A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-six

Tyrion Chella daughter of Cheyk of the Black Ears had gone ahead to scout, and it was she who brought back word of the army at the crossroads. â€Å"By their fires I call them twenty thousand strong,† she said. â€Å"Their banners are red, with a golden lion.† â€Å"Your father?† Bronn asked. â€Å"Or my brother Jaime,† Tyrion said. â€Å"We shall know soon enough.† He surveyed his ragged band of brigands: near three hundred Stone Crows, Moon Brothers, Black Ears, and Burned Men, and those just the seed of the army he hoped to grow. Gunthor son of Gurn was raising the other clans even now. He wondered what his lord father would make of them in their skins and bits of stolen steel. If truth be told, he did not know what to make of them himself. Was he their commander or their captive? Most of the time, it seemed to be a little of both. â€Å"It might be best if I rode down alone,† he suggested. â€Å"Best for Tyrion son of Tywin,† said Ulf, who spoke for the Moon Brothers. Shagga glowered, a fearsome sight to see. â€Å"Shagga son of Dolf likes this not. Shagga will go with the boyman, and if the boyman lies, Shagga will chop off his manhood—† â€Å"—and feed it to the goats, yes,† Tyrion said wearily. â€Å"Shagga, I give you my word as a Lannister, I will return.† â€Å"Why should we trust your word?† Chella was a small hard woman, flat as a boy, and no fool. â€Å"Lowland lords have lied to the clans before.† â€Å"You wound me, Chella,† Tyrion said. â€Å"Here I thought we had become such friends. But as you will. You shall ride with me, and Shagga and Conn for the Stone Crows, Ulf for the Moon Brothers, and Timett son of Timett for the Burned Men.† The clansmen exchanged wary looks as he named them. â€Å"The rest shall wait here until I send for you. Try not to kill and maim each other while I'm gone.† He put his heels to his horse and trotted off, giving them no choice but to follow or be left behind. Either was fine with him, so long as they did not sit down to talk for a day and a night. That was the trouble with the clans; they had an absurd notion that every man's voice should be heard in council, so they argued about everything, endlessly. Even their women were allowed to speak. Small wonder that it had been hundreds of years since they last threatened the Vale with anything beyond an occasional raid. Tyrion meant to change that. Brorm rode with him. Behind them—after a quick bit of grumbling—the five clansmen followed on their undersize garrons, scrawny things that looked like ponies and scrambled up rock walls like goats. The Stone Crows rode together, and Chella and Ulf stayed close as well, as the Moon Brothers and Black Ears had strong bonds between them. Timett son of Timett rode alone. Every clan in the Mountains of the Moon feared the Burned Men, who mortified their flesh with fire to prove their courage and (the others said) roasted babies at their feasts. And even the other Burned Men feared Timett, who had put out his own left eye with a white-hot knife when he reached the age of manhood. Tyrion gathered that it was more customary for a boy to burn off a nipple, a finger, or (if he was truly brave, or truly mad) an ear. Timett's fellow Burned Men were so awed by his choice of an eye that they promptly named him a red hand, which seemed to be some sort of a war chief. â€Å"I wonder what their king burned off,† Tyrion said to Bronn when he heard the tale. Grinning, the sellsword had tugged at his crotch . . . but even Bronn kept a respectful tongue around Timett. If a man was mad enough to put out his own eye, he was unlikely to be gentle to his enemies. Distant watchers peered down from towers of unmortared stone as the party descended through the foothills, and once Tyrion saw a raven take wing. Where the high road twisted between two rocky outcrops, they came to the first strong point. A low earthen wall four feet high closed off the road, and a dozen crossbowmen manned the heights. Tyrion halted his followers out of range and rode to the wall alone. â€Å"Who commands here?† he shouted up. The captain was quick to appear, and even quicker to give them an escort when he recognized his lord's son. They trotted past blackened fields and burned holdfasts, down to the riverlands and the Green Fork of the Trident. Tyrion saw no bodies, but the air was full of ravens and carrion crows; there had been fighting here, and recently. Half a league from the crossroads, a barricade of sharpened stakes had been erected, manned by pikemen and archers. Behind the line, the camp spread out to the far distance. Thin fingers of smoke rose from hundreds of cookfires, mailed men sat under trees and honed their blades, and familiar banners fluttered from staffs thrust into the muddy ground. A party of mounted horsemen rode forward to challenge them as they approached the stakes. The knight who led them wore silver armor inlaid with amethysts and a striped purple-and-silver cloak. His shield bore a unicorn sigil, and a spiral horn two feet long jutted up from the brow of his horsehead helm. Tyrion reined up to greet him. â€Å"Ser Flement.† Ser Flement Brax lifted his visor. â€Å"Tyrion,† he said in astonishment. â€Å"My lord, we all feared you dead, or . . . † He looked at the clansmen uncertainly. â€Å"These . . . companions of yours . . . â€Å" â€Å"Bosom friends and loyal retainers,† Tyrion said. â€Å"Where will I find my lord father?† â€Å"He has taken the inn at the crossroads for his quarters.† Tyrion laughed. The inn at the crossroads! Perhaps the gods were just after all. â€Å"I will see him at once.† â€Å"As you say, my lord.† Ser Flement wheeled his horse about and shouted commands. Three rows of stakes were pulled from the ground to make a hole in the line. Tyrion led his party through. Lord Tywin's camp spread over leagues. Chella's estimate of twenty thousand men could not be far wrong. The common men camped out in the open, but the knights had thrown up tents, and some of the high lords had erected pavilions as large as houses. Tyrion spied the red ox of the Presters, Lord Crakehall's brindled boar, the burning tree of Marbrand, the badger of Lydden. Knights called out to him as he cantered past, and men-at-arms gaped at the clansmen in open astonishment. Shagga was gaping back; beyond a certainty, he had never seen so many men, horses, and weapons in all his days. The rest of the mountain brigands did a better job of guarding their faces, but Tyrion had no doubts that they were full as much in awe. Better and better. The more impressed they were with the power of the Lannisters, the easier they would be to command. The inn and its stables were much as he remembered, though little more than tumbled stones and blackened foundations remained where the rest of the village had stood. A gibbet had been erected in the yard, and the body that swung there was covered with ravens. At Tyrion's approach they took to the air, squawking and flapping their black wings. He dismounted and glanced up at what remained of the corpse. The birds had eaten her lips and eyes and most of her cheeks, baring her stained red teeth in a hideous smile. â€Å"A room, a meal, and a flagon of wine, that was all I asked,† he reminded her with a sigh of reproach. Boys emerged hesitantly from the stables to see to their horses. Shagga did not want to give his up. â€Å"The lad won't steal your mare,† Tyrion assured him. â€Å"He only wants to give her some oats and water and brush out her coat.† Shagga's coat could have used a good brushing too, but it would have been less than tactful to mention it. â€Å"You have my word, the horse will not be harmed.† Glaring, Shagga let go his grip on the reins. â€Å"This is the horse of Shagga son of Dolf,† he roared at the stableboy. â€Å"If he doesn't give her back, chop off his manhood and feed it to the goats,† Tyrion promised. â€Å"Provided you can find some.† A pair of house guards in crimson cloaks and lion-crested helms stood under the inn's sign, on either side of the door. Tyrion recognized their captain. â€Å"My father?† â€Å"In the common room, m'lord.† â€Å"My men will want meat and mead,† Tyrion told him. â€Å"See that they get it.† He entered the inn, and there was Father. Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West, was in his middle fifties, yet hard as a man of twenty. Even seated, he was tall, with long legs, broad shoulders, a flat stomach. His thin arms were corded with muscle. When his once-thick golden hair had begun to recede, he had commanded his barber to shave his head; Lord Tywin did not believe in half measures. He razored his lip and chin as well, but kept his side-whiskers, two great thickets of wiry golden hair that covered most of his cheeks from ear to jaw. His eyes were a pale green, flecked with gold. A fool more foolish than most had once jested that even Lord Tywin's shit was flecked with gold. Some said the man was still alive, deep in the bowels of Casterly Rock. Ser Kevan Lannister, his father's only surviving brother, was sharing a flagon of ale with Lord Tywin when Tyrion entered the common room. His uncle was portly and balding, with a close-cropped yellow beard that followed the line of his massive jaw. Ser Kevan saw him first. â€Å"Tyrion,† he said in surprise. â€Å"Uncle,† Tyrion said, bowing. â€Å"And my lord father. What a pleasure to find you here.† Lord Tywin did not stir from his chair, but he did give his dwarf son a long, searching look. â€Å"I see that the rumors of your demise were unfounded.† â€Å"Sorry to disappoint you, Father,† Tyrion said. â€Å"No need to leap up and embrace me, I wouldn't want you to strain yourself.† He crossed the room to their table, acutely conscious of the way his stunted legs made him waddle with every step. Whenever his father's eyes were on him, he became uncomfortably aware of all his deformities and shortcomings. â€Å"Kind of you to go to war for me,† he said as he climbed into a chair and helped himself to a cup of his father's ale. â€Å"By my lights, it was you who started this,† Lord Tywin replied. â€Å"Your brother Jaime would never have meekly submitted to capture at the hands of a woman.† â€Å"That's one way we differ, Jaime and I. He's taller as well, you may have noticed.† His father ignored the sally. â€Å"The honor of our House was at stake. I had no choice but to ride. No man sheds Lannister blood with impunity.† â€Å"Hear Me Roar,† Tyrion said, grinning. The Lannister words. â€Å"Truth be told, none of my blood was actually shed, although it was a close thing once or twice. Morrec and Jyck were killed.† â€Å"I suppose you will be wanting some new men.† â€Å"Don't trouble yourself, Father, I've acquired a few of my own.† He tried a swallow of the ale. It was brown and yeasty, so thick you could almost chew it. Very fine, in truth. A pity his father had hanged the innkeep. â€Å"How is your war going?† His uncle answered. â€Å"Well enough, for the nonce. Ser Edmure had scattered small troops of men along his borders to stop our raiding, and your lord father and I were able to destroy most of them piecemeal before they could regroup.† â€Å"Your brother has been covering himself with glory,† his father said. â€Å"He smashed the Lords Vance and Piper at the Golden Tooth, and met the massed power of the Tullys under the walls of Riverrun. The lords of the Trident have been put to rout. Ser Edmure Tully was taken captive, with many of his knights and bannermen. Lord Blackwood led a few survivors back to Riverrun, where Jaime has them under siege. The rest fled to their own strongholds.† â€Å"Your father and I have been marching on each in turn,† Ser Kevan said. â€Å"With Lord Blackwood gone, Raventree fell at once, and Lady Whent yielded Harrenhal for want of men to defend it. Ser Gregor burnt out the Pipers and the Brackens . . . â€Å" â€Å"Leaving you unopposed?† Tyrion said. â€Å"Not wholly,† Ser Kevan said. â€Å"The Mallisters still hold Seagard and Walder Frey is marshaling his levies at the Twins.† â€Å"No matter,† Lord Tywin said. â€Å"Frey only takes the field when the scent of victory is in the air, and all he smells now is ruin. And Jason Mallister lacks the strength to fight alone. Once Jaime takes Riverrun, they will both be quick enough to bend the knee. Unless the Starks and the Arryns come forth to oppose us, this war is good as won.† â€Å"I would not fret overmuch about the Arryns if I were you,† Tyrion said. â€Å"The Starks are another matter. Lord Eddard—† â€Å"—is our hostage,† his father said. â€Å"He will lead no armies while he rots in a dungeon under the Red Keep.† â€Å"No,† Ser Kevan agreed, â€Å"but his son has called the banners and sits at Moat Cailin with a strong host around him.† â€Å"No sword is strong until it's been tempered,† Lord Tywin declared. â€Å"The Stark boy is a child. No doubt he likes the sound of warhorns well enough, and the sight of his banners fluttering in the wind, but in the end it comes down to butcher's work. I doubt he has the stomach for it.† Things had gotten interesting while he'd been away, Tyrion reflected. â€Å"And what is our fearless monarch doing whilst all this ‘butcher's work' is being done?† he wondered. â€Å"How has my lovely and persuasive sister gotten Robert to agree to the imprisonment of his dear friend Ned?† â€Å"Robert Baratheon is dead,† his father told him. â€Å"Your nephew reigns in King's Landing.† That did take Tyrion aback. â€Å"My sister, you mean.† He took another gulp of ale. The realm would be a much different place with Cersei ruling in place of her husband. â€Å"If you have a mind to make yourself of use, I will give you a command,† his father said. â€Å"Marq Piper and Karyl Vance are loose in our rear, raiding our lands across the Red Fork.† Tyrion made a tsking sound. â€Å"The gall of them, fighting back. Ordinarily I'd be glad to punish such rudeness, Father, but the truth is, I have pressing business elsewhere.† â€Å"Do you?† Lord Tywin did not seem awed. â€Å"We also have a pair of Ned Stark's afterthoughts making a nuisance of themselves by harassing my foraging parties. Beric Dondarrion, some young lordling with delusions of valor. He has that fat jape of a priest with him, the one who likes to set his sword on fire. Do you think you might be able to deal with them as you scamper off? Without making too much a botch of it?† Tyrion wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled. â€Å"Father, it warms my heart to think that you might entrust me with . . . what, twenty men? Fifty? Are you sure you can spare so many? Well, no matter. If I should come across Thoros and Lord Beric, I shall spank them both.† He climbed down from his chair and waddled to the sideboard, where a wheel of veined white cheese sat surrounded by fruit. â€Å"First, though, I have some promises of my own to keep,† he said as he sliced off a wedge. â€Å"I shall require three thousand helms and as many hauberks, plus swords, pikes, steel spearheads, maces, battleaxes, gauntlets, gorgets, greaves, breastplates, wagons to carry all this—† The door behind him opened with a crash, so violently that Tyrion almost dropped his cheese. Ser Kevan leapt up swearing as the captain of the guard went flying across the room to smash against the hearth. As he tumbled down into the cold ashes, his lion helm askew, Shagga snapped the man's sword in two over a knee thick as a tree trunk, threw down the pieces, and lumbered into the common room. He was preceded by his stench, riper than the cheese and overpowering in the closed space. â€Å"Little redcape,† he snarled, â€Å"when next you bare steel on Shagga son of Dolf, I will chop off your manhood and roast it in the fire.† â€Å"What, no goats?† Tyrion said, taking a bite of cheese. The other clansmen followed Shagga into the common room, Bronn with them. The sellsword gave Tyrion a rueful shrug. â€Å"Who might you be?† Lord Tywin asked, cool as snow. â€Å"They followed me home, Father,† Tyrion explained. â€Å"May I keep them? They don't eat much.† No one was smiling. â€Å"By what right do you savages intrude on our councils?† demanded Ser Kevan. â€Å"Savages, lowlander?† Conn might have been handsome if you washed him. â€Å"We are free men, and free men by rights sit on all war councils.† â€Å"Which one is the lion lord?† Chella asked. â€Å"They are both old men,† announced Timett son of Timett, who had yet to see his twentieth year. Ser Kevan's hand went to his sword hilt, but his brother placed two fingers on his wrist and held him fast. Lord Tywin seemed unperturbed. â€Å"Tyrion, have you forgotten your courtesies? Kindly acquaint us with our . . . honored guests.† Tyrion licked his fingers. â€Å"With pleasure,† he said. â€Å"The fair maid is Chella daughter of Cheyk of the Black Ears.† â€Å"I'm no maid,† Chella protested. â€Å"My sons have taken fifty ears among them.† â€Å"May they take fifty more.† Tyrion waddled away from her. â€Å"This is Conn son of Coratt. Shagga son of Dolf is the one who looks like Casterly Rock with hair. They are Stone Crows. Here is Ulf son of Umar of the Moon Brothers, and here Timett son of Timett, a red hand of the Burned Men. And this is Bronn, a sellsword of no particular allegiance. He has already changed sides twice in the short time I've known him, you and he ought to get on famously, Father.† To Bronn and the clansmen he said, â€Å"May I present my lord father, Tywin son of Tytos of House Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, Shield of Lannisport, and once and future Hand of the King.† Lord Tywin rose, dignified and correct. â€Å"Even in the west, we know the prowess of the warrior clans of the Mountains of the Moon. What brings you down from your strongholds, my lords?† â€Å"Horses,† said Shagga. â€Å"A promise of silk and steel,† said Timett son of Timett. Tyrion was about to tell his lord father how he proposed to reduce the Vale of Arryn to a smoking wasteland, but he was never given the chance. The door banged open again. The messenger gave Tyrion's clansmen a quick, queer look as he dropped to one knee before Lord Tywin. â€Å"My lord,† he said, â€Å"Ser Addam bid me tell you that the Stark host is moving down the causeway.† Lord Tywin Lannister did not smile. Lord Tywin never smiled, but Tyrion had learned to read his father's pleasure all the same, and it was there on his face. â€Å"So the wolfling is leaving his den to play among the lions,† he said in a voice of quiet satisfaction. â€Å"Splendid. Return to Ser Addam and tell him to fall back. He is not to engage the northerners until we arrive, but I want him to harass their flanks and draw them farther south.† â€Å"It will be as you command.† The rider took his leave. â€Å"We are well situated here,† Ser Kevan pointed out. â€Å"Close to the ford and ringed by pits and spikes. If they are coming south, I say let them come, and break themselves against us.† â€Å"The boy may hang back or lose his courage when he sees our numbers,† Lord Tywin replied. â€Å"The sooner the Starks are broken, the sooner I shall be free to deal with Stannis Baratheon. Tell the drummers to beat assembly, and send word to Jaime that I am marching against Robb Stark.† â€Å"As you will,† Ser Kevan said. Tyrion watched with a grim fascination as his lord father turned next to the half-wild clansmen. â€Å"It is said that the men of the mountain clans are warriors without fear.† â€Å"It is said truly,† Conn of the Stone Crows answered. â€Å"And the women,† Chella added. â€Å"Ride with me against my enemies, and you shall have all my son promised you, and more,† Lord Tywin told them. â€Å"Would you pay us with our own coin?† Ulf son of Umar said. â€Å"Why should we need the father's promise, when we have the son's?† â€Å"I said nothing of need,† Lord Tywin replied. â€Å"My words were courtesy, nothing more. You need not join us. The men of the winterlands are made of iron and ice, and even my boldest knights fear to face them.† Oh, deftly done, Tyrion thought, smiling crookedly. â€Å"The Burned Men fear nothing. Timett son of Timett will ride with the lions.† â€Å"Wherever the Burned Men go, the Stone Crows have been there first,† Conn declared hotly. â€Å"We ride as well.† â€Å"Shagga son of Dolf will chop off their manhoods and feed them to the crows.† â€Å"We will ride with you, lion lord,† Chella daughter of Cheyk agreed, â€Å"but only if your halfman son goes with us. He has bought his breath with promises. Until we hold the steel he has pledged us, his life is ours.† Lord Tywin turned his gold-flecked eyes on his son. â€Å"Joy,† Tyrion said with a resigned smile.

Digital voltmeter using 8051 microcontroller Essay

Voltmeter using 8051 microcontroller.  Automatic railway gate control 8051 microcontroller use   adminOctober – 4 – 20127 CommentsVoltmeter using 8051.  A simple 0-5V voltmeter using 8051 is shown in this article. This digital voltmeter has a sensitivity of 200mV which is a bit low but this project is meant for demonstrating how an ADC and seven segment display can be interfaced to 8051 to obtain a digital readout of the input voltage. A 31/2 digit high end voltmeter will be added soon. ADC0804 is the ADC and AT89S51 is the controller used in this project. Before attempting this project, go through these projects Interfacing ADC to 8051 and Interfacing seven segment display to 8051 which will give you a good idea on the basics. Circuit diagram. 0-5 digital voltmeter using 8051 About the circuit.  In the circuit Vref/2 (pin9) of the ADC is left open and it means that the input voltage span can be o to 5V and the step size will be 5/255 = 19.6mV. The equation for the digital output of ADC0804 is Dout = Vin/Step size. In this circuit, for an input voltage of 1V the digital output will be 1/19.6mV = 51 and so the binary equivalent of 51 ie 00110011. Digital output of the ADC is interfaced to P1.0 of the microcontroller. Control signals for the ADC ie CS, RD, WR and INTR are available from the P3.7, P3.6, P3.5 and P3.4 pins of the microcontroller respectively. 2 digit multiplexed seven segment display is interfaced to Port0 of the microcontroller. Control signals for the display driver transistors Q1 and Q2 are obtained from P3.2 and P3.1 of the microcontroller. Push button switch S1, capacitor C2 and resistor R10 forms a debouncing reset circuitry. Program. ORG 00H MOV P1,#11111111B MOV P0,#00000000B MOV P3,#00000000B MOV DPTR,#LABEL MAIN: CLR P3.7 SETB P3.6 CLR P3.5 SETB P3.5 WAIT: JB P3.4,WAIT CLR P3.7 CLR P3.6 MOV A,P1 MOV B,#10D DIV AB MOV B,#2D MUL AB MOV B,#10D DIV AB SETB P3.2 ACALL DISPLAY MOV P0,A ACALL DELAY MOV P0,#10000000B ACALL DELAY MOV A,B CLR P3.2 SETB P3.1 ACALL DISPLAY MOV P0,A ACALL DELAY CLR P3.1 SJMP MAIN DELAY: MOV R3,#02H DEL1: MOV R2,#0FAH DEL2: DJNZ R2,DEL2 DJNZ R3,DEL1 RET DISPLAY: MOVC A,@A+DPTR RET LABEL: DB 3FH DB 06H DB 5BH DB 4FH DB 66H DB 6DH DB 7DH DB 07H DB 7FH DB 6FH END About the program. At first the program controls the ADC to produce a digital output corresponding to the input voltage.This digital output is scanned through P1.0 and is loaded to accumulator. Then the value in the accumulator is divided by 10 to omit the last digit. For example, let the input voltage be 4V. Then the corresponding digital output of the ADC will be 204D (D stands for decimal) .After the the division by 10, the value left in the accumulator will be 20D. This 20D is then multiplied by 2D which results in 40D. The next target of the program is to manipulate this 40D and make a 4.0 readout on the display. For this the 40D is again divided by 10D . This results in 4 inside accumulator and 0 inside B register. Then the program gets the digit drive pattern for 4 using the lookup table , puts this pattern on Port 0 and activates Q1. After 1 ms delay 10000000B is loaded to P0 and this accounts for the dot. After a further 1ms delay Q1 is deactivated, content in B (ie 0) is moved to A, gets the correct digit drive pattern for 0 using the lookup table, puts this pattern on Port 0 and activates Q2. After a further 1ms delay Q2 is deactivated and the entire cycle is repeated. 8051 Microcontroller Projects & Circuits  adminFebruary – 1 – 20138 CommentsIn this article we are listing all the projects and circuits we have developed using the 8051 micro controller. We have tested all of these projects in our lab and verified the working . All  these projects are made to solve a real world requirement or problem. Engineering students & other diploma students will find these projects useful for their mini project and main project requirements. All the 8051 projects listed below are made using the 8051 compliant microcontroller from Atmel – AT89S51. We have given the correct circuit diagram, working and software code (in assembly language) for each and every project. You can use all of them freely for your project & learning requirements. In case you are using a controller other than AT89S51 – please be sure to check the hardware of your controller and compare it with that of AT89S51. This is necessary because we have developed all the software in assembly language. If you are not that good at assembly language, you can convert the software into C language & use it with any compliant 8051 controller. Image Source 1. Ultrasonic Range Finder using 8051 – This project as the name says, is an application to measure distance of an object. It uses an ultrasonic transducer module HC-SR04 to measure the distance and the controller AT89S51 to make the necessary processing. This project can be used to make applications like Automotive parking sensor, Obstacle warning systems, Terrain monitoring robots etc. This ultrasonic range finder can measure distances upto 2.5 meters with an accuracy of 1 cm. 2. Digital Tachometer using 8051 – This project is a digital tachometer which can be used to measure the revolutions per second of any object like a rotating wheel or a disc or a shaft. This application built using 8051 micro controller can measure upto 255 revolutions/second with an accuracy of 1 rev/sec. This application has 3 important sections – 1) is the optical pickup designed to pick the revolutions of the object using a photo transistor and LED. 2) is the processing stage designed using 8051 and the associated software 3) is the display section using 7 segment displays. 3. Water Level Controller using 8051 – This is one of the most popular  project we have published using 8051 controller. This water level controller monitors the level of the over head tank and automatically switches on the water pump when ever the level goes below a preset limit. The level of the over head tank is indicated using 5 leds and the pump is switched of when the over head tank is filled. We have given an illustrated circuit diagram with working explained in detail. You will also find the software codes written in assemble language. 4. Voltmeter using 8051 – We all must have used a multimeter from our young days. Have you ever bothered to create one ? So here is one such an interesting project. A Voltmeter using 8051 micro controller. Even though its quiet simple and an easy to make one, you shall find it really interesting. This can be used as an application at the mini project level for engineering and diploma students. This digital voltmeter can measure 0 to 5 volts and has a sensitivity of 200mV which is a bit low but this project is meant for demonstrating how an ADC and seven segment display can be interfaced to 8051 to obtain a digital readout of the input voltage. ADC0804 is the ADC and AT89S51 is the controller used in this project. 5. Thermometer using 8051 – This is an interesting project designed to measure temperature using 8051. Its a simple 0-100 °C digital thermometer with 1 °C resolution using 8051. The circuit is based on LM35 analog temperature sensor, ADC0804 and AT89S51 microcontroller. LM35 is an analogue temperature sensor IC which can measure a temperature range of -55 to 150 °C. Its output voltage varies 10mV per  °C change in temperature. Knowledge Resources:- The articles below given are basics on how to work with 8051 micro controller. You can refer them if you come across a road block anywhere! 1. Interfacing 7 segment display to 8051 – A good tutorial on interfacing 7 segment display to 8051 micro controller. 2. Interfacing LCD display to 8051 – Explains how to interface a 16Ãâ€"2 LCD display with 8051 micro controller. 3. Interfacing DC motor to 8051 – Explains how to interface a DC motor with 8051 micro controller. 4. Interfacing push button switch to 8051 – Interfacing LED & Push button switch to 8051 micro controller. 5. Interfacing ADC to 8051 – This articles gives you a good detail on how to interface ADC to 8051 micro controller. ADC 0804 is used to explain the interfacing procedure with an example software routine. 8 channel light chaser using 8051 adminMay – 10 – 201210 Comments6 function 8 channel light chaser using 8051. A 6 function 8 channel light chaser using 8051 is shown here. The hardware and software of this circuit are very simple and the light functions gets repeated one after another automatically. P1.0 to P1.7 of the microcontroller (AT89S51) are assigned as the output pins. Corresponding LEDs are connected to the output pins through 1K current limiting resistors (R1 to R8). The sequence by which the output pins (P1.0 to P1.7) goes high and low is determined by the program and the LEDs follow this sequence. Circuit diagram of the 6 function chaser using 8051 is shown below. 6 function light chaser using 8051 Program. START: MOV A,#80H MOV R7,#07H MOV P1,A LCALL DELAY LABEL1: RR A MOV P1,A LCALL DELAY DJNZ R7,LABEL1 MOV R7,#07H LABEL2: RL A MOV P1,A LCALL DELAY DJNZ R7,LABEL2 MOV P1,#81H LCALL DELAY MOV P1,#42H LCALL DELAY MOV P1,#24H LCALL DELAY MOV P1,#18H LCALL DELAY MOV P1,#0FFH LCALL DELAY MOV P1,#00H LCALL DELAY MOV A,#80H MOV P1,A LCALL DELAY MOV R7,#07H LABEL3: SETB C RRC A MOV P1,A LCALL DELAY DJNZ R7,LABEL3 MOv P1,#00H LCALL DELAY MOV A,#0AAH MOV P1,A LCALL DELAY CPL A MOV P1,A LCALL DELAY LJMP START DELAY: MOV R4,#03H WAIT1: MOV R3,#00H WAIT2: MOV R2,#00H WAIT3: DJNZ R2,WAIT3 DJNZ R3,WAIT2 DJNZ R4,WAIT1 RET END

The Dome of the Rock

After the prophesier Muhammad fled to Medina, the great urban metropoliss of Jerusalem and Damascus were captured by the Islam. Between the old ages 687 B.C. and 691 B.C. , the Dome of the Rock was built by the Umayyad calif Abd al-Malik in the metropolis of Jerusalem, to hold the religious plane of the book stand out in the signifier of an Islamic temple. Muslim tradition recounts that it was erected in award of Ala, due to its location in one of the most sacred sites of the metropolis, where one time Salomon ‘s ain temple had been raised. Its architectural design is representative of the Islam ; a mixture of Byzantine and Persian art with breathtaking mosaics and colourss. Crowning its dramatic construction is the aureate dome that can be distinguished even at a far sight. But the Dome of the Rock is more than a sight to be seen ; the really construction and geographics narrate the narrative of two metropoliss in everlasting struggle. When Caliph Muawiya decided to reassign the Islam to Damascus, the Byzantine and Classical influence was noted, in peculiar with architectural construction. The building of the Dome of the Rock obeys the martyrium tardorromano expression of the ambulatory that allows those sing to execute the rite of circumvallation. The building has an octangular platform, and in its inside, over the stone, circles the dome, at about 36 metres. The dome was constructed between two wooden formations that are affixed one inside the other, in aureate bronze. In the Dome of the Rock, the Byzantine construct of volume can be perceived, every bit good as the signifier that allows the base on balls from the square to the circle, as if it were â€Å" a transition from Earth to Heaven † , as Henri Stierlin statements. This belief of the symbolism of the octagon leads to the strong belief that the Falco peregrinus can see the brotherhood of organic structure and psyche through the ceremonial circumvall ation. Today, after 13 centuries, the Dome of the Rock continues to stand still and brilliant, as one of the most valued architecture hoarded wealths in the universe, and has become an of import symbol of the metropolis of Jerusalem because of its architectural significance every bit good as the phenomenon that at that place occurred. Judaic tradition and faith shows that it was in the location where the Dome of the Rock was built that the Lord of Israel held Abraham back from giving his boy Isaac. They thought that the stone was the one Abraham had prepared for the forfeit. The Muslims, nevertheless, placed this site in the Mecca. They had built the shrine for pilgrims, to mark the belief that it was here where Muhammad ascended to Heaven. It is in the Islamic belief that Caliph Abd al-Malik erected the edifice, to vie with Christendom, being rather near to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, among other sanctum sites, exposing the difference between both peoples. In fact, harmonizing to historical records, it was on political motive that Caliph Abd al-Malik begun the building of the sanctuary. It was to be an of import centre for pilgrim's journey and cult that would deviate the people ‘s involvement in the Mecca and Medina. The Caliph was in struggle with the governments in both metropoliss, which put his n aming as calif into uncertainty. A great figure of Muslims did non accept that the Caliphate be rendered from his male parent, Muawiya, as the dynastic sequence Torahs determined. The Caliph even came to forbid pilgrim's journey to the Mecca to some of the people, even though it was understood that it was mandatory to all Muslims, with the alibi that they should non abandon the topographic points where the Islam should be defended. For this ground, the Dome of the Rock became the alternate topographic point for pilgrim's journey to the Syrians. It is dry that a topographic point that should reflect the shared belief between both faiths became such a figure of discord among them, sullying its inviolability. Comparative faith shows that the Islam and Judaism are really similar religions, with both of their sanctum texts holding set forth common Torahs with similar patterns of unity and kindness, and a intimacy in linguistic communications that is reasonably noted. Even so, more of the difference has been exhibited throughout the old ages, from the devastation of the Second Temple in the twelvemonth 70, the Crusades, and even today, with Camp David in current times. In the past one hundred old ages, the strife over the Holy Land has caused opposing nationalisms and the breach of human rights declared sacred by the Islam and Judaism, every bit good as Christianity today, depressing the brotherhood of these civilisations. This is the troublesome issue that has been brought about with fanatism in faith. Each faith understands that it entirely holds ultimate truth. The Islam ‘s philosophy, for illustration, sustains that leting other faiths opportunity of look at the al-Sharif, which is the country that surrounds the stone, is a evildoing. It is due to the secular attack of the Western civilisation that the struggle has been deemed more a spiritual than a politic 1. In general, neither people want the perceptual experience to be that they are in resistance of the other ‘s beliefs. That is the base of the job, and the motivation for such disinclination to face it. Furthermore, supplying that the Islam continues in a overzealous attitude, there will ne'er be Concord. The word Islam in itself is now known as the very definition of entry, so it is with minor control if any with the radical partisans of Islam about utilizing coercion, force, belligerencies and intriguing to accomplish this intent. Was there hope for the Jews one time the Islam had gained power over them? If the people of Judea had made war against the Muslims in an act of despair and fury, the Israelis would torture themselves for holding permitted such slaughter. However, there would be no car animadversion for slaughter such as this against the Jews, or any other people, from the Muslim. Alternatively, they will commend their terrorists as brave sick persons of their cause, who will be rewarded with liquors and sex in Eden. Therein lays the disparity that the Middle East is facing, and it will so prolong until the parts are willing to cover with the tyrant and ghastly world of the Islam. Harmonizing to the Qur'an, this will ne'er go on. In the book of Surah, Gabriel lets Muhammad cognize that â€Å" They will non contend you together, except in bastioned townships, or from behind walls † ( 2005 ) , giving prophetic sight that the Jewish would ne'er travel against the Muslim. The anticipation has been ascertained in the old ages â€Å" 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982 † ( 2005 ) , and from the 90 ‘s to the current state of affairs in the Middle East. The combination of two people ‘s spiritual strong beliefs and xenophobia is a unsafe affair. Sanely talking, two states in wrangle over one land should be able to collaborate and apportion the part. But where faith is called upon to do one or the other claim absolute, grants become blasphemy and radicalism produces autocratic rules, which bring about loss and desolation, with no terminal in sight.BibliographyStierlin, H. ; Stierlin, A. ( December 15, 1997 ) .Lusters of an Islamic Universe: The Art and Architecture of the Mamluks. I. B. Tarius. London, UK.Zachary, J. ( February 22, 2005 ) .Gabriel ‘s Faces: Voice of the Archangel. Harvard House. England, UK.Muhajabah, A. ( N. d. ) .The History of the Jews Under Islamic Rule. Retrieved on January 17th 2009 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.muhajabah.com/jewsofislam.htmGascoigne, B. ( 2001 ) .History of Architecture, Dome of the Rock: AD 691. Retrieved from the History World web site on January 17, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp? gtrack=pthc & A ; ParagraphI=ebbHoppe, L. ( 1999 ) .The Dome of the Rock: Jerusalem ‘s Landmark. Retrieved from The Holy Land web site at hypertext transfer protocol: //198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/mag/MAen9910.htmlEisen, R. ( May 9, 2006 ) .Moslems and Hebrews: Common Ground. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved from the Washington Post web site at hypertext transfer protocol: //www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/05/08/AR2006050801 88.html

Policy, Politics And Public Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Policy, Politics And Public Management - Essay Example These are the factors why the size of interest groups in the real estate increases. The impact of these interest groups, who favor moving not just their residential but also their business functions in New Jersey, is apparent in the state's real estate. Since New Jersey is ideally situated in the heart of major cities and seaports in the country, many sectors in the country become part of the interest group, thus providing innovations in the state. According to Thompson (1999), the major impact of the interest groups in the real estate market of New Jersey owes its credit to the manifold factors including the favorable conditions in the state. In his book, New Jersey: A Big Pearl House, Thompson showed that as interest groups increase by 1%, the real estate industry grows by as high as 5%. This analysis showed that the increase in the size of interest groups in New Jersey is four times directly proportional to the improvements in the real estate market of the state. Thompson also showed that the real estate industry accounts for more than 7.8% of the present improvements in the infrastructure which every citizen in the state enjoys. This only proves the huge impact of interest groups not just in the real estate industry but also in the local economy of the state. Smithso

Content and Language Integrated Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Content and Language Integrated Learning - Essay Example The theoretical framework of CLIL is regarded as a highly innovative accomplishment that is potentially capable of motivating the students from diverse cultural background to engage in various academic activities while keeping the element of rapport and team support in the limelight. All the teaching and learning skills of the teachers are without any meaning if not supported with foreign language mediation, that drastically shifts the whole teaching scenario and creates such a situation in which both the teachers and the students can participate equally (Moate and Sinnemaki). CLIL needs to be incorporated in the academic curricula around the globe because this is a fact that cultural diversity in classrooms is increasing at a rapid pace. When there is mounting cultural diversity in the educational setups, teachers need to teach every subject in the foreign language to maintain neutrality and harmony in the classrooms. In such a situation where there is an increased proportion of var ious foreign students from wholly different cultural backgrounds studying in the same classroom, a standard language needs to be focused and everyone should be made liable to use that very language in and out of classrooms within the schools or colleges. Enhanced motivation and interaction in CLIL classrooms: Beardsmore (cited in Moate 41) says that CLIL leads to more active interaction between teachers and learners while increasing the chances of using the foreign language (English) to understand the non-linguistic content.

Recording Analysing and using HR Information (CIPD CERTIFICATE) Essay

Recording Analysing and using HR Information (CIPD CERTIFICATE) - Essay Example legal requirements,  provide records in the event of an assertion against the organization, provide relevant information in decision making, record contractual arrangements, and keep contact details of employees (Kemsley, 2012). Within an organization, there are numerous types of data collected. These may include company data, employee records and statutory records.   Personal data such as employee name, telephone number, address, and next of keen, are collected and recorded to enable HR to contact employees (Obisi, 2011). Employee data help the organization to increase the efficiency of recruitment, promotion, development and training, monitoring equal opportunities issues. They can provide raw data to individual skills and competencies hence help the organization pinpoint precise opportunities to improve skills to match requirements (Cornell University, 2011). Payroll data allows HR to keep tabs on employee pay history as well as incorporate any changes. This consists of data pertaining basic salary and any additional benefits (Liverpool John Moores University, 2012). Accurate disciplinary action records enable HR to take an employee’s past record fully into account, especially when deciding what action to take when any breach of conduct has occurred. They also help management to apply the appropriate disciplinary rules according to the organization’s policy. There are many methods of recording and storing HR data. Records can be stored in filing cabinets, which make ease of access to data. It also helps to maintain a record of paper trail, which can be used for future reference or as evidence (Pope, 2012). Most organizations use the human resource information system (HRIS). This is an integrated system created to provide information used in HR decision-making (NMA Technologies, 2008). It merges human resource management with information technology. Here computer software, hardware, and databases simplify the task of analyzing data and help organizations

Macroeconomics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macroeconomics - Case Study Example In other words, the level of investment determines the level of saving and not the other way around (Michl 2002, p.43). The point has been argued for the next 70 years and both theories have at times fallen in and out of favour. Thomas Palley of the AFL-CIO wrote in a 1996 paper that, "The view that saving causes investment is widely identified with classical macroeconomics, while the view that investment causes saving is widely identified with Keynesian macroeconomics. However, deeper inspection reveals that both theoretical perspectives are capable of producing bidirectional causality, and this limits the usefulness of theory for resolving this crucial matter" (p.5). Supply side economics has run headlong into the demand side theories and have resulted in numerous, and yet valid, academic arguments on both sides. According to theory, "...saving can never be different from intended investment, in equilibrium" (McCain 2007). The Paradox of Thrift is one explanation, though not the only one, of how savings can influence an economy's production and increase the unemployment rate. Supply side economics maintains that the marginal tax rate, the rate at which the next dollar earned is taxed, directly influences people's propensity to work, save, and invest (Gwartney 2002). By reducing the marginal tax rate investors are stimulated to invest in a business that may be too risky under a higher tax rate. Lower tax rates may spur people to work harder or longer hours and save their money. Indeed, the tax rate has often been used by governments to stimulate investment. According to Gwartney (2002), "Of eighty-six countries with a personal income tax, fifty-five reduced their top marginal tax rate during the 1985-90 period, while only two (Luxembourg and Lebanon) increased their top rate. Countries that substantially reduced their top marginal tax rates include Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom". Many critics saw these deep tax cuts as a bonanza for the rich and argued that the increased tax revenues during this perio d were simply the result of an in increase in demand. However, during this period of tax cuts in the United States, "...the income tax revenue collected from the top 10 percent of earners rose from $150.6 billion in 1981 to $199.8 billion in 1988, an increase of 32.7 percent" (Gwartney 2002). It can be inferred that a lower rate and increased revenue were the result of a massive increase in wealth for the top 10% that came from capital investment. It would seem that supply side economics had proven itself once and for all. Demand side theorists continued to point to the Paradox of Thrift and its effect on consumption and production. Advocates of demand side economics contend that, "...a decrease in spending leads to a decrease in employment, which leads to a further decrease in spending, which leads to a further decrease in employment, which leads to a yet further decrease in spending, and so on" (Thies, 1997). Some economists contend that corporate cost cutting is a path to a 'corporate paradox of thrift' which could lead to massive layoffs and firings' (Shostik 2002). Individual savings decreases spending for the consumer class and so any increase in savings decreases consumption and increases

Worship and Ritual in Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Worship and Ritual in Christianity - Essay Example The Bible is the Holy Book Christians use to worship and has been used as the guide to everyday life. There are rituals and festivals that mark the manner in which Christians praise God (Pecklers 65). These rituals trade back to the festivities that are seen in the Bible, and to this day, many individuals still uphold the practices. However, not many people view these rituals as a way of worship. They see it is primitive and empty. Some go as far as suggesting that there is no Supreme Being to worship. This paper, however, will examine worship and rituals that mark the Christian faith, and why it is vital to live believing in something. Empty ritualism is the process of undergoing, or performing a ritual while there is the absence of sincerity or genuine meaning. A lot of this happens in many areas as individuals believe that they are doing this to fall in God’s favour. This, to a large number of people, is what is called ritualism (White 61). It is usually done to recover som e sense of religious feeling that was once lost. This is not condoned in modern Christian settings as it gives off a feeling of worship being violated. Whenever the pattern of worship is violated, people know that the design meant for ritual is not being followed. This gives the religion a terrible reputation among other religions that exist. Christians pride themselves with the thought of their religion being superior to other existent religions. They, therefore, follow most of the rituals in the Bible strictly so as to abide by the ways of truth. In the Holy Book, the New Testament ways are chosen over the Old Testament ways. This shows that some of the rituals that were once carried out; need no longer be carried out after the coming of Christ. He came to shed light on how Christians could live without some of the old traditions that ruled their lives (White 64). As such, modern day Christians follow the New Testament to guide them in everyday life. That is why; sacrifices and bu rnt offerings are not part of the rituals Christians carry out in modern time. They, however, still observe some of the rituals in the Bible. As with any religion, there are bound to be groups that choose to do things differently. This is according to how they view and comprehend the Bible. This is probably why there are diverse groups of the Christian religion, which choose to be different from others. This is through the way and manner of worship, and conducting of their rituals. All these groups view the other as a pervasion of the real Christian religion. What they do not seem to realise is that all these groups serve the same purpose, and the same God (White 76). Christians worship throughout the week, and the year. Even though, the styles of worship differ in all the denominations present, the services, worship ceremonies, and rituals, hold extraordinary meaning to Christians. Christians believe that the church is the dwelling place of God. This is where they conduct their ser vices. Many of the believers worship on Sunday as they believe it is the Sabbath, the day that Jesus rested. Others, for example, the Seventh Day Adventist, believe that Saturday is the blessed day. This does not make them any less Christian than the Catholics, who are considered the foundation on which Christianity is built. There is the use of art and decoration in these diverse denominations (White 76). The use of arts and decorations vary as they stand for different meaning and symbolism in these places of worship. They, however, serve the purpose of praising and worshiping God wherever they are used. Some of the ancient customs and traditions that are connected to Jesus are still practiced in

Creativity and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Creativity and Innovation - Essay Example erall temperatures that are found on earth, which further results to greenhouse effects that are caused by the heightened levels of carbon dioxide among other pollutants. According to Weart (2003), global warming has been accelerating since 2005, and is further expected to increase if the environment is not taken care as would be expected particularly if there is no reduction of emission from burning fossils fuels such as coal and oil. Additionally, the rise in average have been confirmed as having far reaching effects on the general climate pattern across the world, and to human beings as well. As such, global warming has dire consequences on health, wildlife, weather patterns and glaciers and sea levels. Firstly, global warming has continuously led to high temperatures which translate to increased droughts and wildfires, heavier rainfall and numerous hurricanes across the world, and especially in Europe and Asia. According to Houghton (2008), the frequent occurrence of hurricanes that are more powerful and dangerous are as a result of warmer waters in the ocean that pumps energy into tropical storms that are potentially destructive, a situation that make easier to experience more complicated hurricanes in future due to flooding and soil erosion. Moreover, global warming has increased drought and wildfire due to greater evaporation that has been witnessed during summer, a situation that directly or indirectly leads to wildfires. Scholars associated to climate change and weather patterns have argued that when temperatures are warm they are likely to lead to heavier rainfall. Secondly, global warming has directly led to health consequences. Basically, the presence of hotter weather facilitates deadly mosquitoes to travelling for greater distance and the availability of carbon dioxide in the air makes a conducive environment for the growth of airborne diseases such as asthma and allergies. Additionally, the presence of more frequent and serious heat waves

Positive Effects Can Come From a Lower Birth Rate Essay Example for Free

Positive Effects Can Come From a Lower Birth Rate Essay In the not-so-distant past, there was a world wide effort to create zero population growth. The environmental uproar in the 1970s had scientists convinced that with 4 billion or so people on that planet, Earth had reached her carrying capacity. The basic premises was that there wasn’t enough room for all the people being born and that there definitely would not be enough room when we reached 2050 and a project population of 11 billion (Cohen, 1). Though the global warming predicts had not begun yet, there were huge concerns that the planet could not produce enough food for 11 billion people and that we would be consuming resources at such an alarming rate that world would die from too many people. Flash forward thirty years and now, industrialized countries across the world are expressing concern that they may have been too hasty in their condemnation of population growth. In fact, many are downright worried about their population declines or very slow population growth. They express concern that the economy will collapse as the burden of the elderly is too great for the younger generation to support and care for. Labor leaders claim there will not be enough people to do the work that needs done and others decry the trend as the true end of the British Empire and the dominance of Western Civilization as those are the countries with declining birth rates. The simple truth is that a low birth rate can be a positive choice for the industrialized world, if considered in the right light. This paper will look at some of the factors contributing to the declining population and the effects that are likely because of a population decline. To understand how this situation developed, it is interesting to review the last 900 years of human sexuality. In his essay â€Å"Two Successive Motivations for the Declining Birth Rate in the West†, Phillippe Aries argues that since the Middle Ages, the shift in societal norms had lead to the declining birth rate. The Church enticed people to a moral stance against pre-marital sex and as the economy evolved from largely agrarian to industrial and even retail based, the large family was no longer an economic necessity (646).   In an agrarian society, children were a source of cheap labor and a financial boon to their parents. The cost of feeding and clothing them was more than made up for by their assistance in earning the family sustenance. But as societies moved away from the farm, children became an expense. Indeed, Aries writes, the trend to significantly smaller families began in the Middle Ages and continued unabated until the Baby Boom after the end of World War II (647). The trend toward smaller families was also a sign of planning and forethought. It was assumed that a smaller family could even be considered a measure of self-control and â€Å"The fewer the children, the more care and attention that could be devoted to each† (Aries, 647) As society became more mobile and people were no longer trapper in the social class that they were born in, people chose smaller families with the idea that they could provide more opportunities for that smaller family and their children would have greater economic opportunity that they did (648). In addition, in the mid-1970s concerns about overpopulation ran rampant. By the mid 1990s, they were in crisis mode.   In Science magazine in 1995, JE Cohen wrote, â€Å"Earths capacity to support people is determined both by natural constraints and by human choices concerning economics, environment, culture (including values and politics), and demography. Human carrying capacity is therefore dynamic and uncertain.†Ã‚   (341). Though scientists argued about what that carrying capacity might be, they warned rabidly that if the exponential population growth were not stopped the capacity would be reached in our children’s lifetime if not our own. Further complicating things was an environmental movement   that claimed deforestation to turn the land into agricultural production as causing soil erosion and pollution faster than we could imagine. If the world growth continued unabated, the population would reach that carrying capacity much sooner because the Earth would be too polluted to sustain life. Even now, in An Inconvenient Truth Nobel Prize winner Al Gore points out that trees cut down to provide grazing land for cattle are contributing to global warming because the living trees would have cut carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Though Gore does not make the leap, it is there to behold. Too many people means more land devoted to food production which means fewer trees and faster global warming. With all that in place, it is no wonder then that people chose to have smaller families or no families at all. And that is where the new scientific debate and political nightmare began. The United Nations reports that 75 percent of the industrialized nations of the world have reached zero population growth including the United States and most of Western Europe. The population of Britain is still growing at a very slow rate, largely due to immigration, but in Germany and Japan the total population has begun to decline. This has thrown social scientists into a tizzy. They complain that there will not be enough workers to take all the jobs that are needed; they claim the workers will no longer be able to meet the tax demands of their nations; and they claim that a declining number of young people will mean that there is no one around to care for the Baby Boomers as they get older.   Not surprisingly, many of these doom and gloom predictions are written by Baby Boomers. Instead, it might be nice to focus on the positive benefits of population control. A smaller population will mean simple things, like less congestion on the highways and fewer people in the one open checkout line at the grocery store. But those are the incidental effects of a lower population growth. The key benefits of a smaller population are: better access to education, less pollution and therefore less global warming, and more job opportunities. For a decade or so, Americans have been decrying overcrowding in the school systems as a factor in school performance.   In 2003, CNN reported that overcrowding was causing a boom in the temporary classroom business and states across the nation were taking steps to reduce overcrowding (CNN, 1).   With a declining birth rate in the industrialized nations, fewer children will need to be educated and the student to teacher ratio will decrease. That will lead to more individualized attention for each student and better learning opportunities. In addition, as those children get older, instead of being able to raise prices and keep students from going to college, colleges and universities will be forced to compete for students. The reality is that smaller class size throughout the educational process will mean that all students are getting a better education, not just the ones who can afford private school or the ones lucky enough to be talented an attract a teacher’s interest. Furthermore, as the population seeking a college degree decreases second-class universities with questionable accreditation will be driven out of business and the top academic talent will mass in good schools providing good educations. As simple as it sounds, another advantage of a smaller population will be less pollution. Gore’s movie and other studies of global warming indicate that one of the significant contributors to greenhouse gases are personal vehicles. If there are fewer people, there will by simple logic be fewer cars and fewer cars mean that fewer greenhouse gases are emitted. And, fewer people means less need for food, so some farmland could be returned to forest or converted from vast corporate farms to sustainable small farms which produce healthier food and fewer pollutants. The rain forest of the Amazon River Basin could be left as rain forest with no need for more cattle to feed the world’s desire for beef consumption and the demand for electricity would fall as there were fewer people using it. As the demand for electricity falls, older, fossil fuel burning electric plants could be shut down or replaced with newer, cleaner burning generation facilities. The ultimate proof of the effect that the population has on the environment can be observed today in India. â€Å"Environmental pollution is one of the serious problems faced by the people in the country. Rapid population growth, industrialization and urbanization in country are adversely affecting the environment. (Nagdeve, 2).   India has polluted its sacred rivers and begun poisoning itself, creating a severe lack of potable water because of its overpopulation.   Many of the pollution problems come quite simply from human excrement. There are insufficient sewage facilities and the sewage contaminants the ground water, leading to environmental collapse. With 1.1 billion people, India is the second most populous nation in the world and is being destroyed by its high birth rate (Nagdeve, 33). In China, the world’s largest population has become the primary source of greenhouse gases and is polluting the world at an alarming rate. Though they have instituted some population control measures, the population is so large now that until some of it dies off or moves to other areas, overcrowding and pollution, as well as poor access to resources will continue to be their plight. By far the most concerning aspect of the low-birth rate to most the industrialization nations is the impact it is likely to have on the economy. Naysayers claim the smaller populace will be unable to meet the needs of the elderly population, will be unable to meet the tax burden placed on them by their parents and grandparents and will not be able to meet the employment needs of the country.   The arguments are complicated and may have a grain of truth in them, but are not the forgone conclusion that they are assumed to be. First, there is the issue of meeting the needs of the elderly populace. This is in many ways a self-serving argument of the Baby Boom generation the reality is that in the United States, a third of the workforce is now over the age of 55. â€Å"Because of an aging population and declining growth of the labor force, human resource policies are changing. Companies are offering incentives to keep older workers working past retirement age. Older workers can sometimes replace the lack of younger employees. Opportunities like flextime, part-time, temp work, job sharing, and extended vacations are becoming more common for employees of all ages. Businesses are learning that people of all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, and backgrounds can be good workers† (Johnson, 1) Many of the Baby Boomers are living to ripe old ages and will need long term care, but it also means they are staying in the workforce longer.   And, they are better able to care for themselves than any previous generation of retirees. In addition, society has seen this short-term boom in the elderly population coming and ahs planned for it. Retirement communities and apartment complexes make care for the elderly much easier than in previous generations. Since they are all located in one area instead of being spread out in various private homes, the number of people needed to care for the elderly is greatly reduced. Second, there is the question of the tax burden, again a selfish notion of the elderly that the younger generation should have to support their Social Security needs even though it is an unrealistic expectation.   Unfortunately, instead of working as Franklin Roosevelt had planned and being a supplement to a personal retirement plan, Social Security has become the only retirement plan for many Americans and the government has continued to bail out failed retirement plan after failed retirement plan, usually due to poor fiscal planning or malfeasance on the part of those overseeing the plan. The simple reality is that the elderly cannot continue to rely on the government to meet all their needs and it is likely that in choosing to have fewer children they chose not to have the financial support of a younger generation. Aries argued that they shouldn’t need the financial support family or the government because of their decision not to have a large family.   He argued that with the money people saved by not having a family, they should be able to pay for help when they reach retirement age (Aries, 629). While this inability to deal with the tax burden is a valid concern, it can also be viewed as a great opportunity. Many people complain that the current government system is messed up and the tax plan unfair, but no one seems to be able to do anything about it.   Though a collapse of the economic structure is an extreme way to bring about change, it is a valid way and one that may have to be considered in the near future. Finally, the argument against low-birth rates is that the there will be insufficient people to work the jobs that need doing. This is perhaps the weakest argument of all. Do we really need a Starbucks on every corner and a McDonald’s two doors down?   The reality is that the economic market will correct itself.   Fewer people available to do the jobs will mean that high school and college students are able to find part-time work again and it will mean that the unemployment rate will drop. Regardless of the opportunity, there will always be some degree of unemployment either voluntary or temporary, but with greater opportunities available, more people will have better economic opportunities. Yes, some low-paying jobs may go unfilled. If that happens, the need will equate to the job growth. Like the tax issue, it will probably mean a restructuring of societal values. If more people are need in the medical field to care for the elderly and society places a higher value on that then serving coffee or flipping burgers, society will adjust to the loss of mass market coffee and fast food. After all, less than fifty years ago, fast food was barely thought of. Fast food and poor paying retail jobs were not always a vital part of the American economy and if there is a labor shortage, they might be gone again. If there is a shortage of labor, society will adjust and fill the positions that it most needs. Some economists have argued that with a smaller labor force, economies could collapse as the total productivity level of a nation is decreased, but historical analysis shows us that this too may be a made up fear and an irrational prediction. In an essay regarding the impact low birth rates will have on the economy, William H. Reid, writing for the Journal on Extension said that history shows that our most productive times in history were when the population was smaller. For example, he said, right after the Black Plague productivity in Europe skyrocketed (Reid, 1). The idea behind the increase was that people had something to work for and out of necessity worked hard to get it. He further argued that while overall productivity might be down, wages will be up as employers compete for qualified staff. That will mean that the economy will be booming. The simple truth is that zero population growth was a good idea twenty years ago and that has not changed.   The great majority of opposition to it in Europe and North America is in fact a form of xenophobia, a fear that if other parts of the world outbreed the locals, the local way of life will be destroyed. If analysts were honest and admitted to this fear, there might be more action taken on it. By hiding their fears in other â€Å"concerns†, they miss a chance for honest discourse on the effect that a huge Indian and Chinese population will have on the world. They miss the opportunity to take real action to address the overpopulation concerns of India.   Allowing more people to emigrate from overcrowded areas to less crowded areas will cut down on the demands on the resources of individual nations and improve the quality of life around the globe. However, so many areas are insular and afraid to share their land or way of life with anyone of a different culture. If the industrialized countries were at least willing to admit that, there arguments might have more standing in the world’s eyes. The reasons why the birth rate in the industrialized world is dropping are numerous and debatable.   Aries suggested that another reason why the birth rate is declining is that people no longer see a way to make the world a better place for their descendants. Whether it is a fear of nuclear annihilation or global warming, many people are concerned that the world will not be a great place for the next generation and have decided against having children (469). Others have decided to keep the money for their own happiness instead of spending it on a child and some simply wait longer than they meant to and find they unable to have children. Whatever the reasons for the declining birth rate, it is a fact of life in Europe and North America. Those nations can simply decide how to live with the consequences or, as they have in parts of Europe, take extreme action to reverse the course. In Japan and Germany where the population is already beginning to decline, the smaller population had coincided with an economic growth period. Whether this is simply coincidental is hard to tell at this point, but history seems to tell us that the chances are good that a deckling birth rate does not spell doom and gloom and the end of the world. Instead, it will like lead to a period of greater education for the average person, a cleaner environment and a booming economy. It may also lead to revolutionary thinking as the countries that have always had plenty of people to do their menial tasks have to consider other alternatives, such as an open border with Mexico so that there are more workers, or allowing a mass immigration from India, to relieve overcrowding there. Whatever the solution, it will require scientific and political minds meeting together and honestly discussing the wants and fears of Europe and North America and their desire to change them. In the end, the best consequence of a declining birth rate might be a further globalization of the world. Areas in the Far East and the Indian subcontinent with population problems will need to find more space and Europe and North America will have to find more workers. If the struggle be worked through and the prejudices and fears overcome, then the best thing that could come from a lower birth rate would be an international melting pot with everyone working together for a better planet, better economy and a better life. WORKS CITED Aries, Phillippe.†Two Successive Motivations for the Declining Birth Rate in the West† Population and Development Review Vol. 6, No. 4 (Dec., 1980), pp. 645-650   Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0098921%28198012%296%3A4%3C645%3ATSMFTD%3E2.0.CO%3B2-5 November 20, 2007. Cohen, JE â€Å"Population growth and earth’s human carrying capacity† Science Vol.269, Issue 5222, Summer, 1995, p. 341-46. â€Å"Ending overcrowding in California Schools†Ã‚   Policylink http://www.policylink.org/Research/SchoolOvercrowding/ November 20, 2007. Johnson, Kelly. â€Å"The Effects of a Declining Birth Rate on the Labor Force† http://cber.cba.ua.edu/rbriefs/ab_jan98.html November 20, 2007. Martin, Steve P. â€Å"Diverging Fertility among U.S. Women Who Delay Childbearing Past Age 30† Demography , Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov., 2000), pp. 523-533 Stable URL:http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0070370%28200011%2937%3A4%3C523%3ADFAUWW%3E2.0.CO%3B2-X November 20,2007. Nagdeve,   Dewaram. â€Å"Environment and Health in India†Ã‚   presented to Asian Context at Bangkok, Thailand, June 10, 2002. http://www.iussp.org/Bangkok2002/S09Nagdeve.pdf November 20, 2007. â€Å"Overcrowding Fuel Boom† CNN.com http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/06/02/classsize.portables.ap/index.html November 20, 2007. Reid, Walter H. â€Å"Will Declining Birt Rates creates a Crisis?† Journal of Extension (Summer 1988), Vol. 26, No. 2 http://www.joe.org/joe/1988summer/rb3.html, November 20, 2007.

Legal Requirements and Frameworks for Childcare

Legal Requirements and Frameworks for Childcare Precious Toe Ngwu Task 1 Summaries the current legal requirements for those working children. This should include reference to 6 learning goals and how they could be implemented in a child care setting. Current legal requirements for those working with children whether in the home setting, work place, school or other local authorities has be set out in the childrens Act 2006 which was designed with principles to guide and support the children. The Act 2006 guide the child care setting to follow the Early Years Foundation Stage learning in all setting to achieve the 6 learning goals to have the children acquired all the knowledge, skill and understanding they need by the time they are leaving the setting to school or nursery etc. The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage sets out the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five as development matters at the early stages of the child. The 3 prime areas are particularly crucial in promoting effective learning and development during the Early Years Foundation Stage. Communicating and language development- involves giving the children opportunities to experience a rich language environment. It develops their confidence and skills in expressing themselves: to speak and listen. The setting are to encourage the children communication skills in the activities around the learning area. Physical Development- this provide opportunities for young children to be active and interactive to develop their coordination, control and movement. All activities planned with in the setting should aim at teaching the children how to be healthy and the importance of exercising. Personal, social and emotional development- the activities planned in the setting should help develop a positive sense of themselves and others. It helps them to form positive relations and develop social skills and develop respect for others. To learn how manage feelings, to understanding appropriate behavior in groups and to have a sense of confidence in own abilities. In my class (preschool, I do circle time with the children and encourage them to work in pairs, speak about their feeling over the week end). The 6 learning goals which are Personal Social and Emotional Development, Understand the World, Physical Development, Mathematics, Literacy and Expressive Arts and Design are to be taught to suit the requirements of the Regulations and the diversity of the children within the provision/setting and this is to done with no exceptions. The learning goals are there to enable the child care provider educate the children and to assess them to ascertain their achievements. Every child has the right to do every activities that is within the 6 learning goals, so by the time they reach 5 years old, they would have acquired the academic year and requirements. The setting should meet several learning goals that will spark children’s interest and enthusiasm for learning, support well-being and sense of belonging. It is important that in the setting, parents and practitioners work to achieve the early learning goals and for the children to be safe and healthy. All early year settings need to be consistency and have good quality for every child to have good progress. In so doing no child will be left behind. Children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates. The framework covers the education and care of all children including children with special needs and disabilities. Task 2 Explain what is meant by respecting and valuing individuality, and how to devise a plan of how this can be implemented in the child are setting. A table format may be used for this task. Respect is a deep feeling admiration for someone because of their abilities, qualities, or achievements. It is also a sense of worth or excellence of a person and a way of treating or thinking about someone. Valuing is a reference against which to measure the virtue of an individual’s values and culture. Therefore, it is important to become more aware of the individual both in themselves and others so that the children will respond with respect and awareness of individual needs. Respecting and valuing children’s individuality means accepting them, for who they are as individuals. This is very important for the development of the children. When children are treated with respect and valued, they will aspirate to their expectations. The basics of anti-bias is recognising others individuality with both adults, children and young people all have different strengths, talents and attitudes. This in itself tells you that people respond differently. Respecting and valuing children’s individuality means accepting them, for who they are as individual. This is important for the development of children. When children are treated with respect and are valued, they will aspirate to their expectations. Respecting and valuing a child will bring in the best in him or her. It is also a 2 way street when you respect and value a child, most of the time he or she will do the same to you. When a child is not respected or valued they would not realize their self-worth. Care givers should praise, cheer and encourage a child on their own individual qualities, what makes them unique. No child is the same every human being is different in his or her own way, to foster good citizenship in each child treat him or her as an individua l. When children are not accepted for who they are it can greatly affect their growth and development. Valuing and respecting- Is showing that we are comfortable with their differences and with young children it means acknowledging that they may have particular interest and help then to build on it by showing them you are for â€Å"what they stand for† so from an early age young children need to be taught respecting and valuing individuality. The setting should be able to encourage the children to work with each other and talk about diversity, culture as they plan and set up a classroom rules. Respect Honesty Courtesy Commitment Equality Justice Kindness Trust As we are all different so are our values. It is important that children, young people understands values and a good values are instilled early on to enable them grow into well-rounded, decent young adults. Children to listen to each other Children to help in the setting implement policy for valuing and respecting each other. Encourage the children share and do a display with them about diversity/cultures Individual planning (meet needs and interest of the child) also needs and interest are identified. Task 3-Evaluate the benefits of consistency with regard to positive and negative behaviuors, and identify strategies that can be used to encourage setting. Positive behavior is important. When we consistently and lovingly meet the needs of the young child in our care, secure attachment are formed. Child now develop secure attachments to more than one adults, that child/children are more likely to develop positive social and emotion skills. They know that they can rely on adults to meet their needs, to respond to them, and to comfort them. This will make the child important and begin to develop a sense of competence and confidence. -Children and young children needs to be part of the setting out of the rules for positive behavior. This will enable them take ownership of any consequences and they will keep it. It is important not to say no but encourage the positive words to tell the child what to do get the childs attention, use words like, â€Å"good listening, good boy or girl†. Be specific, keep it simple, use enthusiasm to encourage the child and also comment positive comments and encouragement in front of others. Praise the children good work and thank the child for acts. Use a warm, engaging and reinforcing the positive behaviours encourages the child to do well and act will. Always work out the rules with the children for the settings in a group which could become a behaviour policy for the child care setting and encourage them to put it up with you. It is better to influence the childs behaviour rather than control it. This is very important as it is beneficial for both the child care provider and the child, the earlier a child is established right from wrong it gets easier for the child to develop in all areas. This should be consistent. Negative behaviour: negative behaviour is very distressing and frustrating when it is not managed appropriately for the one receiving end. It is good to keep it simple when explain to a child why he/she is behaviour is not helping or accepting by using positive words and remaining them of the boundaries set out in the child care setting. It best to focus more on their positive than negative behaviours. The child care setting need to address that at some point, consistently letting the children to know that negative behaviours are not accepted and they need to understand what can be allowed and what cannot be accepted. I do circle time with my preschoolers and in the circle we discuss about our behaviours and how to improve on it. And I made them to understand that bad behaviours are not awarded. We only reward good behaviours not the bad once and there are more consequences. It’s good as the child care provider to have a good tone of voice, but be consistent it goes a long way. The child will than start to build a relationship with that adult and it will encourage that child to stop saying no etc. The self-esteem, confidence and trust will come back. But make sure the setting identify the problem and work with the child and all will fall into place. Task 4- Describe the process involved in managing conflict between children and adults. You should refer to at least one behavioural theorist in your answer I will like to start off by saying that, Firstly, identifying the underlying conflicts aim and hidden agendas that drive the dispute in the first place. Children are emotional and are not ready to begin a process of resolution. It’s a step by step process and it takes patience and consistency. -approach the child/children calmly at his or her eye level using a gentle touch. Acknowledge that there is a problem/issue and suggest some ways to calm them down. I usually use the 1-10, it always work with my preschoolers. I also tell them to breathe in and out. Children need to be taught how to express their emotions without violence/ mood swings. -you the adult should not find fault in the matter or blame, because one child is always in the wrong. Stay neutral. Listen to the child/children and make sure they know you are listening to them and they are been hard by the adult. Make sure that children in the conflict talk about their needs and wants. Most of the time the issues are the â€Å"want†, the adult should stay on the want. The adult should show interest in what they are saying by noddy the head, acknowledge the feelings of each child by helping give the feeling a name e.g. frustrated etc. After defining the problems, help the children find a solution to solve the problem. If the solution is not resolved the adult will have to start again. As Dennise Colwell and Lindsey- Texas Tec University founder-gender differences children when identifying areas of conflict. So the solution is going to be what type of conflict it is. Boys and girls. Girls tended to have more conflicts with each other (peers) over thing said, displaying a child-to child conflict whereas the boys areas of conflict manifested themselves in form of disobeying the teacher. It also goes on to say â€Å"in resolving conflict, it was interesting to note that girls used peer resolution, and the boys relied on the teacher as a facilitator to resolve the conflict. In both ways the adult has a vital role to play be restoring and helping the children control their feelings. Vygotsky research†- stated that conflict with girls are words and conflict with boys are action.

Reflective Essay on Business and Entrepreneurship

Reflective Essay on Business and Entrepreneurship Reflective Essay I have never really considered much about business and entrepreneurship until I started the Marketing in Hospitality course. I have come to understand how businesses have evolved their marketing strategies over the years by implementing various concepts in order to achieve company goals. I have also come to appreciate the importance of team work; given that this module requires the work to be done in a group. In doing this it has created a sense of team spirit among myself and my group members. In this reflective essay I will be outlining what I have learned in each Assessment Criteria and how it will help me in my profession. In AC 2.1 I leaned about the importance of an organisation having a Marketing Mix which will allow them to meet customer expectations and needs. I also gained a full understanding of the 4 Ps of the marketing mix and the crucial part in which each play in ensuring that the organisation achieves their goals. This AC will help me to know why a company chooses to use a certain distribution method or the form of advertisement that they choose. In AC 2.2 I learned about the various pricing strategies that have been utilised by organisations in order to gain a leading advantage over competitors. The various strategies that have been utilised are floor pricing, penetration pricing, premium pricing, equal pricing, bundle pricing among others. Depending the kind of feedback or result in which the organization is seeking; they will choose the pricing that best suits them. I also learned that there are various factors such as competition, ethics and even the economy that may affect the pricing of a product. In AC 3.1 I learned about promotional mix and the importance of branding and image. I learned how relevant a customer perception of a company, service or product is; hence, the advertisement or promotional method in which they choose can determine whether or not they will succeed. In AC 3.2 I learned the importance of advertisement and advertising campaigns. I learned about how to plan an advertisement campaign, the steps to take and also how to ensure that the campaign is effective in impacting the targeted audience. AC 3.3 I learned about sales promotion and also public relations. Sales promotion are short- term techniques that companies might use to create an incentive scheme for customers in order to get them to purchase their products. I understand that gaining public acceptance is a vital role for public relations and they are given the task of ensuring that people know about the company and the product or services it provides. AC 4.1 I learned about the relevance of market research and how vital it is for companies to conduct such research in order to ensure that their plan or product will be successful or is suitable for the current market. Marketing research identifies trends and anomalies within the market and focuses on the needs of the consumers. AC 4.2 I learned how to carry out a marketing research. I learned about the different steps to take and also about data collection and sources which should be used. I learned about primary and secondary sources, how to select the best sampling groups and the various use for qualitative and quantitative research. AC 4.3 I learned about the different marketing methods such as television, magazines, billboards and posters among others. I also learned about the advantages and disadvantages of each and the effect that each is said to have on consumers. I also learned about the various factors to consider when choosing a marketing method such as budget, resources and available time. AC 4.4 I learned about the process of implementation in marketing. This is where all the marketing strategies that a company has come up with are put into action. I learned that there are various approaches that can be taken when implementing the various marketing strategies such as command approach, change approach, cultural and consensus approach. Overall, the course was very educational and the group assignments were good as it stimulated team work. This is vital and resourceful, as I am currently working in an industry that requires working together as a team. For the purpose of gathering information, formulating a way to approach the assessment criteria and delegating the workload, I have learnt to listen attentively, respect and appreciate everyones suggestions and feedbacks. I had gained more than enough knowledge and insights for establishing and running a business

The History of Stalingrad Essay -- Stalingrad War Battles European His

The History of Stalingrad â€Å"Stalingrad is the scene of the costliest and most stubborn battle in this war. The battle fought there to its desperate finish may turn out to be among the decisive battles in the long history of war†¦In the scale of its intensity, its destructiveness, and its horror, Stalingrad has no parallel. It engaged the full strength of the two biggest armies in Europe and could fit into no lesser framework than that of a life-and death conflict which encompasses the earth† New York Times, February 4, 1943 The battle fought between the Soviet Red Army and the Nazi Wehrmacht over the â€Å"city of Stalin† for four long months in the fall and winter of 1942-3 stands as not only the most important battle of the Eastern front during World War II, but as the greatest battle ever fought. Germany’s defeat at Stalingrad ended three years of almost uninterrupted victory and signaled the beginning of the end of the Third Reich. In this way, Stalingrad’s significance was projected beyond the two main combatants, extending to all corners of the world. This paper is not meant to be a military history of the battle; I am not qualified to offer such an account. It is also not an examination of why Russia won (and Germany lost). The goal of this paper is to explain why this particular conflict, fought at this particular point in time, and in this particular place became the defining moment of World War II. During the late summer of 1942, Germany’s position in the Soviet Union appeared to be dominant. The Russian winter offensive in front of Moscow had succeeded in relieving the pressure on the capital but had failed to make any substantial gains beyond a few miles of breathing space. The Germans had managed to stabilize the situation, inflicting severe casualties on the Russians before opening their own offensive in southern Russia in the spring and summer of 1942. This offensive, like the initial attack on the Soviet Union, caught the Russians (who expected a second assault on Moscow) completely off guard. Germany’s success was immense, and by the end of July the Wehrmacht had reached the Caucasus Mountains and the Volga River, with the oil-rich cities of Astrakhan, Grozny, and Baku in its sights. The first fourteen months of the war had been a debacle of monumental proportions for the Russians. During this time, the Germans had occupied more than a... ... the regime began to make concrete plans to overthrow it. Stalingrad was the beginning of the end for the Third Reich.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  World War II was filled with turning points, including Midway, El Alamein, and Moscow. Stalingrad, however, was not simply a turning point. It was the decisive battle of the most violent and destructive war ever fought. It is a fitting testament to the importance of Stalingrad that General Chuikov, the tough-as-nails commander of the 62nd Army that defended the city, would later lead his men in the final battle of the European war, the assault on Berlin. Works Cited Baldwin, Hanson. Battles Lost and Won. New York: Smithmark Publishers, 1966. Craig, William. Enemy at the Gates. New York: Readers Digest Press, 1973. Elting, Mary and Robert T. Weaver, Battles: How They Are Won. Garden City: Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1944. Overy, Richard. Russia’s War. New York: Penguin Books, 1997. Roberts, Geoffrey. Victory at Stalingrad: The Battle that Changed History. London: Pearson Education, 2002. Stalingrad, Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1943. Weinberg, Gerhard L. A World At Arms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

America Needs the Stop-loss Program Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive

America Needs the Stop-loss Program The scary reality of the war on Iraq is something all Americans face today, the reality being, what happens if we do not have enough soldiers to continue all of the projects that the United States have already started. Does America have enough troops for what they are doing? Can America afford to tell people when they leave the military, thanks and we wish the best for you with civilian life, or should they be fighting to keep them as long as possible? America spend the money to keep the soldiers employed and across the waters to keep the promises made to make Iraq a democratic country? America needs to continue their fight, even if it means to maintain solders longer then they once thought. With the â€Å"Stop-loss program† introduced by President George W. Bush, the military finally received the power needed to persevere the numbers needed in winning the War on Iraq. Since June of 2004, 800 soldiers have died while fighting the war in Iraq, as well as nearly 4,700 wounded in battle, reported Pete Yost in the Associated Press, on June 1, 2004. Not only is the military losing soldiers due to death or being wounded, but there have also been a large number of people who, when they are discharged from the military, do not reenlist, but instead they want to go and try their luck in the civilian world. The rate America keeps losing their men and women, in Iraq proves that something needs to be done to keep the military in the high supply needed. How can the promise made to the Iraqi civilians be kept if there is not enough man power to finish what was started? Plus the number of civilians who have been signing up has drastically decreased. That is why President Bush’s â€Å"stop-loss program† otherwise known as the â€Å"back-door draft† is crucial for our continuing fight. According to what is written in the policy â€Å"The policy is designed to assist in meeting manpower requirements for future operations, and will, therefore, evolve to remain relevant to future operations, and will, therefore, evolve to remain relevant to future developments in mission requirements and our involvement in current operations.† (Maradmin 007/03). This policy was put into effect after September 11, 2001 in order to keep the military numbers up. With the â€Å"stop-loss policy† America is fighting to keep their military well stocked... ...ing the military how can they afford to keep people there? If a promise to a country is made, then the country needs to be willing to keep the promise to the best of their ability. The United States, could not win the war without the soldiers who fought in it, and they cannot give Iraq the freedom promised if they do not have enough men and women in combat. The stop-loss program that President Bush set up and put into play is something that was very needed in the country during this time of conflict. In conclusion, there are many reasons why the â€Å"back-door draft† is something that is needed in today’s society. American is trying it’s hardest to spread freedom and democracy around the world, to countries that have not been able to obtain it on their own. The military plays a massive role in the gift that America is giving to Iraq, without the military the old Iraqi government would still be in charge, and they would be a lot further away from freedom. With President Bush’s stop-loss program, it does just that; it stops the loss we were suffering with the deaths and discharges of soldiers and keeps the military full of soldiers who have first hand experience.

Cognitive Biases in Entrepreneurial Strategies

The view of the human as a rational being is nowadays heavily questioned (Simon, 1959), UT in science a lot of models and theories still are based on this assumption. When looking at research on entrepreneurship, we notice that it is considered a relatively new field of study, though practice has shown that entrepreneurial activities have a great influence on the market. Schumacher (1934) already linked entrepreneurial Initiatives of Individuals to the creation and destruction of Industries, as well as to economic development.More research has been conducted about entrepreneurship, which questions the classical picture of the economic man – Homo economics – and he classical concept of rationality. This might be because the entrepreneur himself Is one of the most crucial factors of either the success or failure of an entrepreneurial business. This has caused the entrepreneur to be a hot topic and so a lot of research has been dedicated to the phenomenon. An Shame to (200 0) for example different argues that the underlying factor that causes entrepreneur knowledge. Other research has focused on the traits of entrepreneurs.In general, entrepreneurs are considered overconfident (Cooper et al. , 1988), which is a good thing if you want to start-up a company. Without this trait, start-ups would probably not take place as often as we observe (Goodness & Lecher, 2013). However, research has also showed that this overconfidence is associated with failure (Camera & Lovable, 1999). Nobel (2011) argued that although we know 30 to 40 per cent of entrepreneurial firms fail, many other are bought out or never bring expected return on investment, meaning that the real failure rate can be up to 70 or 80 per cent.Overconfidence is one of the known biases that influence human beings in decision making. There are, however, a lot of more biases which an entrepreneur can encounter. This raises the question of whether being aware example of such of the biases could help the bias, entrepreneur in his activities. If we look at the overconfidence overconfidence can lead to wrong decisions. Awareness thus, could be helpful. On the other hand, if the entrepreneur is aware of this bias he could become too careful in the decision making process. This can result in no action being taken when the ‘moment' arrives.Or it could result in the entrepreneur even deciding not to continue due to the risks being too high. This leads us to the question: 3 The following questions will help us answer the main question by shedding some eight on the biases that are out there: Theory of Bounded Rationality As mentioned in the introduction, we assume Homo economics appears to be perfectly rational and has complete knowledge, while the economic choices one makes are clandestine in the economic sphere without affecting other aspects of the individual such as emotions or being influenced by the environment.This is in line with the neoclassical economic theory that assum es full What is a cognitive bias? Why does this article address cognitive biases? What kind of cognitive biases could an entrepreneur encounter? Theory In this section the previously stated substitutions will be answered based on theory of decision-making, cognitive biases and the application to entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship We accept the definition of entrepreneurship as suggested by Stevenson and Carillon (1990): ‘Entrepreneurship is about individuals who create opportunities through various modes of organizing, without regard to resources currently controlled. Sevens and Carillon moved away from the view of the traits school' which tried to describe how entrepreneurs differed from other people by control, leadership, or propensity for risk-taking. When studies showed that entrepreneurs are as different from one another as they are from school' non- entrepreneurs, the ‘behavioral rationality. This view has been criticized by Simon (1959) who developed an approach based on bounded rationality and problem solving. Simon stated that the assumption of full rationality is unrealistic.In his view, the rationality of individuals is limited by the information they have, the cognitive limitations of their minds and the finite amount of time they have to make decisions. The theory of bounded rationality states that individuals face uncertainty about the future and costs in acquiring information in the present. What is a cognitive bias? Biases and heuristics (mental shortcuts) are decision rules, cognitive mechanisms, and subjective opinions people use to help them making decisions. This is a deviation of the benchmark Cognitive of biases rational prevent decision-making. Individuals to accurately understand reality and interfere with the ability to be impartial, unprejudiced or objective (Goodness and Lecher, 2013). Taverns and Keenan (1974) state that people rely on ‘heuristic principles which reduce the complex tasks of assessing probabilities and predicting values to simpler Judgmental operations. There are specific and systematic biases that move the Judgment away from the perfect rationality of individuals. Argued that the process of creating a new venture, should be the fundamental part of defining someone as an entrepreneur. (Gideon, 2010).This is why we agree on the definition by Stevenson and Carillon, which also implies we will not discuss entrepreneurial traits in this article. 4 Drawing on aspects of both psychology and economics, the operating assumption of behavioral economics is that cognitive biases often prevent people from making rational decisions, despite their best efforts. Why do we focus on cognitive biases? The general opinion about entrepreneurs is that they are risk takers. However, research showed that if entrepreneurs have to choose, they prefer to take moderate risks instead of taking decisions where there is high risk involved (Keenan and Lovable, 1994).This seems a contradiction, because the decision to become an entrepreneur is statistically a highs decision since over half of new ventures fail. In a study conducted by Cooper and colleagues their (1988), 95 per cent of the The interviewed entrepreneurs venture would did not entrepreneurs were convinced succeed. Where there is a complex interplay between feelings and thoughts which have awoken intense emotions. He concludes deal with that these entrepreneurs frequently situations that are new, unpredictable and complex. What kind of cognitive biases could an entrepreneur encounter?When we look at what kind of biases an entrepreneur can encounter, it needs to be known what kind of biases exist. There are dozens of known biases but not all an entrepreneurs will meet. We would like to discuss the biases that came across the most in research of cognitive threats of entrepreneurs. Optimism bias. The decision to become an entrepreneur is a crucial step that only can be taken if the entrepreneur is feeling optimistic about the chances of success. Because the chance of failure is statistically higher than success, entrepreneurs usually have an optimism bias.As mentioned before, 95 per cent of the entrepreneurs perceive the future of their new venture as being successful, while past studies of business survival suggest poor prospects for long-term survival for most new businesses (Cooper et al. , 1988). The optimism bias makes because entrepreneurs they see perceive less risk, more everything receive the new venture as a risk and their perception, rather than objective reality, explained the decision to start a current or future venture. That is why entrepreneurs do not necessarily have a higher risk propensity than other people (Keenan and Lovable, 1994).They simply perceive existing risks smaller than they are which shows that entrepreneurs are biased. Baron (2004) suggests that entrepreneurs are more often exposed to situations that test the limits of their cognitive capacities than other people. This i ncreases their susceptibility to various forms of bias or error. Baron argued that biases occur more frequently when individuals are confronted with more information than they can process at a given time, they face situations that are new to them and involve high degrees of uncertainty, and optimistically.In ‘The Evolution of Cognitive Bias', (2005) Hasten, Nettle, and Andrews state that where biases exist individuals draw inferences or adopt beliefs where the evidence for doing so in a logically sound manner is either insufficient or absent. In the case of 5 entrepreneurs however, we see that even if logical sound manner is sufficient still an entrepreneur can be biased. In the experiment by Cooper and colleagues (1988) 95 percent of the entrepreneurs was thinking that their venture would be a success, disappear when they knew about the objective chances.Business and Barney (1997) have stated that the optimism bias of an entrepreneur could also influence the stakeholders arou nd them as well. If the stakeholders wait until they attain all additional information, the opportunity they seek to exploit could be gone by the time this data is available. This means that the optimism bias of an entrepreneur can even overrule the rationality of other persons involved. Illusion of control The illusion of control gives the entrepreneur a sense of control that increases the likelihood of them acting on an opportunity, but at the same time it may blind them to genuine risks. Simon et al. 2000) The illusion of control states that decision makers often overestimate the personal control they have over the outcomes. This type of bias influences the ability for decision makers to actually make a decision. This could also be the reason many entrepreneurs fail even though they thought they had made a right decision. Belief in the Law of Small Numbers The belief in the law of small numbers is the use small off limited sample of to draw rim are conclusions. The bias makes peo ple believe samples information representative of the entire population from Overconfidence bias.Overconfidence refers to an unwarranted, high level of confidence (Forester and Scratchy, 2007). It is interesting that overconfidence can only be determined in retrospect, after an evaluation of knowledge, predictions and outcomes. Therefore, it will be difficult to notice beforehand if an entrepreneur is dealing with an overconfidence bias. Because of overconfidence, people do not take into account other factors and information that they need for decision-making. Goodness and Lecher optimism (2013), bias and argued distrust. Hat They the overconfidence bias is influenced by both the see overconfidence as a central theme in the failure of entrepreneurial firms with its effects magnified in combination with other cognitive biases. Which they are drawn (Simon et al, 2000). Simon and Houghton (2002) argued that belief in the law of small numbers may explain why entrepreneurs often overesti mate demand. The success of a small number of people in their own environment can make entrepreneurs think that they will also be successful, while the objective probability of success may be very low.Business and Barney (1997) mint out that entrepreneurs often use biased samples from a small number of friends or potential customers. Decision-makers versus Entrepreneurs Business and Barney mentioned that entrepreneurs are influenced by the sorts of cognitive biases that we all as individuals encounter (1997). However, they found that the extent to which people deviate from rational thinking may not be constant and that different individuals may utilize biases and heuristics to different degrees.They argued, and Baron (2004) agrees, that entrepreneurs in general are more susceptible to the use of biases and heuristics in decision-making. For entrepreneurs, the level of uncertainty in making decisions is higher than for general decision-makers (Humpback and Cozier, 1985; Covina and Sl iven, 1989). Also, general managers can approximate the rational ideal more closely because they usually have access to historical trends and past performance, while entrepreneurs do not. Several studies (Covina and Sliven, 1991; Garner et al. 992; Miller and Ferries, 1984) have shown that the context faced in decommissioning by entrepreneurs tends to be more complex than the context faced by managers. Pitfalls, biases and heuristics are likely to have more utility in hose highly complex decision settings faced by entrepreneurs, compared to the less complex context that managers face (Business and Barney, 1997). We find that entrepreneurs in general encounter, and until now no attempt has been done in making such a list. Simon et al. (2000) did make a selection in their research towards risk perception and the start of a new venture.They selected three biases that may lower risk perception when starting a new venture. Their research focused on the overconfidence bias, the illusion o f control and the belief in small numbers (see table 3). In their research optimism did not have a significant relationship with the decision to start a new venture, therefore they left this bias out of the model. Striking is that they left optimism out of their model, because they found a lack of significant relationship between optimism and the decision to start a venture.They mentioned however that other studies did encounter optimism affecting both cognition and behavior and explain that their outcome may have occurred because their survey measured optimism in a specific context. Further research on at least the optimism bias therefore is necessary. What influence can biases have on the success or failure of an entrepreneurial firm? Biases can have great impact on the success or failure of a company. Goodness and Lecher (2013) argued that their research shows that overconfidence can lead to disastrous effects in the entrepreneurial domain.In fact, they even found a strong relati onship between overconfidence and company failure, especially if overconfidence was linked with other biases. Also they found that optimism bias has a negative effect on firm survival, strengthening arguments on low risk perception and resultant propensity to fail. However optimism bias also acted positively on opportunity orientation. This is an important encounter more biases than other types of decision-makers, but no specific research has been done on framing the most common biases faced by entrepreneurs.In the field of strategic decision-making however, Hogwash described the 29 most common separate biases (1980). The ones that he considered most likely to affect strategic decisions are listed in table 1. An overview like this is missing in the field of entrepreneurship. One reason for this might be that most entrepreneurship common biases is hard to frame. Previous research did not mention a list of the that 7 finding, as one of the important aspects of entrepreneurship is find ing opportunities. Effective decision-making by entrepreneurs with respect to actions involving risk could play an important role in the success of new ventures.Empirical findings in literature about entrepreneurship offer support for the possibility that successful entrepreneurs are more effective at this task. Simon et al. (2000) found that effectiveness at decision making is an important factor in the performance of new ventures. Lovable and Keenan (1993) prescribed corrective measures to overcome the biases and achieve optimal behavior in every situation. Also Russo and Shoemaker (1989) reasoned that decision biases can be corrected through training.They have indicated that every decision-maker must, consciously or unconsciously, go through each phase of the decision-making process. They have stated ten most common barriers that entrepreneurs encounter in making good decisions. These barriers show resemblance with the biases described by Hogwash (1980). The availability bias, â €˜Judgments of probability of clearheadedly events are distorted', can be linked to the trusting shortsighted the most shortcuts, readily ‘relying or inappropriately on rules of thumb such as information anchoring too much on invention facts'.Both of them trust the most readily available information and thus the Judgment of probability may be distorted. Conservatism, which is the failure to sufficiently revise forecasts based on new information, can be linked to fooling ourselves about feedback, since in both cases the feedback will not be taken into account when forecasting new decisions, which can also emerge from being overconfident in making a Judgment. Russo and Shoemaker (1989) indicated that good decision-making can be broken down into four main elements: (1) framing; (2) gathering intelligence; (3) coming to a conclusion; (4) learning from feedback.Entrepreneurs have to keep track of what they expected to happen while guarding and against Lecher self-serving (2013) also explanations. Goodness agreed with the effectiveness of training on biases. They stated that for example the training of unrealistic optimists should stimulate the motivation to manage finances, to take advice, not to leave matters up to chance, and to understand the value of healthy distrust in oneself and others in non-routine situations.However, they also warned that training programs for entrepreneurs are not always a good idea. If it was not for the cognitive biases, start-ups would not occur as often as we observe now. Their advice for entrepreneurs is to balance the organization with people that are aware of these biases and can correct the entrepreneur where necessary. As well, Taverns and Keenan (1974) do not consider the biases as something that always should be eliminated.They argued that under conditions of environmental uncertainty and complexity, biases and heuristics sometimes also can be an effective and efficient guide to decision-making, simply because in such settings comprehensive and cautious decommissioning is not always possible. They state that biases and heuristics may even provide an effective way to Training When a bias causes harm, it is of critical importance that it can be addressed properly. Errors in decision-making can be extremely costs at not only the personal but also at the professional and societal level.As this article indicates, there does not seem to be an easy fix. Building further upon his previous work, Fishhook (1982) reviewed four strategies for reducing bias: (1) warning subjects about the potential for bias, (2) describing the likely direction of bias, (3) illustrating bias to the subject, and (4) providing extended training, feedback, coaching and other interventions. Fishhook concluded that these first three strategies yielded limited success, and that ‘even intensive, personalized feedback and training produced only moderate improvements in decision making. This model, derived from Wilson and Breake r (1994), shows how Judgmental biases are created and how they can be reduced. Awareness should first be created, there must be motivation to correct this bias and the direction and magnitude of the bias should be understood. As a final step, the bias should be removed or countered. But what is interesting is to see which techniques can be used to mitigate the bias of concern. We believe this can be done by applying a counter bias or by structuring the decision-making process.If decision makers rely less on intuition and emotion when making a decision, and more on deliberate and structured thinking processes, a decision can be made which approximates rationality. Analysis A list of the most common biases among decision-makers (note this it is not a list of the most common among entrepreneurs) have been framed earlier in this paper by Hogwash (1980). It is known that entrepreneurs are more susceptible to the effects of biases, but it is doubtful whether the most important biases for decision-makers are also the most important ones for entrepreneurs.The optimism bias and overconfidence decision-makers, bias do not appear on in the Hogwash's list of most common biases for while research cognitive biases of entrepreneurs mentions them often. The problem with making an analysis on the cognitive biases that entrepreneurs encounter is that there is no such a list of most common biases among entrepreneurs. Earlier in this paper, we accepted the definition by Stevenson and is Carillon several to (1990) modes that of entrepreneurship opportunities organizing without about creating resources through rage rd currently controlled.This made us not look at the traits of an entrepreneur, but at the processes of decision-making and biases that can occur. There are biases that every person encounters, but there are certain biases that have a more effect on decision-making but also have to be aware of different sorts of biases that can influence their perception of the world. Th is can be of great influence on the future of their new ventures. As Abide (1994) argued, there are three critical elements of successful entrepreneurial approaches.Entrepreneurs 9 have to screen opportunities quickly to weed out unpromising ventures, they have to analyze ideas in which they focus on new important issues and they have to integrate taking action and analysis. His most important conclusion is that entrepreneurs must reflect on the adequacy of their ideas and their capacities to execute them. This comes back to what we are addressing in this article. Can entrepreneurs be aware of adequacy of their ideas? And is it recommendable to create this awareness among entrepreneurs?To be able to have a better perception of the world and thus be better capable of reflecting and making decisions, biases are of great importance. Hen reflecting on the environment of the new venture and when making decisions based upon those reflections. Training programs to become aware of bias do e xist. Russo and Shoemaker (1989) proposed a training system in which good decision- making can be broken down into four main elements. In each element the person involved is encouraged to take the different barriers (table 2) into account so that he or she is guarded against silvering explanations.However, Goodness and Lecher (2013) argued that when entrepreneur are aware of biases, probably less start-ups will be realized. They advise that not the entrepreneurs will follow a raining program, biases. But rather people around the entrepreneur should be aware of existing Conclusion Although there are frameworks of individual cognitive biases in the literature of decision making, like the barriers by Hogwash (1980), there is no clear framework which cognitive biases entrepreneurs commonly encounter and how and if the effects of these biases should be reduced.The biases studied showed however that they can have big influence on the success or failure of a new venture. Goodness and Leche r (2013) found a strong relationship between overconfidence and company failure. Also positive biases strengthen low risk reception and increased the chance of failure. On the other hand, a positive bias in the startup phase of the company could be of great help because it strengthens the entrepreneur in motivation and opportunity finding.If entrepreneurs are aware of their biases, they could take this knowledge into consideration Taverns and Keenan (1974) pointed at the fact that not always should be eliminated. Under conditions of environmental uncertainty and in complexity, biases and simply heuristics because sometimes also can be effective and efficient decision-making, comprehensive and cautious decision-making is not always possible. Being aware of cognitive biases contributes towards obtaining optimal behavior in every situation.However, when we want to answer the question if awareness helps entrepreneurial firms perform better we would like to advise to also create awarenes s among the people around the entrepreneur and not the entrepreneur himself. The bias of an entrepreneur can be crucial in the start-up of a company and the motivation of other people. However, when a bias is harmful people around him can undertake action to 10 eliminate this bias and therefore reduce the chance of a company's failure. As a radical note we would like to mention that research on biases that an entrepreneur can encounter still has not been done.