Free Essays on Sea Turtles

Sea turtles are generally solitary creatures that remain submerged for much of the time they are at sea. There are five species of sea turtles. They live in shallow, warm, coastal waters. They formation of forelegs that are shaped like paddles makes them excellent swimmers but slow walkers. They are large animals that live 15 to 30 years. The Leatherback is the largest turtle that averages 90 kg. There were some recorded up to 550 kg. The so called green turtles feed on sea grass but others eat invertebrates including jellyfish. When it is not nesting season, sea turtles may migrate hundreds or even thousands of miles. The evidence suggests that their navigation works by sensing wave motions of the earth’s magnetic field. Sea turtles can sleep at the surface while in deep water or on the bottom wedged under rocks in near-shore waters. Green turtles have been seen sleeping under ledges in reefs and rocks. The mating for most sea turtles are believed to occur during a limited "r eceptive" period prior to the female's first nesting emergence. Afterwards, only females come ashore to nest. It was proven with DNA that females return to the beaches where they were born to lay their own eggs. Males almost never return to land once they leave the sand of their natal beach. Copulation can take place either on the surface or under water. Sometimes several males will compete for females and may even fight each other. Females may mate with several males just prior to nesting season and store the sperm for several months. When she finally lays her eggs, they will have been fertilized by a variety of males. This behavior may help keep genetic diversity high in the population. They can lay up to 100 eggs at a time in sand above the high tide lines. The eggs are always in danger of being eaten by dogs, crabs or other animals. After laying the eggs, the female returns to the coastal shallow water. After about 60 days of incubation, the hatchlings move t... Free Essays on Sea Turtles Free Essays on Sea Turtles Sea turtles are generally solitary creatures that remain submerged for much of the time they are at sea. There are five species of sea turtles. They live in shallow, warm, coastal waters. They formation of forelegs that are shaped like paddles makes them excellent swimmers but slow walkers. They are large animals that live 15 to 30 years. The Leatherback is the largest turtle that averages 90 kg. There were some recorded up to 550 kg. The so called green turtles feed on sea grass but others eat invertebrates including jellyfish. When it is not nesting season, sea turtles may migrate hundreds or even thousands of miles. The evidence suggests that their navigation works by sensing wave motions of the earth’s magnetic field. Sea turtles can sleep at the surface while in deep water or on the bottom wedged under rocks in near-shore waters. Green turtles have been seen sleeping under ledges in reefs and rocks. The mating for most sea turtles are believed to occur during a limited "r eceptive" period prior to the female's first nesting emergence. Afterwards, only females come ashore to nest. It was proven with DNA that females return to the beaches where they were born to lay their own eggs. Males almost never return to land once they leave the sand of their natal beach. Copulation can take place either on the surface or under water. Sometimes several males will compete for females and may even fight each other. Females may mate with several males just prior to nesting season and store the sperm for several months. When she finally lays her eggs, they will have been fertilized by a variety of males. This behavior may help keep genetic diversity high in the population. They can lay up to 100 eggs at a time in sand above the high tide lines. The eggs are always in danger of being eaten by dogs, crabs or other animals. After laying the eggs, the female returns to the coastal shallow water. After about 60 days of incubation, the hatchlings move t...

Analytical Essay Sample on Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to Explore Racism

Analytical Essay Sample on Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to Explore Racism Over many years racism has been a disgusting, horrible issue in our world. Racism still exists today, although it is not as bad as it once was. In the historical novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, Mildred D. Taylor explores the issue of racism through the victimization of the Berry Family and Sam Tatum by the Ku Klux Klan as well as an encounter with more disgusting people at the Wallace store. The Berry’s burning is a huge act for racism. First Mr. Berry was talking to a Caucasian lady. Then some man saw him talking to her. They didn’t think it was normal for an African-American man to be talking to and Caucasian lady. After Mr. Berry was done talking to her, he left for home in his car. But what Mr. Berry didn’t notice was that the Caucasian men were following him to his home. Mr. Berry didn’t have much gas left so he stopped at his friends’ house. As he was leaving his car to go to the house, The KKK jumped him and poured hot tar on him and feathered him. The KKK thought that you could only talk to your own race. Cassie also had some experiences of racism in Strawberry. Cassies experiences in Strawberry were very rough. First Cassie, Stacy, and T.J. went into Jim Lee Barnett mercantile buy some supplies for T.J.’s family. Mr. Barnett was helping the kids when a Caucasian lady came in. Mr. Barnett dropped all the things that he was helping with the kids and helped the lady, although the kids were first. So Cassie gets very upset and complains to Mr. Barnett. Then Mr. Barnett throws Cassie out of the store. That was the fist sign of racism Cassie experienced in Strawberry. The next experience was on the street of Strawberry. Cassie was minding her own business, when bratty Lillian Jean bumped in to Cassie. Well Lillian jean blamed the accident on Cassie although she did not do it. Lillian Jean made Cassie apologize, but Cassie did not. So Lillian Jean made her dad tell her to apologize just because Cassie. Whit this racism, the KKK is a big part of racism, so is the Wallace store. The Wallace store is not a good place for kids to go and hang out. Papa doesn’t want the kids to go to the Wallace store because the Wallace’s are members of the KKK and the kids there are drinking. The KKK might harm the kids or even kill them because they are African-American. So that is why Papa doesn’t want the kids to go there. This is another act of repeating racism. Killing or harming African-American kids just because the kids go to a Caucasian store. By reading Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, Mildred D. Taylor wanted us to realize racism is unacceptable, evil, inappropriate and not necessary. Our job is to stamp out racism by treating every human being equally. It is important to join together to create a nation that celebrates our differences.

The Myth of Secure Computing by Austin and Christopher Article

The Myth of Secure Computing by Austin and Christopher - Article Example The amount of money spent on digital security is only 5 to 10 percent of a company’s total expenditure due to which, there are risky security concerns. Network Attacks, which are responsible for slowing network functions and disrupting online performance, are common threats to digital security that can result in big financial losses for the company. Network attacks are external. Intrusions are internal attacks and are more dangerous than network attacks as the intruders can use the same rights to alter or damage data as authorized users. Intrusions can cause not only monetary but also data leakage loss. All kinds of threats are highly dangerous and need to be analyzed in advance. The IT department of a company needs to be highly effective in identifying all kinds of threats and the level of security that should be provided to each and every asset. An operational approach needs to be followed in order to secure the company, its assets and its reputation from any digital security breach. Risk management should be there in order to check the possible risks to a company’s digital security and to control them in time. The IT department is required to keep continuous check to day-to-day processing. If software programs are used in a company, they must be tested regularly. The coding, testing and implementation process should not be conducted with proper care and efficiency. The IT staff should be well equipped with all concerned knowledge about IT state of the company and required security measures. The writers of the article have pointed towards a crucial issue that needs attention to detail. The companies working today are computerized mostly and have their own networks due to which, they are in need of digital security measures so that they face minimum security breaches and can control any intrusion in order to save them from big losses.  

Children, War and Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Children, War and Education - Essay Example This leads them into an intense mental trauma. 3. Children used as terrorists/soldiers:The scene grows even more gruesome when children are made a part of these wars. Their small hands are trained to hold and control the agents of deaths deadly weapons and their vulnerable minds are inculcated with norms of the terror culture where ruthless massacres are a way of life. Be it the Hamas in Gaza, the Taliban in Afghanisthan or the LTTE in Sri Lanka they extensively use children as terrorists."assessments by the Sri Lankan Directorate of Military Intelligence have estimated that as much as 60 per cent of the LTTE's fighters were below 18."(SOUTH ASIA TERRORISM PORTAL) and "LTTE terrorists used a 13 year old child suicide bomber against the advancing 55 Division troops in Chalai "( Thilakaratne 2009)The conditions are no different in Jammu and Kashmir where children are used as "terror tools". They are even trained in throwing grenades and planting IEDs.( GUPTA 2005).This affects a child's(terrorist) psychology in a very dangerous ma nner sometimes making it impossible to help them lead a normal life even after they have been freed/rescued. Their experience with terror creates a kind of crisis in their life - it's a crisis of life purpose and direction. Children Participation in armed conflicts, even voluntarily, is an offence as per the Geneva Convention (1948), its two amendments (1997), and as per Article 38 of the UN Convention on Rights of the Child. But one can definitely not expect the terrorist groups to abide by these laws. Even in cases where terrorist outfits were warned against the use of children or even when the terrorist groups promise not to use children (as in case of LTTE), there are hardly any productive or positive results. 4. Loss of children's education: In conditions like these it's not difficult to imagine what must be happening to the education of children. A country's civilian population is under a condition of constant stress when there is a war going on at the borders of the country and the education of children is often disturbed due to falling attendance as a result of fear, shutting down of schools due to govt. orders concerning safety or other such reasons. And the conditions worsen in countries where there are no defined battle fields and the civilian areas are frequently attacked. Terrorist attack on schools causes a great damage; and this damage is multidimensional. Not only is the property damaged but also many lives are lost and the entire education system completely disrupted and sometimes even uprooted. Attacking schools severs several purposes for the terrorist organisations: A. Schools are soft targets and can be attacked comparatively easily.(Ervin 2006) B. Attack on

Quality management focuses attention on continuous improvement Essay Example for Free

Quality management focuses attention on continuous improvement Essay Th e work of W. Edwards Deming is a cornerstone of the quality movement in management. 27 His story began in 1951, when he was invited to Japan to explain quality control techniques that had been developed in the United States. â€Å"When Deming spoke,† we might say, â€Å"the Japanese listened. † Th e principles he taught the Japanese were straightforward, and they worked: Tally defects, analyze and trace them to the source, make corrections, and keep a record of what happens afterward. Deming’s approach to quality emphasizes constant innovation, use of statistical methods, and commitment to training in the fundamentals of quality assurance. One outgrowth of Deming’s work was the emergence of total quality management, or TQM. Th is process makes quality principles part of the organization’s strategic objectives, applying them to all aspects of operations and striving to meet customers’ needs by doing things right the fi rst time. Most TQM approaches begin with an insistence that the total quality commitment applies to everyone in an organization, from resource acquisition and supply chain management, through production and into the distribution of fi nished goods and services, and ultimately to customer relationship management. The search for and commitment to quality is now tied to the emphasis modern management gives to the notion of continuous improvement—always looking for new ways to improve on current performance. 29 Th e goal is that one can never be satisfi ed; something always can and should be improved upon. Evidence-based management seeks hard facts about what really works. Looking back on the historical foundations of management, one thing that stands out is criticism by today’s scholars of the scientifi c rigor of some historical cornerstones, among them Taylor’s scientifi c management approach and the Hawthorne studies. The worry is that we may be too quick in accepting as factual the results of studies that are based on weak or even shoddy empirical evidence. And if the studies are fl awed, perhaps more care needs to be exercised when trying to apply their insights to improve management practices. Th is problem isn’t limited to the distant past. 30 A book by Jim Collins, Good to Great, achieved great acclaim and best-seller status for its depiction of highly successful organizations. But Collins’s methods and fi ndings have since been criticized by researchers. 32 And after problems appeared at many fi rms previously considered by him to be â€Å"great,† he wrote a follow-up book called How the Mighty Fall. 33 Th e point here is not to discredit what keen observers of management practice like Collins and others report. But it is meant to make you cautious and a bit skeptical when it comes to separating fads from facts and conjecture from informed insight. Today’s management scholars are trying to move beyond generalized impressions of excellence to understand more empirically the characteristics of high-performance organizations—ones that consistently achieve highperformance results while also creating high quality-of-work-life environments for their employees. Following this line of thinking, Jeff rey Pfeff er and Robert Sutton make the case for evidence-based management, or EBM. Th is is the process of making management decisions on â€Å"hard facts†Ã¢â‚¬â€that is, about what really works—rather than on â€Å"dangerous half-truths†Ã¢â‚¬â€things that sound good but lack empirical substantiation. Using data from a sample of some 1,000 fi rms, for example, Pfeff er and a colleague found that fi rms using a mix of well selected human resource management practices had more sales and higher profi ts per employee than those that didn’t. 35 Th ose practices included employment security, selective hiring, self-managed teams, high wages based on performance merit, training and skill development, minimal status diff erences, and shared information. Examples of other EBM fi ndings include challenging goals accepted by an employee are likely to result in high performance, and that unstructured employment interviews are unlikely to result in the best person being hired to fi ll a vacant position. 36 Scholars pursue a variety of solid empirical studies using proven scientifi c methods in many areas of management research. Some carve out new and innovative territories, while others build upon and extend knowledge that has come down through the history of management thought. By staying abreast of such

Hemingway :: ESSAYS

Hemingway In one of the chapters in the book entitled â€Å"Hemingway† the author Leo Lania tries to explain Hemingway and his work. He explains that a key to understanding Hemingway can be found in the characters of his heroes and in their beliefs. The leading character â€Å"appears in various guises in the different novels and short stories but basically he is always the same type†(Lania8).Whether ordinary soldier or general, smuggler or gambler, Negro or journalist he is a man scarred by experience. He has always been gravely wounded, physically or mentally, either during the war, in the sports arena, during childhood, in fight for existence. At some time or other something terrible has happened to him and the memory persecutes him. Lania also explains that Hemmingway’s principal character is almost always an American from the Middle West. He is â€Å"no intellectual but his primitiveness is only a mask for his sensitivity. In order to master life he needs a moral code he can follow, a believe in certain rules by which to measure his behavior†(11). Neither books, reason nor religion can supply him with this belief. He needs to practical experience. Hemingway’s’ world is at war, â€Å"war either in the literal sense or the ruthless, brutal fight for existence†(11). In short stories Hemingway sums up his philosophy of life in one sentence: ‘A man can be destroyed but not defeated’ â€Å"the speaker is an old bullfighter who although overcomes, does not surrender and therefore proves the victor†(11). In another story a champion boxer provides a similar example. In his latest work, The Old Man and the Sea, the old Cuban fisherman triumphs through tenacity of his fight with the great fish, although in the end the sharks eat away his catch and deprive him of the reward for his indescribable sacrifice. This theme runs continuous through all of Hemingway’s works. â€Å"His outlook may be limited and incomplete, his conception of honor and heroes primitive, even childish†(12). The part played by women in Hemingway’s work is significant. That he handles sex without sentimentality that only strict moralists would hold against him. This was no t only part of his poetic license but also an important contribution to our knowledge us. Hemingway’s lovers â€Å"have nothing in common either spiritually or intellectually, nor do they seek it†(14). They are not partners they are not even enemies. Their relationship is therefore neither exalted nor tragic.

Black American Music History Essay

First of all, there is many different types of African American music but im going to talk about three in particular which are slave spirituals, blues, and the more common rap/hip-hop. First slave spirituals is a type of religious song originating among black slaves in the American south. It was famous for the reason that the lyrics of negro spirituals were tightly linked with the lives of their authors†¦. slaves! While work songs only dealt with their daily life, spirituals were inspired by the message of Jesus Christ and his Good News (Gospel) of the Bible, â€Å"You can be saved†! They are different from hymns and psalms, because they were a way of sharing the hard condition of being a slave. Another type of music there is are the blues. Blues is a type of folk song devised by Black Americans at the beginning of the 20th century. Blues was so important to the African Slaves because it was a sort of code, how they told stories that had things to do with their owner and everyday life. Lastly is the most common now in time some people know it as rap others as hip hop but it is the style and fashion of African American music. Hip hop is important to African American culture because it originated from it all started when blues and jazz crossed over and musicians started making beats which were call bebop. (Well maybe not the kids but the adults call it that). All music we know today it was all based on African American music many people do not know the importance of music was to the slaves some say it was the only thing that gave them hope. Why is music important to our culture? There is no objective answer to this question. The importance of music is different in every individual’s life. It inspires people and allows us to get in touch with our emotions in a way that is unique. For those amongst us who find it difficult to express ourselves, music can evoke reactions. Your mood can change from dark and depressed to elated and delirious happiness with just the selection of the right track and a hit of the play button. Music works wonders on creating a certain atmosphere. You can use music to liven up a boring party or to create a romantic ambiance. Music is important to all of us and some fail to realize the importance music is to the history of everybody not just one race but to everybody. Who knew music was so important from rock to classical music is all around us. In Conclusion, did Elvis Presley steal African American music and is Eminem doing the same? There has been people that believe that Elvis stole black music. But, there have been other people that say that he was inspired but black music but never stole it. There has also been rumors about Eminem is stealing black music. But he mentioned in interview that rapping isn’t meant just for one race is for everybody. Ha ha, and he’s basically right! Music it lives in all of us.

Altruism in Society Essay

The great rhetorician, Aristotle, proposed that the persuasiveness of any argument is based on three elements: ethos—the credibility of the speaker, logos—the strength of the argument, and pathos—the communicator’s ability to emotionally move an audience (O’Quinn, 2009). The ethos of an argument is established by the speaker conveying trustworthiness, expertise in the subject, and an appropriate tone towards the audience. The element of logos is concerned with the logical power of the argument and the strategy utilized to present the argument. Lastly, pathos is the way in which the argument is presented. A persuasive argument should use vivid yet simple language, be applicable to the audience, and cite credible facts. Furthermore, Aristotle’s rhetorical elements are closely mirrored by Myers’ (2008) primary ingredients of persuasion: 1) the communicator; 2) the message; 3) how the message is communicated; 4) the audience. In our campaign to bring awareness of the human rights violation of human trafficking, we have sought to utilize both the elements of logos and pathos to convey the seriousness of the situation. The logical power of the argument is built upon the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and 2003 (TVPA), which stipulates that induced commercial sex, labor, or services is punishable under the law and victims of said induced acts are eligible for government benefits (Human Trafficking, 2008). The subject of human trafficking affords itself its own weight and means of emotional persuasion, but we will seek to utilize the mechanisms of social reciprocity and social responsibility to lend authority to our argument. The persuasiveness of our argument is constructed on: 1) the logical power of our assertions (logos), as built on TVPA and; 2) the weight and means of conveying our argument (pathos), as exemplified through the social mechanisms of social reciprocity and social responsibility. Motivations of Altruistic Behavior Social exchange theory is based on economic exchange theory, which posits that people participate in an exchange because of the belief that the reward will justify the cost (Liao, 2008). In the realm of economics, monetary costs and rewards direct an exchange; however, in social psychology the currency of social capital is bartered in order to maximize rewards and minimize costs, both internally and externally. The altruistic notions of social norms are concerned with the way our lives ought to be lived and the reasonable prescription of proper behavior (Myers, 2008). Social Reciprocity The reciprocal norm of altruistic social behavior explains that people tend to help, rather than hurt, those that help them. The process is circular because social capital is invested in the future prediction of reimbursed dividends. Conversely, a person can be on the receiving end of social reciprocity and the dividends are expected to be paid in return. On a practical level, the institution of TVPA mandates the cessation of human trafficking through the investment of both social and monetary capital up front and predicts the future payment of dividends. In other words, transgressors will discontinue human trafficking if capital is invested initially and reciprocated thereafter. Social Responsibility The altruistic belief in social responsibility is assembled at the psychological level through the social incentive created when people need help. Nonetheless, the mental representation of social responsibility is mediated by attribution and the consequent emotions elicited. If the person in need of help is perceived to be in the situation because of personal mistakes or neglect, then very little sympathy is produced on the part of the helper—thereby leading to a lack of help. In contrast, if the person in need of help is perceived to be in the situation due to uncontrollable external influences, the sympathy and helping are forthcoming. In the case of human trafficking, the lives of those that are most vulnerable—those that have limited access to social services and protections—are being target because they are defenseless against uncontrollable external forces (Human Trafficking, 2008). Taken collectively, social responsibility dictates that uncontrollable external forces have led to human trafficking and therefore necessitate the introduction of social capital up front in order to facilitate social reciprocity.

Understanding Experimental Groups

Understanding Experimental Groups Scientific experiments often include two groups: the experimental group and the control group. Heres a closer look at the experimental group and how to distinguish it from the experimental group. Key Takeaways: Experimental Group The experimental group is the set of subjects exposed to a change in the independent variable. While its technically possible to have a single subject for an experimental group, the statistical validity of the experiment will be vastly improved by increasing the sample size.In contrast, the control group is identical in every way to the experimental group, except the independent variable is held constant. Its best to have a large sample size for the control group, too.Its possible for an experiment to contain more than one experimental group. However, in the cleanest experiments, only one variable is changed. Experimental Group Definition An experimental group in a scientific experiment is the group on which the experimental procedure is performed. The independent variable is changed for the group and the response or change in the dependent variable is recorded. In contrast, the group that does not receive the treatment or in which the independent variable is held constant is called the control group. The purpose of having experimental and control groups is to have sufficient data to be reasonably sure the relationship between the independent and dependent variable is not due to chance. If you perform an experiment on only one subject (with and without treatment) or on one experimental subject and one control subject you have limited confidence in the outcome. The larger the sample size, the more probable the results represent a real correlation. Example of an Experimental Group You may be asked to identify the experimental group in an experiment as well as the control group. Heres an example of an experiment and how to tell these two key groups apart. Lets say you want to see whether a nutritional supplement helps people lose weight. You want to design an experiment to test the effect. A poor experiment would be to take a supplement and see whether or not you lose weight. Why is it bad? You only have one data point! If you lose weight, it could be due to some other factor. A better experiment (though still pretty bad) would be to take the supplement, see if you lose weight, stop taking the supplement and see if the weight loss stops, then take it again and see if weight loss resumes. In this experiment you are the control group when you are not taking the supplement and the experimental group when you are taking it. Its a terrible experiment for a number of reasons. One problem is that the same subject is being used as both the control group and the experimental group. You dont know, when you stop taking treatment, that is doesnt have a lasting effect. A solution is to design an experiment with truly separate control and experimental groups. If you have a group of people who take the supplement and a group of people who do not, the ones exposed to the treatment (taking the supplement) are the experimental group. The ones not-taking it are the control group. How to Tell Control and Experimental Group Apart In an ideal situation, every factor that affects a member of both the control group and experimental group is exactly the same except for one the independent variable. In a basic experiment, this could be whether something is present or not. Present experimental; absent control. Sometimes, its more complicated and the control is normal and the experimental group is not normal. For example, if you want to see whether or not darkness has an effect on plant growth. Your control group might be plants grown under ordinary day/night conditions. You could have a couple of experimental groups. One set of plants might be exposed to perpetual daylight, while another might be exposed to perpetual darkness. Here, any group where the variable is changed from normal is an experimental group. Both the all-light and all-dark groups are types of experimental groups. Sources Bailey, R.A. (2008). Design of Comparative Experiments. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521683579. Hinkelmann, Klaus and Kempthorne, Oscar (2008). Design and Analysis of Experiments, Volume I: Introduction to Experimental Design (Second ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-72756-9.

Christening Ships, Champagne, and Superstition

Christening Ships, Champagne, and Superstition The ceremony of christening new ships began in the distant past, and we know that Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians all held ceremonies to ask the gods to protect sailors. By the 1800s the christenings of ships began to follow a familiar pattern. A â€Å"christening fluid† would be poured against the bow of the ship, though it was not necessarily wine or Champagne. There are accounts in U.S. Navy records of 19th-century warships being christened with water from significant American rivers. The christening of ships became great public events, with large crowds assembled to witness the ceremony. And it became standard for Champagne, as the most elite of wines, to be used for the christening. The tradition developed that a female would do the honors and be named the sponsor of the ship. Also, maritime superstition held that a ship that wasn’t properly christened would be considered unlucky, and a champagne bottle that didnt break was a particularly bad omen. The Christening of the Maine When the U.S. Navy’s new battle cruiser, the Maine, was christened at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1890, enormous crowds turned out. An article in the New York Times on November 18, 1890, the morning of the ship’s launching, described what was to happen. And it stressed the responsibility weighing on 16-year-old Alice Tracy Wilmerding, the granddaughter of the secretary of the Navy: Miss Wilmerding will have the precious quart bottle secured to her wrist by a short bunch of ribbons, which will serve the same purpose as a sword knot. It is of the utmost importance that the bottle be broken on the first throw, for the bluejackets will declare the vessel is unmanageable if she is permitted to get into the water without first being christened. It is consequently a matter of deep interest to the old â€Å"shellbacks† to learn that Miss Wilmerding has performed her task successfully. An Elaborate Public Ceremony The next day’s edition provided surprisingly detailed coverage of the christening ceremony: Fifteen thousand people – on the word of the watchman at the gate – swarmed about the red hull of the giant battle ship, on the decks of all the assembled vessels, in the upper stories and on the roofs of all the adjacent buildings. The raised platform at the point of the Maine’s ram bow was prettily draped with flags and flowers and upon it with Gen. Tracy and Mr. Whitney stood a party of ladies. Prominent among them was the Secretary’s granddaughter, Miss Alice Wilmerding, with her mother. It was upon Miss Wilmerding that all eyes centred. That young lady, clad in a cream white skirt, a warm black jacket, and a big dark hat with light feathers, wore her honors with a very modest dignity, being fully sensible of the importance of her position. She is scarcely sixteen years old. Her hair in a long braid fell gracefully down her back, and she chatted with her more elderly companions with perfect ease, as though entirely ignorant of the fact that 10,000 pairs of eyes were looking toward her. The bottle of wine which her hands were to break over the formidable bow was a pretty thing indeed – quite too pretty, she said, to be offered up on the shrine of so unfeeling a monster. It was a pint bottle, covered with a network of fine cord. Wound around its full length was a ribbon bearing a picture of the Maine in gold, and from its base hung a knot of varicolored silk pennants ending in a gold tassel. Around its neck were two long ribbons bound in gold lace, one white and one blue. At the ends of the white ribbon were the words, â€Å"Alice Tracy Wilmerding, November 18, 1890,† and at the ends of the blue were the words, â€Å"U.S.S. Maine.† The Maine Enters the Water When the ship was released from restraints, the crowd erupted. â€Å"She moves!† burst from the crowd, and a great cheer went up from the lookers-on, whose excitement, no longer pent up, ran wild. Above all the uproar could be heard Miss Wilmerding’s clear voice. â€Å"I christen thee Maine† she said, accompanying her words with a smash of the bottle hard against the steel of the cruiser’s bow – a performance attended by a great splashing of the effervescent wine, which flew all over the coats of Secretary Tracy and his close companion, ex-Secretary Whitney. The USS Maine, of course, holds a unique place in history as it exploded and sank in Havana harbor in 1898, an event which led to the Spanish-American War. Stories later circulated that the ship’s christening had portended bad luck, yet the newspapers reported a successful christening at the time. Queen Victoria Did the Honors in England A few months later, on February 27, 1891, the New York Times published a dispatch from London describing how Queen Victoria had traveled to Portsmouth and christened a warship of the Royal Navy, with some help from electrical machinery. At the conclusion of the religious service the Queen touched a button protruding from a small electric machine which had been placed in front of the place where her Majesty was standing, and the traditional brightly beribboned bottle of champagne, detached by the current from its position over the bows of the Royal Arthur, crashed upon the vessel’s cutwater, the Queen exclaiming, â€Å"I name thee Royal Arthur. The Curse of Camilla In December 2007 news reports were not so sanguine when a Cunard liner named for Queen Victoria was christened. A reporter from USA Today noted: Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, the controversial wife of Englands Prince Charles, christened the 2,014-passenger ship earlier this month in an elaborate ceremony in Southampton, England that was marred only by the fact the champagne bottle didnt break - a bad omen in the superstitious seafaring trade. The first cruises of Cunards Queen Victoria were marred by outbreaks of viral illness, an intense vomiting bug, that afflicted passengers. The British press was buzzing with tales of The Curse of Camilla. In the modern world, its easy to scoff at superstitious sailors. But the people stricken aboard the Queen Victoria would probably put some stock into stories about ships and champagne bottles.

Four Major Problems Faced by the US Economy Currently Based on Current Term Paper

Four Major Problems Faced by the US Economy Currently Based on Current Media Reports - Term Paper Example The 2008 financial crisis of United States affected the economies throughout the world and the macroeconomic factors were shaken up. The issue started with the debt crisis when the borrowers were unable to service their loans and thus faced difficulty in paying back the loans. This resulted in the housing market crisis when people ended up with bad loans which in turn resulted in people being deprived off their homes. The credit crunch also led to damage to investors confidence and investors and savers were unwilling to inject the money into the economy which resulted in shortage of money and cash, and this also resulted in the rise of unemployment. US Federal Debt/Deficit Since the financial crisis struck in the year 2008, the US debt has been very high. According to a recent news article, the United States debt is nearly as much as the total value of all its goods and services produced in the US during the financial year. CNBC reports that the total value of the US debt is $14.96 t rillion which means that the United States external debt as a percentage of its GDP stand at 99.46% (CNBC). This is a very high figure and indeed a very dangerous one because high leverage of debt can be very risky. As a matter of fact, it is suggested that every person born in the United States has a debt of $47,664 in the very second it is born. The figure on the left shows that the public debt in the US will surpass the 17 trillion mark by the end of 2012, and indicates how the debts are constantly on the rise, which can be a very alarming situation for the people. (US Government Spending) Not just the rising debts, but the economy also faces the difficulty of constant budget deficits which means the outlay of the United States government is greater than the receipts and this means that the US government has to search for sources to raise the finances. Since the past three years, the US federal deficit has been around the $1300 billion mark. (US Government Spending) Issue of Rais ing Finance As mentioned above, United States economy has become highly leveraged and the debt to GDP percentage is nearly touching the 100 percent mark. This increases the riskiness of the economy and damages the confidence of investors and savers to inject their money into the economy. Investors ask for high returns to take on risky projects and some do not even settle for higher returns due to the fact the people are naturally risk averse. A credit rating agency has downgraded the credit rating of the United States and has gone down from AA+ to AA. Since the credit rating is going down, the investors and savers are reluctant to inject their money into the economy (Yahoo!). This creates a problem for the United States because the US government needs to borrow the money to cover up for the budget deficits they are facing each year. When the government has to inject money into the economy and it is unable to increase its budget receipts, then it has to look for other sources of mone y to cover that deficit and this source is usually to borrow money. With the credit rating going down, less number of savers is ready to save their money and thus it creates a shortage of money for the US government. Not just to finance the budget deficit, the government also faces difficulty in raising the money to service or repay their previous loans. Housing The housing bubble emerged in the United States in the year 2005 when the property prices started to rise and they rose at quite high rates. This increased the

Popular Culture (4-2) Class Participation Assignment

Popular Culture (4-2) Class Participation - Assignment Example The way that John’s character unfolds and is portrayed also affected the way I thought about him. The movie builds and revolves around him in such a manner that I started connecting with the character. The fact that he was a cop and was a sober man also helped in recognizing him as a hero. He showed signs of being a good natured, stable, modest and no-nonsense man. All theses qualities assured me as John’s character being central and that of a hero. The film was released in 1988 and was an American action Film. And I feel that how the hero is portrayed in a movie, to a good extent is dependent on what the viewers want to see. This was the time when people wanted to see the character of hero being a common man with whom the audience could relate to and this trend still continues. The action movies during that time were completely a one-man show, though there used to be a back-up provided for the hero from other characters but in all indirect means. Till this time people expected a little more realistic planning and thinking from the hero. Therefore, the character of John McClane showed no signs of being a perfect and extremely skilled guy but still somehow being able to sort out everything in the end in a smart way and in his own