The Uss maine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Uss maine - Essay Example This war hysteria would ultimately lead to the Spanish-American war. This paper investigates the cause of the blast and rebuts the myth that Spain was responsible for the blast. The huge uproar which resulted after the sinking of the Maine resulted in an investigation by the United States into the cause of the explosion. The US navy conducted an initial investigation using accounts of survivors. It was concluded that the forward six inch ammunition magazines had exploded which caused the blast. However there was a dispute as to what caused the magazines to explode. There have been four major investigations since the blast. The investigations have led to two conclusions. One is that a mine floating in the Havana harbor exploded beneath the USS Maine. The other conclusion is that coal inside the ship spontaneously burned causing a fire which led to the nearby magazines exploding. The cause of the explosion of the magazines remains disputed to this day (Duncan, 58). Each of the investigation concludes that explosion of magazines was the cause of the destruction of the USS Maine. However there is dispute regarding what caused the magazines to explode. Spain was accused of planting a mine in order to prevent the United States from intervening in Cuba. Further speculation is that insurgents in Cuba used the mine in order to ensure that the United States would intervene in Cuba. There is lack of documentation or testimony to prove this accusation. All of the witnesses heard two explosions. This had led to speculation to the existence of an external mine as the cause of the blast. They believe that something besides the magazine exploded which could probably be a mine. However there are problems with this theory. Dead fish were not found in the aftermath of the explosion. A mine explosion would have caused the deaths of fish in the waters. There were no reports of dead fish floating on the harbor. Another problem with this theory

Domestic monetary systems Essay Example for Free

Domestic monetary systems Essay With a population of 170 million, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is strategically located in South Asia, sharing borders with India to the East, China to the North East, Afghanistan to the North West and Iran to the West. To the south lies the Arabian Sea, this provides close proximity to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The country is predominantly Muslim with a major portion of the population (65%) residing in the rural areas. Although significant progress has been made in recent years, the country still lags behind as far as social infrastructure and human development are concerned. (Bajwa, 1999) Structure of Government and Politics: The constitution of the country, promulgated in 1973, holds out the country as a parliamentary democracy with all powers vested in the parliament. However, for much of the past decade, Pakistan was run along the lines of a military dictatorship, with Parliament subservient to the President and vast powers vested in his self. After the gradual transfer of power to democratic forces following an election on the 18th of February, the resignation of General (Retd) Pervaiz Musharraf, and the election of Asif Ali Zardari as the new President, parliament is reviewing the balance of power between the Presidential Palace and the Parliament House and it is expected that, soon, the country would revert back to the old format of the President being a ceremonial Head of State and the Prime Minister running the country independently with Parliament backing. (Malik, 2001) At present, there is a coalition government in place that comprises the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). It is led by the President of the country, Asif Ali Zardari, who happens to be the widower of famed democratic leader Benazir Bhutto, assassinated by terrorist elements during an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi last year. Other coalition partners include the MQM (Muthaida Quami Movement translated as United National Movement) and the ANP (Awami National Party). The Opposition is deeply divided and primarily consists of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and the Pakistan Muslim League (N). The main political issues on the domestic front are, as mentioned above, the repealing of anti democratic laws enacted as part of the constitution by the outgoing military regime and the issue of the deposed judges of the supreme court that were sacked by the former military regime when they refused to remain puppets. Apart from this, there is the dire issue of reconciliation between neglected provinces. However, the inability of the new coalition government to actively address issues of popular appeal and an over indulgence in issues of power sharing and power consolidation lend it ever decreasing credibility in the eyes of the general public. Although the new government has been in power for almost an year, its performance has been dismal. The popular mandate of democracy that has shot the PPP and its coalition partners into power has not been implemented. The Prime Minister, Yousuf Reza Gillani, remains a puppet and the Presidential Palace remains the main power fort. Despite the fact that the opposition is ready to support the government on national issues, such as the reinstatement of deposed judges and the repealing of undemocratic laws, the government has so far shown quiet restraint to address these issues. Foreign Policy: â€Å"Pakistans foreign policy has been marked by a complex balancing processthe result of its history, religious heritage, and geographic position. The primary objective of that policy has been to preserve Pakistans territorial integrity and security, which have been in jeopardy since the states inception. † (US Library of Congress) The aforementioned paragraph adequately describes Pakistan’s foreign policy ever since it came on the map of the world in 1947. Being predominantly Muslim, the country finds itself sentimentally attached to the Islamic World, in particular the Middle East. A developing country, lacking skilled manpower and capital to exploit the wealth of natural resources that its lands have been bestowed with, the country’s foreign policy has had to take in account the economic impact that relations with other countries can have. Moreover, traditional enmity with the giant neighbor on its eastern borders (India) has forced it to make balancing measures with staying in the good books of China and supporting pro Pakistan elements in Afghanistan. (Bajwa, 1999) Pakistans foreign policy is deeply aligned with the United States goal of War on terror. After the September 11 attacks, Pakistan renounced terrorism and became a frontline state in the war against terrorism. The country is the main supply route to NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan and is a major non NATO US ally. Despite this close alignment with the United States, the country often finds itself in a tricky situation when it comes to its tribal belt bordering Afghanistan. These areas are largely unregulated since independence from the British in 1947, operate with full autonomy while pledging allegiance to Islamabad. Pakistan is blamed for â€Å"not doing enough† to quell terrorist incursions from these tribal areas. Tribes here are said to be providing safe havens to terrorist and Taliban elements with the theory that the top brass of Al Qaeda and the Taliban is hiding here. NATO led forces have made several air strikes in the area which Pakistan declares as encroachment on its sovereignty but takes little steps to discipline these tribal belts. Part of this inaction is based on the fact that a stable Afghanistan, aligned with India is not in the best interests of Pakistan. Traditional enmity with India over the Jammu Kashmir disputed territory has led the two countries to fight three full scale wars in 1948, 1965 1971 and one limited war in 1999. Pakistan perceives a pro Pakistan Afghan government or an unstable Afghanistan as a hedge against encirclement by India. It is this threat to its security that leads it to, introvert if not extrovertly, refrain from taking any drastic steps to quell those destabilizing elements in Afghanistan that originally emanate from its terrotiry. (Bajwa, 1999) On the economic front, Pakistan is primarily an exporter of textiles accounting to about 57% of the country’s exports. Prime markets are North America and Europe. Good relations are important with these two blocks of nations as they provide trade facilitation and, at the same time, help with soft loans and aid to help in social and economic development. Remittances also play an important part in the country’s balance of payments and a large amount of Pakistani’s work in the Middle East, Europe and America. The country’s foreign policy also has to take account of these factors. (Malik, 2001) Thus, to sum up, as implied earlier, the country’s foreign policy is driven by its perceived security threat, religious affiliation with the Islamic fraternity of nations and the dependence upon economic aid and facilitation by friendly countries. While the policy has been largely successful in maintaining the country’s territorial (if we exclude the secession of East Pakistan in 1971 due to Indian intervention) integrity and safeguarding its economic interests, continuing on such lines indefinitely is not an option and it is important that the country makes a strategic review of its policy and seek alternative ways of addressing outstanding issues. Domestic Monetary Systems: Speaking In purely political economic terms, the government of technocrats that took power in October 1999 was faced with a huge crisis. Business confidence was low, investors were hesitant and the economy seemed to be heading for a deeper depression. Political legitimacy for the regime was another issue. Quite smartly, the policy makers then decided to lower interest rates. The idea was that low interest rates would encourage private sector borrowing, push up aggregate demand, increase corporate sector profitability, help in the generation of employment and quite importantly provide legitimacy to the regime. The concept to create this artificial boom was not a bad idea at all, but the fact that this approach only stocks problem for the future are alarming. While banking is referred to as â€Å"the refined management of money†, during the last 9 years, the country bore witness to the greatest mismanagement of scarce resources in the history of the country. The rise of consumer banking in an undocumented economy meant that people borrowed cheap and spent it on unproductive activities like buying consumables, investing on a volatile stock market vacationing in Europe. New investment in capital was made, but the bulk of the corporate sector used the low interest rates to either replace existing machinery or reschedule existing loans at cheaper rates. Thus, the economy was inflated by the use of an expansionary monetary policy that increased the dependence on oil and fuel. Worse, the effect is more severe as a high proportion of petroleum consumption is used by private car owners. Had the government tried to balance total economic and social benefit with total economic and social costs, by for example, encouraging public transport as opposed to private car ownership, the economy would have been less affected by the oil price hikes. Switching to Compressed Natural Gas was instead provided as a viable alternative but the result was lower gas supply for domestic and industrial use. Today, the Pakistani economy is representative of an over inflated balloon and attempts to deflate it are having serious repercussions. The state bank of Pakistan has raised interest rates to 15. 5% in attempt to curb inflation running as high as 20%. Measures have been introduced to reduce the money supply. This would help ease inflationary pressures on the demand side. However the argument goes that high interest rates would discourage investment, lead to low business confidence result in excessive saving as people would consume less and save more. This would mean that a â€Å"general glut† would appear in the economy with high inventories and unused capacity. Unless there is adequate demand outside the economy, employment levels may fall and output would decrease, leading to further slow growth, possibly complete stagnation. Given the current world economic scenario, with recession in the US, the sub prime mortgage crisis, competition from low cost producers such as China and India and the overall geo political scenario, monetary contraction is only making matters worse. Another important problem is the fact that unethical business practices like cartelization and hoarding are ever prevalent in this country. Moreover, the country is highly dependent upon imports of fuel and other items to aid its industries. Thus, a major portion of the inflation that the country faces is cost push in nature. However, the aim remains to target aggregate demand. (Janjua, 2008) This policy of the government makes some sense as the economy is artificially inflated. However, by not targeting the cost push factors and solely targeting the demand factors by reducing money supply, the government is not helping consumer and business confidence. The government’s inaction can be explained by two reasons. First, the country has recently obtained a hefty loan of USD 7. 6 billion from the IMF. A condition of this loan is to restrict money supply further. This is typical of many IMF financings which focus on monetary betterment as opposed to the level of unemployment and GDP growth. Secondly, many of the cartels have representation in the government and due to the absence of a strict legal system; any action against them is made impossible. Foreign Trade: A very interesting scenario is presented in the Economic survey of Pakistan 2007-8, which states that exports â€Å"suffer from serious structural issues which need to be addressed primarily by the industry itself, with government playing its role of a facilitator. † It then goes on to tell how textiles are the most important contributor to exports (56. 67%) and the issues that the industry faces as a result of its inability to innovate, become efficient and embrace fashion trends in its primary foreign markets. A new surprise is found in the face of food items (the country is running out of water, by the way) accounting for 13% of total exports, petroleum products (meager resources at best) accounting for 6% of total exports, manufactured leather products 3. 7% and chemicals and pharma products almost 3. 27% of total exports. Aggregate these and you find that the top five exports make up 83% of total exports. (Ministry of Finance, 2008) The point of doing this analysis is to show that as an economy; Pakistan is heavily exposed to, what is called in financial management terminology, unsystematic risk. Its lack of diversity makes it more prone to microeconomic shocks in the prime exports that it makes. Another worrying problem is the terms of trade, (a monetary measure of the price of exports upon the price of imports). Sadly, whereas the terms of trade were highly in favor of Pakistan until 1998-99 (115. 7), they have since then nose dived to stand at 58. 35 (2007-8). What this implies is that although the country has been exporting a lot more in volume, in value terms, international trade is becoming increasingly disadvantageous for Pakistan. Even if you take the effect of rising oil prices out of this analysis, the terms of trade had, never the less had fallen to 73. 6 by 2004-5. This lack of value addition makes us it more suspect to microeconomic level industry shocks that could further damage its standing in the export market. (Ministry of Finance, 2008) The previously mentioned most accurately describes the Pakistani government’s policy towards foreign trade. Although it has been working tirelessly to gain access to markets in Asia, Europe and North America for its export industries, the emphasis has remained towards increasing textile exports. This support of textiles and agricultural items to a certain extent has not fared well for other industries and sectors. Export diversity is low and so is value addition. Moreover, the country has not been able to reposition itself with regard to reliance on imports. So in so, that even though the country is an agricultural country by definition, due to poor harvests and lack of support, in certain years, we see that staple food items are imported by this agricultural country. Although natural consequences favor that Pakistan produces and exports textiles and food items, unfortunately, but both these industries have certainly lost their efficiency at doing the job that is intended of them. The textile industrys inability to change coupled with power shortages and political nightmares and our lack of water resources for agriculture coupled with reluctance from commercial banks to serve this sector means that there should be a policy change at the federal level. The high level of competition that these industries face means that the government has to take steps not only to help these industries blossom and at least maintain their market share, but to ensure that comparative advantage is exploited in other fields as well. The Pakistani government has been providing support to the traditional industries for some time now with mixed results. Therefore, instead of a status quo â€Å"wait and see† policy, a change is warranted. Thus, a policy shift should be made towards growth of value adding, job and export oriented activities. Exchange Rate Policy: Interest rate parity and purchasing power parity holds that changes in exchange rates between currencies can be explained by differences in interest rates and inflation rates respectively between countries. Building on this premise, the Rupee Dollar (PKR:USD) exchange rate remained range bound between PKR 59/USD to PKR 62/ USD for almost 8 years, starting 2000. The reason was that the country followed a managed float, with the central bank intervening in the market whenever the exchange rate would go out of range. This was happening against the backdrop of the fact that interest rates and inflation rates were considerably high in Pakistan and the currency was expected to depreciate. (State Bank of Pakistan) This managed float policy changed in early 2008 when the new government took power and the country reverted to a floating system. The rupee has since lost 33% of its value against the US dollar and currently stands at PKR 80/USD. (State Bank of Pakistan) The current policy is more realistic in its economic nature as the country, lacking substantial foreign currency reserves and a permanent balance of payment deficit could not continue to support an artificially strong exchange rate. Furthermore, this new policy of floating exchange rate systems will benefit the country with regard to its exports becoming cheaper when priced in USD. However, whether demand for the country’s exports picks up is another issue. More over, the effect of the rise in the prices of imports also has to be considered as many inputs in the production process are imported. Conclusion: The analysis of Pakistan’s monetary, foreign trade, exchange rate and foreign policy reveals the tendency in many developing countries to take decisions regarding economy based on politics. The short term benefits include lending credibility to the person in power, but the long term effects are almost always devastating. References: Bajwa Naseem, F. (1999) Pakistan : A Historical and Contemporary Look. Karachi : Oxford University Press. Asif Malik, M. (2001). Ideology and Dynamics of Pakistan. Karachi: Publishers emporium. Lipsey G. , H. Harbury, C. (1992) First Principles of Economics. London: Oxford University Press. Library Of Congress. For Researchers. Retrieved from http://www. loc. gov/rr/ State Bank Of Pakistan. Publications : Financial Stability Review. [Data File] Retrieved from http://www. sbp. org. pk/fsr/2006/index. htm Janjua Ashraf, M. (2008).. Government Borrowing and State Bank’s Authority. The Daily Dawn Economic and Business review Retrieved 12th december 2008 from http://www. dawn. com/2008/11/24/ebr14. htm

indian history :: essays research papers

Chapter 6 Indian Removal Policy -- White settlers believed that Indians stood in the way of their progress -- 1820's Isaac McCoy, Baptist minister, believed that Indians would like to live in Kansas present idea to Sec. Of War Calhoun -- William Clark, Superintendent of Indian Affairs negotiated treaties (agreements) with the Kansa and Osage Indians n to insure move of Indians Congress passes the Indian Removal Act of 1830 n promised the land in Oklahoma for â€Å"as long as the grass grows and the rivers run† n which was until 1906 n Trail of tears -- forced marches to insure move of Indians n Five civilized tribes n Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Cherokee, Seminole n Cherokee adopt republican form of gov’t. John Ross Cherokee leader n Have written language (Sequoya) n Take U.S. to court to keep lands n Cherokee Nation v. Georgia n Chief Justice John Marshall rule in favor of the Indians n President Andrew Jackson â€Å" He’s made his decision, now let’s see him enforce it† n First group of 3000 began in summer of 1838 n 12,000 waited in prison camps and traveled during the winter of 1838-1839 forced there by 7000 U.S. Troops n one third to one fourth died on the trail 3000 to 4000 deaths n Conducted using U.S. Troops n n between 1825 and 1850, 25 tribes of Indians were removed or forced to move by settlers, and cavalry n 70,000 Indians give up their homes Cherokee Indians of Georgia Shawnee and Delaware Indians of Missouri -- Also Ottawa, Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, Miami, New York, and Quapaw -- Indians did not like the climate or environment of Kansas Settlers and Governmental officials cheated the Indians out of blankets, food, clothing, and shelter Resale to whites or pocket money -- Indians fought among themselves and took advantage of each other Missionaries from different tribes tried to "civilize" the Indians -- teach them the white mans way and to abandon their own way of life Osage Mission tried to teach Christianity to the Indians â€Å"Mission Neosho† the first Indian mission in Kansas even before Indian Removal Act 1824 1831 -- Shawnee Baptist Mission was started by Johnston Lykins Jotham Meeker brought the first printing press to Kansas Prints the first book in Kansas Ottawa Indian Laws Ottawa University develop later at mission -- Started Shawnee Sun (Siwinowe Kesibwi) a newspaper -- moved to Ottawa Indians near Franklin County Printing hymnals, scriptures, and newspaper 1832 -- Shawnee Methodist Mission in Wyandotte County (1839) moved to Johnson County Run by Thomas Johnson until it closed in 1862 Johnson County Organized in 1855. County seat, Olathe. Named for Rev. Thomas Johnson, a Methodist minister, who in 1829 established a mission among the Shawnee Indians, about eight miles southwest of Kansas City.

Northern Mariana Islands and Guam History

Guam History: A Review of the Island’s Unique History VincentAnthony V. Borja English 135 Professor Rosemary Harty April 21, 2011 Over the past 10 years, random people would ask me about the history of Guam, and how it became a United States territory. Grew up most of my life on Guam, but never really cared about its history, although, every year we would celebrate its liberation day from the Japanese and celebrate festive holidays significant to the islands history, I never really understood why we celebrated it. The Spanish Era, the American Period, & the Japanese occupation played a major influence on the island and its culture today.The island of Guam, Guahan in native Chamorro, is a truly multi-ethnic community that reflects the cultures of its original Chamorro inhabitants as early as 2,000 B. C. , influenced by countless European, American, Asian, Micronesian, and other people who have occupied, visited and immigrated to Guam since the 16th Century. Many question the di scovery by the Spaniards, the occupation of the Americans and the Japanese that shaped the island’s history that makes its culture very fascinating. Understanding the islands struggles that have lead to the American status that it eventually became after many centuries of fighting.Guam of today is truly a mixed community with a distinctive culture, the foundation of which is ancient Chamorro heavily influenced by the Spanish occupation and the Catholic Church. Strong American influence is also evident in the celebration of many public holidays, the form of Government and the pride in being U. S. that is displayed by the natives. Guam’s culture has also been influenced and enriched by the Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Micronesian immigrants each group of who have added their unique contributions.According to the 2000 Census of Population and Housing the present population of Guam, is approximately 154,805 whom roughly 37% are Chamorro, 26% Filipino, 11% other Pacific Islander with the remaining 26% primarily Caucasian, Chinese, Korean and Japanese, all of whom bring their cultural heritage and customs and contribute to Guam’s unique culture and appeal. (U. S. Department of Commerce, 2004) SPANISH ERA According to the journals of Antonio Pigafetta, whom was an Italian scholar and traveler form the republic of Venice.Pigafetta travelled with Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and recorded most of Magellan’s travels. Ferdinand Magellan on March 6, 1521, first discovered the island. (Pigafetta, 1995, p. 18) During his stop on the island, the natives canoed out to the ships and stole everything that was not secured or tied down. The weakened sailors had trouble fending off the tall and robust natives until a few shots from the  Trinidad’s big guns frightened them off the ship and they retreated into the surrounding jungle. The purpose of Magellan’s visit was to restock on supplies and find food.After Magellan ’s travel throughout the Marianas, it was primarily his experience on Guam that the Marianas was named Li Ladroni, the island of thieves. (Suarez, 1999, p. 133) Although Magellan was considered the first European explorer to step foot on Guam's beaches, it was known that Guam and the other Mariana islands were formally claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1565 by General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi for Spain. King Phillip II of Spain wanted trade to begin with the Phillipine islands, islands named after him. Legazpi was sent across the pacific from Mexico, which was a colony of Spain in 1564.During Legazpi’s sail across the pacific, King Phillip ordered him to take possession of all land and any island encountered. Additionally, he wanted Legazpi to find a route between Mexico and the Philllipines that would go through the pacific. Legazpi and his fleet reached Guam on January 22, 1565 and docked his ships for four days. After days of waiting, they finally went on shore on Janu ary 26, 1565 to claim Guam and posted the Spain flag. (Cunningham ; Beaty, 2001) Legazpi and his men stayed on Guam for eleven days.During this visit, Legazpi was so afraid of upsetting the Chamorro’s that he ordered all crew members not to go on shore without his permission. The Chamorro’s were much friendlier, canoeing out to greet the voyagers with food and supplies, a much different experience the Spanish explorers had remembered during their last Guam visit. Clever and sly, the Chamorro’s were always trying to trade rice for nails. Frequently the natives would fool the voyagers by placing rice in the top of the bag and filling the bottom with rocks and straw.When the men went ashore to fill the kegs with water, an altercation took place, and one of Legazpi’s men was killed. Legazpi was upset and ordered a hundred men to go to the island and punish the Chamorro’s. The result was three Chamorro’s hung and killed; and many houses and canoe s burned. Following the incident Legazpi declared anchors to be lifted and the Spaniards journeyed for the Philllipines. (Rogers, 1995, p. 14) Catholocism was the first religion introduced on the island during the 1600’s.The major influence and main support came from one of the main leaders on the island during that time. Chief Quipuha was the maga’lahi or highest-ranking male, in the area of Hagatna when the Spanish landed off its shores in 1668. On June 15, 1668 missionaries led by Spanish Jesuit Padre Diego Luis de San Vitores of Burgos, of Spain, whom landed off the shores of Hagatna. They were greeted and welcomed by Chief Quipuha, the name Ke puha or Quipuha means, â€Å"to uphold†. Chief Quipuha was so welcoming to these missionaries; he even offered a plot of land in Hagatna for the mission. Political Status Education Coordinating Commission, 1995) It was on this offered land where the first Catholic Church in Guam was built and Catholicism was introduce d. Chief Quipuha died in 1669, but his legacy left a tremendous impact that allowed the Spanish to continue its legacy for the Manila Galleon trade, which was the exchange of goods between Asia and Mexico. (Naval Station Guam) About a century later, In April of 1672, Padre Diego Luis de San Vitores and his Filipino assistant were killed by Chief Mata’ pang of Tumon for baptizing the Chief’s baby girl without the Chief’s consent. (Rogers, 1995, p. 5) It is theorized, that Mata’ pang may have acted out of frustration from being compelled to the harsh rule of a foreign Spanish king. Whereas San Vitores tried to carry out his mission in a peaceful manner, the Spanish military ruthlessly governed the local populace to protect their Galleon routes. Regardless of Mata’ pangs motives, the death of San Vitores lead to an all-out war that nearly resulted in extinction of the Chamorro race. Sources have estimated Chamorro casualties to the fighting and diseas e reduced the population from 200,000 to roughly 5,000 by 1741, mostly women and children.The Spaniards imported Spanish soldiers and Filipino’s to restock the population, marking the end of the pure Chamorro bloodline. (Rogers, 1995, pp. 41-57) After 1695, Chamorro’s were forced to settle in five villages: Hagatna, Agat, Umatac, Pago, and Fena, were monitored by the priests and military garrison, forced to attend Church daily and to learn Spanish language and customs. In 1740, Chamorro’s of the Northern Marianas Islands, except Rota, were removed from their home islands and exiled to Guam.Mata’ pang himself was killed in a final battle on the island of Rota in 1680. Having been vilified for the incident that sparked the decimation of the pure Chamorro race, the name Mata’ pang has evolved to mean silly. (Donald L. Platt, 2009) During the 18th century, the English pirates who visited Guam to take on supplies and provisions preyed upon the Spanish g alleons. Guam was a host to a number of scientists, voyagers, and whalers from Russia, France, and England some of whom provided detailed accounts of the daily life on Guam under Spanish rule.Evidence of Spanish buildings, bridges, churches and forts can still be seen across the island, especially in the southern areas of the island. Spanish cannon still overlooks Hagatna and Umatac bays from Forts Agueda and Soledad, the Plaza de Espana, once the Spanish Governor’s Palace, still stands in central Hagatna, and sunken Spanish galleons still lie under Guam’s crystal clear waters. The architecture and design of structures build long after the Spanish era, such as the bridge in Umatac, which still has distinct Spanish quality. (Donald L.Platt, 2009) AMERICAN PERIOD During the Spanish-American war Guam was ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish American war in 1898 and Guam was formally purchased from Spain for $20 million in 1899. At the time of the turnover, the local population of Guam had grown to about 10,000 inhabitants. U. S. President William McKinley issued an executive order placing Guam within the administration of the Department of the Navy. Captain R. P. Leary was appointed the island’s first U. S. Governor. (Rogers, 1995, p. 14) Under Navy administration, Guam experienced many improvements in the areas of agriculture, public health, sanitation, education, land management, taxes, and public works. Orders issued by Captain Leary on August 16, 1899, regulated the importation and sale of intoxicating liquors; regulated the celebration of church and other holidays; prohibited the transfer of land without the consent of the government; prohibited concubine and required that marriage be performed between persons that were cohabiting; prohibited exportation of certain articles in common use among he people; required persons without a trade or regular employment to pant specified commodities and keep cer tain live stock; regulated the keeping of dogs and other animals running at large; abrogated the Spanish system of taxation and provided a new one; established a public system of nonsectarian education; and required each adult to learn to write his or her own name within a specified time. (Rogers, 1995, p. 119) In 1927, the people of Guam, including schoolchildren who donated a penny each, collected $703. 92 to have a ship’s bell and a commemorative plaque manufactured in Shanghai, China.The bell was presented to the Navy and has served distinctively on each of the three USS Guam Naval vessels. (Palomo, 1999)The U. S. Navy continued to use Guam as a refueling and communication station until 1941, when it fell to invading Japanese forces shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. â€Å"The bell, along with a commemorative bronze plaque, has been returned to Guam after the decommissioning of the USS Guam, an amphibious assault ship (LPH-9), on August 25, 1998 at the Norfolk, Vi rginia, Naval Base. The USS Guam is the third Navy vessel named after Guam. † (Palomo, 1999)JAPANESE OCCUPATION On December 10, 1941, Guam surrendered to the Japanese South Seas detachment after a valiant defensive struggle by the island’s Insular Force Guard and a limited number of U. S. Marines. Guam became the only populated U. S. soil to be occupied by another country in World War II. Guam was renamed â€Å"Omiya Jima† and for 31 months, the people of Guam were forcibly subjected to intolerable hardships administered by the Japanese military. Although some measure of religious practice and business activities were permitted, atrocities, grenade slaughters and rapes were common.The 29th Division of Japan’s Kwantung Army established concentration camps and approximately 600 Chamorro’s were executed. (Rogers, 1995, pp. 163-181) Some Chamorro’s were beheaded when the Japanese learned of the 3-year humanitarian effort by Chamorro’s to s uccessfully feed and hide U. S. Navy radioman George Tweed, who escaped in the initial invasion. Tweed’s cave is a popular â€Å"boonie stomping† destination on Guam today. (Babuata, 2009) Many landmarks of the Japanese occupation, including gun emplacements and tunnels can still be seen around the island of Guam. LIBERATION AND U. S. TERRITORIAL STATUSRecord tonnage of naval bombardment in which thousands of Japanese and Chamorro’s marked the campaign for the liberation of Guam lost their lives and the city of Hagatna was nearly destroyed. American forces landed on July 21, 1944 at Asan and Agat beaches. In honor of the bravery and sacrifices of all those who participated in the Pacific Theater of World War II, including soldiers, sailors and marines of the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, China, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the Soviet Union, the landing area has been designated as the â€Å"War in the Pacific National Histo ric Park. During the following bitter three week campaign, 7,000 U. S. and 11,000 Japanese lives were lost before Guam was reclaimed and once again under American administration. (Aguon, 2009) Today, July 21st, Guam Liberation Day, is a major Guam holiday. All government offices and most businesses are closed as the island celebrates with daylong fiestas and a parade down Marine Corps drive in Hagatna. Because of its strategic position, Guam was used as a command post for U. S. Western Pacific operations until the War came to an end in 1945. On May 30, 1946, the U. S. Naval Government was re-established.Although concluded over 50 years ago, World War II still exerts a major influence on Guam. Relics and evidence of the War are still evident all across the island and divers can survey wrecks of Japanese, American, German and other ships and airplanes under Guam’s warm clear waters. On January 24, 1972, the last Japanese World War II holdout, Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi, was discove red in the cave in which he had been hiding since his unit was scattered by the advancing Americans in July 1944. Sergeant Yokoi’s cave at Talofofo falls has been preserved as a popular attraction for visitors. (Aguon, 2009) As the Westernmost U.S. soil in the Pacific, Guam today remains a strategic outpost for the U. S. military. In 1949, U. S. President Harry S. Truman signed the Organic Act making Guam an unincorporated territory of the United States with limited self-governing authority and granting American citizenship to the people of Guam. In 1962, security clearance requirement for travel to Guam, which had been in place since World War II, were lifted permitting Guam’s economy to flourish and opening an influx of new residents of diverse nationalities and races such as Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Pacific Islanders nd Caucasian. (Rogers, 1995) CULTURE The core of Guam culture, the Chamorro, is characterized by a complex social protocol centered upon respect, caring, accepting and helping one another. Inafa’maolek, or interdependence, is a central value in Chamorro culture that depends on a spirit of cooperation. Historian Lawrence Cunningham in 1992 wrote, â€Å"In a Chamorro sense, the land and its produce belong to everyone. This is the armature, or core, that everything in Chamorro culture revolves around. It is a powerful concern for mutuality rather than individualism and private property rights. The culture is visibly manifested in the kissing of the hands of elders, passing of legends, music, dance, chants, courtship rituals, handicrafts, burial rituals, preparation of herbal medicines, and requesting forgiveness from spiritual ancestors when entering a jungle. Glimpses of Guam culture are evident in local legends and folklore such as the taotaomona (ancient spirits), doomed lovers leaping to their death off Two Lover’s Point (Puntan Dos Amentes), and Sirena, a beautiful young girl who became a merma id. Guam Society and Culture Complete Report, 2010) The Spanish occupation was based on conquest and conversion to â€Å"save the heathen souls†, implemented by force, which nearly resulted in the total extermination of the pure Chamorro race. However, the Spanish failed to recognize that the Chamorro culture was matrilineal and largely ignored the influence of the Chamorro women, which likely accounts for the fact that the Chamorro culture has endured to this day. The greatest influence of the Spanish over Guam’s culture was through the Catholic Church, which has, since the 17th century, been the center of village activity.Today, every village has its patron saint whose feast day is celebrated with an elaborate fiesta, to which the entire island is invited. These fiestas, whereupon by duty, extended families contribute food and work to cook for the village guests remain a key attribute of the culture of Guam till’ this day. Chamorro society emphasizes respect f or the elderly. The practice of  manngingi (â€Å"to smell†) entails sniffing the right hand of an elderly person to express one's deep regard. Before colonial rule, Chamorro’s recognized the power and authority of clan elders.Informal positions of authority were granted to elders who commanded the respect of their clan members. Elders could pool the labor and material resources of their clans in times of need. (Guam Society and Culture Complete Report, 2010) Today thousands of tourist visit the island to experience a blend of Spanish, Micronesian, Asian and western influences that have inhabited Guam for the past 300 years. The experience of the island’s history and living traditions when you visit historic sites or by sampling some of the island’s delicious food.In conclusion, because Guam is the because island in the pacific, and a strategic point in the pacific, it is a valuable territory that will always be secured by America and very much apprecia ted. Although, the natives appreciate the Americas presence and Guam’s current political status on the island, they are still fighting for a lot of the original land to be returned to original landowners. The natives endured many struggles from Spain and Japan in order for the island to be what it is today.The diverse influence that started from the Spanish era, the Japanese occupation, and then the liberation from the Americans is what makes the Chamorro culture very unique. The new generation is fighting to preserve what is left of the island’s history, and many organizations are working to promote the culture through song and music. References Aguon, Katherine, PhD and Palomo, Tony. WWII: From Occupation to Liberation, referenced April 12, 2011, 2009 Guampedia, URL: http://guampedia. com/wwii-from-occupation-to-liberation/ Babauta, Leo. George Tweed, referenced April 11, 2011, 2009 Guampedia, URL: http://guampedia. om/george-tweed/ Ballendorf, Dirk & Foster, Sophie. Guam. (2011). In Encyclop? dia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/247691/Guam Coomans, Fr. Peter. (1997). History of the Mission in the Mariana Islands: 1667 –  Ã‚  1673. Occasional Historical Papers Series No. 4. Translated and edited by Rodrigue Levesque. Saipan, CM:  Ã‚  Division of Historic Preservation Cunningham, Lawrence J. ; Beaty, Janice J. 2001 A History of Guam. Hagatna, GU; Bess Press Guam Society and Culture Complete Report. World Trade Press Date Published: 2010 LC Call Number: DU647 ISBN: 9781607804727 Naval Station Guam.Chief Quipuha (Ke puha) Statue. Retrieved April 09,2011 from http://ns. gov. gu/quipua. html Palomo, Antonio. The Guam Bell. Referenced April 14, 2011. 1999 Guam. org, URL: http://guam. org. gu/guambell/ Rogers, Robert F. (1995). Destiny’s Landfall: A History of Guam. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai’i Press. Under the Organic Act 1950-1970 224-232 Smith, J. (2004). Martin Luther. In L. Mc Donald (ed. ), Encyclopedia of science and religion. Babson Press. Retrieved November 20, 2003, from http://www. scireligion. com/ml Suarez, Thomas (1999). Early Mapping of Southeast Asia. Singapore; Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

Cyber crime Essay

In the 21st century, with the improvements in technology and science new concepts are integrated in our lives. Cyber crime is among those concepts that did not previously exist 15-20 years ago. Back In the old day’s only conventional crime was discussed, which refers to those traditional, illegal behaviors that most people think of as crime. In today’s one has to be careful not only against conventional crime but also cyber crime as it is the latest and the most complicated problem in the new century. Cyber crime consists of all criminal actions against communication devices in a network such as Internet, telephone lines or mobile networks. Cyber crime can be observed among people at various age groups as it is easier to commit compared to other types of crime like murder, kidnapping or human trafficking. According to, (Cybercrime.gov, 2009,para8) can divide cyber criminals into four groups. This division may be classified under what they have in their mind. These group s are, children and adolescents between the age group of 6 – 18 years, organized hackers, professional hackers, crackers and discontented employees. Cyber crimes can be divided into 11 groups and each of them is different. Those are unauthorized access to computer systems or networks (hacking), theft of information contained in electronic form, email bombing, data diddling, salami attacks, denial of service attack, virus and worm attacks, logic bombs, Trojan attacks, internet time thefts and web jacking. International estimates announce that cybercrime costs approximately $50 billion annually. Cyber crime costs the United States more than $5 billion per year. According to Michigan State University Library, in England, cybercrime is estimated to cost approximately 250 million pounds or $417.7 million annually. Looking at these figures it can be said that cyber crime is a concept that should be reviewed carefully taking different aspects of it into consideration like the causes, victims and statutory provisions. Still there are so many countries that have not updated their laws against cyber crime. The lack of strong regulations ma kes it nearly impossible to arrest cyber criminals in those countries. In order to diminish cyber crime all organizations and governments should cooperate, as it has no boundaries. Firstly, it is important to know why people commit cyber crime and what they have in their minds, as it is not possible to resolve a problem without knowing its real cause. According to(Cybercrime.gov, 2009,para8) Children and adolescents between the age  group of 6 – 18 years are committing cyber crimes because of exploring new things, curiosity and to be outstanding amongst other children in their group. Younger people are more motivated to learn and try new ideas, which make them bolder. As they also have less life experience they are more prone to cyber crime. Another group consists of organized hackers who are the most dangerous ones. They are organized and ordered properly to make a move. According to the analysis conducted by the institute for security technology studies at Dartmouth college, the reason is generally political and these hackers may deface elect ronic information sites all over the world to spread disinformation and propaganda. Pakistani hackers can be given as an example who are the most skilled and qualified hackers in the world. Their main target is the Indian government sites but also NASA and Microsoft sites are also being attacked by them often. The third group is made up of professional hackers, who are only after money. They crack or steal information for their customers. Generally competitor companies hire them to get information about their rivals. The final group consists of discontented employees, which includes people who have been fired from their job and want to take revenge from their employers. As a result it can be stated that the authorities should approach cyber crime from various angles as each criminal group has different motives. The victim of crime is another aspect that has critical importance as the impacts of cyber crime and the damage it creates depends on the target subject. Although authorities in developing countries do not agree with this argument and pay no attention to the issue, by taking customized precautions to protect specific victim group’s cyber crime can be avoided before it takes place. This shows that only developing countries give importance to the matter, which makes the problem more serious. The classification of subjects of cyber crime is as follows: individuals, organizations, society at large and nation s. At the individual level cyber crime can be against a person or personal property. According to(Cybercrime.gov, 2009,para9), this can take several forms as harassment via e-mails, cheating & fraud, defamation, transmitting viruses, IPR crimes etc†¦For example to protect individuals more secure operating systems can be used instead of stand-alone anti-virus programs. As operating systems are not secure enough to provide protection against cyber attacks people have to pay for anti-virus programs. When organizations are taken  into consideration firms, companies, foundations or even governments can be the victims. The most common methods are unauthorized control/access over computer system, possession of unauthorized information, distribution of pirated software and cyber terrorism against a government organization. Organization wide trainings can be a solution for companies or institutions as people tend to be more precautious when they know about the potential threats and fear f rom losing their jobs. Some government organizations and private companies in developed countries use training as a tool to stop cyber crime. The most signification damage is given to the society at large as more people are affected by the results of cyber crime. Pornography is one significant example, which may take several forms including child harassment. Uncontrolled websites with harmful material have negative impact on young people and especially adolescents who are easily brainwashed. This affects moral values of the society, increases the rate of conventional crime and creates an insecure environment for people. Trafficking is another example of cyber crime where masses can feel the damage. Materials that cannot be explicitly sold by other means are traded on the Internet, which can include illegal items. Financial crimes, forgery and online gambling are other examples of cyber crime that have impacts both on individuals and the general public. Authorities should carefully examine these different groups, which are open to cyber crime and take measures specifically to protect them. Considering all the negative impacts it is becoming necessary to enforce legal sanctions on people or organizations that commit cyber crime. The most important step is to adopt legislations that define cyber crime, regulate and control the activities in cyber world in an effective way. Although certain governments do not view the problem seriously, developed countries like the U.S. have established mechanisms like Computer Crime and International Property Section (http://www.cybercrime.gov/) to take fast action against cyber crime. The Model Law on Electronic Commerce adopted by the United Nations Commission on Trade Law is an example to statutory provisions, which was followed by the Information Technology Act. The Information Technology Act deals with various types of cyber crimes like unauthorized downloading, virus attacks, disruption, denial of access, interference with the service availed by a person, hacking and tampering with computer source documents. According to the Information Technology Act,  the measures against cyber crime may include imprisonment up to 2-3 years to 10 years. According to(Cybercrime.gov, 2009,para3), the following are criticisms against Information Technology Act (ITA). First of all, the ITA does not serve the desired purpose and only deals with e-commerce. Additionally it does not deal with issues like cyber harassment, cyber nuisance etc which can have harmful effects. Another weakness of the ITA is that it is not comprehensive or exhaustive at the same time the definitions a re not clear enough. There should be a uniform law in the world against cyber crime it is a worldwide issue. Along with other issues, universal jurisdiction is also a very important aspect of the problem as cyber crime is a universal concept. Although some countries do not view the problem as a global one, provisions enforced in other countries should be accepted. As mentioned before, the International Technology Act focuses on e-commerce and does not deal with other types of cyber crimes. As a result it is necessary to raise a cyber army like Cyber Crime Investigation Cell of the Central Bureau of Investigation, which deals with various forms of cyber crime. In developing countries like Turkey the laws against cyber crimes are not very effective although some authorities believe that the necessary action is taken. As relevant measures are not implemented by the Turkish Government the problem is getting worse everyday. For example child porn is a very serious problem, which cannot be stopped without serious action. During the last months several child porn cases were reported by the TV channels in Turkey. Another example is internet fraud which is very common in Turkey. Turkish people are not willing to use internet banking because they are afraid of fraud. As Turkish laws are not effective enough these problems are not resolved. Instead of dealing with these serious issues Turkish authorities put a ban on websites like Youtube. In order to avoid cyber crime relevant legal measures should be taken through international cooperation. It is also important to build a control mechanism and develop a uniform law against it. Although it is not possible to totally stop cyber crime there are steps that can be taken by countries and international organizations like the United Nations. Another important thing is to educate people about the cyber risks and tell them what their rights are. If people are informed about the actions they can take against cyber crime the problem can be solved. To reduce the level of cyber crime it is necessary to have a strong legal mechanism worldwide. REFERENCES criminal justice(2008) retrieved from http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/crimjust/cybercri.htm Cyber life and coping with identity theft (2010) retrieved from –http://www.naavi.org/pati/pati_cybercrimes_dec03.htm cybertech crimes of the 21st century retrieved from- http://digitaloman.blogspot.com/2006/10/cyber-crime-age-no-bar.html Witt, J (2011). Soc.2011 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 McGraw Hill Database: EBSCO Publishing Citations government’s hold on cyber bullies retrieved from http://www.cybercrime.gov/ Web Accessibility at Academic Libraries: Standards, Legislation, and Enforcement,Library Hi Tech); 2007 Vol. 24 Issue 4, p494-508, 15p. Document Type: article; (AN LHT.BD.DID.PROVIDENTI.WAALSL) [Citation Record]

Climax of hamlet essays

Climax of hamlet essays Although it is understandable to think that the climax of the play occurs in Act V, scene ii, the main conflict is not resolved there. Where is the climax? Prove it. The climax may be thought to have occurred in Act V, scene ii but because the main conflict is when the ghost informs Hamlet that Hamlet must avenge his father's murder. Act V, scene ii cant be the climax because this is not the resolution to the main conflict (Hamlet versus himself). During the play, revenge is Hamlets motive, and along the way other problems unfold, (man vs. man) when Hamlet duels Laertes, (man vs. nature) Ophelia struggling against the water when she drowns, but (man vs. self) Hamlet wrestling with his conscious in his "To be, or not to be..." speech, and also in his O that this too too solid flesh would melt... speech is the main conflict that needs to be resolved. The only way it could be resolved is for Hamlet to stop the struggle with himself (whether he thinks Claudius is guilty or the ghost is evil). It proves evident that Hamlets stops fighting with himself when the play The Mousetrap is performed, when he finds out Claudius' guilty of the murder. The betrayal of Ophelia towards Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spying on Hamlet, Hamlets crazy pretense, Hamlets plan to "catch the conscious of the King." These conflicts build suspense towards the true climax of whether this ghost of Old Hamlet is good or evil. The truth revealed about Old Hamlet to Hamlet in Claudius prayer builds even more suspense that leads to the falling action. The consequences, the main characters are killed in result of Hamlet mistakenly killing Polonius. The climax occurs when the main conflict is resolved in Act III, Scene iii, the struggle against Hamlet and himself (man vs. self). When Claudius' confesses to himself his guilt for the murder. Hamlet's main goal is to avenge his father's death and the struggle is resolute ...

Battle of Leyte Gulf in World War II

Battle of Leyte Gulf in World War II The Battle of Leyte Gulf was fought October 23-26, 1944, during World War II (1939-1945) and is considered the conflicts largest naval engagement. Returning to the Philippines, Allied forces began landing on Leyte on October 20. Responding, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched plan Sho-Go 1. A complex operation, it called for multiple forces to strike the Allies from several directions. Central to the plan was luring away the American carrier groups that would be protecting the landings. Moving forward, the two sides clashed in four distinct engagements as part of the larger battle: Sibuyan Sea, Surigao Strait, Cape Engaà ±o, and Samar. In the first three, Allied forces won clear victories. Off Samar, the Japanese, having been successful in luring away the carriers, failed to press their advantage and withdrew. In the course of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Japanese suffered heavy losses in terms of ships and were unable to mount large-scale operations for the rest of the war. Background In late 1944, after extensive debate, Allied leaders elected to begin operations to liberate the Philippines. The initial landings were to take place on the island of Leyte, with ground forces commanded by General Douglas MacArthur. To assist this amphibious operation, the US 7th Fleet, under Vice Admiral Thomas Kinkaid, would provide close support, while Admiral William Bull Halseys 3rd Fleet, containing Vice Admiral Marc Mitschers Fast Carrier Task Force (TF38), stood further out to sea to provide cover. Moving forward, the landings on Leyte commenced October 20, 1944. Admiral William Bull Halsey. US Naval History and Heritage Command The Japanese Plan Aware of American intentions in the Philippines, Admiral Soemu Toyoda, commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, initiated plan Sho-Go 1 to block the invasion. This plan called for the bulk of Japans remaining naval strength to put to sea in four separate forces. The first of these, Northern Force, was commanded by Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa, and was centered on the carrier Zuikaku and the light carriers Zuiho, Chitose, and Chiyoda. Lacking sufficient pilots and aircraft for battle, Toyoda intended for Ozawas ships to serve as bait to lure Halsey away from Leyte. With Halsey removed, three separate forces would approach from the west to attack and destroy the US landings at Leyte. The largest of these was Vice Admiral Takeo Kuritas Center Force, which contained five battleships (including the super battleships Yamato and Musashi) and ten heavy cruisers. Kurita was to move through the Sibuyan Sea and the San Bernardino Strait, before launching his attack. To support Kurita, two smaller fleets, under Vice Admirals Shoji Nishimura and Kiyohide Shima, together forming Southern Force, would move up from the south through the Surigao Strait. Japanese battleships at Brunei, Borneo, in October 1944, photographed just prior to the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The ships are, from left to right: Musashi, Yamato, a cruiser and Nagato. US Naval History and Heritage Command Fleets Commanders Allies Admiral William HalseyVice Admiral Thomas Kinkaid8 fleet carriers8 light carriers18 escort carriers12 battleships24 cruisers141 destroyers and destroyer escorts Japanese Admiral Soemu ToyodaVice Admiral Takeo KuritaVice Admiral Shoji NishimuraVice Admiral Kiyohide ShimaAdmiral Jisaburo Ozawa1 fleet carrier3 light carriers9 battleships14 heavy cruisers6 light cruisers35 destroyers Losses Allies - 1 light carrier, 2 escort carriers, 2 destroyers, 1 destroyer escort, approx. 200 aircraftJapanese - 1 fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 3 battleships, 10 cruisers, 11 destroyers, approx. 300 aircraft Sibuyan Sea Beginning on October 23, the Battle of Leyte Gulf consisted of four primary meetings between Allied and Japanese forces. In the first engagement on October 23-24, the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, Kuritas Center Force was attacked by the American submarines USS Darter and USS Dace as well as Halseys aircraft.  Engaging the Japanese around dawn on October 23, Darter scored four hits on Kuritas flagship, the heavy cruiser Atago, and two on the heavy cruiser Takao. A short time later, Dace hit the heavy cruiser Maya with four torpedoes.  While Atago and Maya both sank quickly, Takao, badly damaged, withdrew to Brunei with two destroyers as escorts. Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, 24 October 1944 Japanese battleship Yamato is hit by a bomb near her forward 460mm gun turret, during attacks by U.S. carrier planes as she transited the Sibuyan Sea. US Naval History and Heritage Command Rescued from the water, Kurita transferred his flag to Yamato. The next morning, Center Force was located by American aircraft as it moved through the Sibuyan Sea. Brought under attack by aircraft from 3rd Fleets carriers, the Japanese quickly took hits to the battleships Nagato, Yamato, and Musashi and saw the heavy cruiser MyÃ… kÃ…  badly damaged. Subsequent strikes saw Musashi crippled and drop from Kuritas formation. It later sank around 7:30 PM after being hit with at least 17 bombs and 19 torpedoes. Under increasingly intense air attacks, Kurita reversed his course and retreated. As the Americans withdrew, Kurita again changed course around 5:15 PM and resumed his advance towards the San Bernardino Strait. Elsewhere that day, the escort carrier USS Princeton (CVL-23) was sunk by land-based bombers as its aircraft attacked Japanese air bases on Luzon. Surigao Strait On the night of October 24/25, part of the Southern Force, led by Nishimura entered the Surigao Straight where they were initially attacked by Allied PT boats. Successfully running this gauntlet, Nishimuras ships were then set upon by destroyers which unleashed a barrage of torpedoes. In the course of this assault USS Melvin hit the battleship  FusÃ…  causing it to sink. Driving forward, Nishimuras remaining ships soon encountered the six battleships (many of them Pearl Harbor veterans) and eight cruisers of the 7th Fleet Support Force led by Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf. USS West Virginia (BB-48) firing during the Battle of Surigao Strait, 24-25 October 1944. US Naval History and Heritage Command Crossing the Japanese T, Oldendorfs ships used radar fire control to engage the Japanese at long range. Pounding the enemy, the Americans sank the battleship Yamashiro and the heavy cruiser Mogami. Unable to continue their advance, the remainder of Nishimuras squadron withdrew south.  Entering the strait, Shima encountered the wrecks of Nishimuras ships and elected to retreat. The fighting in the Surigao Strait was the last time two battleship forces would duel. Cape Engaà ±o At 4:40 PM on the 24th, Halseys scouts located Ozawas Northern Force. Believing that Kurita was retreating, Halsey signaled Admiral Kinkaid that he was moving north to pursue the Japanese carriers. By doing so, Halsey was leaving the landings unprotected. Kinkaid was not aware of this as he believed Halsey had left one carrier group to cover the San Bernardino Straight. At dawn on October 25, Ozawa launched a 75-plane strike against Halsey and Mitschers carriers. Easily defeated by the American combat air patrols, no damage was inflicted. Countering, Mitschers first wave of aircraft began attacking the Japanese around 8:00 AM.  Overwhelming the enemy fighter defense, the attacks continued through the day and ultimately sank all four of Ozawas carriers in what became known as the Battle of Cape Engaà ±o. Samar As the battle was concluding, Halsey was informed that the situation off Leyte was critical. Toyodas plan had worked. By Ozawa drawing away Halseys carriers, the path through the San Bernardino Straight was left open for Kuritas Center Force to pass through to attack the landings. Breaking off his attacks, Halsey began steaming south at full speed. Off Samar (just north of Leyte), Kuritas force encountered the 7th Fleets escort carriers and destroyers.   Launching their planes, the escort carriers began to flee, while the destroyers valiantly attacked Kuritas much superior force. As the melee was turning in favor of the Japanese, Kurita broke off after realizing that he was not attacking Halseys carriers and that the longer he lingered the more likely he was to be attacked by American aircraft. Kuritas retreat effectively ended the battle. Aftermath In the fighting at Leyte Gulf, the Japanese lost 4 aircraft carriers, 3 battleships, 8 cruisers, and 12 destroyers, as well as 10,000 killed. Allied losses were much lighter and included 1,500 killed as well as 1 light aircraft carrier, 2 escort carriers, 2 destroyers, and 1 destroyer escort sunk. Crippled by their losses, the Battle of Leyte Gulf marked the last time the Imperial Japanese Navy would conduct large-scale operations during the war. The Allied victory secured the beachhead on Leyte and opened the door for the liberation of the Philippines. This in turn cut off the Japanese from their conquered territories in Southeast Asia, greatly reducing the flow of supplies and resources to the home islands. Despite winning the largest naval engagement in history, Halsey was criticized after the battle for racing north to attack Ozawa without leaving cover for the invasion fleet off Leyte.

Definition and Examples of Orientational Metaphors

Definition and Examples of Orientational Metaphors An orientational metaphor is a  metaphor (or figurative comparison) that involves spatial relationships (such as UP-DOWN, IN-OUT, ON-OFF, and FRONT-BACK). Orientational metaphor (a figure that organizes a whole system of concepts with respect to one another) is one of the three overlapping categories of conceptual metaphors identified by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in Metaphors We Live By (1980). The other two categories are structural metaphor and ontological metaphor. Examples [A]ll the following concepts are characterized by an upward orientation, while their opposites receive a downward orientation. MORE IS UP; LESS IS DOWN: Speak up, please. Keep your voice down, please.HEALTHY IS UP; SICK IS DOWN: Lazarus rose from the dead. He fell ill.CONSCIOUS IS UP; UNCONSCIOUS IS DOWN: Wake up. He sank into a coma.CONTROL IS UP; LACK OF CONTROL IS DOWN: Im on top of the situation. He is under my control.HAPPY IS UP; SAD IS DOWN: Im feeling up today. Hes really low these days.VIRTUE IS UP; LACK OF VIRTUE IS DOWN: Shes an upstanding citizen. That was a low-down thing to do.RATIONAL IS UP; NONRATIONAL IS DOWN: The discussion fell to an emotional level. He couldnt rise above his emotions. Upward orientation tends to go together with positive evaluation, while downward orientation with a negative one. (Zoltn Kà ¶vecses, Metaphor: A Practical Introduction, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2010) Physical and Cultural Elements in Orientational Metaphors Orientational metaphors that are strongly cultural in content form an internally consistent set with those that emerge most directly from our physical experience. The up-down orientational metaphor can apply to situations that contain both physical and cultural elements, such as Hes at the peak of health. She came down with pneumonia. Here good health is associated with up, in part because of the general metaphor that Better is up and perhaps also because when we are well we are on our feet, and when we are ill we are more likely to be lying down. Other orientational metaphors are obviously cultural in origin: Hes one of the higher-ranking officials in the agency. These people have very high standards. I tried to raise the level of the discussion. Whether the experience on which an orientational metaphor is based is directly emergent physical experience or one drawn from the social domain, the core metaphorical framework is the same in all of them. There is only one verticality concept up. We apply it differently, depending on the kind of experience on which we base the metaphor. (Theodore L. Brown, Making Truth: Metaphor in Science. University of Illinois Press, 2003) Lakoff and Johnson on the Experiential Basis of Metaphors In actuality we feel that no metaphor can ever be comprehended or even adequately represented independently of its experiential basis. For example, MORE IS UP has a very different kind of experiential basis than HAPPY IS UP or RATIONAL IS UP. Though the concept UP is the same in all these metaphors, the experiences on which these UP metaphors are based are very different. It is not that there are many different UPS; rather, verticality enters our experience in many different ways and so gives rise to many different metaphors. (George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, Metaphors We Live By. The University of Chicago Press, 1980)

The British Mandate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The British Mandate - Research Paper Example The article stated that nations that were unable to hold their own government were to be given under the trust or leadership of advanced countries that were willing and capable of handling the affairs of such states until such states could have gained enough strength to operate their own government affairs (Miller 162). The concepts of the Article 22 were approved, and later in June 1919, the same concepts were taken to the Treaty of Versailles. However, it should be noted that, in April 1920, executives from different countries questioned how the Treaty of Versailles was to be executed. This led to deciding of the roles of the mandates among different allies countries, and such roles were decided by the supreme council. The Mandates in the Middle East were decided and demined by adopting what was considered the basic features of Sevres. The British was allotted the administrative control of the Palestine leading to the naming of the territory as â€Å"the British Mandate of Palestine (Miller 124).† However, in July 1920, the mandate’s civil administration took over the military and named Jerusalem the capital

Critically evalutate the evidence that criminal profiling is effective Essay

Critically evalutate the evidence that criminal profiling is effective - Essay Example It is usually carried out in a three stage process: â€Å"First, police officers collect crime scene data and forward it to a profiler; second, the profiler conducts an analysis of the crime scene data; and third, the profiler provides predictions about the type of individual likely to have committed the crime in question.† (Snook et al,, 2007, 438) There was initial enthusiasm for this approach, especially in the United States where the FBI set up a special ‘Behavioral Science Unit’ which analysed crimes and made recommendations for the application of criminal profiling in serious crime cases. From the beginning it was clear that the process involves multiple skills and multiple agencies, being a technique that combines elements of both art and science (Cook and Hinman, 1999, 230) and crosses over traditionally constructed professional boundaries. There has been discussion about some of the tensions arising from this multi-disciplinarity, and the gulf between res earchers and practitioners. (Alison et al, 2004). Critical opinion on the practice of criminal profiling has been mixed, ranging from positive evaluations to serious doubts as to whether criminal profiling is any more valuable than common sense. This paper reviews the underpinning theories behind criminal profiling, discusses its methodologies and the problems that can arise in its use, and then finally evaluates its effectiveness. Theories behind criminal profiling. Psychology is the major science behind criminal profiling and its origins can be traced back to the beginning of the twentieth century: â€Å"the inferring of general characteristics of a person on the basis of a limited amount of information about them, has scientific roots in psychometric testing.† (Canter, 2000, p. 3) This in turn is based on a large body of research into the variation that exists between individuals. Psychologists searched for ways of isolating small individual features which, when considered together and against a large database can predict with some degree of accuracy what type of personality a person has and how they are likely to behave in different situations. The predictions are inferred, which means they start with what is known, but move into speculation based on a number of different areas of knowledge including past experience and databases collected and collated over the years. The so-called â€Å"homology assumption† asserts that â€Å"criminals who exhibit similar crime scene actions have similar background characteristics.† (Doan and Snook, 2008, p. 61). In practice this means that investigators in a case of rape, for example, will go on the assumption that there is â€Å"a positive linear relationship between the similarities of the crime scene actions and the corresponding similarities in the background characteristics for a sample of rapists.† Any inferences that are made are deliberately not absolute statements, but are based on li kelihood and similarity: â€Å"It’s certainly possible for some characteristics to be consistent or homologous, and indeed this can be demonstrated in some cases. However, it is not a reasonable assumption in every case or even in most cases.† (Turvey, 2008, p. 540) Additional factors such as drug or alcohol use and mental illness with or without adequate medication can affect the offender’s behaviour in unpredictable ways, causing a depart at times from his or her enduring characteristics. Because of these variables, some of which cannot be known by

Coca cola gb marketing and economic strategy Assignment

Coca cola gb marketing and economic strategy - Assignment Example UK’s market is very competitive; therefore, there is need for campaign that would increase their customers’ engagement with the brand. Therefore, an online campaign starring a celebrity will allow the audience to know that Coca-Cola is a drink for every people (Young, 2014). The online platforms that could air this campaign are Facebook and Twitter. Coca Cola could stream this campaign in these platforms. Additionally, after streaming of this campaign, Coca Cola could show behind the scenes looks at the company, question-and answer posts, and thoughts about the drink. The hope is to bring Coca Cola close to the people, and to build trust with the customers (Sorenson, 2012). The celebrity used in the campaign has to give his/her testimonial after drinking Coca Cola. Giving a testimonial will add credibility to Coca Cola’s products. Definitely, studies indicate that people desire the same drink as their favourite celebrities (Suttle,

The change in the Democratic coalition from Pre-Reconstruction to the Research Paper

The change in the Democratic coalition from Pre-Reconstruction to the New Deal coalition - Research Paper Example The liberal and populist ideologies that characterize the current Democratic Party policies began under Andrew Jackson. In order to win the support of the white property owners, Spencer (311), notes that Jackson stood on the policy of taking over the ownership of the lands under ownership of the native Indians, using any means necessary, including extermination and forced displacement. This manifesto earned unprecedented support from the less wealthy white settlers and land speculators, because it reduced the cost of buying land (Spencer, 312) Other policies that Jackson advocated in his quest for presidency included the extension of slave trade and servitude, which ensured that property and landowners continued reaping profits from their investments by using free labor offered mainly by black slaves (Spencer, 301). In addition, Jackson promised the voters an expanded monetary policy that would enable white settlers access credit facilities to buy land obtained from displaced native Indians. Access to credit facilities enabled white owners to embark on commercial plantations, where slaves provided cheap labor. These policies raised the popularity of the pioneer democrat especially among the white farmers who ventured in profitable farming of tobacco, sugarcane, cotton and other lucrative crops for sale. These policies propelled him to an easy presidential victory in 1828(Spencer, 318). In this respect, the foundation of Democratic Party and its subsequent win in 1828 election was a triumph of democracy over elitism if the issues of slavery, massacre and mass displacement of native communities are not considered. According to Aldrich (37), Jackson presidency successfully ended a long reign of presidents from exclusively... From this research it is clear that the issue of abolitionist movement and subsequent civil war are some one of the most defining moments of the then newly formed Republican Party and the already established democrats. The large acquisition of land from native people under democratic leadership resulted to creation of more territories for the United States especially on the western frontier. This created a dilemma on whether the newly created states would adopt slavery or remain free from servitude. Prior to the civil war, northern states had abolished slavery in the early 19th century. This was due to rapid growth of industries and mercantile enterprises in the north that were less labor intensive. However most southern states were mainly agricultural oriented and this created a huge demand for slaves to work in the plantations. Therefore, the abolitionist movement started in the northern states but the southern states, the foundation of Democratic Party support were determined to r etain slavery to support their main economic activity of farming. The Republican Party was dominant in the northern states and it managed to convince most of the voters the evils of slavery and the need to abolish it, in favor of humane economic activities, such as trade. This antagonism between the northern and southern states created conflict and the latter threatened to secede from the United States. Kansas, a newly created state from displaced Indian tribes provided an opportunity for determining whether the newly acquired territories would be free or in support of slavery.

Competition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Competition - Essay Example Competition is discussed well below. He stated that "China has one of the largest labour forces in the world with a population of nearly 1.3 billion, over half of whom were in employment in 2002. About two-thirds of them are rural workers. China also has one of the highest labour participation rates in the world (over 80 per cent). As one of the largest exporting countries and the second largest beneficiary country of foreign direct investments (FDIs), China presents itself as one of the economically(Slavin, 1989) most important nations in the world. However, China's increasing interdependence with the world economy has been achieved through a period of political, social and economic change over the past twenty-five years." Because the factory laborers from China are paid very much lower per hour as compared to factory labourers that are doing the same jobs in factories located in the United States, United Kingdom and other European countries, there is a strong demand for the United Kingdom companies to outsource the m anufacturing of goods to china. This means that the United Kingdom company is encouraged to put up a manufacturing facility to produce cars and other high value finished goods in China and other countries where labour rates per hour. Many companies have reduced its workforce because some of the work can be done by the computer. Computer generated work is, in most cases, replaced by the computer.Many companies have downsized their work environment(Irwin, 2000) by replacing many human being processed work with a computer or robot. This scenario has erupted into lay-offs as well as early retirement for currently working employees because the company wants to save on salaries that will be paid on a regular basis. The unemployment rate has been increasing because. According to Malthus, the population will increase faster arithmetically as compared to the growth rate of the basic food which is geometrically. The increase in the population will result, in all probability, an increase in th e unemployment rates. COMPETITION. Competition is one of the pillars of capitalism because it will stimulate innovation, encourage efficiency or drive down prices. Competition can, in some instances may equally lead to waste because a job could be repeated and thereby increased costs and prices in some circumstances. In the supply and demand curve in economics, if there is so many competing products that are similar, then the customer has more choices to make. The competitors will then try to lower prices in the hope of cornering juice customers. On the other hand, in a monopoly economic situation, the sole supplier of goods can jack up the sales prices to generate profits and increase the sales. The customers have no other alternative but to follow. On the other hand if the demand for a product increases because of lack of finished products, then the prices of goods sold will increase for the customers will prefer to spend more and have the goods now or today.D. G. Goyder stated that (1998) "Competition is the relationship between any number of undertakings which sell goods or services of the same kind at the same time to an identifiable group of customers. Each

Professionalism in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Professionalism in Business - Essay Example licly declared their intention to enter into an occupation that saves life or soul, usually referring to the work of priests, physicians and lawyers (Abeloff & Reynolds, 1994). For example, the declaration of the Hippocratic Oath is a public commitment to a set of values. Teaching has long been recognized as a profession along with religion, medicine and law. When the phrase "professional" appeared in the nineteenth century it was used as an adjective to describe a calling or profession, executed by a professor. "Professor" was used interchangeably with "professional man." Professors of religion and professors of law were included with professors of education. It is interesting to note that while early male teachers were addressed as "Professor", female teachers were still called "Miss." Between the Civil War and World War II, educators became more concerned with career commitment to their profession. The term "Professor" is commonly applied to teachers in colleges and universities today. (Kimball, 1992). Professionalism is a social paradigm that has evolved over time from affiliation with a craft guild as the primary characteristic of a specialist or an expert to association with a university as the principal means of determining when a person became an expert. A professional is universally distinguished from an amateur because they are involved in a full-time paid occupation. They make their living from working as a professional in their field. Many times members of an occupation proudly refer to themselves as professionals, such as professional secretaries or professional auto mechanics or professional brick layers. They believe because they have standards for their performance and are employed full-time in their occupation that they are professionals. Social... As the paper declares the word profession originates from the Latin profiteri, meaning to profess, to declare aloud, to make a public vow. The expression was first used in the English language in the 13th   century, to represent a person who makes a public oath to enter the religious service. In the 16th century, the meaning of the term was expanded to signify that someone had publicly declared their intention to enter into an occupation that saves life or soul, usually referring to the work of priests, physicians and lawyers.This discussion stresses that  professionalism is a social paradigm that has evolved over time from affiliation with a craft guild as the primary characteristic of a specialist or an expert to association with a university as the principal means of determining when a person became an expert. A professional is universally distinguished from an amateur because they are involved in a full-time paid occupation. They make their living from working as a profession al in their field. Many times members of an occupation proudly refer to themselves as professionals, such as professional secretaries or professional auto mechanics or professional brick layers. They believe because they have standards for their performance and are employed full-time in their occupation that they are professionals. Social scientists have separated professions from other occupations by the degree of expertise and complexity involved in the work itself.

Competition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Competition - Essay Example Competition is discussed well below. He stated that "China has one of the largest labour forces in the world with a population of nearly 1.3 billion, over half of whom were in employment in 2002. About two-thirds of them are rural workers. China also has one of the highest labour participation rates in the world (over 80 per cent). As one of the largest exporting countries and the second largest beneficiary country of foreign direct investments (FDIs), China presents itself as one of the economically(Slavin, 1989) most important nations in the world. However, China's increasing interdependence with the world economy has been achieved through a period of political, social and economic change over the past twenty-five years." Because the factory laborers from China are paid very much lower per hour as compared to factory labourers that are doing the same jobs in factories located in the United States, United Kingdom and other European countries, there is a strong demand for the United Kingdom companies to outsource the m anufacturing of goods to china. This means that the United Kingdom company is encouraged to put up a manufacturing facility to produce cars and other high value finished goods in China and other countries where labour rates per hour. Many companies have reduced its workforce because some of the work can be done by the computer. Computer generated work is, in most cases, replaced by the computer.Many companies have downsized their work environment(Irwin, 2000) by replacing many human being processed work with a computer or robot. This scenario has erupted into lay-offs as well as early retirement for currently working employees because the company wants to save on salaries that will be paid on a regular basis. The unemployment rate has been increasing because. According to Malthus, the population will increase faster arithmetically as compared to the growth rate of the basic food which is geometrically. The increase in the population will result, in all probability, an increase in th e unemployment rates. COMPETITION. Competition is one of the pillars of capitalism because it will stimulate innovation, encourage efficiency or drive down prices. Competition can, in some instances may equally lead to waste because a job could be repeated and thereby increased costs and prices in some circumstances. In the supply and demand curve in economics, if there is so many competing products that are similar, then the customer has more choices to make. The competitors will then try to lower prices in the hope of cornering juice customers. On the other hand, in a monopoly economic situation, the sole supplier of goods can jack up the sales prices to generate profits and increase the sales. The customers have no other alternative but to follow. On the other hand if the demand for a product increases because of lack of finished products, then the prices of goods sold will increase for the customers will prefer to spend more and have the goods now or today.D. G. Goyder stated that (1998) "Competition is the relationship between any number of undertakings which sell goods or services of the same kind at the same time to an identifiable group of customers. Each

Transnationalization of Chinese Action Films Essay

Transnationalization of Chinese Action Films - Essay Example This shift in the film paradigm is known as the transnationalism of Chinese cinema (Stephen Teo). This paper studies the transnationalism of Chinese cinema through the examination of four movies, namely, Enter the Dragon, Face/Off, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and One Night in Mongkok. These films will be our case studies in determining the extent and nature of transnationalism that the Chinese cinema has underwent ever since the advent of cinematic change in the late 1920's (Stephen Teo). The first film to be studied is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the directorial project of Ang Lee, released in the USA on 9 December 2003 (IMBD 2004). This film is the best example to study the modern day Chinese cinema, due to the strategies that Ang Lee employed in making this film. The Chinese film industry has always been aware that their stories and culture is essentially oriental (Stephen Teo), that is, it can only be clearly and absolutely understood by the locals and the Asian market. With the expanding economic system and increased global interactions, the need was felt for the films to cater to a wide variety of audience, and such audience might not necessarily be from the Chinese land. This meant that the traditions and cultures shown in the Chinese cinema had to be produced in such a way that audiences from other cultural backgrounds, particularly the Americans (Stephen Teo), could easily comprehend them. In other words, the films should have the ability to be culturall y "translated" (Stephen Teo). Some efforts had been made before to achieve this goal, however, all those movies depended on the concept of oriental postmodernism (Stephen Teo) to make the movie more globally understandable. This model essentially depended on portraying the complex culture to the modern market in a way that showed the modern Asian concept of Orientalism (Stephen Teo). What Crouching Tiger brought with it was a change in the treatment and the thinking behind the film; it focused more on globalization than postmodernism (Stephen Teo). Hence, it was more flexible (Stephen Teo) and could be easily translated and transcended into the diverse cultures worldwide. Crouching Tiger did not simply rely on the tried and tested wuxia norms of Chinese cinema, nor did it try to promote the kung fu culture always prevalent in Chinese cinema (Stephen Teo). That said, it is not true that Crouching Tiger did not portray the intrinsic martial art culture of China. In fact, coming from a Chinese background, Ang Lee had to cater to a Chinese audience at home, and so it was imperative that should include local

Motion for a Judgement by Default Essay Example for Free

Motion for a Judgement by Default Essay The Plaintiffs sue the Defendant and demand a jury to try this case. The Plaintiff should be awarded Twenty-two Thousand Dollars ($22,000). Both, the Plaintiffs and Defendant were residents of Davidson County, Tennessee on June 29th, 1993. COMES the Plaintiff and sues the Defendant in the amount of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000). The Plaintiff was only one and half years old on the date of the injury. A minor Plaintiff, sues HERMAN A. SHULMAN, the Defendant. Plaintiffs would show: 1. That both parties were residents of Davidson County and lived next door to each other at 2413 Valley Crest Drive. Nashville, Tennessee 37201. That on June 29th, 1993 the Plaintiff was attracted to a riding mower being driven by the Defendant, the child approached the mower from the rear of the Defendant and the blade stroke his toes; and . That as a direct and proximate result of the negligence of the Defendant, the Plaintiff was injured. COME the Plaintiffs, at all and move for a Judgment by Default. COMES the Plaintiff through his attorney and moves for a Judgment by Default.

Under the Gaslight: The Character of Laura Courtland Essay -- Under th

Under the Gaslight: The Character of Laura Courtland Under the Gaslight does indeed "acknowledge 'luck' or 'chance' or 'fate,' but it reinforces the importance of individual character at the same time that it suggests that integrity is not an absolute stay against the vicissitudes of circumstance" (159). This idea is mainly supported through the character of Laura Courtland--a symbol of both sides of the nature versus nurture debate. Laura was born into a prominent, upper class family, the Courtlands. Her mother, Mary, in particular is a kind and generous woman who instinctively knows when she has "a duty to perform" and acts on it (164). Laura seems to have inherited this determined and honorable manner. She has higher standards than the society she lives in. Regarding love, she realizes that true love is about loving what is on the inside and is not based on looks, class, or wealth. She says, "How happy must those women be who are poor and friendless, and plain, when some true heart comes and says 'I wish to marry you!''' (165). Laura is, as the saying goes, "...

Buckley / Ericsson :: essays research papers

Buckley / Ericsson   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In their essays both Buckley and Ericsson analyze the different ways we use lies to help and hurt our self in our every day lives, and how this effects American culture. Ericsson shows the way lies can , as she puts it, â€Å" lubricate the daily machinery of living†(128). Buckley, on the other hand uses examples of lies as a way to deny himself; and do exactly the opposite of Ericsson. But they both show how we as Americans use lies these ways and others so much that most of us may not realize it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ericsson’s essay was obviously about The Ways We Lie, mostly about the way we lie to other people to make their or your own life easier. Buckley’s essay is not so obviously about lying, but if you read deeper into the text you can see how Buckley makes his life harder by lying to himself. When Ericsson is describing the white lie; she use the example of a friend telling another friend she looks good when the truth is she doesn’t. This is exactly how we use lies to lubricate daily living, we avoid confrontation. â€Å" The liar deciding what is best for the lied to† (Ericsson 121). When Buckley describes the amount of discomfort he endured from the heat on the train, he imagines what would happen to the conductor in an age of more violence. â€Å"The passengers would seize the conductor and strap him down on a seat over the radiator to share the fate of his patrons† (64). He has strong feelings toward the conductor, because someth ing has not already been done. When the conductor approaches Buckley; he has intensions of making the conductor aware of the problem, but the simple stare of his neighbor drives him to ignore the plain facts. Even though Buckley notices, â€Å"the car was flecked with the white shirts of the passengers†; he uses the stare as a way to dilute the truth into believing that his idea of turning the heat down would not be the consensus of the rest of the car (64).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The way lies have become a part of are daily life as Americans, and the way this has effected our culture is what both Ericsson and Buckley express in their essays. I think Buckley clearly stated his essay’s purpose when he said, â€Å" what has happened to the American people.

Ded Na Si Lolo Essay

â€Å"Ded Na Si Lolo† is an independent film highlighting the different superstitious beliefs of Filipinos. The movie limits itself only to Filipino superstitions when a family member passed away. Some of these superstitions are: wearing a red colored attire when you are going to a wake is prohibited; rosary should be cut so that a family member will not be the next one to pass away; it is bad luck to take a bath at the house where the dead lies; it is bad luck to clean the house; it is forbidden to accompany guests leaving the wake; and putting a chick on top of the casket means that the dead was murdered. It is funny how we, Filipinos, keep on following them although we do not even know where all of these superstitions came from. Maybe this is because we do not lose anything every time we do these stuffs. In the movie, I see myself in the character played by Roderick Paulate which is Junee. I am the kind of person who does not usually believe in superstitions and sometimes finds them hilarious, but, just like Junee, I cannot resist following these superstitions because of the people around me. It is true that these beliefs have become part of our culture and I think there is nothing wrong with that as long as these beliefs do not cause us harm and chaos. As we follow every superstition, we should bear in mind that it is still in our hands whether we will succeed or not. Barely believing and practicing different superstitions for good luck will never be enough. Dedication and perseverance are still the keys for success and also the aid of Almighty God. With regards to the movie itself, I was completely entertained. Every actor and actress in the movie did very well. They were able to play the roles assigned to them excellently.

Human Resources in the Aviation Industry

Human Resources in the Aviation Industry Submitted to: Mrs. Jasmina Popov-Locke Submitted by: Maha A. Jammoul CONTENTS Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Recruitment and Selection Process†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4-12 Effect of recruitment, selection, and interviewing processes on Southwest Airlines†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13-17 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 18 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 19 INTRODUCTION Human resources is a very important and essential element of any business. In the aviation industry, it plays a vital role due the contribution it makes to the over-all employee-firm relationship.Human resources concern the human side of managing enterprises and employees’ relations with their firms. It makes sure that the employees of the company are being used in such a manner that the employer obtains greatest possible benefit from the employees’ abilities and the employees, on the other hand, obtain optimum material and psychological rewards from their respective work. This assignment will be covering each stage of the recruitment and selection processes in general terms with applicable examples given from the aviation industry to support its description.An explanation of how the recruitment, selection, and interviewing processes can affect the operation of an organization within the aviation industry will be provided as well. P2 – Describe the recruitment and selection process followed by aviation organizations in order to meet obligations. HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING Human Resource Planning includes forecasting the n umber and kinds of employees that will be required in the future and to what extent the given demand is likely to be met. Basically, it wraps around the idea of number of workers, type of workers, skills needed, and cost-factor included in such process.The Human Resource Planning helps in the following areas when it comes to decision-making: 1. Recruitment 2. Avoidance of redundancies 3. Training – numbers and categories 4. Management development 5. Estimates of labour costs 6. Productivity bargaining 7. Accommodation requirements Few important points : ? Human Resource Planning needs continuous readjustments due to instability of an organization goal and uncertainty of the environment of the business. ? HRP is complex because of many independent variables involved in it such as invention, population changes, consumer demand, etc. A feedback must be included in case the objectives are to be modified due to the plan’s inability to be fulfilled. RECRUITMENT Recruitment i s basically the first part in the process of filling a vacancy. It includes examining the vacancy, considering sources of suitable candidates, and contacting candidates and attracting applications from them. ? If the vacancy is additional to the present workforce: 1. A new employee is needed 2. A compiled job specification is needed SOURCES: ? Headhunting This process is also known as â€Å"executive search† where it is believed that he best candidates are those who are successful in their current jobs and are not thinking of moving elsewhere instead of those who are replying to advertisements and are looking for jobs in any other ways. ? Advertising It is the most popular method o recruitment wherein the vacancy is advertised and candidates are invited to apply to the company. Few pointers on Advertising: ? The advertisement should have a job specification and a personnel specification contained in it. ? The advertisement must appear in the appropriate publication. Experimen ts regarding response to different sizes, headings, wording, page position, etc should be done. ? Careful records about the advertisement should be kept. ? The response should be analyzed. ? Courteous letter must be sent to rejected candidates. Processes involved in Recruitment: ? Application: Candidates fill up application forms or submit their curriculum vitae. ? Initial Screening: Screening out totally irrelevant applicant is done during the recruitment process especially when the organization has high number of applicants to be assessed in the selection process. SELECTIONIn the process of selection, the candidates for the specific job will be assessed and filtered out based on their level of compatibility with the organization or firm as a whole. Common Steps taken by Manager in the Selection Process: 1. Comparing of application forms and looking for candidates exhibiting suitability for the job. 2. Making a list of candidates to be interviewed and a list of rejected applicants (Short-listing). 3. Deciding what type of interview should be given and what test should be used. 4. Taking down notes on the applicants’ performance in the interview and tests. ? Interview MethodThis is the most common method used. The interview is conducted by the recruiter and types of interview vary from one organization to another e. g. individual, successive, panel. In this method, the applicant will be answering questions given by the interviewer wherein his/her communication skills and job knowledge will be put to test. ? Psychometric Testing Method In this method, applicants will be assessed based on their personalities and their ability to fit in the organization. ? Aptitude Testing Method Skills of the applicants are being assessed in this given method. ? In-tray Exercise MethodExercise or activities will be given to the candidates which will show their performance level on the job they will be handling. ? Presentation Method Skills and ideas of candidates will be evident in this type of selection method. Organizations using this type of method are more after a person’s creative ideas than his/her academic proficiency. ? Medical Tests Process Medical tests are done for the employer to ensure that the applicant is free from any contagious disease that may harm other people in the organization. This test is also done for jobs that have some medical standard that the applicants must meet such as pilots and the like. Background Checks Process Background and security checks are being performed to assess an applicant’s â€Å"sterility† and to avoid any kind of threat to an organization. It is a very crucial part of selection when it comes to certain types of industry such as the aviation industry where it is prone to threats and attacks. ? Written Examination Process Psychometric and aptitude testing methods fall under this process. This examination process helps in assessing the over-all job knowledge of the candidate and base d on this, the organization will be able to determine is/her compatibility and qualification. HIRING When the suitable candidate emerges from the selection process, a job offer must be received by him/her. The job offer might be: 1. Oral 2. Written The initial job offer must include : 1. The wage or salary offered 2. Name of the job and any special conditions 3. Condition of the employment, hours, holidays, bonuses, and fringe benefits 4. Provisos must be stated 5. Date and time to get in touch again in case the applicant asks time for consideration of the job offer.If the applicant accepts the initial offer, the conditions and everything that is stated in the letter will be made official and its accuracy is very important for it will be regarded as a permanent record. ? Induction This is the process of receiving the employees when they begin work. They’ll be introduced to the company and colleagues and informed of the activities, customs, and traditions of the company. ? Fol low- up In this process, the employee will be asked about how he/she feels about the job and his/her progress to the present time.Reviews and comments on the employees will be asked for from the immediate superiors. A proper and adequate training will be provided for some employees by the organization if needed and sometimes, switching of jobs or stations takes place depending on where the employer sees the employee performs and excels the most. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING: ? Southwest Airlines go after the creative kind of people and those who have an attitude. ? The company culture plays an integral part in the business and that’s why flexible and unconventional ideas are welcomed by the rganization. ? This airline gives importance to its â€Å"fun-LUVing† culture. RECRUITMENT: ? Online resumes are being accepted by Southwest Airlines which includes uploading your resume, cutting and pasting, or using their Resume Wiza rd. ? Advertisements on jobs available can be seen on their website ? All job specifications, requirements, and benefits are found on their website ? Interested applicants can choose a specific job, register, and make an account as a job seeker on their website. Submission of resume online is followed if the applicant is really interested. SELECTION: A screening-meeting is held for all those who wish to join the Southwest Airlines group wherein requirement information and conditions on how to get the job will be received during this process. ? A background check and drug test will be undergone during the interview process which is one-on-one. Failure to pass the tests will automatically remove the applicant from consideration. ? A class or training depending on the selected job should be attended and passed during the last process of selection in the Southwest Airlines. ? Unconventional and creative applicants are a major consideration to the airlines. Applicants who don’t ha ve sense of humour and a care-free attitude are not being selected by the organization for those type of applicants contradict with the culture of the organization. HIRING: ? Job offer letters are being given to the suitable and accepted applicants which includes all the necessary information needed about the job and the terms and conditions. ? An induction takes place for newly hired applicants in the Southwest Airlines. ? People-skills courses at the University for People, Southwest’s training center in Dallas, are being gone through by employees once they are hired.M1 – Explain how recruitment and selection and interviewing processes can affect the operation of a specified aviation organization. Southwest Airlines Operations is all about the over-all performance and effectiveness of the employees comprising the organization. How activities and â€Å"things† work out in Southwest Airlines is mainly based on its workforce since first of all, it’s in an i ntangible type of industry, the aviation industry. Operations basically refer to activities wherein the services and products being provided by the airlines.It mainly deals with the manner or how the services and products are being offered or provided. EFFECT OF SOUTHWEST AIRLINES’ RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS ON ITS OPERATIONS STEP BY STEP PROCESS: PLANNING: ? Right type of candidates are being targeted to attract for recruitment ? Expenses are being minimized due to the initial planning and knowing what type of applicants to go after RECRUITMENT: ? Correct and right kind of advertisements are being distributed as a result of the effective planning done in the first place ? Right brand or organization image is being projected through the advertisements ?Right type of applicants are being attracted SELECTION: ? Methods used directly filter out irrelevant candidates and leave the most suitable ones behind ? Having the most suitable applicants are being based on the effect ive selection method used by Southwest Airlines depending on the standards and culture requirements being tackled in the first process which is planning. HIRING: ? Right hiring process brings about employee satisfaction ? Employee satisfaction results in effective employee performance ? Effective employee performance results in good businessEFFECT ON THE OVER-ALL OPERATIONS AT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES 1. High rank in customer service ? Southwest Airline’s principle of putting the employees first which is a part of their recruitment and selection process brings about the concept of them having high ranks when it comes to customer service. Since they take good care of their employees, they assume that this care will be passed on as well to the customers by the employees. The employees in this organization take a good care of their customers because the employer is taking care of them in the first place. . Ranked Number One in America's Happiest Airlines for Holiday Travel by Forbes f or the third consecutive year ? The recruitment, selection, and interview process at Southwest Airlines is a very evident cause of this ranking. This is an effect of having their unique recruitment standard which is to go after people who don’t take themselves too seriously and have the care-free spirit. The people that they have recruited carry on with them a sense of humour which makes the travel experience for their customers more fun and happy. During interview, the candidates are being asked about how they’ve used their sense of humour during difficult situations. On the other hand, those who walk in over-dressed are asked to change to Bermuda shorts wherein candidates who refuse to do so are automatically disqualified. In here we can see how evident happiness and fun is being observed throughout their recruitment, selection, and interview process. ?Hence, the success in their recruitment, selection and interview process brought about this effect through having th e right and most suitable applicants joining their operations 3.Profitable business for 42 years now ?The success of their business is a by-product of the HR department’s works. The whole process starting from planning up to hiring which is held responsible by the â€Å"People Department† is what made the company successful and profitable for a long period of time. They had the specific workforce they needed which was brought about through the recruitment and selection process. They obtained maximum benefit from their workforce’s skills and abilities and because of this, they are having a fruitful business. 4. Friendly employee-customer interaction The Southwest Airlines employees are being trained on their social skills and abilities. They are actually hired based on their inter-personal skills and friendly attitude. With that being said, they are able to maintain a healthy and friendly relationship with their customers. Being equipped with the social skills ne eded, they find it easy to be friendly and â€Å"real† when dealing with passengers. 5. Satisfied employees ? The CEO of Southwest Airlines, Gary Kelly, visits his employees randomly and from time to time to check on them and their performance.He asks them on how they are doing and feeling. Having that kind of communication which is face-to-face between the employer and his employees is what drives the employees to be more satisfied and motivated. What Gary Kelly is doing is a part of the employer care in the follow-up which falls under the last part of the recruitment and selection process better known as hiring. The wages, incentives, bonuses, pensions, â€Å"Southwest Citizenship†, career developments and all other offers is what is behind the satisfied employees of Southwest Airlines.Again, we can see what the effect of the whole recruitment and selection process was. It resulted in highly satisfied employees. 6. Good employee performance ?The performance of the em ployees in their respective jobs is the â€Å"core operation† in the airlines. Southwest Airlines is very fortunate to have a good or, in my opinion, a great workforce performance. Why is this so? We fall back to the same redundant reason—recruitment, selection, and interview process held by the HR department. Going back to the previous point, employees are satisfied and motivated.Obviously, contented employees end up performing well for their jobs. They do whatever is assigned and expected from them in an effective manner. For Southwest, it works well for them since their workforce is equipped with the talent, attitude, and creativity that meet their business needs. As a proof for this, a flight attendant onboard Southwest Airlines rapped the safety instructions to be followed by the passengers. This is a job well-done for the airlines because the employee made use of his creativity to please and satisfy the passengers. 7.Right and accurate brand image is being projec ted to the public ? Through the employees and the advertisements being send out, the culture of the company is being reflected to the public. The idea of what the company is all about and what is its â€Å"tradition† is being conveyed to the mass and this brings about a positive brand image and a positive word of mouth. Not only that, the operations in Southwest Airlines have everything to do with their culture that is being initially set during the planning stage of the recruitment and selection process and is being observed until its last part.So, the friendly and happy interaction between Southwest Airlines employees and passengers plants the positive, fun-loving, creative culture of the airlines in the passengers’ minds. 8. The accurate culture of Southwest Airlines which is fun-LUVing is being continually set ? While the recruitment, selection, and interview process of the Southwest airlines continues on observing its optimum vessel which is their culture, â€Å" their type of people† are being continuously drawn to them. Through this, the type of workforce present enables the company to have its culture set straight-out.As far as Southwest airline is concerned, until now, they are still successful in setting their culture and making the mass get their idea behind it. They can’t be successful with doing so without their employees complying and demonstrating that kind of culture which all turns back to the HR as their responsibility to recruit and hire those people who are capable of adapting to their fun-LUVing culture. CONCLUSION The Human Resource Department is responsible for the Recruitment and Selection Process of an organization.They make sure that the appropriate applicants are being drawn to them through their advertisements and culture set which is all done during the workforce planning process. The recruitment and selection process varies from one company to another but usually it involves four immediate steps – workforce planning, recruitment, selection, and hiring. During this process, the main goal of the firm is to get the best candidate possible for a designated job. Getting the â€Å"best† applicant depends on the standards and culture of an organization.In the aviation industry, it is very important for the human resource department of any organization to be able to get the workforce that meets their business needs since they offer an intangible service and experience. This service is what puts them either ahead or behind the competition in the industry. The recruitment, selection, and interview at any given organization and in any type of industry will shape how the operations in that certain company take place and how activities and jobs run – smoothly or roughly. BIBLIOGRAPHY Human Resources Management (Graham ; Bennett, 1998)Mrs. Jasmina Popov-Locke’s PowerPoint Presentation (Outcome 1) http://swamedia. com/channels/Corporate-Fact-Sheet/pages/corporate-fact- sheet#distinctions http://www. arichall. com/academic/papers/om5210-hrm. pdf http://www. wikihow. com/Become-a-Southwest-Airlines-Flight-Attendant http://www. indeed. com/forum/cmp/Southwest-Airlines/southwest-airline-hiring-process/t255708/p9 http://www. newteacher. com/obooks/Chapter_5/iaculture. html http://www. news. com. au/breaking-news/bored-flight-attendant-raps-safety-briefing/story-e6frfkp9-1111119158261 www. southwest. com