The Life of Madame de Pompadour, Royal Mistress and Advisor

Madame de Pompadour (December 29, 1721–April 15, 1764) was a French noblewoman and one of Louis XV’s primary mistresses. Even after her time as the king’s mistress came to an end, the Madame de Pompadour remained an influential friend and advisor to the king, especially as a patron of arts and philosophy. Fast Facts: Madame de Pompadour Known For: Beloved mistress of King Louis XV who became an unofficial advisor to the king and an influential leader of the artsFull Name: Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de PompadourAlso Known As: ReinetteBorn: December 29, 1721 in Paris, FranceDied: April 15, 1764 in Paris, FranceSpouse: Charles Guillaume Le Normant dÉtiolles (m. 1741; separated 1745)Children: Charles Guillaume Louis (1741-1742), Alexandrine Jeanne (1744-1754) Early Life: The Reinette Jeanne Antoinette was the daughter of Francois Poisson and his wife Madeline de la Motte. Although Poisson was her legal father and the husband of her mother, it is more likely that Jeanne’s biological father was Charles Franà §ois Paul Le Normant de Tournehem, a wealthy tax collector. When Jeanne Antoinette was four, Francois Poisson had to leave the country due to unpaid debts, and Tournehem became her legal guardian, thus giving even more credence to the rumors that he was her real father. Like many girls from families of means, Jeanne Antoinette was sent to be educated at a convent when she reached the age of five. The education was excellent, and she proved to be a popular student. However, she became ill and returned home four years later. Her mother took her to a fortuneteller, who predicted that Jeanne Antoinette would win the heart of a king. From that point on, those closest to her began calling her â€Å"Reinette† (a diminutive, or nickname, meaning â€Å"little queen†). She was educated at home by the best tutors. Tournehem arranged for her instruction in all the subjects deemed necessary for a woman’s education, in order that she might one day attract the interest of the king. Wife and Socialite In 1740, Jeanne Antoinette married Charles Guillaume Le Normant dÉtiolles, the nephew of her guardian Tournehem. Upon their marriage, Tournehem made Charles his sole heir and gave Jeanne Antoinette an estate (one situated near the royal hunting grounds) as a wedding gift. The young couple were only four years apart in age, and they did fall in love with each other. Jeanne Antoinette promised she would never be unfaithful—except for the king. They had two children: a son who died as an infant, and a daughter, Alexandrine, who died at the age of nine in 1753. As a stylish young married woman, Jeanne Antoinette spent time at many of the elite salons in Paris. She encountered many of the figures of the Enlightenment and, in time, began hosting her own salons at her Étiolles estate, which also attracted many leading figures of the day. Educated and curious, she became a notable and witty conversationalist in the company of these people. By 1744, Jeanne Antoinettes name was being mentioned at court, attracting the attention of Louis XV. Her estate was adjacent to the king’s hunting grounds in the forest of Sà ©nart, so she was permitted to watch the royal party from a distance. To get the king’s attention, however, she rode directly in front of his group—not once, but twice. The king took notice and sent her a gift of venison from the hunt. The king’s official mistress died in December 1744, leaving the position vacant, and Jeanne Antoinette was invited to Versailles to the masked ball celebrating the engagement of the Dauphin. At the ball, Louis publicly unmasked and declared his affection for Jeanne Antoinette. Becoming the Royal Mistress In order to be properly introduced at court, Jeanne Antoinette had to have a title. The king solved this by purchasing the marquisate of Pompadour and giving it to her, making her the Marquise de Pompadour. She became the king’s official mistress, living at Versailles in apartments near his, and was formally presented to the court in September 1745. Notably, she got along quite well with the queen consort, Marie LeszczyÅ„ska, and worked to have a good relationship with the royal family overall. Madame de Pompadour was more than just a mistress. Louis XV respected her intelligence and understanding of social nuance, and as a result, she functioned as an unofficial prime minister and advisor. She supported the First Treaty of Versailles, which created an alliance between former rivals France and Austria, and rallied support behind government ministers whose fiscal reforms helped France become one of the world’s wealthiest countries. Madame de Pompadours influence was not limited to the political sphere. Building on her years in the Paris salons, she championed scientific, economic, and philosophical exploration as well. Her patronage protected the growing theory of physiocracy (an economic theory that emphasized the value of agriculture) and defended the Encyclopà ©die, a fundamental text of the Enlightenment that was opposed by religious figures. Her activities and her common birth earned her enemies and made her the subject of malicious gossip, but her relationship with Louis and the royal family remained mostly unaffected. The King’s Friend and Advisor By 1750, Pompadour ceased being Louis’s mistress, in large part due to her many health problems, including recurring bronchitis, three miscarriages, and chronic headaches. Nevertheless, she maintained her influential position, since their relationship had become much more than just a sexual one. The king did not take a new official â€Å"favorite,† but instead installed a succession of temporary mistresses at a chateau away from court. According to most reports, his heart and loyalty remained with Pompadour. During this era, Pompadour turned her patronage to the arts, which she used to announce her loyalty to the king (through commissions honoring him) and to cultivate her own image. In 1759, she purchased a porcelain factory, which created many jobs and ultimately become one of the most famous porcelain makers in all of Europe. Pompadour herself learned to engrave under the tutelage of Jacques Guay and Francois Boucher, and she was a significant influence in the development of Rococo style. It is likely that she contributed a fair amount to the work of the artists under her patronage. In fact, some historians consider her an actual collaborator on many works. Death and Legacy Madame de Pompadours poor health eventually caught up to her. In 1764, she suffered from tuberculosis, and Louis himself cared for her during her illness. She died on April 15, 1764 at the age of 42, and was buried at the Couvent des Capucines in Paris. Because of her influence on French society and her unusual advisory role to the king, the Madame de Pompadours legacy has endured in pop culture, from the publication of biographies to an episode of Doctor Who to the naming of a particular diamond cut. Sources Algrant, Christine Pevitt.  Madame de Pompadour Mistree of France. New York: Grove Press, 2002.Eschner, Kat. â€Å"Madame de Pompadour Was Far More Than a ‘Mistress’.† Smithsonian, 29 December 2017, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/madame-de-pompadour-was-far-more-mistress-180967662/.Foreman, Amanda, and Nancy Mitford. Madame de Pompadour. New York Review of Books, 2001.Mitford, Nancy. â€Å"Jeanne-Antoinette Poission, marquise de Pompadour.† Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 25 Dec. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jeanne-Antoinette-Poisson-marquise-de-Pompadour.

Analysis of Daniel Byman´s Why Drones Work and Majorie...

Article One: Dainel Byman, in his article Why Drones Work: The Case for Washington’s weapon of Choice in an August 2013 article in the Brookings Institute, identifies the positive impact of US drone strikes. Byman contends that US drone strikes are extremely efficient, at little financial cost to the government, and protect the lives of American soldiers. For these reasons, Byman believes that US drone strikes are necessary to the war on terror. Byman’s first argument is that US drone strikes are extremely efficient in their purpose: eliminating high value targets in foreign countries that pose a threat to national security. He cities a study done by the New America Foundation, which found that â€Å"U.S. drones have killed an estimated 3,300†¦show more content†¦In many cases, sending in a seal team to capture a high-value target would be much more expensive than sending a drone. Additionally, the cost of transporting and detaining the target in a place such as Guantanamo Bay is very high. Through the use of drones, the US government can cut military costs without risking lives. Byman continues with this argument, stating that drones achieve their intended goal without risking American lives. Because drones only require a remote control to pilot, they do not put a member of the US Air Force at risk. This not only reduces the amount of military deaths in foreign countries, but it allows drones to travel to places that are deemed too dangerous for actual US pilots. Byman states that in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, â€Å"the government exerts little or no control over remote areas, which means that it is highly dangerous to go after militants hiding out there. Worse yet, in Pakistan and Yemen, the governments have at times cooperated with militants† (Byman 2). The majority of the time, sending in an actual military force is simply too dangerous. Instead of sending people, the US military can send robots. Byman’s tone in this article can be described as defensive. In his argument, Byman attempts to refute the arguments of many Americans that maintain that drones should be eliminated. This is demonstrated in Byman’s response to public criticism that using drones creates more terrorists. He states, â€Å"critics...

Essay on Creative Writing 25 Days - 551 Words

The Cybermen shoved the Warrior into his capsule. The Cyberleader moved to stand in front of all the Doctors. There are only eight more Doctors to catch before we can start upgrading. What do you plan to do with all of us? the Warrior asked. We plan to upgrade you, your brains will give the Cybermen infinite knowledge. How will you stop us from regenerating? Twelve questioned. We have discovered a way to prevent the regeneration process. the Cyberleader explained. Impossible! Nine shouted. With a billion billion Cyber minds its not. Ten sighed. The Doctor is correct. the Cyberleader responded. Which one? Nine and Ten asked simultaneously. The one with the glasses. The Cyberleader answered†¦show more content†¦Twelve laughed sarcastically, â€Å"What do you think this is? We are all here at the different moments in time at the exact same time.† â€Å"That’s confusing.† Rose shouted, frustrated. She had no clue what was going on, her memories since she had got to the lair had been wiped. The Doctor sighed, he had to get this explanation into Ten and Rose’s head at some point, â€Å"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - its more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff.† â€Å"Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?† Twelve asked annoyed. â€Å"Yes,† the Doctor began as he pointed at Twelve. Twelve raised his eyebrows. â€Å"No.† the Doctor amended. â€Å"Basically,† the Ten stated to Rose, â€Å"we are here because we were drawn here by our physic papers that told us that someone needed help.† â€Å"Like the Dalek,† Nine interrupted. Ten scowled at Nine. â€Å"So we all came here, and if we don’t get out of the room soon then there will be massive consequences.† â€Å"Why?† Rose asked. â€Å"It’s a paradox.† All the Doctors answered together. â€Å"Remember when we went to see your Dad and you stopped him from dying?† Nine said. 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Implementation of SQA tools in an Organization Free-Samples

Question: Discuss about the Implementation of Software Quality Assurance. Answer: Introduction Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is a set of processes that are applied in association with a particular project to validate and verify the adherence of the project components and activities with the defined quality standards and specifications. It is a process that enhanced the quality of a particular procedure or a product. Correct Procedure for the Implementation of Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Implementation of SQA tools and processes in an organization requires detailed planning and analysis. It is necessary to make sure that the implementation process is well-planned in advance to avoid any loopholes and errors in the later stages. SQA tools were decided to be implemented in the ABC organization. However, it was found that the implementation process was associated with numerous issues. These issues that were listed after the in-house evaluation were categorized in the categories as assistance training, resistance, time, automation, initiation implementation communication, process, tool layout, tool analysis and verification, governance and management (Scarpino and Kovacs 2008). The correct procedure should have used more focus on the process that was required to be followed. For instance, the implementation of any of the new tools and concepts leads to many changes for the employees in terms of business activities and operations. The case was the same with ABC as the manual activities around quality assurance were now being converted to their automated counterparts. It was necessary to make sure that a detailed planning around the processes was involved and a gradual transition was made rather than following the big-bang approach for implementation of the tools. Once the planning and procedures were in place, the next step should have been in association with the trainings. Training is an activity that is often overlooked and not paid due attention. However, in case of ABC organizations attempt to implement SQA tools, training would have played a significant role. For instance, there are resources that are engaged with the organization that do not have a pr ior experience on SQA tools and automation testing. Instructing such resources to perform their business activities using these tools without any sort of training is sure to cause errors and deterioration of productivity levels (Parthasarathy and Sharma 2016). It was therefore required for the organization to develop a training plan and a training schedule for the end users. Also, the layout of the tool and its underlying features were required to be set up in such a manner that the user experience with the same was enriched. There were issues in the tool layout as well that led to confusions and ambiguities. The training procedure should have therefore included the explanation of the tool layout along with the navigation associated with the same. As stated earlier, a step by step approach should have been adapted instead of a big-bang implementation of the SQA tool. It would have provided the resources with the required timeframe to adapt to the behavior and functionality of the to ol along with its usage. Every organization has its own set of activities and departments along with their respective needs and requirements (Khaddaj and Horgan 2015). The level of automation along with the applicability of the tool therefore varies from one organization to the other. In case ABC, there are 40 different departments and a few require and some of the departments do not require an enhanced level of automation in terms of quality assurance. However, there was no analysis done in this aspect and it was assumed that automation would fit to the needs of one and all. The correct procedure would have included a detailed analysis on the level of automation required along with analysis of the tool. There were also several risks that could have emerged during the implementation of SQA tools in terms of technical and operational errors or security concerns. Governance and risk management was therefore required as a procedure to be applied to the same (Huang 2014). The order of procedures that should have been used and applied in ABC organization include planning and processing, training plan and schedule, estimation of automation levels, UI and navigational aspects of the tool, reviews and evaluations in the same order. In-House and External Evaluation There are numerous evaluation methods and these methods and processes can be carried out either externally or with the utilization of the in-house resources and entities. A comparison of the in-house and external evaluation is summarized in the table below. Parameters In-house Evaluation External Evaluation Entities Involved Quality Assurance team of the organization along with senior managers and leaders Technical and quality experts having specialization in the field Major areas of focus Integration with the rest of the systems, adherence to the organizational policies and standards, fulfillment of the provided specifications Level of customer satisfaction and ease of usability, fulfillment of the functional and non-functional aspects Level of Independence The evaluators are required to report their findings to the organizational departments and several heads of the departments (Winkler and Biffl 2014) The evaluators have statutory obligations and are not dependent upon any of the internal entities Costs There are several hidden costs that emerge in case of in-house evaluation in terms of the cost of tools, reporting and resources The costs in this case are fixed as per the contractual terms agreed upon by both the parties Incident Reporting Reporting of the findings and incidents are quicker and organized in case of in-house evaluation as there is a complete knowledge of the correct person to report the incident to There may be delays in the reporting of the incidents that are identified due to the presence of the intermediary channels in between Risk Management It is easier for the internal evaluators to suggest measures for control and management of the risks that may emerge in association with the activity or a process These evaluators are specialized in their fields but have a limited knowledge regarding the organization. The management of the risks may or may not fall in line with the organizational policies Reports Detailed reports compatible with the documentation structure of the organization are provided by the in-house evaluators Reporting is brief and to-the-point in this case In-house evaluations often comprise of the exact requirements as per the organizational policies and requirements. Evaluation are carried out with an integrated approach which often goes missing in the case of external evaluations since there is just a component or a system provided for the evaluation. Evaluation of assurance of the performance in the integrated environment therefore cannot be carried out by the external evaluators. On the other hand, external evaluators are more equipped in terms of the skills sets and expertise to understand the customer expectations and requirements as they have an elaborated view of the entire process and external environment (Lee 2014). The case is not the same with internal evaluators as they are restricted to a limited environment. Also, there are certain defects and issues that may be identified by in-house evaluators only such as the incompatibility of the system or process with the systems in other departments or the non-adherence to the particular standard or policy followed in the organization. Similarly, there are certain issues that can be evaluated only by the external evaluators that include the required levels of customer acceptance and satisfaction along with the accepted usability requirements (Voas, 2013). Project Progress Control Regimes There are several control regimes that may be applied to the ABC organization and its procedure for the implementation of SQA tools in its architecture. The first and the foremost shall include the development of plans and baselines for the procedure to stick to in order to avoid any of the deviations and errors in the path. It would control the risks and uncertainties that may be associated with the procedure and would therefore result in the successful outcomes (Bhuiyan and ElSabbagh 2014). The second control regime that may applied shall include the use of automated tools such as resource management, information management along with incident reporting to have a detailed account of the activities that are carried out along with the tracking of the same at any point of time. It is also necessary to have an adequate level of governance in the organization in order to control the flow and implementation of the processes and procedures that are implemented. The regime shall be followed in case of ABC organization as well with a dedicated governance bodies set up comprising of managers and system experts (Yiannakos 2011). These resourc es shall carry out audits and reviews to highlight the areas of improvement along with the loopholes that may be associated with the processes. Training is another method that may be applied in order to have a better progress of the project of the implementation of SQA. Trainings would provide the resources and the end users with the ability to adapt to the functionalities and features of the tool. Also, it would provide an opportunity to execute the features with much ease and convenience without any errors which would lead to enhancement of the productivity levels (Radlinski, 2011). Documentation and reporting is another method that would control and put a check on the deviations associated with the implementation procedure. Documentation of the project activities along with frequent reporting of the progress shall be made mandatory to allow the senior management and leadership to have the knowledge of the exact status and the issues associated with the project. Also, these report s and documents shall be placed on a shared location such as SharePoint or a shared folder. It would provide the resources and leadership with the ability to review the activities accomplished at any point of time. This practice would prove to be fruitful in case of the occurrence of a risk or the changes made by the client (Collofello 2006). Conclusion Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is a process that can enhance the quality of the system and procedures if implemented correctly. However, there are several mistakes that are given shape by the organizations during the implementation of SQA that range from incorrect estimation of requirement, inadequate governance and trainings along with insufficient planning and analysis. It is required for the organizations to therefore avoid such loopholes and carry out detailed planning and analysis for the implementation process. References Bhuiyan, Nadia, and ElSabbagh, Habib. 2014. "A Quality Assurance Model For Airborne Safety-Critical Software". Journal Of Software Engineering And Applications 07 (03): 162-176. doi:10.4236/jsea.2014.73018. Collofello, Js. 2006. "Software Quality Assurance For Maintenance". IEEE Software 4 (5): 46-51. doi:10.1109/ms.1987.231418. Huang, Ai Ming. 2014. "Study On CMM-Based Software Quality Assurance Process Improvement - A Case Of The Educational Software Quality Assurance Model". Advanced Materials Research 1049-1050: 2032-2036. doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.1049-1050.2032. Khaddaj, Souheil, and Horgan, Gerard. 2015. "A Proposed Adaptable Quality Model For Software Quality Assurance". Journal Of Computer Science 1 (4): 482-487. doi:10.3844/jcssp.2005.482.487. Lee, Ming-Chang. 2014. "Software Quality Factors And Software Quality Metrics To Enhance Software Quality Assurance". British Journal Of Applied Science Technology 4 (21): 3069-3095. doi:10.9734/bjast/2014/10548. Parthasarathy, Sudhaman, and Sharma, Srinarayan. 2016. "Impact Of Customization Over Software Quality In ERP Projects: An Empirical Study". Software Quality Journal. doi:10.1007/s11219-016-9314-x. Radlinski, Ukasz. 2011. "A Conceptual Bayesian Net Model For Integrated Software Quality Prediction". Annales UMCS, Informatica 11 (4). doi:10.2478/v10065-011-0032-5. Scarpino, John J., and Kovacs, Paul. 2008. "An Analysis Of A Software Quality Assurance Tool's Implementation: A Case Study" IX (2): 146-151. Voas, J. 2013. "Assuring Software Quality Assurance". IEEE Software 20 (3): 48-49. doi:10.1109/ms.2003.1196320. Winkler, Dietmar, and Biffl, Stefan. 2014. "Guest Editorial: Special Section On Software Quality Assurance And Quality Management". Software Quality Journal 22 (3): 467-468. doi:10.1007/s11219-014-9244-4. Yiannakos, Andrew. 2011. "Quality Assurance And Quality Control In The Software Development Process". ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes 9 (2): 130-132. doi:10.1145/1012467.1012480.