Ancient Flood Stories (Problems for Critical Scholarship) Essay

Ancient Flood Stories (Problems for Critical Scholarship) - Essay Example However, it is not an easy task to find out the important details of these flood stories because of their extreme antiquity and the lack of supporting evidence except for a few broken shards or fragments of pottery that detail these flood stories. It is unswervingly a very daunting task indeed to verify the stories that will anchor them on historical details as many of these stories are seemingly myths or legends. This brief paper examines some of the challenges encountered in critical scholarship of stories like great floods which occurred a long time ago and for which records are incomplete. Discussion The aim of critical scholarship is to set historical records straight but problems are inevitable when the records are themselves incomplete or at times even contradictory. Many scholars, academicians, historians and archaeologists realize these limitations but still try to carry on with the task. In this regard, to claim certainty in the absence of corroborating pieces of evidence i s not only risky but also considered as reckless in terms of academic scholarship. To refer to something without a degree of certainty is likewise faulty, even deceptive. Several issues with regards to critical scholarship concerning these ancient flood stories pertain to the provenance of these stories, their lack of correspondence and the contradictions, the use of varying terms or emergence of several versions by different authors that hinders the task. The two most famous and well-read flood stories are that of the Biblical Noah's Ark and the Epic of Gilgamesh. The latter predates the former by a good thousand years or more, going back to at least the period of an actual king named Gilgamesh who had ruled a kingdom of Uruk in ancient Sumeria at around 2700 B.C.E. (before current era) but was written down on clay tablets only at around 2000 B.C.E. which were discovered only fairly recently in the libraries of King Ashurbanipal, who ruled around 700 B.C.E. by a young British museu m curator named George Smith back in 1872 and translated even much later (Mitchell 4). It is a story considered as the oldest-ever written story but what is even more remarkable is that it is very similar to Noah's Ark, especially the story about an immortal named Utnapishtim and a massive flood in his time. There are also many other similar stories about a great deluge in other cultures, namely that of the massive waters released by the Greek god Zeus, the Chinese version of a deluge in the great central river valley of the mighty Yangtze and the Indian story of Manu mentioned in ancient Sanskrit religious texts dating back to around 600 B.C.E. These stories have a familiar theme, the futility of fighting against the force of Nature or the powers of God although the themes may vary a bit, depending on context (History-world.org 1). Provenance – as stated earlier, the exact or precise origins of these flood stories defy even scholars and historians because of the passage of e xtremely long periods of time, dating back to antiquity itself. Based only on fragmentary records, with many pieces of evidence lacking, the best that can be done is make a conjecture or an approximation of their origins. It believed that the Epic of Gilgamesh is actually a literary masterpiece constructed by several authors and not just one writer, the story embellished with each successive re-telling. In many instances, the similarities between the Noahic story and Gilgamesh made historians surmise it was actually copied and translated into Hebrew by Moses circa 1450 B.C.E. and the Israelites brought

Researching a career Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Researching a career - Essay Example A typical job of an accountant is an 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. routine schedule, Mondays to Fridays, or a traditional 40-hour per week full time position. A typical day would involve the following activities: working in front of the computers, processing relevant accounting information, communicating with peers and superiors, preparation of financial reports (including encoding, updating, forecasting), solving problems related to accounting, and maintaining close interaction and collaboration with other stakeholders in the organization (Summary Report for Accountants). The education requirements for this career are: a bachelor’s degree in accounting or business administration. Passing board examinations to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA); and certifications or licenses sought from various accounting organizations and agencies, such as the: Institute of Management Accountants, Institute of Internal Auditors, and Information Systems Audit and Control Association, to name a few. Accordingly, the prospects for this career is optimistic: â€Å"employment of accountants and auditors is projected to grow 13 percent from 2012 to 2022, about as fast as the average for all occupations† (Bureau of Labor Statistics: Job Outlook par. 1). This was corroborated by information from the O*Net Online that indicated average growth prospects ranging from 8% to 14% for the years 2012 to 2022 (Summary Report for Accountants). The most challenging parts of the career would be during times of audit; when the organization they serve is being monitored, evaluated, and reviewed by external auditors to verify the accuracy of the financial reports being disclosed. Likewise, it was also noted that â€Å"longer hours are typical at certain times of the year, such as at the end of the budget year or during tax season† (Bureau of Labor Statistics: Work Enviroment par. 2). The most rewarding things about the career include being

The Significance and Impact of the Olympic Games Essay

The Significance and Impact of the Olympic Games - Essay Example which were core elements of Greek military training (Wilson, 2000). The games were considered of such importance that thousands of people would turn up to see the games even when there is war like situation in the region. During such sporting events, all concerned were bound by the Olympic spirit and allowed competitors to travel safely to the venue of the games. This spirit has continued over the years. The ancient games continued till about 393 BC when they were banned, but the sporting spirit once again made sure that another edition of the games began in late 19th Century AD. The history of modern Olympic movement can be traced back to 1896 when the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in Athens. The recently held Beijing Olympic games is still fresh in the memory of all of us for the spectacular show put forth by the Chinese organisers and the intense competition that took place within the sporting arena. The Olympic Charter states1, "Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles." This in essence sums up the spirit behind the Olympic movement. The Olympic Charter, established by Pierre ... rimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play." The Olympic charter helps in governing the organisation and running of the Olympic movement and sets the requisite terms and conditions for hosting the games. The games are therefore organised with such a spirit that irrespective of the nationality of winners and losers, the games leave such an imprint on all the competitors that they forget all their competitive rivalry and make room for the sportsmanship. London won the hosting rights for the 2012 Olympic Games after a comprehensive and prolonged procedure followed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in line with the Olympic Charter (Chapter 5, Rule 34 and its bye-law - page 70). This procedure basically comprises of two phases; Phase 1: Applicant Cities - under this phase the applicant cities are asked to respond to a detailed questionnaire, which are then evaluated by the IOC to finalise the candidate cities eligible to compete in the second phase. Phase 2: Candidate Cities - under this phase the candidate cities are asked to come out with a candidature file detailing their plans, following the instructions given by the IOC. Each file is then analysed by the IOC Evaluation Commission and a final report is prepared with a list of cities ready for being voted as the chosen one. The summer Olympic Programs are supposed to contain a minimum of fifteen events decided by the IOC. Except in cases of unforeseen circumstances3, 'the Program of sports and disciplines is finalized seven years before each Olympic Games, and the Program of events is finalized four years before the Games'. London has also undergone through a lengthy procedure and finally on 6th July 2005, the

Group Decision-making Techniques Recommended to Lieutenant Coleman J Case Study - 1

Group Decision-making Techniques Recommended to Lieutenant Coleman J. Karras - Case Study Example Brainstorming would be the perfect way to get things started for Mr. Karras with his group as he doesn’t have much idea about his new graphic arts department. It would be better if he complies strictly with Osborn’s method of brainstorming in an orthodox fashion.   Withholding criticism, combining and improving ideas, welcoming unusual ideas and focusing on quantity will be the most effective four principles that can be incorporated into this task. The situation demands to work in a group where Mr. Karras doesn’t have much idea about the bureau and what works and what doesn’t, therefore the only way for him to have a say is without anyone criticizing to his ideas on the spot because when that happens, it stops the flow of new ideas, bad ideas can be sifted out later on. And it is always a good plan to merge raw ideas and make them converge to form one big idea. As far as welcoming unusual ideas are concerned, that is much needed as much is expected of Mr. Karras if he wants to live up to his reputation. This bureau is a laughing stock for the police department and a lot of work needs to be done towards improvement, therefore without some unusual ideas that are both efficient and feasible, setting things right will take a lot of time and that can damage the name of Mr. Karras. Focusing on quantity will deliver quick measurable results. Mr. Karras just need to make sure that reviewing of group ideas should discard t he bad suggestions. The results will be achieved better by brainstorming than using any other group decision-making technique like the Nominal Group Technique and Delphi Technique as both require some form of expert reasoning in the initial stages and Mr. Karras is quite new to this department. Brainstorming will help get the graphics art bureau back on track. It is the fastest method to innovate something in an old department that had been abandoned due to lack of appropriate management techniques.  Ã‚  

Presidential Election Essay Example for Free

Presidential Election Essay The democratic government of the United States of America has a different and unique of electing the head of their State. The use of Electoral College has been going on for tow centuries now. This electoral process has been used for many years. Many president of USA seated and led America because of this process Thou there are amendments in this process, still some critics finds this process unfair and unjust in choosing the president of the country. How Does Electoral College Work? The Electoral College is a process that was founded to compromise between election of the president by Congress and election by popular vote. In this process, each State is allocated a number of electors equal to the number of its U. S. Senators (always 2) plus the number of its U. S. Representatives. Instead of voting directly for a presidential candidate (and his or her vice-presidential running mate), voters vote for a slate of electors who are pledged to vote for a particular presidential ticket (president/vice-president team). The political parties in each state select a slate of electors. The electors selected by the party of the candidate winning the most popular votes in a state become the electors for that state. The number of electors for a State is based on the number of members in the House of Representatives who represent the State, plus two for the States Senators. The State’s population determines a State’s Congressional delegation (Nara, 2006). The number of electors is determined by Article II, section 1 paragraph 2 of the constitution (Fortier, 2004). These electors are selected by popular vote and (except in Maine and Nebraska) these popular votes are combined on a statewide basis. States may divide themselves into presidential electors, districts and combined the vote within each district. But in Maine and Nebraska, it was required that some lectors to be chosen in districts and some at large. Which ever the case maybe, the electoral vote of the state can be divided and cast for more than one presidential and vice presidential candidate (Fortier, 2004) The process is administered by the National Achieves and Records Administration (NARA) through the Office of the Federal Register. In United States elections they do not tally the total number of votes cast across the nations, instead they count it state-by-state. The candidate in the a Presidential election wins by getting the majority number of electoral votes. Because of this, a Presidential candidate who win the popular vote is likely to lose if he lost in the electoral vote. This happened in several occasions in the history if the United States. One of the recent was the 2000 Presidential Election between Bush and Gore. In cases that there is none of the candidate get the majority of votes, the congress chooses the President and the Senate chooses the Vice- President. If in case there have not chosen any president and vice president on the inauguration day then the next in line will act as the temporary president until the time they have chosen one. After the vice president, the rightful leader is the Speaker of the House then the President of the Senate. The 2000 Presidential Elections In the United States, the most â€Å"popular votes† does not always win. In 2000, presidential election where Al Gore won the popular vote, but he does not became the president of the United States because through a complex system involving representative votes, as well as a favorable court ruling he lost to George Bush. Only five 538 citizens really vote to choose for the president and vice president. This 200 hundred years old history of the Electoral College system is gathering so many negative reviews and proposal for reforms and amendments. According to Kimberling (2002) many critics have said that said that this process has many disadvantage and some of them are the following: †¢ The possibility of electing a minority president †¢ The risk of so-called faithless Electors †¢ The possible role of the Electoral College in depressing voter turnout, and †¢ Its failure to accurately reflect the national popular will. But there are people who believe in the efficieny of the system and state the following arguments: †¢ contributes to the cohesiveness of the country by requiring a distribution of popular support to be elected president †¢ enhances the status of minority interests, †¢ contributes to the political stability of the nation by encouraging a two party system, and †¢ maintains a federal system of government and representation. Conclusion The Electoral College System has been used for the past 200 hundred years in the election in the United States. The legislative body in USA must remember that time is changing and the system that was applicable 200 hundred years ago may not be applicasble anymore in the process of electing a president. Especially now, with the height of different technologies that can be used by the candidates for their advantage. It is good that they review and revised and if not totally abolished this system. They should be creative and resourceful enough to find the most suitable process of electing the president of the United States because it is the most important office in the United States of America References Fortier, John C. (2004) After the People Vote. American Enterprise Institute. 1:3 Kimberling, William (2002) The Electoral College. Retrieved on November 26, 2006. http://www. fec. gov/pdf/eleccoll. pdf NARA (2006) What is Electoral College. Retrieved on November 26, 2006. http://www. archives. gov/federal-register/electoral-college/electors. html

Fixing the debt crisis in Greece Essay Example for Free

Fixing the debt crisis in Greece Essay Introduction: Central Idea: American officials exhorted their European counterparts to use Europe’s own resources to try to solve the crisis. Preview: Echoing past statements, Sarkozy and Merkel said banks should first raise money from the private sector before seeking state aid or money from the EU bailout fund. These issues must all be resolved, Merkel said. Its a painful process. Sarkozy stressed that the leaders are fully aware of their responsibilities, saying they have a moral, political and economical obligation to act decisively. The leaders are also working on how best to leverage the European Financial Stability Facility. The â‚ ¬440 billion fund, which was recently granted the power to intervene in sovereign debt markets and provide loans for governments that need to recapitalize banks, is widely seen as needing additional firepower. Its important to boost the emergency fund to protect the euro, said Merkel. But many EU governments have ruled out backing the fund up with additional loan guarantees. CANNES, France — President Obama plunged Thursday into the fast-moving European debt crisis, arriving here to exhort European leaders to get their financial house in order. But while the president hustled from meeting to meeting with world leaders, he was in many ways thrust into the rare position of bystander, as the unfolding drama over whether the Greek government would fall (it did not) and whether Greece would back the comprehensive accord to protect the euro reached last week (it will, at least for now) dominated conversations in the hallways and conference rooms here in this iconic seaside town. The grand Espace Riviera is more accustomed to red-carpet arrivals by movie stars and hangers-on for the Cannes Film Festival; on Thursday it was transformed instead into ground zero for blue-suited bureaucrats grappling with a financial crisis and the global contagion that it threatened. Instead of Angelina Jolie posing before the paparazzi, it was Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany holding a frozen smile as she greeted Mr. Obama in front of the cameras. There was little preening before the hundreds of reporters gathered from all over the world; President Nicolas Sarkozy of France quickly swept Mr. Obama into a meeting to discuss how to try to stop the unfolding Greek drama from turning into a tragedy, for global markets at least. Mr. Obama arrived early Thursday morning and, during an initial meeting with Mr. Sarkozy, he called the European financial crisis the most important task for world leaders gathered at the Group of 20 economic summit meeting. For Mr. Obama, the stakes are high. He has called the European financial crisis the largest headwind facing the American economic recovery, and he knows that his own re-election prospects are tied to how well the American economy does. But at the same time, his leverage is limited. In public, Mr. Obama largely stuck to his administration’s official message that Europe’s leaders must â€Å"flesh out details† about the plan they agreed to last week in Brussels to deal with the debt crisis in the 17 European Union countries that use the euro. But American officials, including Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, were huddled in private with their European counterparts trying to hash out an agreement that, at the very least, would stop the disintegration under way in Greece from spreading toItaly and Spain, a contagion that could further stymie America’s own anemic economic recovery. American officials exhorted their European counterparts to use Europe’s own resources to try to solve the crisis, instead of seeking bailout help from China. Obama administration officials point to the steps that the United States took to try to address its own financial crisis over the past three years. â€Å"Look, we went through this ourselves,† an Obama administration official said on Thursday, speaking on grounds of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. â€Å"They have the capacity to handle this within Europe.† Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said that the 2008 Wall Street crisis could provide insight on steps Europe should take. He maintained that the United States remains influential in advising its allies on how to deal with the problem, even if the United States is in no position to provide financial support. â€Å"The United States, obviously, has a great deal of influence, because of who we are and the role we play i n the global economy, and globally in general,† Mr. Carney said in a news briefing on Wednesday. â€Å"I would not discount the significance of the experience that we have in terms of its usefulness to the Europeans.† The Obama administration is not eager to see an increase in the resources sent by the International Monetary Fund to Europe; that might further mute American influence as the additional resources would most likely not come from the United States, but rather from Asia — and most likely China. â€Å"The I.M.F. has a substantial amount of resources to deal with a range of challenges in Europe and around the world,† said Benjamin Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser for strategic communications. Michael Froman, the deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, said the turmoil in Greece and uncertainty over how exactly Europe plans to carry out its accord to cut Greece’s debt and shore up its finances â€Å"underscores the need to move rapidly toward the full elaboration and implementation of the plan.† Specifically, Mr. Froman said that the United States wants to make sure that Europe has â€Å"a firewall that is sufficiently r obust and effective ensuring the crisis does not spread from one country to another.† Mr. Froman said the United States was also trying to make sure that attention was also paid to stimulating economic growth, both in Greece and throughout the euro zone. Part of the anger among Greek citizens has stemmed from a belief that the euro agreement focuses more on Greek austerity and repaying the banks than on growth, a balance that many people fear could lead to higher unemployment rates as the Greek government cuts public sector jobs to pay its creditors and stabilize its finances. â€Å"I think right now the highest priority in Greece is stabilizing the situation,† Mr. Froman said. â€Å"But the program that Greece has is also about reforming its system and engaging in structural reforms, so that it could become more competitive and therefore grow as part of the euro area.† NEW YORK (CNNMoney) Europes top leaders said Sunday that they were getting closer to finalizing a plan to solve Europes debt crisis. But with a final agreement not expected before Wednesday, the actual details remained under wraps. The technical complexities are significant, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy, adding that there are large amounts of money involved. The European Council, comprising government heads from all 27 members of the European Union, met Sunday in Brussels to hammer out a plan to boost capital levels for banks, enhance a government-backed rescue fund and provide debt relief for Greece. Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Sarkozy said in a midday press conference that the leaders had made progress on the ambitious and durable response to the long-running crisis. We would not be meeting on Wednesday if we were not really trying this time, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told CNN. Meanwhile, Merkel noted that EU finance ministers had made progress over the weekend on a solution for capital-starved banks. In principle, the finance ministers have agreed to funnel about â‚ ¬100 billion into banks to boost capital levels. But Merkel added that strengthening banks without resolving the debt crisis in Greece and supporting other nations with unsustainable debts will not work. Europes debt crisis: full coverageEchoing past statements, Sarkozy and Merkel said banks should first raise money from the private sector before seeking state aid or money from the EU bailout fund. These issues must all be resolved, Merkel said. Its a painful process. Sarkozy stressed that the leaders are fully aware of their responsibilities, saying they have a moral, political and economical obligation to act decisively. The leaders are also working on how best to leverage the European Financial Stability Facility. The â‚ ¬440 billion fund, which was recently granted the power to intervene in sovereign debt markets and provide loans for governments that need to recapitalize banks, is widely seen as needing additional firepower. Its important to boost the emergency fund to protect the euro, said Merkel. But many EU governments have ruled out backing the fund up with additional loan guarantees.

Procurement And Contract Advice For Clients Construction Essay

Procurement And Contract Advice For Clients Construction Essay This section of the report outlines both traditional and design and build forms of procurement to aid clients in understanding and selecting the appropriate method. Traditional Procurement: The most well known and widely accepted form of procurement in the construction industry. Traditional procurement caters for all types of client from individuals constructing a project for the first time too large complex projects where the function of the building is paramount. Traditional Organisation Client / Employer Contractor Subcontractors Employers Agent Quantity Surveyor Architect Civil / Structural Engineer Other Designers Contractual LinkThe traditional organisation diagram highlights how contractual links are formed within traditional procurement. As the client you are contractually bound to the design team. This is important and should be considered seriously as the contractor is at no direct contractual link to the architect. The primary procurement method in traditional procurement is the two stages tender. Initially the client must produce a brief which outlines what your requirements. This must include relevant figures such as budget and time constraints. Now a team of consultants needs to be appointed, this will comprise primarily of an architect who will guide you through the design and construction processes. Other members will need to be appointed based on the scope of the project. These include a quantity, structural engineer and a clients representative on larger projects. (Stage one) Design and tender documents can now be produced. A select number of contractors will be invited to tender on the partially completed tender documents. This will include a build up of the price of the project via a document called the bill of quantities. (Stage Two) A contractor is now selected based upon the price and having the relevant resources required to complete the project. The contractor now has involvement with the design team to negotiate a finalised price for completing the construction works. Also he can have involvement in finalising the design. This form of procurement is considered low risk as the risks to overspending, delays and failures in the design are reduced. This can only be achieved however, if the design has been thoroughly produced by the architect and completion date targets specified are unreasonable. Design and Build procurement: This procurement method differs from traditional procurement as the contractor is largely responsible for the design work. This relieves some of the contractual pressure on the client. With the contractor being involved in the project from the design stage it allows their expertise to be incorporated into the design phases. One of the largest advantages to design and build is the reduced time scale that projects can run to. Design information can be still being produced while construction work commences. This doesnt come without its risks however. Client / Employer Contractor Subcontractors Employers Agent Quantity Surveyor Architect Civil / Structural Engineer Other Designers Design and Build Organisation Tendering for design and build projects is more costly than traditional projects therefore the number of contractors tendering is reduced. This is due to the time and resources it takes for a contractor to produce the relevant design and pricing information. Cash flow within a design and build project can be more substantial in the beginning than traditional as the contractor requires money for the design as well as construction. This is also due to larger risk being imposed on the event of an issue in the design being raised by the client as the contractor is the first point of contact. This will then cover the costs of having to transfer this information. This is not required in traditional forms of procurement as the client is in direct contact with the architect. Types of Contract (The information for types of contract has been cited from deciding on the appropriate JCT contract 2008 available from the CIS published by Sweet Maxwell limited) Traditional: Lump sum contracts The agreed sum of construction is agreed based on a design and specification. A bill of quantities is produced for the contractors to price the works. Measurement contracts The end price of the construction works is not agreed until the end of the construction project. Cost reimbursement contracts Price of labour, plant and materials is calculated at the end of the project. Overheads and profit is then added onto this. Design and Build: Package deal or turnkey contract A package is selected usually from a set standard of specification from a contractor. Design and Build contracts This form of contract will cover the contractors obligations to the design and build of the project. JCT Standard building contract with quantities: This form of contract is suitable for the traditional procurement method. The client must appoint an architect, contract administrator and quantity surveyor to administer the work. Contractors will tender the works based on the drawings and a set of bill of quantities. Design and build contract: Standard form of contract for design and build works. Contractor is principally responsible for the design and construction of the project. Partnering: JCT contract also provides an outline for setting up a partnering agreement between select members of a construction project. Everyone throughout the supply chain is bound to the agreement to work collaboratively and to have everyone best interests in mind. This should be considered as a form of contract that Hotels R Us should look into in the future when they have sufficient experience in the industry. ICE This form of contract is suitable for civil engineering works such as bridges, roads and dams. The project will be designed by a team of engineers and qualified contractors will tender for the work. The engineer is the principal administrator acting on behalf of the client. NEC 3 compensation and event clauses The NEC 3 contract was derived from Ice form of contract. The principle goals of the NEC contract are to provide a contract that is flexible, simple and clear to understand. There are many different types of NEC contract which cover traditional and design and build types of procurement. This section is going to cover early warning procedures, compensation and event clauses. Early warning clauses can be found in section 16 of the NEC contract. These are basically a set of rules that the project manager and contractor must adhere to when they are aware of a cost or time issue on the project. It is there duty under contract to notify one and other and request an Early warning meeting which relevant members should be invited such as the client, architect or quantity surveyor. During these meeting the issue will be discussed and the relevant actions that need to be taken should be appointed. The advantages to this system of traditional methods of the contractor submitting a formal notice is that issues can be resolved in the most economically viable method, this offers clients more safety in terms of cash flow. Compensation events are covered in section 60 of the contract. These are claims made by the contractor requesting either more time or money for the project. The project manager can also notify the contractor if he is aware of such an issue. NEC3 outlines the methodology behind compensation events, the contract has eight weeks to notify being aware of a compensation event and must make a claim within this period. As a client entering into the construction industry for the first time it is often difficult to understand how and why construction projects can run over budget and cost more money. The compensation events detailed in the NEC3 contract try to justify how such events can occur.