All Quiet On The Western Front Essays (1050 words) -

All Quiet on the Western Front Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the greatest war novels of all time. It is a story, not of Germans, but of men, who even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war. The entire purpose of this novel is to illustrate the vivid horror and raw nature of war and to change the popular belief that war is an idealistic and romantic character. The story centers on Paul Ba?mer, who enlists in the German army with glowing enthusiasm. But in the course of war, he is consumed by it and in the end is "weary, broken, burnt out, rootless, and without hope." Through Ba?mer, Remarque examines how war makes man inhuman. He uses excellent words and phrases to describe crucial details to this theme. "The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts." Ba?mer and his classmates who enlisted into the army see the true reality of the war. They enter the war fresh from school, knowing nothing except the environment of hopeful youth and they come to a premature maturity with the war, their only home. "We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. We are not youth any longer." They have lost their innocents. Everything they are taught, "the world of work, duty, culture, and progress" are not the slightest use to them because the only thing they need to know is how to survive. They need to know how to escape the shells as well as the emotional and psychological torment of the war. The war takes an heavy toll on the soldiers who fight in it. The terror of death will infest the minds of soldiers and bring about horrible images of death and destruction until they break down and go to pieces. "Every hour and everyday, every shell and every death cuts this thin [line of sanity], and the years waste it rapidly." In these dangerous moments, anybody would have gone mad, have deserted their post, or have fallen. It takes a special kind of soldier to deal with this emotional abuse; a soldier who will not go to pieces at the sight of a mutilated body; it takes a soldier like Ba?mer. Ba?mer has "grown accustomed to it; war is the cause of death like influenza and dysentery. The deaths are merely more frequent, more varied and terrible." He has rid himself of all feelings and thoughts. His emotions lie buried in the earth along with the soldiers who fell prey to them. His dullness protects him from going mad at the sight a slaughtered comrade or butchered friend. He wants to live at all costs so "every expression of his life must serve one purpose and one purpose only, preservation of existence, and he is absolutely focused on that." For the cost of life is the death of his emotions, his survival depends on it. Every shell that falls, every shot that fires, a soldier must face the possible certainty of death. To Ba?mer, death carries hand grenades and a bayonet, and a rifle really to take what he has long protected-his life. Whenever he looks into the eyes of an enemy soldier, he does not see a man, but sees death staring back at him. What can you do but fight back? He can not and will not coexist with you. It does not matter that he is a man of your same distinction; it does not matter if he has a mother, a father, a sister or a brother. All that matters is that he wants to take your life. The only way for you to live is to destroy him before he does destroys you. Your salvation means his sacrifice. The life of a man is the price you pay for your continual existence. Ba?mer would destroy him because he threatens his survival and his survival is most important. "We march up, moody or good-tempered soldiers-we reach the zone where the front begins and become on the instant animals." The fate of Ba?mer and the fate of all soldiers depends on their faith in their primal instincts.

Deportacin y su procedimiento, causas y perdn

Deportacin y su procedimiento, causas y perdn La deportacià ³n puede afectar a cualquier migrante, indocumentado o legal, e incluso a residentes permanentes legales titulares de una green card. Las causas de deportacià ³n son muy variadas, pudiendo ir desde la presencia ilegal a la comisià ³n de delitos inmorales o agravados.   En cuanto al tiempo que dura todo el proceso puede ser largo, para empezar por las demoras para presentarse en Corte.   Procedimiento de la deportacià ³n en Estados Unidos La deportacià ³n judicial, ordenada por un juez o corte. No confundir con expulsià ³n inmediata ni tampoco con la remocià ³n ordenada por el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Se aplica un tipo de procedimiento u otro segà ºn la naturaleza de la infraccià ³n y de la situacià ³n migratoria de quien la cometa. La deportacià ³n la dicta un juez de una corte migratoria o, si se apela su decisià ³n, entonces es la orden que dicta el BIA, es decir, el tribunal de apelaciones. Es fundamental entender cul es el cargo que se imputa al migrante, buscar un buen abogado, arreglar las actividades diarias para presentarse en corte el dà ­a de la cita y analizar cules son las opciones legales para luchar contra la deportacià ³n. Suspensià ³n deportacià ³n por perdà ³n, asilo, ajuste de estatus o violencia domà ©stica Para poder solicitar y obtener un alivio de la deportacià ³n, deben reunirse una serie de requisitos que varà ­an segà ºn el estatus legal del extranjero. En ningà ºn caso podr ser solicitado por aquellas personas que hayan sido condenadas por un delito agravado (aggravated felony en inglà ©s). Una de las opciones es obtener un  perdà ³n o alivio  que es concedido por un juez, segà ºn su mejor opinià ³n. En cada aà ±o fiscal se pueden conceder hasta un mximo de  4,000 perdones. Tambià ©n es posible suspender la orden de deportacià ³n por ajuste de estatus, asilo o violencia domà ©stica. De hecho, hay hasta nueve recursos legales para luchar la deportacià ³n. En estos casos es muy aconsejable contar con un buen abogado especialista en inmigracià ³n o con un representante acreditado con competencia para llevar el caso. Consecuencias de la deportacià ³n en Estados Unidos La persona deportada no podr regresar a Estados Unidos por un periodo de tiempo que va desde los diez aà ±os  a una prohibicià ³n de por vida para los casos de deportados por haber cometido un delito agravado. Sin embargo, la ley prevà © la posibilidad de solicitar una excepcià ³n waiver, que permita la reentrada antes de cumplirse el tiempo de castigo impuesto. Estos son los posibles perdones que se pueden solicitar, ya que es posible que adems del perdà ³n por la deportacià ³n sea necesario pedir por otras penalidades.   Pero antes de tomar ninguna decisià ³n se debe tener en cuenta si podrà ­a aplicar la proteccià ³n 245(i) para migrantes con peticiones antiguas aprobadas. Si se tiene una orden de deportacià ³n que no se apela o ya se han agotado todas las opciones de lucharla es posible pedir en determinadas circunstancias un aplazamiento o suspensià ³n temporal de la ejecucià ³n de la deportacià ³n. Es lo que se conoce como stay. Salida voluntaria y deportacià ³n: cosas diferentes Puede ser solicitada en determinados casos -est prohibida para los condenados de delitos graves y por actividades terroristas. Si es concedida, el extranjero no tendr prohibida la reentrada a EEUU por ningà ºn periodo de tiempo. Es decir, la salida voluntaria no lleva aparejada la penalidad de aà ±os sin ingresar a Estados Unidos que sà ­ aplica con la deportacià ³n. Bastar con que cumpla los requisitos generales de admisibilidad en la frontera. En este caso, la persona extranjera debe salir del paà ­s dentro del plazo concedido. Si no lo hace podr ser multado y deportado. Consejos para evitar ms problemas Cuando se inicia un proceso de deportacià ³n la mejor opcià ³n es buscar un abogado migratorio y ver cules son todas las opciones para intentar ganar el caso. Es fundamental entender que no presentarse a una cita en corte dar lugar a que el juez dice una orden de deportacià ³n que se conoce como in absentia. Esto quiere decir que el migrante puede ser deportado en cualquier momento, sin derecho a presentarse ante un juez. NOTA: este artà ­culo es meramente informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Military Forces and Politics of Iran

Military Forces and Politics of Iran Introduction Military forces in third world countries have taken a central role in political systems of these countries. The military forces are active in both the political process and political discourse in their countries.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Military Forces and Politics of Iran specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Middle East in general and Iran in particular military forces are playing a pivotal role in the control of both political and state machinery and are critical in shaping the political events of Iran (Iranian Research 1). Military forces and politics in Iran The genesis of the role of politics in Iran was in the establishment of the Pahlavi dynasty which was realized through military coup organized by Reza Shah in 1921 and the second monarch followed suit by relying on military forces to maintain the continuity of his regime. The reliance of Iran in military power is due to the challenges it faces from the west due to its stand on nuclear power and public demand for both economic and political reforms (Iran politics 1). The formulation of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) guidance rules in the 1980 which was dubbed â€Å"obligation of the guards† stated that the IRGC was to liaise and cooperate with the government on both security and military matters which was to include the arrest of all counterrevolutionary movements and also to disarm unauthorized persons. This already made the IRGC a politico-military organization with the responsibility to tackle domestic opposition. The Iranian forces underwent transformation following the disagreement among its members after the collapse of the Pahlavi monarchy. TAdvertising Looking for term paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More hese events gave birth to the creation of a new military force in 1979 known as the Islamic Re volutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) which first developed as a parallel institution to the already existing military force but aimed at protecting the Islamic Republic (Iranian Research 1). In the performance of their domestic functions, the IGRC are linked with regular and other internal security forces and it is in this line that have made them controversial in their service since they are used to oppress and suppress or quell any street unrest. The inherent factor that links the military forces and the politics of Iran is that those who occupy positions in the military hierarchy are appointed by the president and their loyalty is to the serving president and government of the day (Iranian Research 1). This is evident in the current political situation where President Mohammed Ahmedinajad’s nine appointees are from the IRGC who are war veterans from the Iraq-Iran war of 1988. He has also appointed 30 governors from the ORGC ranks. This is a clear testimony of how militarized Ir anian politics and government is. There are several centers of power in Iran which revolve around the political, economic and military figures. The military sphere which is dominantly the IRGC has developed as one of the prominent center of power and dominate over the other centers of power. The strength of the IRGC was evidenced following the military threats by the United States of America and also the frequent confrontation between the west and Iran which the IRGC has managed to thwart. In the contemporary times, the power of the IRGC has tremendously grown politically, it for example controls all the state sponsored media. They also took part in the 2004 legislative elections and managed to win in several towns and cities. They had also organized to control the executive branch of government in the 2005 presidential elections. The leadership of the military has been interlinked with the leadership of the regime and their responsibility in this sense is to intervene politically w hen the need arises.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Military Forces and Politics of Iran specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The revolutionary of the IRGC has also expanded their influence into the economic sphere of life by endearing itself to control major financial and economic investments in the country. They did this by justifying that it was meant to finance the activities of the IRGC (Green et al. 1). This militarization of the Iranian politics has raised a lot of criticisms from the reformists of the anti-establishment. This is because the IRGC is in favor of the current order and will try all they can to ensure there are no anti-government protests or even voices. It is argued that the excessive militarization of politics cast doubt into the power and ability of the Iran military in international politics and external defense (Ward 1). Conclusion The military forces of Iran have encountered numerous chal lenges that might render them unable not only to protect the country externally but also in performing the role of preserving the ideologies of the regime. One of these problems is the division of the military into the regular and IRGC which has created mistrust and suspicion, the unrest that has rocked the Islamic republic is largely linked to the latent tension between the military ranks and also the political leadership. This has the potential of driving the country towards the path of instability. Also the excessive militarization of politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran may be a threat to the politics of the country since there is a history of the military turning against the government by leading coups which is always a feature praetorian political system. Green et al. Understanding Iran, Rand Corporation monograph series Volume 771 of MG (Rand Corporation). New York: Rand Corporation, 2009. Print.Advertising Looking for term paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Iranian politics. The Militarization of Iranian politics. IAA, 2009. Web. Retrieved from aei.org/ Iranian Research. Iranian Analysis. Journal of Iranian research and analysis, 1999. Web. Ward, Ross. Immortal: a military history of Iran and its armed forces. New York: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.

Terrible Writing Advice from a Caveman Author Reedsy

Terrible Writing Advice from a Caveman Author Reedsy Paleo Publishing: Terrible Writing Advice from a Caveman Author Last year, the team at Reedsy spoke with an author from the Paleolithic era who had recently been discovered and unfrozen. He was kind enough to share his top tips for book marketing which, while wholly inapplicable to modern authors, did provide an insight into how cavemen used to publish books.As part of a blog tour to promote his latest novel, Blood Cave, the Caveman Author kindly sat down with us to share some frankly terrible writing advice that should have gone the way of the dinosaur. Terrible writing advice from @caveman_author, the paleolithic Stephen King Reedsy: Caveman Author, thanks for agreeing to share your top writing tips with the authors here at Reedsy. Caveman Author: VERY HAPPY TO SHARE ALL CAVEMAN AUTHOR KNOWLEDGE. ALSO, CAVEMAN AUTHOR PUBLICIST MAKE HIM TO DO THIS. SO NO CHOICE HERE, REALLY.Fair enough. You recently tweeted that authors should â€Å"write what they know,† which is why a lot of your protagonists are also cavemen. But how would you respond to accusations that your main characters are â€Å"Mary Sue† figures?WHAT THAT?It’s when a character is seemingly too perfect and capable, often suggesting that the author is indulging in wish-fulfillment. LRH. Caveman Author's favorite new writer.AS SOON AS YOU WRITE â€Å"THE END†, SEND BOOK OFF TO AGENT. IF AGENT WRITE BACK AND ASK WHY BOOK HAVE SO MANY â€Å"ISSUES† LIKE SPELING AND PLOT, THEN BREAK INTO AGENT CAVE WHEN HE SLEEP FOR â€Å"EDITORIAL DISCUSSION† LOLLIKE CAVEMAN AUTHOR, TAKE ELROND ADVICE: FIRST DRAFT, LAST DRAFT, GET IT OUT THE CAVE.Sounds like terrible writing advice. Thanks again for your time, Caveman Author.BYEEEEEEEDo you have any questions for the Caveman Author? Or perhaps you have some terrible writing advice of your own to share? Leave a message in the comments below.

Written History is Never Valid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Written History is Never Valid - Essay Example Scholars denote that written or documented history is not a valid form of historical preservation. According to these scholars, documented history has a number of disadvantages, and hence, it cannot qualify as an effective means of preserving a particular historical event. For example, these scholars denote that historians who use these forms of historical preservation can have a bias on what they record . Take for example, the emergence of the Second World War. During this war, Hitler, the President of Germany was the villain. However, his activities will be recorded differently, depending on which side the historian is. Those who supported the activities of Hitler might record his activities on a positive note, while those who were against the policies of Hitler, might record them on a negative note . On this basis, recorded history does not give accurate information on what really happened because of bias. However, there are a number of scholars who believe that written history is a valid method of historical preservation . These same scholars denote that the information that is contained in the written records is adequate, and reliable. This is because important dates of the historical event are recorded. On this basis, historians are able to know the time period in which an event occurred, the circumstances of the occurrence . Written records are able to capture in detail, making sure that all the necessary and important information are captured and documented. Documented history has been used since the invention of writing in the 4th millennium.... However, his activities will be recorded differently, depending on which side the historian is. Those who supported the activities of Hitler might record his activities on a positive note, while those who were against the policies of Hitler, might record them on a negative note4. On this basis, recorded history does not give accurate information on what really happened because of bias. However, there are a number of scholars who believe that written history is a valid method of historical preservation5. These same scholars denote that the information that is contained in the written records is adequate, and reliable. This is because important dates of the historical event are recorded. On this basis, historians are able to know the time period in which an event occurred, the circumstances of the occurrence6. Written records are able to capture in detail, making sure that all the necessary and important information are captured and documented. Documented history has been used since th e invention of writing in the 4th millennium. On this basis, recorded history is a very important and effective mechanism of preserving historical information. Scholars denote that in the 19th, 20th, and 21st century, the most dominant method of historical preservation is the use of written history. For instances, the exploits of Napoleon Bonaparte, the emergence of the first and the Second World War, the American Civil war, are all documented, and stored in the library archives of the various states in the world. These important historical events are documented, and a specific date given on their occurrences, and factors that triggered their occurrences7. However, in as much as these important historical; events are written, it is important to denote that the

Old Operating Theatre in London Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Old Operating Theatre in London - Essay Example The essay "Old Operating Theatre in London" explores historically significant Old Operating Theatre in London and gives a review of Pierre Nora’s theory of ‘sites of memory’ and postmodernism. â€Å"Architectural phenomenologists have been particularly active in advocating a born-again power of places, which includes their symbolic and memorial functions†. Tensions characterize the transitions in the last twenty years, related to the Postmodernist renaissance of monuments, and are evident in the preface to the first volume of Pierre Nora’s seminal Les Lieux de Memoire translated as ‘sites of memory’, which envisioned a collection of ‘memory places’ ranging from concrete structures to abstract intellectual constructions. On the other hand, in the last volume of Nora’s series written eight years later, the author complains that his formula ‘memory places’ has not been comprehended as the dematerialization o f ‘places’ intended as symbolic instruments. Nora’s memory places were conceptualized as places within the mind, as in the conventional and Renaissance art of memory. These ‘sites of memory’ have displaced real environments of memory or Milieux de Memoire. ‘The Old Operating Theatre’ in London dating back to 1822 has been preserved in the form of an unusual museum. â€Å"It is the oldest in Europe and found in a unique space in the Herb Garret of St. Thomas Church, and was a part of old St. Thomas Hospital. The consciousness of a break with the past is linked to the quintessence of memory.

Industry Analysis by Stage in PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Industry Analysis by Stage in PLC - Essay Example The product sectors of the ice cream industry are shown below. Revenues of take-home ice cream made 67.2% of the US ice cream market value. Impulse ice cream captured 14%. Artisanal ice cream and frozen yoghurt seized 10% and 9% respectively. (Datamonitor, 2008) Economic slow-down or recession greatly affects every industry including the ice cream industry. Ice cream manufacturers have reduced its packaging size in order to compensate the trade-off of the rising costs of production. (Berry, 2009) However, the economic recession distorted the buying behavior of customers such that a shift in consumer demand is observed in large chains of stores. Customers now prefer to eat take-home ice cream than other products in the sector. The shift in consumer behavior is evident on the high percentage of share by value on take-home ice creams. (Ice Cream Going Private Label, 2009) A health issue such as obesity problem and wellness concerns also affects the market performance. People are becoming aware of their eating habits such that they prefer to live a healthy life by choosing non-fattening foods. Ice cream is generally characterized as fattening product. Consumers control their purchases of ice cream in order to prevent obesity and other illnesses. (Peot, 2008) The US ice cream market is categorized as a high volume but low margin market where buyer power is high. The buyers of ice cream are mostly large chains of supermarkets and grocers. Manufacturers compete with each other to supply the store spaces with their products. The top competing companies in the US ice cream market are Blue Bell Creameries, Nestle and Unilever. Blue Bell Creameries carries the Blue Bell ice cream brand with over 50 different ice cream flavors. Nestle’s ice cream is promoted under several brands such as Dreyer’s, Haagen Daz, Sveltesse stick and Legend Real Daily. Unilever has brands like Cornetto, Magnum,

Orientalism in America and Terrorism Movie Review

Orientalism in America and Terrorism - Movie Review Example The media and other organizations do not, therefore, carry out any investigations, but rather report on the government views of these nations. This, in turn, shapes the views of the people towards the Arab nations as rogue nations who permeate violence in their everyday lives through their hatred of the western nations. On orientalism and empire, Edward Said argues that most of the European states were just aiming to exert influence and political mileage in the Islamic states of the Middle East. He bases this argument on the fact that throughout the period of history and colonization every empire told itself that it was not like the other empires (Orientalism). That its territorial occupation was based on noble ideas of education, enlightenment, and liberation, rather than political control and plunder. However, as time passes the true intention of the occupiers become evident. In this respect, Orientalism is a tool for colonialism and political dominance. On American orientalism, Edward Said gives the distinction between the American Orientalism and other European Orientalism. Unlike the French or the British, America did not have direct colonial experience in the Orient. American Orientalism was thus more indirect and abstract. As a result of this abstraction, American orientalism is very much politicized by the presence of Israel as their main ally. The view of Israel that all Arab states are its enemies is thus imported into the American orientalism, which plays a significant role in portraying all Arab states as enemies (Orientalism). Whereas the terrorism exists in the middle east as a result of the violence and the political problems there, much of the images portrayed by the media only serve as to demonize the Arab nations and do not tell the whole story behind the problems in the Middle East.

Software Design and Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Software Design and Development - Assignment Example According to Seffah and Metzker (2008, p.54), likeability of a product user interface is critically important particularly if the developed software is intended to be used for commercial related activities. Generally, the design of software products takes place in a multi-step process entailing phases from initiation, analysis, design and implementation, maintenance, and disposal. It is the wish of the stakeholders in every software project that the final product leaves all members of the involved team satisfied. For example, when people like a particular product, they are more likely to continue using it and even recommend it to others. One of the graphical control elements that have been widely used in the design is drop-down lists which will enable the user to select one value from a given list of options. The inclusion of drop-down lists will not only simplify the contents of the user program but is also likely to provide a great way of reducing clutter as well as a dynamic navigation structure. In addition, the use of drop-down lists in the graphical user interface (GUI) of the program will make it easier to display options in such a manner that customers will have easy time tracing the exact options that they could be interested in. For example, an arrow is displayed in the drop-down list box and users only need to click the arrow to make the list of items active and select their chosen values/items as shown below: A number of hyperlink buttons, as well as hypertexts, have been used in the design of the programs user interface to enhance the navigation of the system and allow users to automatically jump to another place within the system. For example, the hyperlink integrated with the â€Å"HELP† button found in the lower section of the input screen provides a reference mechanism whereby the users will be able to access additional information or guides by simply clicking the button.

Context whose reality Essay Example for Free

Context whose reality Essay The reality that we create is unique to our own experiences. What is real? What is reality? The notion of reality is inextricably linked to the subjectivity of individual human existence. Reality is defined as the state of being real; what we can perceive through our senses. In essence, reality is viewed differently by each individual, through the intensity of his/her past experiences, values, emotions and perspective. Consider this, three blind men all touch a different part of the elephant but are unable to recognize that it is indeed an elephant. Based on their own subjective impressions, thoughts and feelings, each arrive at different conclusions. The man who touched the trunk, said it was a snake; the man who touched its belly, said it was a wall. And the man who felt the elephant’s tusk, and said it was a spear and another felt its ear and said it was like a hand fan. All of the men were in heated disagreement. The story of the elephant and the blind man is a popular proverb in Buddhist mythology. The blind men all made inferences about the object based on their assumptions, their biases and prior experiences. The blind men were dependent upon different spheres of perception. Our perception is determined and skewed by environmental variables that refract events according to what kind of person we are and the events that have led us to believe what is real. The three blind men in this anecdote held pieces of the truth, determined by their lack of experience which had caused them failure to perceive the whole picture. The process of perception shows that many individuals can be mistaken. The simple fact is that the way people process â€Å"reality† is subject to interpretation. It depends upon the individual’s mindset and past experiences at point in time. POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG)

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods in India

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods in India The life styles and culture of India is changing drastically. The population of India is increasing every year and this will have a direct impact on the FMCG industry and its organizations. Although population of India is increasing every year the population growth rate is decreasing over a period of time. In 2008 the population growth rate is 1.6%, in 2009 it is 1.5%. In 2010 the growth rate is 1.3%. Although the figures didnt change drastically, the supply and demand of the FMCG products will be affected due to change in population structure. There will be decrease in demand and intense competition as the birth rates and number of customers decrease. Most importantly it is the change is life style of Indian customers and social behavior will affect the FMCG industry in India. It will demand a new products and services over the time and will lead to increase in investment in RD of FMCG companies. Now the world is facing with food shortage leading to increasing invest in food product ion. If the organizations fail to offer products and services according to changing lifestyle and behavior then it will be difficult for any organization to survive in the market. Economic: Current slowdown in global economic scenario affected almost every industry across the world. There has been increase in unemployment and low consumer spending power. This leads to consumers not opting to buy expensive products or services. This further pressurizes the RMCG companies to reduce the prices for the products and services. Organizations will have to review this economic ride and have to respond accordingly, A successful organization will respond according changing economic conditions, consumer and stakeholder behavior. An efficient organization must be aware of the changing economic condition across the country and global and should employ a suitable strategy to stay in the market. Political: Political factors will have a greater influence on the organization and industry and it is the duty of the organizations to comply with it. It is necessary for the organizations to comply with the legislations implemented non conformance of which may lead to serious implications on the organization. The government has implemented certain restriction in the import policies. However tax exemptions in sales and excise duty are provided for the small scale industries. This will allow the SMEs to invest more and will increase the number of new entrants. Transportation and infrastructure facilities are improving not only in urban but also in the rural area which will help in distribution network. Technological: Advancement in technology boost the production with enhancement in quality of products and services rendered to the customers. Organizations began to adopt e-business to improve brand communication and market. Technological advancement makes the supply chain and transactions along the chain simple. Organizations reduced costs with effective IT technologies and increased the rate of information transactions. Technology is playing a key and huge part in the FMCG sector by developing the new packaging, increasing productivity and longer shelf life of food products. Better, stronger, more effective and faster are the key elements that all manufacturers in this sector push for, as it drives sales. The advancement enhances the sales by enabling the manufactures to produce better products with attractive packaging and better communication. With advancement in communication technology and rising social media network it enables the organizations to communicate better to the customers by improved marketing campaigns. International trends: The economic crisis and slowdown had greatly affected the sales FMCG goods across the world. However emerging economies like India, China and Brazil are not greatly affected and manage to do well to recover quickly. A common trend that was followed across the world during economic slowdown was trading down. Because, customers became more cautious looking for less expensive brands, special offers and discounts. This added tremendous pressure on the market prices due to severe competition and down trading. However emerging economies like India, China and Brazil saw development in hypermarkets helping the growth of FMCG markets in these countries. Macro environmental opportunities: India has Vast Rural Market with majority of population where the market is still untapped market. India has cheap labour to provide cost advantage over other countries. Many multinational companies are having cost advantage by outsourcing its product requirements from its Indian company. ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES: Industry structure: The FMCG market of India divided into two sectors the organized sector and the unorganized sector. The organized sector has only few Indian companies and MNCS whereas the unorganized sector is crowded by a many local players. Indian FMCG market accounts for about Rs.460 billion where the market has been highly occupied by local and unbranded products. This has been a challenge for many organized players to successfully launch a product and to occupy the market share. Distribution and supply chain has also been a challenge as Indias infrastructure and transport systems not quite helpful with millions of retail outlets in the country. Although infrastructure and transportation system is developing in recent times it is still considered as a challenge by many players. The FMCG sector has a wide range of products including confectioneries, beverages, detergents, toothpaste, toilet soaps, shampoos, creams, powders, food products, cigarettes. Typical characteristics of FMCG products are: The products cater to necessity, comfort and luxury. Price and income elasticity of demand varies across products and consumers. Individual items are of small value (small SKUs) although all FMCG products put together account for a significant part of the consumers budget. The consumer spends little time on the purchase decision. He seldom ever looks at the technical specifications. Brand loyalties or recommendations of reliable retailer/ dealer drive purchase decisions. Limited inventory of these products (many of which are perishable) are kept by consumer and prefers to purchase them frequently, as and when required. Brand switching is often induced by heavy advertisement, recommendation of the retailer or word of mouth. Distinguishing features of Indian FMCG Business FMCG companies sell their products directly to consumers. Major features that distinguish this sector from the others include the following: Design and Manufacturing Low Capital Intensity as most of products in FMCG requires relatively little investment in plan, machinery and other fixed assets. Basic technology required for manufacturing is easily available. Third party manufacturing is common and the benefits include production and inventory planning flexibility, flexibility in controlling labor costs and logistics. Marketing and Distribution High Initial Launch Cost with huge investment in product development, market research, test marketing and launch. Creating awareness for a new brand requires enormous initial expenditure. Huge Distribution Network as India has millions of retail outlets across the country making the logistics functions difficult for many players. Competition Market is crowded with many unorganized players. Presence of many unorganized players and highly capable MNCs provides fierce competition in the market to launch many new brands. This gives wide range of choice of brands for the customers. PORTERS FIVE COMPETITIVE FORCES: BUYER POWER: The consumer base of this industry is larger than any other industry and they have little or no influence on the price of the product. The consumer always possesses great choice of brands within the product category and they can shift from one to another without much influence. Hence, buyer power is not quite strong in this industry. But they have power when they provide threat to shift from one brand to another brand. In FMCG retailers should also taken into the account for analysis. Retailers can always decide which brand to stock and consumers dont show much interest to wait if one brand of choice is not available. So retailers can always make choice between brands and they have more buyer power than consumers. SUPPLIER POWER: Supplier power is little or limited in the FMCG industry. The industry always has great number of suppliers with great size. There will not be any uniqueness in the product or service of suppliers and the manufacturer can always shift from one supplier to other supplier. However manufacturer faces some amount of supplier power due to the cost they have to incur when switching suppliers. Suppliers who do large business with manufacturers are always obliged to their customers. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS: Threat of new entrants is limited in this industry. The new entrants generally cater to local or small markets contributing to the large unorganized sector. Raw materials for most of the segments in FMCG industry can be easily procured. The investment will not be high for machinery and other assets required for most of the products in the industry. Also the basic technology is easily available. These factors can make the local or small manufactures to enter easily in the industry. But this industry requires high initial launch cost and distribution network is always a challenge. These factors act as a barrier for any new entrants in the industry and virtually provide low threat of new entrants. THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES: The FMCG industry bears a high threat of substitutes. The industry possesses many organized players with great number of local manufactures. The products in the industry can always be imitated and marketed. The industry possesses high level threat of substitutes in rural market than in the urban. DEGREE OF RIVALRY: The degree of rivalry is high in the industry. There are many global players along with local manufacturers. The industry enjoys low customer loyalty. The customers always have wide choice of brands and the switching cost is always minimum or negligible. There will be only slight difference in the quality of brands. So the competition is fierce in the industry to attract customers and retain them. Strategic groups in the industry: Among the FMCG companies in India Hindustan Unilever Limited is most catered company to almost every segment in the industry. Its competitors are only catered to certain segments but HUL faces stiff competition from all competitors in every segments. The major companies of strategic groups in FMCG industry are Hindustan Unilever Limited, ITC Limited, Nestle India, Emami Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited, Dabur India Limited, Procter Gamble, Godrej Consumer Products Limited and Cadbury India. International Competition: India is an emerging market and has become a hotspot for many multinational FMCG companies like HUL, Proctor Gamble and Nestle. However domestic companies like Marico, Dabur and Emami are giving tough competition to them. These companies step into natural product category by offering herbal products and managed to occupy the market. For instance, Maricos flagship brand Parachute Coconut Oil has no foreign competition. The presence of international competition is restricted to areas of where they can act and categories like natural products did not interest the global players. Industry Threats: The organized players in the industry are facing problems high magnitude of imitative products. The fake products are seen highly in rural markets and the Indian FMCG sector is losing large amount of money due to presence of counterfeits products. The industry is facing increasing input costs due to increase in price of the raw materials due to global economic slowdown and potential impact of rising crude oil prices Industry Opportunities: The FMCG sector is the fourth-largest sector in the Indian economy and has been growing considerably over the past few years due to changing lifestyle, consumer preferences and high disposable income. The rural market is being highly untapped and provides favorable condition for growth of the companies in this sector. EVALUATING HUL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS: VRIO Framework of Hindustan Unilever Limited: The value of HUL lies in their ability to offer different products and cater to the different segments in the industry. The organization has international expertise and wealth of knowledge to cater to different segments satisfying the customer needs. The organization is displaying high standards of corporate behavior towards its stakeholders. The company realizes that its employees are the primary source of success and well committed to their employees. The organization encourages the open communication with customers to get feedback and improve its product offerings. Rarity: The company enjoys the competitive advantage in its robust supply chain and distribution network. Though the company resources are not rare it enjoys the competitive advantage in its resources employed in supply chain and distribution network. Imitability: The organization possesses valuable and rare resources in its supply chain and distribution network that the competitors did not have cost advantage in imitating the resource. The social relationships entailed in resources are complex that the competitors cannot easily imitate and manage well. Organization: The organization structure of HUL with its empowered managers across the companys nationwide operations imparts speed and flexibility in decision-making and implementation. The organization leverages its resources for efficient management. The company realizes that its employees are the primary source of success and well committed to their employees. Analysis of Corporate Strategies: Hindustan Unilever Limited has robust supply chain and distribution network covering over 3400 distributors and 16 million outlets. HULs sales organization structure integrates the Household, Personal Care and foods distribution networks together. By this the organization aligns all the units of its organization towards the common goal. Analysis of Business Strategies: HUL introduces wide variety of products in different segments at different price points. HUL analyses its strategy to improve its foothold in the processed foods category which is largely unoccupied. HUL Strengths: The company has variety of products in each category giving wide array of choice to customers. Robust Distribution Network covering over 3400 distributors and 16 million outlets. The Company enjoys many reputed brands and created a well reputed brand image in the customers mind through advertisement. Well developed quality management. The company has highly capable and well developed RD resources. HUL Weakness HUL not able to compete effectively with local competitor in the rural market: The Companys product mostly target middle class and lower middle class population. So the upper middle class population terms the companys product as a cheap product with low quality HUL is over dependent on Indian market and depends on it for majority of revenue generation. This makes the company subject to changes in weather, political and economic conditions and also makes it vulnerable to potential risks arising in India.

History of Rock and Roll Essay example -- essays research papers fc

A History Paper-Rock ‘n’ Roll Many people and many styles of music influenced Rock and Roll. The styles included Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Bluegrass, Boogie-Woogie, and Rockabilly. Each was a major factor into the introduction of a new style of music called Rock ‘N’ Roll. Popular music places a premium on accessibility, represents various meanings to boost both instant appeal and memorability - distinctive tunes, novel instrumental flourishes, danceable rhythms, repeated riffs - but its signal feature is melodic emphasis and great vocal gatherings. Popular music at the turn of the century came largely from musical theater - Broadway and Hollywood. Originally, popularized by traveling groups and sheet music sales, popular music really came into its own with the arrival of radio broadcasting, jukeboxes, 78 r.p.m recordings and other twentieth century technologies which continued into the Fifties. Hits from the first half of the 20th century were supplied by Tin Pin Alley that celebrated the boom years and Roaring Twenties and provided an escape from the Depression and two World Wars. Cole Porter, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, Jerome Kern left their imprint during "the Jazz Age." However, there were the long-forgotten hacks cashing in on the latest fads spewing out sentimental weepers and cute novelty numbers aimed at the bland tastes of American mainstream. Jazz and â€Å"boogie-woogie† of the Thirties moved popular music away from the light entertainment of the publishing houses toward a more exciting and dance oriented style that made the swing era a golden age. As the bigger bands died out and the star singers again grabbed the spot light the songwriters again found their services in demand. Without jazz driving it and Americans rebuilding their lives and starting baby booms people were too busy to waste time dancing. Popular music turned back to light sentimental songs and cute novelty music song by polished voices and backed by sweetly generic instrumentals. The Fifties were a good time to be a white middle class American These years brought an UN-thought of prosperity and confidence to Americans who barely remembered the Great Depression. Popular music of the early fifties mirrored the life of mainstream America: bland predictable and reassuring. Which didn't seem bad after the depre... ... England the rock capital of the world. The British Invasion of 1964 brought America's music - reinvented and revitalized - home, a new generation of rock fans was born. Rock now entered what is now known as its Classic Era. In conclusion this report has helped us understand the significance of Music in America. Also, the impact it has on music we listen too. Music is very much like a big chain reaction. Rock ‘N’ Roll, much like music today, stood out and was in a way rebellious. Parents now hate Rap and we love it. People in the 70’s loved Rock ‘N’ Roll and parents hated it. This shows that maybe no matter how much older people deny it, the time gap and generation gap is not too far apart. Without Rock ‘N’ Roll the World would without a doubt be changed. Any guess to that of which way would be a good one. Works Cited 1 Gass, Bryan "A History of Rock Music: The Rock and Roll Era" World Book. Ed. 6. 1994. 2 Jervey, A. J. " Rock Music Developments" World Book. Ed. 6. 1994. 3 Briss, Jake "A Rock’n Time† Compton’s. Ed. 13. 1987. 4 Mack, Stacey "ROCKED AND ROLLIN" TIME to Rock round the Clock Nash Publishing, 1994.

Essay --

The battle for customers has brought personal computer prices temptingly low. Which kind of computer is better for the business user to buy--an Apple or a PC that runs Microsoft Windows software? Used to be simple to pick a personal computer for home use but if people wanted a simple software computer that would be Mac. If you needed lots of cheap computing power for complicated tasks, or didn't care so much about user-friendliness, you bought an IBM-style PC. Since PC have a more compatible system hardware makes it more versatile but vulnerable to malware and viruses but Mac and PC users are safer after installing up-to-date antivirus software. Since PC is a better personal computer to run small businesses because of the power to managed the information and storing it . Mac and PC are really similar to each other, but the price differs because of the named of the brand but PC are not bound by one company. it has alternative companies creating the hardware that’s why PC's are cheap. Research conducted by David Kirkpatrick indicates that Pc has 47% of machines and still growing, but Mac's has only 11% of computer, we could argue which computer has better quality but Mac could reduce the value of their computers to acquire the same quality of a PC. PC Different OEMs and even custom build PCs might not have the suitable drivers released for every components in each OS version, incompatibles, lagging may occur. Maybe cannot reach expected performance.Since Apple manufactures all updates, hardware and software Mac's run smoothly and stable performance. Custom build PC's are the ones that create most of the problems in home computers, but manufactures that sell PC's to customers don’t bring any kind of problems with their compat... ...g the Mac fans. It also leaves Apple remarkably vulnerable when innovations go wrong - the ill-fated Cube placed the company in deep trouble, taking them out of the market and wasting a lot of money on a system that’s doesn’t work so well. this also applies for games since Mac doesn’t support too many games making them drop their market really low when it comes to gaming. Personal Computers are design for home and business use, Pc are simple, affordable and upgradable making them really versatile to any used on a home. Computers are a part of our daily life making Mac are useless for personal computing. PC PRO a specialize website that reviews the Pros and Cons about computers. Many reviews from this website say that Mac is only great for media purposes. Also PC is the most familiar computer in the world making the customers feel comfortable with their purchase.

Kantian Pro Euthanasia

Without a doubt, there are forces that exist within the realms of right and wrong. This understanding of what right and wrong is is the back bone of moral philosophy, and its fundamental aim to decipher whether or not our actions lie on either side of these realms. Immanuel Kant states that these are not the only facets of morality (Lee). We must also further ask ourselves â€Å"what we ought to do,† in our case, to follow the the good will. In question, I debate whether euthanasia is an act of true good will to end suffering or if it is wrong to end a life in any circumstance.To be better moral and ethical beings, and to pursue what the philosophers call â€Å"the higher good,† we must take upon ourselves to end suffering in the face of imminent death, despite our prior connections to the life or personal beliefs. First and foremost, before addressing any claims as to what a moral action is, we must first have a basic understanding of what exactly constitutes a moral a nd an immoral action. In Immanuel Kant’s groundwork in morals, it states that an action can only be deemed moral if and only if devoid of all ulterior motive (Guthrie).With this said, we can safely say, killing anyone loved or otherwise, for any sort of gain is immoral, and therefore lacks virtue and the good will. More often than not, we will also come to a conclusion that we must choose life; we care too much about the ones we love to see them leave us, or even face the inevitability of death that will come soon after the immense suffering. Though as noble as saving a life may seem, this is not moral. As Kant’s First Categorical Imperative states, never treat someone as a means to an end, rather only as a means to an end to themselves.The maxims that drive our actions, in the endeavor to sustain the life of a suffering person, though however noble our intentions may be, are still only hypothetical imperatives that cater to our own selfish need to keep the lives that we cherish. It can also be argued that ending a life to soothe the pains of seeing the ones we love suffer is also immoral. Wouldn’t putting someone down so as that we wouldn’t have to endure the pain of watching their suffering be treating them as a means to an end? This too is only for our own philanthropic need to end our own woes, therefore is also considered, by the standards of Kant: immoral.There are further quandaries in the topic of euthanasia, than just to do or not to do. We must always remember that to be ethical and moral beings as stated in the metaphysics of morality, we must ask ourselves â€Å"what we ought to do† (Guthrie). This brings us to a near moral impossibility, where we must create answers and actions that beg sui generis. In the case of euthanasia, as moral and ethical creatures we ought to act against suffering, not because we feel our love ones suffer but to act upon categorical imperatives to end suffering for the sake of ending suf fering.We must not base our actions off the possible consequences of not allowing the being to die peacefully, but by the duty we have to end suffering. In the metaphysics of morals, it is believed that the good will is ambiguous despite its intentions. Qualities of character that are considered to be good do not ensure morality, despite its intentions (Guyer). With this said we must then overlook all emotions involved and only think about the situation in terms of duty. If this is so, in the case of euthanasia, should we not then forgo all emotional ties and venture south for more moral answers?The preservation of life holds many connections to human wants, when, if morality is the aim, principals rather than wants should be our maxims. Relying on principals to drive our actions ensures that we do what we have to do not because we want to but because what we do is our duty (therefore keeping virtue and the good will â€Å"untainted†). But I digress an acknowledge that this c oncept of pure duty as an imperative is almost impossible to achieve. Every observable action can be seen as conformity for the sake of conformity and/or for some sort of personal gain (Guthrie).But, as our predecessors before us stated, pure moral maxims do exist, and believing in them is a step to morality. This is not unlike the notion of God; we have no physical basis of what God is, as we don’t have physical notions of what pure moral intentions are, but what we do have are priors to what they are. The benefit of using Kant’s groundwork is that you get the action of good will without consequential thinking of the benefit or harm that may come from it. A moral action is that of virtue, a moral duty carried out from the good will.Therefore euthanasia is moral, for our duty and motive is to end suffering for the sake of ending suffering. It is the underlying intention which decides whether our action is moral or not. The consequence only decides how beneficial our ac tion was. As moral and ethical creatures we ought to act against suffering, not because we feel the emotional connection of watching someone you know suffer but to act upon categorical imperatives to end suffering for the sake of ending suffering. We must not end someone lse’s suffering to end our own pain or discomfort, but to end their suffering when all other choice besides death no longer exist for them. Works Cited â€Å"Immanuel Kant. † (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Ed. P. Guyer and A. Wood. N. p. , 20 May 2010. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. . Guthrie, Shandon L. â€Å"Immanuel Kant and the Categorical Imperative. † Immanuel Kant and the Categorical Imperative. N. p. , 03 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. . Lee, Harrison. â€Å"Kant – Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. † Kant – Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals. N. p. , 13 May 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. .

A Rose for Emily Character Analysis

Miss Emily Grierson, the protagonist of William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† is an unusual character in the sense that she is depressed, withdrawn, and ill. Isolated in her father’s decaying mansion in Jefferson, Mississippi, unwilling to accept the passing of time, Miss Emily shows several symptoms of a mental illness. Throughout the story, Miss Emily is living all alone (except for her servant, Tobe) in her deceased father’s decaying mansion. Miss Emily’s story is told by the townspeople, who are very interested in the unusual traits that Miss Emily shows. Miss Emily refuses to change with the town and the times, and stubbornly clings to the past. She is a lonely woman because her father scared all of her suitors away when she was younger. All alone and mentally ill, Miss Emily shows that she is mentally sick through her sad, stubborn efforts to cling to the past. Miss Emily shows her first signs of being unable to change with the times at the beginning of the story, when she refuses to pay her taxes and give her house a mailbox. The members of the Board of Alderman visit Miss Emily to collect her taxes, she is very offended at the action. Miss Emily insists that she is not required to pay taxes in the city of Jefferson and that the officials can speak with Colonel Sartoris about the issue. However, at the time of this conversation, Colonel Sartoris has been dead for nearly a decade. Miss Emily struggles with moving forward with time because she does not want to change. She does not want to face the fact that she is all alone and unhappy. Miss Emily is unable to cope with the loss of her father, who was the only man in her life, and this is the main cause of Miss Emily’s mental illness. The story then jumps forward about thirty years, and the townspeople recall another incident of Miss Emily being visited by town officials. At this time, Miss Emily’s father, Mr. Grierson, has just passed away, and there is an awful smell coming from the mansion. Judge Stevens, the town mayor who pity’s Miss Emily decides to solve the problem by sprinkling lime in her yard, rather than to confront her. At this point in the story, the townspeople feel sorry for Miss Emily because she is thirty years old, and still single because her father never allowed her to date or marry. The next day, the women from Jefferson pay a visit to Miss Emily to offer condolences from her father’s death. Miss Emily refuses to admit that her father is dead, and holds on to the body for three days before finally turning it over for the funeral. The smell coming from the Grierson home, most likely from her father’s decaying corpse, shows Miss Emily’s inability to let go of the past and move on with the future. Later in the story, Miss Emily becomes very friendly with a construction foreman, Homer Barron. The townspeople assume that Miss Emily is spending time with this gentleman because she was never allowed to date when her father was alive, and the pity her because Homer is below her social class. As Miss Emily and Homer Barron continue to see each other, Miss Emily goes to the local drugstore to purchase arsenic, with no explanation. The next day, the package is delivered to her home with a note saying the arsenic is for rats. After Miss Emily purchases a sliver toilet set that is monogrammed with Homer’s initials, the townspeople assume that Miss Emily and Homer have gotten married. Soon after, Homer comes home one day, and never leaves again. Miss Emily’s appearance soon decays along with her home. No one from the town ever saw Miss Emily or Homer again, until her death at age seventy-four. When the townspeople come into the Grierson home for the funeral service, the townspeople find a room that appears to have been untouched for a number of years. Inside the room, the townspeople see Homer Barron’s dead corpse laid in the bed with an iron gray hair on the pillow next to him from Miss Emily’s latter part of life. Miss Emily was unable to admit to the loss of both her father and Homer Barron because she had a hard hold on the past, and refused to let go of it until she finally died. Miss Emily was a sad character, because she was depressed, mentally ill, and unable to grasp the passage of time. It is seen by the townspeople through her actions that she was very sad and lonely, and willing to go to great lengths to keep from being alone. Faulkner showed the struggle that Miss Emily had with this through her lack of upkeep to her home, her inability to change with the town of Jefferson, and her refusal to let go of her deceased loved ones.

History of Jazz Concert Report Essay

Since I have been in university, most talk of live music has revolved around â€Å"what club has a special on tonight?† or â€Å"which DJ is going to be in town this weekend?† I have nothing against electronic music but sitting in a packed bar near the Halifax Harbor listening to jazz and conversing in a booth with my friends, instead of shouting to clear the volume of dance music, has been one of the most enjoyable nights of my time at Dalhousie. I had always wanted to see some live jazz or blues here, but without the extra push of this assignment I couldn’t seem to get out to listen to any. I went to see the Charles Mingus Tribute play on Thursday, Oct. 9th at Stayner’s Wharf Pub and Restaurant with some friends in the history of jazz course with me, and with some from out of the class. The performers were Dave Staples (piano), Chris Mitchell (saxophone), Martin Davidson (saxophone), Danny Martin (trombone), Tom Roach (drums), and Tom Easley (bass). As I was listening to the jazz I was trying my hardest to take in my surroundings and analyze how the environment catered to the music, see who was in attendance, and most of all enjoy the show. When listening and watching live performances, the venue is almost as important as the music itself. The venue that the Charles Mingus Tribute played at the night I saw them was a restaurant and bar called Stayner’s Wharf. I had been there before, but in the middle of the day with no live music. The change I saw in atmosphere from that first time I experienced the restaurant to the second was tremendous. A tucked away stage with six musicians squished onto it all playing their hearts out transformed the boring restaurant into something so much more alive. The venue was a little odd because it wasn’t positioned around the players, so many people couldn’t see the stage from their tables or stools. However, even if you couldn’t see the musicians you could hear the sound so clearly throughout the entire place. It was very busy. People were standing with drinks, leaning on tables  or walls, or sitting in booths with too many people on each bench. The staff was working like crazy trying to cater to the needs of each customer and was doing an excellent job. Luckily, even though we arrived slightly late, we were able to get a booth seat with a great view of the stage. This affected the experience immensely. Being able to see clearly the onstage chemistry and improvisation was very cool. There were certain times, in between solos when two musicians would exchange head nods and other gestures to indicate when someone should start playing and other technical things that I’m sure I don’t know about. Although the music wasn’t always collective improvisation, the ability of the individual players to adapt to what the others were doing was apparent and so was the skill that goes along with that ability. Overall I think the venue was perfect for the type of jazz they were playing, and the mood that each musician seemed to be in. The musicians seemed happier, too, because they could step off and enjoy a beer in betwe en sets. Since it was after 9:00 PM and there was live music, the event was labeled a â€Å"no minors event†. This put me as definitely the youngest person in attendance, as I was yet to turn 19 at the time. My age posed as a slight problem when trying to get in, but after explaining that we were here strictly for the jazz, the manager made an exception and allowed us entrance to the event. I think the fact that I was one of the only people there not indulging in alcohol changed the way I listened to the music, especially as the show continued. Everyone I was sitting with never had an empty glass in front of them and even the musicians were drinking casually, which reminded me of speakeasies and had me imagining myself in Chicago in the 1920’s. As the audience got drunker the volume of their voices increased, and so did the applause and cheers at the end of each solo or song. However as the audience got louder and more rambunctious the musicians seemed to match the mood and volume perfectly. It was a real happy party atmosphere. In between songs, the band members would shout out to friends of theirs in the crowd or sometimes even to people they didn’t know who were there celebrating a special occasion. The special thing about the audience was how much everyone wanted to be there and to be immersed in the music. People would close their eyes and move their heads to the music and I was constantly tapping my toe on the floor or my finger on the table along with the rhythm of the drums  and bass. Overall, it was a warm audience of people from many different age groups who were there because they wanted to be there and it was clear that everyone loved the jazz. The band itself was an absolute pleasure to listen to and watch perform. It consisted of two lead saxophonists, a lead trombonist, a piano player, bass player, and a drummer. The two saxophone players were very different in their stage presence. Chris Mitchell, the older of the two, had a wild and eccentric way of playing the saxophone. Some of his solo’s reminded me almost of those by Charlie Parker. They were very fast and almost abrupt or sharp in the way they jumped out at you. As one friend of mine put it, â€Å"his stage presence was similar to that of Bobby Keys† who is most famous for playing saxophone for the Rolling Stones. On the opposing side, the second saxophone player was unbelievably young and seemed to have not quite come into his own stage persona yet. Where Chris Mitchell would move with the music, Martin Davidson seemed slightly more rigid. This didn’t detract from the sound or quality of his playing though. It was almost like watching a more experienced teacher and his student prodigy playing together in front of us that night. The band was playing jazz compositions mostly by Charles Mingus such as â€Å"Jump Monk† and â€Å"Pussy Cat Dues. So after the show I went home and listened to the titles as performed by Mingus to compare the two. I decided that I liked the live version that I saw more than the recorded version of Mingus. I think this is because of my ability to actually see the jazz and feel it around me when I was at Stayner’s Wharf. It’s hard for me to come up with any faults in the performance because of how much fun I had and how little experience I have with live jazz in general. One thing I would have liked more would have been to hear more piano over all. I have played piano since I was in grade one and advanced through my exams until grade 10 classical piano, after which I took two years of jazz piano lessons. So it is easy to say that piano is one of my favorite instruments, but I realize it isn’t usually a lead instrument for a jazz band like this. With that one personal preference aside, I had no bad things to say about the band. I thought they were charismatic on stage, sounded great and improvised together perfectly. The type of jazz played was more an art music than a popular music. It’s hard to label what jazz was being played, because Charles Mingus himself didn’t like to label any of his songs into one genre, and the band was playing his songs. But I think there was a lot of collective improvisation on stage and the styles ranged from New Orleans styled jazz to Be Bop at points. It was almost like a â€Å"mixed bag†. I think that is why I enjoyed the performance so much, because there were surprises and no song or solo sounded the same. I didn’t have the opportunity to fall bored like some people could if the musician was someone like Bill Evans, who plays slower and quieter jazz. The Jazz was definitely center of attention in the bar and was the main attraction for the night unlike other restaurants that have musicians as a sort of background music. One song, the first song we heard when we came in, had a â€Å"four on the floor† rhythm to it. I remember wa lking in and thinking â€Å"Hey! I know what that is!† Overall, the night was a success and everyone I was with thoroughly enjoyed it. After the jazz, some of my friends went to a nightclub and said that the clashing of the two experiences made them realize how much different the music of today is from the music of the past. Whether it’s a good difference or not is in the eye of the beholder. The venue, though it was small and packed, was a great place for the musicians to play. The audience was all happy, which might have had something to do with the alcohol, but it made the entire atmosphere happy as well. The Charles Mingus Tribute did an excellent job of transferring the music of Mingus to the audience that night; the soloists were unbelievable; and the collective improvisation on stage was very cool to watch. I have already decided with a group of friends that we will be going to another live jazz event in November, and I am looking forward to seeing if I can apply some more jazz knowledge learned from class at this event as well.

Five Translation Tools That Will Help You Understand Most Languages

Five Translation Tools That Will Help You Understand Most Languages There are several key translation tools out there you can use when hiring a professional translator or interpreter is not feasible. Keep in mind, however, that even though machine translators are on the rise, none of them are fully adequate replacements for human professionals. Searching the internet will also provide plenty of stories about why relying on machine translators for business can be a costly mistake. But, if you simply want the gist of whats written in that one tweet or news article, then you have a few options and this post will detail some of the most popular ones.Google TranslateOriginally launched in 2006, Google Translate has over 500 million users translating more than 100 billion words a day. This tool currently supports 103 languages including Arabic, Chichewa, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Malay, Norwegian, Portuguese†¦ the list goes on.Googles mission statement is to organize the worlds information and make it un iversally accessible and useful, and this initiative is extended to Google Translates features. The browser version provides you with the following options:Text- You can type the text to be translated on your keyboard. The text is translated in real time, meaning that the words are translated as you write them.Detect language- This feature can recognize the source language if you dont know what it is.Handwriting- You can draw letters or characters with a touchscreen, a tablet, or even a mouse. This is useful for translating symbols and characters from certain languages.Speech- Speak into your microphone and your words are translated in real time.Document support- You can upload and translate your files.In addition to the above, the app version includes the following features:Conversation Mode- Talk to another person with your microphone and your speech is translated in real time.Camera Mode- You can take pictures with your phones camera, and the text is translated to another languag e.Instant camera translation- The phones camera can translate visible text in real time. This is very convenient for translating public signs.Offline- Languages can be translated without an internet connection.Adding to the versatility is the fact that Google Translate is also integrated with other Google services; entire webpages can be translated through Google Search, and Chrome users can translate any page with a mouse click.Its worth noting though that not all features are available for every language, and the translation quality varies drastically between languages. This is because Google Translate originally used a system of statistical machine translation (SMT) which works by detecting patterns in documents translated by human translators and using that data to make intelligent guesses as to what an appropriate translation should be. Basically, like a parrot repeating human speech, SMT takes common wording and applies it to automatic translations. This system inevitably favo rs the most commonly used languages because it has more data to work with.Recently, Google Translate incorporated a Neural Machine Translation (NMT) system which can actually break down sentences, interpret the context, and rearrange words to match the grammar structure of the target language. This system is also capable of learning over time, producing continually improved results, and the difference hasnt gone unnoticed. The language pairs currently supported by this system (to and from) are English and French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Turkish. Although Google aims to apply NMT to all languages supported by Google Translate, this means that the tool still manages some languages better than others. On the flip side, you have the option to report translation issues to Google, which helps them to improve Google Translate.In short, Google Translate is a very practical and versatile tool undergoing constant improvement, but it isnt without its signifi cant flaws. Your mileage may vary depending on the language pair youre working with, and even NMT doesnt guarantee a perfect translation. Google Translate can be a very handy tool from time to time, but you should always keep its limitations in mind.Microsoft TranslatorMicrosofts answer to Google Translate and arguably its main competitor, this tool was originally launched in 2007. It works very similarly and has support for 60 languages and apps for Windows, Windows Phone, iOS, Android, and Android Wear. The browser version has these features:Text- You can type the text to be translated on your keyboard. The text is translated in real time, meaning the words are translated as you write them. It has a 5000-character limit.Auto-Detect- This feature can recognize the source language if you dont know what it is.Conversation- You can start or join a conversation with another person, with your text or speech being translated in real time.The app version adds the following features:Conver sation Mode- You can use your microphone to talk with another person, and your dialogue is translated in real time.Photo- You can take pictures with your phones camera, and the text is translated to another language.Offline- It allows you to download language packs to use the tool without an internet connection.In addition, this tool is integrated with other Microsoft products such as Office, SharePoint, Yammer, Visual Studio, Bing and Skype, which is one advantage it has over Google. Its worth noting though that like Google Translate, not all features are available for every language.Although Microsoft Translator doesnt have nearly as many features and language options as Google Translate, some customer reviews consider it a superior option. Microsoft Translator also seems to favor a more quality over quantity approach; while it doesnt support as many languages as Google Translate, the translation quality and available features are arguably more consistent across the languages it d oes support because Microsoft tries to gather a certain amount of data before a new language is added. Microsoft is also keeping up with the times, having recently incorporated a neural network system to their translation technology. So, while Google may have the lead in this race, be sure to check all the options to see which one works best for you.LingueeLinguee was founded in December 2008 by Gereon Frahling and Leonard Fink, and it was released to the public in April 2009. Linguee stands out from the other options for being less of a machine translation and more of a multilingual dictionary. As a result of the work of 400 translators, lexicographers, and linguists, Linguee has support for 25 languages and 234 language pairs, and it was used by 500 million people in 2015.The main distinction of this translation tool lies in how Linguee operates. Instead of simply giving you a translation for a word or phrase, Linguee also shows examples of the terms being used in context on the w eb. This is possible because Linguee uses web crawlers to search for bilingual texts and to then feed them to a machine learning algorithm. This tool has access to over 1 billion translations, which can be reviewed for accuracy. A free app is also available for iOS and Android, with audio pronunciations and offline mode.iTranslateAn award-winning app and one of the most popular choices (with 5,000,000 - 10,000,000 installs on Google Play alone), iTranslate combines a dictionary and a machine translator into one app. It supports more than 90 languages and has the following options:Romanization- iTranslate can convert non-Latin characters into Latin characters. It works with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Hindi, Russian, and Thai, among other languages.Voice input- It can translate speech, saving you the time required to type it out.Voice output- You can choose between a male and a female voice, as well as a specific dialect for your translation.Dictionaries- iTranslate includes sy nonyms and alternate meanings.The Pro version adds the following features:Website translation- A built-in browser can translate websites in real time.Conjugation- The app can conjugate translated verbs.Voice-to-Voice conversations- Instantly speak another language.Offline mode- It can translate popular language pairs without an internet connection.iTranslate is available on the AppStore, App Watch, Windows, and Google Play.SDL Trados StudioA potential client once asked me if I use Trados. To date, I have never seen much need for sophisticated translation software to do my work, but I looked into it and I see the potential appeal.Vaunted as the worlds leading translation software, SDL Trados has a different function from the other options in this list. Instead of a machine translation, its actually a CAT (computer-assisted translation) tool, designed to support professional translation work. With over 250,000 users, its the most used CAT tool. Some of the most prominent features incl ude the following:Project management- It offers a complete workspace for translation, reviewing, and editing, as well as compatibility with hundreds of languages and regional variants.Translation memory- It builds a database by capturing your translations, allowing you to reutilize recurring sentences in future projects.Terminology management- It provides the tools to organize a term base for not only words, but also acronyms, synonyms, and abbreviations. This software also allows you to establish rules for their use, promoting consistent and quality translations.Machine translation- It can integrate Language Weaver, SDL BeGlobal, SDL LanguageCloud, and Google Translate.Aside from a consensus that usage of CAT tools increases translation efficiency, there are a number of clients expecting (if not requiring) professionals to use one, as I attested to in my personal experience. Personally, I dont think its mandatory by any means, but if you have a different opinion, there is a 30-day free trial available to let you decide if its right for you.Other utilitiesKanji Recognizer- This is a very handy tool. Just draw a kanji in a box, and the tool will try to recognize it. Also, it supports simplified Chinese characters.imTranslator Comparison Tool- This extension of imTranslator provides simultaneous translations from PROMT, Google Translate, and Microsoft Translator. It can give you an idea of which one works best for the specific languages youre dealing with.In closingThere are dozens of translation tools out there. I listed and discussed what I believe to be the best ones, but the list barely covers a fraction of whats out there, and there may even be a few options I havent heard of. I cant stress this salient fact enough though: Machine translators can be helpful, but they do not replace human professionals. As Microsoft themselves put it:Automatic machine translation is generally used where the quality-level requirement is not as stringent as where human transla tion is required. Use machine translation where the quantity of content, speed of content creation (such as user-generated content in blogs, forums, etc.), and budget (or lack thereof) make it impossible to use human translation. It caters to a segment of the market for translation needs that, thus far, could not be made economically feasible or could not be made available with a very short turnaround time.MicrosoftAs long as you know what youre getting and the limitations, translation tools take us one step closer to bringing the world together.

Robert Frost - Fire and Ice essays

Robert Frost - Fire and Ice essays Some say the world will end in fire, From what Ive tasted of desire Robert Frost contrasts fire and ice in such a way, that the reader is left to believe he is speaking of emotions. Desire, when describing love, is such an emotion that a person is left to crave the mere being and soul of another person. It is the sheer appetite to taste that other individual that makes the passion of desire so powerful. Desire is easily compared to fire in the same way that a fire burns intensely, and is easily ignited, so is desire a distinction to the combustion of obsession. Hatred, the most intense emotion known to describe the extreme aversion felt by man for another being is compared to ice. Ice is the powerful reaction that occurs at extreme temperatures and turns any liquid substance into a solid. Both hatred and ice produce a result so extreme that the destruction of the world does not seem such a tragedy in their wake. To distinguish desire and fire against hatred and ice show two extremes contrasted with two emotions. Robert Frost easily takes hold of the reader and throws them into another place. A place of intense emotion, both scorn and obsession, and the sensation of heat and cold. Places were the force of destruction and the fruit of life can obliterate one another. The poem breathes the essence of creation and devastation. Frost, a mastermind with words, can take a simple feeling, sentence, and phrase and transform such an idea as to take the reader from the book to the fantasia in his mind. Fire and ice displays the emotions felt and the literal forms of those emotions. ...

y2k essays

y2k essays The year 2000 represents more than just an end to the 1900s. For computers worldwide, it can mean major problem. When software for many of the business computers in use today was in development, many programmers tried to save space by programming computers only to deal with years in the 20th century. Today, though, many computer users discover problems anytime they are dealing with a date that falls after the next turn-of-the-century. When calculations involving the year 2000 or after come up on the computer screen, many computers only read 00 and not know the correct date. They malfunction or fail. "The looming prospect of disabled computer systems and paralyzed enterprises around the world makes the year 2000 one of the most critical and universal challenges to ever face the IT industry," the magazine Managing Office Technology reported in December 1997 ( Marcoccio and Matthew, online). Talking of GartnerGroup research, it added, "While the date change crisis has achieved maxi mum awareness, 30 percent of all companies worldwide have not yet started on any Year 2000 compliancy efforts, and 40 percent have not progressed to a point where they will be certain not to encounter significant mission-critical failures by 2000." Having the most problems are health, care, education, government agencies and small and medium-sized companies (Marcoccio, online, 1999)Large companies seem to be the farthest along, perhaps because they have the greatest resources from which to pull money and help. The leading large company industry is insurance, with financial services trailing just slightly, and banking behind that. Yet many businesses have been hard at work trying to update their source code, sometimes by reprogramming and sometimes by replacing rather than reprogramming software. Sometimes they must replace with a vendor package, retire the application, or even get rid of the entire business prospect. Managing Offi ...

Battle of Petersburg in the Civil War

Battle of Petersburg in the Civil War The Battle of Petersburg was part of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and was fought between June 9, 1864 and April 2, 1865. In the wake of his defeat at the Battle of Cold Harbor in early June 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant continued pressing south towards the Confederate capital at Richmond. Departing Cold Harbor on June 12, his men stole a march on General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia and crossed the James River on a large pontoon bridge. This maneuver led Lee to become concerned that he might be forced into a siege at Richmond. This was not Grants intention, as the Union leader sought to capture the vital city of Petersburg. Located south of Richmond, Petersburg was a strategic crossroads and railroad hub which supplied the capital and Lees army. Its loss would make would Richmond indefensible (Map). Armies Commanders Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. GrantMajor General George G. Meade67,000 increasing to 125,000 men Confederate General Robert E. Leeapprox. 52,000 men Smith and Butler Move Aware of Petersburgs importance, Major General Benjamin Butler, commanding Union forces at Bermuda Hundred, attempted an attack on the city on June 9. Crossing the Appomattox River, his men assault the citys outermost defenses known as the Dimmock Line. These attacks were halted by Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard and Butler withdrew. On June 14, with the Army of the Potomac nearing Petersburg, Grant instructed Butler to dispatch Major General William F. Baldy Smiths XVIII Corps to attack the city. Crossing the river, Smiths advance was delayed through the day on the 15th, though he finally moved to attack the Dimmock Line that evening. Possessing 16,500 men, Smith was able to overwhelm Brigadier General Henry Wises Confederates along the northeastern portion of the Dimmock Line. Falling back, Wises men occupied a weaker line along Harrisons Creek. With night setting in, Smith halted with intention of resuming his attack at dawn. First Assaults That evening, Beauregard, whose call for reinforcements had been ignored by Lee, stripped his defenses at Bermuda Hundred to reinforce Petersburg, increasing his forces there to around 14,000. Unaware of this, Butler remained idle rather than threatening Richmond. Despite this, Beauregard remained badly outnumbered as Grants columns began arriving on the field increasing Union strength to over 50,000. Attacking late in the day with the XVIII, II, and IX Corps, Grants men slowly pushed the Confederates back. Fighting continued on 17th with the Confederates defending tenaciously and preventing a Union breakthrough. As the fighting raged, Beauregards engineers began building a new line of fortifications closer the city and Lee began marching to the fighting. Attacks on June 18 gained some ground but were halted at the new line with heavy losses. Unable to advance, the commander of the Army of the Potomac, Major General George G. Meade, ordered his troops to dig in opposite the Confederates. In four days of fighting, Union losses totaled 1,688 killed, 8,513 wounded, 1,185 missing or captured, while the Confederates lost around 200 killed, 2,900 wounded, 900 missing or captured Moving Against the Railroads Having been stopped by the Confederate defenses, Grant began making plans for severing the three open railroads leading into Petersburg. While one ran north to Richmond, the other two, the Weldon Petersburg and Southside, were open to attack. The closest, the Weldon, ran south to North Carolina and provided a connection to the open port of Wilmington. As a first step, Grant planned a large cavalry raid to attack both railroads, while ordering the II and VI Corps to march on the Weldon. Advancing with their men, Major Generals David Birney and Horatio Wright encountered Confederate troops on June 21. The next two days saw them fight the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road which resulted in over 2,900 Union casualties and around 572 Confederate. An inconclusive engagement, it saw the Confederates retain possession of the railroad, but Union forces extend their siege lines. As Lees army was significantly smaller, any need lengthen his lines correspondingly weakened the whole. Wilson-Kautz Raid As Union forces were failing in their efforts to seize the Weldon Railroad, a cavalry force led by Brigadier Generals James H. Wilson and August Kautz circled south of Petersburg to strike at the railroads. Burning stock and tearing up around 60 miles of track, the raiders fought battles at Staunton River Bridge, Sappony Church, and Reams Station. In the wake of this last fight, they found themselves unable to breakthrough to return to the Union lines. As a result, the Wilson-Kautz raiders were forced to burn their wagons and destroy their guns before fleeing north. Returning to the Union lines on July 1, the raiders lost 1,445 men (approx. 25% of the command). A New Plan As Union forces operated against the railroads, efforts of a different sort were underway to break the deadlock in front of Petersburg. Among the units in the Union trenches was the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry of Major General Ambrose Burnsides IX Corps. Composed largely of former coal miners, the men of the 48th devised a plan for breaking through the Confederate lines. Observing that the closest Confederate fortification, Elliotts Salient, was a mere 400 feet from their position, the men of the 48th believed that a mine could be run from their lines under the enemy earthworks. Once complete, this mine could be packed with enough explosives to open a hole in the Confederate lines. The Battle of the Crater This idea was seized upon by their commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pleasants. A mining engineer by trade, Pleasants approached Burnside with the plan arguing that the explosion would take the Confederates by surprise and would allow Union troops to rush in to take the city. Approved by Grant and Burnside, planning moved forward and construction of the mine began. Anticipating the attack to occur on July 30, Grant ordered Major General Winfield S. Hancocks II Corps and two divisions of Major General Philip Sheridans Cavalry Corps north across the James to the Union position at Deep Bottom. From this position, they were to advance against Richmond with the goal of drawing Confederate troops away from Petersburg. If this was not practicable, then Hancock was to pin the Confederates while Sheridan raided around the city. Attacking on July 27 and 28, Hancock and Sheridan fought an inconclusive action but one which succeeded in pulling Confederate troops from Petersburg. Having achieved his objective, Grant suspended operations on the evening of July 28. At 4:45 AM on July 30, the charge in the mine was detonated killing at least 278 Confederate soldiers and creating a crater 170 feet long, 60-80 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. Advancing, the Union attack soon bogged down as last-minute changes to the plan and a rapid Confederate response doomed it to failure. By 1:00 PM the fighting in the area ended and Union forces suffered 3,793 killed, wounded, and captured, while the Confederates incurred around 1,500. For his part in the attacks failure, Burnside was sacked by Grant and command of IX Corps passed to Major General John G. Parke. The Fighting Continues While the two sides were fighting in the vicinity of Petersburg, Confederate forces under Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early were successfully campaigning in the Shenandoah Valley. Advancing from the valley, he won the Battle of Monocacy on July 9 and menaced Washington on July 11-12. Retreating, he burned Chambersburg, PA on July 30. Earlys actions forced Grant to send VI Corps to Washington to bolster its defenses. Concerned that Grant might move to crush Early, Lee shifted two divisions to Culpeper, VA where they would be in position to support either front. Mistakenly believing that this movement had greatly weakened the Richmond defenses, Grant ordered II and X Corps to attack again at Deep Bottom on August 14. In six days of fighting, little was achieved other than forcing Lee to further strengthen the Richmond defenses. To end the threat posed by Early, Sheridan was dispatched to the valley to head up Union operations. Closing the Weldon Railroad While the fighting was raging at Deep Bottom, Grant ordered Major General Gouverneur K. Warrens V Corps to advance against the Weldon Railroad. Moving out on August 18, they reached the railroad at Globe Tavern around 9:00 AM. Attacked by Confederate forces, Warrens men fought a back and forth battle for three days. When it ended, Warren had succeeded in holding a position astride the railroad and had linked his fortifications with the main Union line near the Jerusalem Plank Road. The Union victory forced Lees men to offload supplies from the railroad at Stony Creek and bring them to Petersburg by wagon via the Boydton Plank Road. Wishing to permanently damage the Weldon Railroad, Grant ordered Hancocks tired II Corps to Reams Station to destroy the tracks. Arriving on August 22 and 23, they effectively destroyed the railroad to within two miles of Reams Station. Seeing the Union presence as a threat to his line of retreat, Lee ordered Major General A.P. Hill south to defeat Hancock. Attacking on August 25, Hills men succeeded in forcing Hancock to retreat after a protracted fight. Through a tactical reverse, Grant was pleased with the operation as the railroad had been put out of commission leaving the Southside as the only track running into Petersburg. (Map). Fighting in the Fall On September 16, while Grant was absent meeting with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, Major General Wade Hampton led the Confederate cavalry on a successful raid against the Union rear. Dubbed the Beefsteak Raid, his men escaped with 2,486 head of cattle. Returning, Grant mounted another operation in later September intending to strike at both ends of Lees position. The first part saw Butlers Army of the James attack north of the James at Chaffins Farm on September 29-30. Though he had some initial success, he was soon contained by the Confederates. South of Petersburg, elements of V and IX Corps, supported by cavalry, successfully extended the Union line to the area of Peebles and Pegrams Farms by October 2. In an effort to relieve pressure north of the James, Lee attacked the Union positions there on October 7. The resulting Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads saw his men repulsed forcing him to fall back. Continuing his trend of striking both flanks simultaneously, Grant sent Butler forward again on October 27-28. Fighting the Battle of Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Butler faired no better than Lee earlier in the month. At the other end of the line, Hancock moved west with a mixed force in an attempt to cut the Boydton Plank Road. Though his men gained the road on October 27, subsequent Confederate counterattacks forced him to fall back. As a result, the road remained open for Lee throughout the winter (Map). The End Nears With the setback at Boydton Plank Road, fighting began to quiet as winter approached. The re-election of President Abraham Lincoln in November ensured that the war would be prosecuted to the end. On February 5, 1865, offensive operations resumed with Brigadier General David Greggs cavalry division moving out to strike Confederate supply trains on the Boydton Plank Road. To protect the raid, Warrens corps crossed Hatchers Run and established a blocking position on the Vaughan Road with elements of II Corps in support. Here they repulsed a Confederate attack late in the day. Following Greggs return the following day, Warren pushed up the road and was assaulted near Dabneys Mill. Though his advance was halted, Warren succeeded in further extending the Union line to Hatchers Run. Lees Last Gamble By early March 1865, over eight months in the trenches around Petersburg had begun to wreck Lees army. Plagued by disease, desertion, and a chronic lack of supplies, his force had dropped to around 50,000. Already outnumbered 2.5-to-1, he faced the daunting prospect of another 50,000 Union troops arriving as Sheridan concluded operations in the valley. Desperately needing to change the equation before Grant assaulted his lines, Lee asked Major General John B. Gordon to plan an attack on the Union lines with the goal of reaching Grants headquarters area at City Point. Gordon began preparations and at 4:15 AM on March 25, the lead elements began moving against Fort Stedman in the northern part of the Union line. Striking hard, they overwhelmed the defenders and soon had taken Fort Stedman as well as several nearby batteries opening a 1000-foot breach in the Union position. Responding to the crisis, Parke ordered Brigadier General John F. Hartranfts division to seal the gap. In tight fighting, Hartranfts men succeeded in isolating Gordons attack by 7:30 AM. Supported by a vast number of Union guns, they counterattacked and drove the Confederates back to their own lines. Suffering around 4,000 casualties, the failure of the Confederate effort at Fort Stedman effectively doomed Lees ability to hold the city. Five Forks Sensing Lee was weak, Grant ordered the newly returned Sheridan to attempt a move around the Confederate right flank to the west of Petersburg. To counter this move, Lee dispatched 9,200 men under Major General George Pickett to defend the vital crossroads of Five Forks and the Southside Railroad, with orders to hold them at all hazards. On March 31, Sheridans force encountered Picketts lines and moved to attack. After some initial confusion, Sheridans men routed the Confederates at the Battle of Five Forks, inflicting 2,950 casualties. Pickett, who was away at a shad bake when the fighting started, was relieved of his command by Lee. With the Southside Railroad cut, Lee lost his best line of retreat. The following morning, seeing no other options, Lee informed President Jefferson Davis that both Petersburg and Richmond must be evacuated (Map). The Fall of Petersburg This coincided with Grant ordering a massive offensive against the majority of the Confederate lines. Moving forward early on April 2, Parkes IX Corps struck Fort Mahone and the lines around the Jerusalem Plank Road. In bitter fighting, they overwhelmed the defenders and held on against strong counterattacks by Gordons men. To the south, Wrights VI Corps shattered the Boydton Line allowing Major General John Gibbons XXIV Corps to exploit the breach. Advancing, Gibbons men fought a protracted battle for Forts Gregg and Whitworth. Though they captured both, the delay allowed Lieutenant General James Longstreet to bring troops down from Richmond. To the west, Major General Andrew Humphreys, now commanding II Corps, broke through the Hatchers Run Line and pushed back Confederate forces under Major General Henry Heth. Though he was having success, he was ordered to advance on the city by Meade. Doing so, he left a division to deal with Heth. By late afternoon, Union forces had forced the Confederates into Petersburgs inner defenses but had worn themselves out in the process. That evening, as Grant planned a final assault for the following day, Lee began evacuating the city (Map). Aftermath Retreating west, Lee hoped to resupply and join with General Joseph Johnstons forces in North Carolina. As Confederate forces departed, Union troops entered both Petersburg and Richmond on April 3. Closely pursued by Grants forces, Lees army began to disintegrate. After a week of retreating, Lee finally met with Grant at Appomattox Court House and surrendered his army on April 9, 1865. Lees surrender effectively ended the Civil War in the East.