Pythagorus Of Samos Essays - Ancient Greek Mathematicians, Ascetics

Pythagorus Of Samos Pythagoras of Samos Pythagoras of Samos is often described as the first pure mathematician. He is an extremely important figure in the development of mathematics yet we know relatively little about his mathematical achievements. Unlike many later Greek mathematicians, where at least we have some of the books which they wrote, we have nothing of Pythagoras's writings. The society which he led, half religious and half scientific, followed a code of secrecy which certainly means that today Pythagoras is a mysterious figure. We do have details of Pythagoras's life from early biographies which use important original sources yet are written by authors who attribute divine powers to him, and whose aim was to present him as a god-like figure. What we present below is an attempt to collect together the most reliable sources to reconstruct an account of Pythagoras's life. There is fairly good agreement on the main events of his life but most of the dates are disputed with different scholars giving dates which differ by 20 years. Some historians treat all this information as merely legends but, even if the reader treats it in this way, being such an early record it is of historical importance. Pythagoras's father was Mnesarchus ([12] and [13]), while his mother was Pythais [8] and she was a native of Samos. Mnesarchus was a merchant who came from Tyre, and there is a story ([12] and [13]) that he brought corn to Samos at a time of famine and was granted citizenship of Samos as a mark of gratitude. As a child Pythagoras spent his early years in Samos but travelled widely with his father. There are accounts of Mnesarchus returning to Tyre with Pythagoras and that he was taught there by the Chaldaeans and the learned men of Syria. It seems that he also visited Italy with his father. Little is known of Pythagoras's childhood. All accounts of his physical appearance are likely to be fictitious except the description of a striking birthmark which Pythagoras had on his thigh. It is probable that he had two brothers although some sources say that he had three. Certainly he was well educated, learning to play the lyre, learning poetry and to recite Homer. There were, among his teachers, three philosophers who were to influence Pythagoras while he was a young man. One of the most important was Pherekydes who many describe as the teacher of Pythagoras. The other two philosophers who were to influence Pythagoras, and to introduce him to mathematical ideas, were Thales and his pupil Anaximander who both lived on Miletus. In [8] it is said that Pythagoras visited Thales in Miletus when he was between 18 and 20 years old. By this time Thales was an old man and, although he created a strong impression on Pythagoras, he probably did not teach him a great deal. However he did contribute to Pythagoras's interest in mathematics and astronomy, and advised him to travel to Egypt to learn more of these subjects. Thales's pupil, Anaximander, lectured on Miletus and Pythagoras attended these lectures. Anaximander certainly was interested in geometry and cosmology and many of his ideas would influence Pythagoras's own views. In about 535 BC Pythagoras went to Egypt. This happened a few years after the tyrant Polycrates seized control of the city of Samos. There is some evidence to suggest that Pythagoras and Polycrates were friendly at first and it is claimed [5] that Pythagoras went to Egypt with a letter of introduction written by Polycrates. In fact Polycrates had an alliance with Egypt and there were therefore strong links between Samos and Egypt at this time. The accounts of Pythagoras's time in Egypt suggest that he visited many of the temples and took part in many discussions with the priests. According to Porphyry ([12] and [13]) Pythagoras was refused admission to all the temples except the one at Diospolis where he was accepted into the priesthood after completing the rites necessary for admission. It is not difficult to relate many of Pythagoras's beliefs, ones he would later impose on the society that he set up in Italy, to the customs that he came across in Egypt. For example the secrecy

Bill Gates essays

Bill Gates essays William (Bill) H. Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, shortly after 9:00 p.m., in Seattle, Washington. He lived in Seattle with his two sisters and father, William H. Gates II who was a Seattle attorney, and the late Mary Gates who was a schoolteacher. She was also the chairwoman of the United Way International and a University of Washington regent. While his father was a prominent lawyer, his great-grandfather was a mayor, state legislator, and president of a national bank. As a young boy, Bill attended a public elementary school before attending the private Lakeside School in Northern Seattle. It was there where Bill fell in love with computers, and at the age of 13 he began his career in programming computers and personal computer software. The reason why Bill was later transferred to Lakeside was because he was born into a family with a history of business, politics, and community service, so it was no surprise that Bill inherited all those qualities which made it easier for him to quickly surpass all of his peers in all subjects, including science and math. So it was there at Lakeside that Bill was able to concentrate on computers, which benefited him greatly down the road. Back in the 1960s, computers were too large and costly for Lakeside prep to purchase its own, so instead they raised the money through a fundraiser and bought computer time on a mega computer owned by General Electric. It was there that Bill and his good friend, Paul Allen, and a few other Lakeside students became addicted to this computer. All day and night they would write programs, read computer literature, and do anything else that was computer related. While they spent all this time working with this computer, problems started to arise with the faculty at Lakeside. They skipped classes, either turned in their homework late or not at all, and they also used up all of the schools computer time in just a short amount of t...

The Strategic Management Process of Walmart Case Study

The Strategic Management Process of Walmart - Case Study Example Elaboration Likelihood Model identified message relevance as one of these factors. According to this model, when message relevance is high, individuals will actively process and evaluate the information in the advertisement when forming or changing attitudes. (Barrie, 2005) When message relevance is low, individuals will not actively process the information in the advertisement, but will instead rely on peripheral message cues to form or change attitudes. Brand Identity is that element of customer perception and awareness which has its focus in the results of a certain kind of projection through the brand equity building measures. This calls for an integrative model which will combine the basic elements of the brand identity and brand equity concepts so as to create a platform for the effective discussion of the Elaboration Likelihood Model. (Jorge et al, 2005) This has been of special relevance for the Walmart company as far as its foray into target market and product variation is c oncerned. Walmart depends to a great extent on the contribution and quality of its human capital. The human capital may be defined as that element of the organisation's operational sphere that is a living, breathing part of the activities that put the innate resources and factors of production into application. This application results in profits arising out of the activities of the human capital and the efficiency with which this resource carries out its tasks. This in turn, has a bearing on the achievement of the organisation's goals. (Jorge et al, 2005) Business Partner The first role of the human resource in today's organisation is that of a business partner. This has come to the fore with the emergence of various service oriented companies that provide intensive marketing services along with the products that are being produced. This is a formal level of institutionalised operations where the organisation profits greatly. This is done by pushing the product in quarters where the effects of regular marketing and promotion cannot reach. It is also an elevated level of salesman ship where the sales agents are offered a share in the business that they make. The advantage of this is that the business partners take a personal interest in the development of a clientele. (Green, 2002. P 111) Further, this serves the two fold purpose of sales and promotion. While there might not be

American labor system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American labor system - Essay Example Thus, laborers are actually the real workers and builders who are at the back of every successful industry and organization. The origin of this occupation can be dated back to the dawn of civilization when man had to subordinate high class individuals to win food and security. Today a laborer expects much more than this: salary, shelter, security, respect, acknwoledgement, comfortability and assurance. Though these ideals are appreciated by all, they are found quite rare even in the developed and civilized countries as America (Kirkegaard, 2007). Struggling against its prior notority of ‘slave labor’ and ‘child labor’, this state has still a long way to go to get an ideal life for laborers and workers. Hundreds of unions and movements raising voices for the rights, demands and needs of the common laborers are emerging and actively working in United States of America, but still the condition of laborers is not much healthier (Hill, 1985). The most voiced comp lain against American labor system is the offering of lower wages and lesser facilities in return of much harder work and long working hours. These poor souls receive no sympathy from the side of employers and administrators, and they are treated rather like animals (Fletcher & Gapasin, 2008). They receive poor pay back for their tiring efforts and have to pay fine in the form of deduction from the expected salary for any mistake. They are deprived of basic rights related to humanly respect, empathy and acknowledgement, and their coordinators even regard them no more than mere machines who are not supposed to cater any emotions and feelings at all and whose function is just to run and produce. The working conditions are even not much better for the workers and laborers. Unhygenic environment, stinking smells of the materials and chemicals, over-crowded working places, deafening noises of the machineries, poorly lit working halls as well as long hours of duty are causing much distres s and frustrations among this community ("Inter-american labor system," 1975). Their problems are not catered and their complaints are not paid heed to. The economic crisis and the ever rising inflation throughout the world have also affected this community a lot and many of the workers are persuaded to opt for double shifts and part-time jobs, as a result of which their physical and mental healths are at stake. To fight against all these problems and to bridge the gap between the lower workers and the higher communities, American Labour Movement was started and laborer unions were formed (Dubofsky & Van Tine, 1987). This concept got its strength in the late nineteenth century, probably in 1866, and today it has got a much organized form. The workers of a factory select a representative among themselves by mutual consent who is considered to be responsible for conveying the messages and demands between the workers and the employers (Sheldon, 1947). The world politics has not spared it and today laborer union is regarded as a possible and most alarming threat against an industry. Other than holding strikes and causing troubles for the administrators, these representative groups are charged of demanding unfairly. According to the assisstant manager of a local firm, â€Å"Sometimes the union leaders cross the legal lines and demand for more than their rights. Obviously, the company cannot encourage such attitude that often erects hurdles for progress†. On the other hand, the union representatives claim that these

Many authors and commentators argue that income inequality is among Essay

Many authors and commentators argue that income inequality is among the most pressing current problems of our era. The received - Essay Example Income inequality has become the preferred measure in determining the quality of life in a country. At some point, per capita income was considered a preferable way, but further studies have indicated that this is not as clear in determining poverty levels. For instance, two countries may have a comparable per capita level, but the incidence of poverty in these countries may differ significantly. For this reason, income inequality is considered more precise in indicating the incidence of poverty which is a pointer to the quality of life in a country. To measure and compare income inequality among countries, economists use Lorenz curves and Gini indexes. However, leading institutions and organizations such as the World Bank and the OECD have shown a preference towards Gini indexes, which is considered more convenient when comparing inequality among many countries (Ghanei, 2013 [class notes]). One of the constant enquiries in the subject of income inequality is whether a less equal dis tribution of income is good for a country. In this regard, most studies advance different views about the best patterns of distribution they are split as to whether the Gini coefficient should be around 25 percent as in Sweden or around 40 percent as is the case in the United States. The most quoted arguments are detailed below (OECD 2012). The first argument cites that an excessively equal income distribution can be bad for economic efficiency. An example of this would be in a socialist country, where deliberately low inequality characterized by the absence of private profits and salaries and wages are harmonized depriving the citizens the incentives required for their active participation in economic activities. It is considered that socialist equalization of salaries and wages translates to poor discipline and lack of initiative among workers. Other effects include reduced quality and restricted variety of goods and services, marginal technical growth which eventually slows econo mic growth and compounds poverty. The alternate argument indicates that excessive inequality adversely affects people’s quality of life translating to widespread poverty, therefore, affecting progress in health and education. This leads to other social problems such as crime. Other effects of high income inequality include a threat on a country’s political stability and increases in business risks. A consideration of these effects explains why some international experts look at decreasing income inequality as the most effective way of accelerating economic and human development. Shigehiro, Kesebir and Diener highlight the development of this social problem in United States for the past four decades (2011). The scholars note that the growing income inequality is the most profound social change in the period considered. Using the Gini coefficient they indicate that, during the 1960s and 1970s, United States had a much lower coefficient than that of France and were at the same level with a host of other European nations (Oishi, Kesebir & Diener, 2011.p.1095). In contrast, by 2008, the Gini coefficient was much higher for United States as compared to most European nations and Canada (Oishi, Kesebir & Diener, 2011.p.1095). This trend is best indicated by a Gini coefficient graph covering the past six decades. This graph makes it so clear that income inequality in the United States has been on the rise over the past seven decades. A look at the European countries also

Over-spending and under-spending of the public sector budget

Over-spending and under-spending of the public sector budget The over-spending and under-spending of a budget is the positive or negative variance between what was actually spent and what was budgeted. Overspending Budgets overruns are the underestimation of costs and time or by the nonconformity of budget managers with the spending maximum defined in the budget, when projected. There are several explanations for overspending. Sometimes, it is simply bad forecasting on part of the budget manager. There was incomplete information or poor forecasting methods that led to an underestimation and/or unreal optimism of costs, expenses and revenues. Often there is change in scope of the project and costs associated with scope change are neither captured nor covered in the risk mitigation or contingency plan. Funds are allocated to the cost centers for spending, it is controlled. Overspent fund accumulate in arrears. Overruns could also be a result of off-budget spending which not considered part of the budget and is not included in budget totals. Off budget spending is often for political reasons. For example, after a request from President Reagan, Congress placed strategic petroleum reserve spending off-budget in 1982. Instead of using other means to control the deficit raising revenues or cutting spending placing this program off-budget gave the appearance of a smaller deficit, even though the government still needed to finance this spending. Source: Office of Management and Budget, Budget of the United States Government, Historical Tables and Mid-session Review, FY2006. Sometimes the expenditure processes are complicated and difficult. To circumvent this process exceptional procedures are development to speed to the process to release the funds. These exceptional procedures are tolerated by the treasury for politically sensitive expenditures. The procedures are frequently abused and should be discouraged. These procedures are used my officials to order supplies without making a formal request and much later the year un-forecasted invoices appear. Sometime fund are unavailable to make this invoices which leads to generation of arrears for the following year. The compounding of exceptional procedures also has long-term implications, incentivizing spending agencies to go outside the budget system to avoid control altogether. Such procedures are associated with or result in corruption. Often past experiences can lead to overspending. If a department head under spent the previous year and the budget for the following year was lost. The department is highly likely to spend the entire amount for the fear of losing funds for the next year. The way in which performance is reported can have a significant effect on the camaraderie and coordination between departments. If participation of the managers implementing the budget was absent, then managers can blame this for the file to abide by the budget. In addition impact of inflation and a sense of entitlement towards certain funds are also factors to be considered in budget planning. Overruns can be caused by such deficiencies in budget preparation. Under spending Many governments do not spend their full annual budget. The reasons for this under spending can be various and can result in many outcomes. Lack of timely spending or under spending can affect the citizens not receiving essential government services. Certain areas have more economic impacts such as jobs created through the timely initiation of new infrastructure project. Under spending can often obstruct resources from other departments/managers which/who are spending their budget more productively, preventing them to reach their complete potential of success in delivery of the intended service. Under spending in particular year frequently leads to rollovers and modifications in the subsequent years. These modifications are irregular and are cumbersome to be forecasted leaving the department ill-equipped to spend these rollovers. Factors that result in under spending include insufficiencies in budget preparation and project/program planning, unrealistic projections of revenues, poor governance and off-budget spending. Virement is another factor that fuels under spending: It is the transfer of funds from one budget head to another. To achieve efficiency or prevent the need for a supplementary estimate as an under spending from one head may be transferred to another head which has overspending. One problem with unrestricted virement is that managers would inevitably spend al their budget allocation for fear of a budget reduction in the subsequent year. Example: Within the ministry of education budgets are transferred from primary education to higher education it can result in the delay of programs starting in the K-12 grades. Example: The latest un-audited expenditure reports from the National Treasury indicate that R3.48 billion of the national government budget went unspent in 2000/01 financial year- about R1.7billion on both the recurrent and the capital side of the budget. The under spend in provincial government was far greater at R5.5 billion. The latest available data indicate that this picture has not changed significantly in 2001/02. Although the government is moving in the right direction, most initiatives to address under spending appear rather general and details have yet to emerge on how the Treasury will specifically tackle the problem. In the meantime, under-spending seems set to remain with us. Source: Government under spending remains a problem February 2002 By Marritt Claassens and Paul Whelan, Budget Information Service, Idasa, http://www.idasa.org.za/bis/ Different kinds of variances A variance is the difference between a budgeted, planned or standard amount and the actual amount. Variances can be divided according to their nature of the underlying amounts and is determined by the needs of users of the variance information. These include : Variable cost variances Direct material variance Price variance: is the difference between the standard cost and the actual cost for the actual quantity of material used or purchased. Usage Variance: is the difference between the standard quantity of materials that should have been used for the number of units actually produced, and the actual quantity of materials used, valued at the standard cost per unit of material. Direct labour variance Rate Variance is the difference between the standard cost and the actual cost paid for the actual number of hours. Efficiency variance is the difference between the standard labour hour that should have been worked for the actual number of units produced and the actual number of hours worked when the labour hours are valued at the standard rate. Overhead variances Fixed overhead variances: identifies what proportion of the total fixed overhead variance is due to actual fixed overhead being different from the budgeted fixed overhead. Variable overhead variance measures the change between actual expenditure and the allowed overhead for actual labour hours. Income variance is the difference between actual income and budget income. It is used to measure the performance of a income function, and/or analyze business results to better understand market conditions. Actual income can differ from budgeted income either due to the variance in volume sold or the variance in the price point of the budgeted price point. Best Practices The following are some key good practice for prevention and minimization of the variances: Broad goals should be established to guide government decision making. Budgeting methods are developed to achieve these goals. An appropriate budget is developed to achieve the goals and the performance criterion is determined at the beginning. Close interaction between the financial information system and the budgeting systems is essential. There should be a control on collective spending and any deficit, a overarching prioritization of strategies with regards to expenditures and better use of the budgeted resources. The approved budget should be entered into the financial information system. In addition to a full commitment system, memorandum notes should be included the system that capture records of commitment but does not amend the financial records. Timely comparative financial statements on a regular basis. These statements should include original and revised budget, capture variances and explain major variances. The audited and reliable statements are based in solid accounting standards with regular external reporting. Budget Monitoring: Monitoring and controlling consists of those processes are performed to observe that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary. The key benefit is that the actuals are observed and measured regularly to identify variances from the budget. During the course of the year, instance may arise where the income or expenditure is very large that may require and supplementary estimate. The better the level of control and intelligence available the earlier this situations can be detected and more swiftly and appropriate an action can be taken to minimize the variance. However if is determined there has to be a change then the financial information systems can be updated as soon as possible. If a department become aware that it will overspend at any time during the year it must notify the Treasury department immediately. It is possible that a supplement estimate is provided if deemed appropriate. Transparency is key publish the State accounting policies, establish system of internal controls, and keep doors open for public and parliamentary scrutiny. Flexible budgeting is a performance evaluation tool. It is not be prepared before the end of the fiscal period. A flexible budget adjusts the initial budget for the actual level of output. The flexible budget answers the question: If the department had known at the beginning of the period what would the output volume (units delivered or sold) would be, what the budget would have looked like? If the department actually delivered X units, then treasury should compare actual delivery costs for X units to what it should have spent to make X units, not to what the department should have spent to deliver X-1000 units or X+1000 units etc. The flexible budget provides a better opportunity for planning and controlling than does a static (initial) budget.

Exxon and Mobil Essay -- essays research papers

Exxon and Mobil Exxon and Mobil were two big competitors in the oil industry. In the 20th century, Exxon and Mobil operated with relatively low-price, and in low-margin environments. The market in the United States and Europe have grown and matured, allowing them both to grow with great success. The competitiveness has tightened worldwide in the crude oil business. Both companies have continued to advance new technologies, introducing new marketing innovations. They have extend there reach into high-growth markets. The two companies became more efficient, reduced costs, and increased shareholder’s value by there merge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the merge Exxon Mobil Corporation has grown to be a national giant and major player in the US economy. Their stock in the past six years has nearly doubled from $37.50 and the beginning of the merge. Their business is one that is on the leading edge of technology from there sky-scraper sized drilling platforms to there catalysts that help to produce thousands of consumer products. They produce high performing fuels and lubricants with zero emissions. Their downstream activities are refining and supply of petroleum products. Also Exxon Mobil’s chemical is a global marketer of ole fins, aromatics, fluids, synthetic rubber, polyethylene, polypropylene, oriented polypropylene packing films, plasticizers. Over the years, the Exxon Mobil Corporation have repeatedly earned the ranking of a top-rated Fortune 500 company by flawl...

Five Phases of the Project Lifecycle Essay

Abstract The project lifecycle describes the tasks that must be completed to produce a product or service (NYS Project Management Guidebook, 2003). The Project Lifecycle has been divided into five phases. The first phase of the Project Lifecycle is the Define Phase in which the project concept is evaluated, selected and defined as the solution to a specific need or set of needs. In the second Plan phase, the concept is developed into a practical plan for implementation. The Launch phase of project lifecycle constitutes the third phase. This is a phase in which management activities are carried out to establish clear terms of reference and a clear management structure. The Manage phase of project lifecycle is the penultimate phase in which the implementation plan is executed. The final phase is termed the Close phase in which the project is completed and documented. The deliverables are then handed over to the care and control of the owner. The Five Phases Each phase of the project lifecycle is associated with a number of activities. The number of activities in a project depends on the class of the project and also on the judgment of the project manager. The different activities associated with each phase of the project lifecycle are described below: Define Phase The Define or Initiation Phase is the first phase in the Project Life Cycle and essentially involves starting up the project. A project is initiated by defining its purpose and scope, the justification for initiating it and the solution to be implemented. (MPMM, 2007) Project Request Approval: Approval of the project request formalizes and institutionalizes the project. This activity ensures that only projects that deserve the kind of investment that is envisaged are selected for implementation and executed. It helps in managing the workload of individual departments. In the ideal situation, anyone can make a project request on a prescribed project request form signed by the operating unit head. The project approver evaluates the report on the basis of pre-specified criteria. The output of this activity is in the form of either an approved or a denied project. If the project is approved, a project manager is assigned. Project Overview Statement: The Project Overview Statement (POS) provides the essence of the project. It is a short document that establishes the purpose of the project and its relevance to the organization in terms of the business value that it will provide. The Project Overview Statement identifies the problem which the project addresses and determines the goals and objectives of the project. The effort that would be required in completing the project is estimated, and the assumptions, risks and obstacles are identified. The primary objective of the POS is top impress the importance of the project upon the senior management and to secure its support for the project. Once the management is convinced, the project manager gains the authority to use organizational resources for the project. During the course of the project lifecycle, the POS becomes the point of reference for the project. Business Case: This activity helps to build a case for the project by justifying it as a business need. All the costs and benefits of the project are weighed before taking the decision to investment in the project. Dependencies, fund requirements and risks are identified. A cost-benefit analysis is undertaken. Project Governance: In this activity the roles and the activities of the different team members and stakeholders are identified and fixed. The decision making hierarchy and structure of the project are defined. Escalation procedures are also drawn up. Management Approval for next phase: This activity concentrates on acquiring the approval of the management to move to the next planning phase of the project. Each phase of the project lifecycle constitutes of a transition activity to move into the next phase. In this activity, the senior management analyzes status report and feedbacks from customers. The senior management together with the project manager then takes a decision whether the project should move into the next phase or not. This activity ensures that projects that are found unworthy or not feasible are rejected early in the lifecycle. Plan Phase The focal point of this phase is developing the project scope into a stable project plan, which will be later used to guide the project through the project life cycle and fulfill the business requirements (Hinds IT Management). Start-off meeting: This is the kick-off meeting in which the project manager sets guidelines for project execution, reviews the Project Overview Statement and lays down the expectations from the project team. Timelines, approach, assumptions and constraints are discussed in this meeting. There is a conscious effort to dispel any doubts that team members may harbor. The minutes of this meeting is documented. Project Approach: The objective of this activity is to define a solution for the project and to identify the method to deliver the solution. An implementation approach to meet the project goals is developed. Policies and standards are laid down. This activity also validates the planning activities required. Various methods in which the project objectives can be achieved are evaluated and the best adopted. Components from other projects that can be applied in the project under consideration are identified. A rationale is provided for the adoption of the particular project approach. The project approach is documented. Quality Strategy: The quality strategy to be adopted for the project is determined. The project manager and his team decide which Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities will be carried out during the course of the project lifecycle. A list of Quality Assurance and Quality Control activities is developed. Work Breakdown Structure: The project is broken down and decomposed into smaller components of activity units, sub tasks and work packages. This enables the manager to estimate the duration of the project more objectively, determine the resources that would be required and also work out a schedule for project execution. It provides the management with enhanced control. A work break down structure evolves out of this activity. This activity is an element of the work plan. Time and Cost Estimate: The time and cost for each task is estimated depending upon the resources available and capability. The time and cost estimate that is drawn up becomes an input for the work plan. Schedule Development: This activity documents the various tasks that need to be executed during the course of the project lifecycle and then assigns responsibilities and establishes timelines for the tasks. Dependencies between various tasks are highlighted. Resources are assigned to the tasks, quality reviews and testing are planned. This activity ensures that the project is completed on time and that the business aspect of the overview statement is addressed. Once the overall schedule is available, the project manager is responsible for monitoring the progress closely. The deliverable of this activity is the work plan. Risk Management Strategy Plan: This activity develops a complete plan for handling risks pertaining to the project. It defines how risks will be identified, who will do so and at what frequency risks will be identified. It adopts a risk monitoring toll, sets the risk escalation matrix and defines how to handle issues with high risk probability. The roles and responsibilities for the risk management process are accorded. Communications Management Plan: This plan is developed to ensure flow of required information to all team members. Access methodologies are worked out, information is categorized according to target groups and overall communication systems defined. Issue Management Plan: An issue management process is defined in this activity. The objective of the activity is to ensure that issues are identified, evaluated and assigned for resolution. An issue log is documented and tracked. Quality Assurance Plan: This plan is implemented to validate that the major activities and processes are completed with an acceptable level of quality. Acceptance criteria for deliverables, quality assurance activities, in-process control plans, and quality-related responsibilities are defined. Frequency of project plan reviews, frequency of receiving and sending status reports, and frequency of checking for process improvements are determined. Resource Plan: This plan is developed to determine the resources that will be required during the various phases of the Project Lifecycle. It also takes into consideration the need training programs or other value-addition processes. The type and amount of resources needed are determined. The estimated output, availability, and cost of the resources are determined. Procurement Plan: This plan draws up the procurement strategy. The scope and type of products and services that are to be procured are outlined. Procurement responsibilities are fixed and assigned. Vendor evaluation criteria and approval procedures are set. Operational Transfer Plan: This activity ensures the smooth activation of the project. Installation processes and related roles and responsibilities are identified. Pre-requisites for smooth rollout of processes are tracked and planned for. Stephenson et. al. (2000) in the Mars Climate Orbiter Mishap Investigation Board puts high importance on this activity. Referring to NASA operations it states that â€Å"close attention should be paid from project outset to the plan for transition between development and operations. Adequate systems engineering staffing, particularly a mission systems engineer, should be in place to provide a bridge during the transition between development and operations, and also to support risk management trade studies.† Integrated Project Plan: This activity enables proper co-ordination of the project. Roles and responsibilities are identified. Reviews are planned; all aspects of the project are examined to ensure that all relevant factors are taken into consideration. Team Assignment: Team assignment is done to ensure that individuals with appropriate skills are assigned to the relevant group and area of work. The Project Manager balances resource availability with the Work Plan. Work packages are defined and assigned and any questions and conflicts regarding work packages are resolved. Management Approval for next Phase: Management approval is given for the next phase based on analyses of status reports and feedbacks. Planning takes a lot of patience. A traditional mistake is to leap before one is ready. When there is pressure to deliver, the temptation is to ‘get the ball rolling’ (Jenkins, 2006). Launch Phase Initial Meeting: The project manager informs the team members of the ground rules of the project, the working style, the communication plan and the escalation process for conflict resolution. The minutes of the meeting is documented for reference. Initial Risk Identification: Risks are identified and categorized during the course of this activity. For each risk identified, the risk event is assessed in terms of likelihood of occurrence and its effect on project objectives if it were to occur. The objective is to ensure that the entire team is involved in the identification of risks for the project. This ensures that all perspectives are taken into account while planning for risks. Team Readiness: This activity consists of preparing each member of the team to handle the roles and responsibilities that has been assigned to the person. Training programs, workshops and seminars are organized for skill and knowledge updating. Key goals are identified for each team member. Within the team, each role is accountable for the activities necessary to achieve its own quality goal (Microsoft, 2002). Manage Phase The project plan is executed in the Manage Phase. The primary purpose of project management during this phase is to monitor, evaluate and communicate project progress and to define and implement corrective measures if progress does not meet the expectations defined in the Project Plan (Heinsights, 2003). This phase comprises the following activities: Performance Tracking and Reporting: The overall objective is to track the progress of the project and to ensure that the project is progressing at a satisfactory rate. Cost, time, scope and quality are tracked along with actual accomplishments and results. All persons associated with the project are provided access to the progress records. Team meetings are held to exchange information. The status of the project is reported to the relevant stakeholders. Weekly status reports and tracked project schedules are the outcomes of this activity. Schedule Control: The objective of this activity is to ensure that tasks are executed as per the Work Plan so that the deadline for the project can be met. If there is any possibility of delays, the relevant stakeholders are informed.   The project manager tracks the various tasks in a project by exchanging task status information with team members and then incorporating the latest status information into the project Work Plan. If the any task, schedule or resource information changes, the Project Manager communicates the revised Work Plan to the project team. The outcome of this activity is the tracked work plan. Change Control: However meticulous the planning may have been, all projects need to accommodate changes. The objective of this activity is to ensure that all changes to scope are documented and authorized by the relevant stakeholders.   Any change to the scope is communicated to the project manager. Change requests are put up to the project manager who approves or denies the request in consultation with the management. Cost Control: This activity ensures that the project cost adheres as closely as possible to the budgeted cost. Since costs are agreed upon at the beginning by the sponsors, the project manager has to monitor the costs and report any deviation of project cost from the budget cost to the sponsor or customer. A status report documents project costs in the various phases of the project. Quality Assurance and Control: This process comprises project reviews, product reviews, code reviews, testing, and any other process that the Project Manager might think necessary. Defects are identified, and categorized. Root causes are analyzed. This activity is carried out with the objective of ensuring that the project team meets the project requirements in terms of all requisite quality criteria. Monitoring and Controlling consists of those processes performed to observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary, to control the execution of the project (Wikipedia, 2008). Procurement Management: The objective is to ensure adherence to the procurement plan and procedures so that the selection procedure is fair and the quality of supplies and services are acceptable. Risk Management: Risk management follows the Risk Management Plan that was adopted in the Plan Phase. The management monitors all risks with a risk exposure over the threshold limit. Risk mitigation strategies are planned and contingency plans are developed. The Risk Matrix is revisited at an appropriate frequency. Information Distribution: This activity ensures that all parties concerned have easy access to relevant information in accordance with the information sharing plan. All relevant information needs to be communicated to the appropriate parties at the right time and in the appropriate format. Time Tracking and Management: This activity is concerned with the logging of all time spent on the project. Time spent is tracked at a project level, and analyzed at an organizational level. The output is in the form of time sheets and variance reports. Management Approval for next phase: Management approval is given for the next phase based on analyses of status reports and feedbacks. Close Phase This consists of bringing the project to an orderly end: formalizing and communicating the acceptance or conclusion of a project, handing over to the ongoing accountable area, completing an Activity Completion Report and, for major projects, holding a post implementation review (QUT, 2008) Transition to Production: The Operational Transfer Plan is carried out after the required checks are done. This activity ensures that all planned testing is carried out, all customer requirements are met and that the product is fully operational. Customer acceptance of the product is ensured before commencing production. Wrap-up Meeting: This final meeting is again called by the project manager to take stock of everything that has happened in the course of the project. Lessons Learned: Lessons learned during the project are documented and incorporated in the knowledge base for future use. The ‘lessons learned’ document is developed and deposited in the knowledge base. Administrative Closure: The Project Manager ensures that the project is approved and accepted by the relevant stakeholders. All documentation and records are reviewed, organized and archived. Backups are taken. Resources are released and the project is closed. This activity marks the final closure of the project. References -01 Heinsights, 2003, Project Management Lifecycle, Development Standard. Hinds IT Management, Project Management Life Cycl, Lilla Nyby; Valmerdalen, Sweden. Jenkins, N., 2006, A Project Management Primer, Creative Commons, California, USA. Microsoft Solutions Framework, 2002, White Paper, MSF Project Management Discipline. MPMM, 2007, Project Management Life Cycle, [Online] Available http://www.mpmm.com/project-management-methodology.php [March 1, 2008] NYS Project Management Guidebook, 2003, Project Management Lifecycle, [Online] Available. http://www.oft.state.ny.us/pmmp/guidebook2/Origination.pdf [March 1, 2008]    QUT, 2008, Project Phases, [Online] Available. http://www.its.qut.edu.au/pp/framework/pmfphases/   [March 1, 2008] Stephenson, A., G., Mulville, D., R., Bauer, F., H., Dukeman, G., A., Norvig, P., LaPiana, L., S., Rutledge, P., J., Folta, D., Sackheim, R., 2000, Report on Project Management in NASA, Mars Climate Orbiter Mishap Investigation Board Wikipedia, 2008, Project Management, [Online] Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management   [March 1, 2008]   

Understanding Japanese Writing in Spirited Away

Understanding Japanese Writing in Spirited Away Hayao Miyazakis critically acclaimed movie Spirited Away (Ã¥ Æ'㠁 ¨Ã¥ Æ'Ã¥ °â€¹Ã£  ®Ã§ ¥Å¾Ã©Å¡  Ã£ â€") won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film at the 75th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. It tells the story of 10-year-old Chihiro, who is accidentally thrown into another dimension, a spirit world. While working at a bathhouse catering to spirits and gods, she tries to rescue her parents from a spell that transformed them into pigs. It is the highest grossing film in Japanese box-office history, surpassing Titanic. When it was shown on TV in January 2013, it had the highest audience rating ever for a movie. 46.2% of households in Japan tuned in. Reading subtitles would distract viewers from the amazing visuals, and the English dubbed version features a voice cast and translators who did their jobs with sensitivity. Although the overall atmosphere of the film endures, Spirited Away is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, so something gets lost in translation for viewers who miss out on the sounds of Japanese in the original Japanese dialogue. Understanding the Japanese language a little better can help you better appreciate certain aspects of the film. Understanding the Japanese Title The Japanese title is Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi. Sen (Ã¥ Æ') and Chihiro (Ã¥ Æ'Ã¥ °â€¹) are the names. To (㠁 ¨) is a particle which connects nouns. It translates into and. Kami (ç ¥Å¾) means god or spirit, and kakushi (éš  Ã£ â€") is the noun form of the verb kakusu (to hide). Kamikakushi (ç ¥Å¾Ã©Å¡  Ã£ â€") means hidden by spirits, hence the English wordplay of Spirited Away. How Does Chihiro Become Sen? When Chihiro is forced into slave labor at the bathhouse which Yubaba rules, she writes down her name, Ogino Chihiro (è  »Ã©â€¡Å½Ã¥ Æ'Ã¥ °â€¹) in the contract. (In Japanese the family name comes first.) Yubaba steals three characters from her name. The one character left (the third one) becomes her new name. The reading of this kanji character is sen (Ã¥ Æ') as well as chi. Translating Significant Japanese Characters The character written on the curtain at the front gate of the bathhouse is the hiragana yu. It means bath. The kanji character for yu is also seen on the chimney of the bathhouse. The bathhouse is called Aburaya (æ ² ¹Ã¥ ±â€¹). (Abura means oil, and ya is the suffix used for a store.) The kanji sign Aburaya is seen above the gate of the bathhouse. The flag on the bathhouse also has the kanji character for abura (æ ² ¹). The Theme Song, Itsumo Nandodemo Here are the lyrics of the theme song â€Å"Itsumo Nandodemo (㠁„㠁 ¤Ã£â€šâ€šÃ¤ ½â€¢Ã¥ º ¦Ã£  §Ã£â€šâ€š) for the movie. â€Å"Itsumo† means â€Å"always,† amd â€Å"nandodemo† means â€Å"any numbers of times.† å‘ ¼Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€¹ èÆ' ¸Ã£  ®Ã£  ©Ã£ â€œÃ£ â€¹Ã¥ ¥ ¥Ã£  §yondeiru mune no dokoka oku de 㠁„㠁 ¤Ã£â€šâ€šÃ¥ ¿Æ'è º Ã£â€šâ€¹ Ã¥ ¤ ¢Ã£â€šâ€™Ã¨ ¦â€¹Ã£ Å¸Ã£ â€žitsumo kokoro odoru yume o mitai 㠁‹ã  ªÃ£ â€"㠁 ¿Ã£  ¯ æ• °Ã£ Ë†Ã£  Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ªÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€˜Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ©kanashimi wa kazoekirenai keredo 㠁 Ã£  ®Ã¥ â€˜Ã£ â€œÃ£ â€ Ã£  §Ã£  Ã£  £Ã£  ¨ 㠁‚㠁 ªÃ£ Å¸Ã£  «Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã£ Ë†Ã£â€šâ€¹sono mukou de kitto anata ni aeru ç ¹ °Ã£â€šÅ Ã¨ ¿â€Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šâ€žÃ£  ¾Ã£  ¡Ã£  ® 㠁 Ã£  ®Ã£ Å¸Ã£  ³ 㠁 ²Ã£  ¨Ã£  ¯kurikaesu ayamachi no sonotabi hito wa 㠁Ÿã   Ã© â€™Ã£ â€žÃ§ © ºÃ£  ® é â€™Ã£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€™Ã§Å¸ ¥Ã£â€šâ€¹tada aoi sora no aosa o shiru æžÅ"㠁 ¦Ã£ â€"㠁 ªÃ£   é â€œÃ£  ¯Ã§ ¶Å¡Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¦Ã¨ ¦â€¹Ã£ Ë†Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã£ â€˜Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ©hateshinaku michi wa tsuzuite mieru kedo 㠁“㠁 ®Ã¤ ¸ ¡Ã¦â€°â€¹Ã£  ¯ 光をæŠ ±Ã£ â€˜Ã£â€šâ€¹kono ryoute wa hikari o dakeru 㠁•ã‚ˆã  ªÃ£â€šâ€°Ã£  ®Ã£  ¨Ã£  Ã£  ® é â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£  ªÃ¨Æ' ¸sayonara no toki no shizukana mune ã‚ ¼Ã£Æ' ­Ã£  «Ã£  ªÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã£ â€¹Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£   Ã£ Å' è€ ³Ã£â€šâ€™Ã£ â„¢Ã£  ¾Ã£ â€ºÃ£â€šâ€¹zero ni naru karada ga mimi o sumaseru 生㠁 Ã£  ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã¤ ¸ Ã¦â‚¬ Ã¨ ­ ° æ ­ »Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â€žÃ£  Ã¤ ¸ Ã¦â‚¬ Ã¨ ­ °ikiteiru fushigi shindeiku fushigi èŠ ±Ã£â€šâ€šÃ© ¢ ¨Ã£â€šâ€šÃ¨ ¡â€"ã‚‚ 㠁 ¿Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ªÃ£ Å Ã£  ªÃ£ Ëœhana mo kaze mo arashi mo minna onaji

History of WD-40

History of WD-40 If youve ever used WD-40 to oil up something squeaky in your home, you may have wondered, just what does WD-40 stand for? Well, according to the company that makes WD-40, WD-40 literally stands forWater Displacement 40th   attempt. Thats the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who helped develop WD-40 back in 1953. Norman  Larsen  was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion, a task which is done by displacing water. Norms persistence paid off when he perfected the formula for WD-40 on his 40th try. Rocket Chemical Company WD-40 was invented by the three founders of the Rocket Chemical Company of San Diego, California. The team of inventors was working on a line of industrial rust-prevention solvents and degreasers for use in the aerospace industry. Today, it  is manufactured by the San Diego, California-based WD-40 Company. WD-40 was first used to protect the outer skin of the Atlas Missile from rust and corrosion. When it was discovered to have many household uses, Larsen repackaged WD-40 into aerosol cans for consumer use and the product was sold to the general public in 1958. In 1969, the Rocket Chemical Company was renamed after its only product WD-40. Interesting Uses for WD-40 Two of the craziest purposes for WD-40 include a bus driver in Asia who used WD-40 to remove a python snake which had coiled itself around the undercarriage of his bus and police officers who used WD-40 to remove a naked burglar trapped in an air conditioning vent. Ingredients WD-40s main ingredients as supplied in aerosol cans, according to the U.S.  Material Safety Data Sheet  information, are: 50% aliphatic hydrocarbons. The manufacturers website claims this ratio in the current formulation cannot accurately be described as  Stoddard solvent, a similar mixture of hydrocarbons.25%  petroleum  base oil. Presumably, mineral oil  or light lubricating oil.12–18% low  vapor pressure  aliphatic hydrocarbon. Reduces the liquids viscosity so that it can be used in aerosols. The hydrocarbon evaporates during application.2–3% carbon dioxide. A propellant which is now used instead of the original  liquefied petroleum gas  to reduce WD-40s flammability.10% inert ingredients.​ The long-term active ingredient is a non-volatile viscous oil which remains on the surface to which it is applied, giving lubrication and protection from moisture.​ The oil is diluted with a volatile hydrocarbon to make a low viscosity fluid which can be aerosolized to penetrate crevices. The volatile hydrocarbon then evaporates, leaving behind the oil. A propellant (originally a low-molecular-weight hydrocarbon, now carbon dioxide) creates pressure in the can to force the liquid through the cans nozzle before evaporating. Its properties make it useful in both domestic and commercial settings. Typical uses for WD-40 include removing dirt and removing stubborn screws and bolts. It can also be used to loosen stuck zippers and displace moisture. Due to its lightness (i.e. low viscosity), WD-40 is not always the preferred oil for certain tasks. Applications that require higher viscosity oils may use  motor oils. Those requiring a mid-range oil could use  honing oil.

Current and Projected Situation in Bosnia- Herzegovina Essay

Current and Projected Situation in Bosnia- Herzegovina - Essay Example The armed conflict in Bosnia between 1992 and 1995 is rather long and arduous to explain, but an attempt will be made here. Basically, Serbians were funding their own armed forces, which the Croats were doing as well. Bosnian government forces were also involved. The three opposing sides switched loyalties several times during the course of the war. Since friction had been brewing for a long time in the area, there was much unrest over whether this conflict could be considered a civil war or not. Research suggests that there were at least 100,000 people who were killed. Not only this, but there were almost 2 million people who were displaced as a cause of this war. The casualties that were recorded by percentages included Bosniaks, or Bosnian Muslims, at roughly 65%. Serbs constituted about a fourth of those killed, while Croats only represented about 10% of those killed. Obviously, the Muslims were those who were most affected. Systematic rape was common, which happened to several thousand people, a third of whom were women and children. According to intelligence figures, an almost overwhelming majority of the war crimes committed in this conflict were done by Serbian people. Genocide was committed both by the Serbs and the Croats, while Bosniaks were charged with the lesser crime of breaking rules in the Geneva Convention. The war in Bosnia started as a result of the disintegration of the Republic of Yugoslavia. Slobodan MiloÃ… ¡ević, who was elected President of Serbia in 1989, was originally born in Yugoslavia. He is widely thought to have incited violence through the proffering of Serbian nationalism. However, at the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia), it was often debated as to what crimes he should have been prosecuted for, as it was argued by some writers and reporters that he hadn't really had as significant a role in the war as some people argued. Some people argued that Miloevi was a butcher, that he incited the wars that were in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, and the disputed territory of Kosovo. Others yet claim that Miloevi did not do anything more wrong than some of the other people at fault for similar crimes in the Bosnian War. This is what is going to be analyzed forthwith, is what the roles of each ethnic group in the conflict were. Obviously, they probably would change several times during the course of the war. It is also obvious that this war was filled with genocide. Although Noam Chomsky wrote a scathing report about people who are "worthy victims" and

The Expert Witness Controversy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Expert Witness Controversy - Essay Example One of the initial problems with expert testimony is that it is used by both the prosecution and the defense. The two experts must necessarily be at opposition in an effort to help their side's case and one of them must be wrong. This is further complicated by the vast number of "Expert Testimony Services" that have cropped up in recent years as lawyers and investigators pursue an expert-for-hire strategy. Some of these firms have been criticized for advertising that they will be paid only if they win the case. This is contrary to science and removes the neutrality of the scientific method. This attitude extends itself into the prosecution as government and police labs exaggerate claims or suppress evidence. In the case of Bromgard vs. Montana, Jimmy Ray Bromgard was convicted of raping an 8 year old girl based on a forensics expert who testified that the hair found at the scene had only a 1 in 10000 chance of not being Bromgard's. This expert testimony was fraudulent as there were n o means to statistically match hairs through microscopic inspection. Another problem with expert testimony enters the courtroom by way of new technology that may be unproven and unreliable. Termed "junk science", it is sometimes used by the defense to instill reasonable doubt, and more often by the prosecution to sway a jury in their favor. The 1993 case of Daubert vs. Merrill Dow Pharmaceutical set strict guidelines that lower courts must use to determine the admissibility of scientific evidence. It mandated that expert testimony be proven valid, reliable, peer reviewed, and generally accepted by the scientific community (Junk science, 2005). However, as new technology arises, it finds its way into court cases and is only upheld or overturned after years of appeal. When first introduced, fingerprint enhancement was labeled by defense attorneys as "...junk science, unreliable, and easily manipulated" (DeMarzo, 2003). Though the appeals process eventually upheld this technique, it runs the risk of alienating a jury and may result in a guilty verdict be ing overturned on appeal. The American Medical Association has been proactive in protecting the credibility of its profession by setting standards for medical testimony. In 1998 they adopted a policy that states, "... expert witness testimony is the practice of medicine subject to peer review" (Reardon, 1998). Medical malpractice suits and the questionable ethics of a Doctor receiving a contingency fee upon winning the case should arouse a sense of trouble in all involved. Expert testimony as it pertains to psychiatry is equally as troublesome as was seen in the case of John Hinkly. More recently, the case of Andrea Yates was overturned and ordered a new trial because of inaccurate testimony given by a leading forensic psychiatrist for the prosecution (Hausman, 2005). Further complicating the case was the controversial "Postpartum