Saturday, November 30, 2019

Sadness and Silence Censoring Music free essay sample

Doorknockers Sadness Silence: Censoring Music, Censoring Our Imaginations Music provides a powerful form of expression that at its most basic level helps to entertain while containing the power to cause revolutions both cultural and political. (Hall) Whether you are a fan of heavy metal music or classical music, there Is no denying that a life without music would be a very boring world indeed. Yet there are people out there that want to destroy this long-revered art form. People who call music a bad influence and want to see it censored and controlled.Why do they want to do this? Well, there are many reasons. Many people want to censor music as a means of enforcing morality. Since the asss many religious conservatives have made It their personal duty to clean up the lyrics In the music of the past 20 years. Among these Is former Second Lady Tipper Gore, who put the entire music Industry on trial In 1992 (Gore, 1987). We will write a custom essay sample on Sadness and Silence: Censoring Music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Musical acts, from rockers such as Frank Zap and Twisted Sister to country music legend John Denver, took the stand to protest Mrs.. Gore and her organization; the Parents Music Resource Center (AND. Com).There was even a 2002 television movie, Warning: Parental Advisory, about these Senate trials. (midi. Com) Though many would deny it, racial issues fuel a lot of the problems with musical content. It started In the 1 955, when a Chicago radio station promised to censor any controversial music. Especially after receiving letters from angry listeners. [ (Sparrow, 2009) In the asss, with RB music on the rise, many adults were worried that their children would be exposed to immoral concepts while listening. Given the fact that RB was performed, and listened to, by primarilyAfrican-Americans many racial tensions were brought to bear. These tensions continued into the asss. In 1983, during a live interview, David Bowie suddenly asked, Why are there practically no black artists on the network? [ (Why It Took MAT So Long To Play Black Music Videos ) ] In fact, due to the popularity of his album Thriller, Michael Jackson is credited as one of the first minority musicians to gain major rotation on MAT. When rap music came into prominence even the government found a way to discriminate. The argument can be made that racial motivations also laded a large role in the Bis 1989 letter to the rap group N.W. A. [ (Magnum, 1986)] The FBI took exception to the groups single F*** that Police. While the group said they were only expressing their anger towards the treatment of Inner city black youths by local law enforcement. It served as another example of censorship rearing its ugly head. Gaps in the values of our different generations have also played a major role in this constant war on our ears. In the asss and asss this clash of values was over the younger generations love affair with R;8 and Rock N Roll, which promoted ex, drugs, and the questioning of authority.This did not sit well with the older MINI, and as result put much more emphasis on structured values and respect for authority. For example, in 1965, the Rolling Stones and the Who were banned from radio stations nationwide because of sexual references in their songs. [ (Sparrow, 2009)] In 1971, the FCC threatened to take away broadcast licenses from stations playing songs that glorified drugs. In the same year, songs by John Lennox and Jotter rule were changed without their knowledge or consent. Lemons music was changed y radio station themselves while Jotter Tulles songs were changed by their record label Chrysalis Records. (Magnum, 1986)] That would be the same as a going into a museum and painting over an artist work because you did not like what it portrayed. Do you think Leonardo Dad Vinci would have stood for something like this? Would we have masterpieces such as the Sistine Chapel if Michelangelo did not have creative control? As is usually the case when people try to infringe on our freedoms, fear is at the root of music censorship. Parents fear that their children will be corrupted by existing to the likes of Oozy Osborne and Amine. The government fears that the public will be incensed to rebellion by the anarchic lyrics of bands like N. W. A. And Rage Against the Machine. Religious leaders fear that their followers will lose faith after listening to anti-Semitic artists like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails. Rough many of these fears are unfounded, they have led to many irrational attempts to censor music. The National Coalition on Television, which monitored the level of violence in music videos, asked for the federal government to regulate rock USIA on television. (Magnum, 1986)] Although these demands were never met, other groups found more success in pressuring the record companies. The Parents Music Resource Center (MARC), pushed the music industry and the government to create a rating systems evaluating the content of artists. The MARC also hoped for radio stations to become conscious about airing controversial content which would in turn censor artists hoping to become played on the radio. The MARC was led by ripper Gore and very influential wives of politicians and businessmen living in Instigation, D. C.As a result of testimony before the U. S. Senate, the Recording Industry Association of Americana) began labeling albums that may be objectionable, including the infamous black-and-white label Parental Advisory: Explicit Content, created in 1990 and still in use today. [ (Hall) ] Even today, censorship advocates are still attacking the violent lyrics of gangster rap and sexually-charged videos of todays videos. No matter what decade it is, it always seems that the music of that eras youth is the music under attack. The source of this is humanity inborn aversion to change.During the Revolutionary War, there was a large segment of colonists who did not want to secede from England. The struggles women and minorities alone have faced Just to be treated like human beings is proof enough of mankinds fear of change. This affects music because music is recognized as a potential source of power to change values, ideas, and beliefs as well as to influence actions. In the case of children being exposed to inappropriate things from the music they listen to, it is the Job of the parent to make sure they know exactly what their children are listening to.Those who fear this change try to stop it by censorship, even when, as history has shown us, censorship is different than the crimes committing against Japanese-Americans and the Jews during World War II. Our freedoms have been written down for hundreds of years. To encroach on any of those freedoms is to go against the ideals of our forefathers, the ere essence of our great nation. If you do not like the message of a certain song or performance, you do not have to listen to it, but do not try to rob others of the right to listen to whatever they want.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Right of Habeas Corpus in the Context of the War on Terror essay

The Right of Habeas Corpus in the Context of the War on Terror essay The Right of Habeas Corpus in the Context of the War on Terror essay The Right of Habeas Corpus in the Context of the War on Terror essay  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Habeas corpus is one of the means of providing strong protection for the individual liberty of people. It is a civil procedure that has a long and colorful history of evolution. The term â€Å"habeas corpus† stands for a â€Å"command, issued as a means of interlocutory process, to have the defendant to an action brought physically before the court† (Farbey et al., 2011, p. 2). Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the right of habeas corpus, including to whom it should be applied and where it should be used, was raised in the context of the war on terror. Habeas corpus, as a legal proceeding, is considered to be a significant remedy for prisoners. According to David Andrew Schultz (2009), prisoners have the right to â€Å"ask a court to evaluate the legality of his or her detention† (p. 334). It is very important for any individual to understa nd the legal justification for detention. Thesis statement: The application of habeas corpus has changed since its origin because of certain changes in political environment, but its major purpose remains unchanged to protect individual liberty and human rights. As a result, the right of habeas corpus in the context of the war on terror continues to be in force and effect.The historical evolution of the writ of habeas corpus  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The historical evolution of habeas corpus can be explained in English and American traditions. Habeas corpus stands for the â€Å"order to bring a person into the custody of the court† (Farbey et al., 2011, p. 1). The origins of habeas corpus refer to the early 13-th century, when the use of habeas corpus was focused on putting an individual to prison rather than to setting free. To put it more exactly, habeas corpus was adopted to ensure the physical presence of an individual in the court at a set time (Farbey et al., 2011; Schultz, 2009).   Historians state that in some situations, it was used to â€Å"signify a command to the sheriff to bring a person accused of a crime before the court† (Farbey et al., 2011, p. 2). At the early stage of the history of habeas corpus, this term was not associated with the idea of individual liberty.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, there were three important medieval writs, which played an important role in the development of the idea of liberty: â€Å"de homine replegiando, mainprize and de odio et atia† (Farbey et al., 2011, p. 3). These writs were applied to special procedures, enabling prisoners to get out on bail. In this case, the court did not give explanation of the cause of imprisonment. So, the legality of imprisonment could be determined in case of habeas corpus.The explanation of the evolution of habeas corpus within the English tradition is based on the adoption of the English common law. According to Sir William Blackstone, an outstanding English lawman, the habeas corpus was first applied by the court in 1305 (Schultz, 2009).   Some other historical evidence shows that it was first recorded by Magna Charta in 1215 (Schultz, 2009). Thus, the original judicial application of the law was in favor of the King as the initial purpose of the habeas writ was to call prisoners to court to testify. The changes in the political environment through the ages influenced the application of the habeas writ (Primus, 2010).   The present purpose of the law is to provide protection against arbitrary detention of individuals by the law enforcement agencies. American tradition includes the general meaning of the right of habeas corpus in the U.S. Constitution and its positive relationship to the protection of other civil liberties and rights.There are many examples from the U.S. history that demonstrate the cases of the suspension of habeas corpus, including the Civil War, the WWI cases. For examp le, in 1862, President Lincoln suspended the habeas writ for persons who were arrested for disloyal practices. The suspension of habeas corpus can be applied to the present situation because of the Constitution’s clauses that authorize the U.S. government to have power in terms of the use of the habeas writ. The Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution refers to the congressional authority, which can be applied to present day cases of war on terrorism. The writ of habeas corpus is still an important component of the law, although the debates surrounding it are still prevalent.Analysis of the relevance of habeas corpus to the contemporary U.S. situation  during the war on terrorAnalyzing the relevance of habeas corpus to the contemporary U.S. situation during the war on terror, it is necessary to assess the impact of the writ on the persons characterized by as enemy combatants or illegal combatants. Due to the writ of habeas, a person can be released from unlawful deten tion. Habeas corpus played an important role the cases that had direct relation to the war on terror not only in the U.S., but also in the United Kingdom, where it was alleged that â€Å"detainees have been held in breach of international human rights law standards† (Duxbury, 2013, p. 85). There are several cases that are relevant to the habeas writ, including Rusul v. Bush (2004), Boumediene v. Bush (2008), and other cases. Military commissions were used to trial detainees. In many cases, prisoners were limited to a ‘single habeas petition† (Slomanson, 2010, p. 544).The U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the right of habeas corpuswith respect to enemy combatants or illegal combatantsThe U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the right of habeas corpus with respect to enemy combatants or illegal combatants can be analyzed by means of the case Boumediene v. Bush, in which the views of the five justices made up the majority. The petitioners in the case were detained foreigners who were withdrawn by the court, violating the Suspension Clause of the Constitution. The 5-4 opinion court decision authored by Justice Kennedy was reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court, holding that the petitioners had a constitutional right to habeas corpus. Besides, the views of the four dissenting justices should be taken into consideration.In general, the writ of habeas can be described as a wartime practice with respect to enemy combatants. However, Americans assisting the enemy during war actions have always been treated as â€Å"traitors subject to criminal process† (Gregory, 2013).Evaluation of four perspectives relating to habeas corpusThe issue regarding habeas corpus has been discussed by the justices of the Supreme Court, leaders in other branches of government, and commentators in both the academic and popular media.The role of the President as Commander-in-Chief  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The role of the President as Commander-in-Chief regarding habeas corpus is based on his constitutional authority to provide protection to the nation and national security in the most suitable manner. It has been found that the President has the right to exercise his Commander-in-Chief authority in â€Å"conjunction with the complete support of Congress† (Gregory, 2013, p. 368).The role of Congress in determining when habeas corpus can be suspended  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The role of Congress in determining when habeas corpus can be suspended is crucial. According to researchers, â€Å"the Suspended Clause of the Constitution allows Congress to suspend the writ of habeas corpus â€Å"in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion† of â€Å"the public safety†¦ requires it† (qtd. in Blum, 2008, p. 99). If the attacks of September 9, 2001 can be viewed an invasion, it is possible to respond to this invasion by suspending the writ (Redish McNamara, 2010).   The threat to the nat ion posed by terrorism can be regarded as invasion, although there is no this occasion in the US Constitution. Nevertheless, Congress has the right and power to suspend habeas corpus as it is the branch of the US government. In the case of Boumediene v. Bush, Congress passed Military Commissions Act of 2006, to address the detention of the foreigners at Guantanamo Bay. This act cannot be viewed as the formal suspension of habeas corpus (Farrell, 2011).The role of the Supreme Court in protecting civil liberties, including the judicial philosophy which should guide the Court in this role  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The U.S. Supreme Court holds that the privilege of habeas corpus permits the prisoner to have an opportunity to show that â€Å"he is being held pursuant to the erroneous application or interpretation of relevant law† (Blum, 2008, p. 90). In the case of Boumediene v. Bush (2008), the foreigners at Guantanamo Bay enjoyed the right of habeas corpus, bri nging their petition to the federal court (Neuman, 2010).   This fact means that foreigners have the right to file habeas corpus petition as the U.S. citizens do. This is a so-called procedural remedyMy personal philosophy, values, or ideology about the balance between civil liberties and national security in the context of an unending war on terror  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I believe that the common laws on terrorism must be flexible, and the law of habeas corpus should be followed. Today the USA is a well-developed country, which has an opportunity to capture a criminal anywhere on the globe.   Besides, the President’s power is effective to deal with war on terrorism. However, I completely agree with Justice Thomas who states that â€Å"the court’s ability to keep up with the president must stay frozen forever† (Gregory, 2013, p. 370). The nature of the common law in the judiciary depends on the presidential wartime powers. The Presidency was adopted by the U.S. Constitution that provides the application of the common law practices, including the writ of habeas corpus. My personal philosophy is based on promoting justice in all spheres of human activity, especially in the judiciary and governance.   I believe there should be the balance between civil liberties and national security in the context of an unending war on terror. In time of war on terror, it is necessary to avoid conflicts which affect national defense.Conclusion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it is necessary to conclude that habeas corpus has always been an important writ aimed at protecting individual liberty from unlawful governmental actions. The major goal of habeas corpus is to keep executive governmental agencies and departments accountable to their judiciary. American national government plays a crucial role in examination of civil liberties in the context of the war on terror. Today the U.S. has to deal with the war on terr orism which often leads to the problems connected with striking a balance between individual liberty rights and national security. The right of habeas corpus in the context of the war on terror should continue to be in force and effect.

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary Book Summary

The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary Book Summary The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary is an illustrated account of the making of the movie by series author. Jeff Kinney provides a behind the scenes look at the casting and making of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, as well as its relationship to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, the first book in the series. Highlights Kinney then recounts the differing viewpoints of Hollywood executives on what the movie should be like, the initial drafts of the script and the hiring of the director. He describes the search for the perfect young actors to portray Greg and his friend Rowley and their screen test. Kinney includes sketches and essays by the young actors about the character each was to portray, which provide insight as to what they thought about their characters. Author Jeff Kinney and His Books Diary of a Wimpy KidDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick RulesDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly TruthDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin FeverDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book

Thursday, November 21, 2019

E-marketing Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-marketing Strategies - Essay Example The advent of the internet and the increasing familiarity of the same among people have opened up a new window of marketing. Today, manufacturers and companies are increasingly using the online mode of communication to connect to the customers. This has led to a new field of marketing which is defined as the e-marketing. E-marketing is different from the traditional models of marketing in quite a number of ways. In simple terms, this mode of marketing uses the internet as the basic platform to reach the target customers. The inherent advantages of e-marketing lies in the fact that the marketing team can directly interact with the end user. This empowers them to modify and improve the changes needed that might be instrumental in providing the customer with desires satisfaction. The most appealing attribute of the e-marketing techniques lies in the ability to utilise a limited amount of space in the most optimum way. A physical advertisement can be used only to inform the customer about the product and the offering. In the virtual domain, an advertisement can be used to inform a customer as well as entice him to purchase the product if he so desires by providing an option to click on the icon of the advertisement. The internet is also potentially equipped to provide a single point contact between marketers and the customers. The distribution costs come down drastically by using this medium. A company can monitor the buying behaviour of the customers. This is particularly helpful while analysing the consumer behaviour of the customers. From the customer's point of view, they are facilitated as far as convenience of contact is concerned. The marketers and sellers are just a click away. There is a significant reduction in travelling costs of the customers. E-marketing is a field of revolution that has brought the entire market into a small screen in front of the customer. Online Marketing In the competitive world of today, the most crucial factor which plays the deciding role for a consumer is the availability of the required information at the right time. The traditional methods of communication for a business seem to be not enough. The advertisements through newspapers, magazines or journals and other traditional forms lack the personal touch. There are number of newspapers being published and it is not possible for every one to go through all the newspaper or other form of print media. Therefore, there is every possibility that the intended customer might not view the advertisement. Also, this form of advertisement suffers from the very important consideration of market reach. As print media or other forms of traditional media is able to cater only a few handful of customers. Advertisement through television is also confined to a customer base of certain geography. So, to overcome all these hindrances the online marketing is believed to be the appropriate source. With online marketing in place, any interested person might satisfy his query just with a click. There are a few proven way to market online. At the very outset, the company requires to have a

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

How Can Facebook Be Good for Business Research Paper

How Can Facebook Be Good for Business - Research Paper Example This paper will discuss how Facebook can be good for businesses. This will also analyze the scope of marketing activities in this new age of online branding. Facebook provides users with a common platform to express their views and share their opinions easily so as to significantly take part in the social formation process. As compared to traditional promotion techniques, companies obtain a great pool of audience while marketing through the Facebook channel. In other words, firms can cheaply advertise their products and services to people across the globe using Facebook. In contrast to conventional promotion techniques, Facebook-based promotion assists companies to collect customer feedbacks regarding various product/service instantly. Today all successful companies have a well maintained Facebook page and they keep their pages updated in order to be in good touch with customers. Market analysts point out that Facebook is very helpful for companies in dealing with brand positioning i n the current business environment. Modern people spend more time browsing the internet, particularly Facebook rather than watching television. Therefore, TV ads would be less effective (in terms of cost and productivity) today. The most fascinating advantage of Facebook-based brand positioning is that it significantly benefits businesses to cut down their operating costs while achieving the planned benefits quickly. To illustrate, an organization can very cheaply maintain a Facebook page and develop its followers’ group as there is no extra charge for doing so. According to Schivinski and Dabrowski, with the emergence of Facebook, communication with customers has become an easy task for organizations and this situation, in turn, drives the formation of timely and potential operational strategies. Undoubtedly, most of the marketing managers will agree that a notable percent of their new business comes from existing customers. In the opinion of Lynn and Davis, mouth publicity is the most powerful tool of advertising because consumers are the ones who can best evaluate a product/service. It is evident that Facebook provides users with extensive exposure to discover and share information and this feature of social media contributes to the feasibility of ‘word of mouth referrals’. The Guardian reports that â€Å"there are more than 3.2 billion likes and comments posted to Facebook every day, many of those to the 37m brand pages†. It directly reflects the unimaginable scope of Facebook-based brand promotion. Since a company’s Facebook page will reflect its business and what it stands for, the management must pay higher attention to creating and maintaining its brand page. To illustrate, the firm may set a cover photo that depicts the essence of its brand and quality of products/services offered. Firms can include the â€Å"find us on Facebook† option on its website, emails, and newsletters in order to encourage its existing customers to like the firm’s brand page. Hence, the company gets a huge group of existing and prospective customers subscribed to its brand page.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC Essay Example for Free

The Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC Essay In this passage, there is a recollection of the Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC. Using this historic event, the passage attempts to criticize colonialism for its cruelty. By eloquently undermining the justifications of colonialism, Conrad manages to effectively critique it and its ironic nature. Through the use of light and dark imagery, the cyclic nature of colonialism and distortion of time, the readers are enlightened with an enhanced understanding of Conrads critique. Imagery of light and darkness in the passage serve to emphasize the extent of Roman heroism while as the same time implicate the savage roots from which England has developed. As Marlow says, Light came out of this river since you say knights?, the readers sense an immediate praise of the Romans warriors. As well, he says that darkness was here yesterday, as he ponders of the feelings of a commander of a fine [] trireme in the Mediterranean, ordered suddenly to the north; run overland across the Gauls. Through this, Conrad manages to undermine the English. He described the Roman soldiers as lost in a wilderness, and describes England, this wilderness, with words such as: cold, fog, tempest, disease, exile, and death. The savagery of the British is made apparent through Marlows depiction. The juxtaposition of savage England and colonialism effectively strips away the Britishs justification for their colonizing acts. The cyclic nature of colonialism is explored throughout the passage. It begins with the imagery of the Romans, a wonderful lot of handy men that attempted to survive the awful climate and overcome the savage Thames River. This implies the nature of British themselves. From living in a wild and disgusting environment, they themselves have the same quality. Conrad augments the savage roots form which the British originated. Thus, Marlow speaks in an ironic tone as colonialism is presented in a way to appear hypocritical as it was the people who were colonized are now the ones colonizing. Through the cyclic nature of colonialism, Conrad manages to critique it for its irony and hypocrisy At the very beginning of the passage, Marlow says, I was thinking of very old times, when the Romans first came here nineteen hundred years ago the other day. Time takes on a distorted reality. As the passage begins with the blurring of nineteen hundred years ago and the other day, an overall sense of ambiguity of time is given to the passage. The readers are unable to make a differentiation between the time periods; therefore the two acts of colonialism are simultaneous and assimilated. The readers acknowledge the absurdity as the British act as both a colonizer and the colonized. Using the omission of time, Conrad creates a hypocritical undertone through the passage. Overall, this passage effectively undermines the justification of colonialism and allows the readers to see the irony and hypocrisy on which it is based upon. Through light and dark imagery, the Romans are praised for their bravery while the British are portrayed as savages. The cyclic nature of colonialism helps Conrad augment his critique on criticism. And finally, the omission of time allows the passage to have an effective ironic tone to convey Conrads opinion. The combination of the 3 expresses the absurdity in colonialism.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Hamlet - Shakespeares Ophelia as Modern Icon Essay -- Hamlet essays

Hamlet - Shakespeare's Ophelia as Modern Icon Shakespeare's Ophelia is not lacking in attention. As one of Shakespeare's most popular female characters she has enjoyed many appellations from the bard. '"Fair Ophelia." "Most beautified Ophelia." "Pretty Ophelia." "Sweet Ophelia." "Dear Ophelia." "Beautiful Ophelia†¦sweet maid†¦poor wretch." "Poor Ophelia."' (Vest 1) All of these names for Ophelia can be found in Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Since Shakespeare's incarnation of Ophelia many have felt the need to offer their opinions of Ophelia as a character. '"Poor wispy Ophelia." "Devastated and emotionally exhausted Ophelia." "Pensive, fair-haired, blue-eyed daughter of the north." "Ophelia the young, the beauteous, the harmless, the pious." "Clumsy Ophelia†¦open-hearted but light-brained†¦incapable either of understanding or of curing." "A weak creature, wanting in truthfulness, in purpose, in force of character, and only interesting when she loses the little wits she had."' (Vest 1 ) These are only a few of the hundreds. For a character that only appears in five of the 20 scenes in Hamlet, Ophelia has garnered a great deal of attention from analysts, critics, artists, actresses, fiction writers, psychologists, and adolescent girls alike. Readers are consistently struck by her character that seems relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Ophelia is many times viewed as only important in relation to Hamlet and the effect she has on him. Ophelia is not just important in this respect, but also in respect to what she tells us about the society she came out of and the society we live in today. First analyzing Shakespeare and his precursors then concentrating on the modern day prominence of ... ...s Write About Their Search For Self. New York: Harper Collins, 1999. Vest, James M. The French Face of Ophelia from Belleforest to Baudelaire. Lanham: University Press of America, 1989. Appendix 1 "Ophelia's Legs (Voyeur in a Small Town)" From Dead Snakes, Cats and the IRS, Poetry of Rock and Rebellion I watch eyes thinking of an old free man's story, seeing slanted gilts of light cat-backed mountains bristling in the distance there is an Ophelia's legs softer than blood in the trail she's unfolded toward crossed by dove's flight and spider tip-toeing- the angle determines what will notice- each's earth fingers reach through as quietly as they must be found. I see this woman, her lovers, some have been mine. The days damn here, filigreed as hair or knowing -Theresa Courtney Gillespie

Monday, November 11, 2019

Angels Demons Chapter 74-79

74 Langdon saw what he was looking for a good ten yards before they reached it. Through the scattered tourists, the white marble ellipse of Bernini's West Ponente stood out against the gray granite cubes that made up the rest of the piazza. Vittoria apparently saw it too. Her hand tensed. â€Å"Relax,† Langdon whispered. â€Å"Do your piranha thing.† Vittoria loosened her grip. As they drew nearer, everything seemed forbiddingly normal. Tourists wandered, nuns chatted along the perimeter of the piazza, a girl fed pigeons at the base of the obelisk. Langdon refrained from checking his watch. He knew it was almost time. The elliptical stone arrived beneath their feet, and Langdon and Vittoria slowed to a stop – not overeagerly – just two tourists pausing dutifully at a point of mild interest. â€Å"West Ponente,† Vittoria said, reading the inscription on the stone. Langdon gazed down at the marble relief and felt suddenly naive. Not in his art books, not in his numerous trips to Rome, not ever had West Ponente's significance jumped out at him. Not until now. The relief was elliptical, about three feet long, and carved with a rudimentary face – a depiction of the West Wind as an angel-like countenance. Gusting from the angel's mouth, Bernini had drawn a powerful breath of air blowing outward away from the Vatican†¦ the breath of God. This was Bernini's tribute to the second element†¦ Air†¦ an ethereal zephyr blown from angel's lips. As Langdon stared, he realized the significance of the relief went deeper still. Bernini had carved the air in five distinct gusts†¦ five! What was more, flanking the medallion were two shining stars. Langdon thought of Galileo. Two stars, five gusts, ellipses, symmetry†¦ He felt hollow. His head hurt. Vittoria began walking again almost immediately, leading Langdon away from the relief. â€Å"I think someone's following us,† she said. Langdon looked up. â€Å"Where?† Vittoria moved a good thirty yards before speaking. She pointed up at the Vatican as if showing Langdon something on the dome. â€Å"The same person has been behind us all the way across the square.† Casually, Vittoria glanced over her shoulder. â€Å"Still on us. Keep moving.† â€Å"You think it's the Hassassin?† Vittoria shook her head. â€Å"Not unless the Illuminati hires women with BBC cameras.† When the bells of St. Peter's began their deafening clamor, both Langdon and Vittoria jumped. It was time. They had circled away from West Ponente in an attempt to lose the reporter but were now moving back toward the relief. Despite the clanging bells, the area seemed perfectly calm. Tourists wandered. A homeless drunk dozed awkwardly at the base of the obelisk. A little girl fed pigeons. Langdon wondered if the reporter had scared the killer off. Doubtful, he decided, recalling the killer's promise. I will make your cardinals media luminaries. As the echo of the ninth bell faded away, a peaceful silence descended across the square. Then†¦ the little girl began to scream. 75 Langdon was the first to reach the screaming girl. The terrified youngster stood frozen, pointing at the base of the obelisk where a shabby, decrepit drunk sat slumped on the stairs. The man was a miserable sight†¦ apparently one of Rome's homeless. His gray hair hung in greasy strands in front of his face, and his entire body was wrapped in some sort of dirty cloth. The girl kept screaming as she scampered off into the crowd. Langdon felt an upsurge of dread as he dashed toward the invalid. There was a dark, widening stain spreading across the man's rags. Fresh, flowing blood. Then, it was as if everything happened at once. The old man seemed to crumple in the middle, tottering forward. Langdon lunged, but he was too late. The man pitched forward, toppled off the stairs, and hit the pavement facedown. Motionless. Langdon dropped to his knees. Vittoria arrived beside him. A crowd was gathering. Vittoria put her fingers on the man's throat from behind. â€Å"There's a pulse,† she declared. â€Å"Roll him.† Langdon was already in motion. Grasping the man's shoulders, he rolled the body. As he did, the loose rags seemed to slough away like dead flesh. The man flopped limp onto his back. Dead center of his naked chest was a wide area of charred flesh. Vittoria gasped and pulled back. Langdon felt paralyzed, pinned somewhere between nausea and awe. The symbol had a terrifying simplicity to it. Angels & Demons â€Å"Air,† Vittoria choked. â€Å"It's†¦ him.† Swiss Guards appeared from out of nowhere, shouting orders, racing after an unseen assassin. Nearby, a tourist explained that only minutes ago, a dark-skinned man had been kind enough to help this poor, wheezing, homeless man across the square†¦ even sitting a moment on the stairs with the invalid before disappearing back into the crowd. Vittoria ripped the rest of the rags off the man's abdomen. He had two deep puncture wounds, one on either side of the brand, just below his rib cage. She cocked the man's head back and began to administer mouth to mouth. Langdon was not prepared for what happened next. As Vittoria blew, the wounds on either side of the man's midsection hissed and sprayed blood into the air like blowholes on a whale. The salty liquid hit Langdon in the face. Vittoria stopped short, looking horrified. â€Å"His lungs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she stammered. â€Å"They're†¦ punctured.† Langdon wiped his eyes as he looked down at the two perforations. The holes gurgled. The cardinal's lungs were destroyed. He was gone. Vittoria covered the body as the Swiss Guards moved in. Langdon stood, disoriented. As he did, he saw her. The woman who had been following them earlier was crouched nearby. Her BBC video camera was shouldered, aimed, and running. She and Langdon locked eyes, and he knew she'd gotten it all. Then, like a cat, she bolted. 76 Chinita Macri was on the run. She had the story of her life. Her video camera felt like an anchor as she lumbered across St. Peter's Square, pushing through the gathering crowd. Everyone seemed to be moving in the opposite direction than her†¦ toward the commotion. Macri was trying to get as far away as possible. The man in the tweed jacket had seen her, and now she sensed others were after her, men she could not see, closing in from all sides. Macri was still aghast from the images she had just recorded. She wondered if the dead man was really who she feared he was. Glick's mysterious phone contact suddenly seemed a little less crazy. As she hurried in the direction of the BBC van, a young man with a decidedly militaristic air emerged from the crowd before her. Their eyes met, and they both stopped. Like lightning, he raised a walkie-talkie and spoke into it. Then he moved toward her. Macri wheeled and doubled back into the crowd, her heart pounding. As she stumbled through the mass of arms and legs, she removed the spent video cassette from her camera. Cellulose gold, she thought, tucking the tape under her belt flush to her backside and letting her coat tails cover it. For once she was glad she carried some extra weight. Glick, where the hell are you! Another soldier appeared to her left, closing in. Macri knew she had little time. She banked into the crowd again. Yanking a blank cartridge from her case, she slapped it into the camera. Then she prayed. She was thirty yards from the BBC van when the two men materialized directly in front of her, arms folded. She was going nowhere. â€Å"Film,† one snapped. â€Å"Now.† Macri recoiled, wrapping her arms protectively around her camera. â€Å"No chance.† One of the men pulled aside his jacket, revealing a sidearm. â€Å"So shoot me,† Macri said, amazed by the boldness of her voice. â€Å"Film,† the first one repeated. Where the devil is Glick? Macri stamped her foot and yelled as loudly as possible, â€Å"I am a professional videographer with the BBC! By Article 12 of the Free Press Act, this film is property of the British Broadcast Corporation!† The men did not flinch. The one with the gun took a step toward her. â€Å"I am a lieutenant with the Swiss Guard, and by the Holy Doctrine governing the property on which you are now standing, you are subject to search and seizure.† A crowd had started to gather now around them. Macri yelled, â€Å"I will not under any circumstances give you the film in this camera without speaking to my editor in London. I suggest you – â€Å" The guards ended it. One yanked the camera out of her hands. The other forcibly grabbed her by the arm and twisted her in the direction of the Vatican. â€Å"Grazie,† he said, leading her through a jostling crowd. Macri prayed they would not search her and find the tape. If she could somehow protect the film long enough to – Suddenly, the unthinkable happened. Someone in the crowd was groping under her coat. Macri felt the video yanked away from her. She wheeled, but swallowed her words. Behind her, a breathless Gunther Glick gave her a wink and dissolved back into the crowd. 77 Robert Langdon staggered into the private bathroom adjoining the Office of the Pope. He dabbed the blood from his face and lips. The blood was not his own. It was that of Cardinal Lamasse, who had just died horribly in the crowded square outside the Vatican. Virgin sacrifices on the altars of science. So far, the Hassassin had made good on his threat. Langdon felt powerless as he gazed into the mirror. His eyes were drawn, and stubble had begun to darken his cheeks. The room around him was immaculate and lavish – black marble with gold fixtures, cotton towels, and scented hand soaps. Langdon tried to rid his mind of the bloody brand he had just seen. Air. The image stuck. He had witnessed three ambigrams since waking up this morning†¦ and he knew there were two more coming. Outside the door, it sounded as if Olivetti, the camerlegno, and Captain Rocher were debating what to do next. Apparently, the antimatter search had turned up nothing so far. Either the guards had missed the canister, or the intruder had gotten deeper inside the Vatican than Commander Olivetti had been willing to entertain. Langdon dried his hands and face. Then he turned and looked for a urinal. No urinal. Just a bowl. He lifted the lid. As he stood there, tension ebbing from his body, a giddy wave of exhaustion shuddered through his core. The emotions knotting his chest were so many, so incongruous. He was fatigued, running on no food or sleep, walking the Path of Illumination, traumatized by two brutal murders. Langdon felt a deepening horror over the possible outcome of this drama. Think, he told himself. His mind was blank. As he flushed, an unexpected realization hit him. This is the Pope's toilet, he thought. I just took a leak in the Pope's toilet. He had to chuckle. The Holy Throne. 78 In London, a BBC technician ejected a video cassette from a satellite receiver unit and dashed across the control room floor. She burst into the office of the editor-in-chief, slammed the video into his VCR, and pressed play. As the tape rolled, she told him about the conversation she had just had with Gunther Glick in Vatican City. In addition, BBC photo archives had just given her a positive ID on the victim in St. Peter's Square. When the editor-in-chief emerged from his office, he was ringing a cowbell. Everything in editorial stopped. â€Å"Live in five!† the man boomed. â€Å"On-air talent to prep! Media coordinators, I want your contacts on line! We've got a story we're selling! And we've got film!† The market coordinators grabbed their Rolodexes. â€Å"Film specs!† one of them yelled. â€Å"Thirty-second trim,† the chief replied. â€Å"Content?† â€Å"Live homicide.† The coordinators looked encouraged. â€Å"Usage and licensing price?† â€Å"A million U.S. per.† Heads shot up. â€Å"What!† â€Å"You heard me! I want top of the food chain. CNN, MSNBC, then the big three! Offer a dial-in preview. Give them five minutes to piggyback before BBC runs it.† â€Å"What the hell happened?† someone demanded. â€Å"The prime minister get skinned alive?† The chief shook his head. â€Å"Better.† At that exact instant, somewhere in Rome, the Hassassin enjoyed a fleeting moment of repose in a comfortable chair. He admired the legendary chamber around him. I am sitting in the Church of Illumination, he thought. The Illuminati lair. He could not believe it was still here after all of these centuries. Dutifully, he dialed the BBC reporter to whom he had spoken earlier. It was time. The world had yet to hear the most shocking news of all. 79 Vittoria Vetra sipped a glass of water and nibbled absently at some tea scones just set out by one of the Swiss Guards. She knew she should eat, but she had no appetite. The Office of the Pope was bustling now, echoing with tense conversations. Captain Rocher, Commander Olivetti, and half a dozen guards assessed the damage and debated the next move. Robert Langdon stood nearby staring out at St. Peter's Square. He looked dejected. Vittoria walked over. â€Å"Ideas?† He shook his head. â€Å"Scone?† His mood seemed to brighten at the sight of food. â€Å"Hell yes. Thanks.† He ate voraciously. The conversation behind them went quiet suddenly when two Swiss Guards escorted Camerlegno Ventresca through the door. If the chamberlain had looked drained before, Vittoria thought, now he looked empty. â€Å"What happened?† the camerlegno said to Olivetti. From the look on the camerlegno's face, he appeared to have already been told the worst of it. Olivetti's official update sounded like a battlefield casualty report. He gave the facts with flat efficacy. â€Å"Cardinal Ebner was found dead in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo just after eight o'clock. He had been suffocated and branded with the ambigrammatic word ‘Earth.' Cardinal Lamasse was murdered in St. Peter's Square ten minutes ago. He died of perforations to the chest. He was branded with the word ‘Air,' also ambigrammatic. The killer escaped in both instances.† The camerlegno crossed the room and sat heavily behind the Pope's desk. He bowed his head. â€Å"Cardinals Guidera and Baggia, however, are still alive.† The camerlegno's head shot up, his expression pained. â€Å"This is our consolation? Two cardinals have been murdered, commander. And the other two will obviously not be alive much longer unless you find them.† â€Å"We will find them,† Olivetti assured. â€Å"I am encouraged.† â€Å"Encouraged? We've had nothing but failure.† â€Å"Untrue. We've lost two battles, signore, but we're winning the war. The Illuminati had intended to turn this evening into a media circus. So far we have thwarted their plan. Both cardinals' bodies have been recovered without incident. In addition,† Olivetti continued, â€Å"Captain Rocher tells me he is making excellent headway on the antimatter search.† Captain Rocher stepped forward in his red beret. Vittoria thought he looked more human somehow than the other guards – stern but not so rigid. Rocher's voice was emotional and crystalline, like a violin. â€Å"I am hopeful we will have the canister for you within an hour, signore.† â€Å"Captain,† the camerlegno said, â€Å"excuse me if I seem less than hopeful, but I was under the impression that a search of Vatican City would take far more time than we have.† â€Å"A full search, yes. However, after assessing the situation, I am confident the antimatter canister is located in one of our white zones – those Vatican sectors accessible to public tours – the museums and St. Peter's Basilica, for example. We have already killed power in those zones and are conducting our scan.† â€Å"You intend to search only a small percentage of Vatican City?† â€Å"Yes, signore. It is highly unlikely that an intruder gained access to the inner zones of Vatican City. The fact that the missing security camera was stolen from a public access area – a stairwell in one of the museums – clearly implies that the intruder had limited access. Therefore he would only have been able to relocate the camera and antimatter in another public access area. It is these areas on which we are focusing our search.† â€Å"But the intruder kidnapped four cardinals. That certainly implies deeper infiltration than we thought.† â€Å"Not necessarily. We must remember that the cardinals spent much of today in the Vatican museums and St. Peter's Basilica, enjoying those areas without the crowds. It is probable that the missing cardinals were taken in one of these areas.† â€Å"But how were they removed from our walls?† â€Å"We are still assessing that.† â€Å"I see.† The camerlegno exhaled and stood up. He walked over to Olivetti. â€Å"Commander, I would like to hear your contingency plan for evacuation.† â€Å"We are still formalizing that, signore. In the meantime, I am faithful Captain Rocher will find the canister.† Rocher clicked his boots as if in appreciation of the vote of confidence. â€Å"My men have already scanned two-thirds of the white zones. Confidence is high.† The camerlegno did not appear to share that confidence. At that moment the guard with a scar beneath one eye came through the door carrying a clipboard and a map. He strode toward Langdon. â€Å"Mr. Langdon? I have the information you requested on the West Ponente.† Langdon swallowed his scone. â€Å"Good. Let's have a look.† The others kept talking while Vittoria joined Robert and the guard as they spread out the map on the Pope's desk. The soldier pointed to St. Peter's Square. â€Å"This is where we are. The central line of West Ponente's breath points due east, directly away from Vatican City.† The guard traced a line with his finger from St. Peter's Square across the Tiber River and up into the heart of old Rome. â€Å"As you can see, the line passes through almost all of Rome. There are about twenty Catholic churches that fall near this line.† Langdon slumped. â€Å"Twenty?† â€Å"Maybe more.† â€Å"Do any of the churches fall directly on the line?† â€Å"Some look closer than others,† the guard said, â€Å"but translating the exact bearing of the West Ponente onto a map leaves margin for error.† Langdon looked out at St. Peter's Square a moment. Then he scowled, stroking his chin. â€Å"How about fire? Any of them have Bernini artwork that has to do with fire?† Silence. â€Å"How about obelisks?† he demanded. â€Å"Are any of the churches located near obelisks?† The guard began checking the map. Vittoria saw a glimmer of hope in Langdon's eyes and realized what he was thinking. He's right! The first two markers had been located on or near piazzas that contained obelisks! Maybe obelisks were a theme? Soaring pyramids marking the Illuminati path? The more Vittoria thought about it, the more perfect it seemed†¦ four towering beacons rising over Rome to mark the altars of science. â€Å"It's a long shot,† Langdon said, â€Å"but I know that many of Rome's obelisks were erected or moved during Bernini's reign. He was no doubt involved in their placement.† â€Å"Or,† Vittoria added, â€Å"Bernini could have placed his markers near existing obelisks.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"True.† â€Å"Bad news,† the guard said. â€Å"No obelisks on the line.† He traced his finger across the map. â€Å"None even remotely close. Nothing.† Langdon sighed. Vittoria's shoulders slumped. She'd thought it was a promising idea. Apparently, this was not going to be as easy as they'd hoped. She tried to stay positive. â€Å"Robert, think. You must know of a Bernini statue relating to fire. Anything at all.† â€Å"Believe me, I've been thinking. Bernini was incredibly prolific. Hundreds of works. I was hoping West Ponente would point to a single church. Something that would ring a bell.† â€Å"Fuco,† she pressed. â€Å"Fire. No Bernini titles jump out?† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"There's his famous sketches of Fireworks, but they're not sculpture, and they're in Leipzig, Germany.† Vittoria frowned. â€Å"And you're sure the breath is what indicates the direction?† â€Å"You saw the relief, Vittoria. The design was totally symmetrical. The only indication of bearing was the breath.† Vittoria knew he was right. â€Å"Not to mention,† he added, â€Å"because the West Ponente signifies Air, following the breath seems symbolically appropriate.† Vittoria nodded. So we follow the breath. But where? Olivetti came over. â€Å"What have you got?† â€Å"Too many churches,† the soldier said. â€Å"Two dozen or so. I suppose we could put four men on each church – â€Å" â€Å"Forget it,† Olivetti said. â€Å"We missed this guy twice when we knew exactly where he was going to be. A mass stakeout means leaving Vatican City unprotected and canceling the search.† â€Å"We need a reference book,† Vittoria said. â€Å"An index of Bernini's work. If we can scan titles, maybe something will jump out.† â€Å"I don't know,† Langdon said. â€Å"If it's a work Bernini created specifically for the Illuminati, it may be very obscure. It probably won't be listed in a book.† Vittoria refused to believe it. â€Å"The other two sculptures were fairly well-known. You'd heard of them both.† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"If we scan titles for references to the word ‘fire,' maybe we'll find a statue that's listed as being in the right direction.† Langdon seemed convinced it was worth a shot. He turned to Olivetti. â€Å"I need a list of all Bernini's work. You guys probably don't have a coffee-table Bernini book around here, do you?† â€Å"Coffee-table book?† Olivetti seemed unfamiliar with the term. â€Å"Never mind. Any list. How about the Vatican Museum? They must have Bernini references.† The guard with the scar frowned. â€Å"Power in the museum is out, and the records room is enormous. Without the staff there to help – â€Å" â€Å"The Bernini work in question,† Olivetti interrupted. â€Å"Would it have been created while Bernini was employed here at the Vatican?† â€Å"Almost definitely,† Langdon said. â€Å"He was here almost his entire career. And certainly during the time period of the Galileo conflict.† Olivetti nodded. â€Å"Then there's another reference.† Vittoria felt a flicker of optimism. â€Å"Where?† The commander did not reply. He took his guard aside and spoke in hushed tones. The guard seemed uncertain but nodded obediently. When Olivetti was finished talking, the guard turned to Langdon. â€Å"This way please, Mr. Langdon. It's nine-fifteen. We'll have to hurry.† Langdon and the guard headed for the door. Vittoria started after them. â€Å"I'll help.† Olivetti caught her by the arm. â€Å"No, Ms. Vetra. I need a word with you.† His grasp was authoritative. Langdon and the guard left. Olivetti's face was wooden as he took Vittoria aside. But whatever it was Olivetti had intended to say to her, he never got the chance. His walkie-talkie crackled loudly. â€Å"Commandante?† Everyone in the room turned. The voice on the transmitter was grim. â€Å"I think you better turn on the television.†

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Company Policy for S-S Technology

Recruitment Policy Purpose To ensure that required staffs are appointed at required interval for S-S Technology. Responsibility Relevant department manager shall responsible to submit staff requisition form upon staff requirement. HER manager shall review and arrange for recruitment as per requested Information. Procedure When staff requirement request from concerned department manager who shall complete the staff requisition form and submit to HER. HER shall review and take approval from management for initiating recruitment process.HER shall make vacancy announcement as appropriate ways such as Journals, newspaper, notices, etc and collect applicant's C.V.. HER manager shall review collected C.V. and inform to applicants as appropriate ways for Interview. Interviewee or candidate shall fill application Issued by their selves. HER shall conduct the Interview and make decision for appointment for interview. HER. Related manager and GM shall make interview for selected candidates. HER shall submit to management to get approval of new appointment. After selected candidate, HER shall fill record, personal data, and agreement on S-S Technology rules.HER shall explain to new staff the S-S Technology rules detail and other requirements. Provisional period shall be defined as three months but It can be varied based on the assessment of department manager. If the performance of staff is found to be satisfactory after provisional period, department manager shall inform to HER for permanently appointment by appropriate way. HER manager shall issue permanent appointment letter after getting approval from management and inform to finance. HER staff shall keep all records of Taft in personnel data files.References ; Employee Requisition, Application Form, Interview Assessment Form, Request for Medical Test Form, Appointment Letter, Evaluation of New Employee's Job Performance, Permanent Letter, Personal data(C.V.),.. Etc. Performance Appraisal Policy The purpose is to give each employee to know how their performance, behavior and potential are evaluated by manager to improve confidence, to provide improvement of work performance. Responsibility Department manager Is responsible for analyzing competency of responsible staff heir performance in yearly basis.MD/GM is responsible to make performance evaluation for managers. Requirements For manager level – MD/GM shall conduct performance evaluation of managers and above level. – For below manger level – Department manger shall conduct performance evaluation and submit appraisal form to HER. – HER manager shall review and compile proposed comments from appraisal and discuss with MM/ Managers to proceed for improvement. HER manager is responsible to review appraisal outcomes in order to provide necessary training program or provision or resources. –HER manager and related manager shall discuss to upgrade skills of employee and to determine training needs including resource requirements on yearly basis. References Performance Appraisal, Master Skills Matrix. Training Policy To ensure staff are competent to perform their task and ensure to provide necessary training at requested interval. Responsibility HER is responsible to prepare and arrange the training plan after getting approval from management. Department manager is responsible to evaluate their staff competency and communicate with HER for arranging required training.Procedure HER manager shall prepare the training plan based on training requests from department managers and take approval from management. Upon requirement of training, department manager shall fill the nominations for training course and submit to HER. HER shall submit to management for getting approval from management. HER manager and related manager shall arrange the training requirements at requested time. After training is completed, HER manager shall keep the training records such as nomination, record list, course register , evaluations.Trainee and trainer evaluation shall be made to training to get effectiveness of training evaluation as reference. The related manager shall provide the provisional or on Job training defined by managers. Training certificate, if applicable and personal training record shall be updated by HER staff and keep in each relevant personal file. References : Training Request Form, Training Plan Form, Training Record List, Training Course Register, Training Evaluation (trainer), Training Evaluation (trainee), Personal Training Record.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

11 Pieces of Career Advice No One Tells You

11 Pieces of Career Advice No One Tells You Most people have decent jobs. They get up in the morning, grind out their 9-5, head home, and then do it all over again the next day. There’s nothing wrong with simply having a job. You need a job for food, clothes, shelter, etc. But if you’re someone that is looking for something more , and you’re stuck in a 9-5 rut, then you’re probably not happy with just having a job.You’ve probably noticed videos all over your social media showcasing successful people talking about their passion and how that connects to their success.For instance, successful people like Warren Buffet believe that the key to success is finding your passion. And while that may sound cliche and cheesy, we should remember that these people get up every morning, excited for the day. They look at every day as a new opportunity to affect thousands of people through their work. Clearly, these people are onto something.Here is what they understand that the average person doesn’t. Â  Source: [medium.com]

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Battle of Cowpens in the American Revolution

Battle of Cowpens in the American Revolution The Battle of Cowpens was fought January 17, 1781  during the American Revolution (1775-1783) and saw American forces win one of their most tactically decisive victories of the conflict. In late 1780, British commander Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis sought to conquer the Carolinas and destroy Major General Nathanael Greenes small American army in the region. As he retreated north Greene directed Brigadier General Daniel Morgan to a take a force west to raise morale in the region and find supplies. Pursued by the aggressive  Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, Morgan made a stand in a pasture area known as the Cowpens. Correctly assessing his opponents reckless nature, Morgans men conducted a double envelopment of the British and effectively destroyed Tarletons command. Background After taking command of the battered American army in the South, Major General Nathanael Greene divided his forces in December 1780. While Greene led one wing of the army towards supplies at Cheraw, SC, the other, commanded by Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, moved to locate additional supplies for the army and stir up support in the back country. Aware the Greene had split his forces, Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis dispatched an 1,100-man force under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton to destroy Morgans command. A bold leader, Tarleton was notorious for atrocities committed by his men at earlier engagements including the Battle of Waxhaws.   Riding out with a mixed force of cavalry and infantry, Tarleton pursued Morgan into northwestern South Carolina. A veteran of the wars early Canadian campaigns and a hero of the Battle of Saratoga, Morgan was a gifted leader who knew how to obtain the best from his men. Rallying his command in a pastureland known as the Cowpens, Morgan devised a cunning plan to defeat Tarleton. Possessing a varied force of Continentals, militia, and cavalry, Morgan chose Cowpens as it was between the Broad and Pacolet Rivers which cut off his lines of retreat. Armies Commanders American Brigadier General Daniel Morgan1,000 men British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton1,100 men Morgans Plan While opposite to traditional military thinking, the Morgan knew his militia would fight harder and be less inclined to flee if their lines of retreat were removed. For the battle, Morgan placed his reliable Continental infantry, led by Colonel John Eager Howard, on the slope of a hill. This position was between a ravine and a stream which would prevent Tarleton from moving around his flanks. In front of the Continentals, Morgan formed a line of militia under Colonel Andrew Pickens. Forward of these two lines was a select group of 150 skirmishers. Lieutenant Colonel William Washingtons cavalry (around 110 men) was placed out of sight behind the hill. Morgans plan for the battle called for the skirmishers to engage Tarletons men before falling back. Knowing that the militia was unreliable in combat, he asked that they fire two volleys before retreating behind the hill. Having been engaged by the first two lines, Tarleton would be forced to attack uphill against Howards veteran troops. Once Tarleton was sufficiently weakened, the Americans would switch over to the attack. Tarleton Attacks Breaking camp at 2:00 AM on January 17, Tarleton pressed on to the Cowpens. Spotting Morgans troops, he immediately formed his men for battle despite the fact they had received little food or sleep in the preceding two days. Placing his infantry in the center, with cavalry on the flanks, Tarleton ordered his men forward with a force of dragoons in lead.  Encountering the American skirmishers, the dragoons took casualties and withdrew. Pushing forward his infantry, Tarleton continued  taking losses but was able to force the skirmishers back. Retreating as planned, the skirmishers kept firing as they withdrew. Pressing on, the British engaged Pickens militia who fired their two volleys and promptly fell back around the hill. Believing the Americans were in full retreat, Tarleton ordered his men forward against the Continentals (Map). Morgans Victory Ordering the 71st Highlanders to attack the American right, Tarleton sought to sweep the Americans from the field. Seeing this movement, Howard directed a force of Virginia militia supporting his Continentals to turn to meet the attack. Misunderstanding the order, the militia instead began withdrawing. Driving forward to exploit this, the British broke formation and then were stunned when the militia promptly stopped, turned, and opened fire on them. Unleashing a devastating volley at a range of about thirty yards, the Americans brought Tarletons advance to a halt. Their volley complete, Howards line drew bayonets and charged the British supported by rifle fire from Virginia and Georgia militia. Their advance stopped,the British were stunned when Washingtons cavalry rode round the hill and struck their right flank.While this was occurring, Pickens militia re-entered the fray from the left, completing a 360-degree march around the hill (Map). Caught in a classic double envelopment and stunned by their circumstances, nearly half of Tarletons command ceased fighting and fell to the ground. With his right and center collapsing, Tarleton gathered his cavalry reserve, his British Legion, and rode into the fray against the American horsemen. Unable to have any effect, he began withdrawing with what forces he could gather. During this effort, he was personally attacked by Washington. As the two fought, Washingtons orderly saved his life when a British dragoon moved to strike him. Following this incident, Tarleton shot Washingtons horse from under him and fled the field. Aftermath Coupled with the victory at Kings Mountain three months before, the Battle of Cowpens aided in blunting the British initiative in the South and regaining some momentum for the Patriot cause. In addition, Morgans triumph effectively removed a small British army from the field and relieved pressure on Greenes command. In the fighting, Morgans command sustained between 120-170 casualties, while Tarleton suffered approximately 300-400 dead and wounded as well as around 600 captured. Though the Battle of Cowpens was relatively small in regard to numbers involved, it played a key role in the conflict as it deprived the British of desperately needed troops and altered Cornwallis future plans. Rather continuing efforts to pacify South Carolina, the British commander instead focused his efforts on pursuing Greene. This resulted in a costly victory at Guilford Court House in March and his ultimate withdraw to Yorktown where his army was captured that October.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

African Americans and the War for Independence 17631783 Essay

African Americans and the War for Independence 17631783 - Essay Example Today's Mande people are heirs to an extremely rich and vibrant historical legacy,the high point of which was the Mali people.The social status of the most ancient families is based on their identification with ancestors who participated with Sunjata in the founding of the empire early in the 13th century. Members of some of these lineages have the status of aristocrat, or horonw. Traditionally, they were proprietors of the land and community leaders, and were expected to conduct themselves with dignity and honor, and to speak only when they had something serious to say. The senior male members of families that traced their descent from a village's founder were eligible to be chiefs. Some lineages claimed descent from distinguished ancestors described in The Sunjata Epic, including Sunjata himself.Mande group is identified its association with Islam. This includes Muslim clerics who are specialists in Islamic studies or leaders of prayer at the mosques. Their Arabic title, imam, has become almami in the Mande languages. Some of these learned Muslims are teachers in Quran schools, where children study the holy book of Islam and are expected to memorize at least part of it in Arabic.The Mande people's own story about the origin of the Mali Empire is usually known as The Sunjata Epic named for Sunjata Keita, who is credited with founding the Mali Empire. The story begins some time around the beginning of the 13th century in Farakoro, Mande chiefdom. Farakoro was near the gold fields of Bur, which had been one of the main sources of gold for Ghana in earlier centuries and would become similarly important for the Mali Empire. The chief of Farakoro was Maghan Konfara (maghan means "chief" and Konfara was another name for his town). Like all chiefs and kings of his day, Maghan Konfara had diviners who would forecast the future. One day the diviners told Maghan Konfara that he would be the father of a great hero, but that the woman who would be the hero's mother had not yet been found. After a long search the woman was finally located in the kingdom of Do ni Kiri. She was Sogolon Cond, a sister of the mansa (king). Sogolon was an ugly, hunchbacked woman, but she had frightening powers as a sorceress and was recognized as the woman who was destined to give birth to this great hero. So she was brought to Farakoro and married to Maghan Konfara, who already had many other wives. Sunjata organized the soldiers of all the Mande chiefdoms into a powerful army that went to war against Soso. After a series of battles, Sunjata's army vanquished Sumaworo and the army of Soso. The unified Mande chiefdoms formed the basis of a powerful kingdom that expanded into all the neighboring territories and became the Mali Empire. The Mande oral traditions do not give dates for the events they describe, but from what was written by Arab geographers, it appears that the defeat of Soso happened some time during the 1230s. African Americans The tendency in the United States was to seek to separate slaves who had come from the same local region in Africa, to make the individuals easier to manage. It was harder for the slaves to develop a common culture, and to organize. Unusually, the slave population in the USA was able to reproduce, meeting the needs of the economy across the growing country, and thus avoiding reliance on illegal slave trading. Increasingly slaves were American-born, rather than recent arrivals from Africa. Families were able to be relatively stable, and many owners saw the economic benefits of an increasing slave population. In the USA, only Africans were kept as slaves, and there was resistance to the idea of emancipation or manumission. White indentured servants and voluntary emigrants, whose living conditions were not necessarily better, but whose legal status was superior, could meet other needs for labor. Where there was discussion of freeing of slaves, from the time of Thomas Jefferson, it was assumed that the freed slaves would be required to