Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Essay on Human Trafficking in America - 2109 Words

Human Trafficking in America Alexandria R. Bloom Northmor High School Human Trafficking in America Thesis: Many people are unaware of the amount of human trafficking happening in America. I. Victims II. Location and what happens III. Arrests, laws, and ringleaders IV. Money V. Escaping Human Trafficking in America Many people are surprised to hear that human trafficking is not just a problem outside of America’s borders and that it is becoming more of an American problem as time goes on. With only trading illegal drugs in front of it, human trafficking has become the world’s second largest criminal industry. The numbers are only estimations because most human trafficking is done secretly†¦show more content†¦In America the majority of humans targeted are females, both young girls and grown women. The adult women, most often between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four, are targeted, usually from different countries and then transported to America; however the young girls targeted come mainly from right here in America. There are also a small amount of males that are targeted and become part of human trafficking. Most of the males are young boys between the ages of eleven and thirteen, whereas the young girls are mainly between the ages o f twelve and fourteen. The young boys and girls that are targeted are usually from bad areas in America, such as those of poverty. The victims from countries outside of America are also usually living in poverty and are lured to America on false promises of good jobs such as waitresses, nannies, dancers, domestic servants, and house cleaners. Once to America the victims are completely stripped of all of their belongings such as passports, money, and any sort of identification they may happen to have. After the victims are stripped of their belongings nearly all of them are drugged, and then told, as Roebuck says, that they have to â€Å"pay off their debt† (2010, n.p). of the cost from shipping them from their native country to America. At the very beginning of the process the victims are given a set of rules that they, as sex slaves, must obey. Some of the most common rules include: no back talking, no rudeShow MoreRelatedHuman Trafficking Is in America1354 Words   |   5 PagesHuman Trafficking is in America, it’s in backyard and most don’t even know it. Many Americans believe that this horrible action only takes place in countries such as China, Japan, India, and Ghana but no; it happens in the United States also. The definition of human trafficking is the â€Å"illegal practice of procuring or trading in human beings for the purpose of prostitution, forced labor, or other forms of exploitation† (dictionary.com). Slavery was abolished in 1865 in the 13th amendment in the constitutionRead MoreHuman Trafficking Is Destroying America1057 Words   |  5 Pages Slavery in the Twenty-First Century Human trafficking is the modern day form of slavery and its victims are, most commonly, the children of America (Kotria). The youth and millennials in this country are America’s future, the next generation’s guides into the world, and thousands of them every year are being taken and becoming victims to human trafficking within the U.S. These children are the backbone of America, within them could lie the greatest minds, most inspiring actors, and even a lifeRead MoreEssay on Role Of America in Human Trafficking1363 Words   |  6 PagesThe trafficking of human beings for slave labor and sexual exploitation is one of the fastest growing global problems. It has been called the dark side of globalization because an enormous upsurge of human enslavement has accompanied a border-free world economy (Miller). Trafficking in persons is a transnational crime that touches people in every nation, and even neighborhoods in this country. The vast reach of human trafficking stunned my own community, when we learned that a 12-year-old EgyptianRead MoreAmerica s Fight Against Human Trafficking1773 Words   |  8 PagesThe United States of America has been fighting human trafficking since the 1800s, when slavery happened to be was outlawed. Since then, several laws have been passed to help the fight against human trafficking. According to the Polaris Project, the â€Å"current federal laws† include the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, along with several reauthorizations of the Act during four separate years, the Tariff Act, the Customs and Facilitations and Trade Enforcement Act, the Racketeering Influenced CorruptRead MoreAmerica, Human Trafficking, And Why It Will Never Stop2411 Words   |  10 Pages America, Human Trafficking, and Why It Will Never Stop Gregory J Carnes Professor Caroline Zapor CRMJ499: Senior Seminar Capstone America, Human Trafficking, And Why It Will Never Stop ABSTRACT We must show new energy in fighting back an old evil. Nearly two centuries after the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, and more than a century after slavery was officially ended in its last strongholds, the trade in human beings for any purpose must not be allowed to thrive inRead MoreHuman Trafficking From Latin America To Canada Essay1854 Words   |  8 PagesThe trafficking of humans for sexual purposes is being described as modern day slavery. The US State Department Trafficking in Persons 2008 report ranks Canada as a Tier One country, meaning Canada is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women and children (SIWSAG, 2009). Although not a top destination point for human traffickers, a conservative estimate states that approximately 800 people are trafficked into Canada annually. These people (mostly women and children) are transportedRead More Its Time to Stop Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Essay1982 Words   |  8 PagesStates has always ha d an industry where humans have sold other humans for profit. Although the United States abolished slavery and human trafficking with the thirteenth amendment in 1865, the human trafficking industry has not even begun to disappear, despite all the efforts made against it. Human trafficking is an issue that affects various people. As author Kevin Bales said in The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today, human trafficking is of â€Å"equal opportunity† (18). It canRead MoreThe Many Victims of Human Trafficking675 Words   |  3 Pageswomen and children are victims of human trafficking. Human trafficking is used for many purposes and benefits. Sex, forced labor and other forms of disgracing exploitation is dangerously happening worldwide. It’s necessary to know what the term trafficking means because it can be very misleading, trafficking places importance on the transaction aspect of a cruel crime, trafficking is more than described by the media. Enslavement is a word that can describe trafficking briefly and compactly, exploitationRead MoreHuman Trafficking Is A Global Crime1439 Words   |  6 PagesHuman trafficking, by definition, is â€Å"the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.† Most people would say that human trafficking is a very serious crime that needs to be better regulated and the laws pertaining to it needs to be more enforced to help those enslaved within break free. Others may say that because human trafficking is such a large and worldwide â€Å"business† that makes millions each year, it will be extremely difficult toRead MoreThe Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking in out Backyard1456 Words   |  6 Pageshear about the crime of human trafficking they automatically refer it to sex exploitation by big time gang organizations. Sexual exploitation is a big chunk of the trafficking problem in America but in reading the book The Slave Next Door you can see that there are different types of work for human trafficking. One of the unique and underrated types of trafficking is in the type of domestic slavery. This type of trafficking is not as popular for gangs and other trafficking organizations because it

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Machiavelli s The Prince - 850 Words

Ian Shields Mr. Bingham Politics and Lit. (p.7) 10/17/2003 Machiavelli s breakthrough: Sacrifice History s most prominent leaders have shown extreme congruence. These leaders almost always hold reality over ethics. How can we classify lying and manipulative leaders as immoral when their duplicity is the very reason a society can maintain stability? This idea has of means justifying the ends has been a staple in History s most prosperous of societies. Machiavelli s novel The Prince was the first stab at understanding this human tendency of what is now known as Machiavellian. Machiavelli grasped the sad reality of our world and did not fall prey to other s idealistic propaganda. Great leaders understand what the endless potential they hold, they can manipulate their followers to make best of what is possible and above all they understand sacrifice. Modern day Machiavellians and successful leaders think realistically and communicate through idealism. No matter the extremes of your belief, utilizing Machiavellian tactics have the capability to bring anyone to power. Machiavelli s the prince summarized the general concept behind the logic of leading, but it is hard to grasp this big idea without seeing the outcome of its appliance. Stalin, Hitler and other iron fisted leaders are often considered Machiavellian. While their motives and ambitions are widely accepted as immoral, their rise to power was absolutely genius. Hitler s ability to unify a collapsing nationShow MoreRelatedThe Prince Of Machiavelli s Prince1186 Words   |  5 Pagesleader that wields his power the most like Niccolo Machiavelli’s Prince, from his book The Prince, that leader is President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation. Although, Putin does not hold the title of Prince, he has held influential positions throughout the years, i.e. Prime Minister and Acting President, that hold power similar to the Prince. Every position that Putin has held in Russia he has acted as if he were a Prince. Putin has held such all-consuming control and influence over RussiaRead Mor eNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1719 Words   |  7 PagesMachiavelli’s, The Prince, a book written by Niccolà ² Machiavelli, is a read that most people wouldn’t prefer to read as a first option but in defense to Niccolo, it brings out many themes such as Goodwill and Hatred, Free will, and Human Nature. â€Å"It is known from his personal correspondence that The Prince was written during 1513, the year after the Medici took control of Florence, and a few months after Machiavelli s arrest, torture, and banishment by the Medici regime† (Bio.com). The novel wasRead MoreThe Machiavelli And Machiavelli s The Prince2348 Words   |  10 PagesI have always found great interest in the infamous Niccolo Machiavelli and his ways of thinking; my eye was drawn to him long before I knew I would be studying at Colorado State and even before I had any interest in politics. It was from young man know as Tupac Shakur, and let me tell you it is great to finally understand who Machiavelli is and the things he has done for the outlook on politics after hearing about how much respect and praise he got from the iconic rapper of the 1990s. In this paperRead MoreMachiavelli s The Prince And The Discourse Essay1328 Words   |  6 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli wrote a book which called The Prince. It is about the political ideology of Machiavelli s political realism, which means the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. In this book, he talks about the importance of the concept of virtà º. He claimed that rulers have to suppress their personal virtues while sometimes committing improper acts in order to maintain powers and protect their principalities. In Discourses, Machiavelli becomes to extols theRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince879 Words   |  4 Pages Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 16th-century. His methods of acquiring and maintaining rule over people are not relevant in today’s modern American society. There are many principles that are still true in politics today, but the methods of ruling can no longer be used in American society today. Niccolà ² Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy in 1496. He was a diplomat in Italy s Florentine Republic for fourteen years. This was during the Medici family exile, and when they returned, MachiavelliRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince2212 Words   |  9 Pages Niccolà ² Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, politician, writer and philosopher who lived during the Renaissance period. He was a significant contributor to modern political science, specifically in the field of political ethics. He wrote his most famous work, The Prince, after the Medici family had returned to power and he was removed from the political scene. The devious and corrupt sort of politicians he describes in The Prince serve as the inspiration for the now commonplace term â€Å"MachiavellianRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince892 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli wrote The Prince with the sole purpose of impressing the Medici family and getting on the good side of the new ruler of Florence, Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici. By writing this â€Å"handbook to ruling,† Machiavelli hoped to sway the Medici to accept him as an ally and possible political advisor. He was extremely convincing as he used examples from the past as a â€Å"political l esson† to further distinguish his ideas as correct. By seeing the successes and failures of those in power, MachiavelliRead MoreAnalysis Of Machiavelli s The Prince 1505 Words   |  7 Pagessignificance in each text. Machiavelli believed that, â€Å"a ruler must think only of military matters, and in time of peace he should be even more occupied with them than in times of war† (The Prince, 46). Furthermore, â€Å"he will never relax during peacetime, but will always be working to take advantage of the opportunities peace presents, so he will be fully prepared when adversity comes. When his luck changes, he must be ready to fight back† (The Prince, 47). Therefore, according to Machiavelli during periods ofRead MoreMachiavelli s The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli1943 Words   |  8 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli’s The Prince is a book that examines the qualities and strategies required for a ruler in order to maintain power. Despite being composed in the 16th century, the ideas presented are applicable even to myt hical kings from texts over a thousand years ago. Throughout the story of Seneca’s Oedipus, substantial connections could be made between Oedipus and The Prince’s ideas of rule, such as methods in acquiring principalities, channeling subjects’ fear, the use of cruelty and controllingRead MoreAn Analysis Of Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince 941 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli and Karl Marx developed theories concerning wealth and poverty in our society, as well as different types of governments. For instance, Machiavelli supported a capitalist economic system, unlike Marx, who embraced socialism in the society. Machiavelli wrote a book The Prince that explained how to be an effective leader. The theme of the book is the end justifies the means. A person could or should do whatever is necessary to achieve the desired goal. According to Machiavelli

Monday, December 9, 2019

Carbon Tax

Question: One of Australias largest exports is coal, the burning of which emits significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Using the economic concepts and models introduced in this unit, explain the key differences between a carbon tax and an emissions trading scheme.Critically evaluate the key arguments for and against the carbon tax. Using demand and supply analysis Illustrate how a carbon tax is expected to impact on the market price and quantity traded for a product that creates significant pollution during production Answer: Introduction Carbon tax is a tax that is levied on the carbon content of the fuels. It is considered as a form of carbon pricing. The green house gases emissions is caused by the combustion of the fossil fuels since it is closely related to the carbon content of the fuels. A tax is levied on these emissions in order to tax the carbon content of the fossil fuels at the time of the product cycle of the fuel. The key arguments for and against carbon tax In Favor of carbon tax The main reason behind the implementation of carbon tax is the reduction of carbon pollution. After implementation of the carbon tax, the total carbon pollution that occurs from consumption of electricity in the national energy market has reduced by 5.3 million tons in the 12 months to May 2014. Australia is one of the largest emitter of carbon pollution and the largest per capita. The reduction of the release of carbon has measurable impact on the carbon pollution in the atmosphere. The carbon intensive industries create negative externalities because the external cost of the emission of carbon is ignored. Carbon tax will put a limit to the emissions cost. The carbon tax will enable the business organizations and the consumers to plan their spending of energy and it will provide greater certainty in the investment decisions. The efficiency of the business organizations will increase. The large initial cost of investment can be saved. Carbon tax will be a source of revenue for the Go vernment. If the carbon tax is implemented then the government can reduce the other taxes. The carbon tax will be redirected to the most affected to ensure that the introduction of carbon tax will be revenue neutral. Against carbon tax It is argued that the carbon tax will not reduce the emission of the harmful toxic gases. The implementation of the carbon tax will not affect the carbon consumption. Thus the carbon tax will not have an favorable impact on the economy (une.edu.au, 2011). The level at which the tax will result in favorable outcome is yet not known. Thus the carbon tax will through various changes. This will create political issues in the country. The implementation of flat carbon tax will affect the low income families. The low income households will have to pay a higher tax rate. The implementation of carbon tax by a specific political party will create political vulnerability (Aph.gov.au, 2015). Affect of carbon tax on the demand and supply The industries releasing green house gases will be affected by the implementation of the carbon tax. With the implementation of the carbon tax, the cost of production of the industry will increase. With the rise in the cost of production the company has to increase the price of the product. The rise in the price of the product will reduce the demand for the product as the consumers will search for alternatives. This will reduce the supply of the product and the quantity produced will decline. The demand and supply curve will show the effect of carbon tax implementation. The difference between carbon tax and emission trading scheme Since July 2012, Australia has had set up its carbon estimating plan. It is normally alluded to as a "carbon tax", additionally as an "Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) with a settled cost". Also the arrangement is to move to an ETS with a skimming cost. An ETS lives up to expectations by setting a cap on emanations and obliging emitters to hold a license for every ton of Coà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ that they radiate. The level of the cap decides the quantity of grants accessible. In the event that emitters don't as of now hold a grant, they should either reduce their emanations or purchase a license from an alternate emitter, who should then curtail. This implies that an expense is forced on outflows, equivalent to the cost of purchasing or offering a license. Yet critically its not really the value that causes the general cuts in emanations. The cap decides the level of outflows, and the obliged cuts in discharges cause the cost (Kreiser, Duff, Milne Ashiabor, n.d.). That is, grants have a worth on the grounds that they permit you to abstain from making cuts in emissions. A carbon assessment is kind of the inverse. An expense is added to all outflows, equivalent to the level of the duty, and these reasons individuals to decrease. There i s no cap on discharges in an expense based framework. Individuals are allowed to radiate as much or as meager as they like, yet in the event that they do transmit, they must pay the assessment. Not at all like an ETS, under a carbon charge is it the value that decides the level of outflow (Stern, 2007). Economists contend that, if the business is left to work without any restrictions, green house gas emissions will be extreme; following there is lacking motivation for firms and families to diminish discharges. All things considered, they suggest applying the polluter pays rule and putting a cost on carbon dioxide and other nursery gasses (Sinclair, 2011). This can be actualized either through a carbon charge (known as a value instrument) or a top and-exchange conspire (a purported amount instrument). A carbon tax forces an expense on every unit of green house gas discharges and gives firms (and families, contingent upon the extension) a motivation to decrease contamination at whatever point doing so would cost short of what paying the assessment. Thus, the amount of contamination diminished relies on upon the level of tax paid. The expense is calculated by evaluating the expense or harm connected with every unit of contamination and the expenses connected with controlling that contamination. Getting the duty level right is key: excessively low and firms and family units are prone to select paying the assessment and keeping on polluting, well beyond what is ideal for society. Excessively high and the expenses will climb higher than would normally be appropriate to lessen discharges, affecting on benefits, occupations and end shoppers (Zhang, Zhang Zhang, 2013). By complexity, a cap and trade system sets a greatest level of contamination, a cap, and disperses emanations licenses among firms that create discharges. Organizations must have a grant to cover every unit of contamination they create, and they can acquire these licenses either through a starting allotment or closeout, or through exchanging with different firms. Since a few firms inescapably discover it simpler or less expensive to decrease contamination than others, exchanging happens. Whilst the greatest contamination amount is situated ahead of time, the exchanging cost of licenses vacillates, getting to be more costly when interest is high in respect to supply (for instance when the economy is developing) and less expensive when interest is lower (for instance in a retreat). A cost on contamination is subsequently made as a consequence of setting a roof on the general amount of discharges. In certain glorified circumstances, carbon expenses and cap and trade have precisely the s ame results, since they are both approaches to value carbon. Nonetheless, truly they vary from numerous points of view (ABC News, 2011). One distinction is the way the two approaches convey the expense of diminishing contamination. With cap and trade, it has frequently been the situation that allows is given out free of charge at first (known as "grandfathering"). This implies less expensive agreeability for industry in the early phases of the plan, on the grounds that they pay for any additional licenses purchased from different firms not for the starting tranche of grants given to them to cover the greater part of their outflows under 'the same old thing'. This methodology is clearly well known with industry and clarifies why grandfathering has been utilized, since it causes get firms to acknowledge controls on emanations in any case (Rckert, 2015). By complexity, with an assessment there is a prompt expense for organizations to pay on every unit of nursery gas delivered, so there is a greater introductory hit to the asset report. Anyway while grandfathering is better for close term business gainfulness, it is not so much the best result for society. Surely, it denies the administration of important incomes, which it could bring up in selling the licenses at first, and which could be utilized to lessen different expenses. What this implies for environmental change approach is wrangled about. In the short term, most economists concur that instability alone contends for an assessment. Environmental change relies on upon the load of nursery gasses in the climate, and in every year the increment in that stock because of new discharges is little, so the earth is most likely not that delicate to the vulnerability about the level of emanations realized by picking an expense, at minimum over a year or two. On the opposite side of the record, the expense of decreasing contamination is very touchy to changes in emanations, since it can be lavish to organizations to change their generation techniques suddenly. In the long haul, be that as it may, it is less clear whether an assessment is best, on the grounds that enormous changes in the load of nursery gasses in the climate may cause considerable natural harm. A few economists prescribe a cross breed model that may offer the best of both planets (The Conversatio n, 2011). This has a tendency to include a top on discharges (to control the amount of contamination), yet with modification systems, for example, a carbon value floor or roof, to keep the cost of a license inside satisfactory limits. Mixture plans have their own particular issues, in any case, for example, more prominent many-sided quality and more intercession by the controller in the license market. Whichever of these arrangements is favored to place a cost on carbon, they speak to only one of various approaches expected to cut nursery gas discharge (the Guardian, 2013) Conclusion Carbon tax and emission trading scheme are two ways of reducing the carbon emissions. This will prevent the formation of the green house gases which has adverse effects on the environment. The implementation of carbon tax will have negative impact on the production of certain products but it will protect the economy on a larger scale. References ABC News,. (2011). Explained: Carbon taxes, emissions trading and direct action. Aph.gov.au,. (2015). Carbon taxes Parliament of Australia. Kreiser, L., Duff, D., Milne, J., Ashiabor, H. Market based instruments. Rckert, K. (2015). Longlife: Development of standards, criteria, specifications (pp. 260-300). Sinclair, M. (2011). Let them eat carbon. London: Biteback. Stern, N. (2007). The economics of climate change. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. The Conversation,. (2011). Explainer: The difference between a carbon tax and an ETS. the Guardian,. (2013). Carbon tax v cap-and-trade: which is better?. une.edu.au,. (2011). The Impact of a Carbon Tax on the Australian Economy: Results from a CGE Model*. Zhang, R., Zhang, Z., Zhang, J. (2013). LISS 2012. Berlin: Springer.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Us china Essay Example For Students

Us china Essay Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Cold War was over, making the U.S. the only superpower left in the world. This has made the international system much more tranquil, and relaxed. The only country potentially powerful besides the U.S., is China. Many Americans fear China, not only because they are communist, but also because of their huge population. Their population is 1.3 billion people, which accounts 1/5th of the worlds population. As one of the only potential superpowers in the world, it would be in the best interest of all Americans if the U.S. and China became allies, instead of enemies. Peace and development, economic prosperity and social progress, are goals that both of these two countries share. Unfortunately the world is full of many destabilizing factors. We have to figure out how to make the 21st century peaceful and stable, despite all of these factors. We will write a custom essay on Us china specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The U.S. and China are two awesome nations. One, being the largest developed nation in the world, the other one being the largest developing country in the world. Both are already permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The two countries also share common interests in making sure peace and stability is not only done in Asia, but the world at large. We both share common responsibilities in the promotion of global cooperation, and in the prevention of weapons of mass destruction, the crackdown on terrorism, drug trafficking, and other cross-border crimes, along with many other chief areas of primary concern. For example, there is a huge potential for cooperation between countries in the following areas: environmental protection, culture, energy, preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, promoting global economic cooperation, cracking down on international terrorism, cross-border crimes along with many other areas (5). China has been a communist country since the communist revolution took place in 1949, since then China has been ruled by the dictator Mao Tse-Tung. However the Chinese dictator died in September 1976, he was hailed abroad as one of the worlds great leaders. Certainly one of the more impressive aspects of the Chinese communist government, has been the willingness of the people to protest against it (3, pg. 4). China has been in a state of revolution and reform since the Sino-Japanese war of 1895. As a result of Japans victory over Russia in 1905, Chinas constitutional reform movement gathered momentum. This forced the Manchu government by public opinion to make gestures of preparation for a constitutional government, an act to which reformers in exile responded enthusiastically by establishing a Political Participation Society (Cheng-wen-she) (1, pg.84). The apparent willingness of the Manchu government to consider constitutional reform naturally removed some of the assumptions for revolution and impeded its progress. This helped to sharpen the already intense conflicts that occurred between the reformists and the revolutionaries. In efforts to check this unfavorable tide, the Chinese student revolutionaries in Tokyo extended their war of words to physical combat. Unfortunately the revolutionaries victory over the reformists in Tokyo was not equal to (5=Zhaoxing, Li, Seeking Common Ground, http://www.nyu.edu/globalbeat/asia/china/06221998zhaoxing.html) (3= Moody, Peter, Chinese Politics after Mao, copyright 1983, pg. 2)(1=Liew, K.S., Struggle for Democracy, copyright 1971, pg. 84-87) its battlefield victories against the Manchu government in this period. Instead they suffered many discouraging reverses. The failure of the uprisings on December 1906 caused the entire revolution to move to the southern provinces along the Hong Kong/Indo-China border (1, pg. 86). Between 1907 and 1908 six unsuccessful uprisings in South China were underwent by the Chinese League in South China. Do to deaths of Emperors and Empresss, control of the government fell into the hands of younger, very inexperienced Manchu princes. The intolerance and animosity these princes held towards non-Manchu statesmen, and overhasty indiscreet execution of centralization policy, cost them the service and affection of loyal and able Chinese officials. At the same time the reformers discredited themselves by having internal squabbles over money (1, pg.87). While all of this turmoil was going on in the country of China, its foreign relations were worsening. British troops entered Tibet, while the Russians pressed for treaty revisions respecting its trade relations with Mongolia and Sinkiang. The revolutionaries felt the urgency of overthrowing the Manchu dynasty as the prerequisite for dealing with their difficulties with foreign nations. They felt that the time for saving China was running out, and they must get rid of the incompetent Manchus (3).In 1911 the Chinese revolutionaries were not aware of the necessity or the techniques for organizing the masses for revolution. The majority of the Chinese did not even take part in the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Participation was confined to students, soldiers, members of secret societies, and some government officials. It is said that the revolutionaries neglect of socialist principles greatly contributed to the failure of the 1911 revolution.This is because they failed to broaden the basi s of their revolution to include peasants. This 1911 revolution provided China with its very first chance at adopting democracy, but its failure drove many to take the opposite course of action. Many began to doubt the validity of democracy under Chinese conditions, after this revolution failed (1, pg. 198-200). The Pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing and other cities from April to June 1989 were more than just an episodic expression of popular discontent with the Chinese government. Of prime importance was the non-violent nature of the protesters. The extraordinary self-discipline of the one-million-strong demonstrations was a testimony to the populations collective awareness that violence would only destroy the movements moral force. Chinas leaders fostered profound distrust, and mutual suspicion among the population by cynically manipulating popular discontent and encouraging strife for their narrow ideological goals. In contrast, 1989 witnessed the forming of a genuine civil society in urban China as popular consciousness was created among the different groups and individuals. The massive support for the student movement in 1989 indicated a profound rupture between state and society, and in the long-lasting divisions between the intellectuals and the people (2, pg. 131-3). Most of th e U.S.s problems in its relations with China stem from human rights abuses that their government has done to its people. In the spring of 1989, an unprecedented popular movement in Beijing and other cities peacefully challenged the authority of the government, only to be crushed by military force. Chinese tanks and machine guns crushed student pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijings Tiananmen Square, which killed, wounded, and imprisoned thousands of peaceful protesters. .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 , .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 .postImageUrl , .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 , .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8:hover , .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8:visited , .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8:active { border:0!important; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8:active , .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8 .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf9cc0f34d271cefd49b3497ab40b82c8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: An inquiry into ophelias madne Essay(2=Saich, Tony The Chinese Peoples Movement copyright 1990, pg. 131-133)In the immediate aftermath of Chinas greatest political crisis since the communist takeover in 1949, the regime attempted to regain legitimacy that was lost during one nights carnage by the Peoples Liberation Army that resulted in over a thousand innocent civilian deaths. To defend the crackdown on both the domestic and the international fronts the Chinese government warned that any recurrence of popular protests would be summarily crushed (2). China was our ally in WWII, fighting against Japan. But after the communist revolution of 1949, things changed, China became an enemy. The estimated annual defense budget of china is $8.7 billion dollars, however the expenditures have been estimated at ten times that amount at $87 billion dollars. That is still less than a third of what the U.S. defense budget is at $265. $87 billion 1/3 of Americas defense budget is not a lot of money considering the fact that there population is almost three times the size the U.S. has. The political fallout from the Tiananmen crisis shaped much of Chinas political landscape after 1989. Extensive organizational measures were adopted to squelch political conflicts within the Chinese Communist Party and the Peoples Liberation Army, and to tighten control over colleges, factories, and villages. The lessons of the 1989 pro-democracy movement was that a ruling Communist party could not tolerate liberalization (4,pgs. 1-3)The serious hard-line communist resisted any, and all of the propositions that would involve any political change that might threaten the one-party dictatorship, thus condemning Western Cultural and political influence in China. Moderate components in the party, forced on the defensive by the 1989 crackdown, appealed for incremental (4=Sullivan, Lawrence R., China Since Tiananmen copyright 1994, pgs. 1-2) institutional alterations and advocated even bigger openness to the West. The pair agreed that unless high-level corruption was stopped, the country faced dissolved political instability. Some among the leadership even feared a similar breakup to that of Yugoslavia (4, pg. 2). Despite outward appearances of strength, the Chinese leadership has been revealed as weak, divided internally, and unable to keep up with the forces of change that has been sweeping much of the Communist world. While the leaders maintain short-term power, they cannot maintain without upkeep of the key sectors of their urban society. The present policy prescriptions can be summarized as back to the future. The old politicians who dominate Chinas politics dream of a bygone golden age when political stability and solid economic prospering under an essentially Soviet-style economy, when it was clear who the friends and enemies were (2, pg.viii). China and the U.S. have been through many different phases of friendship together. We have gone from allies (WWII) to enemies (Cold War). There has been a great deal of tension between the two countries over human rights violations, like the Tiananmen Square massacre that happened in 1989. In this massacre thousands of Chinese students were murde red for holding pro-democracy demonstrations. This resulted in an angered President George Bush suspending all high-level governmental exchanges. After having been suspended in 1951, most-favored nation status was restored to China in 1980 conditionally under the Jackson-Vanik freedom-of-emigration amendment of the Trade Act of 1974 and must be renewed annually (7, pg. 2). (7=Pregelj, Vladimir, Most Favored-Nation Status of China, http://www.fas.org/man/crs/92-094.htm) Most Favored Nation Status (MFN) can be withdrawn from China in several ways: (1) by appropriate direct legislation enacted through regular legislative process; (2) by using the specific means provided in the Trade Act of 1974 for denying MFN status to a country that had it restored under that law, i.e., by the fast-track enactment of a joint resolution disapproving the mid-year annual renewal of the Jackson-Vanik waiver authority with respect to China, if such renewal is recommended by the President, or (3) by the Pr esidents failure to recommend such renewal with respect to China in the first place (e.g., for noncompliance with the Jackson-Vanik requirements). China also can lose its MFN status if the agreement is terminated, upon notice, at the end of a term or if the 3-year extension of the U.S.-China trade agreement does not take place because the President declines to make the required determination (7, pg. 3 paragraph 5). In 1995 the Trade Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee, anticipating the 1995 Presidential extension of the waiver, on May 23, 1995, held a hearing on the U.S.-China trade relations and renewal of Chinas MFN status. The extension itself, without additional conditions, took place on June 2, 1995, by Presidential Determination 95-23 (60 FR 31047; H.Doc. 104-82) and was followed by the introduction of resolutions disapproving the extension (H.J.Res. 96 and S.J.Res. 37). H.J.Res. 96 was reported adversely (H.Rept. 104-188), considered under a rule (H.Res.139;H.Rept. 104-194) and tabled July 20, 1995, by a yea-and-nay vote of the House (321-107). This action precluded the enactment of the companion measure (S.J. Res. 37)(7, pg. 4 paragraph #3). .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 , .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 .postImageUrl , .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 , .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906:hover , .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906:visited , .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906:active { border:0!important; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906:active , .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906 .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u09f4d240f75041ba50c7783683d48906:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Great Gatsby - Comparison Of Gatsby And Tom Buchanan EssayChina is a country that has been victimized by foreigners many different times throughout history. It was not until the twentieth century that China started to recover some degree of self-government, and independence. Many believe that China will become more like the western countries, meaning more materialistic, non-ideological, and this will result in a freer culture and politics. China is currently emerging as a great power, and a potential rival to the U.S. in the Pacific Ocean. It is felt they are trying to replace the U.S. as the dominant power in Asia, meaning the U.S. is seen as a chief obstacle to its o wn strategic ambitions. This can be seen as an attempt of China to account for centuries of humiliating weakness, and establishing China as a center for a global civilization. This is feared because this will challenge U.S. global supremacy.What is the U.S. so afraid of? Is it, that the county with a fifth of the worlds population is trying to become the worlds second biggest superpower?In 1994 President bill Clinton renewed Chinas most favored nation trading status, this guaranteed Chinas privileged access to U.S. markets. Currently many U.S. companies do business in China making huge profits. With U.S. corporations making a ton of money in China, does this mean that Capitalism is only a step away in China?China poses very little of a military threat to the U.S., even though they are currently engaged in one of the most extensive and rapid military build-ups in the world. This is said, because China is the third-largest nuclear power in the world, and the only one in Asia. There is little to fear though, Chinas most advanced warplane is the equal to the late 1960s U.S. warplane. Even better is the fact that the Japanese aircrafts are much more superior to their Chinese counterparts. China can not offset Japans ability to produce a 21st century aircraft. China is very distant from occupying a power plant, avionics, and metallurgy engineering that are essential to make a plane that can take-off and land on an aircraft carrier in any type of weather (4, pg. 36-38). The U.S. must offer China much more than just the opportunity to follow the rules. They must come up with a new and appropriate policy of engagement that will require acknowledging the Chinese interests that will accommodate both of our countries. This is needed to prevent nuclear proliferation on the Korean peninsula. We must also accommodate the Chinese interests in Sino-Pakistani security ties. These steps will require Washington DC to admit the economic causes of trade imbalances and how the Chinese government has limited ability to make sure their domestic laws and their international commitments work (3, pg.89-91). Of course these steps give the U.S. little guarantee that the engagement of our two countries will really work. It will take negotiations on both sides to make hard policy adjustments and to seek a compromise to a solution. Washington will have to guard the unilateral interests that it has. This means maintaining current duty stations in Asia where U.S. soldiers are deployed. Retrenchment would do more to effect the Sino-American bilateral equilibrium of power than any combo of Chinese Military and economic platforms would. This U.S. should not rely on compulsive measures for Chinese cooperation. These compulsive measures would produce a renewed sense of tension in Sino-American relations that would result in heightened instability in East Asia. The U.S. has such a strategic head start on China, causing Washington to have the break of sitting back and watching China modernize before they go adding a more positive approach to the China-U.S. relations 6, pg.3). China is vulnerable to neighboring countries that crowd China on all borders. This results in serious security problems within Chinese borders. This has caused U.S. (6=Yebai, Zhang, Sino-U.S. Relations, (http://www.china2thou.com/9910p2.htm)President Bill Clintons problems dealing with China. In 1998 Bill Clinton was accused of looking the other way to the internal abuses, and the exportation of harmful weapons, and their aggressive behavior in the international arena. This is believed to go on because he took secret campaign contributions to his party from the Chinese. It is hoped that eventually all of the facts and mysteries concerning China will all be sorted out and dealt with appropriately. Hopefully the election of George Bush, a new, hopefully competent U.S. President, can get things taken care of more appropriately than Bill Clinton did.Over the long term, it is felt that we are most likely to be dealing with China, no longer ruled by the communist party but with a reform-mi nded leadership. This should be on the minds of future policy-makers tackling short-term strategic issues. Even before the events of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, foreign business was becoming more realistic of the China market. It is felt that China is a great source of income for U.S. business. So why dont we give that 1/5th of the world a chance? All we can do now, is sit back and watch the future events, to know what is going on with China, and how the U.S. is impacted by the future developments, that China makes. Bibliography:

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Hitler and Nazi Germany essays

Hitler and Nazi Germany essays In July 1932, Hitler and the Nazi party won 230 seats in the Reichstag elections, becoming the single biggest party in the Reichstag. Ein volk, ein reich, ein fuhrer. This phrase, which means one people, one state, one leader forms the elemental foundation of the Nazi identity. The Nazis governed Germany with a fascist outlook, they believed unity was important. Numerous factors contributed to the Nazi identity, these factors reinforced the concept of unity and they are reflected in the actions taken by the Nazi government. After the loss of World War One, the social atmosphere in Germany was one of bitter resentment. He and future-Nazis were confused about the loss of the war. As far as they knew, Germany had been winning the war until their leaders (the Weimar government) inexplicably called for peace. Like many other Germans, the Nazis believed the stab in the back myth. They thought that the Jews were involved in a world-wide conspiracy against Germany, that the Jews were the enemy within. Inevitably, along with the loss of the war came the Treaty of Versailles which set the terms of peace between Germany and the Allies, this was signed by the Weimar government in 1919. The terms of the treaty destroyed Germanys status as a super-power in Europe. The terms included: military disarmament - no army or navy, only a small defence force of 100,000 men was allowed; considerable loss of territory - thirteen percent of land was taken; huge sums of reparations were to be paid to the Allies and Germa ny was forced to accept all blame for the war. The condition of life in Germany deteriorated rapidly due to the inflation that occurred following the signing of the Treaty. The Nazis, as fascists, believed in a strong state and the Treaty had greatly weakened Germany. In the Treaty they saw the indispensable need to rebuild Germany and to reclaim the lost land. They wanted to...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Harry Houdini - The Great Escape Artist

Harry Houdini - The Great Escape Artist Harry Houdini remains one of the most famous magicians in history. Although Houdini could do card tricks and traditional magic acts, he was most famous for his ability to escape from what seemed like anything and everything, including ropes, handcuffs, straightjackets, jail cells, water-filled milk cans, and even nailed-shut boxes that had been thrown into a river. After World War I, Houdini turned his knowledge about deception against Spiritualists who claimed to be able to contact the dead. Then, at age 52, Houdini died mysteriously after being hit in the abdomen. Dates: March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926 Also Known As: Ehrich Weisz, Ehrich Weiss, The Great Houdini Houdini’s Childhood Throughout his life, Houdini propagated many legends about his beginnings, which have so oft been repeated that it has been difficult for historians to piece together the true story of Houdini’s childhood. However, it is believed that Harry Houdini was born Ehrich Weisz on March 24, 1874, in Budapest, Hungary. His mother, Cecilia Weisz (neà © Steiner), had six children (five boys and one girl) of which Houdini was the fourth child. Houdini’s father, Rabbi Mayer Samuel Weisz, also had a son from a previous marriage. With conditions looking bleak for Jews in Eastern Europe, Mayer decided to emigrate from Hungary to the United States. He had a friend who lived in the very small town of Appleton, Wisconsin, and so Mayer moved there, where he helped form a small synagogue. Cecilia and the children soon followed Mayer to America when Houdini was about four years old. While entering into the U.S., immigration officials changed the family’s name from Weisz to Weiss. Unfortunately for the Weiss family, Mayer’s congregation soon decided that he was too old-fashioned for them and let him go after only a few years. Despite being able to speak three languages (Hungarian, German, and Yiddish), Mayer couldn’t speak English-   a serious drawback for a man trying to find a job in America. In December 1882, when Houdini was eight years old, Mayer moved his family to the much larger city of Milwaukee, hoping for better opportunities. With the family in dire financial straits, the children got jobs to help support the family. This included Houdini, who worked odd jobs selling newspapers, shining shoes, and running errands. In his spare time, Houdini read library books regarding magic tricks and contortionist movements. At age nine, Houdini and some friends established a five-cent circus, where he wore red woolen stockings and called himself Ehrich, Prince of the Air.† At age eleven, Houdini worked as a locksmith apprentice. When Houdini was about 12 years old, the Weiss family moved to New York City. While Mayer tutored students in Hebrew, Houdini found a job cutting fabrics into strips for neckties. Despite working hard, the Weiss family was always short on money. This forced Houdini to use both his cleverness and confidence to find innovative ways to make a little extra money. In his spare time, Houdini proved himself a natural athlete, who enjoyed running, swimming, and bicycling. Houdini even received several medals in cross-country track competitions. The Creation of Harry Houdini At age fifteen, Houdini discovered the magician’s book, Memoirs of Robert-Houdin, Ambassador, Author, and Conjurer, Written by Himself. Houdini was mesmerized by the book and stayed up all night reading it. He later stated that this book truly sparked his enthusiasm for magic. Houdini would eventually read all of Robert-Houdin’s books, absorbing the stories and advice contained within. Through these books, Robert-Houdin (1805-1871) became a hero and a role model to Houdini. To get started on this new passion, the young Ehrich Weiss needed a stage name. Jacob Hyman, a friend of Houdini’s, told Weiss that there was a French custom that if you add the letter â€Å"I† to the end of your mentor’s name it showed admiration. Adding an â€Å"I† to â€Å"Houdin† resulted in â€Å"Houdini.† For a first name, Ehrich Weiss chose â€Å"Harry,† the Americanized version of his nickname â€Å"Ehrie.† He then combined â€Å"Harry† with â€Å"Houdini,† to create the now famous name â€Å"Harry Houdini.† Liking the name so much, Weiss and Hyman partnered together and called themselves â€Å"The Brothers Houdini.† In 1891, the Brothers Houdini performed card tricks, coin swaps, and disappearing acts at Huber’s Museum in New York City and also at Coney Island during the summer. About this time, Houdini purchased a magician trick (magicians often bought tricks of the trade from each other) called Metamorphosis that involved two people trading places in a locked trunk onstage behind a screen. In 1893, the Brothers Houdini were allowed a spot to perform outside the world’s fair in Chicago. By this time, Hyman had left the act and had been replaced by Houdini’s real brother, Theo (â€Å"Dash†). Houdini Marries Bessie and Joins the Circus After the fair, Houdini and his brother returned to Coney Island, where they performed at the same hall as the singing and dancing Floral Sisters. It wasn’t long before a romance blossomed between 20-year-old Houdini and 18-year-old Wilhelmina Beatrice (â€Å"Bess†) Rahner of the Floral Sisters. After a three-week courtship, Houdini and Bess were married on June 22, 1894. With Bess being of petite stature, she soon replaced Dash as Houdini’s partner since she was better able to hide inside various boxes and trunks in vanishing acts. Bess and Houdini called themselves Monsieur and Mademoiselle Houdini, Mysterious Harry and LaPetite Bessie, or The Great Houdinis. The Houdinis performed for a couple of years in dime museums and then in 1896, the Houdinis went to work in the Welsh Brothers Traveling Circus. Bess sang songs while Houdini did magic tricks, and together they performed the Metamorphosis act. The Houdinis Join Vaudeville and a Medicine Show In 1896, when the circus season ended, the Houdinis joined a traveling vaudeville show. During this show, Houdini added a handcuff-escape trick to the Metamorphosis act. In each new town, Houdini would visit the local police station and announce that he could escape from any handcuffs they put on him. Crowds would gather to watch as Houdini easily escaped. These pre-show exploits were often covered by a local newspaper, creating publicity for the vaudeville show. To keep audiences further amused, Houdini decided to escape from a straitjacket, using his agility and flexibility to wiggle free from it. When the vaudeville show ended, the Houdinis scrambled to find work, even contemplating work other than magic. Thus, when they were offered a position with Dr. Hill’s California Concert Company, an old-time traveling medicine show selling a tonic that â€Å"could cure just about anything,† they accepted. In the medicine show, Houdini once again performed his escape acts; however, when attendance numbers began to dwindle, Dr. Hill asked Houdini if he could transform himself into a spirit medium. Houdini was already familiar with many of the spirit medium’s tricks and so he began leading sà ©ances while Bess performed as a clairvoyant claiming to have psychic gifts. The Houdinis were very successful pretending to be spiritualists because they always did their research. As soon as they pulled into a new town, the Houdinis would read recent obituaries and visit graveyards to seek the names of the newly dead. They would also subtly listen to town gossip. All this allowed them to piece together enough information to convince crowds that the Houdinis were real spiritualists with amazing powers to contact the dead. However, feelings of guilt about lying to grief-stricken people eventually became overwhelming and the Houdinis ultimately quit the show. Houdini’s Big Break With no other prospects, the Houdinis went back to performing with the Welsh Brothers Traveling Circus. While performing in Chicago in 1899, Houdini once again performed his police station stunt of escaping handcuffs, but this time it was different. Houdini had been invited into a room full of 200 people, mostly policemen, and spent 45 minutes shocking everyone in the room as he escaped from everything the police had. The following day, The Chicago Journal ran the headline â€Å"Amazes the Detectives† with a large drawing of Houdini. The publicity surrounding Houdini and his handcuff act caught the eye of Martin Beck, the head of the Orpheum theater circuit, who signed him for a one-year contract. Houdini was to perform the handcuff escape act and Metamorphosis at the classy Orpheum theaters in Omaha, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, and San Francisco. Houdini was finally rising from obscurity and into the spotlight. Houdini Becomes an International Star In the spring of 1900, 26-year-old Houdini, exuding confidence as â€Å"The King of Handcuffs,† left for Europe in the hopes of finding success. His first stop was London, where Houdini performed at the Alhambra Theater. While there, Houdini was challenged to escape from Scotland Yard’s handcuffs. As always, Houdini escaped and the theater was filled every night for months. The Houdinis went on to perform in Dresden, Germany, at the Central Theater, where ticket sales broke records. For five years, Houdini and Bess performed throughout Europe and even in Russia, with tickets often selling out ahead of time for their performances. Houdini had become an international star. Houdini’s Death-Defying Stunts In 1905, the Houdinis decided to head back to the United States and try to win fame and fortune there as well. Houdini’s specialty had become escapes. In 1906, Houdini escaped from jail cells in Brooklyn, Detroit, Cleveland, Rochester, and Buffalo. In Washington D.C., Houdini performed a widely publicized escape act involving the former jail cell of Charles Guiteau, the assassin of President James A. Garfield. Stripped and wearing handcuffs supplied by the Secret Service, Houdini freed himself from the locked cell, and then unlocked the adjoining cell where his clothes were waiting all within 18 minutes. However, escaping just from handcuffs or jail cells was no longer enough to get the public’s attention. Houdini needed new, death-defying stunts. In 1907, Houdini unveiled a dangerous stunt in Rochester, N.Y., where, with his hands handcuffed behind his back, he jumped from a bridge into a river. Then in 1908, Houdini introduced the dramatic Milk Can Escape, where he was locked inside a sealed milk can filled with water. The performances were huge hits. The drama and flirting with death made Houdini even more popular. In 1912, Houdini created the Underwater Box Escape. In front of a huge crowd along New Yorks East River, Houdini was handcuffed and manacled, placed inside a box, locked in, and thrown into the river. When he escaped just moments later, everyone cheered. Even the magazine Scientific American was impressed and proclaimed Houdini’s feat as one of the most remarkable tricks ever performed. In September of 1912, Houdini debuted his famous Chinese Water Torture Cell escape at the Circus Busch in Berlin. For this trick, Houdini was handcuffed and shackled and then lowered, head first, into a tall glass box that had been filled with water. Assistants would then pull a curtain in front of the glass; moments later, Houdini would emerge, wet but alive. This became one of Houdini’s most famous tricks. It seemed like there was nothing Houdini could not escape from and nothing he could not make audiences believe. He was even able to make Jennie the elephant disappear! World War I and Acting When the U.S. joined World War I, Houdini tried to enlist in the army. However, since he was already 43-years old, he was not accepted. Nonetheless, Houdini spent the war years entertaining soldiers with free performances. When the war was drawing to a close, Houdini decided to try acting. He hoped that motion pictures would be a new way for him to reach mass audiences. Signed by Famous Players-Lasky/Paramount Pictures, Houdini starred in his first motion picture in 1919, a 15-episode serial titled The Master Mystery. He also starred in The Grim Game (1919), and Terror Island (1920). However, the two feature films did not do well at the box office. Confident it was bad management that had caused the movies to flop, the Houdinis returned to New York and founded their own film company, the Houdini Picture Corporation. Houdini then produced and starred in two of his own films, The Man From Beyond (1922) and Haldane of the Secret Service (1923). These two films also bombed at the box office, leading Houdini to the conclusion that it was time to give up on moviemaking. Houdini Challenges Spiritualists At the end of World War I, there was a huge surge in people believing in Spiritualism. With millions of young men dead from the war, their grieving families looked for ways to contact them â€Å"beyond the grave.† Psychics, spirit mediums, mystics, and others emerged to fill this need. Houdini was curious but skeptical. He, of course, had pretended to be a gifted spirit medium back in his days with Dr. Hill’s medicine show and thus knew many of the fake medium’s tricks. However, if it were possible to contact the dead, he would love to once again talk to his beloved mother, who had passed away in 1913. Thus Houdini visited a large number of mediums and attended hundreds of sà ©ances hoping to find a real psychic; unfortunately, he found every one of them to be a fake. Along this quest, Houdini befriended famous author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was a devoted believer in Spiritualism after having lost his son in the war. The two great men exchanged many letters, debating the truthfulness of Spiritualism. In their relationship, Houdini was the one always looking for rational answers behind the encounters and Doyle remained the devoted believer. The friendship ended after Lady Doyle held a sà ©ance in which she claimed to channel automatic-writing from Houdini’s mother. Houdini was not convinced. Among other issues with the writing was that it was all in English, a language Houdini’s mother never spoke. The friendship between Houdini and Doyle ended bitterly and led to many antagonistic attacks against each other in newspapers. Houdini began to expose the tricks used by mediums. He gave lectures on the topic and often included demonstrations of these tricks during his own performances. He joined a committee organized by Scientific American who analyzed claims for a $2,500 prize for a true psychic phenomena (no one ever received the prize). Houdini also spoke in front of the U.S. House of Representatives, supporting a proposed bill that would ban telling fortunes for pay in Washington D.C. The result was that even though Houdini brought about some skepticism, it seemed to create more interest in Spiritualism. However, many Spiritualists were extremely upset at Houdini and Houdini received a number of death threats. Death of Houdini On October 22, 1926, Houdini was in his dressing room preparing for a show at McGill University in Montreal, when one of the three students he had invited backstage asked if Houdini really could withstand a strong punch to his upper torso. Houdini answered that he could. The student, J. Gordon Whitehead, then asked Houdini if he could punch him. Houdini agreed and started to get up off a couch when Whitehead punched him three times in the abdomen before Houdini had a chance to tense his stomach muscles. Houdini turned visibly pale and the students left. To Houdini, the show must always go on. Suffering from severe pain, Houdini performed the show at McGill University and then went on to do two more the following day. Moving on to Detroit that evening, Houdini grew weak and suffered from stomach pain and fever. Instead of going to the hospital, he once again went on with the show, and collapsed offstage. He was taken to a hospital and it was discovered that not only had his appendix burst, it was showing signs of gangrene. The next afternoon surgeons removed his appendix. The next day his condition worsened; they operated on him again. Houdini told Bess that if he died he would try to contact her from the grave, giving her a secret code - â€Å"Rosabelle, believe.† Houdini died at 1:26 p.m. on Halloween day, October 31, 1926. He was 52-years old. Headlines immediately read â€Å"Was Houdini Murdered?† Did he really have appendicitis? Was he poisoned? Why was there no autopsy? Houdini’s life insurance company investigated his death and ruled out foul play, but for many, uncertainty regarding the cause of Houdini’s death lingers. For years after his death, Bess attempted to contact Houdini through sà ©ances, but Houdini never contacted her from beyond the grave.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Finance - BIS Capital Adequacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Finance - BIS Capital Adequacy - Essay Example Among its more important committees is the Basel Committee which is responsible for the promulgation of banking regulation guidelines concerning supervisory issues. In this regard, Basel I (1988 Accord) was a landmark in the banking industry in that banks having an international presence are required to hold as a minimum 8% of their capital equal to the risk weighted assets (there are five risk weightings). Basel II, which came in June 2004, addressed some of the weaknesses from Basel I. Both accords, however, are designed to strengthen the financial banking system by requiring a more rigorous set of capital requirements for banks to meet their credit and capital risks. Furthermore, Basel II is more forward-looking by requiring banks to identify those risks now and in the future especially with the sudden surge in hedge funds and esoteric investment instruments such as credit default swaps and other derivatives. Basel II attempts to avoid systemic risks such as what happened in the U S subprime mortgage crisis which engulfed the entire banking system with spectacular collapses such as AIG. Basel II is also more comprehensive by requiring banks to maintain enough capital to certain risks by quantifying credit and operational risks. A bank that engages in more risky investments is required to maintain a higher capital adequacy ratio to remain solvent in case of a crisis. Other considerations are a banks residual risks and the mandatory disclosures to comply with international accounting rules and standards. This last provision is crucial as it gives counter-parties an idea of the risks they face when dealing with a certain international bank. This way, there are no ticking time bombs like CDS which Mr. Warren Buffett likens to weapons of mass destruction (Graham & Dodd 2008, p. 622) due to unregulated credit default swaps that

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Literature - Essay Example However both the writers are observed to be depicting a married life that reflects the pain and desolation of the two women and this depiction adds a new dimension or meaning to marriage and relationships because the definition and importance of marriage has undergone a transformation since the old times. Also the gender roles have also undergone a change since women are now emerging as individual beings rather than a docile and a submissive counter part in a married relationship. In reference to this new meaning it is also stated, â€Å"The role of marriage in the society itself has become blurred† (Thornton, Axinn and Xie, 2007, p.5). This diverse and disillusioning representation of the institute of marriage symbolizes the despair and despondency of human race and society in the modern world. Moreover the representation of women as the victims of not only the society’s or their family’s will but also fate makes the readers realize the injustices that are done to women. Consequently such a depiction adds the strains of feminism in both the prose. Although both the writers make use of the theme of feminism in their stories yet the manner in which each author depicts it reflects the unique style and perspective of each writer. The Story of An Hour is a depiction of a woman’s tumultuous emotional journey from sadness to joy to shock and death as a result of the shock with in the time frame of one hour. The story gives an insight of a woman’s mind and the manner in which she deals with the terrible news of her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard’s actions and reaction gives the story a lot of subtext that the readers explore because through her actions the readers explore and interpret the hidden or the underlying meaning i.e. marriage is not an institute of security and stability for women anymore in fact it is a relationship of misery and pain. The Necklace is a story about a lower middle class woman Mathilde Loisel and her marriage. The story reflects

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The first experiment Essay Example for Free

The first experiment Essay In the three experiments, we see how different objects fall. We should take note that the experiments are employed with the presence of air (and thus, air friction). In the first case, the quarter dollar coin is bigger and heavier than the penny; therefore, it will drop faster because its gravitational force is greater than that of the penny. Even if there is an air friction which is opposite the direction of gravity, it only has a minimal effect on the coins. In the second case, the crumpled paper falls faster than the uncrumpled one. This is because the presence of air friction acts greater with the uncrumpled paper as its surface is greater, hence creating a bigger space for air friction to occur. The crumpled paper, on the other hand, falls faster because of its compacted state. Its gravitational pull acts greater than the opposing air friction. Thirdly, the case of the coin dropped from the index card accounts for the coin to fall faster. This is because it has greater mass (and therefoe, greater gravitational force) tan the index card. Generally, the mass and weight of an object are major characteristics to consider in predicting its rate of fall. The greater the mass or weight, the faster will it fall. This is primarily due to the fact that gravitational force is mass (m) times acceleration die to gravity (g = constant at 9. 8 m/s2). In the same way, the shape and surface of an object also contribute to its rate of fall. The more compact or solid the object, the faster it will fall; the bigger the surface area, the more slowly it will fall. The frictional force is responsible for this slow down. 2. Describe the difference (in both what happens and why) between a person who jumps from an airplane with a parachute and one who jumps without a parachute. If a parachute is used, what would be the difference when the same size parachute is used on a person and then used on an elephant? In the first instance where a person jumps from an airplane with a parachute (say, person A), as compared to the person without a parachute (person B), person A will be able to land in a safer manner since the chute provides for a decrease in the person’s acceleration towards the ground. As person A drops down, the chute slows down his velocity by adding the oppositely directed air friction; meaning, as the downward velocity increases (or as person A accelerates downward), an upward force (which is the air friction sifted by the parachute) reduces the acceleration, thus creating less impact on person A’s landing. Contrastingly, person B will drop downwards in an accelerating manner, where the increased velocity will account for a less safe landing. In the second instance, the size is given focus with regard to the velocity and acceleration of the falling person/animal. Given the same sizes of parachutes used, a person (say, person C) and an elephant (say, Dumbo) are dropped down from an altitude. The effect would be that Dumbo will fall faster than person C despite the same sizes of chutes. Dumbo’s size accounts for the increase in velocity, as it has been established that mass is a factor for acceleration according to Newton’s First Law of Motion (F = ma or a = F / m). Person C will then fall more slowly as compared to Dumbo’s acceleration. The parachute may provide a decrease in acceleration, but this is more observable in person C’s experience.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Dramatic Tension in The Crucible by Miller Essay -- Miller Crucible

Dramatic Tension in "The Crucible" by Miller The Crucible Coursework Excitement, nervousness, stress, anxiety, suspense, unease, and apprehension are all forms of dramatic tension that Miller creates throughout the Crucible. Dramatic tension is created by Miller throughout the Crucible in many ways. Straightaway, the title of the play, â€Å"the Crucible† implies to the audience of the tension that is to come in the play. Miller names the play â€Å"the Crucible† to represent the puritanical society of Salem, the historic people of Salem wanted to purify each other from the Devil’s work, they even went to the extent of killing their fellow neighbours in order to purify them. The variety of characters involved in the witch trials all combine to create suspense. Miller creates vivid personalities for the main characters in the play, the characters are contrasting and their relationships between each other create tension. Speech directions influence how the characters speak and act. The stage settings crafted by Miller create tension, especially in Act 3, in the court room scene where there is dramatic tension created by the characters arguing vigorously with each other. Miller uses the setting of â€Å"The Crucible† to create dramatic tension. The play took place in a newly made colony called Salem at the time of 1692. Miller describes the in such a way that it creates an atmosphere of tension throughout the play. Salem was surrounded by wilderness; some of Salem’s people were killed from tribes that were from these forests. The religious leaders were fiercely puritanical and protective of their religion, a form of protestant Christianity. The religious leaders were so zealous and paranoid about their religious be... ...to end the play, responding to Hale’s plea that she convince Proctor to publicly confess: â€Å"He have his goodness now. God forbid I take it from him!† Miller uses speech directions and descriptions of action in the play to create an atmosphere of tension throughout â€Å"The Crucible†. In the last page of the play Miller uses speech directions to show how desperate Hail is to stop Proctor from hanging himself, Miller shows him â€Å"dropping to his knees† to show his desperation. Hail does all he can to stop Proctor from hanging and surprisingly so too does Parris, this creates tension because even Parris, who hated Proctor, wants the ridiculous hangings to stop because they have gone out of control. Miller describes the beating of the drum rolls to create an atmosphere of suspense, the drum rolls are a gradual sign of the music of Proctor’s heroic yet tragic death.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Truth Should Be Told, Whatever the Cost

Anisa Kornegay P. 7 Discursive Essay #2 â€Å"The truth should always be told, whatever the cost. † It’s clear that in life you run into lies and you run into the truth but when is it morally ethical to not tell the truth, and when is it okay to lie? The truth has caused a plethora of controversy worldwide instances where it is concealed and when it is exposed. Subsequently the truth seems to always be told, when it is and even when it is not needed. In the medical realm the truth should be told, although in the past it has been covered up.Medical experiments frequently avoid telling the truth. For example in the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment in Alabama, 399 black men were told they were being treated for â€Å"bad blood† when in actuality they were in the late stages of Syphilis. By the end of the experiment 128 men died from syphilis, but if the doctors informed the subjects of the infection many lives could have been spared. Just like the Tuskegee Syphilis expe riment, in other occasions the truth should be told in the medical world.For instance, in Crisis Pregnancy Centers all over the United States also known as CPC’s pregnant women are told claims by the uneducated staff members to have them refrain from having an abortion because they believe abortion is wrong. One woman, Katy Stag went to three CPC’s in Ohio that told her â€Å"There is more risk in having an abortion than carrying a baby full term† which is false; studies show that a woman who carries their baby full term are fourteen times more likely to die. This exemplifies that in the medical world that lies should not be told.Therefore, the truth should be told, especially in regard to anything medical. Along with the medical world, the truth should be told in regard to high government officials. Presidents should always tell the truth, one lie can lead a president to impeachment. For example, in 1974 President Richard Nixon of the United States was on the v erge of impeachment for obstructing justice. President Nixon hired men to illegally gain information on his opposing party. Nixon denied all involvement, even when evidence surfaced linking him to the crime.Just like President Richard Nixon Watergate scandal, other presidents have withheld the truth. For instance, Bill Clinton was impeached on the charge of obstruction of justice in 1998. The charges came from his sexual affair with his 22 year old intern at the time Monica Lewinsky, DNA evidence proved there was a sexual relationship even though President Clinton denied the allegations. His lie had him impeached. Evidently, the president of a country is one looked up to and should tell the truth. It doesn’t make a significance difference in citizens’ lives if an athlete lies.If the action of an athlete does not affect the lives of others the truth should not be of significance. For example in 1988, Gregory Louganis a diver in the Olympic Games, went to dive and hit hi s head on the platform, later the truth came out that he had HIV. AIDS expert Anthony Fauci, MD, assured everyone that Greg Louganis did not place any risk to the health of the other athletes on his decision to disclose his HIV diagnosis. Just like with Gregory Louganis other athletes have had the truth revealed when it was unnecessary.For instance, Marion Jones, 3 time Olympic gold medalist track star, plead guilty in 2004 to lying to federal agents about taking banned steroids, but it was proved her usage was not during any of the times she won her gold medals, so it did not change the Olympic results and she keeps her medals. Without the truth, nothing really would have changed. Subsequently, the lives of citizens are not affected when an athlete has lied about their situation leaving the truth better off not exposed. The effects of war or danger are a reason to withhold the truth. In warfare the truth is permitted to be disguised by lies to be loyal to your own country.For examp le, in the Cold war between NATO and the communist sect, people on each side of the war were prepared to betray their countries secrets, but would sacrifice themselves to protect their country. You do what you have to win the war for your country by any means, and if those means involve lying then so be it. A similar principle was present in the 1939; 45 year war giving out â€Å"disinformation† was a key role in the war. Hitler’s forces in France were deceived to think that the war was at the Pas de Calais rather than along the Normandy coast, England even created a fake army.This morale shows they did what they could to win the war. Undoubtedly, the danger of war outweigh telling the truth, thus it would be acceptable to lie. It is apparent that the truth has certain circumstances when it is to be exposed and when it is to be concealed. In medicine and at the head of government it seems the truth is to be told constantly. On the other hand, in sports and in warfare t he truth is not as needed. No matter what, one thing is certain, we as humans must learn the instances of when the truth should be told regardless of the consequences.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Creative Writing (ADD) Essay

For most 14-year-olds, summertime is akin to being in paradise. No homework, no exams, no demanding teachers – just lots of time to relax with friends at the beach and even earn extra money from a part-time job. Indeed, if Christmas is for children, then summer is definitely for the teenagers. It is the season when a teen experiences many things for the first time – first job, first kiss, first beer, etc. Or so they say. If summer really is for the teen, then why am I in a stuffy classroom instead of in the beach? I am taking summer classes – for failing three subjects in the previous school year. And this is not the first time that this happened to me. Fluking subjects and attending summer classes as a result is already a yearly ritual for me. I sometimes think that I am like the rich people who have summer houses, except that mine is furnished with a blackboard, desks, chairs and lockers. But there are instances when not even humor can soften the hurt. Almost all my life, people have been telling me to â€Å"shut up† and calling me names such as â€Å"lazy,† â€Å"stupid† and â€Å"weird.† When I was a kid, my mom used to yell at me because she though that I was not listening to what she was saying to me. But I really was listening to her; it was just that I cannot make sense of what she was saying to me. Everyone at home now knows better than to ask me to do a chore. The only time they ask me to do one is when there really is nobody else who will do it. Perhaps it is because I cannot follow instructions. No matter how many times mom or dad tell me how to do something, I always end up bungling it. There were also instances when I just suddenly lose interest in a certain errand and leave it undone. A couple of months ago, mom asked me to prepare dinner because she was not feeling well. Despite myself, I really love to cook. Salads, one of my favorite foods, are my specialty. And so I chose to make vegetable salad and microwave some frozen fish fingers for dinner. I was already arranging sliced tomatoes in beds of lettuce when I decided to fix peanut butter and jelly sandwiches instead. But while preparing the sandwiches, I suddenly changed my mind again – I went to the living room and watched television. About half an hour later, mom went down to check if dinner was already done. What she saw really upset her – a large bowl of half-prepared salad, along with vegetable peelings and peanut butter and jelly spread on the kitchen counter. She called me from the living room and shouted that I was â€Å"no good† and that I was intentionally making things difficult for her. Although she was not feeling well, she had no choice but to make dinner herself. I ended up going to bed with an empty stomach – the episode robbed me of my appetite. School was much worse. I was nearly expelled from kindergarten because of my â€Å"disruptive behavior.† While the rest of the class was listening to the teacher read a story, I was staring out into the window. Things got worse as I got older. It was extremely difficult for me to focus on exams, homework and projects. I got low grades as a result – the most common complaint written on my report card was I needed to â€Å"focus on getting work done.† I likewise had difficulty making friends. Almost all of my classmates were annoyed at me for just intruding into their conversations. Some of them already told me to â€Å"shut up† right in front of my face. I know butting in is rude, but I cannot help but do it repeatedly. It is like I have a million ideas going inside my mind and I feel like I will explode if I do not open my mouth and share them with others, regardless of whether or not it is appropriate for me to do so. I want to do a lot of things for myself. I want to travel, meet new people and learn how to cook. I see myself becoming a chef in the future – a really good chef that specializes in Mexican food. I would also love to have pets, as I believe that they would make better friends than people. So many dreams, so many goals†¦ Now if only I could stop attending summer classes for good.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Fix Common Runtime Errors in Java With Careful Debugging

Fix Common Runtime Errors in Java With Careful Debugging Consider the following segment of Java code, stored in a file called JollyMessage.java: // A jolly message is written to the screen! class Jollymessage {   Ã‚  Ã‚  public static void main(String[] args) {   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  //Write the message to the terminal window   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  System.out.println(Ho Ho Ho!);   Ã‚  Ã‚  } } At program execution, this code will produce a runtime error message. In other words, a mistake has been made somewhere, but the error won’t be identified when the program is compiled, only when it is run. Debugging In the example above, notice that the class is called â€Å"Jollymessage† whereas the filename is called JollyMessage.java. Java is case sensitive. The compiler won’t complain because technically there is nothing wrong with the code. It will create a class file that matches the class name exactly (i.e., Jollymessage.class). When you run the program called JollyMessage, youll receive an error message because there is no file called JollyMessage.class. The error you receive when you run a program with the wrong name is: Exception in thread â€Å"main† java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: JollyMessage (wrong name: JollyMessage).. Common Runtime-Error Solutions If your program compiles successfully but fails at execution, review your code for common mistakes: Mismatched single and double quotesMissing quotes for stringsIncorrect comparison operators (e.g., not using double equal signs to indicate assignment)Referencing objects that dont exist, or dont exist using the capitalization supplied in the codeReferencing an object that has no properties Working within integrated development environments like Eclipse can help you avoid typo-style errors. To debug productionalized  Java programs, run your Web browsers debugger- you should see a hexadecimal error message that can assist in isolating the specific cause of the problem. In some situations, the problem may lie not in your code, but in your Java Virtual Machine. If the JVM is choking, it may kick out a runtime error despite the lack of a deficiency in the programs codebase. A browser debugger message will help isolate code-caused from JVM-caused errors.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Horseracing Idioms in Politics

Horseracing Idioms in Politics Horseracing Idioms in Politics Horseracing Idioms in Politics By Maeve Maddox A reader asks about my use of the verb place in a recent post: In your The Oxford Short List 2015 article the second paragraph reads In this post, I’ll take a look at eight other words that placed in Oxford’s annual list of frequently used English words and phrases.† Is that construction correct, or wouldnt the verb tense were be missing between that placed? The reader is thinking of place as a transitive verb meaning â€Å"to put† or â€Å"to set,† as in this example of passive voice: â€Å"The books were placed carefully on the shelf.† I was using place with the following meaning: place intransitive verb: to achieve a particular final position in a race or other competition. In British horseracing, â€Å"to place† means to finish a race in any of the first three (occasionally four) positions, especially other than first.† In North American usage, â€Å"to place† is to finish second. Here’s an example of this figurative usage from the 2000 presidential race: They were playing to win; they werent playing to place, Gore spokesman Chris Lehane said. This is not win, place and show. This is winner and loser. Horseracing idioms are especially popular in political campaigning. Here are some more examples, with explanations: After a strong performance in this week’s Democratic presidential debate, Hillary Clinton has reclaimed some of the ground she’d lost to Senator Bernie Sanders over the summer, leaving the two in a statistical dead heat in New Hampshire Dead heat noun: Two or more horses finishing in an exact tie at the wire. Time to prune the Republican presidential field to the top six Field noun: The horses entered in a race. The Republican Front Runner is a Huge Fan of Michael Moore Front runner noun: A horse that usually leads (or tries to lead) the field for as far as it can. Mayoral race in home stretch Homestretch noun: The part of a racetrack between the last turn and the finish line Mikva wins by a nose in 10th District Nose  noun: The smallest advantage a horse can win by. In England, the term is â€Å"a short head.†Ã‚   Two more scratched from 28th ward race Scratch verb: to be taken out of a race. Whichever candidate proves the better stretch runner, the barrage from the other side will continue through until Election Day.    Stretch runner noun: a horse that picks up speed late in a race and finishes fast. Silvestros tout Trump from their rooftop Tout noun: a person who gives tips on racehorses, usually with expectation of some personal reward in return. Tout verb: to praise particular horses and to predict winners. The verb has become especially popular with headline writers as a synonym for recommend or extol in a variety of contexts. Researchers Tout Possible Breakthrough on Curing Peanut Allergies Republican presidential hopefuls tout big government as the cure for terror Scientists tout ‘fish toxin’ as potential cancer cure New study touts huge gas hike toll roads to ease traffic congestion in GTHA Judges Tout Program Helping Victims of Domestic Violence Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Whimsical WordsDeck the HallsWhat’s the Best Way to Refer to a Romantic Partner?

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Military vs Business Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Military vs Business Strategy - Assignment Example The enemy will not sacrifice dignity or pride easily, even if at times irrational. If an outlet is left, then acceptance of the dire situation can be made and the enemy will choose to surrender. (Cantrell, 16) If the enemy chooses not to surrender, the overwhelming advantage that one side possesses by means of military advantage would soon close off the one remaining outlet. If the foe is â€Å"desperate†, the goal is to encourage surrender without engaging in further unnecessary bloodshed. Giles further elaborated on what Tzu meant by this excerpt when he stated that the object is to make the enemy realize that there is at least one road to safety. This prevents â€Å"his fighting with the courage of despair†. He next adds: â€Å"After that, you may crush him.† (Giles 72). We can see a similarity is regards business strategy. Leaders of companies have often fought hard to get to the market position that they currently hold. They naturally feel that their company, product or service is the best, and usually have an intense dislike of competitors for obvious reasons. If a company feels overly threatened without letup, they may engage in irrational behaviors by expending vast amounts of scare resources to somehow beat the odds to prevail over the competitor in one particular â€Å"battle†. However, if the company with the upper hand does not press unnecessarily hard due to the circumstances, the disadvantaged competitor may come to reason that they need to back off of the current plan and regroup with a new plan. This saves resources for all sides, since the outcome of the particular strategic business battle is inevitable at that point, barring some very remote and unforeseen occurrence. Companies should keep in mind that a battle is different than a war. Companies will be at war for the length of their business operations in most cases, and to pursue a win of

Friday, November 1, 2019

Hair. William Faulkner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hair. William Faulkner - Essay Example His detachment from the events narrated allows him to be a compassionate and sensitive commentator, whose views we feel we can trust, even though Faulkner misleads us at the end. He seems to understand Hawkshaw's attachment to the girl, and even treats her premature sexual adventures with sympathy rather than disgust: "nature don't pay any attention to systems, let alone women paying any attention to them I say she couldn't help herself. It wasn't her fault" (133-4). The story is in three parts, the second explaining the first by retreating in time, and the third bringing about the dnouement. Hawkshaw is presented as an isolated figure in a community, which the critic Joseph Reed identifies as being a key motif in Faulkner stories. "Faulkner without a group is without a point of reference essential for his most effective narrative" (Reed, 20). The group varies from story to story; it can be a family, or a particular social grouping, or, as in Hair, a whole town. Hawkshaw is quietly kind to the girl, and is so self-effacing that when he insists that "I'll tend to her", Maxey tells the narrator "that was the first time he ever heard him speak positive about anything" (132). The girls' growth is captured with fine economy. She walks "fast like little girls do", then makes friends at school and passes "not looking toward the window at all" (132), so that Hawkshaw's devotion to her is already under threat. Soon "she got grown fast" (133) and she is h itching up "the regular simple gingham and such dresses that a thirteen-year-old child ought to wear" (134). Hawkshaw has given her presents, including the doll which he "never told" anyone about (133), but it seems to be clear to everyone that his interest in her is not unhealthy. It is appreciated that there is a genuine love in his attitude, which is respected by the others. When the men talk of how she has gone to the bad, "it was while Hawkshaw was not there" (134), and when Maxey does voice his crude suspicions - "Any old man that will fool with a young girl, he's pretty bad" - Matt's comment is a reprimand: the reason is a moral one, "he thinks she is too young to receive jewelry from anybody that aint kin to her" (136). Part II fills in Hawkshaw's past, and lets us a little way into his true thinking, showing that his interest in the girl must be serious, heartfelt and deeply human. He had married the Starnes daughter, showing a real devotion to her and her welfare, learning barbering and going off to work in Birmingham, "Rode part of the way in wagons and walked the rest, coming back each summer to see the girl" (138). He spent all his savings on her father's funeral, and then started saving again for the marriage. He acted out of mature devotion. The narrator cannot convey Hawkshaw's grief when she dies. We only have the immensely touching detail of the picture and the lock of hair, which "both got lost, the hair and the picture, in the mail somehow" (139). He devotes himself then to serving her memory in the only way he can, by paying off the mortgage on the parents' house and returning every April, as on a pilgrimage, to clean it The April "vacation" is utterly essential to him, like a religious observance. At previous employers' he had given up his job