Battle Of Ap Bac Essays - Vietnam War, , Term Papers

Battle Of Ap Bac BATTLE OF AP BAC On July 7, 1954 Bao Dai, president of Vietnam appointed Ding Diem as Prime Minister. Dai was a pro French president who did not have communist beliefs for Vietnam. Diem was man who refused French rule and favored American ideas. He was a Roman Catholic, thus causing him to be an opponent of communism as well. He also maintained a link to the CIA through Colonel Edward Lansdale, renowned expert on counterinsurgency. In April 1955 Diem launched an offensive against his main rivals in the south (Coa Dai and Hoa Hoa sects well as the powerful Binh Xuyen pirates) and declared himself president. Since the south was a mainly Buddhist and Diem was Catholic, it caused him to be isolated from the people. His fear of a coup and obsession with power caused him to distrust all, but his own family. Between Diem and his family there was a spread of corruption throughout the country. By the late 1950's South Vietnam had degenerated into repressive, undemocratic state, which left its people angry and isolated. 1957 sparked the first sign of trouble as guerillas launch attacks on government agencies in rural areas. It was believed that the Vietnamese Communist launched the attacks; also know as the Viet Cong (VC), who was of the Viet Ming party that stayed behind. They had gone under ground a few years earlier in 1954. They gained the support of North Vietnam and in 1959 began a policy to reunify Vietnam with a large-scale infiltration of armed cadres into the south along the Ho Chi Man Trail. Due to the resentment caused by Diem, a substantial part of South Vietnam was taken over by the communist (VC). The US, under the leadership of President John F. Kennedy, was convinced that the insurgency in South Vietnam was part of a Sino-Soviet campaign to ensure the spread of Communism. The US government sent aid to South Vietnam in the form of US supplied M-113 armored personnel carriers, helicopters, aircraft along with pilots and mechanics to train South Vietnamese personnel on thei r use. Also US Special Forces (green berets) and Army advisors were deployed to boost the capability of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). At the end of 1961, about 3,160 US service personnel were in Vietnam. The number would rise to about 16,000 two years later. Even the advantages of US military technology and advisors to South Vietnam, after a short time the VC learned to operate around them. This was due to the AVRN unit commanders, many of who were just political appointees, lacked resolve. Thus allowing the VC to escape instead of risking heavy AVRN casualties. The VC was engaging in new techniques ranging from the relocation of villagers to more fortified areas to use of air and artillery strikes in rural areas. This resulted in more alienation of the people from Diem's cause, ultimately leading to the peasant class assisting the VC. January 2, 1963 the AVRN 7th Division was ordered to destroy a VC in the hamlet (AP) of Tan Thoi. The plan was for AVRN infantry to be landed by helicopter to the north of the hamlet, while two Civil Guard battalions supported by a company of M-113s approached from the south through the neighboring hamlet of Bac. Originally it was believed that the transmitter was guarded by an estimate of 120 VC. In reality it was guarded by about 360. The AVRN attack went wrong from the very start. After the infantry had landed at 0703 hrs, it was discovered that the weather was not good enough for any more helicopter operations, due to a thick ground fog. Further operations had to post-poned until 0930 hrs. The first clash occurred at 0745 where the Civil Guard blundered into the VC section across their route. After the loss of their company commander the South Vietnamese Army went to the ground and called for much needed reinforcements. Helicopters were landed 300 yards west of Bac and were supported by UH-1 gunships. It is said that US pilots landed 200 yards from the hamlet into a VC ambush. As they came in at about 1020 hrs they

William Shakespeare Essays (1384 words) - Incidental Music, Prospero

William Shakespeare Essays (1384 words) - Incidental Music, Prospero William Shakespeare One may find it ridiculous to contrast between Shakespeare and existentialism in its 20th century form, however one must keep in mind, that existentialism does not appear as a single philosophical system. It is more an attitude of life, a general vision - existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre is known to have stated that existentialism was never invented, it has always existed as the ultimate foundation. Upon that light, why not seek the foundations from the work of the forefather of all dramatists? It is above all na?ve to claim Prospero?s Epilogue in Shakespeare?s play The Tempest a mere conventional appeal for applause or the stripping of the imaginary glamour built up by the plays magic. Even the greatest of artists would rather give away his life than surrender his art to be judged solely by the public. Art for an artistic genius is practised for its own sake; art for the purpose of art. Existence for the sake of existence itself - stripped of meaning, of value and of subjective interpretation. In its bear meaningless form, something still remains: the necessary Natural Law, a philosophical concept considered the basis of human well-being, a system of the values that determine human existence. Throughout The Tempest Prospero?s character portrays an image of a nearly Nietzchean superhuman capable of disclaiming authority, killing God. He is in control of every situation and event as if the chain of causes and effects would be a conductible melody waiting for an artist?s touch. On the other hand he is very human: a wronged duke and a father, a symbiosis which Shakespeare displayed with the use of Prospero?s garment as a theatrical tool. An artist is the creator, the maker of realities yet he remains human, an animal with feelings and urges, ties only waiting to be cut. The view implied is not far from the ideologies that emerged from the great suffering of the second world war: a man is capable of constructing himself a framework of personal and social meaning, but his true animal nature remains unchanged. In the heart of existence, life has no predefined meaning, it is a mere passage of survival from necessary birth to necessary death. Prospero's and his daughter's situation on the island was hopeless, however Prospero had chosen a function for his life - revenge. Prospero created a meaning for his life, built a synthetic reality to keep him sane on the path towards the finality of human death. Early existentialism begins to appear. The literatory image behind The Epilogue of The Tempest greatly involves the attitude and interpretation of art. Having constructed a window or more or less a door to an imaginary world for the audience, Shakespeare has succeeded in fusing art and reality. Upon that light it is incomprehensible to assume his need to address the subjective yet neutral third party, the audience - shatter the synthetic reality. However, The Epilogue is a beautiful and humble ending to a story filled with strong magical elements - the control is given to the audience, they are given Prospero?s magical garment. The passive third party is given a choice of interaction, chance to rise beyond spectatorship. An interesting aspect to The Epilogue of The Tempest is the fact that it was Shakespeare?s last play - the final words of a great artist. Due to the lack of historically trustworthy biographical information of Shakespeare?s character, it is difficult if not impossible to determine the effect of his life situation to the message itself. Whether justified or not, The Epilogue seems like a farewell - a humble artist handing over his life to the audience to which he has dedicated his entire life. When examining The Epilogue with the restriction of intertextuality, one is forced to focus on the character of Prospero. Why does he leave a farewell, why does he become the ultimate link from the world of the play to the world of the third party, the audience. His importance as the narrator of The Epilogue creates a third dimension to his character traits, he becomes the God-figure that seems limited to living on a island yet he can perform metaphysical leaps between dimensions. The person speaking is the author himself, for in

Accrual and Modified Accrual Basis of Accounting Essay

Accrual and Modified Accrual Basis of Accounting - Essay Example It recognizes noncash business engagements that include accruals, deferrals, and amortizations. This accounting basis recognizes expenditures rather than expenses (Ruppel, 2013). It recognizes revenues during the periods in which they are prone to accrual that implies their measurability and availability. Modified accrual accounting requires that incurred expenditures be recognized in the period in which their related transactions occurred (Ruppel, 2010). On the other hand, revenues are only available if they can be collectible within the current period (Wiley Cpa Exam Review 2013, Financial Accounting and Reporting, 2012). Once cash has been spent, the expenditures become measurable thereafter. A comprehensive annual financial report has three sections: the introductory segment, financial section and the section with statistical data (Ruppel, 2010). The introductory section entails the transmittal letter, while the financial section comprises a number of aspects that include the independent auditor’s report, schedules, financial statements, notes regarding financial statements, management views and analysis and the required supplementary information (Ruppel, 2010). The statistical section entails additional information relating to finances, economy, and

Capital budget purchase Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital budget purchase - Term Paper Example This item was prioritized for the broader benefits that it will bring to my department. The item is specially designed for easy operation for hospital caregivers to help them keep and manage the patients’ health records. For our surgical department services to be more efficient in accessing the patient’s records remotely and attend to the patients’ need effectively, this equipment will highly be required. Therefore, my choice for this equipment is founded on the basis that much efficiency will be derived from its use in order to improve the department’s service delivery ability (Eric, Paul, Anita, David, Kathleen, & Elizabeth, 2011). The estimated cost for the equipment is about $5,100, but the resulting improvement in patient care of the department will be much higher than this. Managerial Goals Productivity: The decision to purchase this equipment will increase productivity and service delivery whereby care givers and surgeons in charge will be able to a ccess the patients’ charts remotely, they will be able to be alerted to attend to medical error and even be reminded to provide preventive care to their patients, hence high productivity is expected to result from the equipment purchase. Productivity will also result when the caregivers will not be expected to be around their patients throughout, and can only respond to their needs when alerted by the equipment, hence giving them time to attend to other duties. Quality: this equipment will enhance quality service delivery as most of the records will be automated and even in situations where the caregivers could have forgotten, they will be reminded by the device. Development: As a manager, by making this purchase, I will be ensuring that I bring new development to my staff and department as a whole. For the development to occur there must be a positive growth. And this technology is directed towards realizing this positive growth. Employee Support: this equipment, given its h igh efficiency level, will provide a lot of support to the employees as it is able to perform several things that could have been performed by the employees, effectively. Employees will therefore find their work much easier in providing care to their patients than when they use the manual records system. Economic Environment Enhancement There are various duties performed by this new electronic health record, which could otherwise be performed by the hospital employees. These include accessing the patients’ charts, attending to critical lab values, alert to potential medical error, provision of preventive care, identifying lab needed tests among others. The electronic health record system makes these duties easier to perform, as it automatically detects the required service and alert the person concerned to attend to the patient. This system when applied, will reduce cost of employing several employees since there will be no need to hire several caregivers when several of thei r duties can be performed by the electronic health record. As this cost is reduced, the department can divert this cost to other areas that really require much funding. Therefore, economically, this equipment can help my department save a lot of cost and enhance other areas with the same cost. Organizational Goals Patient Care: As it is in the goals of the organization to give the best care to the patients in an effort to

Nervous Conditions Themes Essay Example for Free

Nervous Conditions Themes Essay Tambu was born a girl and thus faces a fundamental disadvantage, since traditional African social practice dictates that the oldest male child is deemed the future head of the family. All of the family’s resources are poured into developing his abilities and preparing him to lead and provide for his clan. When Nhamo dies, the tragedy is all the more profound since no boy exists to take his place. Tambu steps into the role of future provider, yet she is saddled with the prejudices and limitations that shackled most African girls of her generation. Her fight for an education and a better life is compounded by her gender. Gender inequality and sexual discrimination form the backdrop of all of the female characters’ lives. In the novel, inequality is as infectious as disease, a crippling attitude that kills ambition, crushes women’s spirits, and discourages them from supporting and rallying future generations and other female relatives. The Influence of Colonialism The essential action of the novel involves Tambu’s experiences in a Western-style educational setting, and the mission school both provides and represents privileged opportunity and enlightenment. Despite Ma’Shingayi’s strong objections, Tambu knows the only hope she has of lifting her family out of poverty lies in education. However, the mission school poses threats, as well: Western institutions and systems of thought may cruelly and irreversibly alter native Africans who are subjected to them. Nyasha, who has seen firsthand the effect of being immersed in a foreign culture, grows suspicious of an unquestioning acceptance of colonialism’s benefits. She fears that the dominating culture may eventually stifle, limit, or eliminate the long-established native culture of Rhodesia—in other words, she fears that colonialism may force assimilation. The characters’ lives are already entrenched in a national identity that reflects a synthesis of African and colonialist elements. The characters’ struggle to confront and integrate the various social and political influences that shape their lives forms the backbone and central conflict of Nervous Conditions. Tradition vs. Progress Underpinning Nervous Conditions are conflicts between those characters who  endorse traditional ways and those who look to Western or so-called â€Å"modern† answers to problems they face. Dangarembga remains noncommittal in her portrayal of the divergent belief systems of Babamukuru and his brother Jeremiah, and she shows both men behaving rather irrationally. Jeremiah foolishly endorses a shaman’s ritual cleansing of the homestead, while Babamukuru’s belief in a Christian ceremony seems to be rooted in his rigid and unyielding confidence that he is always right. As Tambu becomes more fixed and established in her life at the mission school, she begins to embrace attitudes and beliefs different from those of her parents and her traditional upbringing. Nyasha, ever the voice of reasonable dissent, warns Tambu that a wholesale acceptance of supposedly progressive ideas represents a dangerous departure and too radical of a break with the past. Motifs Geography Physical spaces are at the heart of the tensions Tambu faces between life at the mission and the world of the homestead. At first, Tambu is isolated, relegated to toiling in the fields and tending to her brother’s whims during his infrequent visits. When she attends the local school, she must walk a long way to her daily lessons, but she undertakes the journey willingly in order to receive an education. When the family cannot pay her school fees, Mr. Matimba takes Tambu to the first city she has ever seen, where she sells green corn. Tambu’s increased awareness and knowledge of the world coincides with her growing physical distance from the homestead. The mission school is an important location in the novel, a bastion of possibility that becomes the centerpiece of Tambu’s world and the source of many of the changes she undergoes. At the end of Nervous Conditions, Tambu’s life has taken her even farther away from the homestead, to the convent school where she is without family or friends and must rely solely on herself. Emancipation Emancipation is a term that appears again and again in Nervous Conditions. Usually, the term is associated with being released from slavery or with a country finally freeing itself from the colonial power that once controlled it. These concepts figure into the broader scope of the novel, as Rhodesia’s citizens struggle to amass and assert their identity as a people while still under British control. When the term emancipation is applied to Tambu and the women in her extended family, it takes on newer and richer associations. Tambu sees her life as a gradual process of being freed of the limitations that have previously beset her. When she first leaves for the mission school, she sees the move as a temporary emancipation. Her growing knowledge and evolving perceptions are a form of emancipation from her old ways of thinking. By the end of the novel, emancipation becomes more than simply a release from poverty or restriction. Emancipation is equated with freedom and an assertion of personal liberty. Dual Perspectives Dual perspectives and multiple interpretations appear throughout Nervous Conditions. When Babamukuru finds Lucia a job cooking at the mission, Tambu is in awe of her uncle’s power and generosity, viewing it as a selfless act of kindness. Nyasha, however, believes there is nothing heroic in her father’s gesture and that in assisting his sister-in-law he is merely fulfilling his duty as the head of the family. In addition to often wildly differing interpretations of behavior, characters share an unstable and conflicting sense of self. For Tambu, her two worlds, the homestead and the mission, are often opposed, forcing her to divide her loyalties and complicating her sense of who she is. When she wishes to avoid attending her parents’ wedding, however, these dual selves offer her safety, protection, and an escape from the rigors of reality. As her uncle chides her, Tambu imagines another version of herself watching the scene safely from the foot of the bed. Symbols Tambu’s Garden Plot Tambu’s garden plot represents both tradition and escape from that tradition. On one hand, it is a direct link to her heritage, and the rich tradition has guided her people, representing the essential ability to live off the land. It is a direct connection to the legacy she inherits and the wisdom and skills that are passed down from generation to generation, and Tambu fondly remembers helping her grandmother work the garden. At the same time, the garden represents Tambu’s means of escape, since she hopes to pay her school fees and further her education by growing and selling vegetables. In this sense, the garden represents the hopes of the future and a break with the past. With a new form of wisdom acquired at the mission school and the power  and skills that come with it, Tambu will never have to toil and labor again. Her mother, however, must water the valuable and fertile garden patch despite being exhausted from a long day of work. The Mission For Tambu, the mission stands as a bright and shining beacon, the repository of all of her hopes and ambitions. It represents a portal to a new world and a turning away from the enslaving poverty that has marked Tambu’s past. The mission is an escape and an oasis, a whitewashed world where refinement and sophistication are the rule. It is also an exciting retreat for Tambu, where she is exposed to new ideas and new modes of thinking. The mission sets Tambu on the path to becoming the strong, articulate adult she is destined to become. The Ox In the family’s lengthy holiday celebration, the ox represents the opulence and status Babamukuru and his family have achieved. Meat, a rare commodity, is an infrequent treat for most families, and Tambu’s parents and the rest of the extended clan willingly partake of the ox. At the same time, they secretly resent such an ostentatious display of wealth, since the ox is a symbol of the great gulf that exists between the educated branch of the family and those who have been left behind to struggle. Maiguru closely regulates the consumption of the ox and parcels out the meat over the several days of the family’s gathering. Eventually the meat starts to go bad, and the other women chide Maiguru for her poor judgment and overly strict control of its distribution. At that point, the ox suggests Maiguru’s shortcomings and how, in the eyes of the others, her education and comfortable life have made her an ineffective provider.

Soil Formation Under Desert Pavements Essay -- Geology Topography Pape

Soil Formation Under Desert Pavements Desert pavements are common landforms in arid regions. They consist of flat or sloping surfaces where stones are closely packed angular or rounded, and generally exhibit low relief (Mabbutt, 1977). Pavements tend to form on both alluvial fan toposequences and on weathering volcanic flow fields in arid regions. Soils are often found under desert pavements and they play an important role in the evolution of pavements (McFadden et. al., 1987). In the past there have been several theories as to the formation pavements and soil development beneath them. Deflation, or the erosion of finer grained particles from a surface, stone concentration by wash erosion and upward displacement of stone due to shrink and swell clay characteristics were at one time believed to be the main factors in the formation of desert pavements (Mabbutt, 1977). However, more recent research has shown that desert pavements are born and maintained at the surface, and that the soil below them is mainly eolian in origin . Slow accretion of eolian dust below the pavement is a process that eventually develops cumulate horizons. Eolian dust in environments where pavements often develop is rich in carbonate salts and clays due to the fact it often originates from nearby playa lake evaporate basins (McFadden et. al., 1987). Soils that form below the pavements over time develop calcic horizons and clay rich structure due to the influx of these eolian fines through the pavement surface. In turn the development of mature or plugged calcic horizons effects the form of the pavement surface because it alters the water drainage infiltration rate and causes pavements to decline. Desert Pavements Desert pavements form in several di... ...cFadden, Leslie D., 1988, Climatic Influences on rates and processes of soil development in Quaternary deposits of Southern California: Geological Society of America Special Paper 216, p. 153-175 Mc Fadden, L. D., Wells, S. G., and Jercinovich, M. J., 1987, Influence of eolian and pedogenic processes on the origin and evolution of desert pavements: Geology, v.15, p. 504-508. Ritter, Process Geomorphology Wells, Stephen G., Dohrenwend, John C., McFadden, Leslie D., Turrin, Brent D., and Mahrer, Kenneth D., 1985, Late Cenezoic evolution on Lava Flow surfaces of the Cima volcanic field, Mojave Desert, California: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 96, p. 1518-1529. Wells, Stephen. G., and Mc Fadden, Leslie D., 1995, Cosmogenic 3He surface-exposure dating of stone pavements: Implications for landscape evolution in deserts: Geology, v. 23, p. 613-16.

Joyce Carol Oates`s Short Story Essay

The story ‘Where are you going, where have you been? ’ is a story about a girl about fifteen years of age and having behavioral problem originated from her poor relationship with her mother. She is described in the story as stubborn, rebellious, self-centered, and vane. The story is a tale of insecure woman and romantic but a skilled flirt; and she is drawn in a situation where she could not handle. Connie’s relation with her family and the way she thinks of them shows they were not close. Connie seemed to lament the way her mother would treat her and her older sister June to the point that she â€Å"wished her mother was dead and she herself was dead and it was all over. † She lamented to her friends, â€Å"She makes me want to be thrown up some times. † Connie at fifteen still has childish behavior perhaps typical for young woman like her, showing little concern with house works as her mind was all filled with trashy day dreams. Connie’s behavior though seemed to be very selfish as she cares only of her looks and her own happiness as if she was her own world. She is less interested in family relationship as she would rather go with her friends than going with her family, or prefer to just listen to music. Her behavior is quite a little less to be described as a spoiled brat. She seemed to lack positive traits particularly family values. There might have some reasons for these. First, her mother seemed to show favoritism as she is often compared to her older sister. Her ways and action are viewed as un-acceptable without considering that she is only fifteen and surely needs guidance. Her mother can only appreciate the simple or maybe almost naive orientation of her older sister June. Second, her father does not care of them, as when he comes home, he only cares for the supper, newspaper and his bed. There seems to have no legitimate authority except her mother’s voice always scolding her which to her, â€Å"she had a high breathless, amused, voice that made everything she said a little forced. † The way Connie thinks of her self shows that she was not positively motivated to have a more meaningful outlook in life which at her age, she suppose to have already. Her mind is full of fantasies about someone she meets and the imagination that comes along with it. Her relations with her family have not helped or motivated her toward having a more mature attitude and outlook in life. John Updike`s Emphasis on Marriage relates to larger American issues. In other words, do you think the marriages he portrays result from certain social conditions typical of the U. S.? The novel â€Å"Separating† was about a couple who had lived together for quite long years, a couple with four young children who seemed to be aware of how their parent’s relation ships are going on over some years of the married life. Richard and Joan had been married for quite long years already as they have four young children who were all in school and seemed to have capability of understanding the situation which their family faces. The novel did not mention exactly why Richard and Joan’s marriage come to that point that it was not working well for each other any more except that â€Å"they felt they no longer love each other. † Richard seemed to just short of saying that all those years of living together under one roof was just pretensions which was merely for the sake of the children. But now the situation has grown worse that requires him to make decision to put an end with all these pretentious relation ships. Certainly, Richards wants to be happy. He might have thought it, he deserve happiness and this is now just the right time to reveal the situation to their children. So he announced that bad news while all the kids were gathered at the table for the post welcome celebration of his daughter Judith’s arrival from England. As he revealed his decision, his children seemed to be prepared to hear the bad news as they have not shown hysterical or any strong reaction. Richard must have thought that they understood the situation that everything will come this way which separating would just be the best option. That their dad will leave them to find his happiness in the comforts of another woman which he has already found. Richard feels comforted by the mild reactions of his children as if they had accepted it that the family which they found warm embrace, comforts when they are hurts or having problems, love, care, safety, affection, and shared laughter that only intact family can provide, now stand to break up. But behind the mild reaction and seemingly prepared feelings, as Richard bent to kiss his son good bye, â€Å"turned and with wet chicks embraced him and gave him a kiss, on the lips, passionate as woman, and in his father’s ear as he moaned one word, the crucial intelligent word â€Å"why†? John Updike has powerfully related his novel to larger American social issues affecting the society by emphasizing the consequence of divorce among children and their family that cares for them. Updike also strongly demonstrated the emotional struggles, and the pains the children suffer when their parents come to a point of making a decision of separating. Updike was also able to point out that children are innocent of their parents’ problems and they are victims because their parents instead of cultivating their relationship opted to find their happiness in the comforts of another. Work Cited Updike, John. â€Å"Separating† American Since Mid-Century Updike, John. â€Å"Where are You Going, Where Have You Been? † American since Mid-Century