any citizen not in possession of at least five gallons of fresh water would be subject to a fine for non-compliance by the state of Nevada, which would be used toward water conservation and research. Furthermore, the water conservation act should place limits on the amount of water a household uses per year, especially in the summer months. Just raising the cost of water is not sufficient, as it does not discourage people from using more water because they are not forced to use less. An acceptable, humane amount of water per person should be decided upon by the water conservation act, and if this amount is exceeded, the cost for additional gallons of water should be triple what is normally paid. This would be effective in discouraging people from using too much water and depleting the supply. It might sound harsh, but imagine that Lake Mead actually did dry up because of global warming. The effects of losing a major water supply to the Southwestern United States would be devastating, and would affect many more people than just those living in Clark County, Nevada. The question remains, how will Las Vegas ever become conservative with its water when it is the Entertainment Capital of the World? Yes, the citizens of Las Vegas can abide by the rules and regulations of the water district, and could even be held to the proposed water conservation act, but what about all the millions of tourists who come from all over the world and take from our water supply? Las Vegas needs to come together and soon, or it might end up being a dried up ghost town. Please see the topo map below, showing a close up visual of Las Vegas drying up.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - The Influences Parents Have On Th

Throughout our lives we're influenced by many. It can have an effect on the way we view issues within societal boundaries. One of the major influences children have in their lives comes from their parents. The parents of a child can have both a positive and a negative influence on their lives. In the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird", there are two excellent examples of how parents can be a major influence on their children. Atticus Finch, father of Jem and Scout Finch, plays the loving, kind and knowledgeable father. He is an example of how parents can have a positive influence on their children. Bob Ewell, father of Mayella Ewell, plays the drunken, abusive, and neglectful father. He is an example of how a parent can be a negative influence on their children's lives. Both fathers are very influential on the psychological development of their children. Parents can influence how their children behave, feel, and act towards the outside world. If a child is brought up with hatred and anger, they can learn to view the world in a very negative way, by being critical and prejudice towards other people. However if a child is brought up with caring and nourishment, they can learn to see the world from all different angles. Atticus Finch raises his children with love and care, and teaches them to consider all angles of a situation before you judge someone; "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view"... "Until you clim...

Business Strategy Game

Overview Looking back over the last 5 weeks of the Business Strategy Game there were several areas where Company Emergent could have improved and did very well. This paper will provide an in-depth analysis of Emergent’s approach to managing their Emergent footwear company, the growth experienced through the process, and lessons learned. In addition, recommendations for improvement are provided should the game be played again. Strategic vision of Emergent â€Å"Always move forward â€Å". Emergent exists to create value for our shareowners on a long term basis by building a business that enhances Emergent footprints.Usability The first week of the simulation game was the first point where Emergent suffered in comparison to the competition. From a human factors perspective, the game presents a significant amount of information overload that is difficult for any human to process all at once with minimal to no training. The fact that the game comes with a 34 page manual speaks v olumes to this point, and it is difficult to absorb all of the complex information presented in this manual. There should have been a quick tips and key points of interest to get the students started and that was nowhere to be found.In addition, it was not obvious that there were video tours for each and every page of decision points; this wasn’t realized until week 2. Again, this is a symptom of too much information bombarding a new user. This analysis is not provided to place blame on the game for some of Emergent’s issues, but rather to provide a human factors analysis of usability considerations (one group member is a certified human factors professional) to help improve future uses of this game and help provide students with the tools to succeed given the design drawbacks of the game interface and the human error impacts associated with the design.Recommendation: Create a quick tips and facts sheet to assist the first time user with functionality. Consider a more comprehensive overview of the site and a more representative demo of a few years of mock operation to illustrate how the software works. In addition, understanding the value of the video tours and the industry reports earlier in the process is critical for a team to be able to fully utilize the industry reports effectively from the start. Learning CurveIt took 3 years of decision entries, Y11-Y13, to fully understand how all of the decision elements interacted with one another to drive or negatively impact profits, which caused some decrements in company performance initially. In addition, it also took 3 years to fully understand what the industry and the counterintelligence data was indicating and how to effectively apply it to Emergent’s competitive advantage. However, once the data was better understood and applied effectively the company was able to be turned around from a negative profit and credit rating situation.Recommendation: Understanding that some of the importanc e of the game is learning how things work and how decisions impact a company’s bottom line, it would be beneficial to have a few practice trials to initially understand the game better than just trial and error. Capacity After consulting the players guide, the decision in year 3 was made to invest in increased capacity to meet the projected future growth demand in the Asia Pacific and Latin American region. This decision early in the game, without sufficient equity available from profits, caused Emergent to temporarily plunge in credit rating and profitability.Recommendation: Ensure current capacity is utilized effectively and earning sufficient revenue to justify purchase of additional capacity based on projected growth data. Demand, Production and Inventory Understanding the interplay between the sales forecast for the coming year, warehouse costs for inventory, required production distribution and impact of reject costs was critical for ensuring that the company was able t o deliver and meet the market demands and achieve profitability.Unfortunately, it took several years before it was clear how to manage distribution effectively and more time should have been spent entering decisions more carefully for the first 3 years. In addition, more aggressive investment in facility upgrades would have improved costs incurred with facility inefficiencies, worker productivity and rejected product costs. Recommendation: Invest more time in the analysis of the market and the decision making process to ensure decisions are complimentary.This is critical in order to attain adequate production levels to meet market demands, achieve minimum surplus and no inventory shortfalls to reduce costs incurred from inefficient warehouse usage, and invest in facility upgrades early on to reduce reject costs and increase net revenues with more sellable products for increased long term earning potential. Pricing, Model Availability, and S/Q rating The ability to effectively price the product at a level to reach the widest possible market is heavily dependent of differentiation from the market with quality and model availability.Initially, the team favored focusing on fewer model generated in favor of differentiating via higher quality models and creating a niche market. This tactic worked initially, however it allowed the competition to gain a competitive advantage through larger variation of product offerings at lower quality. Recommendation: Invest early on in product model availability to increase competitive edge. The ability to offer more product choices coupled with Emergent’s focused on higher quality products could have increased the return on equity achievable in the later years.Advertising and Celebrity Appeal Emergent’s initial investments in advertising and celebrity contracts were very conservative and minimal in terms of celebrity contracts for the first few years. It took several years of activity to fully appreciate the gains re alized by competitors from more aggressive advertising tactics and celebrity endorsements. More aggressive contract biding and advertising was attempted for years 15-18, but the profit potential was not as great had this been a strategy used from the very beginning.In many cases, Emergent lost out on a number of contracts for low bids. Recommendation: To increase Emergent’s market share and selling point of its product lines, Emergent should increase the number of celebrity contract bids and the associated bid amounts to attain a larger market share and increased revenues. Summary Successful and innovative businesses are built on strong and cohesive teams, effective strategies and the ability to recognize and seize opportunities before the competition. Emergent could have benefitted from stronger team interaction and communication.The inability to work cohesively as a team decreased Emergent’s ability to maximize the company’s performance profits by leveraging t he skills of each player effectively and strategically. The more eyes on the problem the better and more innovative the solution and the higher the likelihood you will identify strategic opportunities to increase performance and long term success. Had there been stronger and greater team interaction, certain opportunities for Emergent may have been more obvious or recognized earlier in the game simulation helping to create a greater competitive edge.

Big Q

This is shown in the book Lice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll when Alice chases the rabbit down onto a rabbit-hole without giving it any thought Alice Just Jumps right in not thinking about the consequences â€Å"In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out† (Carroll 20). Another example of instinct overcoming rational thought is found in Milan, a Disney movie about a girl who goes and fights for her injured father in a war that he would most likely not have survived in.In a specific scene she sees her father and grandmother arguing through the window and from that point is determined to do anything to keep her father from owing back into action (Walt Disney Pictures 1998). Milan does it because she loves her father and wants to make her family proud by saving him from having to fight again. Her instincts make her very emotional and lead to her becoming a warrior and bringing Joy to her family. Most people act first and think later causing emotion to overpower their logic. Secondly, emotion prevails over reason because it is more heart-felt and sentimental.The book A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens contains various quotes that help to connect to emotion. The first quote that relates to the big question is about a man who Just lost his daughter due to the recklessness of the Marquis: â€Å"A tall man in a nightcap had caught up a bundle from among the feet of the horses, and had laid it on the basement of the fountain, and was down in the mud and wet, howling over it like a wild animal. Pardon, Monsieur the Marquis! Said a ragged and submissive man, it is a child. Why does he make that abominable noise? Is it his child? Excuse me, Monsieur the Marquis-it is a pity- yes. â€Å"It is extraordinary to me, said he, that you people cannot take care of yourselves and your hillier. One or the other of you is forever in the way. How do I know what injury you have done my horses? See! G ive him that. He threw out a gold coin for the valet to pick up, and all the heads craned forward that all the eyes might look down at it as it fell. The tall man called out again with a most unearthly cry, DEAD! † (Dickens 115) This quote tells about a man who Just lost his daughter in the blink of an eye and can't control himself, so he Just starts sobbing uncontrollably and crying out like a wild animal.His heart is broken and he has no time to think. All he feels is sorrow and it affects everyone around him. The people around really feel sympathy for this guy and react emotionally as well. They are angry at the Marquis, and they are angry at how they have to live their lives because of the imposing government as well. All of these emotions (angry, somber, and scared) mixed together, also help lead to revolutionary thinking, which is a big part of the book.Another quote that connects the novel to the big question is about the killing of the Marquis: â€Å"It lay back on th e pillow of Monsieur the Marquis. It was like a fine mask, suddenly startled, made angry, and petrified. Driven home into the heart of the stone figure attached to it was a knife. Round its hilt was a frill of paper, on which was scrawled: Drive him fast to his tomb. This, from Jacques. † (Dickens 252) This quote is about the killing of the Monsieur the Marquis and it helps to reinforce the argument. Sentiment is shown in the quote by how personalized the killing was made out to be.The Marquis was stabbed straight in the heart and there was a letter signed by the killer â€Å"Jacques†, an anonymous name used by many evolutionarily used to keep the identities secret, but also used to show that they all had one goal or one purpose in mind. It emotionally bonded all the revolutionaries together showing unity. Another source that connects to emotion is a British television show called Sherlock. As the title gives away, the show retells the story of Sherlock Holmes in modern times. Sherlock is the most rational, logical, and mostly sane person of all time, but even he succumbs to his emotions at times.He falls in love with a spy/ enemy informant and she gets sent to a terrible place where she will most likely die, but even Sherlock with all of his wisdom cannot stop himself from saving her. He knows it is the wrong thing to do because she lied to him and conned him out of important information, but he cannot help what he feels in his heart. (Gait's 2010) Lastly, emotion is stronger than reason because it is irrational and spontaneous. The book Lice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll showcases many absurd things and emotions.A doctoral candidate at the University of Texas explains the homes and background of the book and is in agreement, â€Å"the absurdity, even insanity, of the world from the point of view of the innocent. We're all mad here, the Cheshire Cat informs her in their famous exchange. This absurdity is frequently little more than a source of amusement to Alice; many times, though, it is a source of grief. † (Stanley 1999). Alice enters the rabbit hole and from that point on is confronted with crazy experiences that leave her very emotional.Although emotion overpowers logic in most situations, reason may be evident at retain points in time. An example of this would be an argument of an atheist against religion. The atheist believes in facts and what he/she can observe in the universe around him. Atheists do not believe in having a blind faith towards anything that is not measurable in any humanly way, while religious people are perfectly content with believing that there is some sort of god. A census taken in England in 2011 showed that the numbers of atheists were increasing while the numbers of Christians were decreasing.

The eNotes Blog 20 Illustrations of Famous ShakespeareQuotes

20 Illustrations of Famous ShakespeareQuotes Happy birthday, ol Willy! To commemorate, were opening up the vaults to  share some original artwork that brings  to life  the Bards works. We partnered with Yumi Sakugawa, a published author and artist, to recreate some of your favorite, iconic Shakespearean scenes.  Stay tuned for tomorrows post, as we pick Yumis brain about her work and artistic process. If you want to learn more about a  quotes context within its  scene, click on each image  for an in-depth analysis. Be sure to let us know your favorite(s) in the comments! 1. Whats in a Name? Juliet: Whats in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)   2.  To-morrow, and To-morrow, and To-morrow Macbeth: To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. Macbeth Act 5, scene 5, 19–28   3. The Lady Doth Protest Too Much Player Queen: Both here and hence pursue me lasting strife, If once I be a widow, ever I be a wife! Player King: Tis deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here a while, My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile The tedious day with sleep. Player Queen: Sleep rock thy brain, And never come mischance between us twain! Hamlet: Madam, how like you this play? Queen: The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Hamlet Act 3, scene 2, 222–230 4. If Music Be the Food of Love Duke Orsino: If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die. Twelfth Night Act 1, scene 1, 1–3 5. All the Worlds a Stage Jaques: All the worlds a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. As You Like It Act 2, scene 7, 139–143 6. To Be, or Not To Be Hamlet: To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep, No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to: tis a consummation Devoutly to be wishd. To die, to sleep; To sleep, perchance to dream- ay, theres the rub: For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause- theres the respect That makes calamity of so long life. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Thoppressors wrong, the proud mans contumely, The pangs of disprizd love, the laws delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of thunworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied oer with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pitch and moment With this regard their currents turn awry And lose the name of action. Hamlet Act 3, scene 1, 55–87 7. To Sleep, Perchance to Dream Hamlet: To sleep, perchance to dream- ay, theres the rub. Hamlet (III, i, 65-68) 8. There Are More Things in Heaven and Earth Hamlet: Swear by my sword Never to speak of this that you have heard. Ghost: [Beneath] Swear by his sword. Hamlet: Well said, old mole, canst work i th earth so fast? A worthy pioner! Once more remove, good friends. Horatio: O day and night, but this is wondrous strange! Hamlet: And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Hamlet Act 1, scene 5, 159–167 9. O Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou Romeo? Juliet: O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love And Ill no longer be a Capulet. Romeo: [Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? Juliet: Tis but thy name that is my enemy: Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. Whats Montague? It is nor hand nor foot, Nor arm nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O be some other name! Whats in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo calld, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for thy name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself. Romeo And Juliet Act 2, scene 2, 33–49 10. We Are Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made on Prospero: Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits, and Are melted into air, into thin air: And like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-cappd towrs, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on; and our little life Is rounded with a sleep. The Tempest Act 4, scene 1, 148–158 11. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow Juliet: Tis almost morning, I would have thee gone- And yet no farther than a wan-tons bird, That lets it hop a little from his hand, Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, And with a silken thread plucks it back again, So loving-jealous of his liberty. Romeo: I would I were thy bird. Juliet: Sweet, so would I, Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow. [Exit above] Romeo And Juliet Act 2, scene 2, 176–185 12. Now is the Winter of Our Discontent Richard: Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this son of York; And all the clouds that lowrd upon our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried. Richard The Third Act 1, scene 1, 1–4 13. What Piece of a Work is Man   Hamlet: What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals- and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me- nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so. Rosencrantz: My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts. Hamlet Act 2, scene 2, 303–312 14. Love Looks Not With the Eyes Helena: Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind. A Midsummer Nights Dream (I, i, 234) 15. Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark Horatio: He waxes desperate with imagination. Marcellus: Lets follow. Tis not fit thus to obey him. Horatio: Have after. To what issue will this come? Marcellus: Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Horatio: Heaven will direct it. Marcellus: Nay, lets follow him. [Exeunt.] Hamlet Act 1, scene 4, 87–91 16. Out, Damnd Spot Doctor: What is it she does now? Look how she rubs her hands. Gentlewoman: It is an accustomd action with her, to seem thus washing her hands. I have known her continue in this a quarter of an hour. Lady Macbeth: Yet heres a spot. Doctor: Hark, she speaks. I will set down what comes from her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly. Lady Macbeth: Out, damnd spot! out, I say!- One; two: why, then tis time to dot.- Hell is murky.- Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our powr to accompt?- Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him? Macbeth Act 5, scene 1, 26–40 17. The Fault, Dear Brutus, is Not in Our Stars Cassius: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Julius Caesar (I, ii, 140-141) 18. Prodigious Birth of Love it is to Me Juliet: Go ask his name.- If he be married, My grave is like to be my wedding-bed. Nurse: His name is Romeo, and a Montague, The only son of your great enemy. Juliet: My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me That I must love a loathà ¨d enemy. Romeo And Juliet Act 1, scene 5, 134–141 19. All That Glisters   Prince of Morocco: All that glisters is not gold. The Merchant of Venice (II, vii) 20. Et Tu Caesar: Et tu, Brute? Julius Caesar (III, i, 77)

The second bull run essays

The second bull run essays It was July 1862 and the Civil War had been raging on for over a year. Eleven months longer than anyone ever expected. Both sides predicted a quick and swift victory. Neither expected the bloodshed would last four long years, with both sides suffering terrible loses. Neither sides predicated that the war would be the cause of over 620,000 casualties. Men signed up to join the army expecting adventure and time away from the usual day at home. Little did they know they didn ¹t have a good chance of making it home alive, or at least in one piece. They didn ¹t know the kind of warfare they would see. They didn ¹t realize they would see so many men die. The Civil War introduced a whole new kind of war. The fighting tactics and weapons changed. The Civil War had repeating guns like the Gatling gun, a primitive type of machine gun. The first iron naval ships were used. As far as fighting tactics, no war had ever seen so much hand to hand combat. Both sides did have one strategy in common, and that was to attack each others capital and deliver a knockout blow to end the war. In spring of 1862 the Confederates moved their capital from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia, just over 90 miles south of Washington D.C. For this reason Virginia became the location of many major battles. One of which was, Second Bull Run or otherwise known to Confederates as the Battle of Manassas. On July 21,1861 the two armies met at Manassas junction. Lincoln sent out a call after Fort Sumter for 75,000 men. He ended up with 35,000 men, the largest army yet to be gathered in the Western hemisphere. In charge of those Union troops was General Irvin McDowell. The confederates were gathered around Manassas Junction. There were 20,000 men. They were led by P.T. Beauregard. Because they thought the war would be swift Lincoln signed the volunteers for only ninety days. General McDowell was under pressure to attack as soon as possible because of the troops...

Facts and Figures About Sivapithecus, the Primate Also Known as Ramapithecus

Facts and Figures About Sivapithecus, the Primate Also Known as Ramapithecus Sivapithecus occupies an important place on the prehistoric primate evolutionary flow chart: This slender, five-foot-long ape marked the time when early primates descended from the comforting shelter of trees and started to explore the wide-open grasslands. The late Miocene Sivapithecus possessed chimpanzee-like feet with flexible ankles, but otherwise it resembled an orangutan, to which it may have been directly ancestral. (Its also possible that the orangutan-like features of Sivapithecus arose via the process of convergent evolution, the tendency of animals in similar ecosystems to evolve similar features). Most important, from the perspective of paleontologists, were the shape of Sivapithecus teeth. This primates large canines and heavily enameled molars point to a diet of tough tubers and stems (such as would be found on the open plains) rather than tender fruits (such as would be found in trees). Sivapithecus is intimately associated with Ramapithecus, a now-downgraded genus of central Asian primate, discovered in the country of Nepal, that was once considered to be directly ancestral to modern humans. It turns out that the analysis of the original Ramapithecus fossils was flawed and that this primate was less human-like, and more orangutan-like, than had initially been thought, not to mention disturbingly similar to the earlier-named Sivapithecus. Today, most paleontologists believe that the fossils attributed to Ramapithecus actually represent the slightly smaller females of genus Sivapithecus (sexual differentiation not being an uncommon feature of ancestral apes and hominids), and that neither genus was a direct Homo sapiens ancestor. Species of Sivapithecus/Ramapithecus There are three named species of Sivapithecus, each dating to slightly different time frames. The type species, S. indicus, discovered in India in the late 19th century, lived from about 12 million to 10 million years ago; a second species. S. sivalensis, discovered in northern India and Pakistan in the early 1930s, lived from about nine to eight million years ago; and a third species, S. parvada, discovered on the Indian subcontinent in the 1970s, was significantly bigger than the other two and helped drive home the affinities of Sivapithecus with modern orangutans. You might be wondering, how did a hominid like Sivapithecus (or Ramapithecus) wind up in Asia, of all places, given that the human branch of the mammalian evolutionary tree originated in Africa? Well, these two facts are not inconsistent: it could be that the last common ancestor of Sivapithecus and Homo sapiens did in fact live in Africa, and its descendants migrated out of the continent during the middle Cenozoic Era. This has very little bearing on a lively debate now going on about whether hominids did, indeed, arise in Africa; unfortunately, this scientific dispute has been tainted by some well-founded accusations of racism (of course we didnt come from Africa, say some experts, since Africa is such a backward continent). Name: Sivapithecus (Greek for Siva ape); pronounced SEE-vah-pith-ECK-us Habitat: Woodlands of central Asia Historical Epoch: Middle-Late Miocene (12-7 million years ago) Size and Weight: About five feet long and 50-75 pounds Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Chimpanzee-like feet; flexible wrists; large canines

Neighborhood Watch Research Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Neighborhood Watch Research Study - Essay Example The term social disorganization defines a wide and indefinite range of societal issues. Generally, it refers to a noticeable decline of the behavioral standards because of a lack of authority, or social control, within a specific community. In this environment, what is considered acceptable conduct is not a regular aspect of life as communal organizations do not function as in other, more ‘normal’ communities. This type of situation is most apparent in larger cities that have larger proportions of poor, disenfranchised people but also occurs in pockets of almost all towns. Those cities that are close in proximity to metropolitan areas are more likely to experience the peripheral effects of social disorganization as well as those within their own borders than towns that are geographically isolated. The most prominent and widely recognized theory regarding social disorganization is attributed to Shaw and McKay (1942) although their work has been studied extensively and has undergone a significant evolution since its publication. A case in point, Harvard professor Robert Sampson (1997) and his team supplemented the theory by adding ‘social capital’ and ‘collective efficacy’ to criminological terminology.   Social capital is the level of interdependence within a community and collective efficacy, in simpler terms, is a neighborhood’s capability of maintaining lawful conduct. A societal unit must exhibit an interaction between its authoritative institutions and also among its people, at least a moderate level of social capital, before it can expect any type of advancement in its collective efficacy. In criminology, the theory of routine activities is also frequently considered as a model for the contemporary social disorganization theory.   â⠂¬Å"Routine activities theory holds that in order to eliminate crime anyplace, you need to

The New Planet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The New Planet - Essay Example As the research highlights  the humanoids seem to be in the advanced stages of their development and are characterized the means of their sustenance. Their modes of production, seems to be guided by the materialism and they seem to consciously promote material activities that would help to overcome the emerging new requirements of the increasing population.  This paper discusses that the most important feature that characterizes humanoids is their specific identity within a well defined societal framework. Although primary social identity of a male humanoid is gender specific and is followed by a distinct name by which he is addressed in the world, he is often bestowed with multiple social identities, some of which may acquire more forceful and intimidating perspective under certain given circumstances. The social identity seems to provide them with a distinct attribute and facilitates establishment of social status that physically represents him. Social identity of humanoids are not only vital representation of his self but it is also medium that significantly contributes to a knowledge base that others can instantly access to have a general idea of their orientation towards conflicts and other relevant issues.  The humanoids have also a well defined division of labor that is dependent on the predefined constraints of the material conditions that determine the productions.  Marx’s report has been most emphatic on the visible ‘culture’.

Work environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Work environment - Essay Example This principle can also be applied to the use of new technology. The introduction of new technology requires better coordination in organizations to make use of the new technology. As managers have become aware of the benefits of shifting more responsibility to human resource departments within an organization, this has further led to decentralization and a greater emphasis on teamwork to get the job done. 1. Compare and contrast authority, responsibility, accountability, and delegation a. Authority belongs in the hands of a manager, whose job it is to come up with strategies, delegate responsibility, and use resources in an effective and efficient manner to achieve the objectives of the organization. Authority can be viewed from three view points: (1) Authority comes from structures within an organization, and not directly from people. (2) Authority must be respected by subordinates. This is shown by the acceptance theory of authority, which reasons that authority is only acquired b y a leader if the subordinates follow commands given to them. (3) Authority is appropriate to the particular position involved. Employees higher up the food chain have greater authority than their subordinates. b. b. Responsibility is authority given to carry out an order based on an employee’s position in the organizational hierarchy. c. Accountability is where authority and responsibility meet. d. Delegation is the way management chooses to assign responsibility to those lower than them in the organizational hierarchy. Most organizations encourage their managers to delegate authority to regular employees where possible so that the needs of customers are put first. 2. The divisional structure is often considered almost the opposite of a functional structure. Do you agree? Briefly explain the major differences in these two approaches to departmentalization. The functional structure revolves around common skills, expertise, work activities, and resources. Human resources are pooled together in large functional departments in order to achieve economies of scale and in‑depth skill specialization and development. The efficient use of resources is what defines the functional structure. The divisional structure is entirely different from the functional structure. The divisional structure focuses on product and division goals instead of functional skills and expertise. Despite this, divisional structures use functional departments within each division. Efficiency and economies of scale take a back seat to coordination among all departments and effectiveness in addressing the needs of customers. The key difference between these two structures is that the functional structure offers better efficiency internally but poor responsiveness, while the divisional structure is known for excellent responsiveness and poorer efficiency internally. 3. Define centralization and decentralization. Identify the three factors that typically influence centralization versus decentralization. What advantages does decentralization have over centralization? 1. Centralization and decentralization refer to the different levels of the hierarchy where key decisions are made and responsibility delegated. 2. Centralization means most of the major decisions come from top management (otherwise known as top-down approach).

Discuss Mark Twain's portrayal of women in Adventures of Huckleberry Essay

Discuss Mark Twain's portrayal of women in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Essay Example While most of the characters represent various members of the male society, there are a significant number of women who play an essential role within the novel. For Twain, there seems to be basically three types of women – the harridan, the sweetly stereotypical Victorian housewife and the intelligent. These types are portrayed within the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through the characters of Miss Watson as the spinsterly old maid, the older Wilks sisters as the properly trained young ladies and the intelligent Mrs. Judith Loftus and Joann Wilks comprising the final set. In the very opening of the book, Twain introduces us to the two most common type of women, the Widow Douglas and her sister Miss Watson. The image we get of Miss Watson is rather grim. She is â€Å"a tolerable slim old maid, with goggles on† who immediately â€Å"took a set at me now with a spelling-book. She worked me middling hard for about an hour, and then the widow made her ease up† (3). While the Widow Douglas is seen as interfering in that she insists on trying to ‘sivilise’ Huck, Miss Watson is nagging in her criticisms. â€Å"Miss Watson would say, ‘Don’t put your feet up there, Huckleberry;’ and ‘Don’t scrunch up like that, Huckleberry – set up straight;’ and pretty soon she would say, ‘Don’t gap and stretch like that, Huckleberry – why don’t you try to behave?’† (4). She is such an unpleasant woman to be around that Huck decides he’d rather go to †˜the bad place’ rather than the good place where Miss Watson has announced she will go. This depiction of her makes it not so surprising that she is an old maid rather than a widow. In contrast to Miss Watson, her sister the Widow Douglas is an older version of the types of girls that Huck meets while on his adventures. The Wilks sisters have been bred to be so

Is science the only way to discover and describe human behavior Essay

Is science the only way to discover and describe human behavior - Essay Example Intuition appears to emerge mostly from unconscious roots (Ward, 2008). Scientists, like Sigmund Freud, tried to explain the origin and nature of intuition. But the capacity of the human mind is too profound, and goes beyond any grasp of reason. In fact, the mind, and thus human behavior, is greatly related to the Divine, or the spirit. Spirit penetrates reality (Ward, 2008). Even so, intuition in people is an ability to have visions or feelings that cannot be explained by science or rigid rationality. My behavior, personally, is at times governed by my intuition. There are times, for instance, that I feel a sense of danger or threat about something that I immediately turn away. There is one particular experience I had which confirmed my belief that intuition is not something that science can explain. When I was 22 years old, while I was at a park waiting for a friend, a boy approached me and asked for some money. He said that he had not eaten for days. But a sudden feeling of threat washed over me and I so I told the child that I have no extra money to give to him. And then out of the blue an idea came into my mind: in order to help him I must bring him to a social service agency. I told the boy that I will bring him to a place where there are people who can take care of him. The boy willingly followed me. When we reached the agency, the boy suddenly cried and thanked me. And then the big revelation came: the boy told us that he was taken by a group of men three days earlier, whi le he was playing in a public playground. These men told him to ask money from people. But because of me, the boy happily said that he can now go home. Because of this experience, I decided to ask a psychologist. She told me that what happened to me may not be intuition at all, but an outcome of prior knowledge. She told me that I may have heard, read, or knew about a syndicate that takes children, and that my decision to take the child to a social service agency was influenced by

Intranship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intranship - Essay Example This included developing competence in collecting, recording, categorizing and analyzing an organization’s financial information for communication to relevant stakeholders to aid informed ‘decision-making’. I completed my objective through active involvement in the organization’s accounting department where I assisted in making journal entries, transferring the information into ledger accounts, preparing financial statements, and analyzing the organization’s financial position. I also achieved my objective by being disciplined to the accounting department and allowing myself to be professionally influenced by the employees (Kumar, p. 69- 72). I developed a variety of skills for accountancy. I gained proficiency in completing books of accounts, preparing financial statements and communication skills. I also developed positive interpersonal relationship traits as facilitated by the organization ethical culture that is entrenched in internal code of ethics provisions (Kumar, p. 69- 72). The organization derived many benefits from the pursuit of my objective. It received additional workforce that relieved some of its accountants of some duties. As a result, the relieved personnel specialized in analytical review of the organization’s performance for efficiency (Kumar, p. 69- 72). My objective was to gain expertise in application of marketing techniques for a ‘high-level’ competence. This included developing competence in â€Å"product, place, price, and promotion† aspects and the ability to manage environmental factors such as â€Å"political and legal, economic, cultural, social and natural environment† (McKinlay and O’Connor, p. 29). I similarly completed my objective through active involvement in the organization marketing activities by working closely with marketing argents by attending to their needs and accompanying them in their assignments. My level of commitment to and dependence on

Is science the only way to discover and describe human behavior Essay

Is science the only way to discover and describe human behavior - Essay Example Intuition appears to emerge mostly from unconscious roots (Ward, 2008). Scientists, like Sigmund Freud, tried to explain the origin and nature of intuition. But the capacity of the human mind is too profound, and goes beyond any grasp of reason. In fact, the mind, and thus human behavior, is greatly related to the Divine, or the spirit. Spirit penetrates reality (Ward, 2008). Even so, intuition in people is an ability to have visions or feelings that cannot be explained by science or rigid rationality. My behavior, personally, is at times governed by my intuition. There are times, for instance, that I feel a sense of danger or threat about something that I immediately turn away. There is one particular experience I had which confirmed my belief that intuition is not something that science can explain. When I was 22 years old, while I was at a park waiting for a friend, a boy approached me and asked for some money. He said that he had not eaten for days. But a sudden feeling of threat washed over me and I so I told the child that I have no extra money to give to him. And then out of the blue an idea came into my mind: in order to help him I must bring him to a social service agency. I told the boy that I will bring him to a place where there are people who can take care of him. The boy willingly followed me. When we reached the agency, the boy suddenly cried and thanked me. And then the big revelation came: the boy told us that he was taken by a group of men three days earlier, whi le he was playing in a public playground. These men told him to ask money from people. But because of me, the boy happily said that he can now go home. Because of this experience, I decided to ask a psychologist. She told me that what happened to me may not be intuition at all, but an outcome of prior knowledge. She told me that I may have heard, read, or knew about a syndicate that takes children, and that my decision to take the child to a social service agency was influenced by

Outdoor Recreation Movement in America Assignment

Outdoor Recreation Movement in America - Assignment Example The initiation of this code of act fostered the understanding of the boundaries of operations by the law (Jensen, Clayne & Steven 284). Administration of Federal lands for the largest achievable recreation gain constant with other vital utilizations. The management of the recreation gains have attributed to the provision of means to manage the population finances while availing the appropriate uses. This program has ensured that the natural resources are not misused but are treated as provided in the law. Collaboration with the States via technical and financial assistance in the United States has been pivotal in embracing the outdoor recreation. The coordination of different locations in America has fostered understanding of the common interest of the people. Converging objectives of the people have assisted in determining the necessities of outdoor and recreational practices together with their essence to people (Jensen, Clayne & Steven 290). This has led to the presumption of vigorous administration of the natural resources and the environment and the accompanied attempts. The committee assisted the people into understanding the essence of the rural and by carrying out visit in the areas, economy is boosted in the areas due to the money received from leisure activities. The assumption of enthusiastic, supportive leadership in a nationwide recreation effort among the government, state and the law has been improved through the outlined act (Jensen, Clayne & Steven

International Marketing Essay Example for Free

International Marketing Essay UK is one of the major centers for commerce and international business in the world. It is one country that has had to raise its economy through free trade and other business related portfolios. It later developed to principles of liberalization of international trade and investments in order for it to expand and grow especially in the 20th century. It has been able to attract large investments from multinational countries in order to meet the demand for the larger British population thereby minimizing unemployment rates. This paper will therefore examine the investment opportunities and challenges in UK (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006). Foreign investments Opportunities The UK has very many opportunities in terms of foreign investments. It is one of the fifth largest economies in the world and second in the European Union. The country’s capital, which is London, is considered a haven of investments especially in the financial sector. The country has a GDP of $ 2. 1 trillion and a GDP growth rate of 2 %. (2007 estimates). Most of the opportunities lie in the service sector (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Industries UK has very many industries that can be invested in by any foreign country and the major ones are; agriculture, telecommunications, manufacture, fishing and tourism. The UK is one of the leading countries in agricultural exports and this is the main driving force for its economy. (Bailey, 1999) International trade statistics Major exports The dollar value for most of the export trading has been improving due to increase in demand for exports going by recent statistics on total exports from the UK. The trend however has been found to be fluctuating and that it depends on other factors such as; political stability, foreign policies etc. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) The major exports the country has been undertaking are the agricultural produce; wheat, rice, maize and tea. In the manufacturing the sector, the country exports agricultural machinery such the tractors and its implements, food, tobacco, paper, printing, textiles, paper and publishing. In the service sector, the country has developed high-tech networks in the telecommunications industry. The leading company in this sector is Vodafone and it has also gone global in its service provision. Major imports The major imports that are imported to the country include automobiles, horticultural produce, tea, coffee, and oil. The dollar value for most of the imports is low as the demand for the products reduces in the country. The dollar value increases when oil products become scarce due to international demand. (Bailey, 1999) Balance of payments situation According to the Office of National statistics, the manufacturing industry accounted for approximately 19% of all the national output in UK last year and also made up to 16% of all the employment in the country. The British economy does not however depend entirely on this and it may decline in the next two to three decades. Other industries are coming up especially the service sectors with a view to balance payments situation in regard to treasury bills. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Exchange rates Exchange rates in the UK have been changing since the year 1999 and today, the exchange rates are way below the 0. 54 mark. This can be attributed to the changing events of the decade and globalization (Bailey, 1999). The following table shows the changing exchange rates-over the counter- for the Sterling pound, Euros and the dollars. Year ? /USD USD/? ?/EUR EUR/? 2005 ? 0. 5500 $1. 821 ? 0. 6842 â‚ ¬1. 463 2006 ? 0. 5426 $1. 859 ? 0. 6815 â‚ ¬1. 467 Source: Office for National Statistics, UK 2006 Trade restrictions 1. Embargoes Embargoes are political trade tools that are put by trading bodies or governments in order to support a justified peace process. Trade embargoes in the UK has been used to support either the EU or the UN in order to deny individuals the opportunity to use money from international trade in buying weapons of mass destruction. This will be used for the purpose of containing retrogressive countries the financial capability to use trading activities for insecurity purposes. Such countries which have been blacklisted by the UK include; Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe etc. (Neid, 1988) 2. Quotas Tradable quotas are policy instruments aimed at restraining trade of certain commodities in the UK. Limiting the production or importation of non-environmentally friendly automobiles can reduce taking for example greenhouse gases. The UK has been able to meet its environmental objective through the implementation of quotas systems. (Neid, 1988) 3. Import taxes Import taxes are designed to protect local industries from international competitors who may be financially stronger than them. This strategy has been utilized by the UK in order to protect vulnerable sectors of its economy. Although it allows importation of textiles, the country charges high import taxes on all unprocessed hides and skins to protect its local industries. (Lawrence, 2002) 4. Tariffs Trade tariffs are the main hindrance to trading between two countries. These trade tariffs depend with policies formulated by individual countries concerning how the countries wish to conduct its trading. The United Kingdom has however developed a smooth and business free environment for most countries in Africa, Asia and the U. S. this has made investment more conducive for many multinational firms. (Neid, 1988) 5. Licensing Licensing is one of the techniques used to promote international trading. The UK has been able to utilize licensing agreements with other international firms to boost its trading. The country has also been able to license many international firms to operate in the country as a means of encouraging investments. (Lawrence, 2002) 6. Custom duties Custom duties are one of the main sources misunderstandings between countries due to the fact that they favor the home-based industries. Custom duties are usually employed by the government top curb influx of external products into the country. The UK has been able to utilize this remedy effectively especially in sectors which the government feels threatened such as energy, education, transport and manufacturing. (Bailey, 1999) Extend of economic activity not included in cash income transactions The extent, to which other economic activities which does not include cash income transactions, is not wide and especially that the economy is entirely dependent on two core industries. I. e. service and manufacturing. The rest which may not involve cash transactions. (Neid, 1988) Counter trades The UK has used counter trade strategies to improve their international presence in almost all its sectors. Counter trades function effectively when the trading countries agree on issues such as import duties, taxes and tariffs (Bailey, 1999). Labour force The UK labor force currently stands at 31 million going by 2007 statistics. Majority of this labor force are concentrated in the private sector and some of them in the public sector. Most of the employees in sectors such as the health sector may have been imported to the country to serve as nurse this has been caused by the worldwide shortage of the same. The unemployment rates in UK currently stand at 5. 4 %( 2007 estimates) most of whom are fresh graduates and the poorly educated young men and women in the country. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Inflation rates The inflation rate for the UK as at 31st December, 2006, was 2. 3% and a poverty rate of 17 % by then. The inflation however, fluctuates depending on the economic situation of the country (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Developments in science and technology UK is one of the European counties which have invested heavily on innovation and technology. Almost all sectors of its economy are coping up with changes in technology. The country is using technology as means of out-competing its competitors in the manufacturing and service sectors. That is why most firms in the country are investing in research and development. The government has been able to utilize 5. 4 % of the GNP on RD in the last fiscal year ending March 31, 2007. The technological skills of the current labor force in the UK can be rated good depending on which sector one is referring to. With reasonable levels of literacy (79% at the moment), the country’s population can improve. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Conclusion There is a team of science and technology promoters under the department of UK Trade and Investment whose role is to help firms realize their international potential through partnership support and knowledge transfer. It mainly enhances competitiveness of companies trading in the UK and also those involved in international trade. The UK has been able to attract high quality foreign direct investments through this department which offers guidance and direction including available opportunities and marketing. References Bailey, M.(1999): Exchange rate trends and trade performance; Waldwick Archive, Vol 12 Ferguson, N (2004): Empire, The rise and demise of the British world order and the lessons for global investments. Basic Books, Oxford, p 90 Lawrence H. (2002): Exchange rate between the United States dollar and forty other countries and its effects on investment, Macmillan, Washington. P 34-40 Neid H. (1988): Multinational investment strategies in British Isles, Routlegde, UK. P 122-131 Office for National Statistics (UK 2006): The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. P 45-57

Customs of Amerindians :: essays research papers

Customs Of Amerindians Taino The Taino loved dancing and singing and used the same word for both arieto. They danced and sang to the music of drums, reed pipes and wooden gongs at festivities such as the naming of a baby, the wedding of cacique or the inauguration of a new cacique. Another Taino custom is the flattening of foreheads of newborns. The Taino saw it as a sign of beauty. The newborns heads were bound between two boards to flatten the forehead a few days after the child was born. The Taino played a game called batos, which was played on a marked field with two teams trying to hit the ball with their hips, knees, heads, elbows and shoulders into their opponent’s goal line, was another custom. Kalinago At a son’s birth there was a special ceremony during which the father was cut with agouti teeth and expected to bear the pain without flinching so that his son would grow up to be brave. The boy was periodically rubbed with the fat of slaughtered Tainos so that he might absorb their courage and then he underwent the initiation ceremony, which changed him from a boy to a man, and a warrior. Now he had a new name and was a true Carib. Another custom was the Kalinago used to decorate their bodies with a dye called roucou. This was made from vegetable dye and oil, which the Kalinagos felt toughened their skins and protected against insect bites. Another custom was the Kalinagos entertained many guests and when the guests had eaten their fill they were entertained with singing and dancing to the music of drums, reed pipes and whistles. The guests were welcome to stay as long as they liked and when at last they decided to leave they were given gifts and asked to stay longer. Maya Maya were broad headed and as soon as a baby was born, squeezing it gently between two boards flattened its head. This gave them a noble air and their heads were then better adapted to carry loads. The Maya were also cross-eyed. This was regarded as a special mark of beauty and distinction. Mothers would hang a ball in front of their children so that they would focus on it and therefore develop cross-eyes.

Illusion and Delusion in Conrad’s Lord Jim : A Tale Essay -- Joseph Co

Don Quixote Rides Again: Illusion and Delusion in Conrad’s Lord Jim: A Tale â€Å"‘You are an incorrigible, hopeless Don Quixote. That’s what you are.’† (Conrad 1946b, 44) Fifteen-year-old Konrad Korzeniowski (Joseph Conrad) heard these admonitory words from the lips of his tutor, a Krakowian college student instructed by his maternal uncle (Tadeusz Bobrowski) to talk his nephew out of his eccentric desire to become a seaman. The link between young Conrad’s desire to become a sailor and the renowned knight of La Mancha is not a casual one. In his writings, Conrad generalises the particular case of his vocation for the sea by pointing to the reading of romances of adventure as the cause prompting young men to join the maritime profession. Thus, for instance, in the autobiographical work in which the words of dear tutor are quoted (A Personal Record) Conrad refers to Victor Hugo’s Toilers of the Sea as his â€Å"first introduction to the sea in literature.† (1946b, 72) In â€Å"Tales of the Sea† (1898) ––an earlier piece written at a period in which he was already engaged in the composition of Lord Jim: A Tale–– Conrad speaks of how Frederick Marryat and James Fenimore Cooper, the creators of sea fiction, â€Å"influenced so many lives and gave to so many the initial impulse towards a glorious or a useful career†. (1949, 56) Later essays like â€Å"Well Done† (1918) or â€Å"Geography and Some Explorers† (1924) highlight the role played by romances and books of exploration in triggering young men’s desire for a life of adventure at sea, Conrad’s included. In the latter he calls Nà ºÃƒ ±ez de Balboa, Tasman, Torres, Cook or Franklin â€Å"the first grown-up friends of my early boyhood† and states that their nautical feats were an inspiration for him. ... ...Facts! They demanded facts for him [Jim], as if facts could explain anything!† (Conrad 1946c, 29) This disavowal of the value of facts sounds is an anomalous one to hear coming from a third-person narrator which, traditionally, was supposed to occupy the objective position of a view from nowhere specifically. It is important to add that such a statement is made in Chapter 4, at the end of which the third-person narrator gives the floor to Marlow, a first-person narrator subjectively involved in the story he is telling. 11 Needless to comment on the connection between hepatic diseases and alcoholism. 12 It may be argued that the doctor’s irony and laughter are a sign of nervousness and a symptom of the loss of consistency of his self-representation as derived from a scientific practice whose solidity is equally eroded by the engineer’s atypical hallucinations.

Functions of Doctrine in a Christian and African Perspective

Doctrine, in Ninian Smart’s dimensions of religion refers to the writings and textbook knowledge that people have regarding their religion. This is exactly what people believe about their respective religions passed on from the generation to generation. Doctrine is in fact, â€Å"the set of answers one has accepted to life’s profound questions. † It intrinsically comprises what the ethical standards of a certain religion would have and it â€Å"directly affects† the behavior of its followers. The â€Å"symbolic and mythical† are given order by doctrine, since people cannot rely on abstract truths alone.The main purpose of doctrine is to give â€Å"authoritative and sometimes systematic proofs that their religious reality and everyday reality is one and the same. † It may also be said that doctrines are somewhat answers laid out by the authoritative body in a certain religion, to answer the questions of life. They are â€Å"logical† hig hly systematized body of religious knowledge intrinsic in religion. It is evident that when two opposing doctrines clash, â€Å"believers commit the most bloody atrocities in the name of their belief† and in the process stay true to the doctrines they uphold.Certain aspects of the human life such as â€Å"death, suffering and change† are given light by religious doctrines, since it gives a foundation of belief to the religious follower. It may be said that people need something to hold on too, because these facts of life are much too grave for the ordinary human mind. In general, doctrines are â€Å"belief systems which provide answers to certain boundary/identity questions. † What cannot be explained is therefore given light by religious doctrines, and this help in a person’s acceptance of life and its realities.The functions then of doctrine are to â€Å"bring order and focus to myth and ritual†, â€Å"provide institutionalization of answers to the unexplainable†, â€Å"control boundaries of religious expression†, and â€Å"determine what is inclusive and exclusive in a given religion. † African religion has been greatly questioned by early European explorers visiting the continent. Some Africans were actually even converted to both Islam and Christianity through these explorers. In modern times, African religion still continues to be dominantly pagan.Dialogues regarding African religions have had certain difficulties since African â€Å"ethnic groups lack a term for religion in the Western sense as an entity or activity separate from everyday life. † Africans uphold religion as a complete way of life. African religion also may become misleading, since doctrines per tribe differ in degree and belief, where it is only called â€Å"doctrines† for formality purposes. As most world religions, the African religions hold that there is one creator of the universe who withdrew and remains remote f rom the concerns of the world.Believers do not directly talk to this god, nor do they offer sacrifices to him. Instead, secondary divinities are seen as ‘middlemen’ between them and their god. They are considered as â€Å"children of the god† or at least are held to be high ranking in their religious hierarchy. It should be noted that African â€Å"religions do not demand adherence to any single doctrine. † The intent of these religions is almost always pragmatic, where â€Å"religious rituals serve as strategies for reinforcing life, fertility and power. Doctrine then for them is a set of practice and rituals that they do in order for them to survive.What they believe in is that â€Å"the principal vision shared by African religions is that human beings must vigilantly maintain a harmonious relationship with divine powers in order to prosper. † The goal of these religions is to control these divine powers for the betterment of their lives, and â⠂¬Å"ritual is the way to do so†. A practical way of looking at religion and doctrine is what comprises African religions.Ritual then â€Å"ensures a community’s responsible relationship with ancestors who are guardians of the moral order, with spiritual forces within nature, and with the gods. † Of course, for Christianity, it is a totally different story. Doctrine for Christianity is a way of life, yet it is not purely for survival. Rituals are present yet not in the same sense as African religion where they offer animal sacrifices and hold mystical ceremonies. Christian doctrine therefore is an ethical way of life, a compilation of the facts about the religion, compiled by the Catholic Church.Christian doctrine therefore centers on the truth about God, Jesus and life. These are ways on how to live a Christian life which also teaches the way of Jesus. It may be seen as dogmatic, since the early doctrines were considered more of dogma than a religion that can hel p in a person’s salvation. These Catholic doctrines had been protested and continuously scrutinized by scientists and philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche. The Catholic Church has been known in its early years to have imposed a way of life to the Christians, implementing soul and even physical persecution in the name of sin.The Catholic Church, though not changing the religious doctrines through time, adapts to the modern world of democracy and human rights. Persecution, like in Dante’s Inferno is not taught anymore, and was instructed to be uplifted because people follow not because they believe in the doctrine, but because of fear of persecution. Christian doctrine has now become a way of life for most Christians, deepening and rejuvenating their faith in their daily lives through it.

Seven Wonders of the World

Seven Wonders of the World Centuries ago one man dreamed, designed and constructed a breathtaking monument and then, it went on to become a wonder. Wonders of the world are so many. No list can comprehend everything. But why they are actually the wonders and what are the factors which make them to call a wonders? Every wonder has its own history and importance, and they have some interesting facts related with them. However, the original seven wonders of the world are the most worthy of our praise and appreciation as they were constructed in an era that was devoid of any building machinery and done mostly by hand.The true wonder we can say is artistic, mysterious, magnificent, stunning or in other words it is really a master piece, and due to these qualities it attracts everyone towards itself. The most remarkable or amazing creations by mankind are included in the list of Seven Wonders of the World. The number 7 is said to symbolize perfection and hence is used to list the wonders. There are number of different lists of the Seven Wonders of the World: the seven wonders of the ancient world, seven natural wonders of the world, the new Seven Wonders of the World and the modern wonders.A campaign to name the new Seven Wonders of the World, launched in 1999, has just reached to its climax. Originally, there were nearly 200 nominations which were shortlisted and finally, in the largest ever poll of its kind, 100 million people voted across the world for the final seven. Voting was done through the internet, as well as by phone and text. The popularity poll was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber and organized by the new seven wonders foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland, with winners announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon.The New seven wonders foundation is regulated by the Swiss Federal Foundation Authority. 1. Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: In the recent past, people across the world were asked to vote for their favorite seven wonders of the world. The ancie nt Greeks loved art and architecture. They were the first people to compile the seven wonders of the ancient world list. These wonders were built-in the marvels of the 4th century BC. The Greeks had conquered much of the world and traveled far and wide.As they were patrons of beauty, they took fancy to the landmarks and unique architecture of various lands. 1. 1 Great Pyramid of Giza: The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only surviving member of the seven wonders of the ancient world list, which was built in 2584 BC. It is located at Giza Necropolis, Egypt. This pyramid is about 800 feet long, 450 feet high and is build from 2 million blocks of stone. It is said to have been built as the tomb of the 4th dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu. (Baxamusa) 1. 2 Hanging Gardens of Babylon: Hanging Gardens of Babylon is built around 600BC.It was built by King Nebuchandnezzar. He built the garden for his wife Amytis of Media to enjoy a private, terrace garden without any disturbance. It was built in Al-Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq. These gardens were said to be about 400 feet wide, 400 feet long and were over 80 feet in height. The garden is supposed to have been destroyed by a massive earthquake. 1. 3 Temple of Artemesium: The temple of Artemesium, at Ephesus, was one of great temple built by Croesus, king of Lydia, about 550 BC and was rebuilt after being burned by a madman named Herostratus in 356 BC.The Artemesium was famous not only for its great size over 350 by 180 feet but also for the magnificent works of art that adorned it. The temple was destroyed by invading Goths in 262 AD and was never rebuilt. 1. 4 Statue of Zeus at Olympia: Statue of Zeus at Olympia was built in 435 BC. The Greeks completed this building. The statue of Zeus was built in the temple to honor the Greek Olympic Game. The statue was a gigantic structure that occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple. It was about 40 feet tall and was destroyed in a fire during the 5th and 6th century AD. B axamusa) 1. 5 Mausoleum of Halicarnassus: Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was built in 351 BC. King Mausolus ruled a small kingdom in Asia Minor. His queen Artemisia was a beautiful woman who loved the king a lot. After the death of King Mausolus, she got the most beautiful mausoleum built in the memory of her loving husband. It was known as the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and people from far and wide came to visit it. By the year 1494 AD, it was destroyed by a flood. It was rebuilt but was damaged by an earthquake. 1. 6 Collosus of Rhodes: Collosus of Rhodes was built in 290 BC.Collosus of Rhodes was the colossal statue of the sun god Helios that stood in the ancient Greek city of Rhodes and was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. After about 56 years it was built, the statue was destroyed by an earthquake. It fell into the harbor and just the thumb of the statue was visible over the water surface. The king of Egypt offered to rebuild the statue, but the people of Rhodes refused. This is because they believed Helios himself threw the statue in water in a fit of rage. 1. 7 Lighthouse of Alexandria: Lighthouse of Alexandria was built in 280 BC.The Island of Pharos was a harbor in Alexandria, Egypt. This lighthouse was built in this harbor and helped ships enter the harbor safely. This lighthouse is said to have survived for 1500 long years and finally destroyed by an earthquake in the 1300's. During its era, it was the tallest man-made structure at about 380 to 440 feet high. So, these were some interesting facts about the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Just imagine, what an impact they may have created in the minds of the people of that age. Except the Pyramid of Giza, all the other wonders have long gone.We can just imagine more about these magnificent structures based on the writings by people of ancient Greece. These seven ancient wonders have something special thing in it, which creates curiosity between us to watch and study these wonders. Although, only on e ancient wonder is left today, but still they have attraction and by this force of attraction these wonders attract everyone towards itself. We can just imagine more about these magnificent structures based on the writings by people of ancient Greece. 2. New Seven Wonders of the World:The list of New Seven Wonders consists of man-made monuments from all over the world. These Seven Wonders of the World are spread across continents and were selected by people throughout the world using a voting method. The organizers thought that this will promote global harmony, along with increasing people's knowledge about these historical monuments some of which are not in their own continent. In 2001 an initiative was started by the Swiss corporation New Seven Wonders Foundation to choose the New Seven Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments.Twenty-one finalists were announced January 1, 2006. Egyptians were not happy that the only surviving original wonder, the Great Pyr amid of Giza, would have to compete with the likes of the Statue of Liberty, the Sydney Opera House, and other landmarks. In response, Giza was named an honorary Candidate. The results were announced on July 7, 2007, in Lisbon, Portugal. Figure [ 1 ]: New seven Wonders of the World, Source: New7Wonders of the World,en. wikipedia. org/wiki/New7Wonders_of_the_World. 2. 1 Chichen Itza: The name ‘Chichen Itza' means ‘At the mouth of the well of Itza'.Here, Itza refers to a political clan of people, who were at their political and economical best in the northern peninsula (Saxena. Chaitra Suraj). Chichen Itza was the political focal point for a long time in the Mayan history. This winner of the seven wonders list is located in Yucatan, Mexico. The historical site consists of many stone buildings which are connected by a network of paved roads called Sacbeob. Most of these buildings have been restored and some are still under the process. These buildings have been grouped into sets of architectonic series (based on their architecture).And these sets are believed to be once separated by walls. The three famous sets out of them are, Great North Platform, the Osaario Group and the Central Group. These sets individually consist of various buildings, which are wonders in themselves. Chichen Itza consists of numerous temples, pyramids, and some interesting monuments like Steam Bath and the Great Ball Court. Each of the building had its own importance and was used for some specific purpose. One particular area of Chechen Itza is open to archeologists only, in a way it is still under observation and research. 2. 2 Christ the Redeemer:Christ the Redeemer is the statue of Jesus Christ, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is situated at a height of 700 meters on the Carcovado Mountain, in the Tijuca forest National Park. It weighs 635 tons and stands at a height of 39. 6 meters. It is built of reinforced concrete and soapstone and is the symbol of Christianity, as well a s Rio de Janeiro. The construction of a historical monument on Corcovado was suggested first in 1850, then again in 1921. A lot many designs were considered for the religious monument, which included, the representation of the Christian cross and the tatue of Jesus with a globe in his hand. The Christ the Redeemer was finalized and the construction began in 1922 and continued till 1931. The cost of construction is estimated to be $250,000. The statue was opened to public on 12th of October, 1931 and in 2007 it became a part of the Seven Wonders of the World. In February 2008, the statue was struck by lightning, during a storm but was saved because of the outer layer made of soapstone, which acted as an insulator. This particular storm is known to have caused a lot of damage in the city of Rio, but the statue stood unhurt. . 3 Colosseum: Colosseum, also known as the Roman Coliseum is situated in the city of Rome, Italy. Coming from such a strong background, it was a really strong con tender for a position in Seven Wonders of the World list. It is an elliptical amphitheater and was originally known as Flavian Amphitheater. It is said to be one of the largest buildings of the Roman Empire. Construction of this amphitheater took around 10 years, starting from 70 AD and once ready the Colosseum was used for various public events and fights between gladiators.Gladiatorial fights were the major source of entertainment during those times and the public events consisted of mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, reenactments of famous battles, etc. The amphitheater was capable of seating a total of 50,000 spectators. It is estimated that some 500,000 people and over a million animals died in the events held at Colosseum. In the early medieval era, the building was stopped being used as a place of entertainment and then on, it is believed to have been used for various other purposes. The ancient building now stands partially ruined by earthquakes. . 4 Great Wall of C hina: The Great Wall of China was built between the 5th and 16th centuries BC. This wall was designed to protect the northern border from attacks. The Great Wall is over 4,000 miles long. The Great Wall of China also has the distinction of being one of the Wonders of the middle Ages as well. The Great Wall of China is a stone wall built from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west of China and it stretches over a distance of 8,851. 8 kms. On land, the walls were made using earth or wood, but with the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the walls were made using bricks.Other materials like lime, tiles and stones were also widely used. With the use of bricks the construction is believed to have fastened and the brick walls were much stronger. The wall is now in ruins at most of the places and only a few parts remain in good condition. Parts of it have sustained years of erosion, human attacks, modern-day construction and even graffiti at a lot of places, in order to find a place in the 7 wonders of the world. (Saxena) 2. 5 Machu Picchu: Machu Picchu is a pre Columbian Inca site in Cuzco, Peru.It is located at a height of 8000 feet above the sea level on the crest of the mountain Machu Picchu. The name Machu Picchu means ‘Old Peak' and is often referred to as ‘The Lost City of the Incas'. Its construction started in AD 1430 and the city was abandoned a hundred years later. It remained hidden from the outside world for hundreds of years, until it was discovered by Hiram Bingham, an American historian in the year 1911. Because of its location, Machu Picchu remained hidden from most of the world, including the Spanish conquerors.But now that it is in the seven wonders list, it is a famous tourist attraction and is visited by people from all across the world. Machu Picchu is believed to have been built at the peak of the Inca Empire and is the proof of their royalty and religious beliefs. Incas were basically sun worshipers. Inti in Peruvian means the S un and hence, it can be easily understood that one of its primary buildings is â€Å"The Temple of the Sun†. The other main buildings are the Intihuatana and the Room of the Three Windows. Most of the buildings in Machu Picchu are in some or the other way related and dedicated to their God, ‘The Sun'.Machu Picchu is on the list of endangered ‘World Heritage Sites'. And that is why tourism in Machu Picchu is of great concern. Scientists believe that more the People, more will be the damage. 2. 6 Petra: Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduit system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourist attraction.It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead S ea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. The downfall of Petra began under the Roman Empire. The basic reason being was the change of trade routes. Most of the Petra was destroyed by earthquakes, which damaged buildings and fractured the lifeline of Petra; the water management system. 2. 7 Taj Mahal: Taj Mahal famously known as the ‘Symbol of Love' is a mausoleum, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.It is located in Agra, India. Taj Mahal's construction began around 1632 and it took around 21 years to be completed. It was constructed according to the Mughal architecture, which is a combination of Persian, Indian and Islamic architectural styles. The mausoleum was built solely in marble, while other buildings in the complex were made of red stone. For the decoration purposes, 28 types of precious and semi precious stones were used and the raw material is believed to be ordered from as far as Afghanistan in the North and Sri Lanka in the South.It is said that nearly 20,000 workers were employed from all across the country for the construction work. These include skilled artisans, carvers, sculptors and stone cutters of excellent rapport. All in all, 37 people formed the creative unit of the project. Some of them were from foreign countries too. The approximate cost of construction is estimated to some 32 million rupees (Indian currency). It is considered as one of the master pieces of Mughal Empire and attracts tourism from all over the world. Statistics suggest that approximately 2 to 4 million people visit Taj Mahal annually.So, according to the above discussion we can say that every wonder has its own importance in the present world according to their historical background and their construction. People from all over the world visit these wonders to satiate their curiosity. Now a day’s architectures are in the constant struggle to make the new wonders which are better than the a ncient and present wonders, but still the present wonders have great importance at the present time and architectures have to work very hard to defeat these wonders.Work Cited: 1. â€Å"Temple of Artemis. † Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. , 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/36816/Temple-of-Artemis> 2. â€Å"Colossus of Rhodes. † Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc. , 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/501620/Colossus-of-Rhodes. > 3. Mish, Frederick C. , Editor in Chief. â€Å"Petra. † Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. 9th ed.Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster Inc. , 1985 4. Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval, The Message of the Sphinx, Pyramidology, 4 volume, 1957-1972, Web. 5. Nakate. Shashank. Seven Wonders of the World. Web 3/16/2010. Buzzle. com 6. Baxamusa. Batul Nafisa. 7 Wo nders of the Ancient World List. Web. 2/25/2011. Buzzle. com 7. Marian K, Original Seven Wonders of the World. Web. 10/3/2011. Buzzle. com 8. Saxena. Chaitra Suraj, New 7 Wonders: What are the Seven Wonders of the World?. Web. 9/30/2011. Buzzle. com Seven Wonders of the World Seven Wonders of the Ancient World While the ancient world left little written record, the evidence that we do have depicts it as far more advanced and culturally rich than many would expect. From the Phoenicians in Mesopotamia to the Mayans in Central America, technological advancements and complex theories drove the ancient civilizations ahead. Great thinkers from that period like Socrates left huge marks on the literary world. Great scientists like Copernicus developed theories that provided the foundations for more modern thought. Juxtaposing their technology with our own, we find their accomplishments truly amazing.Their buildings, remarkably built without cranes, bulldozers, or assembly lines, rival our greatest and create great wonder among our culture. Chief among their architectural feats, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World remind us constantly of the ancient cultures’ splendors and advancements. These landmarks, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of B abylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria or the Walls of Babylon according to the list, left evidence of the magnificence of the ancient world.Understanding the history of the whole group as well as the history of the individual places creates a gratitude and reverence for our ancient ancestors. Herodotus created the first list of wonders in the fifth century BC but gained little notoriety for the feat and inspired few subsequent lists. His written record, a list mirroring that above with the exception of substituting the Pharos of Alexandria for the Lighthouse, was destroyed with the exception of references in the burning of the Library of Alexandria (History Reference Center). In following centuries, however, Herodotus’s ideas began to catch on.Conquering vast empires in the name of Macedonia, Alexander the Great led a strategic military campaign througho ut the Balkans and much of the ancient world. Through these fourth century BC annexations, Alexander stimulated travel in the area, which in turn led to the Greeks gaining immense cultural knowledge about peoples like the Persians, Egyptians, and Babylonians. Alexander truly opened their world. With the influx of travel, the Greeks began and compile oral lists of ‘theamatas,’ a word translated to mean ‘the must-sees’. The lists, though they varied from person to person, lways contained a constant number of seven sites. Being neither a product nor factor of any number less than ten, seven is hard to separate into subdivisions and therefore provides an excellent number for indivisible things like the Seven Wonders, the Seven Deadly Sins, and the Seven Sages. After Herodotus, the next well-known list is that of Callimachus of Cyrene, a worker at the Library of Alexandria. He wrote a work entitled ‘A Collection of Wonders in Lands throughout the World,â⠂¬â„¢ but destroyed early on, the contents of the list remain unknown.De Septem Mundi Miraculous, or Of the Seven Wonders of the World, was written in 200 BC. Attributed to and supposedly written by Philo of Byzantium, many argue that it was actually written in the sixth century AD (Infoplease). Regardless, this work gives an excellent description of Seven Wonders, including the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Pyramids of Giza, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Colossus at Rhodes, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Temple of Artemis and Ephesus, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.While most lists agree on at least six of the seven wonders, some ancient and modern lists substitute the walls of Babylon for the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The most renowned ancient list, coming around 80 years later, belongs to Antipater of Sidon and does exactly this. A citizen of Alexandria, Egypt, Antipater compiled his list in a poem during the second century BC, saying   I have gazed on the walls o f impregnable Babylon, along which chariots may race, and on the Zeus by the banks of Alpheus.I have seen the Hanging Gardens and the Colossus of Helios, the great man-made mountains of the lofty pyramids, and the gigantic tomb of Maussollos. But when I saw the sacred house of Artemis that towers to the clouds, the others were placed in the shade, for the sun himself has never looked upon its equal outside of Olympus (History Reference Center)   These lists inspired others to not only explore but to tell of their explorations.After the works of Herodotus, Callimachus, Philo, and Antipater, people strove to make their own lists of wonders, almost always including the eight documented by Philo and Antipater. The oldest and only remaining of these eight wonders, the Pyramids of Giza took ancient Egypt by storm in 2560 BC. A remarkable architectural feat, they remained the tallest structures in the world until the nineteenth century. They originally stood at 481 feet tall but have shr unk to around 450 feet.Khufu’s pyramid, also known as the Great Pyramid, contains 2,300,000 blocks weighing around two and a half tons each. Every side of that pyramid is 756 feet long (Infoplease). Fourth-Dynasty Pharaoh Khufu, also known as Cheops, ordered the pyramids built as tombs for Pharaohs Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaure. Their splendor begins with their location. Cheops chose a plateau made of white limestone located southwest of Cairo. Surrounded by the Nile River, spacious green plains, astounding palm groves, and the magnificent skyline of Memphis, the area itself is a wonder.Originator of the concept of Seven Wonders, Herodotus became the first to describe the Pyramids when he visited Egypt around 450 BC. His account of the pyramids begins with an insult of Cheops, saying claiming â€Å"Cheops, who reigned over them, plunged the country into deep calamities† (History Reference Center). In Herodotus’s books, he asserts that Cheops employed over 100,000 slaves at a time, switching the men out every three months, but ancient historian Diodorus Siculus alleged that the pyramids actually required 360,000 slaves.Recent discoveries, however, have pinned the number of workers between 5,500 and 8,000 and declared that they worked willingly, not as slaves. Herodotus goes on to describe a magnificent causeway used to transport stones and marvelous underground rooms that took approximately ten years to build. With information gathered from his Egyptian guide, Herodotus chronicled the process used to build the pyramids, writing   This pyramid was constructed on the following plan.They began by building it in the shape of steps, having first made it in this form, they drew up the stones for the rest of the work by means of machines, consisting of short pieces of wood, when they had lifted them from the ground to the first tier of the steps; as soon as stone had reached so far, it was laid on another machine, placed on the first range; from t hence it was hauled up to the second [and from the second to the third,] by means of another machine, for as many as the tiers of the steps there were, there was the same amount of machines. This passage shows the technological advancements employed by the Egyptians.The architecture behind the underground rooms proved extremely innovative; Cheops used a canal from the Nile to create an insulation system (Books). Summing up his Egyptian encounter, he gives a brief account of the lesser two pyramids, built as tombs for Khafra and Menkaure, and moves on to new things. Though many people doubt its existence, the alleged regality of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon stupefies many. Herodotus, previously mentioned as the first big traveler of the era, gave a full description of the city of Babylon, making no mention of the Hanging Gardens.This causes speculation among many historians today (History Reference Center). For those who do believe, however, the Hanging Gardens stood in Mesopotamia , near the present location of Baghdad, Iraq. Berossus, a Babylonian priest, wrote the first account of the Gardens in 3rd century BC, but since then, the works have been lost. Strabo and Philo gave the next ancient descriptions. Philo wrote, The Hanging Garden has plants cultivated above ground level, and the roots of the trees are embedded in an upper terrace rather than in the earth. The whole mass is supported on stone columns.Streams of water emerging from elevated sources flow down sloping channels. These waters irrigate the whole garden saturating the roots of plants and keeping the whole area moist. Hence the grass is permanently green and the leaves of trees grow firmly attached to supple branches. This is a work of art of royal luxury and its most striking feature is that the labor of cultivation is suspended above the heads of the spectators. (Books)   While most of Mesopotamia lived up to its appellation the Fertile Crescent, Babylon differed, having a desert-like clim ate.According to ancient writers like Berossus, Philo of Byzantium, and Diodorus Siculus, King Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the Gardens built for his wife around sixth century BC (Infoplease). Amyitis, a native of the luscious green Persia, greatly missed the beautiful landscape of her home, and as any affectionate husband would do, Nebuchadnezzar built the Gardens to appease her. The King filled the Gardens with pears, plums, grapes, and many other colorful plants. Providing great shade among the sandy landscape, the Gardens served as a retreat for the royal family.For the scholars that believe that the Hanging Gardens actually existed, another argument arises over whether or not the Gardens actually â€Å"hang. † In their Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Michael and Mary B. Woods argue that the description of the Gardens as â€Å"hanging† comes from a translation issue. They assert that the original Greek word can be translated into â€Å"hanging† or â€Å"ov erhanging† and claim that the original authors meant â€Å"overhanging†. Because its very existence remains disputed, no evidence of the date or method of destruction endures.Built in 560 BC, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus paid homage to the Greek goddess Artemis, goddess of the hunt, childbirth, and virginity (History Reference Center). King Croesus of Lydia ordered the Temple built on a marshland in present-day Turkey, and one hundred and twenty years later it opened for worship. Towering above other structures in the land, the Temple, made of marble, stood 300 long by 150 wide and massive columns (Infoplease). Croesus chose the location in hopes of protecting it from volatile earthquakes.That natural disaster, however, would not cause the destruction of the Temple; instead, it would fall victim to arson committed by a power-hungry Herostratus in 356 BC, on the birthday of Alexander the Great. Greek legend holds that Artemis, busy assisting with Alexander’s c hildbirth, found herself too preoccupied to protect her Temple. Alexander, sympathetic to this story, offered to pay for the restoration of the Temple, but the Ephesian leaders rejected the request claiming it was â€Å"inappropriate for a god to dedicate offerings to the gods† (Books).Despite Alexander’s dismissal, the Ephesians, led by sculptor Scopas of Paros, rebuilt the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, beginning almost immediately after the original’s destruction. The new Temple, the first made purely of marble, laid the foundation for extravagant building. Bigger than the original, it had 27 columns stretching 60 feet into the sky, spanning 425 feet long and 225 feet wide. Athens’s pride and joy, the Parthenon is believed to have only been a quarter of the size of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.Pliny the Elder provided a base ancient description of the Temple, along with many other Grecian works, in his Natural History, written in the 1st century AD. Of the Temple, he wrote, â€Å"The most wonderful monument of Grecian magnificence, and one that merits our genuine admiration, is the Temple of Diana at Ephesus† (Books). Some, like Pliny, referred to the Temple as the Temple of Diana, Artemis’s Roman form. As Christianity spread through the ancient world, the Temple slowly became obsolete and eventually met its demise through raids from the Goths in 268 AD.Dedicated Ephesians made a final attempt to rebuild the Temple after its destruction, but Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great’s decision to outlaw Christianity, eradicating the Temple’s purpose. Site of the earliest Olympics, Olympia wished to honor its supreme god, also patron of their games, for their prosperity and success. To do this, they commissioned Phidias, chief sculptor behind the Parthenon, to build a statue paying homage to this god, Zeus. Using an innovative method designed by Phidias himself, he built a wooden skeleton in the intended sh ape of the statue and ordered workers to adorn it.Sheets of iron and gold were cut and fashioned to cover the wooden structure. Looming over the Temple of Zeus, the statue rose 40 feet into the air and was a massive 22 feet wide. Zeus’s Statue features him sitting on a magnificent throne, with his head brushing the ceiling. The ancient historian Strabo criticized the proportions of the statue, claiming that Phidias â€Å"depicted Zeus seated, but with the head almost touching the ceiling, so that we have the impression that if Zeus moved to stand up he would unroof the temple. (History Reference Center). Citation Page 1. Scarre, Chris. â€Å"The Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World. † (2004): 125-127. History Reference Center. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. 2. Infoplease. Infoplease, n. d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. . 3. â€Å"Books. † Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. .