Epic of Beowulf Essay - Beowulf as Heroic Archetype -- Epic Beowulf he

Beowulf as Heroic Archetype Monsters, their mothers, and dragons! The epic poem Beowulf, author unknown, includes all these mystical creatures and an impervious protagonist after which the poem is named. As the main character in the poem, Beowulf exemplifies the heroic archetype physically, spiritually, and ethically. Beowulf is superior to the average person in many areas, among them physical strength. Throughout the poem, Beowulf accomplishes feats that no other man would be able to survive and proves his boundless might. Beowulf is described to Hrothgar, king of the Danes, by a messenger as "...a mighty warrior, powerful and wise" (line 370). Beowulf himself challenges the insults of Unferth by saying, "...no strength is a match for mine" (line 534). Also, Beowulf tells Hrothgar and his company of a time when he had to face several sea monsters in the dark by himself, and still managed to kill them and swim to shore: ...nine was the number Of sea-huge monsters I killed. What man, Anywhere under Heaven's high arch, has fought In such darkness, endur...

Magua, the Byronic Hero of The Last of the Mohicans Essay -- Last of t

Magua, the Byronic Hero of The Last of the Mohicans      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Traditionally, heroes represented the ideal member of society, reflecting the moral compass of a culture. The "last great heroic tradition in our literature," the Byronic hero, rebels against society, questioning morality (Thorslev 185). The modern hero, or anti-hero, internalizes the struggle for reconciliation. Traditional heroes represent social order, Byronic heroes represent social rebellion, and modern heroes represent social upheaval. The melancholic, brooding, isolated Byronic hero thrives on rebellion, the traditional hero flourishes on optimistic goodness, and the modern hero grasps for purpose. Samuel Taylor Coleridge criticizes the "savage grandeur" of the rebellious Byronic hero (400). Magua, of James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans, presents fierce rebellion and indeed rises to "savage grandeur." The feared and scorned Magua represents an American version of the Byronic hero, seemingly presenting antithetical qualities of a traditional hero, exemplified in the Anglo-Saxon epic hero, Beowulf.    Representing the best their societies have to offer, traditional heroes possess characteristics of honor, bravery, loyalty, and steadfastness. They personify communal values and offer a reason to believe in the possibility of a meaningful life in an ordered, harmonious society. The epic hero journeys on a quest, experiencing difficulties along the way, and triumphantly returns to society. An example of a traditional hero, Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic hero, relies on his courage, intelligence, and superhuman strength as he slays the destructive forces that threatens the community. He accepts and embraces the social values, never questioning or ... ...York: Doubleday, 1977. Coleridge. Samuel Taylor. "The Statesmanà ¢s Manual." 1816. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. 6th ed. Vol.2. New York: Norton, 1993. 398-400. Cooper, James Fenimore. The Last of the Mohicans. New York: Penguin, 1986. Gross, Theodore L. The Heroic Ideal in American Literature. New York: Free Press, 1971. Lieber, Todd. Endless Experiments: Essays on the Heroic Experience in American Romanticism. Columbus: Ohio State UP, 1973. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. 6th ed. Vol.2. New York: Norton, 1993. 480. The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Ed. Margaret Drabble. 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1985. Thorslev, Peter L. Jr. The Byronic Hero. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1962. Wilson, James D. The Romantic Heroic Ideal. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1982   

Balanced Scorecard Study – Samsung

Kashun Davis TMAN 680 Fall 2012 Balanced Scorecard: Samsung Samsung is the technology-based organization that will be the subject for my Balanced Scorecard. Founded in 1938 in Seoul, South Korea, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. engages in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of finished electronic products and device solutions worldwide. They offer consumer products, including mobile phones, tablets, televisions, Blu-rays, DVD players, home theaters, multimedia players; home appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, etc; Laptops and personal computers.The company also designs and manufactures integrated circuits for digital information storage in consumer electronics. It has operations in Korea, U. S. , Europe, Asia, Africa, Africa and China. Because of the large size of the Samsung Corporation, I will focus on Samsung smartphones, one of their technology-intensive business units. The vision of Samsung: â€Å"Samsung is dedicated to developing innovative technologies and efficient processes that create new markets, enrich people's lives, and continue to make Samsung a digital leader. Their mission statement, â€Å"At Samsung, we follow a simple business philosophy: to devote our talent and technology to creating superior products and services that contribute to a better global society. Samsung’s net sales have risen from 158. 9 billion in 2007 to 220. 1 billion in 2011. Their total assets grew from 280. 8 billion in 2007 to 343. 7 billion in 2011. Unfortunately their total liabilities went from 181. 7 billion in 2007 to 202. 6 billion in 2011. Stockholder’s equity almost doubled from 80. billion in 2007 to 141. 1 billion in 2011. Samsung’s net income also increased from 12. 9 billion in 2007 to 21. 2 billion in 2011. It’s also not strange to see their employee base increase due to their explosive growth over this five-year time span. They had 254,000 employees in 2007 and now have over 344,000 employees in 2011 (â€Å"About Samsung,† 2010). Their electronics division has 190,500 employees at the end of 2011. With respect to the Smartphone business unit out of the 1. billion mobile phones sold worldwide in 2011, Samsung accounted for 330 million of those units. Their Galaxy S II sold more than 20 million units since its launch in 2011. In 2012, Samsung launched the Galaxy S III and expects to strengthen their brand and increase market share in the mobile phone arena (â€Å"About Samsung,† 2010). The balanced scorecard is defined as a management system that maps an organization’s strategic objectives into performance metrics in four perspectives: financial, internal processes, customers, and learning and growth (NetMBA, 2002).The four perspectives mentioned above construct the balanced scorecard framework. To create a balanced scorecard for Samsung’s Smartphone business division this framework has to be applied. First, I will assess the mission, vision, c hallenges, and partners of the company. The vision of Samsung: â€Å"Samsung is dedicated to developing innovative technologies and efficient processes that create new markets, enrich people's lives, and continue to make Samsung a digital leader. Their mission statement, â€Å"At Samsung, we follow a simple business philosophy: to devote our talent and technology to creating superior products and services that contribute to a better global society. Samsung not only makes smartphones, but they also create components like displays and integrated circuits that also go into competitor’s smartphones, such as Apple’s iPhone. Samsung’s competitors in the mobile phone market are Apple, Microsoft, Google, HTC, Nokia, and Blackberry. Samsung doesn’t make their own proprietary software and hardware as Apple, Google, and Blackberry.Samsung exclusively uses Google’s Android Mobile OS for their phones. Another challenge Samsung faces, is that their mobile phon es are not only in competition with other phones that have different software platforms, but they are in even stiffer competition with other phones that also use Google’s Android Mobile OS. This market in itself is very fragmented from the fact that more than 4,000 distinct smartphone models exist that uses the Android operating system (Valazco, 2012). Fortunately for Samsung they command 25. % of the smartphone manufacture market putting them on top. LG, Apple, Motorola, and HTC own 18. 4%, 16. 3%, 11. 2%, and 6. 4% of the smartphone manufacture market respectively (â€Å"comscore reports July,† 2012). With respect to the balanced scorecard framework, a strategy map will assist with connecting the four perspectives and how they relate to each other. The strategic measures chosen for the Learning & Growth Perspective were chosen based on information listed in the Samsung’s annual report. Samsung’s employees have grown over the past few years. Samsung†™s social etwork presence is currently greater than their competitors, but there is always room for improvement. Samsung invested $8B USD in R&D, which this funnels down to organizational capital and learning from their competitors. With respect to the Internal Process Perspective $8B USD were invested into R&D for innovation. Customer Satisfaction is never perfect in any organization, thus leaving room for improvement. Not to mention customer satisfaction can translate into sales. Management of operations was chosen because process improvement is always needed in an organization.The customer perspective measurements are strengthening the brand, gaining OEM market share, and exceeding customer expectations. All of these links to financial success within the organization, thus focusing on these measures is vital to the growth Samsung expects to see in the future. Stockholder equity, net sales, and net income all affect the customer, internal, and learning & growth perspective measu res and vice versa. This provides a top to bottom and bottom to top flow balanced measures. Learning & Growth Perspective| Objective| Measure| Target| Initiative|Grow Human Capital| # Of Employees in Samsung Electronics Division| 200,000 employees| Aggressive Recruitment and Retention Program| Improve Information Capital| Social Networking Effectiveness| 6 Million Twitter Followers; 40 Million Facebook Likes| Aggressive & Interactive Social Networking Campaign| Build Organizational Capital| Submittal of Employee Ideas| 5,000 Employee Ideas Submitted| Conduct Organizational Learning Study of Samsung Mobile Division (Amiri, 2010)| Learn from our Competitors| Mobile OEM Market Share| Increase Mobile OEM Market Share by 20%| Analyze competitors customer base and meet the needs of that customer base through innovative mobile technology | Internal Process Perspective| Objective| Measure| Target| Initiative| Manage Innovations| Successful Research & Development Projects| Double R&D Project s| Allocate more capital to R&D projects and their implementation| Manage Customer Relations| Customer Satisfaction| Double and Sustain Customer Satisfaction scores| Aggressive ustomer service training for employees| Manage Operations| Value Added & Non-Value Added Operations| Increase Value Added Operations and Reduce/eliminate non-value added operations| Lean Six-Sigma Process Improvement Initiative (Qun, 2012)| Customer Perspective| Objective| Measure| Target| Initiative| Strengthen Samsung Smartphone Brand| Market Share| Increase Market Share| Aggressive Marketing Campaign| Gain Smartphone OEM Market Share| OEM Market Share| Increase Mobile OEM Market Share by 20%| Analyze competitors customer base and meet the needs of that customer base through innovative mobile technology| Exceeding customer needs and expectations| Customer Satisfaction Scores | Customer Retention| Double Customer satisfaction scores & retention | Customer Loyalty & Rewards Program | Customer Perspective| Obj ective| Measure| Target| Initiative|Increase Stockholder Equity| Stock Price| Increase from $489/share to $510/share| Increase Market Share| Increase Net Sales| Net Sales| Increase from 135B to 170B| Aggressive Marketing Campaign| Increase Net Income| Net Income| Increase by 15%| Make Operations Efficient and reducing costs| Sources About Samsung. (2010). Retrieved from http://www. samsung. com/us/aboutsamsung/corporateprofile/ourperformance/samsungprofile. html Amiri, A. , Jandghi, G. , Alvani, S. , Hosnavi, R. , & Ramezan, M. (2010). Increasing the Intellectual Capital in Organization: Examining the Role of Organizational Learning. European Journal Of Social Science,  14(1/2), 98-108. comscore reports July 2012 U. S. mobile subscriber market share. (2012, Sept 04). Retrieved from http://www. comscore. com/Insights/Press_Releases/2012/9/comScore_Reports_July_2012_US_Mobile_Subscriber_Market_Share NetMBA. (2002). Netmba business knowledge center.Retrieved from http://www. netmba. com/accounting/mgmt/balanced-scorecard/ Samsung Group. (2011). Samsung profile 2011. Retrieved from http://www. samsung. com/us/aboutsamsung/corporateprofile/download/Samsung_Profile_2011-EN-final-revise. pdf Qun, Z. , Irfan, M. , Khattak, M. , Abbas, J. , Xiaoning, Z. , & Shah, M. (2012). CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR SUCCESSFUL LEAN SIX SIGMA IMPLEMENTATION IN PAKISTAN. Interdisciplinary Journal Of Contemporary Research In Business,  4(1), 117-124. Valazco, C. (2012, May 15). Techcrunch. Retrieved from http://techcrunch. com/2012/05/15/3997-models-android-fragmentation-as-seen-by-the-developers-of-opensignalmaps/

Alibaba: Competing in China and Beyond Essay

Introduction In this report I will examine the case â€Å"Alibaba: Competing in China and Beyond.† Alibaba under the leadership of Jack Ma, its founder has transformed into one of the most successful e-commerce companies in China. In the 2000s Alibaba had emerged as the largest e-commerce company in China. The company tailored its strategies to meet the needs of the customers and made a mark because of its understanding of the Chinese language and culture. However, some experts have also raised doubts over the sustainability of Alibaba’s business model. In my report I will critically analyze the factors that led to Alibaba sustaining its leadership position in the Chinese e-commerce market. I will Discuss the rationale behind Ma establishing Taobao.com. I will examine the factors that led to Taoboa’s success in the Chinese online auctions market. Furthermore, with Baidu’s entry into the e-commerce market, I will discuss the challenges that Alibaba faces with regard to sustaining its position in the growing e-commerce market in China. Finally I will critically examine Alibaba’s business model, possibilities of global expansion and the overall sustainability of the company. Questions 1. One of the most significant factors that lead Alibaba Group sustaining its leadership positioning in the Chinese e-commerce market was its ability to understand the Chinese market itself. Jack Ma, Alibaba Groups founder understood that Chinese consumers and their preferences distinguished them selves from those in other countries. Other companies such as eBay did not appreciate the local market circumstances in China; instead, they were using the strategies that were working in the United States. I believe for this reason Alibaba Group was able to sustain its leadership position. Many of the competitors lacked understanding of the Chinese language as well as the culture. Moreover, Alibaba.com made its services extremely easy for its customers to use. Ma, himself, was a non-technical person and this helped him keep the websites more user-friendly. In the article Ma refers to this stating: (Deresky, 2010). â€Å"If you follow Google’s way, you always be a follower†¦ We have to make the Yahoo! Search engine more human, more interactive†¦ something for the 1.3 billion people in China who aren’t technology-oriented, who don’t know how to ask the right question to a search engine — for people who are like me.† (p.320) An added factor is the services that Alibaba.com offered. The company believed that the first thing to do was to build a devoted customer base. Therefore, before adding any charges, a lot of the services were free of charge. Alibaba.com offered many services such as email and listings of products/services free of charge. In addition, e-commerce was vulnerable due to the fact that sellers and buyers did not trust the idea of sending money before receiving their products and the sellers wanted the money before they shipped their products. For these purposes, Alibaba.com launched Alipay in 2004, which was an online payment solution that allowed the users to make money transactions in an easy, quick and safe way. All and all Alibaba.com basically concentrated greatly on increasing costumer satisfaction even on the expense of not gaining maximum profitability. The company made its customer and getting to know what customers want its number one. Question 2. Jack Ma established Taobao.com in May 2003 to enter the profitable e-commerce market. Taobao.com also symbolized a part of Ma’s Alibaba.com business model of joining SMEs, customers together, and helping SMEs grow. Taoboa’s goal was to generate an online trading platform for both B2C and C2C models. Several factors lead to Taoboa’s success over the rival eBay in the Chinese auctions market. First, Ma managed to raise a substantial investment of 56 million dollars from Softbank and teamed up with Masayoshi Son the founder and CEO of Softbank who had previously helped to defeat eBay in Japan (which lead to eBay leaving Japan in 2002). Also again Ma decided to build a loyal customer base before really attempting to make a profit; he did this by offering free listings as opposed to eBay, which charged for listings (Deresky, 2010). A major factors in Taoboa’s success was Alibaba Groups better management of the trust factor involved in e-commerce trading and better understanding of the local Chinese market. eBbay positioned its standard business model that was used in the United States and other countries. Taoboa, instead, established its own payment escrow service. With AliPay buyers paid into an escrow account that did not pay the seller until the buyer noted he had received the product; therefore, making the transaction thrust worthy since the money was in escrow until the transaction was completed (Deresky, 2010). Furthermore, Taoboa offered e-mail and chat services between users unlike eBay, which concealed identities and only had an offline messaging system. Taoboa also advertised aggressively through websites and billboards in major population areas something eBay did not do. The final steps of defeat for eBay was when Taobao offered three years of free listings and when Taoboa launched its B2C services in 2006. Moreover Taoboa had a large list of companies supporting it and also Alibaba.com members that could join easily. Overall Taoboa’s success over eBay has been attributed its ability to know the local Chinese market and adapt to it as opposed to eBay’s strategies of using a inefficient model that could not adapt to the Chinese market (Deresky, 2010). However, now Taoboa is facing competition from a company that knows the Chinese market very well. Taoboa’s main competitor Baidu, is the largest search engine market share holder in China. Baidu has a large, loyal customer base to work with and has ability to advertise and link its own ecommerce website. Taoboa will have many challenges facing the competition from Baidu. Never the less Alibaba Groups strong and evident presence in the Chinese e-comercial market signifies the company’s ability overtake its competitors by combining all services and maintaining the user-friendliness of its services in B2B, C2C and B2C markets. Question 3. Absolutely it is sustainable. As Alibaba Group now further develops and expands its various web services, it must also additionally develop the various products within each website. Alibaba Group should have one department focusing one website development aspect and another department focusing on product development aspect. The company can still capitalize on his legacy sites that have millions of monthly subscribers. The intention for the company should be to find a way to raise the monthly run rate on each customer on a yearly basis, this would allow Alibaba Group to use these profits to fund the company’s efforts to expand. In my opinion Alibaba Group should focus on moving into Russia first, using their political ties to their advantage. Russia has many raw materials but few factory centers like China. If they could move into Russia, this would effectively provide geographical access to the Middle East and Northern Europe in the future. However, after Russia, I would mainly focus on expanding through Southeast Asia all the way down to Australia. This would fundamentally provide an ecommerce solution that can link B2B, C2C, B2C, sales across the entire Eastern part of the world. Conclusion After reading the case and answering to the questions it seems like the case is too good to be true. Even though Jack Ma had proven his capability of  being a good leader and business man it is impressive how he started from scratch and was able to gather good people around him and develop this successful multinational company. I truly believe that Ma’s and Alibab Groups key to success were the founder people in the company. Overall I see Alibaba Groups story as a big success. It is truly a inspirational story. In the words of Ma’s business partner Masayoshi Son: (Deresky, 2010). â€Å"If there’s a company outside of America that can introduce a new business model to the world, it is Alibaba.† (Founder and CEO of Softbank Corporation, in Japan 2005.) Reference: Deresky, H (2010). International Management: Managing Across Borders and Cultures. 7th ed. Pearson Boston. 310-322.

Genzyme Summary Essay

Genzyme was founded in 1981, Sanofi purchased the company in 2011. They went public in 1986, raising 27 million dollars. Genzyme startet as a start up Company by scientists studying genetically inherited enzyme diseases. Their strategy didn’t focus on the â€Å"blockbuster drugs† like other biotechnology companies but drugs for rare diseases. To developing a drug, it takes 10-14 years at the cost of around 800 million. But the blockbuster drugs had 1 billion dollars revenue. Genzyme has received several honor awards like â€Å"national medal of technology†. The food and drug administration established in 1983 the â€Å"Orphane drug act† giving seven years market exclusivity to developers of drugs for rare diseases. This gave Genzyme big advantage when it comes to clinical trials, advertising and sales, it does not requires a lot. Their first success was the â€Å"Ceredase† drug- to treat the Gaucher`s disease. It was sold to over 4000 patients, with annual revenue of 800 million dollars. They had different way of manufacturing and sales compare to other companies. They did not do licensing to large pharmaceutical company. Genzyme was the worlds third largest biotech company in 2006 only profiting of rare diseases. Reflection of the case * Avoided â€Å"blockbuster† market and good management Good strategic to focus on a niche market instead of the †blockbuster† market. The degree of existing rivalry and entry barriers was low. Henri Termeer took a risk in moving to a start up company but with his experience and expertise, the company went stronger and independent. * First ones to market and the exclusivity Genzyme entered a small, untapped market. Being the first biotech company that focus on rare diseases and having the market exclusivity made them leading biotech company. They had the ability to identify almost all customers. They had big advantage when is comes to clinical trials, restrictions, FDA and small numbers of test patients required.

The History of the Non-Commissioned Officer

OverviewThe origin of the non commissioned officer (NCO) developed early in the country’s history, actually before the country was a country.   In the late 1700s the mean worried about their rights of liberty and property at the hands of the English monarchy.  Ã‚   â€Å"These advocates of ‘the citizen-soldier’ called on free,   adult men of property to respond to their sense of duty, to their sense of political obligation, by serving for a period of time in the militia of their community. Thus military service, indeed, compulsory service in militias, was deemed appropriate under what has come to be known as the â€Å"consent† theory of government† (Karsten, 2001).Fisher points to a difficulty in distinguishing between commissioned officers and non commissioned officers.   He claims that it wasn’t until the early 1700s that a distinction could be made. He argues that by the Revolutionary War period, great confidence was place on the po sition of the non-commissioned officer, including the promise of some financial rewards (as high as $80) to those who made it through each designated segment of service.   However, there was still an undertone of lower status of the NCO at this particular time in American history (Fisher, 2001).Unfortunately, not everyone felt the need to serve his country in the face of all enemies.   Many founding essayists felt as if abandoning work to join in the military was an irresponsible action for husbands and sons alike.  Ã‚   Even though the American Army had the money to pay 75,000 men in 1776, it never got more than 37,500 to sign up at any one time (Karsten, 2001). Thus, the picture of the non-commissioned officer was less of a concerned and responsible citizen solder and more of a lazy, unfocused, displaced laborer.Between 1820 and 1850 the organization and training of these men was loose and unorganized.   The enrolled men met only once or twice a year for â€Å"militia mus ter and drill† as the law dictated.   â€Å"If one had ‘the common defense of the nation’ in mind when he came to view such musters, it was quickly dispelled as the day turned from muster to picnic to drunken brawl in rather too rapid succession† (Karsten, 2001).In addition to these men, the army also had a fair number of women.   Like most armies, the Continental Army included women and even their children who â€Å"followed the troops throughout the war, performing tasks that contributed to the soldiers’ welfare† (Rees, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1777, Valley Forge had 400 women enlisted in its army.   The number continued to rise and some units from areas closer to the coast had far more than average numbers of women (Rees, 1995).Training and DisciplineBlack describes training as â€Å"learning war through war†   Ã‚  (Black, 2002).   Training was generally poor or non-existent because it was very difficult to amass large numbers of people in one spot, and if they were amassed, they were nearly impossible to outfit with supplies and weapons due to the tack of transportation and supporting infrastructure. The lack of training reduced the confidence of the men to fight in certain situations, especially in the open, so they often broke ranks and ran (Black, 2002)Others disagree; Sheps and Pitcavage (1995) argue that the organization was as good as it could have possible been at that time in American history.   These state organizations had extensive codes which regulated personnel selection, training, etc.   These state organizations were hierarchical and geographical, sometimes electing officers and other times appointing them.   Further subdivisions included brigades, regiments and companies. In some states officers were elected; in others, they were appointed by the state. The entire state was usually organized into geographical divisions which then corresponded with a military division (Sheps and Pitcavage, 1995).In 1792, Anthony Wayne was one of the first great training generals for combat.   Training and discipline gradually improved through the early 1800s.   Large regiments increased confidence and better training led to more disciplined ranks. However, this training fell off in the years preceding the Civil War,   and the problems recurred for both the North and the South during the war (Black, 2002).Drills and operations slowly revived.   At the beginning of the Civil War two manuals describing the duties of the NCO had been published.   They were called Infantry Tactics by General Winfield Scott and Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics by Colonel William J. Hardee.   According to these manuals, the NCO was to keep military cadence and direction, act as general guides and to instruct new recruits.   In addition, they were to learn to give commands (Fisher, 2001)Even extremely specific instructions began to be printed.   IN addition to his two part expl ications on the care and cleaning of the musket, Alan Bowling wrote the following in his report on military drills around the time of the Civil War:â€Å"This is not meant as a criticism of anyone but as a way of standardizing our drill practices and helping the 5th look sharp at drill as from accounts I have read the original members of the Missouri Brigade were known for their sharp drill. At our recent Spring Drill I noticed there was some confusion on conducting the inspection of arms, particularly the proper way for a soldier to give and take his musket to and from the inspecting officer or NCO.† (2006).  Indeed other duties of the NCO were to make sure that all supplies, including helmets and weapons, were kept clean (Fisher, 2001).WeaponsEarly skirmishes saw the use of virtually anything as a weapon.   One example is the use of the pitchfork during Shay’s Rebellion in 1787. However, as more organized fighting progressed, aim and use of cover were more import ant than the weapons used.   The musket had only one real advantage over the bow and arrow, that being that the bow and arrow was more likely to be deflected by vegetation.   The musket was hard to repair due to a lack of equipment,   skill and experience,   and nearly all of the ammunition had to be brought from Europe (Black, 2002).The introduction of the mass produced percussion cap of the early 1800s made the rifle a little more dependable because of the reduction of misfires.   James H. Burton made an important improvement to the bullets used by theses NCOs by giving it a hollow base.   This bullet was less expensive, could be locally produced and was far more accurate than earlier bullets (Black, 2002).Developments in guns included the Union Repeating Rifle which eliminated the need to reload as often as they had to with the musket and early rifles.   The Gatling gun was one of the first machine guns, but it wasn’t utilized much prior to the Civil War beca use it ate up too much ammunition and was difficult to transport across the terrain (Black, 2002).FormationsThe early NCOs were to maintain formations that seemed more like Napoleonic warfare.   The leaders were more interested in establishing positions and destruction of the opposing army no matter where they were located.  Ã‚  Ã‚   They would often hesitate to use the bayonets and choose instead to fall back and fire from their muskets, which, as previously noted, were not at all accurate and forced the men to shoot, stop and reload over and over again. Even after the Repeating Rifle (AKA the Ager gun) appeared, the generals were reluctant to change their conservative ways and use them (Black, 2002).ConclusionThe NCO is considered the backbone of the US ARMY with two responsibilities: accomplishment of the mission and the welfare of the soldiers (NCO CREED). From its history in voluntary service in the revolutionary war to its intermediary services now, the NCO has always had a vital role in American historyReferencesBowling, Allen. (2006). Company Drill. Reprinted in 5th Missouri Infantry   Newsletter ArticlesAvailable from: http://fifthmo.tripod.com/id7.htmlBlack, Jeremy, (2002). America as a Military Power, 1775-1865.   Connecticut;   Praeger.Fisher, Ernest. (2001). Guardians of the Republic:   A History of the Non-Commissioned OfficerCorps. of the US Army. Pennsylvania:   Stackpole Publishing.Karsten, Peter.   (2001). The US Citizen-Soldier's Past, Present, and Likely Future. Parameters,Summer 2001, pp. 61-73.NCO Creed. (2006). Available from: https://www.army.mil/leaders/leaders/sma/ncocreed.htmlRees, John U.   (1995). â€Å"The proportion of Women which ought to be allowed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  An Overview ofContinental Army Female Camp Followers. The Continental Soldier (Journal of theContinental Line) VIII (3), Spring, pp. 51-58.Sheps and Pitcavage. (1995). The History of Militia in America.   Available from:http://archive.adl.org/mwd/fa q3.asp

Jesus as the Founder of Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Jesus as the Founder of Christianity - Essay Example In their work, there is a clear indication on the basics of Christianity, thus making it easier for students and scholars studying theology have a justified ground to base their arguments. From Sinclair & Bowman’s (2006), work, it is evident the stand they take in regard to the foundation of Christianity. Their values conform to those of other scholars and analysts who believe that the Bible is the basis of Christianity, and Jesus take the upper hand. Just like indicated in the Holy book, Sinclair & Bowman (2006), indicate that the good news has come to the human race and will be continue to prevail in order to guide Christians on the right path in life. From this indication, therefore, it is evident that the Bible indicates that Jesus is the root of Christianity through His messages to the human race. From the view that Jesus died for the sins of human kind, it is apparent how much He had and still has love for the human race. Apart from that, we are justified to argue that J esus Christ existed in the world before and from his existence, Christianity found its way into the lives of human kind. The word ‘Christians’ emanate from ‘Christ’ to mean followers of Jesus. This is the more reason why Jesus Christ is referred to as the founder of Christianity. ... 1.1. Body 1.1.1. An analysis of textual sources In an attempt to understand the foundation of Christianity, the Holy Bible cannot be alienated from the picture. As discussed earlier, the Bible is the blue print and reference to Christianity, and in this study, therefore, constant reference has to be made to the book. Sinclair & Bowman (2006), undertake a study of the Bible in an attempt to prove the view that indeed Christianity has its basis on the Bible. Sinclair & Bowman (2006) indicate that the Bible consists of both the Old and New Testaments that relate to the foundations of Christianity on Jesus. They seek to emphasize on the New Testament’s view on Christianity for its rich ideas on the theme. The books of Matthew, Luke, Mark and John emphasize on Jesus’ life while on earth. It is from these books that Christians borrow the aspect of a good life based on Christian virtues from the example of Jesus. It is justified to argue that the Bible leads to many Christians base their belief in Jesus as the founder of Christianity from the readings. It is these texts that parables are explained in broad detail. Jesus plays the role of a servant that was sent by God to save the human race. Jesus is seen more of a servant to the people that the king. According to the Christian values, humility is one of the virtues that all people must embrace. In line with this context, Jesus may be regarded as the founder of Christianity from the example that He set on the human race. In fact, studies indicate that it is from His mission on earth that many people learnt to emulate good virtues from him. Were it, not from Jesus’ mission on earth, Christianity would not have a strong foundation that it has today. At that