Engineering - Steel Report Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Engineering - Steel - Lab Report Example According to Degarmo and Black (2003, p.56), reinforced bars with high ductility and tensile strength are often preferred because they allow the materials to be rolled, drawn or made longer without breakage. Generally the tensile strength of reinforcing steel can be measured by dividing the cross sectional area of the steel tested by the stress exerted on the material. The amount of stretching force (N) needed to break the test material can then be measured and recorded. Experimental Procedure The tensile testing experiment involved calculating mechanical properties of three specimen samples of reinforcing steel bars which were designated as N12, R12 and RW11.9. Some of the main mechanical properties that were tested include yield stress, modulus of elasticity, elongation, tensile strength, ductility and reserve length. Specimen N12 was a hot rolled deformed bar that was derived from a microalloy TEMCORE material. Generally such steel alloys are made by adding expensive alloys such a s Silicon, Carbon, Manganese and Vanadium to the steel. As compared to the other steel samples that were used in the experiment, the surface of hot rolled deformed bar was rough and more imperfect. On the other hand, specimen R12 was a hot rolled plain round bar which was made from a mild steel material. Although the presence of carbon significantly lowered the ductility of the alloy, it was stronger and had more resistance to breakage (Pavlina and Tyne, 2008, p.216). Another important physical property of specimen R12 was that it was quite malleable and the surface was more polished. Lastly, specimen RW11.9 was cold robbed riled wire which was also made from middle steel material. The surface was relatively smoother and malleable but the specimen was easier to bend than specimenR12. In terms of the geometry of the specimens, N12 had a diameter of 12mm, length of 500mm and a cross sectional area of 255mm2 . Specimen R12 was also 12mm in diameter, 500mm in length and had a cross sect ional area of 113.1m2 . RW11.9 was 11.9mm in length, 12mm in diameter and the cross sectional area was 111.3mm2. The testing equipment that was used in the experiment included an Instron universal Machine and a clip on extensometer Epsilion model 3543 10 inch gauge length. The model of Instron universal machine that was used300LX, SATEC Series, and the equipment had a large frame with a single test space which allows easy and safe loading and unloading of specimens for testing. Additionally the single print design of the Machine significantly reduced the floor space requirement and enhanced its use for testing high capacity tension, flex as well as shear of the specimens. Figure1. Instron Universal Machine model 300LX Designed by Epsilon technology, the Epsilion model 3543, 10 inch gauge length used in the experiment was uniquely designed to help in the testing of long samples such as wire materials, steel reinforcing bars and weld joints. During the testing, the upper part of the e xtensometer is expected to pull out of the main body to deliver high accuracy and the equipment is only calibrated to measure displacement and loading using tension units only. Finally, the optional gauge length spacers of the extensomet

Human Resources Constructive-Dismissal Report Essay Example for Free

Human Resources Constructive-Dismissal Report Essay Message It has come to my unfortunate attention that a former employee has made a discrimation-focused legal claim against our company. My goal is to define â€Å"constructive dismissal†; explain the legal mandates to which it may be attributed; discuss the merits—or lack—of it; and offer future mitigative actions to avoid such claims. Constructive Dismissal—Defined Before delving into a serious discussion of the former employee’s claim, it is important to understand the legal construct upon which it has been founded; this construct is referred to as â€Å"constructive dismissal. † Constructive dismiissal refers to an employee compulsion to terminate any working relationships with an employer. The impetus for the termination is an employer’s willful intent to create a hostile or unbearable working condition. Legally speaking, constructive dismissal is, then, tantamount to involuntarily separating the employee from the company (United States Department of Labor, 2012). There are three standards that must be considered when adjudicating whether a situation falls within constructive-dismissal grounds. They are 1. Intolerable Conditions 2. Objective Standard 3. Employer Knowledge and Intent The adjective in the first standard is important, because it makes the distinction between undue working conditions that are unbearable for a reasonable person and a process change that may be inconvenient for the  employee but is not intolerable. Trival matters such as changing a computer from a PC to a Mac, are exmempt from this standard, since these frustrations are a normative in all areas of employment. The second standard establishes a consensus on what is considered intolerable. It is defined as a work environment in which a reasonable person would feel compelled to quit. The third standard is also important, because it clearly indicates that the employer must know that changes that it is implementing create an intolerable environment, and it does so with the intent of compelling an employee to quit as opposed to implementing changes that are motivated by a substantiated business need (Turner v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 1994). Please note that constructive dismissal does not necessarily imply discrimination (though it is almost always discrimination based), since it can apply to both those in a protected class or outside it. The ex-employee charges that the schedule change for the production department was an unreasonable action on the company’s part and resulted in her being forced to work on a holy day of her religious persuasion. Resultantly, she charges that she felt compelled to quit, which is why she has filed a constructive-discharge claim against the company. Constructive-Dismissal and Attendant Legal Mandates More than just creating such a toxic environment, when the working condition creates an undue effect based on the employee’s race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, or religion. the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act applies and sets forth: â€Å"(1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such indviduals’race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or â€Å"(2) to limit, segregate, or classify his employees or applicants for employment in any way which woulld deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin† (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012). An amalgamation of undue effect and discrimination of a protected class engenders â€Å"disparate impact† (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012) Employment separation due to disparate impact explicitly applies to the following sections of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The onus of proof is placed on the claimant. This person must do the following:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"(i) a complaining party demonstrates that a respondent uses a particular employment practice that causes a disparate impact on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and the respondent fails to demonstrate that the challenged practice is job related for the position in question and consistent with business necessity; or â€Å"(ii) the complaining party makes the demonstration described in subparagraph (C) with respect to an alternative employment practice and the respondent refuses to adopt such alternative employment practice. â€Å"(B) (i) With respect to demonstrating that a particular employment practice causes a disparate impact as described in subparagraph (A)(i), the complaining party shall demonstrate that each particular challenged employment practice causes a disparate impact, except that if the complaining party can demonstrate to the court that the elements of a respondent’s decisionmaking process are not capable of separation for analysis, the decisionmaking process may be analyzed as one employment practice. â€Å"(ii) If the respondent demonstrates that a specific employment practice does not cause the disparate impact, the respondent shall not be required to demonstrate that such practice is required by business necessity. â€Å"(C) The demonstration referred to by subparagraph (A)(ii) shall be in accordance with the law as it existed on June 4, 1989, with respect to the concept of â€Å"alternative employment practice†. â€Å"(2) A demonstration that an employment practice is required by business necessity may not be used as a defense against a claim of intentional discrimination under this subchapter. â€Å"(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, a rule barring the employment of an individual who currently and knowingly uses or possesses a controlled substance, as defined in schedules I and II of section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(6)), other than the use or possession of a drug taken under the supervision of a licensed health care professional, or any other use or possession authorized by the Controlled Substances Act [21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.] or any other provision of Federal law, shall be considered an unlawful employment practice under this subchapter only if such rule is adopted or applied with an intent to discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin† (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2012). Although constructive dismissal is not directly referred to in the Civil Rights Act, it is clearly implied, since such a dismissal normally is directed at protected classes of individuals. When combined with disparate impact, constructive dismissal will fall under the purview of the Civil Right Act, and both are legally actional behaviors that the federal government will pursue through legal action and fines. It should be noted that the level of requisite integrity of constructive-dismissal claims can vary from state to state. For example, Washington extends a protected-class status to gays, lesbians, bisexual, transgender, or intersexed people, whereas Arizona extends no special class status to them. A constructive-dismissal claim due to sexual orientation in Washington would be considered; in Arizona, such a claim would not be considered. Furthermore, such a claim would face significant challenges if  appealed to federal levels, since federal laws offer no protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation (Human Rights Campaign, 2012). In addition to constructive dismissal, the ex-employee charges that the schedule change infringed on her right to practice her religion, since she believed that she was required to work on a holy day. The Title VII Act explicitly prohibits discrimation based on religious affiliation. Constructive-Dismissal Merits The ex-employee’s claim does not satisfy constructive-dismissal, disparate-impact, and discrimination prohibitions. The facts of this case clearly indicate this. Let us apply this individual’s claim to the standards required for each prohibition. First, for constructive dismissal, our company must create a hostile environment for the sole purpose of compelling the employee to quit. The ex-employee believes that the schedule adjustment, which required 12-hour days for four days a week and with three days off, created a hostile environment. This particular aspect of this individual’s claim fails this test for a few reasons: 1) Business growth motivated the schedule adjustment, not malice; 2.) the schedule adjustment applied to the most affected department, which is production, since it is tasked with keeping up with the increased demand for our products; and 3.) we provided employees of that department schedule options; we did not constrain them to work on specific days that happened to be days of observance for their religion. Considering the schedule flexibility offered, if the ex-employee worked on a holy day, it was out of choice, not compulsion on the part of our company. Another implication in the above argument is that a different department did not have its schedule adjusted. As indicated above, we adjusted the schedule for the department that is directly affected by the business growth—the production department. There is no impetus for us to adjust schedules for the human-resources department, for example. Second, for objective standards, courts have repeatedly ruled that constructive dismissal is applicable if we create an environment that is so heinous, a reasonable person would quit. I have just indicated that our schedule adjustment was motivated by business need, not malice toward a particular individual or religion. All of the other employees took advantage of the schedule opportunity offered and chose days to work that were appropriate for their needs. There have been no other complaints of being forced to work or being unable to work on a non-holy day. Based on the scenario, it would not be reasonable to quit one’s job. Third, for employer knowledge and intent, it is true that we knew that the increase in business might have caused an impact on certain employees’ lives. We proactively remedied this situation by offering such a flexible schedule, with employees making their own choice of what days they would and would not work. Employees have nearly half their workweek off. There is no reason for an individual to work on a holy day. Also, our only intent was to meet our customers’ needs, so we adjusted our business processes to effectively do so. The underlying concern is that our actions were motivated by this individual’s religion. There is no tenable evidence to support such a concern. We hire a range of people with different religious beliefs. Some are unwilling to work on Sundays. Others are unwilling to work on Saturdays. Some require prayer at various points during the day. Where reasonable, we have always provided accommodations for such observances, and we did so with our schedule adjustment. There was no targeting of any religion. There is no veracity to the ex-employee’s claims. The company must respond to these charges. It can do so in one of three ways: 1. The company can ignore the facts of this scenario and accept that the ex-employee’s claims have merit and can then move to placate the ex-employee in a few ways: a. Rehiring the ex-employee and paying her retroactive pay for the time she did not work, b. Not rehiring the ex-employee but  offering a settlement to avoid a protracted legal scenario, or c. Rehiring the ex-employee and accommodating her schedule requests (Palopoli, 2011). 2. The company can enter into arbitration with the ex-employee to discuss the facts of the scenario, with the intention of arriving at an equitable solution that will placate the concerns of the ex-employee and the company (EEOC, 2012). 3. The company can refute the charges in a court of law, especially after the findings of an investigative company effort denote no actual discrimination or the appearance of it (Cruz, Padilla, Narvae Law Firm, 2011). There are caveats to each of these responses, however. For Response 1, this action is a clear company admission of its culpability in discrimination within its organization. It is an unbalanced response, since it placates the ex-employee but tarnishes the name of the company. Furthermore, acquiescing to the ex-employee’s claims by adjusting the schedule may very well set an inappropriate expectation for other employees. An influx of schedule requests based on employees who invoke their religious preferences would thwart the purpose of the schedule request, which is to meet customer demand. For Response 2, the results of an arbitration hearing are legally binding and normally are a mitigative step against taking up the matter in a court of law. There is a likelihood, no matter how remote, that arbitration will result in our company’s acquiescing to the ex-employee’s claims. This eventuality can result in financal loss due to paying exorbitant sums to the ex-employee for what would amount to silencing her criticism of our company. Or if the results of the arbitration fall in line with the company’s wishes, the negative image that the ex-employee may generate would harm recruiting efforts of candidates or customers who increasingly place value on companies that demonstrate social responsbility toward people and its surroundings. For Response 3, the judgment in a legal case can be binding. There may be a remote possibility that our company may not vindicate itself fully in court. Because of the facts of the case, it would be reasonable to expect that our company would appeal. However, the cost to contend with the ex-employee in court may be prohibitively high. And even if our company emerges victoriously, the result would not constrain the ex-empoyee from tarnishing our company’s name in the marketplace. Based on the eventualities listed above, the viable course of action is Response 3. The actions of our company are sufficiently supported to provide a solid response in a legal setting. The likelihood of not prevailing in court is minimal. And although the opportunity cost to following this route is devoting funds unnecessarily to a baseless claim, vindication in court may very indicate to others who choose to bring dubious claims that our company will respond indignantly to these affronts to our company’s reputation. Responding to the baseless claim by pursuing the matter in court is a tenable position, since our anti-discrimination policy is clear. (In allusion to a subsequent section, the clarity of the policy does not imply that it has been adequately explained to prosepctive and current employees; a training program offered to our recruiting staff will resolve that matter.) Our greatest defense is in presenting this policy as evidence to the court. The policy clearly indicates that the company respects religion as a protected class and makes every effort to accommodate religious rites as long as they do not present an undue contravention of company operation (HR Info Center, 2009). A court-centered legal response to this claim is preferable also because of the investigative process that is extant within our anti-discrimination policy. The ex-employee did not provide our company an opportunity to investigate the claim before she resigned her position. The only indication that a problem existed was when the EEOC delivered the complaint to our company. Our investigative processes clearly demonstrate the thoroughness  and seriousness that our policy devotes to discrimination complaints. Multiple layers of leadership are involved in the process, and many employees are interviewed to determine if they shared the same sentiments. The investigative process is also confidential, and the results are shared with no entity without a need-to-know basis. Furthermore, the investigative process has corrective action built in if there is a determination of discrimination against the employee making the complaint. It also has a built-in anti-retaliation policy, regardless the result of the complaint. Our company can provide documented evidence of our response to past complaints as well as the company’s disposition toward employees after the resolution of these complaints. Demonstrating the company’s follow-through efforts that the ex-employee did not avail herself of will provide substantial support of our contention that we are committed to operating in a discrimination-free environment (Kleiner Perkins Files Legal Response To Gender Discrimination Suit, Denies â€Å"Each And Every Material Allegation, 2012). Another reason why pursuing this matter in a court of law is appropriate is that our company can demonstrate our commitment to investing in the community in which we operate, a diverse community. Our company currently provides several millions of dollars in tax revenue to the community, revenue from which all members of the community benefit. But more than tax revenue, our company provides financial support to various groups in the community: religious-based groups, gay-and-lesbian groups, black-focused groups, and women-centered groups. Our commitment to financially supporting the community is a potent response by itself to the baseless claima against us. Logically speaking, it would be nonsensical for our company to expend money for these community-focused endeavors while practicing discrimination against the very members of the groups that benefit from our financial support (Response to discrimination claims, 2007).

The Obvious is Absent in Mother Courage Essay -- Mother Courage Essays

The Obvious is Absent in Mother Courage    Brecht's intentions when writing Mother Courage were to communicate his beliefs and make people aware of two major issues facing society: war and capitalism. According to Brecht, people deserve the wars they get if they subscribe to a political system that is unfair and favors a specific sector of society, namely capitalism, in which it is up to the individual to secure his own means of survival. In other words, if the system is unjust in any way, war and conflict is inevitable. For this to be understood, it would be essential that the audience see the play for what it is, as opposed to becoming engaged in its story. This means that they would have to be alienated from the play, and made perpetually aware of it as a play and nothing more. To do this, Brecht jolted audiences out of their expectations and deliberately avoided theatrical techniques that would make appearances realistic. In this way, people were forced to confront the issues at hand and decipher the meanings behind what they were being shown. The "obvious" being referred to by Brecht is what is clearly seen, what one cannot miss. It does not require reflection and arouses no thought. By alienating the audience in this play, they see that nothing is happening at an obvious level, and can gain true understanding of the characters' reasons for behaving as they do, and of the background against which they exist. Brecht incorporated alienation techniques in the methods of staging used in performances of Mother Courage, firstly by keeping a very bright white light trained evenly upon the set throughout. This eliminated any opportunities for creating an atmosphere; any magical or romantic views of ... ...rinciples Brecht believed in: unless man has food and shelter, he does not have freedom. This tenet is what Brecht asserts in Mother Courage, and whose understanding can only be gained when audiences realise that the obvious is an irrelevance, that this play should be seen not as a tale but as a presenting of issues. By using the aspects of character, song, structure, style, inevitability, and staging, Brecht ensures that the audience remains alienated, and that their expectations are not met.    Works Cited and Consulted Brecht, Bertolt. "Mother Courage and Her Children." Worthen 727-751. Cook, Ellen Piel, ed. Women, Relationships, and Power. Virginia: American Counseling Association, 1993. Hwang, Henry David. "M. Butterfly." Worthen 1062-1084. Worthen, W.B. ed. The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama. 3rd ed. Toronto: Harcourt, 1993.

The Great Gatsby :: Essays Papers

The Great Gatsby In the story The Great Gatsby, many corrupted relationships are found. George & Myrtle, Myrtle & Tom, Tom & Daisy, Daisy & Gatsby, Gatsby & everyone are all perfect examples of misleading relationships seen in the novel. Fitzgerald may seem pessimistic in portraying every relationship as a fraud. I however, must agree that the time this novel was written, which was around the same time that the story took place in, was a very materialistic time. This is why I feel Fitzgerald could not have made these relationships seem any more realistic than he did. Friendship was seen a lot throughout the story. A good example to speak of would be Gatsby and all of his friends. Apparently Gatsby had many friends during his life, none of which decided to go to his funeral. While he was alive, throwing huge parties, Gatsby actually seemed to have friends. When he died, it seemed like he had never existed. The only friend who decided to go to Gatsby’s funeral was his neighbour, Nick. Marriages seemed quite transparent in this story. None of them were solid. Tom and Daisy would come across as a nice, happily married couple, you would never be able to tell that Tom had a mistress and Daisy was still in love with another man. Tom’s mistress, Myrtle, was married as well. She was married to George Wilson, Tom’s mechanic. Sure, it all seems a little bit unreal but if you think about it, do things like this not happen today. Why would it have been any different back then? Maybe it was more difficult to pull off having an affair but it still could have been done, and I’m sure it was. Affairs seemed to be what corrupted marriages, but affairs are still relationships. They seemed to be the healthiest relationships because they were built on the individuals’ desire for one another, not money or possessions. Tom and Myrtle were together regardless of the fact that they were both married. They loved eachother much like a married couple would only they weren’t married, at least not to eachother. The fact that these relationships were considered wrong didn’t make them bad, these were just people following their hearts.

The Stranger

The Stranger Chris Drusbosky 3/5/12 Professor Krauss In the story â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus, the belief that the themes of loss and retrieval are at the core of Mersault’s mythology, and that they illumine the notion of exile to which he returns so often is widely discussed. I however do not believe that either one of those themes has anything to do with the Mersault and the exile to which he returns to so often, rather I believe that Mersault’s own attitude is the reason for the exile he experiences in the story. The first theme that is said to play a role in Mersault’s exile is the theme of loss.Though Mersault does lose his mother in the beginning of the story, it does not affect how he acts throughout the rest of the story and he continues on like nothing ever even happened. â€Å"Then there was the church and the villagers on the sidewalks, the red geraniums on the graves in the cemetery, Perez fainting, the blood red earth spilling over Ma man’s casket, the white flesh of the roots mixed in with it, more people, voices, the village, waiting in front of a cafe, the incessant drone of the motor, and my joy when the bus entered the nest of lights that was Algiers and I knew I was going to go to bed and sleep for twelve hours. The Stranger page 18. Normally when someone’s mother dies, you are filled with grief and sadness and you cannot help but to think about how much you miss her and love her. In this quote, Mersault shows no type of sad emotion whatsoever. He seems to be completely unmoved and unchanged emotionally by the death of his mother. Not only does he not show any emotion at his mother’s funeral, the very next day he meets with his mistress Marie Cardona and spends the day with her going swimming, seeing a movie, and spending the night at his house with her.Both of these examples clearly show that Mersault is unmoved by the death of his mother and it plays no role whatsoever in the exile th at he encounters throughout the story. The second theme that is said to play a significant role in Mersault’s exile is the theme of retrieval. If there is one thing in my eyes that Mersault never did throughout the course of this story, it would be that he never retrieved anything and that he always stayed the same throughout the story. Mersault seems to maintains the same attitude towards everything that happens in the story, the â€Å"I don’t care or believe in much† type attitude.One example that proves that Mersault possesses this attitude was after he was arrested for shooting the Arab 5 times. The magistrate asks him if he believes in God. â€Å"But he cut me off and urged me on one last time, drawing himself up to his full height and asked me if I believed in God. I said no. He sat down indignantly. He said it was impossible; all men believed in God, even those who have turned their backs on him. That was his belief, and if he were to ever doubt it, his life would be meaningless. † The Stranger page 69.This quote is a perfect example that even after he has murdered a man, Mersault still maintains that same attitude towards everything and he remains unchanged. You would think that especially after the fact that he murdered someone, he would have changed his attitude a little bit or that maybe he would have had some kind of revelation and he would realize that he has done something terribly wrong. However none of this occurs with Mersault and he continues to be himself and does not change anything about himself and that he retrieves nothing from his actions and that it plays no role in his exile.Though both of the themes of loss and retrieval may seem like they play a role in Mersault’s exile in the story, I do not believe they do. I believe that Mersault’s attitude is the cause of the exile he experiences. When one has a â€Å"I don’t care or believe in much†, you can easily be separated and apart f rom the world. Had Mersault cared more about certain things or had he shown more interest in them, I believe he would not have encountered any type of exile in the story.But when you constantly see phrases like: I don’t know, I don’t care, I don’t believe etc. you get the idea that the person saying those phrases is in some kind of exile from everyone else. Mersault is clearly responsible for his own exile in this story due to his attitude towards things. Loss and retrieval do not play a role in the exile that Mersault experiences and everything that he encounters and endures is because of his attitude and nothing to do with the thought of whether or not he lost something and retrieved something.If Mersault were to ask himself: Why are these things happening to me and why do I seem to be separated form everyone else? All he would have to do is look in the mirror and he would see the cause of everything that he has gone through. While Mersault is in prison, he ta lks about how he misses certain things of life on the outside of prison and how he feels separated. My response to Mersault would be: If you had a sense of caring or interest in things, maybe you wouldn’t be here in prison in the first place and maybe you also wouldn’t feel exiled and separated from everyone else.

The American Basketball Association And The Contributions It Made To P

The American Basketball Association And The Contributions It Made To P The American Basketball Association and the Contributions it Made to Professional Basketball The American Basketball Association had a short and wild life, yet it made great contributions to professional basketball. It increased the level of talent, changed the way the game was played, and produced some of the greatest stars to ever play the game. It also caused an increase in player salaries and turned pro basketball into a financial institution. The ABA was a place for untapped talent to emerge. Many players proved themselves in the ABA while the National Basketball Association rejected them. This greatly increased the talent level throughout professional hoops. At the same time of the creation of the ABA, the NBA only had 120 players, which meant that many worthy players were not getting the chance to play (Sachare 178). With about 90 players in the ABA, they got their chance. The ABA started to draft college players to compete with the NBA. Because both leagues wanted the best players, the ABA made a rule which said that the draftee did not have to be a college graduate. The NBA had a rule which said that the draftee must have graduated from college. As a result, many college stars began to go straight into the ABA before graduating. One which did this was Moses Malone, he was the first player to come straight out of high school into professional sports (Pluto 435). This was a revolutionary event in the history of professional sports. Now days, most college stars go to the pros without graduating. The ABA had a style of its own. Newsweek once described them, "Sex, drugs, platform shoes, sideburns, slam dunks, midnight franchise shifts, million dollar deferred-payment player contracts, the three-point shot, Dr. J, Marvin (Bad News) Barnes, LaVerne (Jelly) Tart,and Pat Boone. Pro sports the way they oughta be!" (Pluto 465) They were the complete opposite of the NBA. The NBA was traditional and boring to watch. They played a much slower paced game than the ABA, who had an up tempo, fast paced game. The ABA made innovations such as the three-point shot, the tricolored ball, the defensive press, and most importantly, the fast break (Pluto 70). They were the pioneers which made today's game what it is. The defensive press and the fast break were attempts at creating an up tempo game, and they worked. They all helped to sell tickets which enabled the ABA to survive for the nine years that they did. The ABA and the NBA were always competing which brought about many new and exciting aspects to the game of basketball. The ABA created some of the greatest players ever. Players like Julius Erving and Moses Malone were the soul of the ABA. At its end in 1975, they introduced all of the great accomplishments and innovations into the NBA which made the combined league even greater. With the tradition of the NBA and the flair of the ABA, a new league was created which would become the greatest sports institution in the world. During the first combined season of the NBA, four of the top ten scorers and ten of the twenty-four all-stars were from the ABA. The first combined finals had five starters from the ABA (Sachare 186). The contribution which the ABA made to professional basketball was amazing. It gave it creativity along with history. The NBA may not have survived without the combination of the ABA. In essence, the ABA was the NBA's savior, and made huge contributions to the talent level and the history of the game. The ABA was a league which made great contributions to professional basketball by increasing the talent level, producing some great innovations like the three-point shot which is still used today, and producing some of the greatest players ever. The NBA of today was made from the ABA of old, and even though it had such a short life, it was one of the most important aspects in the history of professional basketball. Bibliography Brown, Kim (1996). The FIrst Dominant Big Man. HTTP: nba.com/nbaat50/mikan.html. Kirshenbaum, Jerry. "ABA Milestones". Sports Illustrated 17 May, 1993:15. Meely, Cliff. Personal Interveiw. 16 December, 1996. Pluto, Terry. Loose Balls. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Inc., 1990. Sachare, Alex (Ed.). The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia. New York: Villiard Books, 1994.

Gregory The Great Essay

Gregory The Great Essay Gregory The Great Essay Gregory the Great (c.540–604), pope, apostle of the English, one of the most important popes and influential writers of the Middle Ages. Gregory was the son of a Roman senator and entered the service of the State as a young man. But in 573 he sold his enormous properties, founding six monasteries in Sicily and a seventh in Rome, and giving generously to the poor. The next year he entered his own monastery of St. Andrew's on the Celian Hill as a monk and was distinguished for his austere life, which both filled him with nostalgia in later years and caused some of the ill-health which he suffered so constantly. Pope Benedict I, however, called him out of the monastery to become one of the seven deacons of Rome, and his successor, Pelagius II, made him apocrisiarius (ambassador) in Byzantium. After six years of distinguished service Gregory returned to Rome to become abbot of St. Andrew's, seemingly convinced that the future of Christianity lay with monasticism rather than with t he declining Eastern Empire. But his own choice of monastic life was destined to be frustrated. He had hoped to lead some missionaries to bring the Gospel to the Anglo-Saxons- he had been specially impressed by some Anglo-Saxon slaves on sale in the Roman market- but he was elected pope during an outbreak of plague. Reluctantly he accepted and was confirmed by the emperor. He was at once faced with a state of crisis. Floods, famine, plague, a Lombard invasion, all called for urgent attention, while in