Saturday, August 31, 2019

John Donnes’ “A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning” Essay

In the poem â€Å"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning†, by John Donne, the speaker is consoling his lover who is mournful of the speaker’s imminent departure. The speaker is saying that since they have stronger than ordinary love for one another, their love will endure the separation. Donne uses metaphysical conceits and comparative imagery to illustrate the crux of the poem. The speaker is reassuring his lover by reminding her of how great their love is; it transcends the physical and therefore will overcome whatever obstacle is set on their path. He is forbidding his lover to mourn his departure. In the first half of the poem the speaker contrasts their love between that of spiritual and material objects; the inferior actions of the earth compared to those of the heavenly â€Å"spheres† (11). He is trying to prove to his lover how their love is not of the ordinary kind; it is more than simple affection. He compares their love to that of pure gold saying â€Å"let us melt, and make no noise† (5). Pure gold, when melted, does not spatter, it melts down smoothly. Therefore he is saying that if there love was gold it would make no noise for their love is that of the purest kind. The speaker then says that earthly things â€Å"[bring] harm and fears† (9) but since their love is above earthly matters, they should consequently not be afraid of parting. The speaker feels that there should be no grieving and exaggerates his lovers anguish, telling her there should be â€Å"no tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests† (6). The narrator talks of â€Å"dull sublunary lovers†¦whose [souls are] sense'† (13/14); these lesser couples’ love is based upon the five senses. He is saying that love cannot be simply based upon these senses, which are purely physical. Love has to transcend the physical to be pure and their love does. The speakers tone then turns comforting by saying that they both know that their love is more than physical therefore they should be at ease. A physical separation is ensuing but not an emotional one: their love will endure. He describes their â€Å"two souls†¦which are one† (21). He says that their separation will not be a â€Å"breach but an expansion† (24) of their love; their souls are united and cannot be separated by whatever forces shall come in their way. He continues to develop the image between their love and pure gold by saying that through this separation their souls will simply spread  apart â€Å"to aery thinness† (24) but never separate (as does pure gold when flattened). Donne compares the couple to a geometrical compass, a metaphor which carries two significant meanings. The first being the idea of a compass being two separate entities, two feet, which are attached but not always together. He says that the compass is them, separate beings but still united as one, by their soul. One foot of the compass will stay as the other moves around and away, and the stationary foot â€Å"hearkens after it† (31) but is unable join the other. The speaker is making the point that not matter how far one of them may travel they will always complete the circle and eventually return to the beginning. The compass also portrays their love as a circle. A circle is an image of perfection: never ending and continuing for eternity as is their love. The speaker is saying that no matter how far apart they may travel they will always come back to one another. He may travel far but he will   [draw] his circle just, and†¦ end, where [he] began† (36). The speaker described before how their love transcends the physical, it is deeper than sex and arousal of the senses. In the final stanzas though, the speaker addresses all the factors of any healthy relationship. The speaker says that his â€Å"compass foot†, as it draws nearer home, grows â€Å"erect† (32), an allusion to the sexual component of their relationship. Despite the awesome power of an emotionally based relationship there is still a strong a physical aspect. He misses her with his soul but also physically yearns for her. This poem is written to comfort a lover. Donne opens with comparative images of the physical and earthly, saying that the sentiment between the two lovers is more than earthly love. He then uses metaphysical conceits, comparisons of unrelated objects–the physical and the spiritual–to further emphasize his point. The two compasses, no matter how far apart they travel will always return to the other. If one is truly in love then physical separation does not matter; if anything it will only strengthen the union. The feelings between the speaker and his lover are greater than common love, therefore they can endure the separation; the speaker’s departure should not  be mourned.

A Solution For South African Energy Crisis Environmental Sciences Essay

This study investigates assorted sustainable energy beginnings in order to set up which beginning would be most dependable to run into the electricity demand of South Africa. Hydro-energy, air current energy, ocean current energy and solar energy were studied. Although an substructure already exist, for air current energy the study concludes that solar energy would be the most dependable renewable energy beginning. Modern societies across the Earth are dependent on the handiness of dependable electricity supply for the care of human and economical activities. Worldwide people are hence progressively concerned about the handiness and the sustainability of energy beginnings for the coevals of electricity. Presently in South Africa the topic â€Å" sustainable energy † is besides high on the docket. This study will look into the place of electricity supply in South Africa and the possible solution that sustainable energy beginnings might keep for South Africa. This study will foremost give a historical overview of the origin and the development of the electricity supply industry in South Africa. Then it will look briefly at the complex inquiries that electricity providers have to face. Finally the assorted types of sustanable energy applicable to South Africa, viz. hydroenergy, air current energy, ocean current energy and solar energy will be discussed.2 Historic overviewThe history of the origin and development of the Southern African electricity supply industry is a absorbing topic. The proficient challenges, the interaction with Industry every bit good as political leaders is non new, but has been portion of electricity from the exchanging on of the first street visible radiations on the African continent in Kimberley on 1 September 1882, three yearss before the launching of the first commercial power station in New York. The history of sustainable energy in South Africa is in fact longer than most people would conceive of. Already in 1895 there were attempts to tap the hydro-energy potency of the Victoria Waterfalls. In 1895, forty old ages after Livingstone had discovered the Victoria Falls, Professor George Forbes arrived in Southern Africa. He was the interior decorator of the Niagara Falls Hydroelectric Power Station, which was at that clip the largest power strategy in the universe. With the Victoria Falls, non merely every bit broad as Niagara, but with dual the tallness, he could non neglect to be impressed by its possible as a hydroelectric strategy to provide the Witwatersrand with an abundant and inexpensive supply of electricity. Although the chief obstruction came in the signifier of the 1 000 kilometer distance over which the power had to be transmitted, a subordinate called the African Concession Syndicate was created in 1901. This mob was granted the exclusive right to tackle the Zambezi River for present and future hydroelectric power strategies. In malice of these readyings, the usage of H2O in the coevals of electricity would merely come much later ( Conradie & A ; Messerschmidt, 2000 ) .3 The complexnesss of electricity systemsDuring the argument in the media around the current crisis a few affairs became clear. First, it is non widely understood that electricity can non be stored and in the instance of renewable energy beginnings, that becomes a major challenge. The 2nd complexness that was ( and still is ) non widely understood, is the complex workings of the electricity supply. The coevals of electricity from power Stationss which are largely situated in the northern inside of the sub-continent and conveyed to the client by manner of 28 000 kilometer of high electromotive force and 250 000 kilometer of lower electromotive force lines, is besides hard to understand. The reconciliation of changing supply and demand requires the changeless attending of the National Control Centre and if the demand outstrips the supply, it is possible to see entire electromotive force prostration, similar to the state of affairs in the north eastern American continent on 14 August 2003 when the consecutive tripping of power lines by trees under power lines in three different countries lead to a electromotive force prostration of the transmittal system. This plunged big metropoliss like New York and Washington in partial darkness and metropoliss like Toronto in entire darkness. The full Restoration of the power system took about a hebdomad to finish. The term â€Å" burden casting † ( besides non understood by most ) is used to denote the sloughing of burden or electricity demand in order to forestall the 50 Hz frequence from dropping excessively low, ensuing in under-frequency tripping of power Stationss and entire electromotive force prostration.4 Sustainable energyFor many old ages South Africa has been, and still is, bring forthing some of the cheapest electricity in the universe. This was mostly due to the handiness of really inexpensive low class coal. With the lifting demand in the remainder of the universe for that coal, South Africans will decidedly experience the pinch. Because of this state of affairs the natural response is to look at pull offing the demand for electricity every bit good as investigate renewable energy beginnings. As can be seen in Figure 1, a figure of sustainable energy beginnings have been identified in the universe. These beginnings can be classified harmonizing to the type of energy they produce. The challenge for South Africa is to use those beginnings most fitting for the fortunes here. Figure 1: Sustainable energy beginnings identified worldwide ( Beginning: Renewable energy. The possible and the restrictions. 2008. [ Online ] . Available: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fraw.org.uk. [ 2009, December 15 ] . ) Two chief issues need to be considered when looking at the viability of alternate energy beginnings. The first is of class the proficient feasibleness of the undertaking. The 2nd is the cost at which electricity can be produced by the alternate beginning.5 HydroenergyOne of the most obvious renewable beginnings is hydroenergy. In many states, particularly in the Northern hemisphere, many electrical public-service corporations produce power in this manner. In the instance of South Africa, the state does non hold big rivers that can be used to bring forth electricity with.6 Current usage of hydroenergy in South AfricaAt this phase Eskom operates a figure of pump storage strategies that pump H2O into keeping dikes during off-peak periods and usage that to bring forth power during extremum periods. As such this is non a renewable beginning as it uses electricity from dodo fuelled power Stationss for pumping H2O.7 The Congo river as the energy provider for Southern AfricaOne instead ambit ious undertaking that Eskom is presently involved in is to use the hydroenergy from the Congo River. Harmonizing to its inaugural one-year study, the Western Power Corridor ( PTY ) Ltd ( Westcor ) ( 2008 ) proposes to tap the rich, big graduated table renewable hydroresources of the Western, Central and Eastern Corridor of Southern Africa finally. When to the full tapped, the magnitudes will transcend 100GW. This joint venture between the take parting national state-owned electricity companies of Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia and South Africa was signed on 7 September 2005 in Gabarone, Botswana. Harmonizing to Mr E Nelumba, Chairman of the Shareholders Steering Committee, Westcor was formed to develop the Western Power Corridor which includes the development of the 3 500 MW tally of river hydroelectric power works at Inga 3 in the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) . It will besides build power transmittal systems to incorporate with the national grids of the participating every bit good as the remainder of southern Africa. The concluding aspiration is to bring forth 10 000 MW at Inga 3. The Congo River has an estimated 100 000 MW capacity with 40 000 M3s per second and all possible sites are under examination to finally make the end of 50 000 MW of Grand Inga. This is larger than the sum installed capacity of the full Eskom system. Angola has besides indicated that their exploitable hydroelectric potency is about 18 000 MW of which merely 810 MW is presently used. One of the great challenges of this undertaking remains the transmittal of the power to the chief clients in the South. In order to reassign the power faithfully and economically it would be necessary to run the 4 000 kilometer power lines at electromotive force between 600 kilovolts and 1000 kilovolt. The engineering to be able to make this is still in its babyhood and is the topic of current research. To add to the quandary the environment that the proposed lines will track includes countries with some of the highest happening of veld fires and these have the ability to do breaks to the flow of power.8 Wind energyThe usage of air current as an energy beginning is likely one of the best known signifiers of renewable energy and successful commercial operations have been around for a long piece. Harmonizing to the IngenierbAA?ro fAA?r neue Energien air current coevals in Germany sums to 39 500 GWh ( Power in Europe, 2008 ) . This accounts for more than half of the renewable energy in that state. The universe ‘s entire installed capacity of air current generators was 94 GW at the terminal of 2007 ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) .9 Wind turbines in usage presentlyEskom commissioned three wind turbines between August 2002 and February 2003 at its Klipheuwel site North of Cape Town. Two Danish turbines and one French turbine, with a combined capacity of 3.16 MW, were installed to enable Eskom to compare the different design and operational features. To day of the month the installation has generated more than 15 GWh, which was fed into the grid at the Klipheuwel 11 kV/66kV substation ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) . The single power, responsibility rhythm and cost features of each of the turbines are being collected in a engineering matrix that will finally incorporate a suite of Renewable Energy engineering options, with air current being the first. The tower dynamic features and quiver status supervising baseline measurings every bit good as the interaction between the grid and the generators have already been done. The production analysis will be used in the future selling of green energy ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) .10 Variability in available energyAs with other signifiers of renewable energy, the variableness in the available energy is an issue that concerns the developers of these systems. Wind is no exclusion and in this instance an accurate finding of air current climatologies is required, based on several old ages of air current informations. A well-known survey carried out by Geernaert et Al ( 1988 ) used information of a 109 old ages ( between 1873 and 1982 ) and showed that fluctuations of up to 30 % from the average value can be expected from one decennary to the following. This information is important if it is considered that the installation may hold a lifetime of 20 old ages and longer. The available air current energy is of class besides influenced by topographical factors every bit good as variableness in air current speed due to height fluctuations. This makes the pick of the appropriate site a really of import issue.11 The hereafter of air current energyWith the valuable research done at Klipheuwel the hereafter for air current coevals seems bright. Eskom announced the building of a 100 MW installation on the West Coast close to Koekenaap in 2007. The EIA and commercial activities are good underway and building is planned to get down tardily in 2008. The installation will dwell of approximately 50 units runing between 1.5 to 2.5 MW and will be integrated into the 132 kilovolt system at Eskom ‘s Juno or Koekenaap substations. Based on the variableness d iscussed above and an energy use factor of 26 % , the installation is expected to bring forth 2 28G Wh per annum ( Smit et Al, 2008 ) . Based on old experience the building of the installation will take about one twelvemonth to finish.12 Ocean current energyThe energy fluxes of the oceans have attracted the attending of applied scientists for a long clip and include the assorted signifiers.13 Continual moving ridge gestureThe continual moving ridge gesture that can power coevals devices. One illustration is the US $ 29.5m experimental installation of Scots Power at the Orkney Islands ( Power in Europe, 2008 ) . The Pelamis system consists of four elephantine metal â€Å" sausages † , each 450 m long, bobbing on the moving ridges and each bring forthing 750 KW by turning the gesture into electricity via the pumping of hydraulic fluid through the articulations. By some estimations Scotland should be able to bring forth every bit much as 1 300 MW by 2020.14 Tidal energyThe gravi tative forces of the Sun and Moon consequence in the surface of the sea changing by about 2 m. This consequence can be amplified by up to 11 m due to the effects of bays and channels. It is this energy that is used by systems such as the tidal energy works at La Range in France with a capacity of 240 MW.15 Salinity differencesAlthough the salt differences between the ocean H2O and fresh overflow represent differences in chemical potency which may be harnessed through a suited membrane, this has merely been demonstrated on a little graduated table.16 Thermal differencesThe thermic differences between surface and deep H2O can be every bit much as 15 grades and a heat engine can be used to bring forth power. This construct, referred to as Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion ( OTEC ) has, nevertheless, a thermodynamic efficiency of merely 8 % and Eskom is presently measuring the usage of cold deep H2O as a coolant for coastal power Stationss, where its efficiency will be higher.17 Fast flux ing ocean currentsThe fast flowing western boundary ocean currents can hold speeds of up to 2.5 m/s which could supply a beginning of comparatively high power denseness for power coevals although there are no commercial undertakings presently under development. Eskom is actively involved in research on this topic.18 Energy denseness of H2OBecause the energy denseness of a medium is straight relative to its denseness and is a map of the speed cubed, the energy denseness for H2O is far higher compared to weave at comparable speeds. The denseness of H2O is about two orders of magnitude higher than that of air. This means that an ocean current is far more fecund as a resource compared to onshore air current. Due to the rough environment demands on an ocean current generator, it is assumed that for a commercially feasible undertaking, the energy denseness should be dual of that required of air current. This implies that currents with speeds of at least 1,5 m/s need to be found.19 Solar e nergySouthern Africa has over many old ages used the copiousness of sunlight to market the state as â€Å" Sunny South Africa † . It is hence non surprising that this signifier of energy is regarded by some as the chief beginning that can significantly act upon Eskom ‘s supply side.20 Solar panelsThe work about solar panels both photovoltaic and solar H2O warmers are good known and late Prof Vivian Alberts of the University of Johannesburg announced a discovery in the production of a new photovoltaic panel that will be up to 50 % cheaper than anything else on the market ( Venter, 2007 ) .21 Concentrated Solar Power ( CSP )Another exciting and advanced usage of solar power is presently being investigated by Eskom. The engineering referred to as concentrated Solar Power ( CSP ) uses sun energy to heat a mixture of 60 % Sodium Nitrate ( NaNo3 ) and 40 % Potassium Nitrate ( KNO3 ) to a temperature of 565A °C. CSP is besides regarded as the lone large-scale renewable engin eering with proved energy storage. The heat energy can be stored for up to 14 hours and is used to bring forth steam for the 100 MW reheat steam turbine at a unrecorded steam force per unit area of 125 saloon. This means that the works will be able to bring forth power for a full 24 hours during the summer solstice. An mean expected burden factor of 70 % is expected.22 DecisionAs the demand for electricity rises, a more sustainable energy beginning to replace the dodo fuel energy beginning was investigated. In South Africa research has been done in both the engineering and tackling electricity from renewable energy beginnings. The study showed that hydro energy, weave energy, ocean current energy and solar energy were investigated. Due to the changeless sunlight in South Africa, it appeared like solar energy would be the most dependable energy beginning.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Life of George Bush

Who knew a son could follow so many footsteps of a father. George W. Bush, son of former president George Bush, has done exactly that; which has led him too many great successes throughout his career in the political arena of politics. George W. Bush a strong businessman, a leader in politics, and a running member of one of the most famous Presidential campaigns ever. George W. Bush, known as â€Å"W† to most people, was born in New Haven, Connecticut on July 6, 1946 to the parents of George Herbert Walker Bush and Barbara Pierce Bush. Most of his adolescence was spent in Midland and Houston, Texas. He is the eldest son of five siblings, which include, Jeb, governor of Florida, Neil, Marvin, and Dorothy. Like his father, Bush attended the same college, Philips Andover Academy in Massachusetts before he went and graduated from Yale University with a bachelor†s degree in 1968 (A&E 1). While attending school, he joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and became a member of Skull and Bones at Yale. Unlike his father, George Bush did not receive any kind of scholarships for baseball instead he was president of his fraternity as his extracurricular activity (Newsmakers 1). W then returned to Texas in May, still following the footsteps of his father, he enlisted with the Texas Air National Guard where he became a F-102 pilot. He was trained in a fi! fty-three-week program to fly fighter jets. He completed in 1973 and eventually became a lieutenant but never had to go to Vietnam. He spent his time in Houston holding various short-term jobs, one including a stint at a program called Pull for Youth for underprivileged kids. Although, during this time of the early seventies reporters like to call this a, â€Å"nomadic period† for Bush. Time magazine wrote: â€Å"he became a real Texan in the family, chewing tobacco, using barnyard humor, settling in the state†s western corner, the one harboring what his aunt Nancy Ellis calls, a ‘slightly outrageous streak†Ã¢â‚¬  (Newsmakers 1). After working as a management trainee in agriculture firm and on U. S. Senate Campaigns in Florida and Alabama, he went to Harvard Business School in 1972 and received his M. B. A. in 1975. Still following the footsteps of his father, Bush decided to go into the business of the oil industry. He earned his first million within ten years, but the oil industry for Bush didn†t exactly turn out the way it had for his father. W built a small independent oil and gas exploration company called Arbusto (the Spanish word for â€Å"bush†). He married Laura Welch, a librarian and former teacher, in 1977 and then joined the 1978 race for the U. S. House of Representatives. He ran against a very well known democratic Senator, Kent Hance. Bush lost by six points after setting a new Texas record for fundraising capabilities for a House candidate (A&E 1). In 1981, Laura gave birth to their twin daughters named after their grandmothers, Barbara and Jenna (A&E 1). By this time Bush†s oil industry was re-named Bush Exploration. By the early 1980†³s, when the energy market turned soft, Bush Exploration foundered. In 1983, Bush combined with Spectrum 7; three years later Bush arranged fo! r Spectrum 7 to be sold to Harken Energy for a bargain price. He later sold his original stock shares and made a considerable profit of 600,000 dollars (Newsmakers 1). W also got a consulting contract and stock options with Harken which all combined to be a deal of about one million in his pocket over the next few years (Newsmakers 1). Later in 1990, Time reported: â€Å"before Iraq invaded Kuwait, Bush sold 66% of his Harken stake at the top of the market for nearly 850,000, which was a 200% profit on his original stake† (Newsmakers 2). This upset the Vice President and W, where they stated: â€Å"The media ought to be ashamed of itself for what they†re doing† (Newsmakers 2). Needless to say, Bush went out of the business and chose to go for politics. By now he was all name and no money. On his 40th birthday, George Bush came to a cross road in his life where he stopped drinking and became a strong Methodist with his wife Laura. He became noticeably more serious in changing his profession to strictly politics. He moved his family to Washington D. C. in 1987 to began working on his fathers 1988 Presidential campaign (A&E 1). Though he had no official title on the campaign he became his father†s hardest and most trusted worker. He became known as a talented speaker and as the campaign†s chief liaison to Christian conservatives, he gained respect for handling volatile diplomatic matters, such as the firing of chief John Sununu, and for swiftly taking care of business (Newsmakers 1). The experience in Washington was one that Bush did not like, even though it brought him closer to his father, he did not like the hostile environment that the political life brought him. Bush still felt that he was trailing behind his father†s footsteps with no independence for himsel! of doing something different. After his fathers successful election in November 1988 W moved back to Texas with his family, this time living in Dallas. He wasted no time in venturing out to find something new; baseball was what he found. In a matter of months he gathered up a team of wealthy investors and brought the American League†s Texas Rangers to Dallas. He took role as managing partner for the team. He brought support to the team and helped boost attendance to the games. By doing this, it brought W much admiration from the Texans and the Rangers. He earned an identity of his own which was something he had been struggling a long time for. He earned a good deal of money through this great investment of 606,000, but he walked away with nearly fifteen million when the team was sold in 1998 (A&E 1). He earned this money as just a managing partner in which he only owned 5% of the team. After such great success with the Rangers, Bush decided it was time to try a hand in loca! Despite his mother†s opinion, Bush wanted to run as governor of Texas against the powerful Democrat Ann Richards. With much advice not to, Bush jumped right into the race while his brother, Jeb, did the same in Florida. With their experience from being their father†s aid since they were eighteen, they felt they could handle such a large duty as governor. Many reporters felt that Bush had such an advantage by just having his last name, but to Bush he feels the complete opposite. W quoted: â€Å"The biggest advantage and the biggest handicap I have is my name† (Newsmakers 2). The campaign against Ann Richard†s was tough, she used sayings such as: â€Å"If he didn†t have his daddy†s name he would not amount to anything. She also used names such as: â€Å"jerk† to sometimes address him during a debate (Newsmakers 2-3). Bush†s response to the accusations was very appropriate, needless to say he did not go to her level of maturity. The debate focused on welfare reform, a crackdown on crime (e! specially juveniles), increased autonomy and state financing for local school districts, and personal responsibility (Newsmakers 3). Bush is quoted as saying: â€Å"Let Texans run Texas,† this was a message that appealed to all Texans during the campaign (Newsmakers 3). Bush defeated Ann Richards by 350,000 votes. Elected governor of Texas on November 8,1994; twenty thousand people attended Bush†s inauguration in Austin, including the famous preacher Billy Graham, legendary baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan, movie star Chuck Norris, and, of course, George and Barbara Bush (Newsmakers 3). Becoming the 46th governor of Texas, Bush has earned a reputation as a compassionate conservative: who shapes policy based on the principals of limited government, personal responsibility, strong families and local control (â€Å"Governor† 1). In an historic re-election victory, he became the first Texas Governor to be elected to consecutive four-year terms on November 3, 1998, winning 68. 6 percent of the votes, 27 percent of the African-American votes, and 27 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of women. He is the first Republican to win the heavily Hispanic and Democratic border countries of El Paso, Cameron and Hidalgo (â€Å"Governor† 2). In six months, he signed nearly all of his proposed reforms into law by working closely with Democratic Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock (Newsmakers 3). Making Texas a Beacon State, he has made policies such as: responsible government, better schools, strong families, safer streets, cleaner environment, growing economy are all some issues that he ha! s improved during his governorship in Texas. Education is Bush†s first priority in Texas. He has increased 47 percent of the TAAS tests in all parts. The number of minorities passing the mathematics portion of TAAS has increased 25 percent. The most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress Report Card on Math Achievement showed Texas African-American fourth graders ranked first in nation in improvement, with Hispanic students close behind (â€Å"Message†1). Texas eighth graders ranked fourth in the country on the 1998 National Assessment of Education Progress writing test. All minority groups and Texas African American and Hispanic eighth graders ranked first and second in the nation. Reading performance has improved 87 percent of all students in grades 3-8 and 10 passed the reading TAAS in 1998, an increase from 77 percent four years ago. From 1994 to 1998, the number of schools rated â€Å"exemplary† rose from just 67 to 1,048. During the same time, the number of â€Å"recognize! d† schools more than tripled from 516 to 1,666 (â€Å"Message† 1). He has worked with the Legislatures to increase the state†s share of funding for schools, so that they can: restore local control, strengthen the state†s accountability system, give parents greater choice of schools and to foster competition and creativity through charter schools. This will give the people of Texas an expanded menu of educational opportunity. His greatest goal is that every child will learn to read by third grade and continue to read at grade level or better throughout public school (â€Å"Message†1). Legislation signed by the governor during the 1999 Texas Legislative Session included the largest funding increase for public education in the state†s history and nearly two billion in tax cuts and relief, the largest tax cut in Texas history (â€Å"Governor† 1). In June of 1999, Bush made the one decision that would change the rest of his life. It was time to decide if he would once again follow in his father†s footsteps, and become the 43rd President of the United States. In July, 2000, Bush announced his choice of running mate: Richard B. Cheney, a former congressman from Wyoming who served as Secretary of Defense under Bush†s father and is now in the oil business in Texas (A&E 2). Their opponents would be Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman, two strong, powerful democrats. Throughout the campaign of 2000, the candidates were shown to be close in the poles because both had issues that were appealing to the American people. Some of the main issues are: pro-life, pro-choice, social security, budget and economy, affirmative action, education, government reform, health care and prescription drugs (â€Å"Issues† 1-20). On November 7, 2000, both candidates await for the winning election of their lifetime. Their life experience would be rolled u! p into one day and two hundred seventy Electoral College votes. When the night of their lifetime finally arrived, the night ended with no presidency to guide America. That night has led to the counting, re-counting, and even hand counting of the ballots. It has also brought on numerous lawsuits from individuals to the parties themselves. It has scaled from local jurisdiction courts all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. Even today, court cases are being heard that each party hopes to win in order to bring finality to the election. Even after the smoke clears and a President is declared, there will always be an uncertainty to the validity of this election in the minds of the people of the United States. George W. Bush, a man of pride, ambition, and power. He has served the state of Texas as their Governor, and now he has been declared twice our President of the United States of America. Will he serve America in the way he claims he can, will he be a leader for all to follow and look up to, will he be the man he acts upon being? The nation waits as the Supreme Court continue to make their rulings to find out which man will take this role as the Presidency of the United States.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Business communication Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business communication - Outline Example They vary mainly in the decision making process, that is, in the Centralized Structure, the topmost management controls all the decision making and exercises strict control over the lower layers of the structure. In a Decentralized Structure however, everyone is involved in the decision making process A well designed Organization structure gives out the authority and responsibility to the respective individuals. If each person in the organization knows what his role is, a lot of chaos can be avoided in the organization. (organizationalstructure.net). With the help of the organizational chart, individuals can understand their roles and how to relate to one another in the organization. An organization chart gives the pattern of communication and coordination in the organization. This would also hinder the exchange of information and efficient problem solving. (taxarticles.info). Hopgood Sports Limited: Problems In spite of good business acumen of the management, there seem to be certai n problems with the running of Hopgood Sports Limited, in terms of organization, or technically, the lack thereof. Some of the problems are: 1. Staffing problems: Hopgood Sports Limited seems to be understaffed, in spite of the fact that they can afford it quite easily. 2. Inaccessibility of decision maker: The management, i.e. Mr. Hopgood, is not always easily accessible because he is always on the move from one store to another. This causes a lot of decision making to be put on hold and also may cost various opportunities for Hopgood Sports Limited. 3. Technological backwardness, with physical distances between the various stores acting as a major impediment for efficient management 4. The Organizational Structure of Hopgood Sports Limited also is not up to the mark. This has been discussed further below. Current Organization Structure of Hopgood Sports Limited: From the above illustrated current organizational structure of Hopgood Sports Limited, we can see that there is no unifo rmity in the structure, that is, in the different branches of the store. The structure of each store is different from the other in terms of number of employees and accountability. This might be fine for now but will lead to a lot of chaos and confusion in the future, when Hopgood Sports Limited is on the pathway to further expansion. A lack of uniformity in the structure also will leave the employees confused when it comes to inter store communication as they may not know with whom they must communicate what information. Also, it does not clearly explain the accountability of the employees. Recommendations for Hopgood sports limited Hopgood Sports is a good, stable business with few glitches that a well designed Organizational Structure can rectify. Here are some of the recommendations for Hopgood Sports Limited. 1. Mr. Hopgood seems to have bitten off more than he can chew. He is seriously overworked and the main reason for this is that Hopgood Sports Limited is not well staffed. He should hire more people for employment in his various stores. Since, he can afford to do that, after recruitment and apportionment, he can take a backseat and concentrate on supervising the running of the place instead of running all around the city that might make Hopgood Sports Limited more susceptible to expansion. 2. Mr. Hopgood’s inaccessibility can easily be solved with the above point. If he were to be at a particular store as head office, he could be

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Impact of Lupus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Impact of Lupus - Essay Example As Petri puts it, "Instead of fighting infection, the immune system attacks 'self/ the person's normal tissues" (qtd. in Meadows 29). An examination of the causes, symptoms and treatment of lupus helps one to better understand the physiological impact the disease has, while a look at families coping with lupus and certain other symptoms illuminate the psychological aspects. Researchers have attempted to combat lupus by pinning down its origin or causal factors but thus far they have been largely unsuccessful. There are many factors that appear to be closely associated with lupus, and a combination of these factors may be responsible for its origin. Experts believe that it develops from complicated genetic and environmental factors. The fact that it is mainly the women who contract this disease and that it is more prevalent in certain races (Asians, Hispanics, and African - Americans) point to genetic determinants. Moreover there is some evidence that it runs in families. Environmental factors, such as prolonged exposure to sunlight are believed to trigger dormant symptoms. There have also been reported cases of drug - induced lupus, where drugs like hydralazine, procainamide, sulphasalazine, minocycline, may aggravate symptoms or cause similar symptoms in otherwise healthy individuals (Hughes 100). Lupus is a complex illness that may focus its atta... The range of severity also varies. Severe forms of the disease are easier to identify than milder forms. Because of the disconcerting array of symptoms, that may not exclusively suggest lupus, physicians are more likely to make the diagnosis when the disease is well advanced. This results in an unfavorable prognosis for the patient. Skin rashes, weakness, and general fatigue, muscular pain, sudden loss of hair, ulcers, and inflammation of membranes surrounding internal organs are believed to be the most common symptoms. Patients may also show a history of miscarriages and migraine attacks. Lahita and Phillips describe Raynaud's phenomenon as a characteristic syndrome, where "the toes and the fingers turn red, white, and blue because spasms in their small arteries stop the blood flow" (81). Another reportedly common symptom is the malar rash, which spreads across the cheek in the shape of a butterfly. Stress, depression, and psychosis have also been reported as likely psychological sy mptoms. Treatment of Lupus Since there is no cure for lupus, treatment focuses on containing or controlling the illness. The symptoms are treated and with time it is hoped that the ill effects will recede never to come back. As the symptoms are so varied, treatment programs are devised in keeping with the particular needs of the individual. Appropriate medications as well as lifestyle changes are advocated. Medications are the preferred mode of treatment for severe cases. The drugs used in the treatment program include, Non - steroidal anti - inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Antimalarials, Steroids, and Immunosuppressives (Hughes 35). The use of these drugs causes side - effects, which in some cases are worse than the disease itself and endanger the long - term health of the

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The future of photography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The future of photography - Essay Example In spite of the fact that Kodak transformed the first advanced Polaroid, the business movement to computerized symbolism took a toll, leaving the organization fiscally tested in the course of recent decades, and inevitably heading Kodak to record a $6.75 billion chapter 11 in January 2012 (Collins, 23-31). In addition, Kodak have risen as an innovation organization serving imaging for business markets including bundling, useful printing, realistic interchanges and expert administrations. The organization for a long time have been revitalized by change and rebuilt to turn into an imposing contender leaner, with a solid capital structure, a sound asset report, and the business best innovation. With its key center now on fast advanced printing engineering and bundling for customer products, Kodak is normal in the following 25 years to have incomes of about $2.5 billion (Snyder, 9-12). Throughout the span of the 20-month liquidation incidents, Kodak sold off numerous licenses to individual industry titans including Apple, Amazon, Blackberry, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung. Tragically, the monetary yield was considerably lower than anticipated. Kodak was searching for more than $2 billion for its 1,100 advanced imaging licenses, yet was just equipped to create about $525 million. At last, the rebuilding arrangement worked out an annuity debate with organization retirees, yet wiped out its shareholders. Secured lenders and second-lien note holders are normal be pained up all required funds, despite the fact that general unsecured banks are just anticipated that will accept four or five pennies on the dollar (Eastman Kodak Co). Whats to come for Kodak in the following 25 years in any case, is brilliant. This is confirmation recognizing the way that one of Kodaks greatest remaining possessions is its exceptionally decently distinguished and made brand, which has been so well known for so long. While

Monday, August 26, 2019

Consumer Phsychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer Phsychology - Essay Example The starting point towards this is through the stimulus-response model of buyer behaviour which involves examining the marketing and other stimuli in the consumer's black box that translates into buyer responses (Kotler & Armstrong, 2001) Through ethnicity and religion, individuals acquire beliefs and attitudes which affect buying behaviour. Beliefs shape the product and brand images which either attract or repel people to buy. If some of the beliefs are wrong, sales will decline such that marketers are quick to spot any kind of misconceptions to prevent this from happening. On the other hand, attitudes refer to the regular evaluation of an individual's feelings and tendencies such that people are put into either liking or disliking the product (Kotler & Armstrong, 2001). Even though attitudes encompass feelings or emotions, they are still different concepts because the former encompasses other concepts as well besides feelings. Moreover, attitudes are found to possess both cognitive and emotive elements (Nwankwo, 1998)). Attitudes are difficult to change such that products and services fit in the common, existing emotions rather than change attitudes. Religious groups also provide important influences on consumer behavior. Many Seventh Day Adventists limit their purchases of meat and are targets for vegetable-based foods. The Jewish subculture desires products with kosher certification as do other subcultures who prefer to buy kosher chicken and hot dogs. Subcultural analysis allows marketers to focus on significant market segments. Marketing to the singles market or an ethnic group must avoid stereotyping and being condescending to that group (Burton, 1996). Analysis of the subgroup, its beliefs, values, and norms can help marketers develop appropriate strategies and seek out market opportunities. Although the singles market overlaps inasmuch as some singles are elderly, the focus can be directed to those people who are under the age of forty. Attention to this market is important because their distinctive lifestyles qualify them as a substantial subcultural group. The consumer may use extended, limited, or routine decision making. Extended consumer decision making occurs when considerable time is expended on information search and evaluation of alternatives (Delener, 1994). When purchases are made infrequently and the consumer has little experience with the product, extended decision making is likely to take place. Limited consumer decision making UK Consumer Behavior Today's UK market is characterised by highly competitive organisations which are all vying for consumer's loyalty. Firms are faced with the challenge to maintain their own competitive edge to be able to survive and be successful (Lindridge, 2005). Strategies are carefully planned and executed to gain the ultimate goal of all: company growth. However, external factors are not the only elements which influence growth. There are also internal factors, components working within the organisation which shape the direction of the company. Despite the economic and technological conditions that make it possible now to promote products and services in a larger consumer market, there are other factors that still need to be considered for a business organisation reach out easier to their target market. Looking into the characteristics and

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Assessment techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assessment techniques - Essay Example Critical thinking plays a big role in the whole concept of the consideration of new ideas, the subsequent choosing of the best options and the decision whether or not to modify them further. The Use of Critical Thinking Skills in Teaching Critical thinking skills are a challenge in both face-to-face teaching settings as well as in the provision of online courses because there is a need for students to be completely present in the moment during the lesson. It is much easier for students to merely cram information into their memories without necessarily understanding it and then restate it when they are required to during examinations or tests (Dobrovolny, 2006). Cramming information into memory is the easier way of retaining information without being fully involved in the learning process. It is something that is done in many educational institutions today. However, it is harmful to students in the final analysis because they are left in a situation where they have no skills in fully assessing different subjects or forming their own opinions about them. Reiterating information only calls for a student to sit in the lecture and pretend to understand what is being taught even though his or her mind may be thinking about something else. As long as the student has memorized various meanings, he is content because he can repeat this material to himself later until it is ingrained in his memory. It will then be easy to restate it just as he remembers it in any examinations where it may be required. The use of critical thinking skills, on the other hand, calls for the student to be fully engaged in associative or active learning. Critical thinking entails the use of various skills in the consideration of a given subject. These skills include interpretation, observation, inference, analysis, explanation, and evaluation. The student engaged in critical thinking also takes into account the context in which the material is presented, theoretical constructs for comprehendin g the subject matter, and the techniques used to come to a decision about the final answer. The use of critical thinking skills does not just entail the use of logic, but also the consideration of credibility, relevance, accuracy, significance, and precision. When a teacher wishes to engage her students towards thinking critically about a subject, she encourages them to use their reason to determine the next steps in finding the real answer; even if this might result in disparities in the findings. She will also encourage inquisitiveness among the students, and direct them towards using a systematic approach to finding solutions for different problems. Naturally, it is easier for teachers to encourage students in bricks-and-mortar institutions to adopt these methods of problem solving than it is for them to encourage students in their online classrooms or hybrid environments. Hybrid settings describe a situation where the teacher uses a combination of traditional classroom as well a s online instruction to disseminate lessons to students. In traditional classrooms, teachers are able to monitor students on a personal basis and some can even determine which students are ‘present’ and which are not. This means that they will be able to call the attention of

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Omnipresence of Water Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Omnipresence of Water - Research Paper Example Water is the medium for chemical reactions in the body (Barney Harris, Jr. and H. H. VanHorn). Water is the only pure substance found naturally in all the three states of matter i.e., gaseous state, liquid state and solid state. The density of water changes with temperature, as the temperature of water, is lowered it becomes dense and at 4C it reaches maximum density, on further cooling the volume of water expands by about 9% to become less dense and form ice. Thus the ice floats on water and doesn't sink..(Explanation of the Anomalies of Water (1-10) - Shrinks on melting) If water were solid when denser in an artificial scenario, then the ice wouldn't float and sink to the bottom consequently the oxygen content in the water at the bottom would increase (Since at lower temperatures the oxygen content is increased) then the metabolic activity of microorganisms near surface would increase because of increased temperatures but face oxygen deficiency (Since at higher temperatures the oxygen content is decreased). Oxygen depletion is also due to a buildup of organic materials from human activity, thus causing oxygen deficiency to the fish, invertebrate, plant and aerobic bacteria. Oxygen levels below 3 parts per million would mean a grave situation for all these aquatic organisms and an aquatic ecosystem imbalance. (Exploring Environment Water Quality- Dissolved Oxygen) If the water was denser then all the oceans, water bodies, lakes and drinking water sources would be frozen or solidified and only a few inches would melt in summer. The oceans frozen portions would essentially be salt-free.( Water (molecule) – from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Friday, August 23, 2019

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 24

Case Study Example The company supplier power is larger in its international operations than in domestic business transactions. In the U.S. the supplier power is concentrated in three companies that have the three largest market shares. The material that changed the industry and cannibalized the soft drink can industry is aluminum. The threat of new entrants can be categorized as medium low. The industry is controlled by five companies that have a combined 61% share in the U.S. (Bradley). The rest of the marketplace is served by over 100 independent companies. Due to the high value of the market which is worth over $12.2 billion there are always going to be entrepreneurs interested in penetrating the market. This industry is capital intensive and requires a high investment in machinery and equipment to set up an operation. Engineering knowledge is imperative for the success of a company. Since there are a few hundreds players in this industry another entrant could successfully penetrate even though the existence of high barriers of entry. The Buyer power of Crown Cork & Seal is medium high. The company currently has a market share of 7%. In 1989 the company produced 120,795 million cans. Its buyer power is higher in the international arena than in the United States. One of the competitive advantages the company enjoys is lower direct labor costs due to cheaper labor prices overseas. The company has the capability to achieve economies of scales in the purchase of raw materials such as plastic, steel, and aluminum. Economies of scale enable companies to lower the cost of buying materials. The threat of substitutes in the industry is medium. In regards to the sale of soft drinks can the majority of manufacturers utilize aluminum. In terms of packaging the biggest threat to metal packaging is plastic. Plastic is a petroleum derivative. The utilization of research and development allows companies to bring innovation to the industry. The company has a passive strategy in its

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Architectural Analysis of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Essay

Architectural Analysis of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - Essay Example â€Å"Steven Holl Architects’ extension to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City has torn up the rule book of established codes of extension conduct and transformed the existing building into one of the most exciting exhibition spaces we’ve seen. The existing Nelson-Atkins museum is a ceremonial, classical structure – all colonnades, porticos and grand facades, sitting atop the undulating hillocks looking down on Kansas City. When in 1999, Steven Holl Architects entered the competition to build a suitable extension, it was the only firm daring enough to tamper with the existing facade and not hide its proposed structure in the shadow of the grand building. And it clearly paid off† (Yanko Design, 2007). In order to understand the choices that went into the Bloch Building, it is essential to understand architectural theory, philosophy, phenomenology and structuralism. Interpretive Strategies of Architecture as Art Though a kaleidoscopic array of the ories exist on the matter of architecture, three should suffice. By far the most important is the architects' theory: Stephen Holls', as explicated in his 2009 Urbanisms: Working with doubt. Holls' philosophy here is that urban planning in the 21st century faces qualitatively new techniques. He argues that the attempt to break down all architecture to quantitative mathematical analysis is quixotic and counter-productive; instead, architects must â€Å"work with† and manage doubt in increasingly complex cityscapes by managing Fragments, Porosity, Insertions, Precious and Fusion elements. Holls emphasizes phenomenology here. He argues, â€Å"It is odd that few urban planners speak of the important phenomenological characteristics determining the qualities of urban life – spatial energy and mystery, qualities of light, color, sound and smell. The subjectivity of urban experience must be held in equal importance to the objective and practical† (2009, pg. 16). Holl a rgues that, just as the brain has a rational left side and a creative right side, so too must urban planners synthesize art and science, and urban planning must represent both the vagaries of subjective psychology and the rationality of controlled and planned spaces created by mathematical-scientific intervention. What is phenomenology? â€Å""The philosophical movement that concentrates on the study of consciousness and its immediate objects† (Lecture 2). The distinction is complex. In essence, since the skeptical revolution of Hume, wherein it was demonstrated that it is impossible to philosophically know any empirical fact (such as that gravity follows the inverse square or that billiards bounce the way a pool shark knows they do) because of the limits of inductive logic and the fact that to generalize from the past to the future requires an untestable assumption: That the past is like the future (Hume, 1910). Kant then argued that not only was it impossible to know the na ture of things, their ontology, but in fact human beings could never get access to ontological truth. Just as a camera takes an image of the world but that photograph it produces is not the same as the world it represents (â€Å"Ceci pas un pipe†), the human eye makes a model of the real world, a model that psychology has increasingly come to realize is a highly specific one with many features jettisoned for ease of processing. That model is not the real world, so no matter how precise our instrumentation or perceptions, we are never seeing things as they are. Thus, Kant argued that the study of ontology was impossible, and sharply cut it off from the study of phenomenology, which Husserl, Heidegger and Sartre later developed (Lecture 2). What does this have to do with architecture? Holl's argument is only

Paradise Now and Then Essay Example for Free

Paradise Now and Then Essay Understanding who the characters were and the reasoning for their actions was missing. Learning on how and why they started fighting was a challenge faced while watching this film. The lack of seeing relationships form and how the fighting started was a major difference compared to Paradise Now and then. During this ninety-minute production it was very clear on the relationships the characters held with one another. The roles each character played were easily connected back to the plot and helped unfold later scenes because of the apparent character attitude due to the time span of the film. The tactical plans behind the film’s attacks are showcased in very different ways. In The Battle of Algiers that attacks don’t show any planning before the actual attacks. The attacks on the street all just occur without planning. The attack upon the Palestinians is all of a car ride over to their community and a bomb explodes the building. The third attack from the Palestinians is all of three women changing their appearance to cross the border and the man creating the bomb. All that is left is the execution. Within Paradise Now and then the planning initially started nearly ten minutes into the film and wasn’t executed until eighty minutes later at the end. Since this plot takes so long to actually play out, it shows the emotions of the characters as to how they feel about their assignment. This also helps grasp an emotional level with Said and Khaled. Watching them go through the process and make decisions contributes to understanding of their different personalities. The Battle of Algiers, is a continuous strike to one side, then a counterattack from the other side. An in depth reason as to how the battle was started, the tactics behind the different attacks, and why specific person(s) were responsible for performing the attack was unclear because of the short time span. The music in The Battle of Algiers helped lead the viewer to certain feelings in various scenes. During the first attack scene from the Palestinians the music was dark and evil. This music type didn’t support the attacks of the Palestinians and seemed to take the other side. But when the Palestinians were attacked, the music was sad and remorseful suggesting feeling bad for the victims and their loss. The same music type took place while the French colonists bombed the Palestinian building. The music was dark and evil but when the French were bombed, the music was depressing and gloomy. Within the twenty-six minutes the film never chose protagonists and antagonists. The setting of the films played a big role on what the sides were actually fighting for. In the beginning of Paradise Now and then, while Said and Khaled are smoking they are sitting upon a hill. The camera is set from behind them looking down over their town suggestion they have power and control. This is showing whom they would be fighting for and the mass number of people who would be affected. Said crosses the border and walks along a highway of huge open land. Also Said and Khaled walk downtown together through towering buildings. The two scenes suggest the size of the opponent. In The Battle of Algiers, all of the scenes occur in the small streets of France and it appears as if the battle is being fought within one community. The camera is taking the view of a character on the street during the battles suggestion that neither side has power over the other. While one story crosses the street to fight for their people, the other crosses the border. Film making decisions can very easily pull in a viewer to the themes and motives of a plot. In The Battle of Algiers, the viewer does not get pulled into the battle. The film lacks the interest of one side over another and without this choosing of a protagonist verse an antagonist, the viewer cannot feel emotionally tied into the battle. Also without being introduced to any characters, the viewer in unclear to who is really being put at risk with each attack, who is gaining or losing what from the attacks, and what is actually being gained or lost. The only influence on the attacks that the viewer is aware of is that one side attacked another, so they must strike back. The filmmaking decisions do not shape the viewers attitude toward any character in this film. In Paradise Now and then, the viewer follows Said and Khaled through their journey to supposedly the end of their lives. The viewer is able to feel why the characters choose to go along with their mission, what is at stake if the mission is attempted, and what will be gained and lost if the mission is successful. Religion is a big factor that influences Said and Khaled to become suicide bombers. Khaled asks, â€Å"What happens after death? † He gets an answer of â€Å"Two angels will pick you up. † This is very satisfying for Khaled and Said to hear. Remarks are often made throughout the film regarding God. That they are doing their people and God a favor. Also â€Å"We do what we have to, God decides the rest. † At first they know what they will do will affect their people and help solve this fight, but then when Khaled talks to Suha, she talks him out of the bombing telling him that maybe if they don’t strike back that Israel will back off. The viewer is drawn to the fact that Khaled and Said are not fighting for violence or to kill, they are fighting for their people and God. The camera work while Said is talking about his father helps the viewer feel sympathetic for his loss of his father. The camera slowly zooms in on Said as he describes his father and this captures the viewer’s attention and pulls the viewer in as if Said is talking directly to the viewer. The viewer is also influenced to want Said and Suha together. Suha is only around when she is with Said. After the first scene Khaled tells Said that he thinks Suha likes him. After that the viewer is drawn to believe there is a connection between the two. This affects the later scene when Suha tries to influence Said not to fight because now the viewer is torn between having Said sacrifice himself for his people and God, or wanting Suha and Said to be together. Suha’s last appearance is while she is siting down at her table gazing at a picture of Said. The films do not showcase the political issues at stake in the historical situations. In the stories, all that is at stake within the plots are peoples’ lives. Whether it is a shooting on the street or a suicide bombing across the boarder, which kills the bomber and the victim. No other issue takes a bigger role in these two plots that the loss of peoples’ lives. It does seem correct as Suha said; if the opposing side doesn’t have a reason to strike back, the fighting will stop. The two films are stories of bombings between two different sides but are introduced through different means of filmmaking decisions. These different tactics shape the viewer’ attitude towards the bombing itself and the characters within the plot. In The Battle of Algiers, the viewer is influenced to oppose fighting due to one strategy, which is music choice. In Paradise Now and then, the viewer is influenced by the will to fight, which is an example of setting. Both films are stories about bombing but draw the audience into the plot with different tactics and strategies.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Authors Reflection on their learning experiences

Authors Reflection on their learning experiences This text is a reflection of the learning experiences of the author, particularly with regard to the learning experience of the MBA full time programme. The primary objective is to reflect on the learning experiences and to identify how the Knowledge levels, skills, attitudes, perceptions and values were altered during the process. In an essence it is an attempt to capture the learning experience in to a formal structure, which at times has been informal, at sub-conscious levels and haphazard. The reflections of the learning experiences will lead to an evaluation of the individuals current status in all aspects relating managerial effectiveness, which will in-turn, facilitate the identification and prioritisation of personal development needs. The end result is a concise, specific, and measurable and time bound personal development plan. Initially the theory and importance of reflection in personal development is reviewed, which is followed by the reflections on several key learning experiences. The next phase of the report is a critical evaluation of the different leadership styles, which will include an exploration of the historical origins and evolution of different leadership styles. The third phase is an attempt to bridge the reflections on learning experiences and evaluation of leadership styles, deriving a personal development plan to enhance managerial effectiveness. 2.0 Importance of reflection A laymans definition of reflection would be to ponder about a past activity or series of activities, for an example a mother might think about how she does the weekly shopping for her family. As far as the academic context is concerned, the approach towards reflection is based on commonsense, Moon (2006 p37) provides a commonsense view on reflection as Reflection is a form of mental processing-like a form of thinking-that we use to fulfil a purpose or to achieve some anticipated outcome or we may be simply be reflective and then an outcome can be unexpected. However reflection has a deeper meaning in an educational context than the mundane activity that the commonsense based view suggests. In the education and academic context reflection has an overriding purpose and directed towards a specific outcome. Moon (2006 P37) extends the commonsense based view as Reflection/reflective learning or reflective writing in the academic context is also likely to involve a conscious and stated purpose for the reflection, with an outcome specified in terms of learning action or clarification. In this case the outcome is the personal development plan. The benefits of reflections are clear; it provides a structure for the haphazard process of learning facilitates the evaluation and provides directions for further development. Reflections aides the uncovering and dispelling of deep lying misconceptions and helps the transfer of skills, for example the reflecting on the activity of doing the weekly shopping may help in maintaining stocks in small grocery or restaurants. 3.0 MBA Learning Journey The MBA programme provides a wider spectrum of learning experiences, from class room sessions to enhance theoretical knowledge to real consultancy opportunities, aimed at enhancing the managerial effectiveness. The journey so far has taken me through many different learning experiences. However it seems that the ideal starting point for the reflection process is the self, or the exploration of self awareness. 3.1 Self Awareness-Know Thyself In laymans definition for self awareness is knowing ones self, however Williams points out that self-awareness includes many aspects Key areas of self-awareness include our personality traits, personal values, habits, emotions and psychological needs that drive our behaviours (Self-awareness and personal development: Online) . Self awareness is the foundation of personal development and managerial effectiveness. I considered myself to be very self-aware. I strongly believed that I had an accurate picture of myself, being very clear on my strengths, considered myself to be an analytical, logical, emotionally mature and prided on my communication and presentation skills. I never considered myself to be creative, a part from that I always struggled to identify my weaknesses. The only other weakness that propped out in my head time and time again was the poor time management. I believe in equality and fairness, strongly favour meritocracy and have non-negotiable key values. However it was at the applied learning experiences (ALEs) of the MBA programme that I first had the opportunity to test my level of self awareness through several models and practice. 3.2 The Applied Learning Experience (ALE) The first applied learning experience of the MBA programme was held in a location in Ware, Hertfordshire. The first activity of the programme was to fill a questionnaire designed to identify the each participants role in Belbins Theory. 3.2.1 Belbins Team Roles- the Monitor Evaluator Meredith Belbins team role provides a framework to analyses ones position within a team. The results of the questionnaire stated that I will be a Monitor Evaluator in a team. Belbin (1981 cited in Mullins, 2007, p332) states that the monitor evaluators are Sober strategic and discerning, sees all options, judges accurately, the allowable weaknesses are lacks drive and ability to inspire others (Belbin, 1981 cited in Mullins, 2007, p332). Initially this evaluation seemed to fit well with my sense of self-awareness and I was eager to play my role within the teams maximising my strength and being conscious about my weaknesses. The programme consisted of five main activities, out which in one my team was very successful, partly success full in one and failed miserably in three activities. Each activity was followed by a feedback session allowing the participants to reflect on the successes and failures of each activity. The initial reflections seemed to validate my understanding of my role as a monitor evaluator, I played my strengths well and failed to mitigate my weakness, or thats how it seemed. I tried to learn from the mistakes in one activity and play a better role in the next. However the next activity demanded an entirely different mindset and I couldnt help feeling frustrated, cheated and even stupid at times. In the final feedback session I was shocked to be perceived by the other team members as Creative, comes out with out of the box solutions, not clear in communication and at times unenthusiastic. This was somewhat a bitter pill to swallow, particularly because I prided in my communication skills. However I delivered the final presentation on behalf of our team. Using Obama style rapid question and answer techniques (fired up? ready to go?) managed to energize the audience and end with emphasising the importance of self awareness. Though the feedback seemed misconceived at that point, reflection helped me to deduce the pieces of the puzzle. Im good in articulating a point to a willing and listening audience, however fails and loose enthusiasm when challenged or when it seems the others are uninterested in my opinion. For an example one of the tasks demand a high sense of mathematical temperament usually found among physics students and software code writers, I had a plan which included the delegation of specific tasks to particular members whom I thought had the required skills, however I failed to persuade others and the task ended up in failure. The reflections on ALEs helped me to gain a more accurate understanding of myself, and propelled persuading skills and time management on to the top of my development need. 3.3 MBTI Model Myers -Briggs Type indicator (MBTI) is another model which I used during the learning journey of MBA. It is developed by Katherine Briggs and Isabel Myers in 1920s, its used as a self -report instrument that guides individuals in knowing about themselves (Handout, Nov 2009). My MBTI position was ENFP which indicates that the person is extrovert, daring and development oriented, a position common among entrepreneurs. The corresponding role in Belbins nine team roles is the Plant. This was a shocking revelation for me since I thought I was the complete opposite of an entrepreneur. However in retrospect it made me think deeper on creativity, and altered my view on my own creativity. 3.4 Creativity- Myths Dispelled During the learning journey of the MBA, I had the opportunity to analyse my own creativity through several questionnaire designed to assess an individuals creativity and compare the logical and creative aspects of ones thinking. Though I always seemed to be more of a logical person I scored above my own expectations on creativity. This led me to reflect deeply on my own level of creativity, and helped me to uncover and dispel a misconception which was deeply rooted in me. I primarily considered creativity, as artistic creativity, this narrow view created a mental block and I perceived myself as less creative. However Mullins (2007 P192) states that creativity is the application of imaginative thought which results in innovative solutions to many problems. The video on IDEO Company, an American firm specialising in new product development altered my view on creativity; on reflection the company seems to have a fairly logical and structured approach towards creativity, though at first it may not be very apparent. These experiences broaden my horizons on creativity and thereby my development needs. 3.5 Learning Styles- Reflector As far as the learning styles are concerned Im a reflector, however reflecting on learning styles lead to a clearer understanding of experimental learning. I developed IT skills primarily through experimental learning. The reflection and understanding helped me to overcome many mental barriers like fear of failure, which prevents us from experimenting with things and learning from the experience. 3.6 MBA- Alumni Evenings I view these events as an opportunity for networking. After every such event I reflect on the event to gather the learning or other benefits gained. However the list rarely goes beyond inspiration with hardly any progress in the networking aspect, which has the potential to facilitate mentoring. Thus enhancing networking skills is a personal development priority. 3.7 Life and Career Planning Naylor (2004 cited in Mullins, 2007, P720) explains life and career planning as people are encouraged to develop and express personal goals with strategies for integrating goals with those of the organisation. The life and career planning is referred to as a technique, in the wider context of organizational development. I always wanted to be a knowledge worker or a specialist, my ideal career was to be a market researcher specialising in qualitative research. However the due to circumstances I embarked on a career in totally different sector. At first the prospects seemed promising, but my career and life priorities were in conflict with my role, thus what once seemed as a career gradually evolved to a job. Thus integrating personal goals with the career didnt seem to be an option. Hence the route to career life planning or career life congruence seems to be to enhance skills and knowledge through education and to re-align the career with life priorities. The MBA learning journey has broadened my horizons and the personal development activities are ultimately directed at the career-life priorities. 4.0 Leadership The list of definitions of leadership is very long, however Mullins (2007 P363) captures the essence of leadership is a relationship through which one person influence the behaviour of other people. The emphasis on relationship and influence is important. This means that the leadership is inseparably linked to the group or team concerned. The leadership may occur at different contexts for example in organizational, national or global contexts. It may occur at different levels not necessarily at the top of a hierarchy thus Belbin (1997, cited in Mullins, 2007, P363) states there is clear implication that leadership is not part of the job but a quality that can be brought to a job Useems(2001 ed, Pickford. J, Cited in Mullins, 2007, P363) view of leadership is Leadership is at its best when the vision is strategic, the voice persuasive and the results tangible Useem (2001 ed, Pickford. J, Cited in Mullins, 2007, P363) sees leadership as primarily a matter of making a difference. As Military strategy influenced the early thoughts on business strategy, historically leadership was influenced by the command and control structure of the military. However many leadership styles have evolved since, the following table captures the key characteristics of the three main styles of leadership. Leadership Style Characteristics Autocratic Style Power and the decision making authority lies with the manager, thus every aspect of the relationships with subordinates centres around the manger Democratic Style A shared leadership style, Manager is part of the group or team; subordinates can influence the decision making. Laissez-Faire(Genuine) Style Subordinates have complete freedom; The manager intervenes only on a necessary basis. This shouldnt be mistaken with poor leadership, where managers simply dont care The appropriateness of each leadership style depends on many factors. The leadership style adopted may depend on the situation. For instance in a crisis situation an experienced leader with autocratic style may be more suitable over a democratic style of leadership, in order to facilitate better and quicker decision making. On the other hand democratic style is more common among project teams and professionals, while autocratic leadership is more prevalent where there is a wide gap between the knowledge, skills and experience of superior and subordinates. The leadership style adopted is highly influenced by the nature of the business and the organizational culture, for instance militaries around the world adopts autocratic leadership style due to special nature of such institutions. 4.1 Leadership and Management Modern view on leadership is moved away from command and control and emphasis more on inspiring others. This has resulted in the blurring of lines of division between leadership and management. Mullins supports this view (2007,p 363). If leadership is more about inspiring others, it demands a specific set of skills, which enhances the ability to inspire and is an essential ingredient in a development plan aimed at increasing managerial effectiveness. My experiences in the MBA learning journey, particularly with relation to group work and previous work experiences make me believe that sound communication and listening skills are of paramount importance. Listening skills are important to link the disconnected pieces of information or opinions brought in by different members of a team. 5.0 Personal Development Plan The reflections on the MBA learning journey and exploration on different leadership styles was an attempt to identify my own development needs to enhance managerial effectiveness thereby influence the development of others. As part of the human enterprise module of the MBA, I had the opportunity to carry out a skills audit on myself. The skills audit itself a tool for identifying development needs, by grading ones perceived level in variety of skills. The skills audit, reflections on MBA Learning journey and the review of leadership styles have presented me with a wide array of development areas. However it is practically concentrate on a large number of skills, without compromising on the quality and depth. Thus I have used Brian Mclvors Priority Grid to prioritise my development needs. Brian Mclvors Priority Grid provides a framework to compare the importance of ten different skills (or development needs) against each other. The skills are compared on a grid against each other and the more important one is circled, finally the skills are ranked according to the score (or number of circles) (Please refer Appendix 1 for the part A and B of the format) When comparing the skills I have considered the relevance of each skill to my career targets and the opportunities for improvement during the MBA Programme. The following table depicts my immediate development needs and the way forward. Skill/ Development area Current State Desired State Way Forward Communication Good when unchallenged More persuasive, Good under all conditions Practise before presentations Paraphrasing, in verbal communication Learning from good communicators Analytical Takes time to understand the core issue To be in a position to understand key elements of an issue quickly Doing more case studies, Focused thinking Listening Lose interest, sometimes hears only what wants to be heard Effective listening, hearing what people really say, Try to prevent from being distracted Giving undivided attention Providing feedback, and refraining from interrupting Planning Unrealistic planning, poor implementation Realistic plans, better implementation Revisiting plans to drop unimportant elements, to make it more realistic Moving on to implementation at appropriate time Frequent evaluation Time management Just on Time, struggle with deadlines, source of stress Procrastinate things More effective time management Minimise procrastination Activity log to identify situations of ineffective time management Detailed to do lists Understanding reasons for postponing, Personal targets, and rewarding for achievement Networking Rarely goes beyond the initial superficial stage Networking as a effective personal learning tool Participating in more networking events Being more prepared, background study Learning to build rapport quicker, The learning journey of MBA taught me that personal development isnt an isolated process, its journey that relies on feedback from other. Feedbacks lead to reflections which help to continuously improve the journey. Though formal feedback from all angles (like in a 360 degree feedback process) isnt practical in this case, I would make efforts to receive informal feedbacks, at minimum on the progress. 6.0 Conclusion I have critically reflected on my MBA learning Journey, focusing more on weaknesses that needs improvements. Being ones own harshest critic is infinitely beneficial than being the biggest fan. The outcome of the process is the development plan aimed at enhancing management effectiveness. The success of the plan depends on the implementation and feedback from others.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Development of Complex Societies

The Development of Complex Societies Introduction The development of complex societies differs from other societies, not only in the number of differentiated societal parts, but whereas in simpler societies that are basically self-regulating, in decision-making functions of its societal components of which these are not generalized and constant. The term state however contains an internally specialised decision-making subsystem. This subsystem or bureaucracy has the power to mobilise certain resources that are not totally embedded within the various societal components. In this essay I have tried to look at the reason behind the rise of complex societies, using material four different ancient societies that of Mesopotamia, China, The Indus Valley and Egypt in and broken down each state in turn to help define the possible reason for each. Ancient Mesopotamia section In Mesopotamia around 4600 to 3400 millennia B.C. which incorporated the Late Ubaid period and into the Middle Uruk period, a relatively complex political formations had emerged at various different times and places. By the end of the Ubaid period, around the late 5th millennia B.C., three-level settlement hierarchies with indications of two levels of political and economic control in south western Iran and probably elsewhere (Wright 1994) was present. By about 4000 B.C., the earliest Uruk formations had emerged along the irrigated regions of the Lower Mesopotamia, the Euphrates-Tigris river system. Evidence from sites suggest a four level settlement hierarchy, with three levels of political control, this suggests a pattern not feasible without internal administrative specialisation, typical of states. At this point due to the lack of unexcavated Early Uruk sites, there is no evidence from the architecture of public buildings or administrative technology such as seals or sealings to indicate the control apparatus. Geographically major centres appear to be both closely and evenly spaced, without however showing a clearly dominant or primate centre. In contrast to this, in the dry-farmed Upper Mesopotamia during the same period settlement patterns and arte-factual evidence suggests different aspects of emergent complexity. In the north eastern portion of Iraq recent analysis done by Rotham (2002) presents evidence of both domestic and public buildings. From the small centre of Tepe Gawra, seals and sealings showing increasing hierarchy in the production of crafts and exchanges as well as showing period of conflict. Ongoing research in the central portion of Upper Mesopotamia indicates centres like Tell Brak had existed at the same time and appears also to have had specialised administrative buildings. Research only shows at this point three levels of hierarchy. The collective data can suggest that different elements of state organisation were present in different areas early in the Uruk period. From the Middle Uruk period, evidence points to a developed Uruk state with internally specialised control apparatus which is present in many parts of Greater Mesopotamia (Johnson 1987; Wright 1998). The emergence of the Mesopotamian civilisation can be seen in the unique ecological and geographical framework of the alluvial lowlands of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers around the late 5th and 4th Millennia B.C. The ecology framework gives the emerging Mesopotamian societies important advantages in agricultural productivity and subsistence; this is not seen by contemporary polities at the periphery: the geographical framework presents the Mesopotamian societies with sustainable transportation advantages. These two factors created opportunities for rising Mesopotamian elites who could use trade as an important tool for legitimate control of power and expansion resulting in unequal share of resources. In forming a hypothesis for the growing socio-economic differentiation and urban growth giving rise to complex societies in Mesopotamia in the 4th Millennia B.C. modelling trade pattern growth can provide us with some answers. Trade would have been at first largely internal, focussing on individual southern polities that exploited localised ecological rich niches during the Late Ubaid and Early Uruk period. Middle to Late Uruk periods shows a much stronger pattern of external trade between the growing southern cities and the societies at their periphery. Again those in control of more converted resources gained more prominence. Over time a import-substitution process then amplified the one-sided evolutionary impact on the southern societies and shifting trade patterns. Mesopotamia shows gradualist evolutionary perspective, showing clear lines of continuity and change in presenting the core feature of the rise of complex societies of the Sumerian civilisation. A steady state or evenly paced change is nor seen. Both their long histories for their system of writing and temple complexes are salient comparative points. Social complexity is seen through a gradual emergence of settlement hierarchy indicative of a growing administrative structure and cumulative change in craft specialisation. Ancient China Section Early agriculture, building foundations and burials have been documented in China dating back to around 7th Millennia B.C. belonging to the Peiligang culture, but it is not until the first half of the 2nd Millennia B.C. that there is evidence for the first cities from the Shang civilisation. Though there is no significant visible trace above ground of the Shang cities, city sites can be portrayed of areas around 30 and 40 km2, with foundation ruins of clusters of buildings of various sorts. The clusters would have been densest around the centre, becoming sparser with greater distances between one another as they moved away towards the periphery. The clusters probably performed special functions and only this entire web of clusters formed a functional whole. The term web works well, as the clusters of buildings formed the nodules the invisible lines, served as complementary relationships that interconnected the nodules with one another and the centre as a whole. An-yang and Hsiao-tun are two very important sites showing clusters of buildings each laid out in a recognisable plan. At Hsiao-tun although the general architecture is unimpressive, the houses are surrounded by sacrificial burials of humans and horse chariots, storage pits and bone archives of the royal oracle records: this evidence suggests a palace, ancestral hall and ceremonial area of the house of the Shang dynasty (Shih 1959). Other remains of villages or hamlets of various sizes and sorts often within site of one another are also present. The An-yang web of individual nodular components with Hsiao-tun at its nerve centre projects am image of a single community, an urban settlement with many people with specialised segments all representing the Shang capital. The location of a central city may have been looked upon for a limited period as geomantically favourable. The movement of one site to another dictated by divination. Once the capital was moved away whatever was left behind was then transformed into farming fields. What was important was the city, not the site it sat upon. Movement from site to site was at the kings prerogative, with layout and structuring designed to serve him as the centre of attention. The first cities were developed to serve a number of functions all associated to the emergence of a ruler who possessed extraordinary political powers. Central features such as kingship are vital to our understanding of social complexity in northern China. The king presided over a hierarchy of economy, government and religion with himself at the top and centre. The central city was an effective mechanism at exerting political control over all the other settlements. Cities and towns can be seen as lineages at local levels, each hierarchically organised through the state. The elites hold on the lower classes would have been total, one that was sanctioned by fiction and enforced by might. The transition from the Neolithic Lungshan culture to the Shang civilisation presents a quantum leap in the quality of life for the elite, there is however no obvious change in the technology of food production. It is possible that the Shang used fertilizers or had more effective measures of irrigation. There is evidence of more effective cultivation methods that of the tilling of land by team, the so-called hsieh tien, a phrase often seen in the oracle records (Amano 1959). This can lead to a conclusion that during the Shang period there was the successful organisation of large-scale exploitation of a large group of people by a small group of people from within the same society. This can also be seen as the beginning of an oppressive governmental system. This urban revolution was not based on technology or power of production but on reaps of human toil. Clearly two factors not of significance here like in other archaic states are massive changes in the environment and large-scale waterworks. The success of social complexity is derived from a revolution of social systems, which in turn re-aligned societal segments in regards to food resources; coupled with advances in new weaponry, in particular the horse chariot used an effective tool for any necessary oppressive measures in the emergence of a great civilisation. Ancient Indus society The Urban Phase of the Indus or Harappan civilisation is beginning to be recognised in its own right as a unique complex society. The roots of sedentism and the village farming community can be dated back to around the 7th Millennia B.C. or even earlier. Set in the central Indus Valley on the Kachi Plain at a site called Mehrgarh, the Indus urban revolution that was to follow is seen as being thoroughly Indianized, being structured by environment, ecology and architecture. Whilst other states in the archaic period emerged from a long, slow period of gradual and constant culture modification, that eventually led to an emerging pattern of urbanisation and social complexity; the Harappan civilisation seems to have come about in a very short period of transformation, something in the region of 100-150 years. The Pre-Urban and Urban Phase of the Indus civilisation focuses on two things: items related to subsistence and the expression of style. There is clear signs of social stratification, craft and career specialisation, writing and urbanisation in the urban phase, which are all absent in the pre-urban phase. Great change is also seen in the urban phase with a significant increase in sites, followed by a gap in settlement size. Three major sites come to grow all evenly spaced within the Harappan domain Mohenjo-daro, Ganweriwala and Harappa. Evidence indicates two tiers of Harappan settlement, with regional centres or capitals developing in the urban phase. Most evident during the Urban Phase in many Harappan cities and towns is the clear demarcation of public versus private space. The citadel appears at a number of sites and is set apart from actual living space, whereas possible granaries or warehouses are within public spaces suggesting controlled forms of redistribution. Social differentiation is clearly seen in elite and lower class housing within cities. Successful social complexity in the Mature Harappan presents itself through clear signs of social stratification, craft specialism (which was established in some cities within specific districts), and sophisticated engineering and technology development and maintenance, which is indicative of the growth of civic institutions. Smaller settlements were integrated with the great urban centres. There is evidence for intensification of agriculture which concentrated on barley and wheat. Long distance trade networks were established to the east and west alongside internal commerce. Trade was advanced by the use of the wheel (the bullock cart), and that of the boat, with extensive maritime trading at outposts such as Lothal and Bakalot. Shallow harbours which were located at the estuary of rivers that opened into the sea promoted brisk trade with states like that of Mesopotamia. Social complexity is also increasing evident seen through the rise of literacy and social classes, these are two critical axes on which an evaluation of the growth of the Harappan civilisation can proceed (Possehl, 273, 1990). The growth of writing plays a critical role in the Indus as it had in Mesopotamia. Whilst trade and intense economic processes played a revolutionary role in the success of social complexity in the Harappan civilisation, there is one more institutional setting as referred to by Possehl (1990: 277) that is vital to the success of social complexity in the Indus, it is of the organisation of human ideology. The belief systems of what researcher Robert Redfield had referred to as the Great Tradition, in describing a way of life as a vehicle that enables those who share it to identify with one another as members of a common civilisation (Redfield, 1953, 64). Redfield goes on further to explain in regards to the state that the transformation of folk-society into civilisation through the appearance of development of the idea of reform†¦ by deliberate intention or by design (Redfield, 1953, 113). An important aspect to the growth of the Indus region was in its organisational aspects. The Urban phase of the Harappan civilisation was able to form strong temporary allian ces from the surrounding area based on a unique human ideology. This belief system enabled the Harappan civilisation to sustain a successful way of life throughout the Indus region. Operatives like trade, ideology and other institutional settings become centres of action that can promote social complexity and interconnect processes of change: they can in turn be changed by their own socio-cultural environment. Ancient Egypt Society Egypts history is complex, by the mid 5th Millennia B.C. it appears to be occupied by communities of people living in small functionally similar agricultural communities which appear to be only weakly connected politically and economically. But by around 2500 B.C. Egypt had become an integrated empire whose rulers power was expressed through a complex hierarchical bureaucracy. Egypts early settlements were concentrated along the small dynamic floodplain of the Nile. The Nile flood levels were powerful determents of Egypts cultural history. However this flood plain offered the same approximate natural resources for the whole of Egypts developing complexity, and therefore patterns of cultural change cannot be simply explained in terms of the flood variations of the Nile. Agricultural intensification along the Nile would have it own geometric limits and it wasnt until a full conversion to an agrarian society making use of wheat and barley, and domesticated sheep and goats that were introduced from probably south west Asia that changes took place. These changes have been documented in one of the most important areas of the time that of the Fayyum. Egypt: Origins of Complex Societies Hierakonpolis is an extremely important site as it contains the complete Badarian-Amratian-Gerzean sequence. Settled around the 4th Millennia B.C., it is believed the rapid growth of the community was due to the ecological diversity and the exceptional agricultural potential of the region. A massive population explosion occurred around 3800 to 3400 B.C. Its economy was based on both technology (a major pottery producer for Upper Egypt) and productive cereal agriculture along with the exploitation of livestock. From its size and rich content of some tombs the economy operated in the context of significant social ranking (Hoffman: 182). By 3200 B.C. there is evidence for cobblestone foundations that support a theory of a fortified palace, temple or administrative centre and Hoffman et al have concluded that Hierakonpolis had become the capital of a southern Egyptian state. The development of the Egyptian civilisation can be seen as an essentially internal and uninterrupted process, wit h Hierakonpolis lying at the centre. The Narmer Palette and other important finds at Hierakonpolis clearly suggest a centralised and stratified society. Maadi dated to around 3650 B.C. is another important site. It shows pottery style connections to Syro-Palestine and that of Greater Mesopotamia. Burials show sufficient diversity in contexts to reflect differences in status and emerging social ranking. Its site plans, finds and other evidence point to an organised society that controlled commodity production and exchange, alongside evidence for substantial copper smelting and working. Developing complexity in Pre-dynastic Egypt is seen in a shift with developmental focus now from the south to the north. The Delta was believed to be the critical region in the later Pre-dynastic as the main channel of foreign influence into Egypt and also overland trade routes. Trigger et al (1984) notes that the important changes that took place in Predynastic Egypt were the evolution of ritual systems and the expanded lines of political authority transformations. These changes are though having a dramatic impact may fail to survive in the archaeological record. Many scholars such as Schulman or Wilding challenge the theory that a military conquest by southern rulers unified the Egyptian state as the Narmer Palette commemorates. It is now thought that the unification process occurred around 3100 B.C. and was formed successfully on a complex hierarchical social and political institution which was supported by a powerful economy with major interests in international commerce and politics. The success of Egypt lies in its centralisation of its early political systems, despite it being the least urbanised. Agricultural productivity was still closely dependent on the Nile flood Levels; but the socio-political evolution was a complex interweaving web, incorporating ecological uniformity and it exploited the transport potential of the Nile effectively. Old Kingdom settlement patterns play an important part to the understanding of emerging social complexity it can be seen as the disintegration of central authority and the rise of semi autonomous families in the provinces (Kemp 101). By the Late Old Kingdom control of local affairs once controlled by the Pharaohs overseer now began to come from provincial governors or monarchs. There can be seen a slow but continuous expansion and diversity of society with provincial administrative institutions helping to grow its complexity. The cultural history of Egypt cannot simply be explained in ecological or economic terms, these do play an import part, what is deeply rooted in Egypts success is its rise in Ideology. The Idea of divine kingship, where the whole structure of both state religious and political institutions are all derived from the very notion that the Pharaohs authority and so the states was divine in origin. Conclusion The emergence of complex societies is an enduring focus for archaeologists. Identifying when and under what circumstances a political transformation has occurred combined with in some cases evaluating competing ideas explaining the origins of states themselves. Research itself has proven difficult, in part because the process is not easy to understand with limited archaeological evidence, but also as it is not a unitary and rapid process.