Dill Pickle Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Dill Pickle† is a story of a run in between two old lovers. The story begins with a nameless man eating a snack at a Chinese Pagoda. While waiting he sees a woman in the distance, as she walks forwards he sees Vera, a woman he dated six years prior. He invites her to sit down and have something to eat with him. She takes him up on the offer and sits down. They begin talking about the usual and then about the times that they spent together. He reminds her of the day they spent at Kew Gardens. What the man remembers of the day was how he was ignorant to all that she spoke to him. What Vera remembered was him confessing his love to her and telling her that no matter how much he lover her, she would never love him back.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vera sees that he has changed a lot since their breakup. The man is considerably better looking from when she dated him. By the way he is dressed, it appears that he had done well for himself and has matured quite a bit. He offers her a cigarette from a Russian cigarette case, which leads him into his next conversation topic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He tells her that since their breakup he has done what they had dreamt of doing while they dated, travel to Russia. In fact, he had become a world traveler who spent over a year in Russia. He tells her of the straightforward manner in which Russians acted and how much she would have enjoyed it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He tells her how great o...

Road Carnage in Africa

Hot Topic Road accidents (Carnage) in Kenya. How organizations can contribute to address this imminent Human and Economic crisis. Table of Contents 1. Introduction to road accidents in Kenya2 2. The main issues with road accidents5 3. Other subsidiary issues7 4. The effect of road accidents to businesses and the economy 8 5. Prepare to manage road safety challenges in an organisation 10 6. Dealing with ethical and legal issues 13 7. Future implications if issue is not addressed 15 8. Bibliography17 1. Introduction Last year, 1 day before Christmas day, the Kenya Traffic police led by the Police Commissioner, Mr Mathew Iteere launched yet another National Road Safety Campaign aimed at curbing road accidents during the holidays and cutting the holiday period road accidents rate by 50% from the tradition high of 200-300 accidents that happen during that period from 24 December to 5 January (Daily Nation, 24th December 2009). In his Christmas message, The Police Commissioner regretted that most road accidents in Kenya can be avoided (even eliminated). He noted that road accidents are mainly caused by carelessness (human error and poor judgement) y road users. He singled out over-speeding, over-loading, none use of the safety belts and disregard of the Highway Code as the most abused traffic rules today. In his widely televised message, he issued a warning to careless drivers and directs the traffic police (blue boys) to act on those that abuse the traffic rules. Such a road safety crackdown is not new in the 46-year old post- independence Kenya. But those actions should be strengthened and be made into routine practices that have a longer timeframe enabling one to build the much needed sustainability. It’s a widely known fact worldwide that road accidents cost huge amount of money let alone the lost human resources especially to the developing and undeveloped economies (WHO & World Bank report, 2004). The combined human and economic cost is simply not acceptable to poor countries that want to boost the standard of living of their majority population with very scarce resources. According to a recent report done jointly by the World Bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on road traffic injury prevention, road accident statistics are quickly becoming the global catastrophe as shown below. 1. 2 million People are estimated to die globally each year on our roads. That’s around 3,000 deaths daily of which 500 of them are children. ? 50 million people are estimates to be injured globally on road injuries each year, 15 million seriously. ? Developing countries account for more that 85% of the global death toll from road traffic crashes or accidents. ? The global finan cial cost of road traffic injuries is about 518 billion USD each year (about 2-4% of GDP). Such is cost is equivalent to 50% of the GDP of Africa the continent (Kenya Statistics, 2004). For males aged 15-44, road traffic injuries rank second (after HIV/AIDS) as the leading cause of premature death and ill health worldwide. ? By 2020, unless action is taken, road traffic injuries are predicted to rise to about 80% in low and middle income countries especially developing countries (WHO and World Bank report, 2004). Clearly, it is as difficult to accurately determine the economic burden of Africa's road traffic accidents, as it is to collate accident data in the first place. There are the problems of under-reporting to contend with, as well as different countries adopting different criteria e. . defining a road traffic accident fatality (Odero & Heda, 2003). Some countries define a fatality as one occurring on the scene, others for periods of 24 hours, three days or 30 days after the e vent (Bamburi Cement, 2009). Today road accidents are Africa's third biggest killer, after Malaria and HIV/AIDS (WHO & World Bank, 2004): Africa's roads are the most dangerous in the world, but with a growing awareness of the true cost of road accidents, initiatives are underway to dramatically improve their safety. Road traffic accidents are known to be a major cause of death and disability throughout the developing world, but nowhere is the problem as acute as sub-Saharan Africa. Bad roads, aged vehicles and lax regulations are all considered major contributing factors to Africa's road fatality and accident numbers, themselves three times as great as the continent's share of motor vehicles. It’s this nationally critical issue that we want to study and propose urgent remedial actions for organisations as well as non-governmental organisations operating in Kenya. . The main issues with road accidents in Kenya The key issues with the road accidents and road injuries in Kenya are not new. For our literature review, Kenya has had a long history of road safety initiatives that have not lived to deliver the much needed breakthrough results. In 1979 a National Road Safety project was initiated and implemented with funding from the Finnish government, though few results can be seen 30 years late r (Kenya Roads Board, 2009). Kenya looses about 3,000 persons every year through road accidents annually. About 13,000 people are injured of which 6,000 are seriously injured and need long term medical treatment (Saidi & Kahoro, 2001). Most of the people who die on road accidents are vulnerable road users. These include pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists (Kenya Police, Traffic department). The majority of most of the people losing their lives are the young people, young graduates who provide the much needed skills and human resources base the country and organisations are in dire need of. A common question not asked is why educate and train a professional for over 16 years, then lose him / her on the road just before he can be useful to the country or a business organisation. First, after a critical review on all road safety initiatives in Kenya, we find 3 main issues that we believe clearly explain the poor road safety record for the past 20-30 years. 1. What to do – we know what to do, but we have trouble implementing it 2. Implementation – the challenge with implementation is due to lack of capacity at 4 main levels †¢ Inadequate Human resources Inadequate Financial resources †¢ Lack of knowledge †¢ Lack of political will 3. Collaboration – Is it then possible to build a Private Public Sector Partnership Program (PPSPP) which will implement road safety measures that can make a difference to the nation and make Kenyan roads a safer place for our children and the future generation? Secondly, the economic cost to the country is inde ed very significant (WHO & World Bank, 2004). As noted earlier, the average cost of the road accidents and resulting injuries is about 2-4% of GDP per annum. In 2009, the IMF assessed the Kenya economy GDP to be about 30 billion USD, a 2% cost per annum will translate to 600 million USD (estimated about 50 billion Kenya Shillings in one single year). It’s not doubt that such colossal amount of wasted expenditure only comes second to the annual recurrent expenditure allocated in the annual budget to Education and Health budgets (Ministry of Finance, 2008). Such a burden has huge implication on the ability of the economy to meet its needs from meagre resources that are available for nation building. Thirdly, we have a public sector that does not see road transport and accidents as a key issue as long as it does not affect them or their families. This perspective does undermine any tangible progress in road safety initiatives as it’s created no sense of ownership on role as a general public (Kenya Police, Traffic department). 3. Other issues on road accidents in Kenya While the main issues have been addressed under section (3) above, the other issues that must be addressed include the following; ? Lack of a clear policy on road transport (review of the old traffic act is now mandatory). A clear policy will create guidelines to administer and manage the road safety roadmap. ? Poor enforcement of existing traffic rules particularly by the enforcement officers, mainly the traffic police. ? Rampant corruption within the traffic department. Corruption is perhaps the single largest bottleneck to enforcing the traffic rules and does in a way create an impunity culture for PSV drivers on our roads today (Transparency International, Kenya chapter, 2008). ? Lack of a clear ownership between the public sector and the private sector on the framework to deal with road carnage. A guideline which included an approved curriculum on training and licencing of all types of drivers. ? How to develop an axis to mobilise the public to take care and protect their lives and those of other road users. 4. The effect of road accidents to organisations Our research shows that road accidents do not respect any business entities, indeed their implications transverse all business organisations. B oth private and public institutions face the full blunt of road carnage in different ways as shown below; ? Loss of critical human resources and talents in organisations The primary age group heavily impacted by the road accidents are the young people between the ages of 15 – 44. This is usually the young professional age group that provides the much needed human resources in organisations. Road accidents take away the much needed source of talent as well as the future leaders in organisations (WHO & World Bank, 2004). ? Higher direct cost of doing business in the country Loss of lives through accidents results in increased business costs, organisations face both short term and long term treatment and medical expenses. The severe injuries require more long term medical costs that result in increased medical premiums and medical costs for an organisation. On the other hand, the lost man-hours cannot easily be compensated especially in the case of a fully trained, qualified and proficient staff member. ? Higher indirect cost of doing business compared to other countries In modern day settings, injuries to family members created more demand for employees, particularly if an employee’s relative suffers injuries after an accident. Such strain impacts on employee’s morale and ability to dedicate all his abilities to get his / her work done. In addition, accidents results in increases cost of road transport (through higher insurance premiums, higher fuel consumption and delays due to traffic congestion after accidents). The business partner involved in an accident has increased cost of losing an asset, which in most cases is indirectly passed onto the organisations. For government organisations e. g. public health hospitals (Kenyatta National Hospital), higher accident victims results in higher operating expenses which have to be funded by the central government through increase of taxes on an annual basis. Unpredictable business planning Businesses rely on predictable business environment to remain profitable and continue with their operations (Kumar & Subramanian, 2000, p. 1). Road accidents hinder the predictability of the business environment through delayed delivery timeliness and increased turn-around time for organisations. In nearly all cases, these additional costs must be paid for in full by the organisations i n question, resulting to lost productivity, efficiency and profitability. 5. How can organisations better manage the road safety challenge When we talked to a number of organisations in Nairobi, we notice how heavily they have invested in state of art security and alarm systems to protect their assets (money, machines, organisational documents, policies, trademarks and patents etcetera), but few if any have developed even a simple structure to safeguard the safety of their employees while on the road. It’s important to also include human resources as a critical resource for the organisation. A great proportion of companies have not developed sound plans to safeguard their most important asset (human resources), especially when they are on the road travelling while on the Job. While road safety from the office to work is largely seen as an issue for the employee to manage, it’s paramount that organisations and their management teams provide a clear framework to provide their employees with a road safety roadmap that will enhance their vigilance while on the road to and from work. People are the greatest asset an organisation can have today. Good employees are a source of competitive advantage for an organisation (Samson & Daft, 2009). A glimpse of the few organisations that have designed an effective road safety program in Kenya today especially, petroleum companies (e. g. Total Kenya and Bamburi Cement) highlights about 5 step action plan to set an effective road safety roadmap. Each organisation needs a clear roadmap which if well implemented and incorporated in the organisation systems, will lead to improvement of safety in most of our roads today and safe companies lost man hours, sick leave, absenteeism and higher medical bills. 1. Collect data At the beginning, the organisation should assess its specific road safety context by collecting road accident statistics (road fatalities, lost time injuries, medical injuries, and first-aid injuries) and define what is measurable. The data collected should then be analysed into critical information to aid in decision making. Second the organisation should define a road safety policy with clear milestones and key objectives to be monitored on a monthly basis. A regular and consistent monitoring mechanism should be designed by the organisation, to review its progress of its road safety objective. 2. Develop a road safety plan A road safety roadmap is a mandatory document for any organisation committed to ending the carnage on our roads today. The roadmap should be a well neat and elaborate plan of action on what the organisation wants to do in improving its road safety commitment and objectives. These action plans must address the challenges on policy, enforcement, ownership, and training and self renewal priorities for the organisation. 3. Resource the road safety plan A plan is ineffective without key resources being allocated to it. The organisation should identify and sufficiently allocate two main types of resources; (1) Financial resources and (2) Human resources (competent and well trained resources. . Launch urgent interventions A key lever for a road safety action plan is to address current major gaps with immediacy to build legitimacy in the roadmap. The key areas that require immediate intervention are on;- ? Speed ? Impaired driving ? Seat belts ? Helmets ? Road mapping ? Defensive driving training ? Emergency preparedness 5. Collaborate with others Finally the organisation should plan to share its best practi ces with other institutions as a way to benchmark performance and renew its practices both on local, regional and international levels. With increased collaboration and partnership with the public sector, with a shared vision, the challenge of the road accidents and injuries will be addressed head-on by all stakeholders hence creating a sustainable avenue to address this great challenge facing organisations in the 21st century. 6. Ethical and Legal Issues The key challenges towards realising an effective road safety program in any organisation is how candid data collected or observed will be shared across the organisations so that corrective actions (that may include sanctioning) can be applied. Most of the major changes in safety awareness remain with our culture (way of doing things here) or on changing individual behaviour and taking a personal commitment to protecting other people lives. Some of the common ethical dilemmas that managers face include the following; ? Can i report the Chief Executive, Senior Managers or a friendly colleague who i noted did not adhere to the company’s guidelines e. g. driving while speaking on mobile phone on the road? Will this affect my career or my relationship with my supervisor? Can staff be required to use the Alco-blow to detect the influence of alcohol (though this is not yet legalised in Kenya)? ? Can staff carry out safety initiatives away from the office e. g. monitor staff travelling for a weekend to upcountry and are not wearing seat belts? ? Can we terminate an employee who does not comply with the organisations code of conduct on safety? ? Should i disclose an accident or should i bribe the traffic policeman to be left scot-free. A reported accident my injure my career opportunities and limit subsequent promotion changes in future. On the legal side, the main challenge remains how to deal with corruption (so called white lies) both within and outside the organisation. ? Internally, this may not be a great issue as staff can be directly sanctioned in the line with staff standing instructions and their employment contract. ? However, externally the issue with corruption (rather falsification of accident information so as not be appear guilty) is a major setback for enforcing a successful road safety roadmap. According to Transparency International, the police department has year after year been rated as the most corrupt institution in Kenya. Can they be relied upon to book violation of a driver, pedestrian or other road user fairly and equitably? This remains a key component that requires constant collaboration and use of other tools e. g. global positioning systems (GPS) to address rampant cases of cheating on the part of employees (Transparency International, Kenya chapter report, 2008). 7. Conclusion In conclusion, there is no doubt that road accidents results in huge human and economic cost to our relatively poor country (WHO & World Bank, 2004). The lives that are lost on our roads every year are critical to achieve the economic objectives of the country and organisations as well. Similarly the country has to save money to be spent towards treating road injury victims rather than providing such much needed funds to other areas of economic growth e. g. to fund projects like free primary education (FPE), improve our road network (build and repair our roads) and provide the much needed medical facilities in public hospitals (equip public hospital better). As a country we cannot afford to lose 2% of annual GDP (about KShs 50 billion) on road accidents, related injuries and long term medical treatment to accident victims. If accidents can be avoided, these resources can be allocated to other critical areas of the economy and organisations can be able to improve their productivity and become more responsible citizens. The medium term impact on the economy is indeed catastrophic and as a country we will not be able to meet our vision 2030 to becoming an industrialised nation. It’s time for all Kenya, young and old to participate to improve their safety standards in our roads and make Kenya a safer country for our children future. As a nation we owe this to the future generations of this country. As noted by the World Bank and the World Health Organisation in 2004, unless action is taken, by the year 2020, road traffic injuries are predicted to rise to about 80% in low and middle income countries (developing countries). Our country will not be spared if it does not take immediate and more radical actions to manage the road safety issue. At today’s road accident frequency rate, road accidents will become the 2nd largest cause of death after Malaria in Kenya by the year 2020 and surpass HIV/AIDS as the 2nd largest killer (WHO & World Bank, 2004). This is confirms our recommendation that as a country we are sitting on a time bomb. Today is the time for you and me to develop our solid action plan, put these actions into practice and contribute towards improving the safety in our roads. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. WHO & World Bank. (2004). World report on road traffic injuries prevention. Accessed on 4 January 2010 from http://www. ho. in/violence-injury-prevention. html 2. The Kenya Roads Board. Road accident statistics (2009). Accessed on 4 January 2010 from http://www. krb. go. ke. html 3. Bamburi Cement limited. Road safety campaign â€Å"Epuka Ajali† (2009). Accessed on 31 December 2009 from http://www. bamburicement. co. ke. html 4. Kenya Police. Traffic department. Accessed on 4 January 2010 from http://www. ken yapolice. go. ke. html 5. Kenya Statistics. (2004. ) Accessed on 4 January 2010 from http://www. unicef. org/infobycountry/kenya-statistics. html 6. Odero, W. K. & Heda, P. M. (2003). Road traffic injuries in Kenya, magnitude, causes and status of intervention. Inj Control saf promotion, Mar-June 10 (1-2). Pg 53-61 7. Saidi, H. S. & Kahoro, P. (2001). Experience with road traffic accidents violations at the Nairobi Hospital. East Africa Medical Journal, 78 (8). Pg 41-44 8. Samson, D & Daft, R. D. (2009). Fundamentals of Management. 3rd Asia Pacific Ed. Pg 170-206. 9. Kumar, K. & Subramanian, R. (1998). Navigating the External Environment. SAM Advanced management journal. Retrieved December 14, 2009 from HighBeam Research: http://www. highbeam. com/doc/1P1-5377780. html

Effect of Landslipe

Effects of Landslides Landslides are a major catastrophe the world as it is widespread andsignificant impact, including Malaysia. The effects of catastrophic landslides isdangerous to humans and to other living thingsFor example, the slope of the saturated with water to form debris flows or mudflows. Concentrated mixture of rock and mud may destroy the trees, houses, andcars and blocking the bridge. Mud mixed with river flow can cause devastatingflooding along the route. Similarly, the ice floes formed in the river caused by ice clogging the rivers andflows more slowly.However, it can produce enough energy to destroy the bridge. Icemay accumulate on the edge or on top of weak layers of snow or unstable causescrash occurred. Pyroclastic flows (pyroclastic) arising from dust debris of ash, poisonous gasand hot rock from volcanic eruptions that spread quickly to eat anything that traveledto the effects of destruction and death. Among the social effects that can be described as: 1. Econo mic Decline Landslides are certainly cause damage to property. This brings losses to theeconomy of a country. Economic rehabilitation is also needed in the area that hasexperienced a landslide.This would cost a lot and some of the offending countryeconomy. Example:1. A average, these landslides caused loss of $ 1-2 billion U. S. dollars and 25disaster in the United States each year. 2. At Utah, U. S. , in 1983, the total cost to repair the landslide area of 500 milliondollars and it is financing the cost of the most expensive landslide in U. S. history3. Loss due to landslides in the United States is estimated at 1. 5 billion dollarsannually. 4. Earthquake the earth Loma Prieta in October 1989 caused thousands of landslides covering an area of 5400 square feet.Causing losses of at least $10 million dollars . 2 . Damage To Infrastructure. Landslides can lead to damage to property resulting from the force flow or mud. Infrastructure land such as buildings, roads, places of leisure and so on can bedestroyed by the landslide occurred. Example:1. Destruction a building and placement. 2. Land massive collapse can cause the destruction of a city. 3. Damage to roads4. Affect communication system of roads and communication systems. Loma prieta5. Earthquake the earth in October 1989 resulted in tens of thousands of experienced landslides with an area up to 5400 square feet.Cause affectedroad communication system, property damage and destruction of homes. 6. At Alpine Valley, as a result of the City causing damage to the bridge flows asa result of the power flow. 7. Slip Estate Park Hill View occur on 20 Nov 2002 destroyed a bungalow. 8. May 15, 1999, thousands of residents in housing estates and the InternationalBukit Wangsa Ukay in Jalan Hulu Klang trapped when a landslide occurred inthe 100 meter event 5:20 am that closed the only road out into theneighborhood 3. Loss Of Life.Loss of life is a dangerous effect upon the occurrence of a landslide and it isdifficult to a void. Many lives will be lost upon the occurrence of landslidesExample:1. Landslide Estate Park Hill View occur on 20 November 2002 destroyed ahouse killing eight bungalows and family life. 2. Landslide in Highland Tower, Ulu Kelang cause of 48 people were killed andmany injured. 3. Landslide in Wales in the UK involves the rotation of the fine debris thatoccurs on hill slopes have been destroys a school causing 144 people werekilled, including 116 school children involved, aged 7 to 10 years. . Changes In The Surface Landscape. Landslide causes significant changes in the landscape of the earth's surface. Pile of soil and mud from the landslide activity caused the high ground may be flatand settling sediment can become thick very quickly. Consequently, dam rivers or lakes become more shallow to hold a lot of water. Water level becomes higher andthe ground becomes waterlogged areas. Landslides can also cause soil or rock slope becomes increasingly steep andunstable.

Erich Hartmann - World War II Ace - Luftwaffe

Erich Hartmann - World War II Ace - Luftwaffe Erich Hartmann - Early Life Career: Born April 19, 1922, Erich Hartmann was the son of Dr. Alfred and Elisabeth Hartmann. Though born in Weissach, Wà ¼rttemberg, Hartmann and his family moved to Changsha, China shortly thereafter due to the severe economic depression that struck Germany in the years after World War I. Residing in a house on the Xiang River, the Hartmanns lived a quiet life while Alfred established his medical practice. This existence came to an end in 1928 when the family was forced to flee back to Germany following the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War. Sent to school in Weil im Schà ¶nbuch, Erich later attended schools in Bà ¶blingen, Rottweil, and Korntal. Erich Hartmann - Learning to Fly: As a child, Hartmann was first exposed to flying by his mother who was one of Germanys first female glider pilots. Learning from Elisabeth, he received his glider pilots license in 1936. That same year, she opened a flying school Weil im Schà ¶nbuch with the support of the Nazi government. Though young, Hartmann served as one of the schools instructors. Three years later, he earned his pilots license and was permitted to fly powered aircraft. With the beginning of World War II, Hartmann entered the Luftwaffe. Commencing training on October 1, 1940, he initially received an assignment to the 10th Flying Regiment in Neukuhren. The following year saw him move through a series of flight and fighter schools. n March 1942, Hartmann arrived at Zerbst-Anhalt for training on the Messerschmitt Bf 109. On March 31, he violated regulations by performing aerobatics over the airfield. Sanctioned to confinement and fines, the incident taught him self-discipline. In a twist of fate, the confinement saved Hartmanns life when a comrade was killed flying a training mission in his aircraft. Graduating in August, he had built a reputation as a skilled marksman and was assigned to Fighter Supply Group, East in Upper Silesia. In October, Hartmann received new orders assigning him to Jagdgeschwader 52 in Maykop, Soviet Union. Arriving on the Eastern Front, he was placed in Major Hubertus von Bonins III./JG 52 and mentored by Oberfeldwebel Edmund Roßmann. Erich Hartmann - Becoming an Ace: Entering combat on October 14, Hartmann performed poorly and crashed his Bf 109 when it ran out of fuel. For this transgression, von Bonin made him work for three days with the ground crew. Resuming combat flying, Hartmann scored his first kill on November 5 when he downed an Ilyushin Il-2. He shot down an additional aircraft before the end of the year. Gaining in skill and learning from skilled compatriots such as Alfred Grislawski and Walter Krupinski, Hartmann became more successful in early 1943. By the end of April he had become an ace and his tally stood at 11. Repeatedly encouraged to get closer to enemy aircraft by Krupinski, Hartmann developed his philosophy of when he [the enemy] fills the entire windscreen you cant miss. Using this approach, Hartmann began rapidly increasing his tally as Soviet aircraft fell before his guns. In the fighting that occurred during the Battle of Kursk that summer, his total reached 50. By August 19, Hartmann had downed another 40 Soviet aircraft. On that date, Hartmann was aiding in supporting a flight of Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers when the Germans encountered a large formation of Soviet aircraft. In the resulting fight, Hartmanns aircraft was badly damaged by debris and he came down behind enemy lines. Quickly captured, he feigned internal injuries and was placed in a truck. Later in the day, during a Stuka attack, Hartmann jumped his guard and escaped. Moving west, he successfully reached German lines and returned to his unit. Erich Hartmann - The Black Devil: Resuming combat operations, Hartmann was awarded the Knights Cross on October 29 when his kill total numbered 148. This number increased to 159 by January 1 and the first two months of 1944 saw him shoot down another 50 Soviet planes. An aerial celebrity on the Eastern Front, Hartmann was known by his call sign Karaya 1 and the distinctive black tulip design that was painted around the engine cowling of his aircraft. Feared by the Russians, they gave the German pilot the sobriquet The Black Devil and avoided combat when his Bf 109 was spotted. In March 1944, Hartmann and several other aces were ordered to Hitlers Berghof in Berchtesgaden to receive awards. At this time, Hartmann was presented with the Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross. Returning to JG 52, Hartmann began engaging American aircraft in the skies over Romania. Clashing with a group of P-51 Mustangs on May 21 near Bucharest, he scored his first two American kills. Four more fell to his guns on June 1 near PloieÅŸti. Continuing to run up his tally, he reached 274 on August 17 to become the top-scorer of the war. On the 24th, Hartmann downed 11 aircraft to reach 301 victories. In the wake of this achievement, Reichsmarschall Hermann Gà ¶ring immediately grounded him rather than risk his death and a blow to Luftwaffe morale. Summoned to the Wolfs Lair in Rastenburg, Hartmann was given the Diamonds to his Knights Cross by Hitler as well as a ten-day leave. During this period, the Luftwaffes Inspector of Fighters, Adolf Galland, met with Hartmann and asked him to transfer to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet program. Erich Hartmann - Final Actions: Though flattered, Hartmann declined this invitation as he preferred to stay with JG 52. Galland again approached him in March 1945 with the same offer and was again rebuffed. Slowly increasing his total through the winter and spring, Hartmann reached 350 on April 17. With the war winding down, he scored his 352nd and final victory on May 8. Finding two Soviet fighters performing aerobatics on the last day of the war, he attacked and downed one. He was prevented in claiming the other by the arrival of American P-51s. Returning to base, he directed his men to destroy their aircraft before moving west to surrender to the US 90th Infantry Division. Though he had surrendered to the Americans, the terms of the Yalta Conference dictated that units that had largely fought on the Eastern Front were to capitulate to the Soviets. As a result, Hartmann and his men were turned over to the Red Army. Erich Hartmann - Postwar: Entering Soviet custody, Hartmann was threatened and interrogated on several occasions as the Red Army attempted to compel him to join the newly formed East German Air Force. Resisting, he was charged with bogus war crimes which included killing civilians, bombing a bread factory, and destroying Soviet aircraft. Found guilty after a show trial, Hartmann was sentenced to twenty-five years of hard labor. Moved between work camps, he was finally released in 1955 with the aid of West German Chancellor Conrad Adenauer. Returning to Germany, he was among the last prisoners of war to be released by the Soviet Union. After recovering from his ordeal, he joined the West German Bundesluftwaffe. Given command of the services first all-jet squadron, Jagdgeschwader 71 Richthofen, Hartmann had the noses of their Canadair F-86 Sabres painted with his distinctive black tulip design. In the early 1960s, Hartmann vigorously opposed the Bundesluftwaffes purchase and adoption of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter as he believed the aircraft to be unsafe. Overruled, his concerns proved true when over 100 German pilots were lost in F-104-related accidents. Increasingly unpopular with his superiors due to continued criticism of the aircraft, Hartmann was forced into early retirement in 1970 with the rank of colonel. Becoming a flight instructor in Bonn, Hartmann flew demonstration shows with Galland until 1974. Grounded in 1980 due to heart problems, he resumed flying three years later. Increasingly withdrawing from public life, Hartmann died on September 20, 1993 in Weil im Schà ¶nbuch. The highest scoring ace of all-time, Hartmann was never downed by enemy fire and never had a wingman killed. Selected Sources Aces of World War II: Erich HartmannLuftwaffe: Erich HartmannWorld War II: Erich Hartmann

The Old Man and the Sea essays

The Old Man and the Sea essays The main theme of Hemmingway's The Old Man and the Sea, is not an easy one to pick out. At first glance the book seems to simply be a story about a guy who goes out and battles with a fish. However, there has to be some underling theme. It could be the relationship between a boy and a man, and how both are treated by nature. This is illustrated by the boy's parents not allowing him to continue with the unlucky old man. It is also shown by the success the boy had and the failure the old man experienced after their parting. Still through all of this the boy remembers how well the old man treated him and does everything he can for the old man. On the whole, I liked this book. It was written in relatively easy to follow language, yet Hemmingway was still able to convey unbelievable images of picturesque settings in the reader's mind. There is also an interesting use of dialog, not only between the boy and the old man, but especially with the old man talking to himself. This is something I really haven't seen used that extensively. I think Hemmingway used this to fill in the parts of the story where the old man is simply at a stalemate with the fish, when he is just sitting there being pulled around the ocean. The one thing I didn't understand about this one sided conversation was the constant reference to Joe DiMaggio. I don't know if this was simply a tribute to a great ball player, or some kind of historical reference that I just didn't get. The pace and general flow of the story was good. There were a few times during the struggle where the action all but disappeared, but on the whole there was almost always something happening. The plot was also pretty simple and easy to follow. Another quality of this book which I have seen in others I have previously read was the complete lack of a male-female love subplot. As I have said before, this ofte ...

5 top jobs in human resources guaranteed to pay big bucks

5 top jobs in human resources guaranteed to pay big bucks Jobs at the top in the HR department often require master’s degrees, years of experience, and more specialized knowledge – but they also come with higher salaries. If you’re in the human resources field (or are looking to enter it and climb the ranks), possess strong interpersonal skills, and want to set your sights higher, cultivating another area of expertise within the field may help. Here are 5 jobs to aspire to on your career journey.Human Resources ManagerOf course, one of the top jobs has to be the top spot in a human resources department. This requires years of experience and most often an MBA, as well as interpersonal skills and the talent and experience to be a manager. The human resources manager oversees the hiring process of new employees from recruitment to interviews to offers; they also are involved with strategic planning and connect upper management to employees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the top-grossing industry for Hu man Resources Managers is Monetary Authorities and Banking Industries, with an annual mean salary of $182,800. The annual median salary for the position is $110,120.Compensation and Benefits ManagerAlso in a key managerial role, the compensation and benefits manager oversees your salary- and comes with its own nice salary too. Oftentimes this role is about reducing costs while ensuring employees receive appropriate benefits, so this type of manager evaluates new strategies like â€Å"pay-for-performance.† Hiring trends for this type of position look good, as organizations will always need this job type to assess benefits policies and design compensation packages. On the other hand, some duties of this role may increasingly be outsourced to human resources consulting firms. Even so, it is likely to remain a competitive job in the field. The annual median pay for this job is $119,120, according to BLS.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});Executive RecruiterPeople in this position, also known as â€Å"head hunters,† are responsible for finding top talent and matching talent to organizational needs. The recruiter is the prime â€Å"people person† position in HR, and the executive recruiter fills the top positions for a company- like the CEO. This role requires the expertise to network and find the top talent for the very top of a company. It’s hard to pin down a median salary for this job- it often gets paid on retainer because it is so lucrative.Human Resources SpecialistAccording to the BLS, the annual median pay for this job is $60,350. However this figure can be deceptive because â€Å"human resources specialist† is such a broad category. Let’s look at two types of specialists that are likely to be paid higher and be in high demand.HR Analytics SpecialistBy developing and implementing HR analytics, these specialists perform statistical analysis of data and create and communicate reports, identifying trends to improve the overall hiring process. In this role, you help identify areas of strength and weakness to help keep a company competitive. This position generally requires a background in statistics, but the outlook for this job depends on the changing technology for this area of specialization. Anyone with a statistical background in HR should also keep up with changing tech trends, as data analytic tools may soon become the domain of machine learning and AI- but so long as we need a person to communicate the data, this role will likely still be a vital part of HR strategy.HR IT SpecialistThis position will be in high demand as HR departments adapt to changing technology. For those in human resources who are extremely tech-savvy and also have a background in IT, this can be a lucrative and in-demand role. Expertise in the latest software will be vital. Tech can already aid recruitment, candidate engagement, targeted marketing, and management of job campaigns- expe rts in this position will help HR departments stay competitive and make them vital to an organization.HR StrategistWhile the HR manager might be the big fish in a small pond, the HR strategist is in a much bigger pond. It’s tough to nail down a median salary for this position, as it varies from industry to industry, but it’s high up in the chain. This position is usually involved in very large organizations or government positions, where strategic planning for hiring requires a strategy team rather than an individual HR manager or top-level executive. The HR strategist is a problem-solver, a planner, and a communicator who coordinates people across departments and all levels of an organization, helping to design and implement long-term HR strategic plans.

The Evolution of Active Directory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Evolution of Active Directory - Essay Example This component was introduced in window 2000 operating system, which was an improvement of window NT 4.0. According to Alcott (2002), this component extended the directory services available on its predecessor, window NT 4.0. This component had a domain controller that could be used to control and manage personal domains. It also introduced networking components, which enabled management of several computers by a single administrator. It also could manage users and user groups that use a computer as well as the services that the computer is used to provide. Compared to its predecessor, this component was a great boost to information technology during the era when it was introduced. This component was introduced at a time we can call the ‘internet age’. This was the time when the internet had just been introduced and had become widely used in different organizations. With introduction of internet, there was a need for greater computer networking to enhance sharing of info rmation among several computers. Since this feature introduced networking components that enhanced sharing of information not only among computers within a domain but also among different computers in different domains within the server. Because of this property, this component could enhance information management in an organization and thus it enabled organizations to use internet effectively. Compared to the directory in the earlier versions of the windows, the active directory was easy to use and operate. One of the reasons for this was that most of its components were automated (Heywood & Ahmad 2001). This means that they could run automatically without requiring the commands of the user or administrator and thus they were very easy to use. Another reason according to Heywood & Ahmad (2001) is that the components, which were not automated, were self-explanatory and thus very easy to use even by a person with little Information Technology knowledge. Because of this property of ac tive directory, it was widely used by various organizations in managing its information and sharing of their information. However, according to Shapiro (2008), the active directory found in window server 2000 operating system could not authenticate validate users that have local accounts. This means that some of these users could access or use information not meant for them. These users could also share such information and therefore there was a lot of information insecurity. Moreover, this component did not have a command-line interface that would help in the management of the server, workstation, or network. This made it difficult for users and administrators to optimize the benefits that could be derived from proper management of the server and the workstation. Since most organizations had networks that were used to share large information, lack of this component really acted as a limiting factor to information sharing. According to Keplan & Dunn (2006), active directory is an in tegral part of window server that cannot be purchased and installed separately in windows. This means that a person cannot be able to use it without using window server 2000 operating system. This actually makes this component to be only accessible to only the individuals who were using window 2000 operating sy