Philippine President Benigno Simeon Essay

Philippine President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino delivered his sixth State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 29, 2015 at the Batasang Pambansa in front of joint session of the Upper and Lower House of the country’s Legislative Branch of Government. Some students will surely give their reaction paper with the Pres. SONA as part of their assignment. The State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno S. Aquino started at around 4:00 PM (PST) and concluded after two hours and 15 minutes. The SONA 2015 is one of the highly anticipated date of the administration, as the head of state reports his accomplishments and plans for the country. During the entire SONA, the President received a total of .. rounds of applause. President Aquino started his Sixth SONA by issuing an apology that the traditional processional walks was not made because Main Topics for Discussion: Blaming the Previous Administration: President Aquino once again blamed the previous administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo mentioning the problems he inherited during his earlier days as President such as the NBN ZTE Deal, Hello Garci controversy, questionable bank accounts of Jose Pidal, Maguindanao Massacre, MWSS Bonuses and the NFA anomalies. Highlighting the Achievement of His Cabinet Members: The President applauded the members of his Cabinet for an excellent jobs as members of his Daang Matuwid program. He showcased the achievements of his administration in transportation and communications, tax/revenue, labor and wages, international relations, education, budget and finance, peace, social welfare, justice, calamity and disaster preparedness, national security, economy, infrastructure, governance and reform. Pres. Aquino lauded Commissioner Kim Henares for her tax reforms mentioning the 380 cases filed against tax evaders. The collections of the BIR also went up to P1.3 trillion and this year 2015, the BIR collection went up to P1.5 trillion. Manufacturing & Unemployment: Pres. Aquino stated that there’s a 3% average growth in the manufacturing  sector from 2001-2009 but under his administration from 2010 to 2014, the manufacturing sector grew by 8%. The unemployment rate of the Philippines also dropped to 6.8% last year and considered as the lowest ever recorded in a decade. 4Ps and the Education Sector: Pres. Aquino highlighted the ‘Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program’ or 4Ps which now have 4.4 million beneficiaries from 786,523 in 2010. In 2008, there were 2.9 million out of school youth in the country. In 2013, only 1.2 million out of school youth remained. On education sector, PNoy said that Alternative Learning System helped to ensure that even indigenous peoples and street children are not left behind. The requirements for the K to 12 programs – backlogs of 66,800 classrooms, 145,827 teachers, 73.9 million textbooks already provided. For TESDA program of the government, studies show that 71.9% [of TESDA graduates] found employment right away, compared to the 28.5% recorded before. Health and Social Welfare: Around 89.4 million Filipinos are already member of the Philhealth program of the national government and beginning in 2014, the poorest 40 percent of the population were treated in public hospitals for free. In social welfare, PNoy said that in the Sitio Electrification program, 25,257 sitios out of 32,441 were served. Aviation & Transportation Sector: In aviation, ICAO lifted the safety concerns it imposed to the Philippines in 2013. The EU Air Safety Committee lifted the travel ban in all local carriers. For the unresolved problem on Metro Rail Transit (MRT), Aquino said plans of purchasing of new MRT train coaches. Armed Forces of the Philippines: In the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization, the government has plan to buy 2 more C-130. There will be additional 6 landing craft utilities and 3 C-295 medium lift transport. President Aquino mentioned the PNP’s project such as their Capability Enhancement Program of which 2,523 patrol jeeps and 577 utility vehicles were purchased. Important Bills and Legislations: Pres. PNoy wish to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law and his interest on the controversial Anti-Dynasty Law which received the loudest applause from SONA expectators. When he mentioned his interest on Anti-Dynasty Law, it received the loudest applause from SONA expectators. â€Å"Panahon na para ipasa ang isang Anti-Dynasty Law.† PNoy also thanked Congress and Senate for other bills and acts such as Philippine Competition Law, Sin Tax Reform Act and Responsible Parenthood Act. The president also thanked officials of the government for their contributions, sacrifice and wellspring of inspiration to the nation. He lauded Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas for his contributions to Daang Matuwid. Pres. Aquino ended his speech with the following statement â€Å"Simula pa lang ito. [Palakpakan] Nasa unang yugto pa lang tayo ng dakilang kuwento ng sambayanang Pilipino. Sa gabay ng Panginoong Maykapal, at sa patuloy nating pagtahak sa Daang Matuwid, lalo pang tatayog ang mga pangarap na maaabot natin. Lalo pang lalawak ang kaunlarang tinatamasa natin. Nasasainyo pong mga kamay ang direksiyon natin. Magandang gabi po sa inyong lahat, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat po.† Reactions to President Aquino’s SONA: President Aquino missed so many important topics during his last and final SONA, the entire SONA centered on his administration’s accomplishment and giving credits to his partners on his â€Å"Daang Matuwid.† Some of the important issues that the President failed to mention during his sixth SONA are the following, the controversial PDAF issue, the Mamasapano Massacre, the expansion of Chinese territories in the West Philippine Sea and the Freedom of Information Bill to name a few.

CSS Virginia (USS Merrimack) in the Civil War

CSS Virginia (USS Merrimack) in the Civil War CSS Virginia was the first ironclad warship constructed by the Confederate States Navy during  Civil War (1861-1865). Following the outbreak of the conflict in April 1861, the US Navy found that one of its largest facilities, the Norfolk (Gosport) Navy Yard, was now behind enemy lines. While attempts were made to remove as many ships and as much material as possible, circumstances prevented the yards commander, Commodore Charles Stuart McCauley, from saving everything. As Union forces began to evacuate, the decision was made to burn the yard and destroy the remaining ships. USS Merrimack Among the ships burned or scuttled were the ships-of-the-line USS Pennsylvania (120 guns), USS Delaware (74), and USS Columbus (90), the frigates USS United States (44 ), USS Raritan (50), and USS Columbia (50), as well as several sloops-of-war and smaller vessels. One of the most modern vessels that was lost was the relatively new steam frigate USS Merrimack (40 guns). Commissioned in 1856, Merrimack had served as flagship of the Pacific Squadron for three years before arriving at Norfolk in 1860. Attempts were made to remove Merrimack before the Confederates captured the yard. While Chief Engineer Benjamin F. Isherwood succeeded in getting the frigates boilers lit, efforts had to be abandoned when it was found that the Confederates had blocked the channel between Craney Island and Sewells Point. With no other option remaining, the ship was burned on April 20. Taking possession of the yard, Confederate officials later examined the wreck of Merrimack and found that it had only burned to the waterline and most of its machinery remained intact. Origins With the Union blockade of the Confederacy tightening, Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory began searching for ways in which his small force could challenge the enemy. One avenue that he elected to investigate was the development of ironclad, armored warships. The first of these, the French La Gloire (44) and British HMS Warrior (40 guns), had appeared in the last year and built upon lessons learned with armored floating batteries during the Crimean War (1853-1856). Consulting John M. Brooke, John L. Porter, and William P. Williamson, Mallory began pushing the ironclad program forward but found that the South lacked the industrial capacity to build the needed steam engines in a timely manner. Upon learning this, Williamson suggested using the engines and remains of the former Merrimack. Porter soon submitted revised plans to Mallory that based the new ship around Merrimacks power plant. CSS Virginia - Specifications: Nation: Confederate States of AmericaType: IroncladShipyard: Norfolk (Gosport) Navy YardOrdered: July 11, 1861Completed: March 7, 1862Commissioned: February 17, 1862Fate: Burned, May 11, 1862Displacement: 4,100 tonsLength: 275 ft.Beam: 51 ft.Draft: 21 ft.Speed: 5-6 knotsComplement: 320 menArmament: 2 Ãâ€" 7-in. Brooke rifles, 2 Ãâ€" 6.4-in. Brooke rifles, 6 Ãâ€" 9-in. Dahlgren smoothbores, 2 Ãâ€" 12-pdr howitzers Design Construction Approved on July 11, 1861, work soon began at Norfolk on CSS Virginia under the guidance of Brooke and Porter. Moving from preliminary sketches to advanced plans, both men envisioned the new ship as a casemate ironclad. Workers soon cut down the burned timbers of Merrimack to below the waterline and commenced construction of a new deck and the armored casemate. For protection, Virginias casemate was built of layers of oak and pine to a two-foot thickness before being covered by four inches of iron plate. Brooke and Porter designed the ships casemate to have angled sides to aid in deflecting enemy shot. The ship possessed a mixed armament consisting of two 7-in. Brooke rifles, two 6.4-in. Brooke rifles, six 9-in. Dahlgren smoothbores, as well as two 12-pdr howitzers. While the bulk of the guns were mounted in the ships broadside, the two 7-in. Brooke rifles were mounted on pivots at the bow and stern and could traverse to fire from multiple gun ports. In creating the ship, the designers concluded that its guns would be unable to penetrate the armor of another ironclad. As a result, they had Virginia fitted with a large ram on the bow. Battle of Hampton Roads Work on CSS Virginia progressed in early 1862, and its executive officer, Lieutenant Catesby ap Roger Jones, oversaw fitting out the ship. Though construction was ongoing, Virginia was commissioned on February 17 with Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan in command. Eager to test the new ironclad, Buchanan sailed on March 8 to attack Union warships in Hampton Roads despite the fact that workmen were still on board. The tenders CSS Raleigh (1) and Beaufort (1) accompanied Buchanan. Though a formidable vessel, Virginias size and balky engines made it difficult to maneuver and complete circle required a mile of space and forty-five minutes. Steaming down the Elizabeth River, Virginia found five warships of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron anchored in Hampton Roads near the protective guns of Fortress Monroe. Joined by three gunboats from the James River Squadron, Buchanan singled out the sloop of war USS Cumberland (24) and charged forward. Though initially unsure what to make of the strange new ship, Union sailors aboard the frigate USS Congress (44) opened fire as Virginia passed. Rapid Success Returning fire, Buchanans guns inflicted significant damage on Congress. Engaging Cumberland, Virginia pounded the wooden ship as the Union shells bounced off its armor. After crossing Cumberlands bow and raking it with fire, Buchanan rammed it in an effort to save gunpowder. Piercing the Union ships side, part of Virginias ram detached as it was withdrawn. With Cumberland sinking, Virginia turned its attention to Congress which had grounded in an attempt to close with the Confederate ironclad. Engaging the frigate from a distance, Buchanan compelled it to strike its colors after an hour of fighting. Ordering his tenders forward to receive the ships surrender, Buchanan was angered when Union troops ashore, not understanding the situation, opened fire. Returning fire from Virginias deck with a carbine, he was wounded in the thigh by a Union bullet. In retaliation, Buchanan ordered Congress be shelled with incendiary hot shot. Catching on fire, Congress burned throughout the rest of the day exploded that night. Pressing his attack, Buchanan attempted to move against the steam frigate USS Minnesota (50), but was unable to inflict any damage as the Union ship fled into shallow water and ran aground. Meeting USS Monitor Withdrawing due to darkness, Virginia had won a stunning victory, but had taken damage amounting to two guns disabled, its ram lost, several armored plates damaged, and its smoke stack riddled. As temporary repairs were made during the night, command devolved to Jones. In Hampton Roads, the situation of the Union fleet improved dramatically that night with the arrival of the new turret ironclad USS Monitor from New York. Taking a defensive position to protect Minnesota and the frigate USS St. Lawrence (44), the ironclad awaited Virginias return. Steaming back to Hampton Roads in the morning, Jones anticipated an easy victory and initially ignored the strange-looking Monitor. Moving to engage, the two ships soon opened the first battle between ironclad warships. Pounding each other for over four hours, neither was able to inflict significant damage on the other. Though the Union ships heavier guns were able to crack Virginias armor, the Confederates scored a hit on their adversarys pilot house temporarily blinding Monitors captain, Lieutenant John L. Worden. Taking command, Lieutenant Samuel D. Greene drew the ship away, leading Jones to believe that he had won. Unable to reach Minnesota, and with his ship damaged, Jones began moving towards Norfolk. At this time, Monitor returned to the fight. Seeing Virginia retreating and with orders to protect Minnesota, Greene elected not to pursue. Later Career Following the Battle of Hampton Roads, Virginia made several attempts to lure Monitor into battle. These failed as the Union ship was under strict orders not to engage as its presence alone ensured that the blockade remained in place. Serving with the James River Squadron, Virginia faced a crisis with Norfolk fell to Union troops on May 10. Due to its deep draft, the ship could not move up the James River to safety. When efforts to lighten the ship failed to significantly reduce its draft, the decision was made to destroy it to prevent capture. Stripped of its guns, Virginia was set on fire off Craney Island early on May 11. The ship exploded when the flames reached its magazines.

Shrek and Donkey Essay Example

Shrek and Donkey Essay Example Shrek and Donkey Paper Shrek and Donkey Paper Shrek was the biggest box office hit of 2001 motion picture developed by PDI DreamWorks studios. It is based on a childrens book by William Steig called Shrek. The film was so groundbreaking; it set a new trend to all CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) films that were out there. Shrek is a unique fairy tale story in disguise, which adds some emotional issues and laughter. The characters not only looked more sophisticated and three-dimensional but their personalities were also more human and less cartoon type; each character would have feelings, like humans. The film uses a constructed text in order to put across a theme of two very different characters learning to work together beyond their rivalries to rise above a common enemy and work towards a common goal. In this case Shrek and Donkey. These two characters are so different they are a perfect example. Shrek is a big, green, smelly, ugly ogre who is selfish wants to keep himself to himself. No one seems to understand Shrek. A good example is when Donkey is speaking to him he describes himself: For your information, theres a lot more to ogres than people think Ogres are like onions layers! Onions have layers Ogres have layers! We both have layers. Donkey gets confused and says he smells, which onions do, Donkey in the other hand is a talking donkey, who is small, smart, loudmouth and energetic. The film uses the characters and imagery very cleverly to represent this theme. The music used in the film is also different to other CGI films. Rather than the characters bursting into song themselves as in Monsters Inc. and Ice Age, or song played by an outside artist, the film has both elements implanted in the film. The soundtrack, like the film, will make you laugh, cry, and laugh again. Songs in the film includes: Stay Home, My Beloved Monster Eels and Hallelujah Rufus Wainwright. These reflect the mood and emotions of the characters in a particular scene. Such as in one seen where Shrek is mimicking a wrestling match with Lord Farquads men, rock music is played in the background. At the end of the film there is a spoof of the characters doing a karaoke sing-along to recognised songs such as Just the Way You Are, Baby Got Back, YMCA, Staying Alive, Dance to the Music, Feelings, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me, and Who Let the Dogs Out. The movie has a storybook start, which provides the narrative of the fairytale princess, locked up alone in her tower. Then Shrek rips the page out of the book and uses it to wipe his backside. This is where the fairytale gets twisted! Modern rock and pop music bring the story into contemporary time, as does the humor used, which includes toilet-humor, irony and parody. Particularly funny is poking fun at theme parks like Disneyland and the use of applause prompt cards to make the audience laugh. Shrek is famed for its detail in a CGI film. The attention is to the smallest detail for example the facial expression of Shrek and Donkey after they view Lord Farquads information board. After they view it a photo comes out and show the facial expression, then the camera switches to Shrek and Donkey showing the exact expressions. The detail is so accurate; it even shows the wrinkles on the forehead, eyebrow shape mouth sticking out and the shadow. This gives the film even more realism and depth. The use of unusual and imaginative camera angles, made possible by the use of CGI, also adds to the texture and pace of the film. The film is set in a world of hatred against fairytale characters. Lord Farquad is the ruler of that world. Lord Farquad was a man who sounded very big but only to be small. He only wanted wealth and power. He is the villain of this film. A very makes a very good example when during a tournament he makes a speech of a great evil tyrant ruler: Some of you may die, but its a sacrifice I am willing to make. In traditional fairy tales, ogres are man-eating beasts. The Prince usually rescues the Princess; they marry and live happily ever after. The makers of Shrek use presentational devices to reverse this traditional, to reveal the ogre as good, and the Prince as evil. One day Lord Farquad dumps all the characters on Shreks swamp. This makes Shrek very unhappy, so he sets out to Lord Farquads kingdom. While Shrek was on his way he meets a donkey named Donkey. Meanwhile Lord Farquad desires to become king. To do this he needs to marry a princess. So he recruits his knights and organizes a tournament to see who would set out to find Princess Fiona for him. At the same time, Shrek enters the kingdom and wants to reclaim the rights to his swamp home. Lord Farquad makes him a deal. Find Princess Fiona in exchange for the deed to his swamp. So Shrek and his loudmouthed sidekick Donkey embark on a quest to find Princess Fiona. Princess Fiona is a dreamer and a feisty young woman who often dreams about her shining knight and armor and true love that will someday rescue her from the tallest tower of a castle guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. But as this fairy tale would have it, Shrek makes a crashing entrance and literally grabs her to safety.

Biography of Michiel de Ruyter, Great Dutch Admiral

Biography of Michiel de Ruyter, Great Dutch Admiral Michiel de Ruyter (March 24, 1607–April 29, 1676) was one of the Netherlands most skilled and successful admirals, who is famous for his role in the  Anglo-Dutch Wars  of the 17th century. He is particularly noted for his raid on the Medway, where the Dutch fleet sailed up the Thames, a river that flows right through the heart of London, England, burning more than 10 British ships and capturing two others. Fast Facts: Michiel de Ruyter Known For: Successful Dutch admiral of the 17th century; led a raid up the Thames and into the heart of LondonAlso Known As: Michiel Adriaenszoon, Bestevaà ªrBorn: March 24, 1607 in Vlissingen, NetherlandsParents: Adriaen Michielszoon, Aagje JansdochterDied: April 29, 1676 in the Bay of  Syracuse, near  SicilyFilms: Admiral (Michiel de Ruyter), 2015Awards and Honors: De Ruyter has a statue in his birthplace  Vlissingen looking out at the sea. Many towns in the Netherlands have named streets after him. Six ships of the  Royal Netherlands Navy  have been named  HNLMS  De Ruyter  and seven are named after his flagship  HNLMS  De Zeven Provincià «n.Spouse(s): Maayke Velders (m. March 16, 1631–December 31, 1631), Neeltje Engels (m. summer 1636–1650), Anna van Gelder (January 9, 1652–April 29, 1676)Children: Adriaen, Neeltje, Aelken, Engel, Margaretha, AnnaNotable Quote: You might see the heads of some, the arms, legs or thighs of others shot off, and others....cut off by the middle with a chain-shot breathing out their last anguish and pain; some burning in ships fired, and others exposed to the mercy of the liquid Element, some of them sinking, whilst others who have learnt the art of swimming, lift up their heads above water and implore pity from their very enemies, entreating them to save their lives. Early Life Ruyter was the son of Vlissingen beer porter Adriaen Michielszoon and his wife Aagje Jansdochter. Growing up in a port town, de Ruyter appears to have first gone to sea at age 11. Four years later, he entered the Dutch army and fought against the Spaniards during the relief of Bergen-op-Zoom. Returning to business, he worked in the Dublin office of the Vlissingen-based Lampsins Brothers from 1623 to 1631. He married Maayke Velders when he returned home, but the union proved brief as she died in childbirth in late 1631. In the wake of his wifes death, de Ruyter became first mate of a whaling fleet that operated around Jan Mayen Island. After three seasons on the whale fishery, he married Neeltje Engels, the daughter of a wealthy burgher. Their union produced three children who survived to adulthood. Recognized as a gifted sailor, de Ruyter was given command of a  ship in 1637 and was charged with hunting raiders operating from Dunkirk. Successfully fulfilling this duty, he was commissioned by the Zeeland Admiralty and given command of the warship Haze, with orders to aid in supporting the Portuguese in their rebellion against Spain. Early Naval Career Sailing as third-in-command of the Dutch fleet, de Ruyter aided in defeating the Spanish off Cape St. Vincent on November 4, 1641. With the fighting concluded, de Ruyter purchased his own ship, Salamander, and engaged in trade with Morocco and the West Indies. Becoming a wealthy merchant, de Ruyter was stunned when his wife suddenly died in 1650. Two years later, he married Anna van Gelder and retired from the merchant service. With the outbreak of the First Anglo-Dutch War, de Ruyter was asked to take command of a Zealandic squadron of directors ships (privately financed warships). Accepting, he successfully defended an outbound Dutch convoy at the Battle of Plymouth on August 26, 1652. Serving under Lieutenant-Admiral Maarten Tromp, de Ruyter acted as a squadron commander during the defeats at Kentish Knock (October 8, 1652) and the Gabbard (June 12–13, 1653). Following Tromps death at the Battle of Scheveningen in August 1653, Johan de Witt offered de Ruyter command of the Dutch fleet. Fearful that accepting would anger officers senior to him, de Ruyter declined. Instead, he elected to become the vice-admiral of the Amsterdam Admiralty shortly before the end of the war in May 1654. Later Naval Career Flying his flag from Tijdverdrijf, de Ruyter spent 1655–1656 cruising the Mediterranean and protecting Dutch commerce from the Barbary pirates. Shortly after arriving back in Amsterdam, he re-embarked with orders to support the Danes against Swedish aggression. Operating under Lieutenant-Admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam, de Ruyter aided in relieving Gdaà ±sk in July 1656. Over the next seven years, he saw action off the coast of Portugal and spent time on convoy duty in the Mediterranean. In 1664 while off the coast of West Africa, he battled with the English who had occupied Dutch slaving stations. Crossing the Atlantic, de Ruyter was informed that the Second Anglo-Dutch War had begun. Sailing to Barbados, he attacked the English forts and destroyed shipping in the harbor. Turning north, he raided Newfoundland before re-crossing the Atlantic and arriving back in the Netherlands. After van Wassenaer, the leader of the combined Dutch fleet, was killed at the recent Battle of Lowestoft, de Ruyters named was again put forward by Johan de Witt. Accepting on August 11, 1665, de Ruyter led the Dutch to victory at the Four Days Battle the following June. Raid on the Medway While initially successful, de Ruyters luck failed him in August 1666 when he was beaten and narrowly avoided disaster at the St. James Day Battle. The outcome of the battle furthered de Ruyters growing rift with one of his subordinates, Lieutenant-Admiral Cornelis Tromp, who coveted his post as commander of the fleet. Falling gravely ill in early 1667, de Ruyter recovered in time to oversee the Dutch fleets daring raid on the Medway. Conceived by de Witt, the Dutch succeeded in sailing up the Thames and burning three capital ships and 10 others. Before retreating, they captured the English flagship Royal Charles and a second ship, Unity, and towed them back to the Netherlands. The embarrassment of the incident ultimately forced the English to sue for peace. With the wars conclusion, de Ruyters health continued to be an issue and in 1667, de Witt forbade him from putting to sea. This ban continued until 1671. The next year, de Ruyter took the fleet to sea to defend the Netherlands from invasion during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. Encountering the English off Solebay, de Ruyter defeated them in June 1672. Later Years and Death The following year, he won a string crucial victories at Schoonveld (June 7 and June 14) and Texel, which eliminated the threat of English invasion. Promoted to lieutenant-admiral-general, de Ruyter sailed for the Caribbean in mid-1674 after the English had been driven from the war. Attacking French possessions, he was forced to return home when disease broke out aboard his ships. Two years later, de Ruyter was given command of a combined Dutch-Spanish fleet and was sent to aid in putting down the Messina Revolt. Engaging a French fleet under Abraham Duquesne at Stromboli, de Ruyter was able to achieve another victory. Four months later, de Ruyter clashed with Duquesne at the Battle of Agosta. During the fighting, he was mortally wounded in the left leg by a cannonball. Clinging to life for a week, he died on April 29, 1676. On March 18, 1677, de Ruyter was given a full state funeral and buried in Amsterdams Nieuwe Kerk. Sources Pike, John. â€Å"Military.†Ã‚  Anglo-Dutch Wars.â€Å"Michiel Adriaanszoon De Ruyter.†Ã‚  Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2018.â€Å"The Collection.†Ã‚  Lieutenant-Admiral Michiel De Ruyter (1607–1676) - National Maritime Museum.

Spartans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Spartans - Essay Example In his career he has published over 65 articles, with 12 forthcoming articles and chapters such as 'Sparta' in The Classical Tradition (Harvard University Press). In 2004, Professor Cartledge was appointed an Honorary Citizen of Sparta. The Spartans is a convincing narrative that explores the culture and civilization of the most famous "warrior people": the Spartans of ancient Greece, by the world's leading specialist in the field. Sparta has often been described as the original Utopia--a remarkably evolved society whose warrior heroes were forbidden any other trade, profession, or business. As a people, the Spartans were the living exemplars of such core values as duty, discipline, the nobility of arms in a cause worth dying for, sacrificing the individual for the greater good of the community (illustrated by their role in the battle of Thermopylae), and the triumph of will over seemingly insuperable obstacles--qualities that today are frequently believed to signify the ultimate heroism. Paul Cartledge is the distinguished scholar and historian who have long been seen as the leading international authority on ancient Sparta. He traces the evolution of Spartan society--the culture and the people, as well as the tre mendous influence they had on their world and even ours. He details throughout the narrative the lives of such illustrious and myth-making figures as Lycurgus, King Leonidas, Helen of Troy (and Sparta), and Lysander, and explains how the Spartans, although they placed a high value on masculine ideals, nevertheless allowed women an unusually dominant and powerful role--unlike Athenian culture with which the Spartans are so often compared. In resurrecting the ancient culture and society of the Spartans, Cartledge delves deep into ancient texts and archeological sources and complements his text with illustrations that depict original Spartan artifacts and drawings, as well as examples of representational paintings from the Renaissance onwards. The Spartans built a warrior culture in ancient Greece unsurpassed for its courage and military prowess. Eminent historian Cartledge (Spartan Reflections) provides a remarkable chronicle of Sparta's rise and fall, from its likely origins around 1100 B.C. to the height of its fame and glory in the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. and its fall in the fourth century B.C. The Spartans built their society through conquest and subjugation, ruling over their subject peoples with an iron hand and putting down revolts with devastating might. Between 490 and 479, Sparta joined Athens in fighting the Persians in three key wars-Thermopylae, Plataea and Mycale-that contributed to the demise of Persian power and the rise of Hellenistic power on the Mediterranean. Cartledge punctuates his absorbing tale with brief, engaging biographies of the city-state's kings from Lycurgus, the earliest Spartan leader, who brought constitutional law to the city, to Leonidas, who led the Spartans at Thermopylae. According to

The necessity of human resource management Essay

The necessity of human resource management - Essay Example It helps in determination of objectives. No organization can succeed in its mission unless its objectives an identified and well denied. Management helps in achieving these objectives by the efficient use of resources. "Management is the art of getting things done through other people. Management is the dynamic, life-giving element in every business. Without it the resources of production remain resources and never become production." (Sharma, 2004) The people working in an organization are a valuable resource whose talents have to be developed and utilized in the best manner possible for the achievements of organizational objectives (Sherlekar, 1999). Meaningful personnel policy is based on the implied understanding that human resource constitutes the essential capital and assets of any business. Without this no business can prosper nor can it survive. The growth and success of the enterprise and the rate of human investment have positive and high correlation. If human investment is adequate and time, money and energy spent in planning, obtaining and developing the human resource are considered as integral part of overall corporate plan and policy, there is no reason why economic investment should not be fruitful (David et al, 2004) Firstly, management is a social process. ... Management is concerned with making such an interaction productive and useful for achieving organizational goals. It is the pervasiveness of the human element that gives management its special character as a social process. Secondly, management is an integrating process. Management is regarded as a process integrating human and other resources to achieve predetermined goals. Managers apply their knowledge and skills to achieve the desired result. For this purpose, it is necessary to create unity of effort or teamwork in the organization. In order to develop team spirit, managers has to synchronies different activities, relate means to ends, and strike an appropriate balance between organizational and individual goals. Thus management is regarded as an integrating process. Thirdly, management is a continuous process Management is an ongoing continuous process. It involves continuous handling of problems and issues. Management constantly identifies the problems and tries to solve them (Sherlekar, 1999). 4.0 Staffing Staffing may be defined as the process involved in identifying, assessing, planning, evaluating and developing individuals at work. The managerial function of staffing involves manning the organizational structure through the proper and effective selection, appraisal and development of personnel to fill the roles designed into the structure. 4.1 Phases in Staffing Process 4.1.1 Manpower Planning Manpower planning may be regarded, as a process of determining quantitative and qualitative needs in relation to manpower in an organization. It may be expressed as a process by which the management ensures the right number of people and right kind of people, at the right place, at the right time

Alternative Health Paradigms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alternative Health Paradigms - Essay Example gathering scientific knowledge but also with establishing institutions for the production of scientific knowledge free inherently from ideological biases. The technological dimension of science has been apparent in how science has bred and has interlinked with technology for economic uses and benefits. These dimensions were also temporally successive in that Western science was borne out of philosophical study which emphasized the requirement of empirical investigation and rationalization. Science in its nascent stages was more on shaping its characteristically Western attitude of objectification and reductionism; that is, scientific truths were either derived from viewing Nature as an object for man’s benefit or from the deconstructive analysis of knowledge. Subsequent philosophies of Western science shifted its focus from experimental results to experimental processes. Although Jamison did not point it out explicitly, one can infer that the institutionalization of science was borne out of the early scientific community’s shift from its study of the results of experimentation to the study of the process of experimentation. This segued into the production of knowledge by means of formulating hypothesis and carrying out the experimentation to verify and produce new kn owledge. With science out in the open, its progress escalated and the production of knowledge led to new knowledge that can be of economic advantage; Western science has thus come to where it is now – a commodity. Criticism has dogged Western science from the time of its inception and up to the present. Jamison (1994) narrowed down his analysis of the various criticisms to relevant issues pertaining to how the relativism between Western science and traditional knowledge apply to contemporary concerns. Jamison (1994) grouped the criticisms into three thematic categories: romantic critique, environmental critique, and feminist critique. The romantic critics claimed that Western science