Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II

Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal was fought November 12-15, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945). Having halted the Japanese advance at the Battle of Midway in June 1942, Allied forces launched their first major offensive two months later when US Marines landed on Guadalcanal. Quickly establishing foothold on the island, they completed an airfield that the Japanese had been building. This was dubbed Henderson Field in memory Major  Lofton R. Henderson who had been killed at Midway. Critical to the islands defense, Henderson Field allowed Allied aircraft to command the seas around the Solomon Islands during the day. Tokyo Express During the fall of 1942, the Japanese made several efforts to capture Henderson Field and force the Allies from Guadalcanal. Unable to move reinforcements to the island during daylight hours due to the threat posed by Allied air attacks, they were limited to delivering troops at night using destroyers. These ships were fast enough to steam down The Slot (New George Sound), unload, and escape before Allied aircraft returned at dawn. This method of troop movement, dubbed the Tokyo Express, proved effective but precluded the delivery of heavy equipment and weapons. Additionally, Japanese warships would use the darkness to conduct bombardment missions against Henderson Field in attempts to hinder its operations. The continued use of the Tokyo Express led to several night surface engagements, such as the Battle of Cape Esperance (October 11-12, 1942) as Allied ships attempted to block the Japanese. Additionally, larger fleet engagements, like the inconclusive Battle of Santa Cruz (October 25-27, 1942), were fought as both sides sought to gain control of the waters around the Solomons. Ashore, the Japanese suffered a sharp defeat when their offensive in late October was turned back by the Allies (Battle of Henderson Field). Yamamotos Plan In November 1942, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, prepared for a large reinforcement mission to the island with the goal of putting up to 7,000 men ashore along with their heavy equipment. Organizing two groups, Yamamoto formed a convoy of 11 slow transports and 12 destroyers under Rear Admiral Raizo Tanaka and a bombardment force under Vice Admiral Hiroaki Abe. Consisting of the battleships Hiei and Kirishima, the light cruiser Nagara, and 11 destroyers, Abes group was tasked with bombarding Henderson Field to prevent Allied aircraft from attacking Tanakas transports. Alerted to Japanese intentions, the Allies dispatched a reinforcement force (Task Force 67) to Guadalcanal. Fleets Commanders: Allied Admiral William Bull HalseyRear Admiral Daniel J. CallaghanRear Admiral Willis Lee1 carrier2 battleships5 cruisers12 destroyers Japanese Admiral Isoroku YamamotoVice Admiral Hiroaki AbeVice Admiral Nobutake Kondo2 battleships8 cruisers16 destroyers The First Battle To protect the supply ships, Rear Admirals Daniel J. Callaghan and Norman Scott were dispatched with the heavy cruisers USS San Francisco and USS Portland, the light cruisers USS Helena, USS Juneau, and USS Atlanta, as well as 8 destroyers. Nearing Guadalcanal on the night of November 12/13, Abes formation became confused after passing through a rain squall. Alerted to the Japanese approach, Callahan formed for battle and attempted to cross the Japanese T. After receiving incomplete information, Callahan issued several confusing orders from his flagship (San Francisco) causing his formation to come apart. As a result, the Allied and Japanese ships became intermingled at close range. At 1:48 AM, Abe ordered his flagship, Hiei, and a destroyer to turn on their searchlights. Illuminating Atlanta, both sides opened fire. Realizing that his ships were nearly surrounded, Callahan ordered, Odd ships fire to starboard, even ships fire to port. In the naval melee that ensued, Atlanta was put out of action and Admiral Scott killed. Fully illuminated, Hiei was mercilessly attacked by US ships which wounded Abe, killed his chief of staff, and knocked the battleship out of the fight. While taking fire, Hiei and several Japanese ships pummeled San Francisco, killing Callahan, and forcing the cruiser to retreat. Helena followed in an attempt to protect the cruiser from further harm. Portland succeeded in sinking the destroyer Akatsuki, but took a torpedo in the stern which damaged its steering. Juneau was also hit by a torpedo and forced to the leave the area. While the larger ships dueled, destroyers on both sides battled. After 40 minutes of fighting, Abe, perhaps not knowing he had achieved a tactical victory and that the way to Henderson Field was open, ordered his ships to withdraw. Further Losses The next day, the disabled Hiei was relentlessly attacked by Allied aircraft and sunk, while the wounded Juneau sank after being torpedoed by I-26. Efforts to save Atlanta also failed and the cruiser sank around 8:00 PM on November 13. In the fighting, Allied forces lost two light cruisers and four destroyers, as well as had two heavy and two light cruisers damaged. Abes losses included Hiei and two destroyers. Despite, Abes failure, Yamamoto elected to proceed with sending Tanakas transports to Guadalcanal on November 13. Allied Air Attacks To provide cover, he ordered the Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa 8th Fleets Cruiser Force (4 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers) to bombard Henderson Field. This was accomplished on the night of November 13/14, but little damage was inflicted. As Mikawa was leaving the area the next day, he was spotted by Allied aircraft and lost the heavy cruisers Kinugasa (sunk) and Maya (heavily damaged). Subsequent air attacks sank seven of Tanakas transports. The remaining four pressed on after dark. To support them, Admiral Nobutake Kondo arrived with a battleship (Kirishima), 2 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, and 8 destroyers. Halsey Sends Reinforcements Having taken heavy casualties on the 13th, the overall Allied commander in the area, Admiral William Bull Halsey detached the battleships USS Washington (BB-56) and USS South Dakota (BB-57) as well as 4 destroyers from USS Enterprises (CV-6) screening force as Task Force 64 under Rear Admiral Willis Lee. Moving to defend Henderson Field and block Kondos advance, Lee arrived off Savo Island and Guadalcanal on the evening of November 14. The Second Battle Approaching Savo, Kondo dispatched a light cruiser and two destroyers to scout ahead. At 10:55 PM, Lee spotted Kondo on radar and at 11:17 PM opened fire on the Japanese scouts. This had little effect and Kondo sent forward Nagara with four destroyers. Attacking the American destroyers, this force sank two and crippled the others. Believing he had won the battle, Kondo pressed forward unaware of Lees battleships. While Washington quickly sank the destroyer Ayanami, South Dakota began to experience a series of electrical problems which limited its ability to fight. Illuminated by searchlights, South Dakota received the brunt of Kondos attack. Meanwhile, Washington stalked Kirishima before opening fire with devastating effect. Hit by over 50 shells, Kirishima was crippled and later sank. After evading several torpedo attacks, Washington attempted to lead the Japanese out of the area. Thinking the road was open for Tanaka, Kondo withdrew. Aftermath While Tanakas four transports reached Guadalcanal, they were quickly attacked by Allied aircraft the next morning, destroying most of the heavy equipment on board. The Allied success in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal ensured that the Japanese would be unable to launch another offensive against Henderson Field. Unable to reinforce or adequately supply Guadalcanal, the Japanese Navy recommended that it be abandoned on December 12, 1942.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Write job descriptions to attract the best candidates

Write job descriptions to attract the best candidates There’s a definite art to crafting application materials, like your resume or cover letter. But think about the flip side of that equation. What about when you’re the recruiter or HR person in charge of writing the job description that will bring in all the best candidates? If you’ve ever seen those job descriptions that are so full of jargon that no one understands what the job is, or the job description that is so long and detailed that maybe one person out of a thousand would feel qualified enough to apply, you know that there’s a balance needed.As a hiring professional, you know that if you want to fill a position well, you have to get the best possible candidates to apply (or you’ll find yourself staring down this same job description a few months from now). So how do you write a solid job description that will attract the right people? Let’s look at some writing tips and strategies.Skip the buzzwords.When you see buzzwords or other lang uage that’s clearly trying to cater to a young, hip, start-up-style crowd, it can come off as more like a parent trying to sound cool. And no one (especially the uncool parent) wants to be seen that way. It feels awkward to read a job description looking for a â€Å"code ninja† or â€Å"marketing superstar.† Remember: people are coming to your job description because they’re looking for an opportunity. You don’t have to be flashy to get attention. It’s better to focus on providing a clear, accurate job description than trying to sound edgy or innovative.Ditching the buzzwords can also help your searchability factor. Job seekers aren’t searching for terms like â€Å"guru† or â€Å"rockstar.† They’re searching for â€Å"specialist† or â€Å"supervisor.† And if your job description isn’t coming up in keyword searches, you’ll risk losing out on potentially great candidates who are searching for more targeted terms. Accurate information is more important than charm here.Be detailed.You may think it’s obvious what a Data Analyst does, and that people searching for jobs in this area probably have at least a passing idea. But you don’t want to take for granted that potential applicants will magically know what the job entails. It’s important to give a clear, detailed synopsis of the work involved in this role. A detailed job description should include:hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});A specific job title. This may seem like a no-brainer, but the job title is going to set the tone for both the job description and the kinds of applicants you get. If you just say â€Å"coordinator,† you could get a whole range of people who may or may not be suited for the open role. If you say â€Å"data analysis coordinator,† you get a winnowed-down pool of applicants looking specifically for that kind of job.A general o verview of the role. How does this job fit in with the organization? Are there direct reports? Who will this person be reporting to themselves? No personal details, of course, but this quick one- or two- sentence overview would let the reader know that, say, the marketing coordinator position reports to the VP of marketing, or that the coordinator is responsible for managing interns.The day-to-day responsibilities of the job. You don’t need to provide a minute-by-minute breakdown, of course, but you can choose some highlights that cover the most important aspects of the job. If you know percentages, those are great to include here. (For example: 50% client service, 40% business development, 10% sales analysis.) By including this information, candidates know what to expect and are better able to match up their own skills and experience before applying.A salary range. This one isn’t necessary, but it can help avoid wasted time with candidates who are qualified but are se eking a higher salary. It can also set reasonable expectations, if an entry-level employee is somehow thinking about executive-level compensation.Desired level of experience. If you’re hiring someone for a mid-career role, it’s important to note that a certain level of experience is necessary. If it’s more of an entry-level role, specify that as well. This can help weed out applicants that are either overqualified or under-qualified for the job.Benefits  and perks. Part of attracting candidates is showing what your company offers outside of the day-to-day work. A general overview of the benefits an employee could expect is a good way to flesh out a job description. For example, types of insurance offered, HSA savings plans, retirement savings, flexible hours, education reimbursement. A quick benefit list (nothing too detailed) is a way to add some quick selling points to the job description. Phrases like â€Å"competitive benefits† are not very useful; they don’t tell the reader anything, and don’t showcase what your company has to offer candidates.Use strong action words.Like in a resume, you want to keep the reader’s interest. Keywords are not only important in online and database searches, but also for regular readers as well. By nature, we look for words that stand out, and help us scan effectively. Just like your own eyes would glaze over at the fifth use of â€Å"responsibilities† on an applicant resume, a job seeker would similarly tune out the word used multiple times in a job listing as well. For example, a word like â€Å"oversee† or â€Å"administer† may stand out better than â€Å"manage.†Find the right length.Somewhere between 700 and 1,200 words is the sweet spot for job descriptions. It’s substantive enough that potential applicants are likely to understand the most important tasks and qualifications, but shorter than Moby Dick.Focus on where the company is goi ng.Is your company award-winning? That’s great. But if you give a laundry list of all the great things your company has done in the past, it can be hard for a job seeker to relate. Credentials are impressive, but your job description should also give a sense of what the company is hoping to accomplish with this role or in general. If your company values creativity and innovation, emphasize that. If there’s a mission statement, include that in your job description. If you want the best applicants to see themselves joining your team, you have to let them in on (the general version of) your vision and goals.Be realistic.This might be the most important part of crafting an effective job description. And it’s most applicable if this is a new position. Ask yourself: is this job realistic for one person? Or is it more like several jobs merged into one? You may think that the role should only be filled by someone who’s trilingual, with a Ph.D. in modern dance and 10 years’ experience in office management, but†¦how many of those people are a) out there; and b) likely to come across your job posting? If you have some wiggle room on the qualifications, try not to be so specific. A reality check can be as easy as having the job description reviewed by someone who’s already done the job, or people who will be working directly with the new person.There’s no great mystery to writing a job description that will attract the people you’d want to hire for the position. When you offer clearly presented details, combined with company highlights, you’re targeting your job description effectively. There’s no guarantee that the perfect applicant will walk through the door, but when you put care and a good amount of careful editing into the job description, you’re helping to ensure that you’ll get some high quality interest.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 45

Case Study Example A company that combines teamwork and motivation enjoys increased employee productivity that accrues from employee job satisfaction. Profit sharing is one of the motivational techniques that Semco uses. Semco gives one-quarter of the profits of its individual divisions to its employees. Also, Semco uses worker participation is an important element of employee motivation. Semco’s employees are involved in the processes of planning, decision-making, and implementation of business plans and ideas. Semco’s employee participation is captured in it policy manual that says, â€Å"Our philosophy is built on participation and involvement. Do not settle down. Give opinions, seek opportunities and advancement, always say what you think. Doesn’t be just one more person in the company† (Killian & Perez 1998). Semco’s use of shared profits and bonuses as a motivation technique is similar to that of SAP. SAP’s other monetary benefits to its employees are in terms of life assurance and pensions and Semco extends bonuses to its employees in terms of house allowances. The freedom allowed Semco’s employees resemble closely the freedom allowed SAP’s employees (BBC 2012). In both companies, there is flexibility in terms of working hours and employees are accorded the discretion to modify work to suit their convenience. A striking similarity between the two companies is the structure of their management. Their managements are not hierarchical and managers are not feared like in other organizations. A notable difference between Semco and SAP is that SAP extends its employee monetary benefits to their families. This way, SAP combines employees’ personal life and their work life (BBC 2012). On the other hand, Semco separates the two and any benefits that reach employees’ families are not purposively channelled. Semler believe that mixing employees’ work life with their family life is not good for business. Semler belief that combining the two can affect an

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Be Fit or Be Out of Favor at CFI Westgate Coursework

Be Fit or Be Out of Favor at CFI Westgate - Coursework Example ive power, he made his policies legal and further made clear that the organization had the power to fire employees who would not comply with the new policy. In fact, his tactic is not consistent and cannot meet role expectations as it does not influence followers’ attitude. 2. Siegel’s idea of weight loss contest seems to have better effects when compared with his no-smoking policy results. The main reason is that he himself lost more than 20 pounds in a few years and thereby aroused inspiration among others in this respect. However, Siegel’s coercive style and thoughtless comments have far reaching adverse effects on employees’ morale. Although his objective is genuine and it can bring forth tremendous positive changes throughout the organization, the way he approaches the matter flaws in several respects. Since obesity is often a medical condition that involves genetic factors other than life style problems, one cannot lose weight overnight complying with a new policy. Siegel should find out better options that can trigger enthusiasm among employees. He can be successful in achieving this goal only if his persuasion becomes rational enough with factual evidence and logical arguments. In other words, his idea regarding weight loss should have inspirational

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Workaholic Lifestyle Essay Example for Free

Workaholic Lifestyle Essay In THIS rapiLY changing world, the more employments THAT are created, the more people WHO BECOME involved in workaholics’ lifestyle. There is no doubt that workaholics HAVE A difficult time to get along with their liveS. Because A workaholic’s lifestyle has a profound influence on their families, their social lives, and their health. Firstly, A workaholic’s lifestyle has an adverse effect on their families. As much as A workaholic has a superior position in their company, THE time they spend WITH their families is limited. They do not EVEN have enough time to take care of their children or do household chores, which leadS to THEIR communICATING inadequately with other family members. Therefore, their children may not BE educated carefully in termS of emotion and spirit, which in turn makeS A workaholic uncomfortable about the behavior of their children. In addition to the negative effect on their families, A workaholic’s lifestyle can effect on their social lives. Without enough time to participate in outdoor activities or community activities, workaholic cannot form new relationships with others. Therefore, friends who play an important role in their mental health around them are so few that IT makeS them uncomfortable IN society. Furthermore, they have a looser and looser link with their relatives. As a result, all of this makeS them feel isolated from their society. Finally, it is obvious that A workaholic’S life-style HAS a harmful influence on their heath. After working HARD ALL day, they have no time for pastime in order to reliEve their stress. Therefore, they must suffer from severe work-related stress for a long time, which MAY lead to serious disease. For instance, an individual who works more than eight hour per day may suffer from severe headacheS. Consequently, he will not be able to fulfil his work expeditiously on time. In conclusion, there are a number of undesirable impactS on not only their workaholic’s life but also the world around them. Hence, they should set a schedule to have more time to care for their families, and to keep relationships as well in order to have A well-balanced life.

Friday, November 15, 2019

A Brief History of Lawrence Ferlinghetti :: Writers Poetry Poets Essays

A Brief History of Lawrence Ferlinghetti A prominent voice of the wide-open poetry movement that began in the 1950s, Lawrence Ferlinghetti has written poetry, translation, fiction, theater, art criticism, film narration, and essays. Often concerned with politics and social issues, Ferlinghetti’s poetry countered the literary elite's definition of art and the artist's role in the world. Though imbued with the commonplace, his poetry cannot be simply described as polemic or personal protest, for it stands on his craftsmanship, thematics, and grounding in tradition. Ferlinghetti was born in Yonkers in 1919, son of Carlo Ferlinghetti who was from the province of Brescia and Clemence Albertine Mendes-Monsanto. Following his undergraduate years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he served in the U.S. Navy in World War II as a ship's commander. He received a Master’s degree from Columbia University in 1947 and a Doctorate de l’Università © de Paris (Sorbonne) in 1950. From 1951 to 1953, when he settled in San Francisco, he taught French in an adult education program, painted, and wrote art criticism. In 1953, with Peter D. Martin, he founded City Lights Bookstore, the first all-paperbound bookshop in the country, and by 1955 he had launched the City Lights publishing house. The bookstore has served for half a century as a meeting place for writers, artists, and intellectuals. City Lights Publishers began with the Pocket Poets Series, through which Ferlinghetti aimed to create an international, dissident ferment. His publication of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl in 1956 led to his arrest on obscenity charges, and the trial that followed drew national attention to the San Francisco Renaissance and Beat movement writers. (He was overwhelmingly supported by prestigious literary and academic figures, and was acquitted.) This landmark First Amendment case established a legal precedent for the publication of controversial work with redeeming social importance. Ferlinghetti’s paintings have been shown at various galleries around the world, from the Butler Museum of American Painting to Il Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome. He has been associated with the international Fluxus movement through the Archivio Francesco Conz in Verona. He has toured Italy, giving poetry readings in Roma, Napoli, Bologna, Firenze, Milano, Verona, Brescia, Cagliari, Torino, Venezia, and Sicilia. He won the Premio Taormino in 1973, and since then has been awarded the Premio Camaiore, the Premio Flaiano, the Premio Cavour. among others. He is published in Italy by Oscar Mondadori, City Lights Italia, and Minimum Fax. He was instrumental in arranging extensive poetry tours in Italy produced by City Lights Italia in Firenze. He has translated from the Italian Pier Paolo Pasolin’s Poemi Romani, which is published by City Lights Books. In San Francisco, his work can regularly be seen at the George Krevsky Gallery at 77 Geary

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Analysis of Down the River by Edward Abbey Essay

In this colorful and passionate essay, â€Å"Down the River†, Edward Abbey depicts nature as a mysterious and majestic place in order to encourage his open-minded readers to embrace all that it has to offer. He also expresses how both nature and our everyday lives are very similar in that they are mysterious and only understandable in small fractions. His tone of admiration leads the reader to recognize that we as humans tend to not see the reflection of mankind in nature; therefore we stunt our ability to fully appreciate and experience its mystery and beauty. His use of parallel structure and imagery provide the reader with a multitude of reasons to appreciate and adore nature. Abbey uses romanticism to show how very important all the little aspects of nature are. He notices small details that ordinary people wouldn’t recognize or appreciate, such as â€Å"the little heart-shaped tracks of the former apparent in the sand†. This suggests that he has a close and intimate connection with nature. For example, when he has his first encounter with a mountain lion, he describes it as a â€Å"mutual curiosity†, that they felt more wonder than fear and in that moment he shares a bond with nature and shows us that we as humans can relate to nature in more than one way. He then rejects the quote by Fuller by saying that the world is â€Å"comprehensible only in part†, as he is observing only Aravaipa Canyon, and it is â€Å"infinitely rich in detail.† The beauty and mystery of nature and of life is what makes it interesting and since they are both so intact with each other, it makes it easier to become connected to nature and be feel the romanticism that he described in the beginning of the essay. In his essay, he shows the reflections of mankind in nature and praises the beauties and wonders of nature and expresses that our world is too magnificent to comprehend. He is mesmerized by all of nature’s unknowns and how we can be so closely related to something and at the same time not understand anything about it.