Saturday, November 30, 2019

Music!!! free essay sample

Have you ever noticed how on busses and metros there are many people listening to music? This is because many people like music and also because their bored. In this article I will try to persuade you to listen to more music or listen to different types of music. Music is important in many people’s lives. A person listening to music on the bus. Music was created about 4,000 years ago in the prehistoric times. The music created in the prehistoric times was either folk, indigenous, or traditional music. Now there are way more types of music. Now there is rock, hip-hop, pop, techno, country, and much more. That is one reason why I want you to listen to music more music. The first type of music player. If you don’t believe then read this interview with Robert Fakeman about him and music. E:†Robert what do you think about music?† R:†Well Edwin, I think that music is a lifestyle. We will write a custom essay sample on Music!!! or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And also an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.† E:†What do you think about people listening to music more?† R:†I think more people should listen to it more.† E:†Do you think music is under appreciated?† R:†No, of course not. I just think not enough people listen to it.† E:†Thank you for your time Robert.† R:†Thank you for having me Edwin.† That was my discussion with Robert Fakeman about music. That discussion made me learn more. It made me learn that someone thinks that someone thinks that not enough people listen to music. That is also another reason why I think more people should listen to music more. Music can be very meaningful to people. If there was any mood you were feeling there is bound to be a song relating to that mood. That is also another reason to listen to music more. That is a reason why I listen to music a lot. Whenever I am happy I would listen any type of music except for depressing songs. Whenever I am down I try to listen to songs that a re up and jumpy. â€Å"Music can be interactive to people. The person can actually feel as if they were actually there with the artist is singing it.† Says Christian Ventura (my little brother) Music can be very powerful to people. That is why I think you, the reader, should listen to more types of music or if not, just listen to more of the same music you already listen to.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Whats the Difference Weighted vs Unweighted GPA

What's the Difference Weighted vs Unweighted GPA SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Most students think a lot about their GPA in high school. There’s no doubt that GPA is one of the most important pieces of information colleges will consider in your application. However, GPA can vary drastically in the way it’s calculated at different schools. Some high schools use unweighted GPAs and some use weighted GPAs. I’ll give you an overview of the differences between the two and what each type of GPA might mean in the context of your personal experiences. Basic Differences Between Weighted and Unweighted GPAs So what are weighted and unweighted GPAs? Here are the main differences between the two. Unweighted GPA Traditionally, GPA is calculated on an unweighted scale.Unweighted GPA is measured on a scale of 0 to 4.0. It doesn’t take the difficulty of a student’s coursework into account.An unweighted GPA represents an A as a 4.0 whether it was earned in an honors class, AP class, or lower-level class. Weighted GPA Weighted GPA is often used by high schools to better represent students’ academic accomplishments.Weighted GPA takes into account course difficulty rather than providing the same letter grade to GPA conversion for every student.Usually, weighted GPA is measured on a scale of 0 to 5.0, although some scales go higher.An A in an AP class may translate into a 5.0 weighted GPA, while an A in a regular-level class will give you a 4.0 weighted GPA. Many schools also have mid-level classes (such as honors classes) where the highest weighted GPA you can earn is a 4.5. Differences in Calculation As you might expect, unweighted and weighted GPAs are calculated differently. In this section we give an in-depth explanation of how to calculate both GPA types. Unweighted GPA Unweighted GPA is much simpler to calculate than weighted GPA.This is because you don’t have to consider the levels of your classes in the calculations. Let’s say you’re taking five classes, and you have As in two of them and Bs in three of them.The two As will each translate to 4.0s, and the three Bs will each translate to 3.0s.If you add 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.0 + 3.0 + 3.0 and then divide by five, you’ll get an unweighted GPA of 3.4. If your grades aren’t quite as simple as that, here’s a quick letter grade and percentile to GPA conversion chart to make things easier. Letter Grade Percentile GPA A+ 97-100 4.0 A 93-96 4.0 A- 90-92 3.7 B+ 87-89 3.3 B 83-86 3.0 B- 80-82 2.7 C+ 77-79 2.3 C 73-76 2.0 C- 70-72 1.7 D+ 67-69 1.3 D 65-66 1.0 F Below 65 0.0 Most schools more or less follow this scale for unweighted GPAs. Yours may be slightly different, but it shouldn’t vary too much. Weighted GPA The calculations for weighted GPA can get a little more tricky because you may be taking a variety of courses at different academic levels. Going withthe example that we used for unweighted GPA, let’s say once again that you’re taking five classes and getting As in two of them and Bs in three of them.But this time let’s also say that one A is in a regular-level class, one A is in an honors class, two Bs are in AP classes, and one B is in an honors class. How is your weighted GPA calculated?Well, each grade has to be considered in conjunction with class level.This means using the unweighted GPA conversion scale for grades in regular-level classes, adding 0.5 to the scale for mid-level/honors classes, and adding 1.0 for high level/AP classes. This means: The A in a regular-level class would still be a 4.0 The A in an honors class would be a 4.5 The two Bs in AP classes would each be 4.0s The B in the honors class would be a 3.5 If you add 4.0 + 4.5 + 4.0 + 4.0 + 3.5 and divide by 5, you get a 4.0 weighted GPA. Remember, not all schools will use this exact weighted GPA scale, but as you can see, there can be a big difference between the numbers you get for unweighted GPA and weighted GPA based on the types of classes you’re taking. Even if two students have identical grades, one might have a weighted GPA that’s a full point higher than the other. Let's say you have a 3.2 unweighted GPA and are taking five classes. If even two out of the five classes are honors or AP and the rest are regular-level, your GPA would get bumped up to a 3.6 on a weighted scale. A slight difference in the levels of your classes can make a big difference in your weighted GPA. Go for it! All you have to do is believe! (and study more, but mostly believe!) What Does All of This Mean for You? Whether your school uses weighted or unweighted GPA can impact your class rank and experiences in the college admissions process. If Your School Uses Unweighted GPAs†¦ Admissions committees look at your coursework in conjunction with your GPA to reach conclusions about your academic potential.They understand that some schools do not take the difficulty of students’ classes into consideration when calculating GPA.If you challenge yourself in your classes but don’t have a perfect GPA, you will look better in the college admissions process than someone in regular-level classes who has a 4.0. It may be harder to stand out from your classmates with your GPA because more students will have GPAs that are at the same level when class difficulty is not a factor in the calculation.If class rank is based purely on unweighted GPA, your class rank may not reflect the effort you expended.Students with a lot of AP classes can have lower unweighted GPAs than students who took less difficult classes despite being more academically driven. Don’t worry too much though. College admissions officers are aware of the limits of the unweighted system, and they will look closely at your course record to determine whether your GPA is an accurate reflection of your academic potential. If Your School Uses Weighted GPAs†¦ First off, you should know that having a 4.0 weighted GPA doesn’t mean you can get into any college.A 4.0 may be the commonly accepted gold standard, but with weighted GPAs everything shifts upward.A truly elite GPA under the weighted system will actually be close to a 5.0, so you will need to make sure you adapt your concept of what constitutes a high GPA to fit this model. With a weighted GPA, your class rank is more likely to reflect your academic drive and ability because your GPA is a reflection of both your grades and the levels of the classes in which you earned them.You’ll have a higher rank than someone who earns the same grades as you in lower level classes. Weighted GPAs mean that you need to be careful because they can be deceptive. A lot of the advice that's out there is targeted towards unweighted GPAs, so you'll need to adjust your thinking to account for the size of the GPA scale at your school. The bottom line is that colleges will look deeper than the raw numbers when evaluating your high school academic record regardless of whether your GPA is weighted or unweighted. Admissions officers willbe able to tell which classes you took and how much you pushed yourself, so your GPA by itself becomes only one part of a much larger picture. You will also be required to lift the weight of your GPA times 40 in order to walk at graduation, so start training. Why do you think valedictorians are always so ripped? Do Colleges Look at Weighted or Unweighted GPAs? So, which do colleges care more about then, your weighted or unweighted GPA? The short answer is that most colleges care somewhat more about weighted GPAs because they do a better job showing the difficulty of the classes you took. However, colleges care more about your entire record of coursework than just your GPA out of context. They'll look to see which classes you took, how difficult those classes typically are, and what your class rank is. All of these factors are going to give them a better understanding of your GPA. So, when you're wondering which GPA is more important, the real answer is that colleges will look at all the information they're given to get the best idea of your academic skills. They won't just glance at your GPA and decide whether it's a good number or not without looking at other factors. If your transcript shows increasing difficulty in your coursework, this will look impressive to colleges, even if your GPA isn’t perfect.If you have a 4.0 GPA but took all the least challenging classes in high school, colleges will be less impressed since you didn’t push yourself academically.This means you should continue working on taking difficult classes and getting high grades in them in order to be as impressive as possible. Summary Your high school GPA may be measured on either an unweighted or weighted scale.The main difference between the two is that weighted GPAs take into account the difficulty of your coursework and unweighted GPAs don’t.Most unweighted GPAs are recorded on a scale of 0 to 4.0, and most weighted GPAs are recorded on a scale of 0 to 5.0. For the most part, whether your high school uses unweighted or weighted GPA shouldn’t affect you in the college application process.Colleges will look at your GPA, but they will also consider the bigger picture. Their greatest concern is that you’ve managed to challenge yourself intellectually with your coursework. GPA is important, but proof of your determination and perseverance in the face of academic struggles is often more impressive than a 4.0. What's Next? Want more information about how to interpret your GPA in the college search process? Find out what it means to have a good or bad GPA for college. Is your GPA above average? Do you need to work on bringing it up? Learn more about the average high school GPA. Your college GPA may end up being very different from your high school GPA. Read this article about average GPAs in college to see what might be in store.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Black Rook in Rainy Weather Essay Example for Free

Black Rook in Rainy Weather Essay I an infrequently lost for words. I like to think of myself as quite an eloquent and articulate speaker and writer, but there are times when I feel neither. It is ironic that the very subject of this poem, a lack of words, or rather a lack of inspiration, is exactly what is holding me back from writing the things I would like to write. Although I know how this poem makes me feel and I know the emotions it conveys, I cannot bring myself to write about them or to speak about them, I simply cannot find the words. Each time I read the poem a rush of thoughts dash through my mind, so quickly that I cannot recollect them in time to consider them in the detail they deserve. This poem deserves consideration, thought, analysis, it deserves appreciation and admiration, because it describes exactly how even the most expressive and eloquent writers are sometimes at a loss for words. Although the poem is a metaphor and is about many things that lie deep beneath the surface of the words, it is beautifully written even in the most literal terms. Plath uses adjectives to describe every object, every movement of the poem, ‘stiff twig’, ‘spotted leaves’. She uses many other poetic devices, such as alliteration in the lines ‘rare, random’, ‘walk wary’, ‘so shine as to seize my senses’ and personification in the lines ‘mute sky’ , ‘minor light may still lean incandescent’. The poet also uses short phrases broken by commas to increase the tempo of the poem and to give it a rushed feeling. However, these poetic devices are not simply used to embellish a purely literal piece of writing. They are used to demonstrate the beauty of the mundane, the magnificence of the ordinary. The poet says ‘I do not expect a miracle or an accident’ which suggests that she is content with the mundane and can see it’s splendour. But as the poem progresses we see that she could not survive on the ordinary, but needed to express herself in her poetry and needed inspiration to do so. Though Plath tries to persuade herself she survive on the ordinary and the imple, it is obvious that desire for inspiration, ‘the angel’, are the only things that can make these mundane situations bearable. She contradicts herself when she states that ‘miracles occur. ’ She contradicts her previous idea that there is beauty in the ordinary and instead describes moments without inspiration being similar to ‘trekking stubborn through this season of fatigue’ . This suggests that during these periods of time she is not living, but barely surviving. Her entire life depends on the moments of inspiration, ‘for that rare, random descent. ’ She is a poet, and her survival depends on her writing. She can only express herself through her writing, and without it, without her inspiration, she feels nothing. This nothingness, this lack of inspiration is to her far worse than the feelings of depression she felt constantly throughout her life. Her ‘fear of total neutrality’ consumes her and scares her. This ‘fear of neutrality’ refers not only to writing, but also to life in general. If one feels nothing, if life is constantly similar to ‘trekking stubborn through this season of fatigue’ then there is no reason to live in the first place. Life is a constant wait for inspiration, for meaning, for purpose, and often this purpose does not appear. Plath realises, unlike many others, that without purpose, without inspiration, there is no beauty in the mundane. Without ‘that rare, random descent’ of an ‘angel’ there is little reason for life at all. Black Rook in Rainy Weather. (2017, Feb 05).

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Vietnam War Did war prove to be a successful means of achieving Essay

The Vietnam War Did war prove to be a successful means of achieving political objective Examine this from both the US and North Vietnamese perspectives - Essay Example It is â€Å"an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will†¦ War is not merely an act of policy but a true political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse, carried on with other means.2 The Vietnam War was initially a conflict between two new countries that came out of the French colonization of Indochina. But, the US intervention led to a change in the circumstances. In the end, the essential reality of the struggle, wrote Hendrik Hertzberg in his book, Politics (2005), â€Å"was that the Communists, imbued with an almost fanatical sense of dedication to a reunified Vietnam under their control, saw the war against the United States and its South Vietnamese ally as the continuation of two thousand years of resistance to Chinese and later French rule.† (p. 37) Although there are three main players in the Vietnam War: North Vietnam, South Vietnam and the United States, there is the important addition of the Soviet Union as an actor and to a certain degree, China, that the Vietnam War came to be characterized by the conflict of two factions, the Communist and the US-South Vietnam alliance. On the Communist side, there is North Vietnam, Soviet Union and China. Here, the Vietnamese communist is holding the center stage. The Vietnam War was said to be an undeclared war between the Soviet Union and the United States or an extension of the Cold War, with Vietnam as the battleground of the West and the Communists war for global influence. The strategy in this regard is that these major powers were involved in their war against each other using the weaker countries as a battleground. In this approach, their troops are kept at a minimum and that they – the US and Soviet Union - are protected, themselves, from risk of direct attack. The Vietnam, was primarily a conflict between the North and the South for control over

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Annotated News Item Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Annotated News Item - Assignment Example This lead to bitterness between the West and Iran and eventually the relationship between the West and Iran did deteriorate a lot. Over the years following the Islamic Revolution, the relationship of Iran with the US and the other Western powers did turn sour. 2. Iran did have a nuclear program that was initially cancelled after the Islamic Revolution in the year 1979. However, Iran did revive its nascent nuclear program during the Iran-Iraq war to protect itself against any such future attacks on Iran. Following the revival of the Iranian nuclear program, the international community and especially the West did put much pressure on Iran to close down and shut its nuclear program. The Iranian government did respond to this international pressure by declaring that it was an attempt on the part of the West to keep Iran economically and scientifically backward and to prevent Iran from militarily guarding its interests in the Middle East. Iran used this international opposition to its nuclear program to revive the nationalistic sentiments amongst the Iranian people and to augment the support for the Iranian regime that was gradually losing support amongst the masses. Over the years the nuclear program of Iran did become a central issue in deter mining as to how Iran related to the West and the kind of relationship that Iran intended to have with the Western powers that staunchly opposed Iran’s nuclear ambition.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Types of business Essay Example for Free

Types of business Essay A sole trader is one who is wholly responsible for his business and hence has complete control over it. He keeps all the profit generated from the business and runs the business according to his own will. He does not have access to substantial capital for expansion; he does not have anyone to manage his business affairs and therefore has to do all the work by his own. Sole proprietorship has unlimited limited which means he will have to sell his own assets apart from business in order to pay back the debts. Partnership: the Business is run by partners who share the profit and loss according to the share of capital put into the business. It is run by mutual ideas of the partners. They can overcome each other weakness which can be helpful in making the business more profitable. They loss form the business is shared among the partners. One of the disadvantages is that the profit generated from the business has to be shared among the partners . The partners may get into conflict when making any decision. Corporation: There are two types of corporations. Private limited and Public limited. Private Limited corporations are those where the shareholders have limited liability and the shares of the corporate may not be offered to the general public. One of the major advantages of private limited company is that the corporation is separated from management and its members (the shareholders). Another advantage is that all the shareholders have limited liability that means only there share in the business is at stake and they are not liable to pay back the debt from their own property. Disadvantages may be that all the decisions have to be consulted with every shareholder that takes time and effort. The other form of corporation is the public limited corporation where the ownership is held by the public . The company has limited liability; a public limited corporation has a greater access to financial institutions for loans which is not the case with sole traders or partnership. With so many shareholders, they can all contribute their ideas for the benefit of the company. The disadvantages of a public limited company is the double taxation , at first the company has to pay the corporation tax on the profit earned and then the shareholders pay the tax on the dividends they get . Second advantage of a public limited company is that there are many legal formalities involved in setting up. The third disadvantage may be that the public limited corporation is bound to disclose all the financial information to its shareholders that takes a lot of time, effort and money. (Cinnamon and Larsen, 2006) Franchising: It is a method by which a person uses a business name that already exists. The person who takes the name is know has franchisee and the person who owns that business is know as franchisors. The franchisee in order to get authorize to use the name of the business has to pay a fees and a percentage of gross monthly sales. Sherman , 2004) Advantage to the franchisor may be that it can come near to the market by giving out the name to a franchisee. For a franchisee the advantage may be that he can earn from a business that already exists and is well renowned. Disadvantage for the franchisor is that the franchisor has to keep in eye on the quality of the products available in the franchise and also on the customer service given by the franchisee. For a franchisee the disadvantages may be that he has to give some profit to the franchisor. (Sherman , 2004)

Thursday, November 14, 2019

My Philosophy of Education Essay -- essays papers

My Philosophy of Education A philosophy of education is very important in the teaching profession. All teachers have their own unique philosophies. My personal philosophy of education contains many different aspects. For instance, in my opinion all teachers are valuable. The younger the teacher the more current the knowledge, the older the teacher the better the wisdom. Determining a personal philosophy of education is a very important part in becoming a teacher. One day, I hope to be able to utilize my philosophy. My philosophy of education begins with my ideal classroom. Inside my classroom, I would like the children to feel comfortable with themselves, their peers, and myself. An ideal classroom for any teacher and myself is a classroom large in size. I would utilize a large classroom by putting one or two long tables towards the back of the classroom, for various special projects, group work, story time, sharing time, etc. All of the students desks in the classroom will form a huge semi-circle with enough room between each desk, so each student has their individual space. I will let my student choose where they want my desk to be in the classroom. The walls in the classroom will be decorated with the student’s drawings and what they would like on the walls, if allowed by school codes. In my opinion a room like this creates conversation, individuality, gives the students a sense of freedom, make the student feel like it is their class, as well as helping to gai...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Needs Analysis Essay

Majority of students lack understanding of mathematical language and show weakness in basic numerical computation. The students make frequent errors because they misread operation signs when adding or subtracting integers or carry numbers incorrectly when multiplying whole number and decimals. Furthermore, these students have difficulty understanding written or verbal directions or explanations, and find word problems especially difficult to translate. Current Conditions The current data shows that only 15 percent of the students were able to understand and perform the necessary computation with minimal errors on application problems to pass the semester exam with a 70 or above. Thus 85 percent were unsuccessful on the semester exam that focus on computation skills and understanding application word problems. Desired Conditions The optimal goal is to increase the student’s performance from its current state by 200 percent. By increasing the student’s performance, the students should be able to understand, define, and use mathematical terminology to solve difficult application problems without minimal computation errors. Data Collection Processes Discussion of Data Collection Instruments Used In order to determine what problems students had in school and what tools math teachers thought students should emphasize, interviews and focus groups were used due to the speed of receiving the results. Test score data was gathered from the district as it was already mandated by the district and results were already given. Test scores and the data retrieved from the district is meant to be similar to the state assessment that will be given towards the end of the 5th six weeks. Discussion of Sources of Data Surveys and other short interviews were given to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math teachers at the middle school campus. It is believed that it is partially due the lack of reviewing their own work is a potential source of the low test scores. Survey question was introduced by creating a baseline of how often teachers believed students should be checking their work. By first understanding this, it would allow a determination if there was in fact a difference between students’ actual reviewing patterns and the actual reviewing patterns. Additionally, an issue with reviewing would be if students are unfamiliar with how to check their work. By determining which skills the teachers deem to be the most productive when practicing their computation, the teachers will then be able to create a vertical alignment where instruction is built on those review skills. This would provide students with a foundation where their knowledge can be increased without the troubles of having to learn a new way to review. Typically the reverse operation would be done in order to check for the correct answer. However, if there is an issue in the basic computation it would hinder students being able to check their work. This was the reason why students were also given survey questions and were interviewed. Students would be asked how often they check their work and they would also identify their self-efficacy in computation of problems with decimals. If there is a need in that students do not check their work and if they do not feel competent in completing the problems with decimals, then it would dictate a need to reteach the material. Surveys and interviews were given to students due to their speed and their ability to quickly assess where a need was. Data Analysis Techniques Used The first survey question asked the students about the percentage of the time they reviewed their work after completing a math problem. The answer choices included: between 0-20 percent, between 20-40 percent, between 40-60 percent, between 60-80 percent, and between 80-100 percent.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Reward Management Essay

Recently, Reward Management is an important role in Human Resources Management. Many organizations realized the benefit of the reward system , in a way that it could reinforce the employee’s performance, enhance motivation and gain their commitment. For example, when employees know that rewards are tied to their performance, they will try to perform better and take ownership of their jobs. Also, it is a motivation that makes employees evolve a sense of accomplishment and take pride in their work, which in turn increases ownership. Remuneration is a major feature for employment. It is the reason that why people are working. The contribution of employees to the organization can be compensated in terms of monetary or non-monetary terms. Remuneration does not just compensate employees for their efforts, but also affect the recruitment and retention of talented people. There are three recommendations for improving performance by using modern reward management techniques. First, we would recommend that remuneration to be linked to performance, linking to the pay to the quantity of the employee’s output or productivity charts, and therefore the remuneration with be depending on the result, whether the outcome is to be of good quality or outstanding quantity. Another type of performance-linked remuneration is performance related pay, where the performance of employee is measured against previously set objectives, or compared with the various tasks listed in the job description by using performance appraisal system. Based on the above features, we propose to add in these kinds of features into the reward system. We can hold some reward planning, which is related to pay that to encourage most of employees. Secondly, staff motivation can be enhanced through the reshaping of working routines and hours. Nowadays, many employees have complaint about the long working hours and the private life being invaded. However, reducing working hours is not always possible due to the huge amount of workload. In order to deal with the problem, we would recommend flexi-working hours. The concept of flexi-working is to suit the convenience of the employee without influence the organization’s functioning. Nowadays, many people are busy on working, studying and managing their family life. To such extent, flexi-work allows flexible entry and leaving times for employee, which is beneficial for employees in managing their time schedule. Being able to manage their work, study and family life, they are able to obtain a work-life balance, and thus being able to increase their productivity, decline in absenteeism, and reduction in employee turnover and increases their moral. Thirdly, competition among work increases vigorously, and employees tend to undertakes different training courses or opt for further study. As a result, we would recommend the linking of training or education sponsorship with the performance. For example, if the employees opt for a course related to their job nature, the company can sponsor their cost of training. In order to enhance performance, we suggest the amount of sponsorship to be linked with the employee’s performance, and the payment is to be made upon the successful completion of the course. To such extent, the employee’s motivation to perform is enhanced, and they are more willing to equip themselves with the necessary skills related to their job. In conclusion, reward management is essential in managing the performance of the employee. Remuneration is the major and yet the most essential element in employment term, and therefore managing the reward system can effectively enhance the employee’s performance and motivation. Yet, both monetary and non-monetary reward can be used for the aforementioned purpose.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Battle of the Crater in the Civil War

Battle of the Crater in the Civil War The Battle of the Crater occurred July 30, 1864, during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and was an attempt by Union forces to break the siege of Petersburg. In March 1864, President Abraham Lincoln elevated Ulysses S. Grant to lieutenant general and gave him overall command of Union forces. In this new role, Grant decided to turn over operational control of the western armies to Major General William T. Sherman and moved his headquarters east to travel with Major General George G. Meades Army of the Potomac. The Overland Campaign For the spring campaign, Grant intended to strike General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia from three directions. First, Meade was to ford the Rapidan River east of the Confederate position at Orange Court House, before turning west to engage the enemy. Further south, Major General Benjamin Butler was to move up the Peninsula from Fort Monroe and menace Richmond, while to the west Major General Franz Sigel destroyed the resources of the Shenandoah Valley. Commencing operations in early May 1864, Grant and Meade encountered Lee south of the Rapidan and fought the bloody Battle of the Wilderness (May 5-7). Stalemated after three days of fighting, Grant disengaged and moved around Lees right. Pursuing, Lees men renewed the fighting on May 8 at Spotsylvania Court House (May 8-21). Two weeks of costly saw another stalemate emerge and Grant again slipped south. After a brief encounter at North Anna (May 23-26), Union forces were halted at Cold Harbor in early June. To Petersburg Rather than force the issue at Cold Harbor, Grant withdrew east then moved south towards the James River. Crossing over a large pontoon bridge, the Army of the Potomac targeted the vital city of Petersburg. Situated south of Richmond, Petersburg was a strategic crossroads and rail hub which supplied the Confederate capital and Lees army. Its loss would make would Richmond indefensible (Map). Aware of Petersburgs significance, Butler, whose forces were at Bermuda Hundred, unsuccessfully attacked the city on June 9. These efforts were halted by Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard. First Attacks On June 14, with the Army of the Potomac nearing Petersburg, Grant ordered Butler to send Major General William F. Baldy Smiths XVIII Corps to attack the city. Crossing the river, Smiths assault was delayed through the day on the 15th, but finally moved forward that evening. Though he made some gains, he halted his men due to darkness. Across the lines, Beauregard, whose request for reinforcements had been ignored by Lee, stripped his defenses at Bermuda Hundred to reinforce Petersburg. Unaware of this, Butler remained in place rather than threatening Richmond. Despite shifting troops, Beauregard was badly outnumbered as Grants troops began arriving on the field. Attacking late in the day with the XVIII, II, and IX Corps, Grants men gradually pushed the Confederates back. Fighting resumed on 17th with the Confederates doggedly defending and preventing a Union breakthrough. As the fighting continued, Beauregards engineers commenced constructing a new line of fortifications closer the city and Lee began marching to the fighting. Union assaults on June 18 gained some ground but were halted at the new line with heavy losses. Unable to advance, Meade ordered his troops to dig in opposite the Confederates. The Siege Begins Having been halted by the Confederate defenses, Grant devised operations for severing the three open railroads leading into Petersburg. While he worked on these plans, elements of the Army of the Potomac manned the earthworks that had sprung up around Petersburgs east side. Among these was the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, a member of Major General Ambrose Burnsides IX Corps. Composed largely of former coal miners, the men of the 48th devised their own plan for breaking through the Confederate lines. Armies Commanders Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. GrantMajor General Ambrose BurnsideIX Corps Confederate General Robert E. LeeMajor General William Mahone A Bold Idea Observing that the closest Confederate fortification, Elliotts Salient, was a mere 400 feet from their position, the men of the 48th conjectured that a mine could be run from their lines under the enemy earthworks. Once complete, this mine could be packed with enough explosives to open a hole in the Confederate lines. This idea was seized upon by their commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pleasants. A mining engineer by trade, Pleasants approached Burnside with the plan arguing that the explosion would take the Confederates by surprise and would allow Union troops to rush in to take the city. Eager to restore his reputation after his defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Burnside agreed to present it to Grant and Meade. Though both men were skeptical about its chances for success, they approved it with the thought that it would keep the men busy during the siege. On June 25, Pleasants men, working with improvised tools, began digging the mine shaft. Digging continuously, the shaft reached 511 feet by July 17. During this time, the Confederates became suspicious when they heard the faint sound of digging. Sinking countermines, they came close to locating the 48ths shaft. The Union Plan Having stretched the shaft under Elliotts Salient, the miners began digging a 75-foot lateral tunnel that paralleled the earthworks above. Completed on July 23, the mine was filled with 8,000 pounds of black powder four days later. As the miners were working, Burnside had been developing his attack plan. Selecting Brigadier General Edward Ferreros division of United States Colored Troops to lead the assault, Burnside had them drilled in the use of ladders and instructed them to move along the sides of the crater to secure the breach in the Confederate lines. With Ferraros men holding the gap, Burnsides other divisions would cross to exploit the opening and take the city. To support the assault, Union guns along the line were ordered to open fire following the explosion and a large demonstration was made against Richmond to draw off enemy troops. This latter action worked particularly well as there were only 18,000 Confederate troops in Petersburg when the attack began. Upon learning that Burnside intended to lead with his black troops, Meade intervened fearing that if the attack failed he would be blamed for the needless death of these soldiers. Last Minute Changes Meade informed Burnside on July 29, the day before the attack, that he would not permit Ferreros men to spearhead the assault. With little time remaining, Burnside had his remaining division commanders draw straws. As a result, the ill-prepared division of Brigadier General James H. Ledlie was given the task. At 3:15 AM on July 30, Pleasants lit the fuse to the mine. After an hour of waiting without any explosion, two volunteers entered the mine to find problem. Finding that the fuse had gone out, they re-lit it and fled the mine. A Union Failure At 4:45 AM, the charge detonated killing at least 278 Confederate soldiers and creating a crater 170 feet long, 60-80 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. As the dust settled, Ledlies attack was delayed by the need to remove obstructions and debris. Finally moving forward, Ledlies men, who had not been briefed on the plan, charged down into the crater rather than around it. Initially using the crater for cover, they soon found themselves trapped and unable advance. Rallying, Confederate forces in the area moved along the rim of the crater and opened fire on the Union troops below. Seeing the attack failing, Burnside pushed Ferreros division in to the fray. Joining the confusion in the crater, Ferreros men endured heavy fire from the Confederates above. Despite the disaster in the crater, some Union troops succeeded in moving along the right edge of the crater and entered the Confederate works. Ordered by Lee to contain the situation, the division of Major General William Mahone launched a counterattack around 8:00 AM. Moving forward, they drove Union forces back to the crater after bitter fighting. Gaining the slopes of crater, Mahones men compelled the Union troops below to flee back to their own lines. By 1:00 PM, most of the fighting had concluded. Aftermath The disaster at the Battle of the Crater cost the Union around 3,793 killed, wounded, and captured, while the Confederates incurred around 1,500. While Pleasants was commended for his idea, the resulting attack had failed and the armies remained stalemated at Petersburg for another eight months. In the wake of the attack, Ledlie (who may have been drunk at the time) was removed from command and dismissed from the service. On August 14, Grant also relieved Burnside and sent him on leave. He would not receive another command during the war. Grant later testified that though he supported Meades decision to withdraw Ferreros division, he believed that if the black troops had been permitted to lead the attack, the battle would have resulted in a victory.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Talking Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Talking Styles - Essay Example 1). The more sync functions words are used by partners, the more their relationships are sustained; the lesser the match, the greater the indication of waning relationship. I definitely agree to the results of the research that language style matching is an indication of people liking each other through the same manner of speech, the same words chosen for conversation, and the same level of conversational competencies. However, in addition to the function words that were indicated, I believe that the similarity in background or experiences contribute to the similarity in words or topics for everyday conversations. The results of the Language Style Matching (LSM) developed by Pennebaker Conglomerates, Inc. which tested the similarity of languages used by me and a close friend generated an above average score of 0.76, which, according to the website determines the level of similarity between us using language as the parameter (Pennebaker Conglemerates, Inc., N.D. ). Again, I agree beca use this close friend of mine had been sharing life’s experiences and the joys and trials of life for a long time now.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Garbology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Garbology - Essay Example At the end of each grounds lane, there is a huge bin where tenants are expected to dump their waste so as the truck can empty each night. Considering that garbology is an essential part in my education, I attempted to analyze the garbage in the bin one morning as part of my assignment. I realized a bag that had been left outside the bin in a torn paper bag and was so sure it belonged to our recent neighbor. I took my gloves and a mask and another paper bag so that as I go through the waste, I will put it in a better paper and throw it in the main bin. When I started collecting the scattered trash, I came across so different items that caught my eyes. There were wastes from fruits, plastic yoghourt bottles, cereal boxes, top loading sheet protectors, ink jet print transparencies, old magazines and a book. The top loading sheet protectors had been disposed of in large volumes. I concluded that there are people who live in the house and work inside the house too. The sheets had been stuck to each other and seemed to be no longer usable. The protectors were along a file a file with the name of a company called HSBC that made me conclude that in the house there lived a banker, and his name was Mr. McDonald. The Jet ink transparencies had cartoon characters drawn on it. This made me conclude that there is one of the family members that is I the creative field and is involved in coming up with comics or probably works for the media that requires cartoons. One of the transparencies had with it the name Jack. In addition, the cartoon that was drawn was one in a recent blog that talks about teenagers in a website for teens. This communicated that I the house there is a teenager who is creative and concentrates on drawing cartoons. The old magazines seemed to be women oriented. This communicates that there is existence of women in the house who are focused on fashion. Another