Biography Of Robert E. Lee Essays - American Civil War, Free Essays

Biography Of Robert E. Lee Essays - American Civil War, Free Essays Biography of Robert E. Lee Robert E. Lee was born in Stratford Hall, near Montross, Virginia, on January 19, 1807. He grew up with a great love of all country life and his state. This stayed with him for the rest of his life. He was a very serious boy and spent many hours in his father's library. He loved to play with some his friends, swim, and he loved to hunt. Lee looked up to his father and always wanted to know what he was doing. George Washington and his father, "Light-Horse Harry Lee," were his heroes. He wanted to be just like his father when he grew up. In the 1820's, the entrance requirements for West Point were not close to as strict as they are now. It still was not that easy to become a cadet. Robert Lee entered the United States Military Academy at West Point where his classmates admired him for his brilliance, leadership, and his love for his work. He graduated from the academy with high honors in 1829, and he was ranked as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers at the age of 21. Lee served for seventeen months at Fort Pulaski on Cockspur Island, Georgia. In 1831, the army transferred him to Fort Monroe, Virginia, as assiezt engineer. While he was stationed there, he married Mary Anna Randolph Custis who was Martha Washington's great-granddaughter. They lived in her family home in Arlington on a hill overlooking Washington D.C. They had seven children which were three sons and four daughters. Lee served as an assiezt in the chief engineer's office in Washington from 1834 to 1837, but then he spent the summer of 1835 helping to lay out the boundary line between Ohio and Michigan. In 1837, he got his first independent important job. As a first lieutenant of engineers, he supervised the engineering work for St. Louis harbor and for the upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers. His work there earned him a promotion to captain. In 1841, he was transferred to Fort Hamilton in New York harbor, where he took charge of building fortifications. When war broke out between the United States and Mexico in 1846, the army sent Lee to Texas to serve as assiezt engineer under General John E. Wool. All his superior officers, especially General Winfield Scott, were impressed with Lee. Early in the war, Lee supervised the construction of bridges for Wool's march toward the Mexican border. He then did excellent work on scouting trips. Lee later was helping General Winfield Scott plan a great battle. The Army was about to attack Vera Cruz, a large Mexican town on the sea. The attack began. Soldiers fired huge guns at the walls of Vera Cruz. One of the men at the guns happened to be Robert's brother, Smith Lee. When he could, Lee went to ezd by his brother's gun. "I could see his white teeth through all the smoke of the fire"1 Lee said, in a letter to Mary. The Mexicans soon gave up Vera Cruz. General Scott thanked Lee for his work. Now the Army could move on to the Mexican capital. The march to Mexico City would be hard. General Scott asked Lee to find the best way to go. And he asked him to see what Santa Anna, the Mexican general, was doing. To get news for Scott, Lee went behind the lines of enemy soldiers. This was dangerous work. Once when Lee was behind enemy lines he heard voices. Mexican soldiers were coming to drink at a spring. Lee jumped under a log. More Mexicans came. They sat on the log and talked. Lee had to hide there until dark. Lee found out many things for Scott. Once he even found a secret road for the army. He was extremely brave. At Cerro Gordo he led the first line of men into battle. The Americans won. Lee then wrote to his son, Custis, "You have no idea what a horrible sight a field of battle is."2 Then came the biggest battle of the war. The Americans attacked a fort outside Mexico City. Lee planned the attack. For days he worked without sleep. He

An Easy French-English Bilingual Story at the Beach

An Easy French-English Bilingual Story at the Beach Many people travel to France to enjoy its gorgeous beaches. Whether you prefer sunny â€Å"Cà ´te d’Azur†, the windy beaches or â€Å"Arcachon†, the historic â€Å"plages de Normandie† or the wild and rocky coasts of Brittany, you’ll have plenty of sea waters and beaches to choose from when traveling, for real or virtually to France. Explore the vocabulary related to beach activities with this learn French in context  story. This story is written mostly in the present tense and with simple sentence structures, so even beginners can follow the story once they have studied their  French beach vocabulary. And Now, Let's Go to the Beach! Mon mari, ma fille et moi, nous habitons en Bretagne, dans le nord-ouest de la France, en face de lAngleterre, dans une petite ville qui sappelle  «Ã‚  Paimpol  Ã‚ ». Jai de la chance car nous sommes cà ´tà © de la mer, au bord de la Manche plus prà ©cisà ©ment.   My husband, my daughter and myself, we live in Brittany, in the north-west of France, across from England, in a small town called Paimpol. I am lucky since we live by the sea, on the banks of the Channel more precisely. Ma fille Leyla et moi, nous adorons nager. Il y a une petite plage de sable 5 minutes pied de chez nous, et bien sà »r, nous y allons trà ¨s souvent. My daughter Leyla and I, we love to swim. There is a small sand beach five minutes walking distance from our house, and of course, we go there very often. Leyla a dix ans, et elle sait bien nager. Elle a pris des cours de natation la piscine avec son à ©cole, et aussi pendant les weekends, et donc vraiment elle nage bien la brasse, le crawl etc... Mais quand  elle va la plage, elle ne nage pas beaucoup : elle joue dans la mer, saute dans les petites vagues, patauge... Elle boit rarement la tasse, mais à §a arrive. Alors elle tousse, et elle replonge dans l’eau ! Elle aime bien aussi faire de grands chà ¢teaux de sable avec les autres enfants qui sont sur la plage. Leyla is ten, and she is a good swimmer. She took swimming lessons at the pool with her school, and also during the weekends, and therefore she can really swim the breaststroke,  the crawl etc well†¦ But when she goes to the beach, she doesnt swim much: she plays in the sea, jumps in the small waves, splashes around†¦ She rarely accidentally swallows sea water, but it happens. Then she coughs, and dives back in (the water)! She also enjoys making big sand castles with the other kids (who are) on the beach. Faire de la Voile = to go Sailing in French L’autre jour, Leyla a fait une journà ©e de voile avec son à ©cole. Et tout a coup, elle a vu deux dauphins !! Malheureusement, au dà ©but elle a pensà © que c’à ©tait des requins, et elle a eu trà ¨s peur... The other day, Leyla had a sailing outing with her school. And suddenly, she saw two Dolphins !! Unfortunately, at the beginning, she  thought  they  were  two sharks, and she was very scared. C’est un vrai dà ©mà ©nagement lorsque nous allons nous baigner ! Il faut prendre des pelles,  des seaux, un rà ¢teau, des serviettes de plage, et surtout ne pas oublier la crà ¨me solaire. Il fait souvent gris en Bretagne, mais le soleil est toujours l, en dessous des nuages, et il faut toujours mettre de la crà ¨me solaire pour ne pas attraper un coup de soleil. Nous ne prenons pas de  parasol, ni de chaise longue – on est en Bretagne, pas   St Trop’  !! Its like packing for a move when we go swimming! We have to take shovels, pails and a rake, beach towels and above all not forget the  sunscreen!! Its often overcast in Brittany, but the sun is always there, under the clouds, and you should always wear sunscreen so you dont get sunburnt. We dont bring a beach umbrella, nor a beach chair - were in Brittany, not Saint-Tropez !!

Spiritual Movement of Tantra Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spiritual Movement of Tantra - Research Paper Example Even in modern day religions, or in religions that have been altered by New Age adaptations, like Tibetan Buddhism and branches of Hinduism, elements of Tantra are widely implemented and very evident. Since Tantra does not focus on cosmology and deities, it is easily combined with other religious and spiritual practices. Given its widespread use, especially in the Western world, Tantra has more than one definition, and many of them clash with one another. Western scholars define Tantra as a form of western scholarship, and not in any relation to a religious system. They place little to no significance on its origination in Asia, nor on its connection with other spiritual practices. Those who actually practice Tantra openly reject this definition, insisting that Tantra is merely the teachings and practices found in the scriptures known as tantras. Furthermore, practitioners of Tantra believe that Tantra cannot be defined as a whole, as the Western world has tried to do, but based on each individual tantra scripture. As such, Tantra is not just a philosophy, which is the belief of many Westerns, but also a spiritual way of life. The tantra scriptures are the most vital parts of the Tantra path. A tantra is considered a tantra when it â€Å"elaborates copious and profound matters, especially relating t o the principles of reality and sacred matters, and because it provides salvation† (Jain 37). Tantras refer not only to the designated scriptures that started the movement, but scriptures, practices, and rituals that were created subsequent to the origination of Tantra. Further tantras were created when practitioners had perused the primary Tantric scriptures, which are known as the agama. The agama is made up of four parts: descriptions of metaphysical knowledge (jnana), contemplative procedures (yoga), ritual regulations (kriya), and religious and ethical commands (charya). When new tantras are designed, if they are able to be placed within one of these four categories, they are usually accepted by other practitioners. These many scriptures are, in essence, the guidebook of being Tantric. The purpose of Tantra and of following these scriptures is to reach a higher level of existence, one that can be obtained by individuals other than ordained monks, which is the appeal of Ta ntra. Ordinary people are not exempt from achieving the highest and greatest level of existence. Tantra’s belief system focuses on reality as a whole, coupled with a single Divine Consciousness, a consciousness that individuals have, yet share with others. Moreover, as Tantra erased the line between the spiritual and the mundane, practitioners are able to experience spiritual realization in every aspect of their day-to-day lives. Tantra allows laymen to have access to the Divine Consciousness and the liberation and salvation that comes with adhering to the tantra scriptures in a normal, nonspiritual setting. The overall spiritual goal of Tantra is to â€Å"bring about an inner realization of the truth that ‘Nothing exists that is not Divine’† (Guenther & Trungpa 41). Buddhist Tantra explains it best, claiming that we are all in union with universal energy; we have everything that we need to be complete within us right now, but we just need to learn how to recognize it. This is where Tantra comes in. Every individual has the ability to be Divine, as this is their true nature, albeit untapped. It is through Tantra that individuals can reach this state of divine existence. Tantra brings liberation ignorance and from suffering, which is a common goal in Eastern-based religions, with an emphasis on the individual being the one that holds their own

Lap report for AS1B subject Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lap for AS1B subject - Lab Report Example Two angles are important in this perspective; the angle of refraction and the incident angle. Refractive index (RI) with regard to Snell’s Law provides a mathematical relationship between the incident angle and the angle of refraction. According to Snell’s Law In other cases the light travels in a perpendicular line and RI cannot be measured by comparing the two angles. In such a case one can measure the RI by getting the ratio of the Real Depth (RD) to the Apparent Depth (AD). For instance, when determining the RI of water one can insert a measurement ruler until it touches the bottom of a beaker of known height (RD), and then comparing it with the depth as seen by the eye (AD). The following experiment consists of two parts; the first part used fresh tap water while the second experiment used salty water. The aims of the experiment were to determine the refractive index of water and to establish whether the salinity of water affected its refractive index. The refractive indices of the first experiment as demonstrated in Table 1 indicate that there was minimal difference. The average refractive index for the first experiment was found to be 1.38. According to literature, the refractive index of water is averagely 1.3 (Freeman, 2003). In essence, the experimental results were closer to the results found in literature. The fact that the refractive index of water has a value greater than 1 implies that light travels much faster in air than in water. In essence, air is less dense than water and as light travels from air to water the speed reduces. The average refractive index for saline water was found to be 1.51 indicating that saline water was denser than tap water. Another realization is that as the saline concentration of the water was being increased, the refractive index also increa sed. The results imply that an increase in salinity causes an increase in the density of water. When salt is dissolved in

Ralph Waldo Emerson Essay Example for Free

Ralph Waldo Emerson Essay Those who think Transcendentalism is just a literary movement that took place in the early 1800s are only half correct. Transcendentalism is indeed a literary movement; however, it is much more than that. It is meant to challenge people to think for themselves and cause change. Authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee taught the importance of non-conformity and civil disobedience through short stories such as â€Å"Self Reliance† and â€Å"On the Duty of Civil Disobedience†, and the play, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. Transcendentalism is based on the belief that knowledge is derived from experience and personal reflection as opposed to reason. Transcendentalism promotes self-revelation because it encourages people to form their own opinions and then voice them in a way that will promote change in society. Transcendentalists ground their philosophy with the idea that every persons inner self is where knowledge is gained. In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s â€Å"Self Reliance†, he says, What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think†¦It is easy in the world to live after the worlds opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. Emerson realizes that it is easy to conform to society, but there is value in forming one’s own opinion. What makes a person great is if he or she can stand out in a crowd of people. While in a crowd, one can see the overall ideas of the group but never the individual thoughts that made up these ideas. Emerson is saying that to be great, one must be able to be with the crowd physically, but mentally remain one’s own person with their own ideas. Because Transcendentalism values individual opinions, it is also important to people such as Henry David Thoreau that everyone, especially the government, is open to other peoples’ opinions. In â€Å"On the Duty of Civil Disobedience† Thoreau says, â€Å"There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power†¦ and treats him accordingly. † Thoreau understands that citizens should be able to influence the government and cause change. To do this, the government needs to treat its citizens with respect. Politicians and other government workers need to do away with their pride and listen to what is really important- the citizens. When people can form their own opinions, respect others’ opinions, and voice their opinions, there will be harmony. In Transcendentalism, people are encouraged not only to form their own opinions, but to voice them as well. Thoreau tells everyone to â€Å"make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it† (Thoreau). He supports transcendentalism by encouraging people to stand up and talk about their opinions. Thoreau understands that change, especially in government can only occur when individuals make their opinions heard. During his life, Thoreau challenged the idea of slavery, government corruption, payment of taxes, and the Mexican-American War. In The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, Thoreau is talking to his old professor about how he should voice his discontent with the Mexican-American War. When Thoreau’s professor asks when he should voice his opinion Thoreau yells, â€Å"‘NOW! A year ago was too late! I’ll get you an audience. This afternoon. At Concord Square! †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Lawrence and Lee 89). In the play, Thoreau expresses that opinions are no good if they are not proclaimed to the world. If opinions are not voiced they cannot be heard. Transcendentalism values individual opinions and acknowledges that voicing them is crucial if they are going to spearhead change in their society. Transcendentalists agree that self-revelation is wasted if it is not voiced and then heard and thereby causing change. During The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, Thoreau spends a small amount of time as a schoolteacher. While Thoreau is a schoolteacher, he gets into trouble with the schoolmaster because he lets his kids â€Å"Huckleberry† in order to come to a conclusion in a class discussion. After he gets in trouble Thoreau sarcastically tells his students, ‘â€Å"You must not listen to a cricket or smell a flower that has not been approved by the School Committee. You’d better close both ears and hold your nose- though you may have to grow an extra hand to do it†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Lawrence and Lee 20). In this instance, Thoreau is trying to speak out against the strict policy of the school committee. He sees that the policy is unfair and that students should be able to learn in a way that is effective for them. By speaking out against the school committee, Thoreau is opening up the possibility for a reform in the education system. Thoreau sees that there is an opportunity to promote change so he takes it and speaks his opinion. According to Thoreau and other transcendentalists, the government needs to be ameliorated. Thoreau says, â€Å"The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it† (Thoreau). Transcendentalists agree that the government usually does not work for the people it is protecting. However, they do realize that it is necessary for the survival of the United States. Thoreau is encouraging people to take a stand against the current government, which he hopes will lead to a reform that will empower people to demand more influence in politics. Transcendentalism emphasizes that individuals need to voice their opinions if change is going to occur. According to Transcendentalists, promoting change in society occurs through self-revelation. There must be free thinking people in the world who are willing to make their voice heard if change is ever going to occur. Today many people think that the American school system is something that needs to be reformed. There is a problem if most students are no longer engaged and excited to go to school. Transcendentalists would say that students should be learning things that are interesting to them and cause them to think beyond what is being taught. Students should be encouraged to investigate and debate ideas in order to come up with their own. If America were still in the Transcendentalism time period, people would be insisting on these types of changes. They know that if they do not speak out, nothing will happen.

Stonehenge Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are few ancient structures in the world that captivate the imagination and the critical mind of both the scholarly and ordinary individual as Stonehenge. This intriguingly mysterious Neolithic monument is located near Amesbury in Wiltshire, England and draws thousands of spectators to its arena each year. The oldest part of Stonehenge, called Stonehenge I (constructed ca. 3100 BCE), consists of little more than a circular ditch dug in the soil of the Salisbury plain, with the excess soil piled up to make an embankment approximately six feet tall. This area is approximately three hundred thirty feet in diameter, and encompasses â€Å"Stonehenge proper† – the familiar circles of massive stones that once stood upright as well as the large horseshoe arrangement of standing stones near the center of Stonehenge. (Trefil 48) The outer ring of Stonehenge proper, also known as the â€Å"sarsen circle,† consists of several upright sarsen (gray sandstone) stones. According to the text of Art History, each stone in this circle weighs up to fifty tons and stands up to twenty feet tall, and was once â€Å"capped by a continuous lintel.† To accomplish this architectural structure, the builders used the technique of mortise-and-tendon joints to join and ensure the security of the lintel sections. With this technique, a projecting pin (tenon) located on a lintel fits tightly into a hole designed for it (mortise) on an upright stone. (Stokstad 59) Inside the sarsen circle was once a ring of bluestones. These special stones consisted of various grades of bluish dolerite, which (many individuals conclude) were only found one hundred fifty miles away in the mountains of southern Wales. The inner horseshoe arrangement of five paired lintel-topped uprights, or trilithons, dominates the center of Stonehenge. These sandstone trilithons range in height of up to twenty-four feet, weigh up to forty-five tons, and radiate the mysterious majesty of the megalithic structure. (Stokstad 59) Whatever the method by which the stones arrived on Salisbury Plain, they were apparently set up in about 2800-2700 BCE in either the unfinished circle or the incomplete horseshoe open to the south-west. A century or so later, (ca. 2500 BCE) the great sarsen circle was constructed, and the bluestones were dragged from their holes only to be returned some centuries later to form the i... ...few miles from Stonehenge where there was a convenient glacial deposit of the only stones used for Stonehenge. (Burl 22) However, the view remains that the massive stones of Stonehenge were, indeed, transported hundreds of miles to Salisbury Plain. Assuming that the bluestones were brought from Wales by hand and not transported by glaciers as Aubrey Burl has claimed (or moved by the magical hand of Merlin), various methods of moving them relying only on wood and rope have been suggested. During 2001, in an exercise of experimental archaeology, an attempt was made to transport a large stone along a land and sea route from Wales to Stonehenge. Volunteers successfully pulled the massive stone on a wooden sled over land, but it was ultimately lost in rough seas after being moved to a replica prehistoric boat for its journey across the Bristol Channel. (Burl 21) As we have observed, legends about the origin and purpose of Stonehenge are many in number. It is quite possible that we may never discover the truth behind the mysterious circles of stones on Salisbury Plain, yet it is also true that the intrigue and fascination that accompanies the existence of Stonehenge will surely remain.

Thirty Days as a Cuban Article Review

â€Å"THIRTY DAYS AS A CUBAN† Article Review Based on Patrick Symmes' article â€Å"Thirty Days as a Cuban†, it seems as though the degree of ECONOMIC INEQUALITY (the extent of the economic difference between the rich and the poor) in Cuba is relatively low. While many people still make more than others, the vast majority of Cubans are significantly poor and suffer from starvation from day to day. Symmes' account of the average life of a Cuban was interesting because I don't believe many people are aware of the suffrage going on in this country. I, for one, am a prime example of this.I had no idea that such a state existed in Cuba. The ration system and dictatorship of the country contribute immensely to the degree of poverty. And in turn, poverty results in what we would label as DEVIANCE and CRIME (behavior that violates norms and arouses negative social & behavior that violates written laws, respectively). These people literally have no choice but to result to crime in order to survive. The communistic ways and schemes of the government do not really enable moral and ethical ways of making even a mere comfortable living.This suggests an inevitably low chance of VERTICAL MOBILITY (the movement up or down a through a society's stratification system) in the sense that while the Cuban government might like to think or tell people that movement up the vertical scale is possible, it really is not. Another point I found interesting is that the Cubans seem to be pretty CLASS CONSCIOUS (aware of their social class membership, the structural reasons for it, and the needs arising from such membership). They are 100% aware of where they stand in the social ladder, but there is virtually little they can do about it.They are aware of what the government is doing– giving them just enough to â€Å"get by†, but, in reality, is not enough to survive. â€Å"†¦ The problem in Cuba isn't food, or clothes. It's the total lack of civil liberty, an d therefore of economic liberty, which is why you have to have the libreta in the first place. † This quote validates my point exactly. The Cubans are very aware of their suppression, but in contrast to Karl Marx's theory that the oppressed would inevitably revolt if they had class consciousness, the Cubans cannot because of the dictatorship existing in their country.

Information Technology Outsourcing/Off shoring

IntroductionThe activities of outsourcing are not new for the businesses. The difference is only that the name ‘outsourcing’ was not given in back 20 years but now it has properly given its name and implementing by almost all the businesses worldwide. The practice of outsourcing is going on from last 20 years in the business environment. And now it is very well shaped. The base of the research paper is to flourish the challenges and negative side of the outsourcing which are facing by every business of the US economy in the department of Information Technology.Outsourcing/Off ShoringOutsourcing refers to the assistance that the companies take from the other companies. This assistance in terms of IT can be installing of software, managing the database etc. In the field of IT, it requires high performance, maintenance, and should be updated with the coming technologies. With the emerging trend of IT, the competition between the companies arises. So to cope up with this sit uation most of the companies are catering towards outsourcing. â€Å"The performance demands of the e-economy, and pressure to deliver competitive IT functionality. To meet these challenges, organizations are increasingly considering outsourcing of their information systems activities as an attractive option.† (Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants)The IT companies hire the people from outside sources on contract basis to perform the IT functions. â€Å"Allotting work to suppliers and distributors to provide needed services and materials and to perform those processes that the organization does not perform itself.† (Hormozi 2003). Instead of performing the IT function itself the companies hires professionals. Those professionals are the service providers related to another entity. The companies tries to adopt outsourcing because it saves time and cost. â€Å"Rather than devoting time, energy and capital to the creation of IT processing services, organizations fe el they can minimize the start-up time required to enter new markets by contracting a third party to provide those services immediately.†   (Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants)Challenges to IT OutsourcingOutsourcing has created many challenges to the businesses. There are also some drawbacks. â€Å"A study of 85 outsourcing deals over the period 1992 – 2000 showed that, while in 60% of these deals the client benefited, nearly 36% of clients experienced problems.† (Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants) Following are the problems which are facing by the organizations while IT outsourcing.Operational ProblemsA company can be strong when all of its information should be in its own hand and operating by the company itself. If there would be lack of data integrity, the system can be fail easily or the information of the inside company can be access by the others, then the company can bear the losses. Every company have there own secrets inside the com pany if they will be whistle blow by any one then the reputation of the company can be effected or lawsuits. â€Å"In an outsourcing arrangement, an organization’s processing is performed by different personnel, with different management, using different techniques and methods, in a changed operating environment.† (Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants) Another problem which occurs during outsourcing is that the companies are not acknowledge with operational problem and are not able to know the ruthlessness of the problem.Companies can loss its competencies by outsourcing. The service provider can easily access the information or data but this can be compensated by the working of effective functions of IT. â€Å"An organization therefore risks losing its competencies or its otherwise deep knowledge of its systems and operations in relevant domains. This loss could, in turn, compromise its ability to operate and manage effectively.† (Canadian Institute of C hartered Accountants) The outsourcing team should be effective. There is lack of competencies, so the companies don’t have direct control over them. To create the direct control the companies should hire effective team that can effectively and efficiently solve the IT problems. â€Å"Lack of these competencies may compromise its ability to make decisions on changes to the IT services, manage the governance relationship or liaise with the customer base inside the organization.†Ã‚   (Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants)Service ProblemsMostly, the problem faced by the companies is the difference in the work which the company wanted and the service which service providers supplied. Always there is different between these two pints. Both the parties take time to get to know each others point of view. â€Å"The organization may be accustomed to a certain standard and style of performance that was provided by its internal IT department prior to outsourcing. This same standard and style may not, however, be continued by the service provider.† (Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants)Cost problemsâ€Å"Research shows that lack of clarity and understanding of the costs related to the many aspects of outsourcing service delivery are the biggest problems of outsourcing.† (Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants) When a company does not properly plan outsources then the unusual cost could incur after sometime that can effect the efficiency of the outsource program.Work Cited  Amir Hormozi, Erin Hostetler, Cynthia Middleton; Outsourcing Information Technology: Assessing Your Options SAM Advanced Management Journal, Vol. 68, 2003 Accessed on November 7, 2006  itmWEB: Outsourcing Information Technology http://www.itmweb.com/essay528.htm Accessed on November 7, 2006  Eric Krapf; Outsourcing: Doing It More, Liking It less Business Communications Review, Vol. 29, November 1999 Accessed on November 7, 2006The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, Information Technology Advisory Committee. Information Technology Outsourcing, Insights for a changing world.   Copyright  ©2003 the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, 277 Wellington Street West,Toronto, Canada

Fun Facts About Thresher Sharks

Fun Facts About Thresher Sharks Are you ready to learn a few thresher shark facts? There are several to share about this popular type of shark. The most notable feature of thresher shark is the long, whip-like upper lobe of their tail, which is known as the caudal fin. In total, there are three species of thresher sharks: The common thresher (Alopias vulpinus), pelagic thresher (Alopias pelagicus) and the bigeye thresher (Alopias superciliosus). What a Thresher Shark Looks Like Thresher sharks have big eyes, a small mouth, large pectoral fins, first dorsal fin, and pelvic fins. They have a small second dorsal fin (near their tail) and anal fins. Their most noticeable characteristic, as noted above, is that the top lobe of their tail is unusually long and whip-like. This tail may be used to herd and stun small fish, upon which it preys. Depending on the species, thresher sharks may be gray, blue, brown, or purplish. They have light gray to white coloring below their pectoral fins. They can grow to a maximum of about 20 feet in length. These sharks are sometimes seen jumping out of the water and may be confused with other marine mammals. Classifying the Thresher Shark Here is how the thresher shark is scientifically classified: Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ChondrichthyesSubclass: ElasmobranchiiOrder: LamniformesFamily: AlopiidaeGenus: AlopiasSpecies: vulpinus, pelagicus or superciliosus More Thresher Shark Facts A few more fun facts about thresher sharks include the following: Thresher sharks are widely distributed across the worlds temperate and subtropical oceans.Thresher sharks eat schooling fish, cephalopods, and sometimes crabs and shrimp.Thresher sharks reproduce each year and are ovoviviparous, meaning that eggs develop inside the mothers body, but the young are not attached by a placenta. The embryos feed on eggs in the uterus. After nine months of gestation, females give birth to two to seven live young who are three to five feet long at birth.According to the International Shark Attack File, thresher sharks are not commonly involved in shark attacks.NOAA estimates that populations of Pacific thresher sharks are above target levels, but lists the status of common threshers in the Atlantic as unknown.Thresher sharks may be caught as bycatch and hunted recreationally.According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, thresher shark meat and fins are valuable, their skin can be made into leather and the oil in their liver can be used for vitamins. Sources: Compagno, L., Dando, M. and S. Fowler. 2005. Sharks of the World. Princeton University Press.Jordan, Vaness. Thresher Shark (Online). Florida Museum of Natural History Icthyology Department. Accessed August 8, 2011.NOAA. 2011. FishWatch: Atlantic Common Thresher Shark (Online). NOAA. Accessed August 8, 2011.NOAA. 2011. FishWatch: Pacific Common Thresher Shark (Online). NOAA. Accessed August 8, 2011.World Register of Marine Species. 2011. Thresher Shark Species List. Accessed August 8, 2011.

Wild Bill Hickok - Gunfighter of the Wild West

Wild Bill Hickok - Gunfighter of the Wild West James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 - August 2, 1876), also known as Wild Bill Hickok was a legendary figure in the old west. He was known as a gunfighter and gambler who fought in the Civil War and was a scout for Custers Cavalry. He later became a lawman before settling down in Deadwood, South Dakota where he would soon meet his death.   Early Years James Hickok was born in Homer (todays Troy Grove), Illinois in 1837 to William Hickok and Polly Butler. Not much is known about his early education, though he was known as an excellent marksman. In 1855, Hickok left Illinois and the Jayhawkers, a vigilante group in Kansas. At that time, Bleeding Kansas was in the middle of tremendous violence as pro- and anti-slavery groups fought over control of the state. Jayhawkers were fighting for Kansas to become a free state, not allowing slavery in its borders. It was while Hickok was a Jayhawker that he first met Buffalo Bill Cody. He would work with him again in later years.   Pony Express Incidents In 1859, Hickok had joined the Pony Express, a mail service that delivered letters and packages from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. While delivering freight in 1860, Hickok was injured when he was attacked by a bear. After a fierce struggle that left Hickok gravely wounded, he was finally able to slit the bears throat. He was removed from duty and eventually sent to Rock Creek Station to work in the stables.   On July 12, 1861, an incident occurred that would begin Hickoks claim to fame.  While employed at the Rock Creek Pony Express Station in Nebraska he got into a gunfight with an employee looking to collect his pay. Wild Bill may have shot and killed McCanles and wounded two other men. He was acquitted at the trial. However, there is some question on the validity of the trial because he worked for the powerful Overland Stage Company. Civil War Scout With the start of the Civil War in April, 1861, Hickok joined the Union army. His name was listed as William Haycock at this time. He fought in the Battle of Wilsons Creek on August 10, 1861, acting as a scout for General Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general to die in the war. The Union forces were slaughtered and the new general, Major Samuel Sturgis, led the retreat. He was discharged from the Union Army in September 1862. He spent the rest of war either acting as a scout, spy, or police detective in Springfield, Missouri.   Gaining a Reputation as a Fierce Gunfighter Hickok was part of the first recorded fast draw gunfight on July 1, 1865 in Springfield, Missouri. He fought with a former friend and gambling partner who had turned into a rival named Dave Tutt. There is a belief that part of the reason behind the rift in their friendship had to do with a woman they both liked. When Tutt called in a gambling debt that he said Hickok owed him, Hickok refused to pay the full amount saying that Tutt had it wrong. Tutt took Hickoks watch as collateral against the full amount. Hickok warned Tutt that he should not wear the watch or he would be shot. The next day, Hickok saw Tutt wearing the watch in the square in Springfield. Both men fired simultaneously, but only Hickok hit, killing Tutt. Hickok was tried and acquitted for this gunfight on the grounds of self defense. However, his reputation in the minds of those living in the east was settled when he was interviewed for Harpers New Monthly Magazine. In the story, it was stated that he had killed hundreds of men. While newspapers out west printed corrected versions, this cemented his reputation.   Life as a Lawman In the old west, the move from one on trial for murder to lawman was not that far. In 1867, Hickok began his career as a US Deputy Marshall at For Riley.  He acts as a scout for Custers 7th Calvary. His exploits are exaggerated by writers and he only adds to his own growing legend with tales of his own. In 1867, according to a story told by James WIlliam Buel in Life and Marvelous Adventures of Wild Bill, the Scout  (1880), Hickok was involved in a gunfight with four men in Jefferson County, Nebraska. He killed three of them and wounded the fourth, while only receiving a wound to his own shoulder.   In 1868, Hickok was attacked by a Cheyenne war party and injured. He was acting as a scout for the 10th Calvary.  He returned to Troy Hills to recover from the wound.  He then acted as a guide for Senator Wilsons tour of the plains. At the end of the job he received his famous ivory handled pistols from the Senator. In August, 1869, Hickok was elected to be the  Sheriff of Ellis County, Kansas. He wound up shooting two men while in office. They were seeking to gain fame by killing Wild Bill. On April 15, 1871, Hickok was made the marshal of Abilene, Kansas. While Marshal, he had dealings with a saloon owner named Phil Coe. On  October 5, 1871, Hickok was dealing with a violent crowd in the streets of Abilene when Coe fired two shots. Hickok tried to arrest Coe for shooting his pistols, when Coe turned his gun on Hickok. Hickok was able to get his shots of first and kill Coe. However, he also saw a figure approaching from the side and shot two more times, killing a man. Unfortunately, this was  Special Deputy Marshal Mike Williams who was trying to help him. This led to Hickoks being relieved of his duties as Marshal.   Wandering Lawman and Showman From 1871 to 1876, Hickok wandered around the old west, sometimes employed as a lawman. He also spent a year with Buffalo Bill Cody and Texas Jack Omohundro in a travelling show called Scouts of the Plains.   Marriage and Death Hickok decided to settle down on March 5, 1876 when he married Agnes Thatcher Lake, who owned a circus in Wyoming. The pair decided to move to Deadwood, South Dakota. Hickok left for a time to try and earn money by mining for gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota. According to her Martha Jane Cannary, a.k.a. Calamity Jane, became friends with Hickok around June 1876. She said that he spent the summer in Deadwood.   On August 2, 1876, Hickok was at the Nuttal   Manns Saloon in Deadwood where he was playing a game of poker. He was sitting with his back to the door when a gambler named Jack McCall came into the saloon and shot Hickok in the back of the head. Hickok was holding a pair of  black aces, black eights, and a jack of diamonds, forever to be known as a dead mans hand. McCalls motives are not completely clear, but Hickok might have upset him the day before.  According to McCall himself at his trial, he was avenging his brothers death who he said was killed by Hickok. Calamity Jane stated in her autobiography that is was she who first captured McCall after the murder: I at once started to look for the assassin [McCall] and found him at Shurdys butcher shop and grabbed a meat cleaver and made him throw up his hands, because through the excitement of hearing of Bills death having left my weapons on the post of my bed. However, he was acquitted at his initial miners trial. He was later rearrested and tried again, this being allowed because Deadwood was not a legitimate US town. McCall was found guilty and hanged in March, 1877.

E-Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

E-Commerce - Essay Example The second type Business to Business, also known as B2B. This is when given company does commerce with another company. Consumer to Consumer, also known as C2C is when business occurs between consumers (Vulkan 2003). Business to Consumer (B2C): B2C forms the most common e-commerce category in current market share. It involves consumers and businesses where online businesses transact to individual customers. The basic idea behind this form is that the online vendors and promoters can sell their merchandise to the online shopper by employing crystal clear statistics which is made accessible via various online marketing apparatus (Canzer 2006).  This e-commerce category describes actions of businesses handling end customers with services and/or products. One of the most appealing strategies about B2C is that numerous online businesses are essentially just standard commercial entities that are available around individuals’ home town. The benefit to making that store internet oriented is that consumers from all around the planet who do not encompass access to this category of warehouse can easily attain services or products from the store by buying them online (Canzer 2006). Business to Business (B2B): This is regarded as the biggest form of e-commerce comprising business of huge amount of dollars. In this type, the sellers and buyers are both business corporations and do not engage an individual customer.  This kind of e-commerce comprises businesses transacting goods and services among themselves. Most of the time, B2B comprises online marketing corporations providing services for extra online entities who are seeking to get better outcomes on the search engines (Gao 2005). The mainly trendy forms of internet marketing are SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (Pay-Per-Click). All of the extra types of e-commerce cannot be feasible without online promotion and B2B e-commerce type. Consumer to Consumer (C2C): This type of