conflict between islam and christianity essays

conflict between islam and christianity essays The Conflict Between Christendom And Islam Since Islam came into being, it has clashed numerously with the already established Christianity. Their rivalry has never ceased until today. Modern Examples would be Bosnia and Lebanon. There were not only military clashes but political as well as economical. Although, the rivalry was incredibly intense, ironically, Arabic or Islamic culture managed to severely influence the Christian kingdoms. However, Christianity used all the advantages provided by Islam to their advantage and through that they managed to keep the Arabs at bay. Islamic civilization and its rise were thanks to one man and that is the last prophet, Prophet Muhammad. Islam came into being in 622AD and it was the last of the great civilizations. Islam managed to push the Arabs into a new kind of Unity , which at the same time spread far beyond Arabia, Persians, Indians, North African countries and parts of Europe came under its domination. The Arabs managed to capture most of the most powerful economic areas. In the Mediterranean their navy conquered Cyprus and crippled Byzantine sea power. They first clashed with the Christians when they tried to besiege Constantinople. In 711 they started their raids into Spain and in 716 they conquered it. They tried to conquer France but the Franks under the leader Charles Martel handed the Arabs their first defeat. From the end of the 7th century till the middle of the 11th, the Mediterranean remained something of a Muslim lake and western trade with East Asia wasnt cut off during these centuries, it was significantly diminished and carried on in awareness of Muslim dominance. ( Craig, Graham, Kagan, Turner, The heritage of western civ. In the early Middle Ages the main power in Europe was always the Pope and later in the 700s it was shared with Charlemagne. The combination of these two managed to...

Common Family Myths and Stories

Common Family Myths and Stories Nearly every family has a cherished story or two regarding their distant ancestors - one that has been handed down from generation to generation. While some of these stories probably have a lot of truth in them, others are actually more myth than reality. Perhaps its a story that youre connected to Jesse James or a Cherokee princess, or that a town in the old country is named after your ancestors. How can you prove or disprove these family stories? Write Them Down Hidden in the embellishments of your familys story are probably at least a few grains of truth. Ask all of your relatives about the famous legend, and write down everything they tell you - no matter how insignificant it may seem. Compare the different versions, looking for inconsistencies, as they may indicate those parts are less likely to be rooted in fact. Ask for Backup Ask your relatives if they know of any items or records which may help document the family story. It doesnt often happen, but sometimes if the story has been carefully handed down from generation to generation, then other items may have been preserved as well. Consider the Source Is the person telling the story someone who was in a position to have experienced the event first-hand? If not, ask them who they got the story from and attempt to work your way back to the original source. Is this relative known as the storyteller in the family? Often good storytellers are more likely to embellish a story so as to elicit a favorable response. Bone Up on History Spend some time reading about the history of the time, place or person which relates to your familys story or legend. Background historical knowledge may help you prove or disprove the legend. Its unlikely that your great, great Grandfather was a Cherokee, for example, if he lived in Michigan in 1850. Test Your DNA While your genes may not have all the answers, a DNA test may be able to help you prove or disprove a family legend. DNA can help you determine if you descend from a particular ethnic group, your family came from a particular region, or you share a common ancestor with a particular person. Common Genealogy Myths Legends The Three Brothers MythIts always three brothers. Brothers who immigrated to America, and then headed out in different directions. Never more or less than three, and never sisters either. This is one of the favorite of all genealogy legends, and one that very rarely turns out to be true. The Cherokee Indian Princess StoryNative American ancestry is a fairly common family story  and one which may actually turn out to be true. But there really isnt such a thing as a Cherokee princess, and isnt it funny that it is almost never a Navaho, Apache, Sioux or Hopi princess? Our Name Was Changed at Ellis IslandThis is one of the most common myths found in American family history, but it actually almost never happened. Passenger lists were actually created at the port of departure, where the native names were easily understood. Its very likely the family name may have been changed at some point, but it probably didnt happen at Ellis Island. Family Inheritance MythThere are a lot of variations on this popular family story, but very rarely do they turn out to be true. Some of these myths have their roots in the numerous inheritance scams of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, while others may reflect a hope or belief that the family is related to royalty or a famous (rich) family by the same name. Unfortunately, the family inheritance story is often used by scammers to trick people out of their money.

Object and Data Modelling Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Object and Data Modelling - Assignment Example The participants accessing the system, who can be either the diver or the customer, are both required to register on the system or sign up with their personal information. Personal information comprises of the names, sex, the users year of birth, mobile number, and email addresses of the system end users. The system is divided into a driver and client subsystem that categorically showcase the attributes and features required by the system. The registration details for sign up process are mandatory in order to allow automatic validation of the end user. The end users are expected to input additional information to support the subsequent data required for completing the sub-functions of the system. The sub-functions of the system simply include and extend other higher functions or authority within the system (SHOVAL 2007). For example getting registered on the system extends to being validated by the system. Including other use cases helps to reduce duplication of system functionalities for each user, therefore, describing other detailed parts of the system in the use case makes it easy to understand the hierarchy of actors (system end users) in the car sharing system as well. An activity diagram relatively represents the flow of information within the system showing and illustrating the sequence of activities. The conditions for the information for each activity can also be described within an activity diagram. In the case of the Car sharing system, the activity diagrams that are presented include that of the Registration and Payment process. The activity diagram shows the start and stop process for each particular activity. Designing an activity diagram requires the coordination of execution of sub-functions using a control and data flow model. The activity diagram developed and created in this particular case invokes other activities via a level of hierarchy that executes and resolves particular functions (GEORGE 2007). For

Nanomaterials in Consumer Products Research Paper

Nanomaterials in Consumer Products - Research Paper Example Before delving deep into the topic, it is crucial that the reader understands a few concepts in relation to nanomaterials. Nanotechnology, to begin with, refers to the control of the structure and behavior of matter at the atomic or molecular level. This is done so as to create new functions of the materials, systems, or devices from a bottom-up approach. The use of nanotechnology uses the concepts such as those that dictate the different behavior of matter at different sizes. For example, gold is yellow in color, however, the color changes in relation to the sizes of the plates as that determine their ability to reflect light. In nanotechnology, very small materials are used, smaller than 100nm in size (Roduner 503). For the sake of the paper, and for an elaboration of how small a nanometer is, it should be known that the particle is equal to 10 hydrogen atoms. A grain of sand, on the other hand, equals to a million nanometers. Materials equal to these sizes are known as nanomateria ls and are now being used in physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, engineering, and material science. Carbon exists in every form imaginable. The basic composition of glucose, for instance, is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The air that plants use so that they can produce glucose or starch, also, has to contain carbon in the form of carbon dioxide. To add to that, carbon forms a critical part of fossil fuels. In fact, the fuels are known as hydrocarbons because they contain carbon as a basic component.  Ã‚  

Change & Continuity over Time of Religion in Europe from the 1500-1900 Essay Example for Free

Change Continuity over Time of Religion in Europe from the 1500-1900 Essay The period between 1500 to 1900 also refers to the time period from the Middle Ages to the modern world. The period witnessed significant strides in state building in England, France, and Spain, where growing bureaucracies levied taxes to finance large-scale warfare and territorial expansion. At the same time encroachment on the longstanding powers of the nobility caused feudal reaction, while the breach with tradition, particularly by creating new taxes in an era plagued by war, famine, and disease, caused peasants to revolt. A number of historical trends emerged to give the period clear definition: the fragmentation of Christianity and growing secularism; pronounced demographic and economic fluctuation; the development of the European state system; and the emergence of a global, Europe-centered system of production and trade. In the second decade of the sixteenth century, the Christian church experienced the first in a series of religious divisions along geographic lines. The sequence of splits, beginning in the Holy Roman Empire and spreading to the whole of Europe by the end of the century, transformed the relationship of the reformed churches with state, society, and the people. Christianity also spread to the indigenous people of the Americas and Asia. There was a strong desire for religious unity, marked by mandatory conversions of Moors and Jews to Catholicism in Spain and an enthusiastic missionary effort both in Europe and abroad. At the same time in nearly every area of Europe religious conflict and calls for a redistribution of power became virtually unavoidable, causing crisis in authority at state and local levels. Religious evangelism encouraged stronger spiritual education of young people. During the same time period, the advances of scientific information provided new, conflicting methods of learning. For this reason, children of educated classes were brought up in a world of competing models of knowledge advanced by churchmen and scientists, while the children of ordinary people were exposed to combinations of evangelical claims, folk wisdom, and the overpowering and repressive Reformation churches. Protestant and Catholic teachers tried to clarify and define the boundaries of official doctrine. Their interactions with the commoners caused serious tensions. Popular beliefs were judged as pagan. Evangelists tried to impose religious uniformity and eliminate groups or individuals who could not be brought into the mainstream Christianity. In particular, the office of the Holy Inquisition denied the lay peoples claims to spiritual powers in an effort to give all powers to the clergy. It was an attempt to take away the spiritual dimension of the lay people, medicine and science. The religious campaign to denounce magic and witchcraft helped prepare the ground for the late-seventeenth-century and eighteenth-century scientific claims that the cosmos was mechanized. In the modern age, science would undermine magical beliefs and reduce the spiritual influence of the clergy. The religious Reformation, together with the critical and undemocratic nature of Renaissance humanism, shattered the unity of intellectual thought, developments that were vital to the advancement of science. The discovery of new worlds and people and that the earth was round; the invention of movable type; the development of firearms and of a lens that improved the visibility of the stars and planets; improved mechanical clocks; and the development of shipbuilding and navigation opened up new intellectual perspectives and methods of discovery that relied increasingly on rational thinking rather than religion. Scientists made new claims to authority and objectivity, and began explaining the world in mechanical terms. Separating the observable world from the spiritual sphere represented a fundamental shift in thought. To see the world operating on basic principles discoverable by reason created hope that humans could control their environment, a change in attitude that helped pave the way for nineteenth-century industrialization.

temptopia Theme of Utopianism in The Tempest Essay -- The Tempest Essa

Theme of Utopianism in The Tempest      Ã‚   One traditional theme of The Tempest is Utopianism. Whether it be of physical significance, as Walter Cohen suggests in his essay "Shakespeare and Calderon in an Age of Transition," or of literary significance, as Judith Boss suggests in her essay "The Golden Age, Cockaigne, and Utopia in the The Faerie Queene and The Tempest," it is an important piece of literature in contribution to Utopianism. Judith Boss does an excellent job in breaking down Utopianism within The Tempest into three different categories, the Golden Age, Cockaigne, and Utopia. All three are implemented, or can be derived from The Tempest. In Walter Cohen’s essay, he suggests that Shakespeare wrote The Tempest by no coincidence near the end of his career and life because it was an argument, or representation, of what England’s foreign policy was. It also predetermined in a way where England was headed politically. Judith Boss does an exceptional critique of The Tempest in identifying Utopianism. She presents three classic forms of Utopianism and illustrates how they are represented in the play. Gonzalo’s speech can be seen as a representation of Montaign’s essay "Of the Caniballes." Gonzalo’s human nature and person can be viewed as a "normal man" in Cockaigne theory. And, Prospero’s actions and status on the island can be considered as a sort of political, philosophical Utopia. The Golden Age The whole idea of a Golden Age being possible is something that traces back in literary history through many plays, essays and other treatises carrying this theme. It became rather accelerated by the Renaissance writers who chose to implement it into their writings. The possibility of a Golden Age is taken with th... ...for this. She has been raised on the somewhat "utopian" island most of her conscious life. Even though I think that Shakespeare was trying to disprove a Utopia he leaves Miranda to represents man’s last hope and possibility for a utopia. Works Cited and Consulted Boss, Judith E. "The Golden Age, Cockaigne, and Utopia in The Faerie Queene and The Temepest." Georgia Review 26 (1972) 145-55. Cohen, Walter. "Shakespeare and Calderon in an Age of Transition." Genre 15 (1983), 123-37. Hill, Christopher. The World Turned Upside Down: Radical Ideas During the English Revolution. London: Temple Smith, 1972. Maus, Katherine Eisaman. "Arcadia Lost: Politics and Revision in the Restoration Tempest." Renaissance Drama 13 (1982): 189-209. Wolf, A. A History of Science, Technology and Philosophy in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Vol. 2. New York: Harper, 1959.

My Husband’s Lover

My Husband's Lover is a Filipino drama television series created and developed by Suzette Doctolero and produced by GMA Network. It premiered on June 10, 2013 on the network's coveted Primetime block. The series stars Carla Abellana, Tom Rodriguez and Dennis Trillo as the main characters. Carolyn Galve serves as the executive producer of show and Dominic Zapata directed the series. It is credited as the very first gay-themed series in Philippine television due to the series' central subject of homosexual relationships and infidelity. The show has multiple continuing story lines that tackle sensitive yet relevant social issues like homosexual and bisexual relationships, homophobia and the society's discrimination against homosexuals, infidelity, pre-marital sex and the consequences of early or unplanned marriages. It also tackles the importance of family, friendship, integrity and love. Vincent Soriano (Tom Rodriguez) got his girlfriend Lally Agatep (Carla Abellana) pregnant while they were still in college. So they decided to get married even if the two of them were not ready for the responsibility and Vincent's mother Elaine was very much against it. Thus Lally's married life was never smooth-sailing because of Elaine. But for the love for her husband, Lally endures the hardships in dealing with her mother-in-law. However, when Lally got pregnant on their second child, Vincent suddenly became distant and cold towards her. Lally felt that Vincent was being unfair to her so she decided to leave together with their children. Vincent loves his kids so much, so he tried to win back his wife by proposing and this time getting married again with a blessing from the church. Unknown to Lally, Vincent is keeping a secret from her; it is also a secret he has kept from everyone else ever since he was young. Vincent was a closeted homosexual man who never planned to come out because he was afraid that it'll destroy his family. However, everything changed when he crosses paths with Eric del Mundo (Dennis Trillo) again – his greatest love. Unlike Vincent, Eric is openly gay. But, just like Vincent, he still is in love with him. Eventually, the two men start an affair and Vincent tries to hide the affair from Lally by showering her with gifts and attention. However, Lally's intuition tells her that something is wrong even though everything in her married life seems fine. That's when she starts to investigate and she eventually learns of Vincent's darkest secret. II. Audience Reception My reception Well, at first I didn’t like the idea of My Husband’s Lover because I’m not a homosexual, and I don’t like homosexuals too, so I didn’t watch the Pilot Episodes of My Husband’s Lover. But then, my Mom used to watched television after work, it just so happens that she turned the channel to channel 7 (GMA) and the show was My Husband’s Lover, she watched for a few minutes, after the show she got attracted by the story. She goes by everyday watching the show. I have no choice but to watch too, since we only have one television and I have nothing to do. The show’s story is good as it is. I just don’t like the theme of the show which is about homosexuals. But by watching it every day, I came to like the show. I even got excited when Lally is about to discover her husband’s secret. I think I liked the show because of the professionalism of the actors, and the moral lesson given to us by the story itself. There are many moral lessons in this story; you just need to dig deep into the words spoken by the actors. B. Others reception Interviewee: Maria Aileen Icay She said, â€Å"For the past few days, this drama has been consistently topping the trends and even the ratings despite its unusual story concept. This drama has taken our country by storm. We define it along with the veterans in the Philippine entertainment industry as â€Å"Phenomenal†. This drama that I’m so proud of for is the most talked-about†My Husband’s Lover†. Primarily it’s because this drama is a gem! For a drama fan like me, this drama has set the bar higher for upcoming Philippine dramas and is a history in itself. This is the first drama that tackles same-sex relationship in a very realistic manner. Aside from that, the family issues this drama portrays are something that most of us can empathize with or can even relate to. It’s just sad that some people refrain from watching this masterpiece just because they are a fan of the rival network or they’re a Roman Catholic or they are against same-sex relationships. † Interviewee: Gia Francia Leron She said, â€Å"I just love this drama because everything is very well executed. The story, script, acting and cinematography. No drama is perfect but this is by far the best Filipino drama I’ve ever seen in my watching experience† Interviewee: John Kenneth Sarampote He said, â€Å"What makes My Husband’s Lover such an extraordinary and groundbreaking drama is the fact that it defies standards. We see Vincent and Eric, all masculine and manly, identify themselves as gay men. We see that their relationship is rooted on love and not on monetary co-dependence. We see that there are many layers of characters that define a gay man. We see two gay men struggle prejudice that pushes them to loathe themselves and hide who they really are. We see that all people, no matter what gender, struggle in their own way. † Interviewee: John Paul Luis He said, â€Å"I’ve never been a Kapuso viewer actually. I liked the show even before it aired on television because of the theme, the theme song, the story. Everything. I also liked the show because I can relate to Vincent (Tom Rodriguez) especially on his life, the part wherein he hides his real identity just because his father is a retired general. I envy Eric (Dennis Trillo) because of the acceptance of his mom that he is Gay and her mom is just okay with it. I pity Lally (Carla Abellana) because right from the start, Vincent had been lying to her. What I can only say is that this show made me cry. All of the emotions are already here. Interviewee: Maurice Kim Lim He said, â€Å"What makes My Husband’s Lover unique is its central struggle — that of a wife witnessing the disintegration of her marriage with her closeted gay husband, whose failure to come to terms with his homosexuality gives Filipinos a venue to discuss pressing LGBT issues. â€Å"

Thank You for Smoking

Ethical issues brought up in the movie, â€Å" Thank You for Smoking† : When Nick Naylor appears on the talk show along side with the cancer patient and he basically turns the situation around so that the tabocco industry isn’t to blame for the young boy being diagonosed with cancer from smoking, and in fact by people dying from using their product the industry wouldn’t be making any profit. The â€Å"mod squad†, which stands for merchants of death, in the movie, all the people who are a part of this group are well aware that the products that they sell and promote are generally appealing to the younger generation that contributes to hundreds and thousands of deaths a year, yet they continue to defend them. In one scene Naylor is helping his son do homework, he teaches his son about how to argue something he is writing about. Naylor says ,† that’s the beauty of arguement, because if you argue correctly you’re never wrong†. This is teaching his son that no matter what he side he decides to be on, if he keeps on argueing and finds some usable facts to support his arguement he will always be right. Naylor doesn’t address the issues head on necessarily, in fact the way he approaches how to argue that tobacco is poison and that you shouldn’t smoke it etc, is he simply just goes with his theory of every individuals has the right to choose what they what to do, or listen too. When a member of the mod squad is visiting Nick in the hospital after he nearly died of a nicotine over dose, he places a gun on the table right in front of Joey, Nick’s son. Immediatly Joey is intrigued with the weapon, then retracts his actions and says, â€Å" gunsshould be treated with respect†. The other member swats his hand away, and is clearly annoyed by his behaviour which then makes me think of them as hypocrits. The captain sends a briefcase full of money to Naylor’s hotel when he is in California and tell’s him that he must visit â€Å"Marlboro Man†, Lorne Lutchwho has been diagnosed with Cancer. Naylor is to try and bribe Lutch into accepting the money in exchange for silence, and to retract all his previous comments towards the tobacco industry. In this scene Naylor is very good at convincing the Marlboro Man into taking the money, simply because he uses his best tactics of negotiation to lure him into thinking that by taking the money he might feel better about himself in the sense that now he has money to perhaps be able to pay medical bills to help him prolong his life. Give him the right reatment and he might just fight the cancer. Social Responsibility in Thank You for Smoking I think that the part when Senator Finistirre is doing his speech about putting the poison logo on every cigarette package is an example of social responsibility. Because as the Senator of Vermont, he is standing up against the tobacco industry and educating the younger generation as well as the older, of how harmful it is. Society as a whole will eventually embrace this campaign and learn how to educate others of tobacco use. In 1952, Readers digest slammed the tobacco industry by stating that it had some health risks associated with smoking. This then lead to the invention of â€Å"filters† in cigarette’s and thus resulted in more people buying the product. This is an example of social responsibility because when there were public outcry’s of how unhealthy it was smoking the cigarette’s (back in the 50’s) the tobacco industry improvised and came out with a solution to diminish the amount of chemicals being inhaled. Speaking to the press, Naylor swears he will clear the names of those mentioned in the Heather Holloway’s recent article, where she bashes Naylor as well as the Mod squad. (? ) Ethics and Social Responsibility – Tana In the movie Thank You for Smoking, there are quite a few examples where you will find how ethics and social responsibility is exercised, and not always in a positive way. The main character Nick Naylor, is a lobbyist who works for a Tobacco Company. Naylor is a smooth talker who slyly turns the words around in a conversation and turns it on the people who are against him. Thank You for Smoking Ethical issues brought up in the movie, â€Å" Thank You for Smoking† : When Nick Naylor appears on the talk show along side with the cancer patient and he basically turns the situation around so that the tabocco industry isn’t to blame for the young boy being diagonosed with cancer from smoking, and in fact by people dying from using their product the industry wouldn’t be making any profit. The â€Å"mod squad†, which stands for merchants of death, in the movie, all the people who are a part of this group are well aware that the products that they sell and promote are generally appealing to the younger generation that contributes to hundreds and thousands of deaths a year, yet they continue to defend them. In one scene Naylor is helping his son do homework, he teaches his son about how to argue something he is writing about. Naylor says ,† that’s the beauty of arguement, because if you argue correctly you’re never wrong†. This is teaching his son that no matter what he side he decides to be on, if he keeps on argueing and finds some usable facts to support his arguement he will always be right. Naylor doesn’t address the issues head on necessarily, in fact the way he approaches how to argue that tobacco is poison and that you shouldn’t smoke it etc, is he simply just goes with his theory of every individuals has the right to choose what they what to do, or listen too. When a member of the mod squad is visiting Nick in the hospital after he nearly died of a nicotine over dose, he places a gun on the table right in front of Joey, Nick’s son. Immediatly Joey is intrigued with the weapon, then retracts his actions and says, â€Å" gunsshould be treated with respect†. The other member swats his hand away, and is clearly annoyed by his behaviour which then makes me think of them as hypocrits. The captain sends a briefcase full of money to Naylor’s hotel when he is in California and tell’s him that he must visit â€Å"Marlboro Man†, Lorne Lutchwho has been diagnosed with Cancer. Naylor is to try and bribe Lutch into accepting the money in exchange for silence, and to retract all his previous comments towards the tobacco industry. In this scene Naylor is very good at convincing the Marlboro Man into taking the money, simply because he uses his best tactics of negotiation to lure him into thinking that by taking the money he might feel better about himself in the sense that now he has money to perhaps be able to pay medical bills to help him prolong his life. Give him the right reatment and he might just fight the cancer. Social Responsibility in Thank You for Smoking I think that the part when Senator Finistirre is doing his speech about putting the poison logo on every cigarette package is an example of social responsibility. Because as the Senator of Vermont, he is standing up against the tobacco industry and educating the younger generation as well as the older, of how harmful it is. Society as a whole will eventually embrace this campaign and learn how to educate others of tobacco use. In 1952, Readers digest slammed the tobacco industry by stating that it had some health risks associated with smoking. This then lead to the invention of â€Å"filters† in cigarette’s and thus resulted in more people buying the product. This is an example of social responsibility because when there were public outcry’s of how unhealthy it was smoking the cigarette’s (back in the 50’s) the tobacco industry improvised and came out with a solution to diminish the amount of chemicals being inhaled. Speaking to the press, Naylor swears he will clear the names of those mentioned in the Heather Holloway’s recent article, where she bashes Naylor as well as the Mod squad. (? ) Ethics and Social Responsibility – Tana In the movie Thank You for Smoking, there are quite a few examples where you will find how ethics and social responsibility is exercised, and not always in a positive way. The main character Nick Naylor, is a lobbyist who works for a Tobacco Company. Naylor is a smooth talker who slyly turns the words around in a conversation and turns it on the people who are against him.

Zygorhiza Facts and Figures

Zygorhiza Facts and Figures Name: Zygorhiza (Greek for yoke root); pronounced ZIE-go-RYE-za Habitat: Shores of North America Historical Epoch: Late Eocene (40-35 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 20 feet long and one ton Diet: Fish and squids Distinguishing Characteristics: Long, narrow body; long head About Zygorhiza Like its fellow prehistoric whale Dorudon, Zygorhiza was closely related to the monstrous Basilosaurus, but differed from both of its cetacean cousins in that it had an unusually sleek, narrow body and a long head perched on a short neck. Strangest of all, Zygorhizas front flippers were hinged at the elbows, a hint that this prehistoric whale may have lumbered up onto land to give birth to its young. By the way, along with Basilosaurus, Zygorhiza is the state fossil of Mississippi; the skeleton at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science is affectionately known as Ziggy.

The Architecture of the Log Cabin

The Architecture of the Log Cabin Todays log homes are often spacious and elegant, but in the 1800s log cabins reflected the hardships of life on the North American frontier. The roomy log cabins we build today are likely to include skylights, whirlpool tubs, and other luxuries. However, for homesteaders settling the American West, log cabins fulfilled more basic needs. Wherever timber was readily available, a log cabin could be built in just a few days using only a few simple tools. No nails were needed. Those early log cabins were sturdy, rainproof, and inexpensive. Some of the first buildings constructed in a colonial frontier were log cabins like the Chicken, Alaska Post Office. Log cabin construction came to North America in the 1600s when Swedish settlers brought building customs from their home country. Much later, in 1862, the Homestead Act influenced the design of Americas log cabins. The Act gave homesteaders rights to open land, but required that they cultivate it and build homes at least ten by twelve feet in size, with at least one glass window. The PBS television series, The Frontier House, documented efforts of three modern American families to build and live in frontier style log cabins. Deprived of modern comforts such as indoor plumbing and kitchen appliances, the families found life harsh and exhausting. Examples of Log Homes and Cabins Log cabins are examples of building with local materials. When pioneers encounter trees, they cut them down and built shelter. A log cabin built by homesteaders on the Alaskan frontier would be something to be proud of c. 1900-1930. How might they have constructed it? A frontier style cabin would often have notches cut with an ax on the ends of each log. The homesteaders would then stack the logs and fit the notched ends together at the corners. The log cabin of poet Robert W. Service (1874-1958) may have been built this way. Called the Bard of the Yukon, in Dawson City, Canada, this retreat was ahead of its time with what today is called a green roof. The Revolutionary War shelters at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania probably had wooden shingle roofs. Log Cabin Construction Facts Do you think you could build and live in a frontier style log cabin? Before you answer, consider these log cabin facts: The frontier style log cabin was introduced to the New World by Swedish settlers in the early 1600s - pioneers who perhaps had lived in cabins in the Swedish Lapland. It used no nails; contained only one room; was only 10 feet wide; measured 12 to 20 feet long; had at least one glass window; included a loft area for sleeping. To build a frontier style log cabin: lay a rock or stone foundation to keep logs above the damp soil; square off each log; cut notches on the top and bottom of each end; stack the logs and fit the notched ends together at the corners; chick (or stuff) sticks and wood chips in the gaps between the logs; fill remaining spaces with mud; cut open a door and at least one window; build a stone fireplace; rake the dirt and gravel floor smooth. Does this sound too rustic? If you prefer your cabin to have all the modern amenities, there are plenty of ways to learn the craft - week-long schools, training videos, and plenty of books have been published by people in the know. Log Home Affordability Theyre not called cabins anymore. And theyre not made from the timber growing behind your lot. The Log and Timber Home Council of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) suggests that anyone who can afford to build a home can afford to build a beautiful log home. Here are some of their secrets: Choose stock plan kits with pre-cut and pre-drilled timber.Choose a simple, rectangular design.Go small and simple, with an open floor plan.Think like a pioneer and build only what you need at first, then add on porches and extras.Do the start-up work yourself. As much as 35 percent of your budget will go to clearing your home site, excavating a foundation, creating a driveway and installing utilities, claims the NAHB Council.Keep the design of the roof simple.Choose a builder trained in log home construction. Sources 16 Secrets of Affordable Log Home Design! Log and Timber Home Council of the National Association of Home Builders [accessed August 13, 2016]Chicken, Alaska Post Office photo by Arthur D. Chapman and Audrey Bendus at flickr.comFrontier Log Cabin, Alaska Homesteaders, photo LC-DIG-ppmsc-02272, Carpenter Coll. Library of Congress Prints Photographs Div. (cropped)Photo of man notching log by Thinkstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images (cropped)Photo of Robert Serivce cabin by Stephen Krasemann / All Canada Photos / Getty ImagesPhoto of cabin at Valley Forge by Aimin Tang / Collection: Photographers Choice / Getty Images (cropped)Photo of Swedish cabin by Cultura Travel/Philip Lee Harvey/Photolibrary Collection/Getty Images (cropped)

Managing Performance Examine why performance management is a necessary Essay

Managing Performance Examine why performance management is a necessary but often difficult process in organisations - Essay Example That is, as part of performance management, the organisation has to keep the mental as well as physical state of the employees in an optimum state. Only if the employees’ are physically fit and importantly mentally motivated, they can optimally contribute their skill, knowledge and hard work for the success of the organisation. So, through performance management, the employees can be optimally motivated to provide optimal contribution. As part of performance management, the organisation, management, leaders and managers has to implement certain steps or strategies. These performance management strategies will surely elevate the employees’ motivation and make them productive. However, while implementing these strategies, there will certain pitfalls or problematic issues, which could hamper the strategies from reaching logical conclusion. That is, these issues will cause certain problems, which could make these strategies unsuccessful. So, although performance management strategies will lead to many positives for the organisation, there will be some difficulties in aptly implementing it, and this paper will examine this issue by focusing on the performance management strategies in each aspect of organisational functioning. Performance management refers to commitment by managers to achieve highest performance levels. Managers should take responsibilities to eliminate road blocks to success by providing sufficient resources and be careful in employee selection process as well as being ready to provide adequate rewards valued by employees (Cascio, 1996). The activities conducted by managers before, during and after interviews of performance feedback entail roles before interviews including communication with employees on their performance by coaching them, giving feedback and communicating performance efficiency. During interviews, the manager should avoid judging individuality of the employees and ponder on performance in order not to discourage