Comitatus Essays - Maldon, Essex, Germanic Warfare, Comitatus

Comitatus The concept of comitatus is important for understanding the actions and attitudes of a thane and his relationship to his lord. A band of thanes pledged themselves to a feudal lord who was known for his bravery and generosity. They swore to defend him to their death, and they considered it shameful to leave the battlefield if their chief was slain. According to their loyal code, if their leader was killed, his life must be avenged. He was their lord, and they were his loyal, proud retainers. They were known for their courage, bravery, recklessness, and foremost, for their loyalty. In return the lord provided them with protection and shared his weapons and wealth with them. The Battle of Maldon is a glorification of the ideas of comitatus. This pure heroic poem exemplifies the 'glory' of heroism that is undimmed by the defeat. The real subject of this poem is not the battle but the deeds and deaths of heroes. In many ways, these Anglo Saxon ideas can even be seen in general American society today. Citizens in today's society relate to their leaders in similar ways as thanes related to their lords; this contemporary use of comitatus can be seen in present day sports teams, religious orders, country defenses and fraternities. The American society, however, does not portray the ideas of comitatus when it comes to their political leaders and government. High level of competitiveness in present day sports demands good leadership and comitatus from team members for success. Team leaders are like the lord represented in The Battle of Maldon, because they encourage their teammates to be intent on succeeding in their 'battles' against the opponents. Byrhtnoth, the leader of the English army, encouraged his thanes, urging every young man to be intent on fighting if he wished to win fame at the Dane's expense (112). Comitatus is shown by the teammates who do not give up during the 'battle' and fight until the very end of a match or tournament. The teammates of a team always want to keep their honor and the honor of their captain by fighting hard and never returning home without a valiant effort. Like the thanes in Anglo Saxon literature, the teammates must live with a sense of honor and honor is shown in competitiveness and success. Religious orders in today's society also show sense of comitatus. Like thanes they will fight for their Lord until death and will demand resistance even when all hope of success is gone and retreat would be wiser. In all religions, priests vow to spread the word of their Lord and are ready to loose their lives in doing so. The thanes in The Battle of Maldon also wanted to either lose their lives or avenge their lord (114). Members of a country's defenses have always followed comitatus. As warriors for their country, they are bound by the code of loyalty to their country and are ready to risk their lives in battle. This spirit-code is also seen in The Battle of Maldon, where the brave young men stood brave in battle, eagerly intent on who might be the first in taking the lives of the doomed with their weapons. The slain fell to the earth, but they stood resolute (112). Leaders of present day defenses, however, do not seem to follow the comitatus as in Anglo Saxon literature; they do not fight in a conspicuous place in the front line. Byrhtnoth, lighted down in that place where he most wished to be, where he knew the loyal men of his own household were (109). Fraternities in present day colleges in the US also have a representation of the Anglo Saxon idea of comitatus. Fraternity brothers show a code of loyalty and respect is given to the leaders. They vow to assist each other and encourage each other to success. The thanes also followed this code of loyalty as is shown in The Battle of Maldon: it is needful for us all for each to encourage every other warrior in the fighting? (114). The American society does not seem to follow the ideas of comitatus when it comes to their leaders and government. In Anglo Saxon literature, leaders were respected at all times and were

Battles of the Civil War essays

Battles of the Civil War essays John Brown once said, Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose tights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, - I submit; so let it be done! He believed that the only way to rid slavery from the United States was through bloodshed. He was right in saying this because on April 12, 1861, the American Civil War began. It was the most destructive war ever fought in the Western Hemisphere. In terms of human life it was also one of the most costly wars. There were many different reasons for the Civil War, slavery being the predominant reason. The immediate reason for the Civil War was the fight between the north and south over Fort Sumter. Lincoln had given South Carolina the choice of either permitting the fort to hold out or open fire with its shore batteries. In reply, the southerners commenced fire. The attack on Fort Sumter and its capture angered many northerners and began a patriotic fight to save the union. One of the first major battles of the Civil War was the Battle of Bull Run. Federal troops, amounting to 30,000 marched from Washington, D.C., to attack the Confederate forces positioned near Bull Run Creek at Manassas Junction, Virginia. The Union forces were close to victory until Confederate reinforcements sent Union troops into a retreat back to Washington. This battle boosted moral of the South and lowered the Norths. The Norths hope for a short war was shattered. The Battle of Antietam illustrates how bloody the Civil War actually was. Lee led his army across the Potomac into enemy territory. He hoped that a major Confederate victory in the North would convince Britain to support the Confederacy. McClellan, commander of the Union army had intercepted Lees plan and the in...

Aids and it is obstacle to African development Essay

Aids and it is obstacle to African development - Essay Example As such, this essay seeks to critically discuss the obstacles caused by the HIV/AIDS pandemic to African development by analysing the situation in South Africa, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone. The paper seeks to outline the direct effects of HIV/AIDS on development in these three countries as well as the measures that have been put by the respective governments to deal with the situation. Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) is contracted through birth, sex, sharing sharp objects such as a razor blade and over time the virus will spread over the body and weaken its cells. The weakening of cells causes AIDS- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome which leads to illness and eventually death from related diseases such as tuberculosis or pneumonia and many others (Greyling, 2). HIV/AIDS is one of the most difficult catastrophes to deal with during the contemporary period given that a cure for this deadly pandemic is not yet available and may not be near in sight for quite some time hence the only option that is available at the moment is to strengthen the mechanisms to prevent, reduce the spread and minimise the impact of HIV/AIDS (Benjamin & Barry, 28). In the Sub Saharan Africa in particular, death rates have continued to rise because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic causing life expectancy to fall from an average of 50 years in 1990 to 46 years in 2002 (ADI, 14). AIDS related deaths were 2.2 million in Africa in 2001 and there were more than 30 million infected people. Both Ethiopia and Sierra Leone also have high HIV infection rates according to the report. In the same vein, South Africa is one of the countries with highest HIV infections in the Sub Sahara region regardless of its strong economic performance. The productive age group has been severely affected by the pandemic and this consequently affects growth and development. There are high chances of loss of production and the government in respective countries have to spend a lot of money to procure drugs as well as puttin g other measures to fight against the pandemic which negatively impacts on development. In order to establish the extent to which the HIV/AIDS pandemic is seen as an obstacle to development especially in the three African countries mentioned above, it is imperative to begin by outlining the state of their economies using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) index to measure the performance of their economies. According to World Bank Development Indicators in 2011, South Africa’s GDP is $285, 366 billion, $28, 526 Billion and Sierra Leone at $1, 942 Billion. Comparatively, it can be noted that there is a wide gap between the economies of the three countries and this reflects the country’s ability to cope with the deadly pandemic in view of its economic development and growth concerns. In most cases, the workforce is the major driver of economic development in any given country but the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic is posing a serious challenge to the development of many Africa c ountries. Special attention will be paid to South Africa, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone in the discussion of how this pandemic has adversely affected economic development in African countries. According to You Magazine (4), 39 percent of all premature deaths were ascribed to HIV/AIDS and it was reported that

Strategic thought and its practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic thought and its practice - Essay Example Examples of this include a shift from retail trading into chain store, from single product into diversification or from supplier to manufacturer. A new strategic thought could also be a response to the changes or expansion in the market of the given business. Where there is change or expansion of market, the business should ensure that its new strategy that will enable it respond to the demands, needs and preferences of this market. Changes within an organization not only revolve around its business strategies but also its governance. Changes taking place within the leadership or governance of an organization either make it more or less effective in achieving its business goals and implementing its business strategies. Young (2010, p154) concurs with this by stating that the emergent patterns of governance affect the effectiveness of a business regime and this is important for solving problems in its business environment. This implies that if the changes in the organization are makin g its more effective in implementing business strategies, the leaders of the organization are in a position to develop complex business strategies meant to achieve a higher competitive advantage for the business. For example, such a business could formulate a strategy for penetrating into international markets, expanding the product base for its local markets or formulate new and more productive work strategies. Industry conditions Industry conditions describe the nature of the business environment an organization operates in. It includes the characteristics of its customers, number of competitors and power of the organization verses that of its competitors. Ohmae (1982, pp 47)... The researcher states that the success of an organization depends on the level upon which it achieves its main goal and various sub-goals. This requires that an organization formulate strategies for attaining its goal and sub-goals. Strategy simply put, refers to an action plan specifically designed to achieve a certain goal. Petraf explains that a strategy provides a comprehensive way of pursuing economic ends by providing a long-term scope and direction through which an organization configures its scarce resources in the challenging environment. This is to say that a strategy sets a direction for focusing efforts. This way, a strategy enables an organization to achieve a business advantage by meeting the needs of its market or various markets and to fulfil the expectations of stakeholders. It should be noted that an organisation cannot depend on one strategy all its lifetime. Rather, there are conditions that stimulate or necessitate change in strategic thought over time and the ne ed for strategy implementation in order to achieve the new goals of the business, and to facilitate the realisation of the organization’s mission. This means that conditions of strategic thought and practice are of great interest to the management of every organization, state, and group of workers. Strategic thought and its practice is of great importance for any business that is aiming to thrive and profit from it its current and diverse socio, economic and political environments.

Analysis of Storefront Software Packages Term Paper

Analysis of Storefront Software Packages - Term Paper Example All these websites are built on an HTML language that improves its quality and makes it current in the world of Web-technique applications. The HTML pros include increased accessibility (With the use of HTML 5 as a web development tool, screen readers are allowed to easily gain access to web contents in HTML elements and Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) suites. These features help with dynamic contents and advanced graphical user controls that are developed based on Ajax, HTML, and JavaScript; as applied to all Web pages with rich graphical and text contents). Other features include; Mobile Applications, Offline caching, Video and audio support, Improved site speedFor this particular concern, the developer had a deeper view by providing accelerators and quick links which are in most cases used by experts for reasonably faster navigations. A user, therefore, has the options to select best criteria to reach the desired page.In payments, a client has the right to or not to c lick on the â€Å"Pay it Now† button depending on how ready he/she is to do so. Upon clicking it, the client is directed to the payment page to enter all payment information.To shop one has to go to Shopping Bag web page, where he/she has the capabilities of selecting any item displayed, deleting in case one changes mind, changing quantity through quantity arrows e.t.c.Website platform provides the best marketing and merchandising site for all the products available and developed by companies that develop such applications.

Alternative Development Possibilities for Church

Alternative Development Possibilities for Church Introduction Description of the Development The site is located in one of Corks most prestigious areas; the property is set on 0.8 of an acre of level ground overlooking the River Lee on the grounds of Our Lady’s hospital. It is ideally located on the Lee Road just 2.4kms west of Cork City adjacent to the historic University College Cork and close to the western routes leading to Blarney (8 kms) and Killarney (80 kms) which is accessible via the newly constructed Ballincollig bypass. Equally accessible, are Cork Airport and major routes to Limerick, Waterford and Wexford. The site is currently selling for â‚ ¬1,900,000 and is zoned commercial. All services including mains water, electricity and mains drainage are located adjacent to the site and are easily accessible. The church is located at the front of the site and provides an excellent development opportunity for the conversion of the existing structure into a bar/bistro. The church is of rubble limestone construction, un-rendered and with cut limestone plinths. The internal area amounts to 100 sq.m with a planned extension of a further 100sq.m at the rear, to provide additional space for the kitchen, store and staff facilities. The walls of the interior are lined with brick and there is an exposed timber truss roof. Adjacent to the church is a parking area, three developments will be considered for this site which includes the construction of a medical centre, crà ¨che or apartments. All services including water, electricity and mains drainage are located adjacent to the site and are easily accessible. Development Region The development is located in the province of Munster and in the county of Cork, which is situated in the South of Ireland. Cork is the commercial and industrial capital of the South West Region with a population of 190,384 people (2006 Census) rising to 454,850 within a 60km radius. Historic Cork The citys name is derived from the Irish word Corcach, meaning marshy place and refers to the fact that the center of Cork City is built on islands, surrounded by the River Lee, which were marshy and subjected to instances of flooding. Traditionally, Saint Finbarre has been credited with the foundation of the monastery of Cork, known to be the earliest human settlement in Cork for which historians have incontrovertible evidence. The location of this monastic settlement was on the area arnd the present-day site of Saint Finbarre’s Cathedral. However the ancestor of the modern city was founded in the 12th century, when Viking settlers established a trading community. In the twelfth century, this settlement was taken over by invading Anglo-Norman settlers. Corks city charter was granted by King John of England in 1185. Over the centuries, much of the city was rebuilt, time and again, after numerous fires. The city was at one time fully walled, and several sections and gates still remaining. During the 19th century important industries in Cork included, brewing, distilling, wool and shipbuilding. In addition, there were some municipal improvements such as gas light street lights in 1825, a local paper, The Cork Examiner was first published in 1841 and, very importantly for the development of modern industry, the railway reached Cork in 1849. Also in 1849, University College Cork opened. Lee Road Area In the early 1760s the Pipe Water Company was established to provide a water supply to the city of Cork. The architect/engineer Davis Ducart designed the Waterworks which were completed by 1768. The site, located on the lee road included a pumping house and open storage reservoirs which were constructed on the hillside to the north of the river at the same location as the present Waterworks buildings. By the late 1840’s it was felt that the water supply to the city required upgrading, as the population of the city was increasing rapidly, new suburbs developing on the city’s north side could not benefit from the existing system. In 1854, the Pipe Water Company instructed John Benson, had prepared a plan for a new Waterworks, Work began with the laying of new cast-iron mains pipes in 1857 and continued for a number of years. By February 1859 these new water pipes had reached the military barracks on the Old Youghal Road. By this time the Pipe Water Company had been taken over by Cork Corporation, who remains in charge of the municipal water supply to this day. (Lifetime Labs) Local Industry Corks main area of industry is in pharmaceuticals, with Pfizer Inc. and Swiss company Novartis being big employers in the region. Cork is also the European headquarters of Apple Inc. where their computers are manufactured and their European call centre, RD and Apple-Care is hosted. In total, they currently employ over 1,800 staff. EMC Corporation located in the area of Ovens, in the outskirts of the city is another large I.T. employer with over 1,600 staff in their 52,000 sq metre (560,000 sq. ft.) engineering, manufacturing, and technical services facility. Many of these large multinational organisations have been attracted to the area due the low corporation tax rate of 12.5%. Planning Issues and Restrictions After consultation with a Cork City Planning officer a number of issues were raised regarded the conditions of the planning. The site lies within a category A Landscape Protection Zone as per Cork Coty Development Plan 2004. This category of land is defined in Table 8.1 of the Development Plan as â€Å"Visually important land, including land forming the setting to existing buildings† According to paragraph 8.20 of the Plan â€Å"There will be a general presumption by means of a landscape assessment and appropriate landscape and building design proposals† The proposed site at the Lee Road is a visually sensitive area, the design of the structures will therefore have to be landscape rather than building orientated. As stated in Policy BE 8 of the Development Plan: â€Å"The City Council will endeavour to devise and implement policies to positively encourage and facilitate the careful refurbishment of historic built environment for sustainable and economically viable uses.† To comply with plan it will be necessary to adhere to following conditions: The development shall be carried out in accordance with the drawings and specifications submitted. A visual impact study must be conducted to determine how the how the development will affect the landscape. The redevelopment of the chapel shall be supervised by a conservation consultant with appropriate qualifications and/or experience in conservation and restoration of historic buildings in order to protect the architectural characteristics and visual appearance of this existing structure. The contractor appointed shall have an expertise and demonstrate high standards of workmanship and have previous experience in restoration of historic structures. The site is not considered suitable for a â€Å"super-pub† or for a nightclub. In order to protect the character and amenities of the area, the development is restricted to be used as a restaurant with ancillary public house. Under the Landscape Assessment Guidelines (2000) the classification of the site at the Lee Road was obtained from the following table: The site is classified as a category A as it forms part of the setting for the existing landmark building (Former Our Lady’s Hospital). The guidelines state that: There will be a general presumption against development in Landscape Protection Zones unless it can be demonstrated by means of a visual landscape assessment and appropriate building design proposal that the proposed development will enhance the overall landscape character of the site and its visual context. Factors Favouring Refurbishment In the initial feasibility for the Lee Road church, it was necessary to consider the advantages and disadvantages to its refurbishment. Consideration will be given to both the social and economic factors. Social Factors in favour of refurbishment Energy/Resource conservation – Just as there is a current growing awareness of the need to recycle domestic waste, buildings with a useable structure should also be recycled. Preservation of historic buildings – The church on the grounds of the site is listed as a protected structure, buildings which are historic merit need to be refurbished to maintain their integrity and thereby the amenity for the nation. Social resistance to change – Buildings are an integral part of an urban fabric and society may well demonstrate forceful views in restricting change. Its arguments will centre upon: retaining historical and social continuity preserving familiar landscape scenes conserving existing communities and the social fabric Economic Factors in favour of refurbishment Shorter construction period – A refurbishment scheme can usually be carried out quicker than redevelopment which results in: a prompt turnover of finance; earlier occupation of the building; quicker return on capital employed; a reduction in the effects of inflation, high interest rates and other risks. Condition of the building – In the case of the Lee Road church, the structure itself is in relatively sound condition, the savings on the building components may make a refurbishment scheme cheaper than reconstruction. Expectation of high land values – The future expectation of high land values may provoke refurbishment to create a short life use so as to occupy the building and keep the site in its present use until fully ripe for exploitation. This will avoid leaving a building empty for long periods while long term plans are being formulated. Constraints on development – site conditions and organisational constraints (e.g. Cork County Council planning restrictions) may make redevelopment unsuitable for a particular or intended use and therefore unprofitable. Limiting Factors in refurbishment One of the major factors in factors in favour of the refurbishment of the church is the cost saving from the retention of the existing materials, whilst this can reduce the total cost of the scheme, the following criteria required consideration. Diminishing returns – The economic life of a building can be said to end when a site value in a new use exceeds the value of the existing building. A building requires redevelopment when the value of the building is below the potential use value of the land and hence yields a diminishing return. Life expectancy – Property investment tends to be long-term in nature and normally a paying back of sixty year is allowed in property investment calculations. There is little doubt that a new building will last the sixty years or more, whereas a refurbished building may not have been designed and constructed with materials appropriate for long life. High cost of borrowing – In general, financial institutions are unprepared to invest in old buildings due to inherent high financial risks. If they provide finance the assumption of high risk can often lead to a higher rate of interest. Management of refurbishment – the extent of work is not predictable; hence very difficult to design, cost plan and cost control. It can often be a complex, non-repetitive and labour intensive operation and does not facilitate high productivity. Attract high tender prices- the contactor will often assume a high undefined risk element and uncertainty of cost when the pre-contract survey is inadequate. Increased cost of Health and Safety Source: Harlow (1994) Rationale for Refurbishment After taking all factors into consideration, it was felt that the benefits of refurbishment outweigh the costs of redevelopment. Also according to Harlow (1994) the emphasis is moving towards conservation leading to the search for historical and social continuity by fining ways of re-using an existing fabric rather than accelerating the cycle of replacement† The structure itself is in a reasonable sound condition with only minor restorations required; reusing the existing building will decrease construction time, reduce site overheads and retain the historical and social continuity of the Lee road area. Review of alternative development possibilities Development 1 – Medical Centre The first development to contribute to the bar/bistro development is the construction of a medium sized three storey structures; this will comprise 2 No. doctor’s surgeries, a nurse’s office and associated accommodation including waiting, reception and storage areas. It has a floor area of approx 800m2 and an overall ridge height of 8.2m. Its overall design is of a contemporary nature utilizing feature glazing and an extended limestone surround to complement the features of the adjacent church. Early Feasibility Study Project Location Item Description Cost/m2 Floor Area Total Cost 1.0 Site Clearance â‚ ¬80.00 610 â‚ ¬48,800.00 2.0 Substructure â‚ ¬150.00 610 â‚ ¬91,500.00 3.0 Superstructure â‚ ¬380.00 610 â‚ ¬231,800.00 4.0 Internal Finishes â‚ ¬270.00 610 â‚ ¬164,700.00 5.0 Fittings and Furnishings â‚ ¬150.00 610 â‚ ¬91,500.00 6.0 Service Installations â‚ ¬555.00 610 â‚ ¬338,550.00 7.0 External Works â‚ ¬163.00 610 â‚ ¬99,430.00 8.0 Preliminaries â‚ ¬110.00 610 â‚ ¬67,100.00 9.0 Contingencies â‚ ¬20,000.00 Total Estimated Cost â‚ ¬1,153,380.00 Income Rental Price Per Month 6000 Rental Price Per Annum 72000 Total Income per Annum 72000 Expenditure Maintenance 7000 Landscaping 2500 9500 Profit per annum 62500 0 -1183880 1 62500 2 68750 Rate -1.595% 3 75625 4 83188 5 91506 6 100657 7 110723 8 117366 9 124408 10 131872 Net Present Value IR £0.00 Internal Rate of Return -1.5949% Development 2 – Crà ¨che This development entails the construction a crà ¨che that will serve the 180 apartments in Atkins Hall, River Towers and The Mews. The structure will be single storey building with car parking at the rear. The crà ¨che will accommodate up to 30 children (depending on ages). Other facilities would include a fully equipped indoor play area and an out-door playground. There is no doubt that there is demand for a crà ¨che in the area, the development would cater for the residents of the nearby apartments. Students of the nearby University College Cork could also utilize these facilities. Crà ¨che Early Feasibility Study Site Clearance â‚ ¬80.00 610 â‚ ¬48,800.00 Substructure â‚ ¬150.00 610 â‚ ¬91,500.00 Superstructure â‚ ¬380.00 610 â‚ ¬231,800.00 Internal Finishes â‚ ¬270.00 610 â‚ ¬164,700.00 Fittings and Furnishings â‚ ¬200.00 610 â‚ ¬122,000.00 Service Installations â‚ ¬555.00 610 â‚ ¬338,550.00 External Works â‚ ¬163.00 610 â‚ ¬99,430.00

Karl Marx - Capitalist Alienation Essay -- Alienation Capitalist Socie

Karl Marx - Capitalist Alienation THE TERM "alienation" in normal usage refers to a feeling of separateness, of being alone and apart from others. For Marx, alienation was not a feeling or a mental condition, but an economic and social condition of class society--in particular, capitalist society. Alienation, in Marxist terms, refers to the separation of the mass of wage workers from the products of their own labor. Marx first expressed the idea, somewhat poetically, in his 1844 Manuscripts: "The object that labor produces, its product, stands opposed to it as something alien, as a power independent of the producer." Most of us own neither the tools and machinery we work with nor the products that we produce--they belong to the capitalist that hired us. But everything we work on and in at some point comes from human labor. The irony is that everywhere we turn, we are confronted with the work of our own hands and brains, and yet these products of our labor appear as things outside of us, and outside of our control. Work and the products of work dominate us, rather than t... Karl Marx - Capitalist Alienation Essay -- Alienation Capitalist Socie Karl Marx - Capitalist Alienation THE TERM "alienation" in normal usage refers to a feeling of separateness, of being alone and apart from others. For Marx, alienation was not a feeling or a mental condition, but an economic and social condition of class society--in particular, capitalist society. Alienation, in Marxist terms, refers to the separation of the mass of wage workers from the products of their own labor. Marx first expressed the idea, somewhat poetically, in his 1844 Manuscripts: "The object that labor produces, its product, stands opposed to it as something alien, as a power independent of the producer." Most of us own neither the tools and machinery we work with nor the products that we produce--they belong to the capitalist that hired us. But everything we work on and in at some point comes from human labor. The irony is that everywhere we turn, we are confronted with the work of our own hands and brains, and yet these products of our labor appear as things outside of us, and outside of our control. Work and the products of work dominate us, rather than t...