How Empress Agrippina the Younger Scandalized Rome

How Empress Agrippina the Younger Scandalized Rome Roman Empress Julia Agrippina, also known as Agrippina the Younger, lived from A.D. 15 to 59. The daughter of Germanicus Caesar and Vipsania Agrippina, Julia Agrippina was the sister of Emperor Caligula or Gaius. Her influential family members made Agrippina the Younger a force to be reckoned with, but her life was plagued by controversy and she would die in a scandalous manner as well. Marriage Woes In A.D. 28, Agrippina married Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus. He died in A.D. 40, but before his death, Agrippina bore him a son, the now notorious Emperor Nero. After a short time as a widow, she married her second husband, Gaius Sallustius Crispus Passienus, in A.D. 41, only to be accused of fatally poisoning him eight years later. That same year, A.D. 49, Julia Agrippina married her uncle, Emperor Claudius. The union may not have been the first time Agrippina was involved in an incestuous relationship. She is also rumored to have had sexual relations with Caligula when he served as emperor. Historical sources on Agrippina the Younger include Tacitus, Suetonius, and  Dio Cassius. Historians indicated that Agrippina and Caligula might have been lovers as well as enemies, with Caligula exiling his sister from Rome for allegedly conspiring against him. She wasn’t banished forever but returned to Rome two years later. Thirst for Power It’s unlikely that Julia Agrippina, described as power hungry, married Claudius for love.  A year after they wed, she persuaded Claudius to adopt her son, Nero, as his heir. He agreed, but that proved to be a fatal move. Early historians argued that Agrippina poisoned Claudius. She certainly profited after his death, as it led to Nero, then roughly 16 or 17 years old, assuming power, with Julia Agrippina as regent and Augusta, an honorary title given to women in imperial families to highlight their status and influence. Unexpected Turn of Events Under Nero’s reign, Agrippina did not end up exerting more influence over the Roman Empire. Instead, her power waned. Because of her son’s young age, Agrippina tried to rule on his behalf, but events did not turn out as she’d planned. Nero eventually exiled Agrippina. He is said to have considered his mother overbearing and wanted to distance himself from her. Their relationship grew especially strained when she objected to his romance with his friend’s wife, Poppaea Sabina. His mother also challenged his right to rule, arguing that her stepson Brittanicus was the real heir to the throne, the History Channel notes. Brittanicus later died in mysterious circumstances likely orchestrated by Nero. The young emperor also plotted to kill his mother by arranging for her to board a boat designed to sink, but that ploy failed when Agrippina swam safely back to shore. Still determined to commit matricide, Nero later ordered his mother to be assassinated in her home. Nero would rule Rome until his suicide in A.D. 68. Debauchery and religious persecution characterized his reign.   Sources https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julia-Agrippina history.com/topics/ancient-history/nero

10X TBE Electrophoresis Buffer Protocol or Recipe

10X TBE Electrophoresis Buffer Protocol or Recipe TBE and TAE are used as buffers in molecular biology, primarily for electrophoresis of nucleic acids.  Tris buffers are used under slightly basic pH conditions, as for DNA electrophoresis, because this keeps the DNA soluble in the solution and deprotonated so it will be attracted to the positive electrode and will migrate through a gel. EDTA is an ingredient in the solution because this common chelating agent protects nucleic acids from degradation by enzymes. The EDTA chelates divalent cations that are cofactors for nucleases that may contaminate the sample. However, since the magnesium cation is a cofactor for DNA polymerase and restriction enzymes, the concentration of EDTA is kept purposely low (around 1 mM concentration). 10X TBE Electrophoresis Buffer Materials 108 g of Tris base [tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane]55 g of boric acid7.5 g of EDTA, disodium saltDeionized water Preparation for  the 10X TBE Electrophoresis Buffer Dissolve the Tris, boric acid, and EDTA in 800 ml of deionized water.​Dilute the buffer to 1 L. Undissolved white clumps may be made to dissolve by placing the bottle of solution in a hot water bath. A magnetic stir bar can aid the process. You do not need to sterilize the solution. Although precipitation may occur after a span of time, the stock solution is still usable. You can adjust the pH using a pH meter and dropwise addition of concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl). Its fine to store TBE buffer at room temperature, although you may wish to filter the stock solution through a 0.22-micron filter to remove particle that would foster precipitation. 10X TBE Electrophoresis Buffer Storage Store the bottle of 10X buffer solution at room temperature. Refrigeration will accelerate precipitation. Using 10X TBE Electrophoresis Buffer The solution is diluted before use. Dilute 100 mL of 10X stock to 1 L with deionized water. 5X TBE Stock Solution Recipe The advantage of the 5X solution is that its less likely to precipitate. 54 g of Tris base (Trizma)27.5 grams of boric acid20 mL of 0.5 M EDTA solutionDeionized water Preparation Dissolve the Tris base and boric acid in the EDTA solution.Adjust the pH of the solution to 8.3 using concentrated HCl.Dilute the solution with deionized water to make 1 liter of 5X stock solution. The solution may also be diluted to 1X or 0.5X for electrophoresis. Using a 5X or 10X stock solution by accident will give you poor results because as much heat will be generated.  In addition to giving you poor resolution, the sample may be damaged. 0.5X TBA Buffer Recipe 5X TBE stock solutionDistilled deionized water Preparation Add 100 mL of the 5X TBE solution to 900 mL of distilled deionized water. Mix thoroughly before use. Limitations Although TBE and TAE are common electrophoresis buffers, there are  other options  for low-molarity conductive solutions, including lithium borate buffer and sodium borate buffer. The problem with TBE and TAE are that Tris-based buffers limit the electric field that can be used in electrophoresis because too much charge causes a runaway temperature.

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

Report - Case Study Example Business intelligence is a tool that combines all equipment needed by decision makers to come up with intelligent managerial decisions. This tool enables proper monitoring of important business information which includes market trends, competitor monitoring and ensuring proper firm strategies. House Depot needs to mend its business information and data acquiring methods in order to improve their business performance. House Depot needs to connect its various warehouses to ensure a network system enabling sharing of inventory information. The network to be setup depends on the proximity of the warehouses to one another (EC-Council 60). In this case that warehouses are not in close proximity to enable a LAN connection. WAN network connection is the best to use in House Depot scenario. The WAN network established should be secured using the VPN protocols. Using virtual private network will ensure security in the network (EC-Council 54). Bus topology should be used to connect the computers in the warehouses to enable a domesticated LAN network. Research is meant to find out different entities in the market. If House Depot were to find a freeware in the course of their research they cannot claim ownership of it. Claiming ownership would be a form of embezzlement or grabbing personalized software. Furthermore, there is very little chance of discovering functional software that is not patented. In order to boost their technological systems if House Depot was to invent its own operational software it should be within the bounds of the law to avoid any claim of plagiarism. Acquiring information from the original software developer about the bounds of their patent will enable a healthy development with the original developers. The software characteristics can also be merged and merger terms set for all software presidents. Patenting of the software developed by House

Is There a Constitutional Right to Possess a Firearm for Private Use Research Paper

Is There a Constitutional Right to Possess a Firearm for Private Use - Research Paper Example Body The Second Amendment provides a general rule for the right to bear arms, and under such provision, the right to possess firearms for private use seems to be clear-cut and undeniable. The Supreme Court has provided various rulings for the application of this right. In the 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller case, the SC held that the Second Amendment indeed protects the right of the people as private citizens to bear arms. This ruling basically declared that individuals were legally protected in their right to keep a loaded gun in their home for their self-defense (Vicini, 2008). This ruling however did not settle any misgivings on the part of individuals who did not favor the legalization, as well as the widespread use and bearing of arms. To this date therefore, this ruling is still controversial; and for various individuals with legal considerations on the case they would not likely hesitate in seeking other interpretations of this right by the courts. The right to bear arms h as long since been considered a universal right, especially during the earliest years of the world’s history when wars were rampant and disputes were often settled through violent skirmishes (Hollister, 1962). The precursors of guns included bows and arrows, spears, and other harmful and deadly weapons, like swords and daggers. The right to possess and bear arms was firmly supported, retained, and expanded. All serfs, tenants, and subjects of the state and of the crown were required to bear arms in order to protect the state (Lyon, 1980). Various evolutions of armaments and weapons were seen throughout the years, and the people were also required to bear arms when they would travel, attend fairs, or when they would go to markets (Lyon, 1980). The people were even asked to train in the use of long-bows and other arms in order to ensure their protection. In the 1500s in England, the crown decided to ban firearms (meaning, bows and arrows); instead a militia was to be trained in the use of these arms (Bagley and Rowley, 1965). This militia would be considered the armed citizenry of the English political system. This move however backfired when the militia turned on the crown and gained temporary control of the government (Bagley and Rowley, 1965). This prompted the Parliament to order the search and destruction of all arms from all opponents of the crown. As the crown was later restored, the military government’s reign ended. In general, all arms by the militia were banned and confiscated (Malcolm, 1980). This control of the militia was carried over to the control of Britain over its American colonies. After persistent moves by the British government to control its American colonials, including their rights to bear arms, the need to protect the right to bear arms became an even bigger necessity (Patterson, 1973).

The cornerstones of character Essay Example for Free

The cornerstones of character Essay Challenges are the cornerstones of character. They are natural parts of life that not only support change, but they also strengthen the mold of which we are made. Of the many forms challenges that appear, two challenges (one of which is inevitable and the other that is self-imposed) do their parts to alter who we are for the better. Though a natural part of life, death, in any form, evokes and arouses many conflicting emotions. Experiencing my grandmother’s death at the age of sixteen marked the first time I attended a funeral. The fact that it was the funeral of someone very dear to me made my first attendance extremely difficult. The black dresses and solemn looks mirrored the emotions I felt inside. The beautiful remarks about my grandmother did little to comfort me or provide supplement for the inner loss I felt. Moreover, knowing I had to let go continuously battled the potent feeling of not wanting to let go. While old enough to realize that death is a natural end to life that must come at some point, I was also cognizant of the fact that death had marked an end to a very valuable friendship. My grandmother was the epitome of wisdom. Though her words of wisdom will forever resonate in my mind, I will deeply continue to miss her reassuring voice and still harbor a bit of resentment towards death for permanently depriving me of time in the future that I could have spent listening and learning from more of her valuable advice. One lesson learned from my grandmother’s death is to seize and savor each present moment. A newspaper article said that the present is so appropriately named because it is a â€Å"gift†. Gifts are meant to provide pleasure on more than one occasion. Thus, I have learned to assume and appreciate the times with my grandmother as invaluable and lasting sentiments. Approximately one year after my grandmother’s death, my idol and role model announced that life was too hard for him to continue. Working full time and attending medical school proved to be too challenging for my brother. He would go to classes during the day, take short naps, and whisk off to his night job. Though his goals were noble and definitely attainable, my brother failed to recognize his limits. Going to class required usage from the mental power source, for which a couple of hours of sleep could not replenish. The job required more mental effort as well as physical effort. As a result of his self-imposed ideals, my brother reached a point of exhaustion that threatened his logic and life. Between the two demands, my brother cracked under the pressure. He had simply stretched himself too thin. Witnessing my brother’s breakdown taught me that having high goals is acceptable, but that reasonable planning to reach those goals is just as important. When pursued logically and strategically, high goals will still challenge, but they will also prompt growth. On the other hand, pursuing elevated goals irrationally results in unnecessary stress, which results in a despondent state of mind and eventually death. Though one goal takes precedence over the other, my brother did not have to completely abandon one for the sake of the other. School was definitely a priority that could not be compromised. On the other hand, his job could have been part-time instead of full-time. Obviously, my brother was not going to make a sufficient amount of money working his current job; therefore, the number of hours were not as important as school. By continuing to pursue school as a full-time endeavor and reducing his work hours, my brother found a functional medium that allowed him to better balance both endeavors. Life is a gift of challenges that condition and a reward that serve as reminders. The challenges are there to strengthen us and aid in our growth to become better individuals. In addition, those challenges help us to recognize and appreciate the rewards. Though each serves in a different capacity, both should be taken with great care. Without either, we would be stuck in a stagnant pool of convenience surrounded by false senses of hope and security.

La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats :: John Keats Belle Dame Sans Merci Essays

La Belle Dame Sans Merci by John Keats John Keats was born in London on October 31, 1795. He was the son of a stable attendant who married the owner's daughter and later inherited the stable for himself. The elder Mr. Keats died when John was eight, leaving the family tied up in legal matters that lasted the rest of John's life. He was fourteen when his mother died of tuberculosis, and fifteen when his guardian apprenticed him to an apothecary-surgeon. Soon after, John left the medical field to focus primarily on poetry. In July 1820, John left England for Italy. He had suffered a serious hemorrhage of the lungs, which he at once recognized as a symptom of tuberculosis. He was told by doctors that the warmer air of Italy would help cure him. John and his friend took up residence in a home next to the famed Spanish Steps in Rome. He died of tuberculosis on February 23, 1821, at the age of twenty-six. John Keats wrote several romances, including Endymion, and The Eve of St. Agnes. He also wrote some lyrics, but the best known are the are the sonnets and a series of major odes that include an Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn, and To Autumn. One of his best known ballad is A Belle Dame sans Merci (A Women Without Pity). La Belle Dame sans Merci is an innovation for Keats since he had always been use to writing his usual iambic pentameter poems. The meter in La Belle Dame sans Merci was an experiment. Keats uses a lot of auditory and visual imagery. In addition, he also uses figurative language, understatement and overstatement all throughout the poem. On that account, he also uses a single exclamation mark throughout the poem that also contributes to the atmosphere of desolation. In conclusion, La Belle Dame sans Merci is a romantic poem because the knight meets a beautiful person that he thinks he falls in love with at first sight.

Strategic Management: Strategic Directions Folloed by Virgin Atlantic

Contents 1)Executive Summary 2)Introduction of Company 3)External Environment 4)Company Financial Performance 5)Competitive Strategy 6)Strategic Direction of Development 7)Methods of Development 8)Conclusions and Recommendations 9)Resources 10)Appendices 1)Executive Summary This report aims to evaluate the current strategic directions followed by Virgin Atlantic. Initially we discuss the organisation’s mission statement and identify how the vision of the company is reflected though the strategic objectives. It is established at CSR plays an important role one Virgin Atlantic as it is seen to have principles and high standards on acceptable behaviour, BBC News (2009). External factors are evaluated using a PESTLE analysis and it is made clear that the Airline Industy as a whole is suffering financially in the economic turndown. With the well publicised fear of global warming and the level of emissions airlines are giving off is resulting in the government putting pressure on Virgin Atlantic and others to find ways of reducing their C02 output by increasing fuel costs, Virgin Atlantic (2009). Social trends are examined to determine the appeal of air travel and why consumers continue to fly with luxury airlines like Virgin Atlantic over smaller no frills airlines. The financial performance of Virgin Atlantic is analysed over a 5 year period looking at key ratios to determine the sales and profitability of the organisation. These results are compared to British Airways financial figures as well as Ryanair’s to get a better understanding of how financially secure Virgin Airline is financially in comparison to its competitors. An analysis is then conducted of the organisations competitive strategy which identifies, using Porters 5 Forces, that Virgin Atlantic fall under ‘differentiation focus strategy’ as they offer premium priced products for a high quality service. Results from Ansoff’s growth vector determine the strategic direction of the Airlines development. The airline’s growth remains competitive through demand in existing markets with existing products as well as newly developed ones. The methods of development are identified as code-sharing agreements between different airlines, allowing them to make use of each other’s resources at minimum costs. It was concluded that, due to the success of Virgin Atlantic’s current 3 year strategic direction, the airline should extend this strategy. Other strategic concepts where recommended regarding the fight for climate change and they way in which the airline positions itself through branding. 2)Introduction to Company Virgin Atlantic was launched by founder Richard Branson on the 22nd June 1984 Virgin Airline (2009). . 1. The vision of the airline was to offer high quality services combined with good value for money. Working in Music industry for many years Branson himself knew little about the aviation industry therefore he used the advice of his partner, Freddie Fields to manage the venture along with his technical manager Roy Gardner Management Today (1998). As a result of working in the Music Industry Bra nson was all too familiar with celebrity obsessed culture and thus he packed the first flight was between London and Newark Liberty with some well known celebrities. Virgin Atlantic credit the use of the famous faces seen travelling on the inaugural fight as one of the factors of success in launching the airline, Virgin Atlantic (2009). 2. 2. Virgin Atlantic employs a three year strategy which thus far has proved successful. The success has been down to their sound business model which is defined by their Mission Statement: â€Å"To Grow a profitable airline, where people love to fly and people love to work. † Virgin Atlantic (2009) Low cost airlines offer a typically narrow service where as Virgin Atlantic, through their code-sharing agreements; position themselves as offering a broad range of exotic destinations for people who are willing to pay premium prices. This business model has the key understanding that the way in which the product is positioned and the experience provided travelling by virgin Atlantic, will ensure customers will travel again and again thus allowing them to achieve their long-term strategic objectives of increasing profits and shareholder values. 2. One of the key factors in the business model is ‘how’ Virgin Atlantic provide a unique flying experience, virgin maintain this positive feeling with the friendly flight attendants and the positive attitudes they show customers. The airline ensures the happiness of staff with fair wage, discounts on fairs as well as loyalty schemes. The most public display of loyalty towards staff was in 2009 when Virgin Atlantic employees were given 2 free flights to any of the airlines destinations as part of the 25th anniversary of Virgin Atlantic Daily Mail (2009). This generosity towards the staff has the same principles applied by its airline services, the idea of luxury onboard the aircrafts and the knowledge that you will be taken care of. 2. 4. Thomson and Martin (2005) believe that customers play a key part in an organisations business model as they are ones who the services are specifically tailored to. In the 80’s when Virgin Atlantic’s vision was launched, the glamour of air travel had distinguished and air travel was seen as an expensive means of getting from a to b. People had forgotten what air travel was all about, and the ideal of jet setting across the world in luxury was seen available only to those who where famous. The vision introduced encouraged people to pay more but have better value for money and made the whole air travel experience pleasurable. Virgins Growth is testimite to how effective the initial vision of the company was and shows that their mission today is exactly what customers are looking for in a service provider. 2. 5. Corporate Social Responsibility also takes a key stance in Virgin Atlantic’s business model. The company’s strong stance in responsible business is heavily publicised by the media, especially when it comes to environmental factors. Richard Branson has publicly pledged to invest profits of his travel organisations into the research and development of alternative fuel and renewable energy Mallen Baker (2006). â€Å"Virgin Atlantic is committed to reducing our environmental impacts where we can by becoming a more efficient business, leading the industry to practical and technical solutions and engaging, inspiring and empowering our staff and customers to help us meet this challenge† Virgin Atlantic (2009). . 6. The airline was also the first of its kind to trial an alternative fuel which was created from a combination of coconuts and Brazilian Babassu nuts, BBC News 2008. Virgin Airline also have strong policies on equality and avoiding discrimination, this was pushed into the media when 13 of the airlines staff where sacked after describing the passengers as â₠¬Ëœchavs’ on the social networking site Facebook, a spokesperson for the airline stated â€Å"It is impossible for these cabin crew members to uphold [our] high standards of customer service†¦ f they hold these views. † BBC News 2008. This very public stance on social responsibility, especially when it comes to environmental factors, enforces the public interest that Virgin Atlantic employ especially when it comes to decision making and setting their strategic objectives. Reidenbach and Robin (1995) have produced a spectrum of 5 ethical/unethical responses and I believe that Virgin Airline would fall under Ethically Engaged and, â€Å"Actively want to do ‘the right thing’ and be seen doing so† The companies mission states that they want to be a profitable airline & their CSR stance assures the consumers that Virgin Atlantic have principles and although they want to be a profitable airline they will not achieve this strategic objective expense of the planet and the people who inhabit it. 3)External Factors There are a number of external factors which can affect not only the environmental stability of Virgin Atlantic but the attractiveness of the airline industry as a whole. Such factors can be determined by conducting a PESTLE Analysis, a PESTLE Analysis is a business model designed by looks at 6 different factors (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal & Ethical Issues) and aims to evaluate the impact these factors will have on the Organisation. 3. 1. Political &Legal Factors The main political factors which affect the airline industries stability and attractiveness is the current tax policy employed by the government. Due to the rapid decrease of sustainable fuels and with concerns of global warming stronger than ever the Conservative party plan to increase the Air Passenger Duty (APD) up to 113% by November 2010 if they win at the election, Virgin Airline (2009). This will mean an increase in fares thus affecting the attractiveness of the air travel & may have significant impacts on Virgin Airlines profits. Interest rates set by the government may affect any loans that the Airline have taken out. The exchange rates on currency may also provide issues when the company need to trade currency for customers on board an aircraft moving between the uk and America etc. Legal factors which may affect the attractiveness of the airline industry would be legislation on health & safely, wages and airline regulations in terms of training and quality standards. Code-sharing agreements, which we have established plays a key role in the success and growth or Virgin Atlantic, may be put in to jeopardy if there is conflict between countries which could potential affect the air space in which Virgin Atlantic travels. It would be important for the company to have alternative routes put in place allowing them to still get to their chartered destinations in case this type of situation were to occur. Starting in 2012, the EU union will require all airlines to hold emission permits in order to operate; this was designed as a means of reducing the production of greenhouse gases. This is something which will effect Virgin Atlantic & they will have to do research into the costs of the permits & analysis how this will affect the company financially. 3. 2. Economic Factors The economic factors affecting the airline industry as a whole would be mainly the current economy. With less disposable income the demand for travel has fallen The Times (2009), and the airline may to look at competing with low budget airlines in 2010. The business side of air travel is the most expensive to run and has been affected the worst with the rises in fuel costs Mintel Report (2007). Branson has stated publically that the airline would no doubt overcome the recession but that the first class aspect of air travel would dwindle, Daily Mail (2009). The financial information reported, which will be addressed in the next section ‘Company Financial Performance’ , indicates that Branson’s prediction is correct and that that Virgin Airline will remain stable despite the current recession. This is one such scenario which Virgin Atlantic must address and research in order to determine the environmental stability of the organisation and the ability for it to achieve the 3 year strategy in place. As a result of the recession, Virgin let go off 7% of all employees in 2009 and may have to consider the possibility of letting more go in 2010. The airline is not alone as their main competitor British Airways let 4000 jobs go, Daily Mail (2009). 3. 3. Social Factors & Ethical Issues The main social trend which could impact the airline industries attractiveness would be attitudes and emphasis on safety. After the terrorist attacks in September 2001, the thought if flying was unbearable to most. There is still the threat of terrorism and thus it’s no surprise that many individuals are still concerned about their safety when flying. Virgin Atlantic would have to make sure that they have procedures in place to deal with such situations and ease any concerns individuals have about flying. They have set up a course for those individuals who have a fear of flying which takes place in Local Airports Virgin Atlantic (2010). As previously stated there is an obsession with the celebrity culture and the ideal of traveling to exotic locations in luxury, going into the next decade it is important that this trend of social status remains important and ‘popular’ as this is the brand image which Virgin Atlantic is associated with. If this social factor was to change it would severely impact the attractiveness of the airline industry and subsequently the demand for Virgin Atlantic’s services would be affected. The main ethical issue which is affecting the attractiveness of the airline industry is the emissions let of by the aircrafts. Aviation is responsible for 2% of emissions worldwide and global warming is a huge issue in today’s society, with many individuals dedicated to the social trend of ‘going green’ in a bid to save the planet. Virgin Atlantic remain actively involved in the research and development of alternative sustainable fuels and have joined a voluntary agreement proposed by the airline industry to reduce emissions by 50% in 2050 compared to that of 2005 . 3. 4 Technological Factors Virgin Atlantic has been at the forefront of technology, starting in the eighties when it was the first airline to have individual Televisions for its Business Class Passengers, Virgin Atlantic (2009). With technology in the aviation industry developing from year to year, from new air craft models which reduce emissions to efficient means of checking in customers nd the great entertainment facilities on board makes air travel is very appealing. Virgin Atlantic offer great entertainment systems as well as spacious and luxury air travel in their Airbus A380, which is the world’s first twin deck aircraft offering a fully functioning restaurant’s and bar’s, Boston (2009). This level of technology in the A3 80 sets the airline before is competitors such as BA and low budget airlines can simply not compete with the level of comfort provided on board. 4)Company Financial Performance Despite harsh conditions of the external environment, namely the recession, Virgin Atlantic have remained a successful and profitable airline. In this section, the financial performance of the airline will be analysed over a 4 year period and compared to its main competitor British Airways as well as popular low budget airline Ryanair. 4. 1. The first area we will look at is turnover. The turnover indicates the level of business that each airline has achieved over a yearly period, changes in turnover can be impacted by changes in external factors which result in a decrease of sales. Virgin Atlantic’s turnover is much less compared to their competitors. This is not a true indication of the financial performance of an organisation but the money they derive from sales can indicate the demand one airlines service over another. Although a company may have a high sales turnover, the real profitability is determined by taking the pre-tax profits and dividing these by the turnover, Thomson and Martin 2005. 4. 2. Pre-tax profits To establish the financial success of the Virgin Atlantic we will firstly look at the pre-tax profits of the airline & that of its chosen competitors. Pre-tax profits – Ryanair (thousand 000) Ryanair (2005/9) Pre-tax profits- British Airways (Millions ? ) British Airways (2005/9) They key factor to note in all three pre-tax profits charts is that the recession in 2008 has impacted both low frills airlines and British Airways. Both airline reported losses, the most significant being that of BA at ? 401 Million. Despite the external factor of climate change Virgin Atlantic has managed to not only sustain its financial performance but to almost doubled their pre-tax profits from the previous year, with recorded pre-tax profits of ? 68. 4 Million. 4. 3. Profit Margin Virgin Atlantic is the only one to have maintained their profit margin over 2008. Ryanair & British Airways have made significant losses, whilst Virgin Atlantic’s profit margin is growing. This just shows how much of an impact the economy has on the airline industry and means that Virgin Atlantic will have to keep cost of sales, administration, the selling and distribution costs of tickets down in order to remain profitable. 4. 4. Gearing Ratio The average gearing ratio in the airline industry is around 150% while some companies who are struggling in the recession are as high as 380%. Another key statistic in determining Virgin Atlantics financial position is the gearing ratio. The gearing ratio measures the return on capital employed and indicates any financial risks. The principle is that the higher the gearing ratio the more vunerable the company is. Year Gearing (%) 2005 284. 76 2006 209. 82 2007 199. 92 2008 189. 44 2009 183. 18 As you can see from the table above Virgin Atlantic is slightly over the recommended average in the aviation industry but their vulnerability and financial risk is decreasing year on year following the demand for their services. 5. Competitive Strategy A clear competitive strategy is key in the success of an organisation meeting its strategic objectives. In order to establish Virgin Atlantic’s Competitive strategy we will be using Porters Generic Strategic Framework, a diagram is shown below. According to Porters theory there are 5 forces used to analyse the industry; 5. 1. â€Å"Threat of New Entrants. † As with any industry the more new airlines that enter the market, the more saturated it becomes. The most important factors in the airline industry in retaining loyalty are brand name recognition and frequent fliers point s. Virgin Atlantic have spent the past 25 years building their polished and somewhat sexy image which is so appealing to flyers today. Virgin Atlantics strong brand name and discounts for loyal air travellers will give them the power to gain a customer even if its prices are slightly higher than its competitors. 5. 2. â€Å"Power of Suppliers. † Boeing and Airbus are two of the main air craft manufacturers. Their aircrafts are used by Virgin Atlantic and majority of its competitors, therefore there is no real competition between them. 5. 3 â€Å"Power of Buyers. Due to there being a low choice in suppliers in the aviation industry and taking into account that switching all Virgin Atlantics 38 air crafts to another supplier would be very costly, the airline do not have power over the suppliers. 5. 4. â€Å"Availability of Substitutes. † Substitute products and services may be a concern of some airlines, especially smaller regional firms. However when it comes to Virgin Atl antic they have routes to some of the best locations in the world, of course there are other premium fare airlines which go to the same destinations but they will not have the same brand image as Virgin. It would just be up to the individual travelling and probably concern the cost difference between Virgin Atlantic and its Competitors. 5. 5. â€Å"Competitive Rivalry. † There is a certain degree of rivalry in the aviation industry, especially between Virgin Atlantic and British airways. The affects of the competition are more clear in a economic turndown, for example BA’s loss of 401 million the year ending won’t be helped by Virgin Atlantic’s 25th Anniversary which was celebrated all though 2009, offering special promotions and discounted rates. 5. 6. This Analysis would indicate that Virgin Atlantic would fall under differentiation focus strategy. By offering premium priced products for a high quality service Virgin Atlantic has an advantage over its competitors. Porter (1980) 6. Strategic Direction of Development The main strategic direction flowed by Virgin Atlantic in to increase the airlines market share. This growth has been the main strategic objective since 2008 when it was introduced in a 3 year plan. According to Ansoff’s Matrix there are four main types of growth, Ansoff (1987). Virgin Atlantic’s strategic direction would fall under both market penetration & Product Development. The existing market which Virgin Atlantic operates in continues to have a growing demand for the current services which the airline offer. The growth in demand is due to several of the external factors which were discussed earlier, namely the social trend of luxury air travel and the idea of jet setting around the world with a company associated with celebrities and seen to been sexy. The growth in demand is identified in the increased ticket sales over the past few years despite the current recession which is affecting other premium airlines Virgin Atlantic continue to out-grow its competitors. The strategic direction of increasing market share could not come at a better time for Virgin with British Airways in massive dept and in a very vulnerable position. It is no secret that if BA were unable to operate that Virgin Atlantic would see a significant increase in the market share. Despite the success of the existing services in the existing markets, it is well known that Virgin Atlantic drive for innovation in product development. As established in the external environmental analysis airline have been at the forefront of technology since they launched in the eighties. By continually updating their fleet of air crafts with the newest gadgets and luxuries, the airlines passengers have a better experience on board and are more likely to travel time and time again with the airline. 7. Methods of Development 7. 1. In order for Virgin Atlantic Airline to grow it entered into a code share agreement with some of the larger names in the airline industry these included Continental Airlines & Jet Airways iloveinda. com (2009). Code sharing agreements are used by companies to make the most of each other’s resources and according to the Air Transport Association, Code-sharing agreements allow two (or more) airlines to offer a broader array of services to their customers than they could individually. These marketing arrangements enable an airline to issue tickets on a flight operated by another airline as if it were its own, including the use of its own two-letter code for that flight. These arrangements allow airlines to market expanded networks for the ir passengers at minimal expense† Air Transport Association (2009) 7. 2. In 1999 Virgin Atlantic also partnered with Singapore airlines who now own 49% of the company, Richard Branson signed the deal as he believed it to be an effective way of offering their customers a wider range of destinations at competitive rates BBC News (1999). 8. Conclusions and Recommendations The diagram created by Rowe et Al in 1989, can be used to determine Virgin Atlantics Strategic direction and determines what type of strategy the airline should undertake going forward. Rowe et Al developed this model based on which he considered to be four important variables. The financial strength of the airline and the advantage it has over its competing airlines makes up the internal strategic direction and the stability of the economy along with the attractiveness of the airline industry as a whole. Throughout this report, the strategic direction of Virgin Atlantic has been discussed and the methods of development evaluated alongside airlines financial performance, taking into consideration the external environment. As a result of this analysis and though Rowe at Al’s Space Analysis we can conclude that the airline is not only using a aggressive strategy but that their approach is highly competitive. The current strategy employed by Virgin Atlantic is very successful and is essentially the reason why the organisation has remained profitable in such times as a recession. I would recommend that Virgin Atlantic extend the current strategy over a longer period of time, all of the areas in this report echo the success of the strategy and how well it fits into the organisations business model. They must make sure that they continue to brand themselves as having a unique selling point with an emphasis on value for money in order to remain competitive. Another recommendation would be to keep the economy boarding which they have on flights, i believe that if this element was stripped away altogether then the airline would further narrow their market further and reduce the potential market shares. With the voluntary target set in the airline industry on cutting emissions by 2050, I would encourage Virgin Atlantic to take a more public stance and be actively involved in the research and development of bio fuels by pairing up with the lead organisation. This would enforce the airlines stance of ethical issues regarding global warming. The way in which the organisation brands itself, being sexy & tongue in cheek, has been constantly one of the most important factors in the airlines success. I recommend that message conveyed with the airlines ’25 years still red hot campaign’ is carried on throughout 2010. Page 12 References Airline Network (2007) ‘Virgin Atlantic Passenger Traffic Increase’ Online at http://www. get-packing. com/news/flights/archives/august-2007/virgin-atlantic-passenger-traffic-increase. html (Accessed 19th November 2009) Air Transport Association ‘Airline Handbook, Chapter 2, Code Sharing’ online at http://www. airlines. rg/products/AirlineHandbookCh2. htm (Accessed 1st January 2010) Boston (2009) ‘Virgin Atlantic’s Airbus A380’ online at http://images. google. co. uk/imgres? imgurl=http://cache. boston. com/bonzai-fba/Third_Party_Photo/2005/01/18/1106063427_8542. jpg&imgrefurl=http://www. boston. com/business/gallery/airbus/&usg=__tA9Pr Cq_sbXx6TAWpndBbvcOSrc=&h=333&w=508&sz=28&hl=en&start=7&um=1&tbnid=wm5v998e2jOptM:&tbnh=86&tbnw=131&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvirgin%2Bairbus%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4TSEH_enGB359GB359%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1 (Accessed online 20th November 2009) BBC News (2008)’Airline in first biofuel flight’ online at http://news. bc. co. uk/1/hi/7261214. stm (Accessed 10th of December 2009). BBC News, ‘Branson sells 49% of Virgin Atlantic’ online at http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/business/572516. stm (Accessed 19th November 2009) BBC News (2008) ‘Crew sacked over Facebook posts’ online at http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/uk/7703129. stm (Accessed 10th December 2009 The Daily Mail (2009) ‘Like A Virgin (Pin-Up): kate Moss Dresses up In A Red Playsuit As She Joins Branson for Virgin Atlantic’s 25th Birthday’ online at http://www. dailymail. co. k/tvshowbiz/article-1194691/Like-A-Virgin-Pin–Kate-Moss-dresses-red-joins-Branson-Virgin-Atlantics-25th-birthd ay. html (Accessed 20th November 2009) The Daily Mail (2009) ‘Virgin Staff Get Bonuses While Ailing Rivals BA Urged to Take Pay Cut’ online at http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news/article-1194942/Virgin-staff-bonuses-ailing-rivals-BA-urged-pay-cut. html (Accessed 19th November 2009) Iloveindia. com ‘Virgin Atlantic Airways’ online at http://www. iloveindia. com/airlines-in-india/international/virgin-atlantic. htm

Looking At The Advanced Technology Of Construction Construction Essay

The demand on application of advanced engineering in building industry necessitates uninterrupted employment of new engineering work force and geting of latest machinery. A building house would necessitate a immense investing in order to last in acquiring new occupations. Therefore, really frequently, a building undertaking is managed by a general contractor, which sublet the plants out to different subcontractors so that the general contractor can salvage on building cost to vie in monetary value [ 1 ] Subcontractors are specialist in the executing of a specific occupation, they act as a agents of the production system of the contractor company in providing stuffs, work force, equipment, tools or designs [ 2 ] . Chiang [ 1 ] concludes that farm outing is indispensable to salvage building cost of general contractors to vie on monetary value. Teixeira & A ; Couto [ 3 ] besides agreed that increasing of specialization thorugh subcontracting can help in achieving the undertaking objectives. When the range of work and logical dependences between subcontractor plants are non to the full understand by general contractor and proprietors, it became a critical job to the success of complex and fast-paced undertakings. Cost judicial proceeding and disgruntled clients due to the struggle between general contractor, subcontractors and other undertaking participants would so followed [ 4 ]SubcontractorSubcontractor is a common term used in building. Due to the singularity of each building undertaking, the work force is transeunt, multiple trade are involved, each undertakings are planned and worked in short clip frames, and assortment of stuffs and equipments required, one individual building undertaking is frequently sublet to many subcontractors [ 2 ] , [ 5-12 ] . Subcontractors can lend more than 50 % [ 13 ] , and can be every bit much as 90 % of entire undertaking value to a building procedure [ 5 ] . A building undertaking is awarded to a general contractor or premier contractor or chief contractor or chief contractor, which resorts their work out to specialise outside house to transport out specific undertaking activities. General contractors are responsible for pull offing the undertaking such as contract disposal with clients, undertaking funding, stuff and equipment procuring, and supervising the undertaking advancement [ 14 ] . Harmonizing to Albino & A ; Garavelli [ 13 ] , the general contractor ‘s perfomance are strongly dependent on subcontractors. This statement is reinforced by Mbachu [ 15 ] which stated that the ability of the general contractor and adviser to present the undertaking within clip, quality and cost depends mostly on public presentation of subcontractors. A subcontractor is a building house that contracts with a general contractor to execute some facet of the general contractor ‘s work. In most building undertakings, a critical function is played by subcontractors who are hired to execute specific undertakings on a undertaking. In the usual instance, the general contractor will execute the basic operations and farm out the balance to assorted forte contractors. Subcontracting is used much more extensively on lodging and edifice building undertakings than on technology and industrial undertakings [ 16 ] .Types of SubcontractorsAttempts have been meade to distinguish subcontractors. In Hong Kong, Ng et Al. [ 6 ] classified subcontractors to ( i ) equipment-intensive subcontractors ( who are hired due to their specialized works and equipments ) , and ( two ) labour-intensive subcontractors ( those who are hired as a consequence of their specialized labour resources. Costantino et Al. [ 17 ] revealed that labour-only subcontractor beneficial the subcontractor by cut downing the cost of mobilisation and buying stuff. Furthermore, it besides offers economic advantages to the general contractor by avoiding the mark-up of full subcontracting. Quality jobs and claims may still happen in acquiring the supply of stuff for application of this labour-only subcontractor. Therefore, some general contractors prefer full subcontracting to switch hazard and liability. Partnering relationship between general contractor and subcontractors were proposed to make a win-win state of affairs [ 5 ] , [ 18 ] . Harmonizing to Lee et Al. [ 18 ] , this long-run relationship must be established to avoid adversarial relationship between general contractor and subcontractor. Several types of relationships between general contractor and subcontractor are discussed, competitory relationships and strategic relationships were among them. Comparison theoretical account based on dealing cost for both general contractor and subcontractor are developed severally for each relationship.Multilayer SubcontractingFurther subcontracting by subcontractor, or called multilayer subcontracting/latent subcontractor, let the subcontractor to be less vulnerable to fluctuation in concern, have more flexibleness in work force coordination, and be able to cut down cost of direction [ 7 ] . In Turkish, pattern of farm outing work by subcontractors to secondary subcontractor is widespread [ 19 ] . A survey on 35 general contractors and 56 subcontractor organisations revealed that most of them are willing to sublease their work under overload of work or clip force per unit area. When â€Å" latent † subcontractor happened, the extent of subcontracting is even larger. â€Å" Latent † subcontracting, or multilayer subcontracting is the farther farm outing down the watercourse by subcontractors with or without the cognition or consent of the general contractor or client. This has been alleged to be one of the major causes of hapless building quality and building site safety in Hong Kong [ 1 ] , [ 7 ] . Ekstrom et Al. [ 20 ] argues that payment to the 2nd grade subcontractor/suppliers can be portion of the public presentation measuring when measuring subcontractor.Problems of SubcontractingAbility to pass on and organize the work of subcontractors has been identified as one of the chief conceptual determiners of building undertaking direction competency in China [ 21 ] . Subcontractor failure has been listed as one of the hazard allocated to general contractor in building contracts [ 22 ] . This is supported by El-Sayegh [ 23 ] which stated that subcontracting is hazardous and can take to low quality, delayed completion and insecure pattern. Another hazard created by subcontractor is the possibility of them to transgress contract and difference with the general contractor. Hence, subcontracting has been listed as one of the important factors doing hold United Arab Emirates [ 24 ] , [ 25 ] and Malaysia [ 26 ] , [ 27 ] .PERTINENT STUDIES ON SUBCONTRACTORFocus of research workers goes to either finding the components of farm outing or developing new approaches/techniques to choose and/or manage subcontractors. Subcontractor has become an issue on its ain, separated from selection/management of general contractor by client/consultants due to its complexness. Numerous subcontractor choice and monitoring theoretical account has been proposed [ 4 ] , [ 13 ] , [ 28-30 ] .Choice of SubcontractorMany choice methods of subcontractors has been proposed in the literature. Arslan et Al. [ 28 ] developed a web-based subcontractor rating system ( WEBSES ) to ease the choice of subcontractors. The standards for measuring was identified by calculators of building house in USA based on a database of about 4000 subcontractor houses. Ng & A ; Luu [ 31 ] developed a theoretical account for subcontractor enrollment determination through case-based logical thinking attack. 12 experts were interviewed to supply indispensable stairss needed for distinguishing good and bad subcontractors. The theoretical account developed use each properties ‘ calculated evaluations for designation of fiting instances and similarity mark of each single instances. The historical information of subcontrators can be retrieved and utilize for the current rating. Weighting of all atributes can be easy modified harmonizing to the users penchant, therefore the effectivity of this theoretical account is still really much depends on the experience and cognition of users. Manoharan [ 32 ] proposed a subcontractor choice method utilizing Analytic Hierarchy Process ( AHP ) based on 29 questionnaires collected from contractors involved in building undertakings located at Putrajaya, Malaysia. It is an Adept System to help the chief contractors in doing their determination by utilizing pairwise comparing. The determination shaper will necessitate to do their ain opinion on the comparative importance of each component with regard to the elements at a higher degree. Argument might happen when the opinion of different determination shapers are diverse. As an attempt to cut down the incidents of hold, and other possible jobs that might be originated from the jobs of choosing the incorrect sub-contractor, this survey aims to spread out the sample of survey as suggested by Manoharan [ 32 ] in the attempt of create an more dependable and applicable sub-contractor choice theoretical account.Management of SubcontractorChoosing the right subcontractor does non vouch the success of a building undertaking. Coordination and monitoring of subcontracted work during the building phase is indispensable. Ko et Al. [ 33 ] developed a Sub-contractors Performance Evaluation Model ( SPEM ) by using Evolutionary Fuzzy Neural Inference Model ( EFNIM ) . Subcontractors were evaluated by field overseers harmonizing to the types of subcontract. Different rating factors were adopted for different subcontract to accomplish just rating. Albino & A ; Garavelli [ 13 ] proposed a evaluation system for direction of subcontractor by utilizing nervous web. An application instance related to the rating of possible subcontractors viing for a command has been used to demo the practical execution of this nervous web. In accessing the rival subcontractors, the determination shaper have to see five chief parametric quantities, viz. monetary value decrease, clip decrease, technical/qualitative feature of the command, contractual dependability of the rival, and direction accomplishments of the rival. The web will suggest a suited subcontractor based on old determinations made by the expert. Therefore, illustrations of old determinations need the expert to be inserted into this nervous web. Dainty et Al. [ 34 ] focused on supply concatenation ‘s direction from the position of subcontractor. The function of subcontractors in UK building industry is explored and followed by proposal of a model for turn toing current barriers to provide concatenation integrating.DecisionSubcontractor has become a great topic to all the practicians in building industry due to the common pattern of subleasing building works into smaller bundles in building industry. Effective subcontractor choice and monitoring which can minimise the job would find the success of building companies. Problems of subcontractors, if ignored, can do an huge impact to the building undertaking, and can widen into the operation of the general contractor ‘s administration. Therefore, attending shall be given to the issues of subcontractor, which is the chief participant in about all the building undertakings.

Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas Revolution

Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas Revolution Battle of San Jacinto - Conflict Date: The Battle of San Jacinto was fought April 21, 1836 and was the decisive engagement of the Texas Revolution. Armies Commanders: Republic of Texas General Sam Houston800 men2 guns Mexico Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna1,400 men1 gun Background: While Mexican President and General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna laid siege to the Alamo in early March 1836, Texan leaders gathered in Washington-on-the-Brazos to discuss independence.   On March 2, a formal declaration was approved. In addition, Major General Sam Houston received an appointment as commander-in-chief of the Texan Army. Arriving in Gonzales, he commenced organizing the forces there to offer resistance to the Mexicans. Learning of the Alamos fall late on March 13 (five days after its capture), he also received word that Santa Annas men were advancing northeast and pushing deeper into Texas. Calling a council of war, Houston discussed the situation with his senior officers and, being out-numbered and out-gunned, decided to commence an immediate withdrawal towards the US border.  This retreat forced the Texan government to abandon its capital at Washington-on-the-Brazos and flee to Galveston. Santa Anna on the Move: Houstons hasty departure from Gonzales proved fortuitous as Mexican troops entered the town on the morning of March 14. Having overwhelmed the Alamo on March 6, Santa Anna, who was eager to end the conflict, split his force in three, sending one column towards Galveston to capture the Texas government, a second back to secure his supply lines, and launched a pursuit Houston with the third. While one column defeated and massacred a Texan force at Goliad in late March, another harried Houstons army. Having briefly swelled to around 1,400 men, the Texan force began to erode as morale sunk during the prolonged retreat. Additionally, concern arose in the ranks regarding Houstons willingness fight. Concerned that his green troops would only be capable of fighting one major battle, Houston continued to avoid the enemy and was nearly removed by President David G. Burnet. On March 31, the Texans paused at Groces Landing where they were able to take two weeks to train and re-supply. Having ridden north to join his lead columns, Santa Anna first conducted a failed endeavor to capture the Texan government before turning his attention to Houstons army. Having departed Groces Landing, it had turned southeast and was moving in the direction of Harrisburg and Galveston.On April 19, his men spotted the Texas Army near the confluence of the San Jacinto River and Buffalo Bayou. Moving closer, they established a camp within 1,000 yards of Houstons position. Believing that he had the Texans trapped, Santa Anna elected to delay and postpone his attack until April 22. Reinforced by General Martà ­n Perfecto de Cos, Santa Anna had 1,400 men to Houstons 800. The Texans Prepare: On April 20, the two armies skirmished and fought a minor cavalry action. The next morning, Houston called council of war. Though most of his officers believed they should wait for Santa Annas assault, Houston decided to seize the initiative and attack first. That afternoon, the Texans burned Vinces Bridge cutting off the most likely line of retreat for Mexicans. Screened by a slight ridge that ran across the field between the armies, the Texans formed for battle with the 1st Volunteer Regiment in the center, the 2nd Volunteer Regiment on the left, and the Texas Regulars on the right. Houston Strikes: Quickly and quietly advancing, Houstons men were screened by Colonel Mirabeau Lamars cavalry on the far right. Not expecting a Texan attack, Santa Anna had neglected to post sentries outside of his camp, allowing the Texans to close without being detected. They were further aided by the fact that the time of the assault, 4:30 PM, coincided with the Mexicans afternoon siesta. Supported by two artillery pieces donated by the city of Cincinnati and known as the Twin Sisters, the Texans surged forward yelling Remember Goliad and Remember the Alamo. A Surprise Victory: Caught by surprise, the Mexicans were unable to mount an organized resistance as the Texans opened fire at close range. Pressing their attack, they quickly reduced the Mexicans to mob, forcing many to panic and flee. General Manuel Fernndez Castrillà ³n attempted to rally his troops but was shot before they could establish any resistance. The only organized defense was mounted by 400 men under General Juan Almonte, who were forced to surrender at the end of the battle. With his army disintegrating around him, Santa Anna fled the field. A complete victory for the Texans, the battle only lasted 18 minutes. Aftermath: The stunning victory at San Jacinto cost Houstons army a mere 9 killed and 26 wounded. Among the wounded was Houston himself, having been hit in the ankle. For Santa Anna, the casualties were much higher with 630 killed, 208 wounded, and 703 captured. The next day a search party was sent out to locate Santa Anna. In an attempt to avoid detection, he had exchanged his generals uniform for that of a private. When captured, he nearly escaped recognition until other prisoners began saluting him as El Presidente. The Battle of San Jacinto proved to be the decisive engagement of the Texas Revolution and effectively secured independence for the Republic of Texas. A prisoner of the Texans, Santa Anna was compelled to sign the Treaties of Velasco which called for the removal of Mexican troops from Texas soil, efforts to be made for Mexico to recognize Texas independence, and safe conduct for the president back to Veracruz. While Mexican troops did withdraw, the other elements of the treaties were not upheld and Santa Anna was held as a POW for six months and disowned by the Mexican government. Mexico did not officially recognize the loss of Texas until the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which ended the Mexican-American War. Selected Sources Texas AM: Battle of San JacintoTexas State Library: Battle of San JacintoSan Jacinto Battlefield State Historic Site

Biography of Father Miguel Hidalgo, Mexicos Founder

Biography of Father Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico's Founder Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (May 8, 1753–July 30, 1811) is today remembered as the father of his country, the great hero of Mexicos War for Independence. His position has become cemented in lore, and there are any number of hagiographic biographies available featuring him as their subject. The truth about Hidalgo is a little more complex. The facts and dates leave no doubt: his was the first serious insurrection on Mexican soil against Spanish authority, and he managed to get quite far with his poorly armed mob. He was a charismatic leader and made a good team with the military man Ignacio Allende despite their mutual hatred. Fast Facts: Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Known For: Considered Mexicos founding fatherAlso Known As: Miguel Gregorio Antonio Francisco Ignacio Hidalgo-Costilla y Gallaga Mandarte Villaseà ±orBorn: May 8, 1753 in  Pà ©njamo, MexicoParents: Cristà ³bal Hidalgo y Costilla,  Ana Marà ­a GallagaDied: July 30, 1811 in  Chihuahua, MexicoEducation: Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico (degree in philosophy and theology, 1773)Publications: Ordered the publication of a newspaper,  Despertador Americano  (American Wake Up Call)Honors: Dolores Hidalgo, the town where his parish was located, is named in his honor and the state of  Hidalgo  was created in 1869, also in his honor.Notable Quote: Action must be taken at once; there is no time to be lost; we shall yet see the oppressors yoke broken and the fragments scattered on the ground. Early Life Born on May 8, 1753, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was the second of 11 children fathered by Cristà ³bal Hidalgo, an estate administrator. He and his elder brother attended a school run by the Jesuits, and both decided to join the priesthood. They studied at San Nicols Obispo, a prestigious school in Valladolid (now Morelia). Hidalgo distinguished himself as a student and received top marks in his class. He would go on to become rector of his old school, becoming known as a top theologian. When his elder brother died in 1803, Miguel took over for him as the priest of the town of Dolores. Conspiracy Hidalgo often hosted gatherings at his home where he would talk about whether it was the duty of the people to obey or overthrow an unjust tyrant. Hidalgo believed the Spanish crown was such a tyrant: a royal collection of debt had ruined the finances of the Hidalgo family, and he saw injustice daily in his work with the poor. There was a conspiracy for independence in Querà ©taro at this time: The conspiracy felt that they needed someone with moral authority, a relationship with the lower classes and good connections. Hidalgo was recruited and joined without reservation. El Grito de Dolores/The Cry of Dolores Hidalgo was in Dolores on September 15, 1810, with other leaders of the conspiracy, including military commander Allende, when word came to them that the conspiracy had been found out. Needing to move immediately, Hidalgo rang the church bells on the morning of the sixteenth, calling in all of the locals who happened to be in the market that day. From the pulpit, he announced his intention to strike for independence and exhorted the people of Dolores to join him. Most did: Hidalgo had an army of some 600 men within minutes. This became known as the Cry of Dolores. The Siege of Guanajuato Hidalgo and Allende marched their growing army through the towns of San Miguel and Celaya, where the angry rabble killed all Spaniards they could find and looted their homes. Along the way, they adopted the Virgin of Guadalupe as their symbol. On Sept. 28, 1810, they reached the mining city of Guanajuato, where the Spaniards and royalist forces had barricaded themselves inside the public granary. The battle, which became known as the siege of Guanajuato, was horrific: The rebel horde, which by then numbered some 30,000, overran the fortifications and slaughtered the 500 Spaniards inside. Then the town of Guanajuato was looted: creoles, as well as Spaniards, suffered. Monte de Las Cruces Hidalgo and Allende, their army now some 80,000 strong, continued their march on Mexico City. The Viceroy hastily organized a defense, sending out Spanish general Torcuato Trujillo with 1,000 men, 400 horsemen, and two cannons: all that could be found on such short notice. The two armies clashed on Monte de las Cruces (Mount of the Crosses) on Oct. 30, 1810. The result was predictable: The Royalists fought bravely (a young officer named Agustà ­n de Iturbide distinguished himself) but could not win against such overwhelming odds. When the cannons were captured in combat, the surviving royalists retreated to the city. Retreat Although his army had the advantage and could easily have taken Mexico City, Hidalgo retreated against the counsel of Allende. This retreat when victory was at hand has puzzled historians and biographers ever since. Some feel that Hidalgo feared that the largest Royalist army in Mexico, some 4,000 veterans under the command of General Fà ©lix Calleja, was nearby (it was, but not close enough to save Mexico City had Hidalgo attacked). Others say Hidalgo wanted to spare the citizens of Mexico City the inevitable sacking and plunder. In any event, Hidalgo’s retreat was his greatest tactical error. The Battle of Calderon Bridge The rebels split for a while as Allende went to Guanajuato and Hidalgo to Guadalajara. They reunited, although things were tense between the two men. Spanish General Fà ©lix Calleja and his army caught up with the rebels at Calderà ³n Bridge near the entrance to Guadalajara on Jan. 17, 1811. Although Calleja was vastly outnumbered, he caught a break when a lucky cannonball exploded a rebel munitions wagon. In the ensuing smoke, fire, and chaos, Hidalgos undisciplined soldiers broke. Betrayal and Capture Hidalgo and Allende were forced to head north to the United States in the hope of finding weapons and mercenaries there. Allende was by then sick of Hidalgo and placed him under arrest: he went north as a prisoner. In the north, they were betrayed by local insurrection leader Ignacio Elizondo and captured. In short order, they were given to Spanish authorities and sent to the city of Chihuahua to stand trial. Also captured were insurgent leaders Juan Aldama, Mariano Abasolo, and Mariano Jimà ©nez, men who had been involved in the conspiracy since the start. Death All of the rebel leaders were found guilty and sentenced to death, except for Mariano Abasolo, who was sent to Spain to serve a life sentence. Allende, Jimà ©nez, and Aldama were executed on June 26, 1811, shot in the back as a sign of dishonor. Hidalgo, as a priest, had to undergo a civil trial as well as a visit from the Inquisition. He was eventually stripped of his priesthood, found guilty, and executed on July 30. The heads of Hidalgo, Allende, Aldama, and Jimà ©nez were preserved and hung from the four corners of the granary of Guanajuato as a warning to those who would follow in their footsteps. Legacy After decades of abusing Creoles and poor Mexicans, there was a vast well of resentment and hatred that Hidalgo was able to tap into: even he seemed surprised by the level of anger released on the Spaniards by his mob. He provided the catalyst for Mexicos poor to vent their anger on the hated gachipines or Spaniards, but his army was more like a swarm of locusts, and about as impossible to control. His questionable leadership also contributed to his downfall. Historians can only wonder what might have happened had Hidalgo pushed into Mexico City in November 1810: history certainly would be different. In this, Hidalgo was too proud or stubborn to listen to the sound military advice offered by Allende and others and press his advantage. Finally, Hidalgos approval of the violent sacking and looting by his forces alienated the group most vital to any independence movement: middle-class and wealthy Creoles like himself. Poor peasants and Indians only had the power to burn, pillage, and destroy: They could not create a new identity for Mexico, one that would allow Mexicans to psychologically break from Spain and craft a national conscience for themselves. Still, Hidalgo became a great leader: After his death. His timely martyrdom allowed others to pick up the fallen banner of freedom and independence. His influence on later fighters such as Josà © Marà ­a Morelos, Guadalupe Victoria, and others is considerable. Today, Hidalgos remains lie in a Mexico City monument known as the Angel of Independence along with other Revolutionary heroes. Sources Harvey, Robert. Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence. 1st Edition, Harry N. Abrams, September 1, 2000.ï » ¿Lynch, John. The Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1826. Revolutions in the modern world, Hardcover, Norton, 1973.

Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Democracy - Essay Example The original America.gov site offered a window on the structures and processes of American government. It had extensive links to government departments, and was used by researchers and interested observers both within and outside the United States to locate official documents, and a host of news and debate. From the perspective of the government it provided an opportunity to explain controversial issues and decisions, such as foreign policy moves and legal developments. American democracy was laid out for the world to see, and the site provided a uniquely detailed exposition of the mechanics of government. Different ornganizations, their committee structures, funding , role descriptions and agendas were openly available for all to see. Users could inform themselves about emerging issues, and track back the history of any government decision through the website. A system of tabs and links made navigating the original America.gov site very intuitive. In contrast to this the current Ame rica.gov website is a simple headline title with a search function. This means that users can still search the original content, but only via a keyword search. There is no visual structure any more, and this vastly changes the function of the site. Information is now fragmented and much more difficult to locate.

Public Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public Management - Essay Example But then, by virtue of its composition, its structure and operation, and the purposes it chooses for the polity or system of the government as expressed in the laws it passes, the representative assembly has a far-reaching impact on the character of the polity, and how it develops over time. (Cook 1998) Based from the definitions prominent of public management that generally talks about political strategy and political skill, it could be concluded that this orientation in public management is definitely a short-term goal. (Cook 1998) However, there is a variety of definitions concerning public management. These various ides are too narrow resulting into a weak and undeveloped literature of public management. In particular, Laurence Lynn concluded that "public management is essentially concerned with the performance of the executive function in government at the heart of public management... is a strategic judgment: a choice concerning goals and actions in specific settings that satisfies reasonable criteria" (qtd in Cook 1998) Lynn (1996), at the same time quoted Ott, Hyde, and Shafritz with their definition of public management in order to represent and differentiate the term from public administration for which public management is often confused. "Public management is a major segment of the broader field of public... A few of these techniques and competencies are: position classification systems, recruitment and selection procedures, management by influence, budget analysis and formulation, supervisory skills, long range or strategic planning, program and organizational evaluation, feedback and control mechanisms (typically through management information systems), contract management, project management, and reorganization." (qtd in Lynn 1996) Even highly developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have different public management policies. The people who make up the society of both countries have played an important role in the development of the country's public management strategies. The United States' Public Management The federal government of the United States in 1980s and 1990a were found to have several similarities with the Benchmark Case such that changes were too evident in most areas of public management policy. "Institutional rules and organizational routines in the area of audit and evaluation were affected by the Government Results and Performance Act, the Chief Financial Officers Act, and the National Performance Review's service quality initiative. Change was also evident in the area of procurement, with legislative changes known as "procurement streamlining" and major changes in routines within the General Services Administration. To some degree, change was evident in the area of civil service and labour relations, with rules and routines developed to downsize the federal workforce and to reform the Office of Personnel Management (Barzelay 2001)." The change in the area of organization and methods in the American public