Flooding in South Africa Essay

Most floods take hours or days to develop, giving residents enough time to prepare or evacuate. Others happen quickly and with little warning. These flash floods can be extremely dangerous and cause major damage to the landscape and the habitants of such an area. Disaster specialists have various ways of classifying floods according to their likelihood of occurring and the intensity of the flood. A hundred-year flood, for example, is an extremely large, destructive event that would theoretically be expected to happen only once every century. Heavy rain in a short period of time in the part of South Africa, caused more than hundreds of people to be homeless by heavy flooding. Floods caused many to seek refuge on rooftops and on trees. This catastrophe killed more than hundreds of people causing the death toll to rise. Recently these floods caused evacuation of the Kruger National, a game reserve in Northern South Africa. Floods also covered some farmlands and crops were killed as a result forcing farms to close. Most of the roads, dams and large buildings were damaged. Due to flooding some mines were forced to close, this the case of a coal mines in Limpopo. Floods frequently causes major infrastructure damage of roads, railway lines, electricity supply systems, water supply and sewage disposal systems. Bribges over rivers are particularly exposed to damage and disruption of transportation systems follows. The economic effects of flooding are often greater than the flood itself. (Parker 2000) According to Parker (2000) be cause floods frequently destroy crops and livestock, food shortages are not uncommon in the aftermath. Floods may affect food availability in a number of ways. Food stocks may be damaged if storage areas are flooded. Serious flooding usually disrupts transportation of food deficit areas, particularly in towns, which are cut off from supply sources and have inadequate food stock. Impacts of flooding may hinder the economic growth and development that is the high cost of relief and recovery may adversely impact investment in infrastructure and other development activities in the area and in certain cases may cripple the frail economy of the of the region. Recurrent flooding in a region may discourage long-term investments by the government and private sector alike. Lack of livehoods, combined with migration of skilled labour and inflation may have a negative impact on a region’s economic growth. Loss of resource can lead to high costs of goods and services, delaying its development programmes. (Drep operation international federation of Red Cross and crescent societies). Figure 2 three kid were during floods in Limpopo As discussed under various perspectives, it is clear from the assignment that floods had adverse impact on the socio-economic status of livehoods for people in South Africa more especially the residents of Limpopo. It is also evident that there are varying underlying causes of floods i South Africa. Places near the flood event are the most susceptible to the dangers of the floods. Proximity of these places and poverty were identified as being the main cause of vulnerability of people

Biography of Maj. John Andre, Who Aided Benedict Arnold

Biography of Maj. John Andre, Who Aided Benedict Arnold Major John Andre (May 2, 1750–Oct. 2, 1780) was a British intelligence officer during the American Revolution. In 1779, he assumed oversight of secret intelligence for the British army and opened contact with American traitor Maj. Gen. Benedict Arnold. Andre was later captured, convicted, and hanged as a spy. Fast Facts: Major John Andre ï » ¿Known For: Handler for infamous American traitor Major General Benedict ArnoldBorn: May 2, 1750 in London, EnglandParents: Antione Andre, Marie Louise GirardotDied: Oct. 2, 1780 in Tappan, New YorkNotable Quote: As I suffer in the defense of my country, I must consider this hour as the most glorious of my life. Early Life and Education John Andre was born May 2, 1750, in London, England, the son of Huguenot parents. His father Antione was a Swiss-born merchant, while his mother Marie Louise hailed from Paris. Though initially educated in Britain, he was later sent to Geneva for schooling. A strong student, he was known for his charisma, skill at languages, and artistic ability. Returning to England in 1767, he was intrigued by the military but lacked the means to purchase a commission in the army. Two years later, he had to enter business following his fathers death. During this period, Andre met Honora Sneyd through his friend Anna Seward. They became engaged but delayed a wedding until he had built his fortune. Over time, their feelings cooled and the engagement was terminated. Having accumulated some money, Andre revisited his desire for an army career. In 1771, he purchased a lieutenants commission and was sent to the University of Gà ¶ttingen in Germany to study military engineering. After two years, he was ordered to join the 23rd Regiment of Foot (Welsh Regiment of Fusiliers). American Revolution Andre reached Philadelphia and moved north via Boston to his unit in Canada. With the April 1775 outbreak of the American Revolution, Andres regiment moved south to occupy Fort Saint-Jean in Quebec province. In September, the fort was attacked by American forces under Brig. Gen. Richard Montgomery. After a 45-day siege, the garrison surrendered. Andre was captured and sent south to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he lived with the family of Caleb Cope in a loose house arrest until freed in a prisoner exchange in late 1776. Rapid Rise During his time with the Copes, he gave art lessons and compiled a memoir regarding his experiences in the Colonies. Upon his release, he presented this memoir to  Gen. Sir William Howe, commander of British forces in North America. Impressed by the young officer, Howe promoted him to captain on Jan. 18, 1777, and recommended him as an aide to Maj. Gen. Charles Grey. He saw service with Grey at the Battle of Brandywine, Paoli Massacre, and Battle of Germantown. That winter, as the American army endured hardships at Valley Forge, Andre enjoyed the British occupation of Philadelphia. Living in Benjamin Franklins house, which he later looted, he was a favorite of the citys Loyalist families and entertained numerous ladies, including Peggy Shippen. In May 1778, he planned an elaborate party for Howe before his return to Britain. That summer, the new commander, Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, abandoned Philadelphia and returned to New York. Moving with the army, Andre participated in the Battle of Monmouth on June 28. New Role After raids in New Jersey and Massachusetts later that year, Grey returned to Britain. Because of his conduct, Andre was promoted to major and made adjutant-general of the British Army in America, reporting to Clinton. In April 1779, his portfolio was expanded to include overseeing the British intelligence network in North America. A month later, Andre received word from American Maj. Gen. Benedict Arnold that he wished to defect. Arnold had married Shippen, who used her prior relationship with Andre to open communication. A secret correspondence ensued in which Arnold asked for equal rank and pay in the British Army in exchange for his loyalty. While he negotiated with Andre and Clinton regarding compensation, Arnold provided a variety of intelligence. That fall, communications broke off when the British balked at Arnolds demands. Sailing south with Clinton late that year, Andre took part in the operations against Charleston, South Carolina, in early 1780. Returning to New York that spring, Andre resumed contact with Arnold, who was to take command of the fortress at West Point in August. They began corresponding regarding a price for Arnolds defection and the surrender of West Point to the British. On Sept. 20, Andre sailed up the Hudson River aboard HMS Vulture to meet with Arnold. Concerned about his aides safety, Clinton instructed Andre to remain vigilant and in uniform at all times. Reaching the rendezvous point, Andre slipped ashore on the night of Sept. 21 and met Arnold in the woods near Stony Point, New York.  Arnold took Andre to the house of Joshua Hett Smith to complete the deal. Talking through the night, Arnold agreed to sell his loyalty and West Point for 20,000 pounds. Trapped Dawn arrived before the deal was completed and American troops fired on the Vulture, forcing it to retreat down the river. Trapped behind American lines, Andre had to return to New York by land.  He expressed concern about taking this route to Arnold, who provided Andre with civilian clothes and a pass for getting through American lines. He also gave Andre papers detailing West Points defenses. Smith was to accompany him for most of the journey. Using the name John Anderson, Andre rode south with Smith. They encountered little difficulty through the day, though Andre decided that wearing his British uniform was dangerous and donned the civilian clothes.   Captured That evening, Andre and Smith encountered a detachment of New York militia, who implored the two to spend the evening with them.  Though Andre wanted to press on, Smith felt it prudent to accept the offer.  Continuing their ride the next morning, Smith left Andre at the Croton River. Entering neutral territory between the two armies, Andre felt comfortable until around 9 a.m., when he was stopped near Tarrytown, New York, by three American militiamen. Questioned by John Paulding, Isaac Van Wart, and David Williams, Andre was tricked into revealing that he was a British officer. After being arrested, he denied the charge and offered Arnolds pass. But the militiamen searched him and found in his stocking the West Point papers. Attempts to bribe the men failed. He was taken to North Castle, New York, where he was presented to Lt. Col. John Jameson. Failing to grasp the situation, Jameson reported Andres capture to Arnold. Jameson was blocked from sending Andre north by American intelligence chief Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge, who ordered him held and forwarded the captured documents to Gen. George Washington, who was en route to West Point from Connecticut. Taken to American headquarters at Tappan, New York, Andre was imprisoned in a local tavern. The arrival of Jamesons letter tipped Arnold that he had been compromised and allowed him to escape capture shortly before Washingtons arrival and join the British. Trial and Death Having been captured behind the lines under a false name wearing civilian clothes, Andre was immediately considered a spy. Tallmadge, a friend of executed American spy Nathan Hale, informed Andre that he expected he would hang. Held in Tappan, Andre was exceptionally polite and charmed many Continental officers including the Marquis de Lafayette and Lt. Col. Alexander Hamilton. Though the rules of war would have allowed for Andres immediate execution, Washington moved deliberately as he investigated the scope of Arnolds betrayal. To try Andre, he convened a board of officers headed by Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene with notables such as Lafayette, Lord Stirling, Brig. Gen. Henry Knox, Baron Friedrich von Steuben, and Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair. At trial, Andre claimed that he had been unwillingly trapped behind American lines and as a prisoner of war was entitled to attempt escape in civilian clothes. These arguments were dismissed. On Sept. 29, he was found guilty of being a spy behind American lines under a feigned name and in a disguised habit and sentenced to hang. Though he wished to save his favorite aide, Clinton was unwilling to meet Washingtons demand to release Arnold in exchange. Andre was hanged on Oct. 2, 1780. His body, initially buried under the gallows, was re-interred in 1821 in Londons Westminster Abbey at the Duke of Yorks behest. Legacy For many, even on the American side, Andre left a legacy of honor. Although his request for execution by firing squad considered a more honorable death than hanging, was rejected, according to lore he placed the noose around his own neck. Americans were taken by his charm and intellect. Washington referred to him as being more unfortunate than criminal, an accomplished man, and a gallant officer. Hamilton wrote, â€Å"Never perhaps did any man suffer death with more justice, or deserve it less. Across the Atlantic, Andres monument in Westminster Abby bears a mourning figure of Britannia that is inscribed, in part, to a man universally Beloved and esteemed by the Army in which he served and lamented even by his FOES.

Find Ideas for Enterprise Stories in Your Hometown

Find Ideas for Enterprise Stories in Your Hometown Enterprise reporting involves a reporter digging up stories based on his or her own observation and investigation. These stories typically arent based on a press release or a news conference, but on the reporter carefully watching for changes or trends on his beat, things that often fall under the radar because theyre not always obvious. For instance, lets say youre the police reporter for a small-town paper and over time you notice that arrests of high school students for possession of cocaine are increasing. So you talk to your sources in the police department, along with school counselors, students, and parents, and come up with a story about how more high school kids are using cocaine in your town because some big-time dealers from the nearest big city are moving into your area. Again, thats not a story based on someone holding a press conference. Its a story that the reporter dug up on his own, and, like many enterprise stories, its important. (Enterprise reporting is really just another word for investigative reporting, by the way.) So here are some ways you can find ideas for enterprise stories in various beats. Crime and Law Enforcement Talk to a police officer or detective at your local police department. Ask them what trends theyve noticed in crime over the last six months or year. Are homicides up? Armed robberies down? Are local business facing a rash or burglaries? Get statistics and perspective from the police on why they think the trend is occurring, then interview those affected by such crimes and write a story based on your reporting. Local Schools Interview a member of your local school board. Ask them whats happening with the school district in terms of test scores, graduation rates, and budget issues. Are test scores up or down? Has the percentage of high school grads going on to college changed much in recent years? Does the district have adequate funds to meet the needs of students and teachers or are programs having to be cut due to budget constraints?​ Local Government Interview your local mayor or a member of the city council. Ask them how the town is doing, financially and otherwise. Does the town have enough revenue to maintain services or are some departments and programs facing cutbacks? And are the cuts simply a matter of trimming fat or are important services - like police and fire, for instance - also facing cuts? Get a copy of the towns budget to see the numbers. Interview someone on the city council or town board about the figures. Business and the Economy   Interview some local small business owners to see how theyre faring. Is business up or down? Are mom-and-pop businesses being hurt by shopping malls and big-box department stores? How many small businesses on Main Street have been forced to close in recent years? Ask local merchants what it takes to maintain a profitable small business in your town. Environment Interview someone from the nearest regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency. Find out if local factories are operating cleanly or polluting your communitys air, land or water. Are there any Superfund sites in your town? Seek out local environmental groups to find out whats being done to clean up polluted areas.

Effective and Easy Tips for Writing a Thesis Introduction Successfully

Effective and Easy Tips for Writing a Thesis Introduction Successfully How to write a thesis introduction? The introductory chapter of this important academic work matters a lot and you need to complete it last (after writing other parts). However, it’s not the last paragraph that you think about. Your thesis introduction helps you create a broad outline of interesting ideas, what you want to explore, and why you decide to study a specific area. It’s the first part of your thesis and it should start your points successfully, so find out how to do that correctly. What are its definition and basic purposes? In such introductions, students describe a particular topic, state a problem, and give a brief overview of future papers. How to write a thesis introduction? As your ideas develop, feel free to update your thesis introduction and keep it in mind to guarantee that your work is on track. This paragraph should provide each reader with a good rationale for your work, why it’s important, and what it will answer. It should contain your statement of research questions and aims. Ensure that this paragraph introduces and offers a review of related literature to show the audience current knowledge while explaining a theoretical framework. If you can find any theoretical debates in the sources that you read, your thesis introduction is a great place to share your personal perspective. Indicate how your work contributes to a theoretical understanding of your subject. Basic aims to focus on Your thesis introduction should serve the following purposes: Introducing the topic you will address, research question, and aim of your study; Drawing readers’ interest by using strong examples and catchy hooks; Demonstrating practical and scientific relevance of your paper. Parts of your thesis introduction A clear thesis introduction should include these basic parts: Scope and motivation; Practical and theoretical relevance of your research; A brief description of its design; Problem statement and study objective; Current scientific situation and outline. You should read a bit more about each one. PLCAE YOUR ORDER Motivation or problem indication What is the main motive of doing your research? Check relevant ideas and look for something that interests you, as this is what will help you encourage other people to keep reading the rest of your paper. Scope Based on your problem indication and motivation, describe the chosen topic and share more background information to define the main purpose of your research. Don’t make a mistake of researching too much. It’s necessary to search for a specific niche. Practical and theoretical relevance of your research Use solid arguments and cite related articles or other sources to indicate the scientific relevance of your study. Highlight all the studies that you will use for your work and explain to the targeted audience its practical use. If you find this task hard to complete, ask friends for opinions. A current scientific situation linked to your researched theme In this part of your thesis introduction, you need to specify and briefly explain the most interesting scientific sources that relate to your chosen subject. This is how you show readers that you can support it with many studies and find a lot of relevant information. What to do next? Your problem statement, objective, and research question In your thesis introduction, describe your formulated problem statement, research question, and study objective. Use a research question to answer your problem statement. Sometimes, teachers require students to use their hypotheses instead of questions. To end up with a strong hypothesis, you first need to do your conceptual framework and write a literature review. A brief description of your research design In your thesis, you must develop a particular research design in detail, but the introduction should give only its brief summary. Where, how, and when you will do your research? Create an outline In this part of the introduction, you should briefly describe your thesis by summarizing all paragraphs and ideas. Ensure that you don’t phrase your outline repetitively. ORDER THESIS INTRODUCTION Helpful and useful guidelines Start with your research proposal because it can be an effective action plan for your future thesis introduction. Although it’s an opening section, it doesn’t mean that you need to finish this section before you start writing other parts. The more you conduct your research, the easier to succeed. Keep rewriting your thesis introduction until you get its perfect version Verb tenses and thesis introduction length To indicate what you will discuss and introduce the chosen subject, use a simple present tense. Present perfect and simple past tenses are great for any background information. There are exact requirements for the length of your thesis introduction, but you should neither write many pages nor try to squeeze everything on a single page. Writing to the point is a clever idea. You shouldn’t repeat yourself to earn high grades. 4 Excellent Ideas to Make Your Thesis Introduction Stronger Avoid saying everything at once instead of outlining your work and major arguments; Write a catchy opening sentence to hold readers’ attention; Keep your language straightforward; Avoid giving any promises that you won’t deliver later. The importance of revising and editing As with other types of academic writing, you need to rewrite and edit your thesis introduction to improve its quality. This paragraph leads readers to your research, so don’t take it lightly. Give yourself enough time to create a perfect thesis introduction because you’re most likely to write a few drafts to succeed. If you find it hard to complete this academic task, don’t hesitate to contact our professional writers and use their services.

Lord of the flies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Lord of the flies - Essay Example Towards the end, the shell is crushed and this is used to show the lack of order. Piggy’s glasses are another important symbol in the story. Clearly, he is one of the most intelligent and rational boys in the novel. His glasses represent his intelligence and the important role that science plays in our lives. It is used to start the fire at the beginning of the novel that is meant to draw attention to them (Golding, 76). Later on, Jack’s group attacks Ralph’s group and they steal these glasses. This leaves the group fragile as they can no longer light a fire. The boys believe that there is a beast on the island. This imaginary beast shows the savage nature that is deep within all humans. Everybody is scared and the only person who realizes that the fear of the beast is within each of us and in reality it does not exist. As their level of animosity increase, so does their belief in the beast. Their behavior is what makes the beast a reality among

Human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

Human resource management - Essay Example The total construction area is about 590,000 square meters. In line with this, the program has been designed by world-renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. By constructing the CCTV’s main building, the supporting facilities for television cultural centre and ancillary are improved (Hudong, 2010). With 234 meters high, CCTV’s main building is considered the tallest building in Beijing. From the exterior view, CCTV Tower, the building as a tilt by the two pillars. About 180 meters in the hanging were carried out aerial docking. Its architectural style is elegant. As a single nation-building, it is the largest single building. It is the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, one of the important facilities. The TV centre includes TV theatre, recording studio, and cultural hotel, press room, digital cinema, large auditorium, exhibition areas, multi-function hall and other facilities. Also it is the television centre during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. CCTV is the media agency. It was established from the day will be faced with many stakeholders. And what does stakeholder means here? Stakeholders are an integral part of a project. They are the end-users or clients, the people from whom requirements will be drawn, the people who will influence the design and, ultimately, the people who will reap the benefits of your completed project. It is extremely important to involve stakeholders in all phases of your project for two reasons: Firstly, experience shows that their involvement in the project significantly increases your chances of success by building in a self-correcting feedback loop; Secondly, involving them in your project builds confidence in your product and will greatly ease its acceptance in your target audience (Mariosalexandrou.com, 2010). It is no exception during the Olympic Games in Beijing. Among the stakeholders includes the government regulators, competitors in the same industry, TV stations in various departments w ithin, product advertising, TV

M&ms color distribution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

M&ms color distribution - Essay Example Madison assumed all different colors are combined together and made at different time along the way into different size packages. According to the M&M’s website, each package of chocolate milk should contain, 24%, 14%, 16%, 20%, 13%, and 14% of blue, brown, green, orange, red, and yellow respectively. This is what is stated in the consumer office. After doing a practical survey, Madison found out that the percentages indicated in the packages were not even close to the distribution stated. Madison concluded that they produce the indicated percentages of each color and then just fill up the packs off weight based method. This infers that any particular package may be much away off the indicated percentage. Due to this, Madison conducted his study and indicated his results. He did this by random sampling of packs. Madison acquired M&M’s sold in cardboard box containing 48 packages. He then counted every color and then compared the total of all the colors in every package to the sum of the pack as an error checking form. He then did analysis as follows: according to Madison, he expected 24%, 13%, 16%, 29%, 13%, and 14% of blue, brown, green, orange, red, and yellow respectively. However, he observed 18.36%, 14.16%, 18.44%, 20.76%, 14.20%, and 14.08% of blue, brown, green, orange, red, and yellow respectively. The row indicating the quantity expected is based on the total M&M’s observed numbers using expected percent values from M&M’s website. As seen in the results, blue which is the most observed color in the M&M was actually third in popularity watch. It was about 25 percent less than the amount expected. However, orange, brown, yellow, and red were within 2% points on what was expected as their values. Yellow was however closest. At the end of the analysis, it appears t hat pack 22 is much closer to the published