Friday, May 22, 2020

An Overview of the USS Massachusetts

In 1936, as the design of the North Carolina-class was being finalized, the US Navys General Board met to converse regarding the two battleships that were to be funded in Fiscal Year 1938.  Though the Board preferred building two additional North Carolinas, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral William H. Standley opted to pursue a new design.  As a result, the construction of these battleships was delayed to FY1939 as naval architects commenced work in March 1937.  While the first two ships were officially ordered on April 4, 1938, the second pair of vessels was added two months later under the  Deficiency Authorization which passed due to rising international tensions.  Though the escalator clause of the Second London Naval Treaty had been invoked allowing the new design to mount 16 guns, Congress required that the battleships stay within the 35,000-ton limit set by the earlier Washington Naval Treaty. In designing the new South Dakota-class, naval architects created a wide array of plans for consideration.  A principal challenge proved to be finding ways to improve upon the North Carolina-class while staying within the tonnage limit.  The answer was the design of a shorter, by approximately 50 feet, battleship that incorporated an inclined armor system.  This offered better underwater protection than earlier vessels.  As naval leaders called for vessels capable of 27 knots, designers sought a way to obtain this despite the reduced hull length.  This was achieved through the creative layout of machinery, boilers, and turbines.  For armament, the South Dakotas equaled the North Carolinas in mounting nine Mark 6 16 guns in three triple turrets with a secondary battery of twenty dual-purpose 5 guns.  These weapons were supplemented by an extensive and constantly changing complement of anti-aircraft guns.   Assigned to Bethlehem Steels Fore River Shipyard, the third ship of the class, USS Massachusetts (BB-59), was laid down on July 20, 1939.  Construction on the battleship advanced and it entered the water on September 23, 1941, with Frances Adams, wife of former Secretary of the Navy Charles Francis Adams III, serving as sponsor.  As work moved towards completion, the US entered World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  Commissioned on May 12, 1942, Massachusetts joined the fleet with Captain Francis E.M. Whiting in command.   Atlantic Operations Conducting shakedown operations and training during the summer of 1942, Massachusetts departed American waters that fall to join Rear Admiral Henry K. Hewitts forces which were gathering for the Operation Torch landings in North Africa.  Arriving off the Moroccan coast, the battleship, heavy cruisers USS Tuscaloosa and USS Wichita, and four destroyers took part in the Naval Battle of Casablanca on November 8.  In the course of the fighting, Massachusetts engaged Vichy French shore batteries as well as the incomplete battleship Jean Bart.  Pounding targets with its 16 guns, the battleship disabled its French counterpart as well as struck enemy destroyers and a light cruiser.  In return, it sustained two hits from shore fire but received only minor damage.  Four days after the battle, Massachusetts departed for the US to prepare for redeployment to the Pacific. To the Pacific Transiting the Panama Canal, Massachusetts arrived at Noumà ©a, New Caledonia on March 4, 1943.  Operating in the Solomon Islands through the summer, the battleship supported Allied operations ashore and protected convoy lanes from Japanese forces.  In November, Massachusetts screened American carriers as they mounted raids in the Gilbert Islands in support of the landings on Tarawa and Makin.  After attacking Nauru on December 8, it aided in the assault on Kwajalein the following month.  After supporting the landings on February 1, Massachusetts joined what would become Rear Admiral Marc A. Mitschers Fast Carrier Task Force for raids against the Japanese base at Truk.  On February 21-22, the battleship helped defend the carriers from Japanese aircraft as the carriers attacked targets in the Marianas. Shifting south in April, Massachusetts covered the Allied landings at Hollandia, New Guinea before screening another strike against Truk.  After shelling Ponape on May 1, the battleship departed the South Pacific for an overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.  This work was completed later that summer and Massachusetts rejoined the fleet in August.  Departing the Marshall Islands in early October, it screened American carriers during raids against Okinawa and Formosa before moving to cover General Douglas MacArthurs landings on Leyte in the Philippines.  Continuing to protect Mitschers carriers during the resulting Battle of Leyte Gulf, Massachusetts also served in Task Force 34 which was detached at one point to aid American forces off Samar. Final Campaigns Following a brief respite at Ulithi, Massachusetts and the carriers returned to action on December 14 when raids were mounted against Manila.  Four days later, the battleship and its consorts were forced to weather Typhoon Cobra.  The storm saw Massachusetts lose two of its floatplanes as well as one sailor injured.  Beginning on December 30, attacks were made on Formosa before the carriers shifted their attention to supporting Allied landings in Lingayen Gulf on Luzon.  As January progressed, Massachusetts protected the carriers as they struck French Indochina, Hong Kong, Formosa, and Okinawa.  Beginning on February 10, it shifted north to cover raids against mainland Japan and in support of the invasion of Iwo Jima.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In late March, Massachusetts arrived off Okinawa and commenced bombarding targets in preparation for landings on April 1.  Remaining in the area through April, it covered the carriers while fighting off intense Japanese air attacks.  After a short period away, ​Massachusetts returned to Okinawa in June and survived a second typhoon.  Raiding north with the carriers a month later, the battleship conducted several shore bombardments of the Japanese mainland beginning on July 14 with attacks against Kamaishi.  Continuing these operations, Massachusetts was in Japanese waters when hostilities ended on August 15.  Ordered to Puget Sound for an overhaul, the battleship departed on September 1. Later Career   Leaving the yard on January 28, 1946, Massachusetts briefly operated along the West Coast until receiving orders for Hampton Roads.  Passing through the Panama Canal, the battleship arrived in the Chesapeake Bay on April 22.  Decommissioned on March 27, 1947, Massachusetts moved into the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.  It remained in this status until June 8, 1965, when it was transferred to the Massachusetts Memorial Committee for use as a museum ship.  Taken to Fall River, MA, Massachusetts continues to be operated as a museum and memorial to the states World War II veterans.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

A List of Arguments For and Against Zoos

A zoo is a place where captive animals are put on display for humans to see. While early zoos (shorted from zoological parks) concentrated on displaying as many unusual creatures as possible—often in small, cramped conditions—the focus of most modern zoos is conservation and education. While zoo advocates and conservationists argue that zoos save endangered species and educate the public, many  animal rights activists believe the cost of confining animals outweighs the benefits, and that the violation of the rights of individual animals—even in efforts to fend off extinction—cannot be justified. A Brief History of Zoos Humans have kept wild animals for thousands of years. The capture of exotic animals such as giraffes, elephants, bears, dolphins, and a variety of birds for the purpose of exhibition goes back to  ancient Mesopotamia, circa 2500 BCE. The practice began as a show of wealth by private citizens who kept animals in private menageries. Modern zoos began to evolve during the 18th century and the Age of Enlightenment, when scientific interest in zoology, as well as the study of animal behavior and anatomy, came to the fore. Arguments for Zoos By bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and foster an appreciation of the other species.Zoos save endangered species by bringing them into a safe environment, where they are protected from poachers, habitat loss, starvation, and predators.Many zoos have breeding programs for endangered species. In the wild, these individuals might have trouble finding mates and breeding, and species could become extinct.Reputable zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and are held to high standards for the treatment of their resident animals. According to the AZA, accreditation means, official recognition and approval of a zoo or aquarium by a group of experts.A good zoo provides an enriched habitat in which the animals are never bored, are well cared for, and have plenty of space.Zoos are a tradition, and a visit to a zoo is a wholesome, family activity.Seeing an animal in person is a much more personal and more memorable experience than seeing that animal in a nature documentary and is more likely to foster an empathetic attitude toward animals.Some zoos help rehabilitate wildlife and take in exotic pets that people no longer want or are no longer able to care for.Both accredited and unaccredited animal exhibitors are regulated by the federal Animal Welfare Act, which establishes standards for animal care. Arguments Against Zoos From an animal rights standpoint, humans do not have a right to breed, capture, and confine other animals—even if those species are endangered. Being a member of an endangered species doesnt mean the individual animals should be afforded fewer rights.Animals in captivity suffer from stress, boredom, and confinement. No pen—no matter how humane—or drive-through safari can compare to the freedom of the wild.Intergenerational bonds are broken when individuals are sold or traded to other zoos.Baby animals bring in visitors and money, but this incentive to breed new baby animals leads to overpopulation. Surplus animals are sold not only to other zoos, but also to circuses, canned hunting facilities, and even for slaughter. Some zoos simply kill their surplus animals outright.The vast majority of captive breeding programs do not release animals back into the wild. The offspring are forever part of the chain of zoos, circuses, petting zoos, and the exotic pet trade that buys, sells, barters, and generally exploits animals. For example, an Asian elephant named Ned was born at an accredited zoo, however, he was later confiscated from an abusive circus trainer and finally sent to a sanctuary.Removing individual specimens from the wild further endangers the wild population because the remaining individuals will be less genetically diverse and may have greater difficulty finding mates.If people want to see wild animals in real life, they can observe wildlife in the wild or visit a sanctuary. (A true sanctuary does not buy, sell, or breed animals, but instead takes in unwanted exotic pets, surplus animals from zoos, or injured wildlife that can no longer survive in the wild.)The federal Animal Welfare Act establishes only the most minimal standards for cage size, shelter, health care, ventilation, fencing, food, and water. For example, enclosures must provide sufficient space to allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequ ate freedom of movement. Inadequate space may be indicated by evidence of malnutrition, poor condition, debility, stress, or abnormal behavior patterns. Violations often result in a slap on the wrist and the exhibitor is given a deadline to correct the violation. Even a long history of inadequate care and AWA violations, such as the history of Tony the Truck Stop Tiger, does not necessarily ensure abused animals will be freed.Animals sometimes escape their enclosures, endangering themselves as well as people. Likewise, people ignore warnings or accidentally get too close to animals, leading to horrific outcomes. For example, Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla, was shot in 2016 when a toddler accidentally fell into his enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. While the child survived and was not badly injured, the gorilla was killed outright.Petting zoos  have been linked with numerous incidents of  diseases  including E. coli, cryptosporidiosis, salmonellosis, and dermatom ycosis (ringworm). The Last Word on Zoos In making a case for or against zoos, both sides argue that theyre saving animals. Whether or not zoos benefit the animal community, they certainly do make money. As long as there is demand for them, zoos will continue to exist. Since zoos are likely an inevitability, the best way to move forward is to ensure that zoo conditions are the best possible for the animals that live in captivity and that individuals who violate animal care health and safety sanctions are not only duly punished, but denied any future access to animals.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Akamai Case Study Ecommerce Free Essays

1. Why does akamai need to geographically disperse its servers to deliver its costumers’ web content? Akamai allows its costumers to move their web-based products closer to their end users (local). Meaning that an Akamai website can deliver from 4 to 10 times faster as non-Akamai website, due to the 73. We will write a custom essay sample on Akamai Case Study Ecommerce or any similar topic only for you Order Now 000 servers around the world. 2. If you wanted to deliver software content over the Internet, would you sign up for Akamai’s service? Why or why not? Yes we would sign up for the Akamai service due to the following advantages * Reliability * Availability * Speed * Security Reporting tools with regards to problems or traffics * Scalability (the possibility of having many users and large files) 3. What advantages does an advertiser derive from using Akamai’s EdgeScape service? What kinds of products might benefit from this kind of service? The main advantage of this EdgeScape service is the tracking possibility of online shopping behaviour. This way an advertiser can pin point buyers based on geographic locations, and validate an end user’s location. 4. Why don’t major business firms distribute their videos using P@P networks lie Bittorent? P2P means the sharing of files between users of the P2P service such as Bittorent or Bitlord. But this also means that all users are actually servers meaning that it is not easy to collect user data. Also major firms might want to use Akamai instead of P2P as it is more reliable, secure and stable. With the underlying infrastructure of the Internet major companies will most likely not benefit from p2p services. Due to the slow loading of websites companies will most likely chose for a web-streamed based content. These content are often saved on a local server and are most likely quicker distributed to their costumers. . Do you think Internet users should be charged based on the amount of bandwidth they consumer, or tiered plan where users would pay in rough proportion to their usage? No, we believe that the Internet must remain free without people paying for the use of bandwidth. When you are charging people for the use of bandwidth then many people will avoid certain websites that u se up allot of bandwidth such as video streaming which uses up allot of bandwidth. It might even result in people avoiding the high use of the internet due to the costs, which is bad news for many online businesses. How to cite Akamai Case Study Ecommerce, Free Case study samples