Stalin and His Influence on Life in Russia essays

Stalin and His Influence on Life in Russia essays Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union as a virtual dictator between 1928 and 1954. During the first ten years of his rule, Stalin introduced dramatic change to the Soviet Union in the areas of industrialization, agriculture, culture and education. While there were some benefits for both the nation and the people with respect to the consequences of his policies on industrialization and education, the impact of his policies regarding agriculture, and culture was overwhelmingly damaging to the Russian people, and consequently, the nation as a whole. Therefore, it can be said that between 1928 and 1938 Stalin had a largely devastating impact on the people, but a less damaging one on the Soviet Union itself. To a large extent Stalins transformation of the Soviet Union into a strong industrial nation had a positive effect on the nation. This was required as the Soviet Union was 50 to 100 years behind the worlds major industrial powers at that time. Stalins transformation of the Soviet Union into an industrial nation was achieved through the introduction of a series of five year plans designed to develop the Soviet economy. The first Five Year Plan was introduced in 1928. This plan required heavy industry such as coal, steel and oil to triple their output. Light industry including furniture, clothes and shoes needed to double their output. To facilitate this increase, electrical production was to increase sixfold. [Brooman, J 1988. p. 10] The enormity of this unrealistic task meant that The atmosphere of Russia became feverish with effort. [Baker, P, P and Basset, J, J 1988. p. 25] However, by the end of 1932, while failing to meet the required targets, an incredible increase in industrial production was accomplished. The output of oil, for example, increased from 11.7 to 21.4 millions of tonnes, the output of steel increased from 4 to 5.9 millions of tonnes, and the output of coal increased from 35.4 to...

Terri and the Turkey Thanksgiving Day Play

Terri and the Turkey Thanksgiving Day Play The author grants permission for anyone to use this short play for educational and/or amateur purposes. Terri and the Turkey By Wade Bradford Stage Right: The humble home of Grandpa and Grandpa. Stage Left: The animal pen. Narrator: Thanksgiving. A time of joy and celebration. Of food, relaxation, and family. A day beloved by everyone. Everyone that is except†¦ Tom Turkey! (A Turkey named Tom walks on stage left, flapping his wings.) Tom: Gobble, gobble! On stage right, Grandma and Grandpa enter. Tom listens to them as they speak. GRANDMA: I mashed the potatoes, I crammed the cranberries, I yammed the yams, and now it’s time for you to do what you always do on Thanksgiving Day. GRANDPA: Watch football? GRANDMA: No! It’s time to prepare the turkey. TOM: Prepare? That doesn’t sound so bad. GRANDMA: Prepare? That’s such hard work! I have to pluck the feathers. TOM: Ow! GRANDPA: And pull out the innards. TOM: Eek! GRANDPA: And toss him in the oven. TOM: Oh my! GRANDMA: But don’t forget. First, you must chop off his head. TOM: (Grabs his neck, fearful.) And all this time I thought I was going to be the guest of honor. (PIG enters.) I’ve got to get out of here! These people are going to eat me! PIG: Oink, oink. Welcome to my world, buddy. GRANDPA: Well, I guess I better get busy. A happy couple, Mom and Dad, enter. MOM and DAD: Hi Grandpa! MOM: Happy Thanksgiving. DAD: Is there anything we can do to help? GRANDPA: I’m glad you asked that. Go out back and chop off the turkey’s head. DAD: Oh. I was hoping you would have me set the table. GRANDPA: Too bad. Get chopping! MOM: Be brave dear. DAD: But honey, you know the sight of blood makes me queasy. MOM: I’m needed in the kitchen. DAD: Well, sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do (A son and a daughter (Terri) enter.) DAD: Make his kids do the work. SON: Hey Dad, is dinner ready yet? DAD: Son, this is a very special Thanksgiving because I’m giving you a very special responsibility. I need you to chop off the turkey’s head. SON: Gross! DAD: And while you’re at it, pluck the feathers, take out the innards, and give it to Grandma to put in the oven. SON: But – but – but†¦ DAD: Have fun, son. The son turns to Terri, who has been engrossed in a book. SON: Terri! Hey bookworm! Did you hear what Dad just said to me? TERRI: No, I was too busy reading my history book. SON: You mean you didn’t hear a single word Dad said? TERRI: No. What did he say? SON: He wants you to kill the turkey. He pushes her toward the animal pen, then exits. Note: All of the other human characters have cleared the stage too. TERRI: Well, I guess if we want a turkey dinner, someone has to do it. Optional: She picks up a prop ax – make sure its something safe. TERRI: (Approaching Tom) Sorry, Mr. Turkey. The time has come. TOM: I – I – I feel faint! The turkey starts to sway back and forth. He falls to the ground. TERRI: Oh no! I think he’s having a heart attack! GRANDMA: (Entering.) Who’s having a heart attack? TERRI: (Checking the turkey’s pulse.) He doesn’t have a pulse. GRANDPA: (Entering.) I don’t have a pulse? TERRI: Not you, Grandpa. The turkey! DAD and MOM enter. DAD: Terri, what are you doing? TERRI: CPR. I learned it in health class. MOM: She’s such a good student. SON: (Entering.) What the heck is going on? TERRI: I think it’s working. Live, Mr. Turkey! Live!!! (Optional: If you want to get really silly with this skit, the actress can pretend to use a defibrillator.) TOM: (Coming back to life.) Gobble gobble! MOM: You did it honey! DAD: You saved his life. TERRI: Yep. Now I guess I better cut off his head. GRANDMA: Now wait, child. It just doesn’t seem right. TERRI: You know, according to my history book, presidents such as Harry Truman and John Kennedy have spared the lives of their turkeys. And since 1989, the White House has been granting a presidential pardon to each live turkey that is presented to the president. Maybe this year we could do the same kind of thing. GRANDMA: I think that’s a lovely idea. After all, one of the many things we should be thankful for is simply how many families have been able to have wonderful Thanksgiving dinners all because of this noble bird. Besides we have many other delicious foods we can eat. Yams, cranberries, freshly made bread, and mashed potatoes. GRANDPA: That’s right, Grandma. Now, who’s up for some pork chops? PIG: (Feeling faint.) I gotta get out of here! The End

Marketing planning consultancy report for NLV Solutions Limited Essay

Marketing planning consultancy report for NLV Solutions Limited - Essay Example To launch the new integrated marketing communications campaign, designed to create brand recall in markets with little knowledge of the brand, considerable preliminary market research will need to be conducted to gain perspectives on consumer attitudes and lifestyles that will translate into an innovative procurement model with product emphasis. The logo utilised to make Vend-O-Matic stand out is based on retro-style signage common during the boom in automats in the 1960s to inspire nostalgic-based consumption behaviours. It is estimated that Vend-O-Matic will achieve a 40 percent increase in sales through this brand-building campaign, justified under premiumisation models in pricing and promotion and through establishment of more cooperative partnerships with many supply chain partners. This will be accomplished by devoting more capital and labour into the promotional function and ensuring innovation in product procurement. NLV Solutions: The Vend-O-Matic Brand 1.0 Situation analysi s Vend-O-Matic is an established brand serving the United Kingdom since the 1960s. Despite this longevity in the automatic vending market, NLV Solutions has been slow to respond to market changes in a sales environment that is strongly driven by consumer attitude and psycho-social characteristics. The methodology by which the company provides talent management through family-based channels is ineffective for response to changing market conditions that continues to erode profitability for this brand. The generic market needs are for top-quality, innovative vending machines, establishment of competitive pricing structures for price-sensitive buyers, and expression of total product convenience to gain target market interest. 1.1 Market summary NLV Solutions has captured quality information about the market and consumer characteristics that will drive success in this repositioning of the Vend-O-Matic brand. This information will be leveraged throughout the entire business model to under stand, specifically, which markets are being served, their tangible and emotional needs, and the most effective methodology to communicate with these markets. 1.2 Target market analysis The dominant market profile in this industry is the 16 to 34-year-old market. The secondary market is the consumer over the age of 55 that contributes profitability through hot beverage vending consumption. 1.3 Mission statement Vend-O-Matic aims to become the most recognisable and innovative vending brands in the UK. Through the establishment of close connections with buyers and renewed focus on customer relationship development, Vend-O-Matic seeks to become a market leader in quality, innovation and responsible product procurement. 1.4 Internal competency analysis Inflexibility under the current family-based management and governance structure is inefficient for achieving market and profit goals. Current management focuses too heavily on the tangibles of service and product and do not focus on the critical dimensions of intangibles required to establish a recognised brand. Consumers are largely risk averse and, to avoid uncertainty, will look for signs and evidence of quality, inferring these perceptions from communications, equipment, pricing, and symbols (Kotler and Keller 2007). Rather than focusing on radical management practices, leadership should be focusing on establishment of a recognised brand in key target markets that requires promotion of

Language and Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Language and Literacy - Essay Example There seems to be no agreement as to when language was first used by humans. Some estimates date as far back as two million years ago, during the time of Homo habilis, while others date as recent as forty thousand (40,000) years ago, during the time of Cro-Magnon man. What is unarguably clear, however, is that language development is a continuous process affected by several social factors and that most contemporary human languages are a blend of several primitive ones. One main feature of human language is arbitrariness of symbols and sounds. A symbol or sound only needs to be attached to a particular concept or meaning, or even applied to the rules of grammar and becomes a part of the language. For instance, while the word 'nada' is conceptualised to mean nothing in the Spanish language, for Croatian speakers, it means 'hope' (Hudson, 2000). Through the course of this essay, I shall attempt a discourse of the various social factors that come into play in language, within the context of literacy development. In this regard, three students currently undertaking a basic skills "Brush Up Your English" course at Halton College will be used as case studies. After a brief analysis of what has been said and researched on the impact of social factors on language development, I will give a brief account of the backgrounds of the three students in this group, before examining how the duo of region/geography and gender (two main social factors) have affected language development and literacy in these students. Language and Social Factors Sociolinguistics are social sciences that consider the interactions between languages and society as a whole. It is an established body of knowledge that studies language on a social basis. Thus, it involves an interest in interaction, variability and diversity in language (Deumert, 2005). Or as described by Trask (1999), it is "the study of variation in language, or more precisely, the variation within speech communities." (Trask, 1999, p.283). This field of interest only dates back to the 1950s, this perhaps explain why most of the social influences on language development are still not fully comprehended. Within the Sociolinguistics school, there are two broad approaches to language variation; prescriptivism and descriptivism. Prescriptivists tend to be found among the ranks of language educators and journalists, and not in the actual academic discipline of linguistics. They hold clear notions of what is right and wrong and tend to advocate what they consider as 'correct' use of language according to set rules (Hudson, 2000). Describing this school of thought, Thorne (1997) states that "it is associated with formal written and spoken language and is used in dictionaries, grammar books and language handbooks." (p.92). To further buttress this point, Thorne (1997) cited the example of the original version of the National Curriculum for schools' emphasis on Standard English (SE) being taught as "the language of wide social communication and was generally required in formal contexts" (p.138). Descriptivists, on the other hand, do not accept the prescriptivists' notion of "incorrect usage." They prefer to describe such variance as 'non-standard'. Thus, they see Standard English as "only one variety among manylinguistically speaking it can not legitimately be

African American Contributions to American History Essay Example for Free

African American Contributions to American History Essay Many blacks contributed to the success of our country in every war that we as a people have ever fought. In order to properly thank them for their heroic effort, I as a Hispanic Caucasian must give credit where credit is due. In order to properly do so, I must begin with the contributions of â€Å"Black America† beginning with the American Revolution and continue up until the World War II. Make no mistake blacks made contributions well past World War II, but in the interest of time and accuracy I must stay within the confines of our earlier history. One main aspect that should be analyzed is the fact that no matter how hard the struggle, blacks have always overcome adversity no matter what the cost. Of course, contributions made by blacks are not limited to war alone, but include a wide spectrum of achievements that have advanced civilization as a whole. My personal respect and thanks go to all people who have served and continue to serve this country at any capacity. But we must never forget the contributions made by our black brothers and sisters who gave their lives fighting for a cause that so greatly affected their lives as well as our well being. Charles Dickens said it best in his book A Tale of Two Cities, â€Å"It was the best of times it was the worst of times†. The American Revolution was a time of great struggle for people of all races. But, Blacks in particular understood the literal meaning of patriot rhetoric, eagerly took up the cause of American freedom, fighting bravely in the early confrontations with the British. Though the revolution freed some blacks and set the country on a course toward the abolition of slavery, political accommodation to plantation owners forestalled emancipation for many blacks in the south for 90 more years. A black man was one of the first martyrs of the patriot cause. Crispus Attucks, apparently a slave who had run away from his owner 20 years before, died in the Boston Massacre in 1770. Though facts were disputed at trials then as now, witnesses said Attucks hit a British officer with a large piece of firewood, grabbed a bayonet and urged the crowd to attack just before the British fired. Attucks and two others were killed while eight were wounded, two mortally. Blacks served at the battles of Lexington and Concord. Peter Salem, a freed slave, stood on the green at Lexington facing the British when the first battle broke out with the shot that was heard around the world. One of the last men wounded in the battle as the British escaped to Boston was Prince Estabrook, a black man from West Lexington. At least 20 blacks, including Peter Salem, were in the ranks two months later when the British attacked an American position outside Boston in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Salem has been honored for firing the shot that killed Major John Pitcairn, the British officer who led the Redcoats when they had attacked his small unit at Lexington. Unable to venture outside Boston and then threatened with cannon surrounding the city, the British left Boston for New York. As the war changed from a Massachusetts endeavor to a broader conflict throughout the colonies, the politics of race changed dramatically. Blacks had been welcomed in the New England militia, but Congress initially decided against having them in the Continental army. Congress needed support from the South if all the colonies were to win their independence from England. Since southern plantation owners wanted to keep their slaves, they were afraid to give guns to blacks. Congress ordered all blacks removed from the army, but black veterans appealed directly to George Washington, who took up their cause with John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress. Blacks serving in the army were allowed to stay, but new enlistments were forbidden. Though the Declaration of Independence declared that all men were created equal, many blacks soon saw more opportunity on the British side. The British governor of Virginia promised immediate freedom and wages to any slave who would join the Kings army. Hundreds flocked to the standard of the governor, Lord Dunmore, but he was denied a base on the land by the American forces and many of the blacks who joined him died of smallpox on overcrowded ships. The loyalty of blacks was a serious issue for the American leaders because blacks made up one-fifth of the two million people in the colonies. With the British soldiers already outnumbering the American troops, and recruitment difficult for the patriots, the northern colonies soon again began to enlist blacks. Rhode Island made up a regiment almost entirely of blacks. As the war continued, colonies as far south as Maryland and Virginia were recruiting free blacks for the American cause. As the war spread into the South, Congress found it needed to recruit slaves. It offered to pay South Carolina slave owners $1,000 for able-bodied male slaves. The slaves would receive no pay, but would be given $50 and their freedom at the end of the war if they served well and faithfully. The South Carolina Assembly threatened to leave the war, dooming the plan in the southernmost colonies. Recruitment of blacks to the American cause continued further north, but the patriots had less success than the British. The offer of immediate freedom extended by Virginia’s unfortunate loyalist governor was eventually made by the British throughout the colonies. Slaves joined the British by the tens of thousands. The fate of the loyalist blacks varied considerably. Some were captured by Americans and either returned to their masters or treated as war loot and sold back into slavery. Approximately 20,000 were with the British at the end of the war, taken to Canada or the Caribbean. Some became the founders of the British colony of Sierra Leone in West Africa. Even though the British offered slaves a better deal, many blacks served on the American side. They made up a sizeable share of the men in the Continental navy, state navies and the large force of American privateers. Blacks had long been in the labor force on ships and at seaports. On the water, then as now, skill counted for more than politics. The precise role of blacks in the revolution is difficult to quantify. Blacks in those days generally did not write. The people who did write early histories of the revolution were whites and concentrated on the efforts of white men. Also, many participants in the revolution were not specifically identified by race in the documents of the time and historians now have no way of knowing whether they were black. When blacks were allowed to serve in the American military, they often did work as laborers, sometimes in addition to regular soldier duties. Usually they were privates, though a few rose to command small groups of men. The words of the Declaration of Independence were taken literally by blacks and some whites. In, 1780, Pennsylvania became the first colony to pass a law phasing out slavery. Children born to slaves after that date were granted their freedom when they reached 28. Other northern states followed. The Superior Court of Massachusetts held in 1783 that slavery violated the state constitution, and New Hampshire also ended slavery by a court ruling. Vermont outlawed slavery and Connecticut and Rhode Island passed gradual emancipation laws. New York outlawed slavery in 1799 and New Jersey followed in 1804. The international slave trade was outlawed in 1808. Progress then came to a stop. A boom in cotton production spread the slave economy into the lower Mississippi Valley. Slave states were careful to control at least half the political power in the federal government, blocking any national movement against slavery until the Civil War. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves in the rebelling territories of the confederacy and authorizing Black enlistment in the Union Army. Since the beginning of the Civil War, free Black people in general, and Black Bostonians in particular, were ready to gather arms on behalf of the Union, yet they were prevented from doing so. Popular racial stereotypes and institutional discrimination against Blacks in the military contributed to the prevailing myth that Black men lacked the intelligence and bravery necessary to serve their country. By the fall of 1862, however, the lack of White Union enlistment and confederate victories at Antietem forced the U. S. government to reconsider its racist policy. As Congress met in October to address the issue of Black enlistment, various troops of Black volunteers had already been organized, including the First South Carolina and the Kansas Colored Troops. It wasnt until January 26, 1863; however, that secretary of war Edwin Stanton authorized the enlistment of Black troops. As a result, the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer infantry was founded, becoming the first all-Black Union regiment raised in the north. Training began for Black volunteers at Camp Meigs in Reedville, MA on February 21, 1863. Although some members of the community voiced opposition to the prevention of Black men from achieving the rank of colonel or officer, most community activists urged Black men to seize the opportunity to serve in the Union forces. The fear many Black volunteers had about the potential racism of White officers and colonels was calmed when Massachusetts Governor John Andrew assured Bostonians that White officers assigned to the 54th Regiment would be young men of military experience, of firm anti-slavery principles, ambitious, superior to a vulgar contempt for color, and having faith in the capacity of colored men for military service. Andrew held to his word, appointing 25-year-old Robert Gould Shaw as colonel and George P. Hallowell as Lieutenant. The son of wealthy abolitionists, Shaw had been educated in Europe and at Harvard before joining the seventh New York National Guard in 1861. In 1862, when Governor Andrew contacted Shaws father about the prospect of commissioning his son as colonel of the soon-to-be organized fifty-fourth, Shaw was an officer in the Second Massachusetts Infantry. Although reluctant to accept the commission, Shaw eventually became colonel. By the time training began at Camp Meigs, Shaw and his officers began work with the soldiers whose bravery would forever change public perception of Black military skill and valor. Black community leaders across the country such as Frederick Douglass and William Wells Brown served as recruiting agents for the Union army. As a result, over 1000 volunteers enlisted in the 54th Regiment, a response so overwhelming that Massachusetts organized a second Black regiment, the fifty-fifth. Men of the fifty-fourth represented twenty-four states, the District of Columbia, the West Indies, and Africa. Approximately 25% of them had been slaves, over 50% were literate, and, although as civilians they had worked in forty-six different occupations, the overwhelming majorities (55%) were common laborers. Regardless of origin, occupation, or social class, the men of the 54th Regiment both inspired Bostons Black community and provided a symbol of pride for abolitionists across the country. Activists such as William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass visited Camp Meigs to show their support. Although the organization of the 54th Regiment resolved the conflict over Black enlistment in the Union army, the struggle of Black soldiers to gain respect in the military was just beginning. Upon arrival in the south, the Black soldiers were often treated as common laborers and the potential for their valor on the battlefield was disregarded. Upon arriving in Georgia on June 11, they were ordered by Col. James Montgomery of the Department of the South to raid the town of Darien. Reports of Black soldiers burning buildings and ravaging the homes of townspeople confirmed stereotypes of Black soldiers as un-trainable brutes. Col. Shaw found the raid on Darien barbarous and distasteful, and sent a letter to Brigadier General George C. Strong, requesting that the men be used in the planned attack on Fort Wagner, South Carolina. On July 16, the 54th Regiment fought alongside White soldiers of the 10th Connecticut Infantry in a skirmish on James Island, SC. This battle redeemed the Black soldiers fighting ability in the eyes of White skeptics, including General Strong, who commanded the 54th Regiment to lead the assault on Fort Wagner, scheduled for July 18. Strategically, a successful attack on Fort Wagner would allow Union forces to seize control of Charleston Harbor. Located on Morris Island, Fort Wagner protected Battery Gregg overlooking Fort Sumter. Thus, seizure of Fort Wagner was valuable because it enabled the Union to shell Sumter and close the harbor to confederate blockade runners, thereby paving the way for further Union attack on Charleston. Fort Wagner was located at the northern tip of Morris Island, and was controlled by 1700 troops and 17 artillery guns. Depleted to just over 600 men by the skirmish two days previous, the men of the 54th Regiment were ordered to lead the assault on Fort Wagner with the backing of regiments from New York, Connecticut, Maine, and Pennsylvania. Before the charge commenced, Colonel Shaw ordered the regiment to prove yourselves as men. Within 200 feet of the Fort, the confederates began to attack as the brave men of the 54th Regiment struggled through darkness, four-foot deep water, and marshland. Colonel Shaw, accompanied by dwindling numbers of dying men, managed to reach the top of the parapet where a bitter hand-to-hand combat ensued, the Black Union soldiers with bayonets against the White Confederate soldiers with handspikes and gun rammers. Colonel Shaw was mortally wounded with a pierce through the heart, along with a dozen of his men. Meanwhile, members of the 54th Regiment some wounded, some dying began to retreat; those who refused to back down were taken prisoner. As the smoke cleared, evidence of Confederate victory was immediately apparent, with 174 Rebel casualties and 1515 Union soldiers dead or wounded. Of the eleven regiments who participated in the Union assault, the fifty-forth Regiment accrued the most casualties, with 256 of their 600 men dead or wounded. Despite the heavy losses, the assault on Fort Wagner proved to the nation and the world the valor of Black soldiers in general and the men of the 54th Regiment in particular. From the ranks of the fifty-forth came stories of unfailing patriotism and undying glory. The men of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, their White officers, colonel, and allies, not only struck a blow for American freedom and unity, they also proved to the nation and the world the valor, bravery, and devotion of African American soldiers. In the sacrifice made by Col. Shaw and his soldiers, Americans witnessed, for the first time, the supremacy of equality over racism, discrimination, and ignorance. Upon his death at Fort Wagner, the body of Col. Shaw was placed in a mass grave on Morris Island along with the bodies of his soldiers. The lack of proper military burial for a man who had distinguished himself as a soldier and as a leader was intended to insult the honor of Shaw and his family, who were deemed as race traitors by Confederates and White unionists alike. However, upon learning that his son had been buried with his black soldiers, Francis Shaw stated, with dignity, that We hold that a soldiers most appropriate burial place is on the field where he has fallen. This statement and the honor displayed by the Shaw family and veterans of the fifty-fourth helped immortalize Shaw and his men as symbols of the Civil War battle for unity and equality. As a result of the 54th Regiment, over 180,000 Black men enlisted under the Union flag between 1863 and 1865. AFRICAN AMERICAN MILITARY SERVICE from WWI through WWII. During the global conflicts of the first half of the 20th century, U. S. servicemen fought in Europe for the first time in the nation’s history. African Americans were among the troops committed to combat in World War I (WWI) and World War II (WWII), even though they and other black Americans were denied the full blessings of the freedom for which the United States had pledged to fight. Traditional racist views about the use of black troops in combat initially excluded African Americans from the early recruiting efforts and much of the actual combat in both wars. Nonetheless, large numbers of African Americans still volunteered to fight for their country in 1917-18 and 1940-45. Once again, many black servicemen hoped their military contribution and sacrifice would prove to their white countrymen that African Americans desired and deserved a fully participatory role in U. S. society. Unfortunately, the deeply entrenched negative racial attitudes prevalent among much of the white American population, including many of the nation’s top military and civilian leaders, made it very difficult for blacks to serve in the military establishment of this period. African-American servicemen suffered numerous indignities and received little respect from white troops and civilians alike. The historic contributions by blacks to the defense of the United States were usually ignored or downplayed, while combat failures similar to those of whites and violent racial incidents often provoked by whites were exaggerated into a condemnation of all African Americans. In the Jim Crow world of pre-1945 America, black servicemen confronted not only the hostility of enemies abroad but that of enemies at home. African-American soldiers and sailors had two formidable obstacles to deal with: discrimination and segregation. Yet, black servicemen in both world wars repeatedly demonstrated their bravery, loyalty, and ability in combat or in support of frontline troops. Oftentimes, they accomplished these tasks without proper training or adequate equipment. Poor communications and a lack of rapport with their white officers were two additional burdens hampering the effectiveness and efficiency of African Americans in the military. Too frequently, there was little or no recognition or gratitude for their accomplishments. One of the worst slights of both wars was the willingness of the white establishment to allow racism to influence the award of the prestigious Medal of Honor. Although several exceptionally heroic African Americans performed deeds worthy of this honor, not one received at the time the award that their bravery and self-sacrifice deserved. It took over 70 years for the United States to rectify this error for WWI and over 50 years for WWII. Despite the hardships and second-class status, their participation in both wars helped to transform many African-American veterans as well as helped to eventually change the United States. Though still limited by discrimination and segregation at home, their sojourn in Europe during WWI and WWII made many black servicemen aware that the racial attitudes so common among white Americans did not prevail everywhere else. The knowledge that skin color did not preclude dignity and respect made many black veterans unwilling to submit quietly to continuing racial discrimination once they returned to the United States. In addition, the growing importance of black votes beginning in the 1930s and 1940s forced the nation’s political and military leaders to pay more attention to African Americans’ demands, particularly in regard to the military. Although it was a tedious and frustrating process, one too often marked by cosmetic changes rather than real reform, by the end of WWII, the U. S. military establishment slowly began to make some headway against racial discrimination and segregation within its ranks. The stage was set for President Harry S Truman’s landmark executive order of 26 July 1948. Another main contribution of note would be the trails and tribulations of the Tuskegee Airmen. In the 1940s, it was still believed that Blacks were incapable of flying aircraft. This myth was dispelled with the help of the U. S. Congress. On June 27, 1939 THE CIVILIAN PILOT TRAINING ACT was passed. This solitary ACT helped to create a reserve of civilian pilots to be called in case of War. Young black pilots were given the opportunity to train with U. S. approved programs located at TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE. The SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT OF 1940 also increased the opportunity for a broader participation of Blacks in the military when it banned discrimination in the selection and training of all American citizens because of race and color. The success of the CIVILIAN PILOT TRAINING ACT helped put the 99TH PURSUIT SQUADRON OF TUSKEGEE on the map. It was said that the success of Negro youth in the Army Air Force would be predicated upon the success of the Tuskegee Experiment. HBOs docudrama, THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, is a good depiction of this era of Black Americans seeking acceptance as military pilots. Because of the opportunity provided by the Civilian Pilot Training Act, the number of Blacks in the ARMY AIR FORCE jumped from 2,250 in 1941 to over 145,000 by 1944. The two major groups to see combat as AAF men were the 99TH PURSUIT SQUADRON and the 332ND FIGHTER GROUP. Out of the 332nd Group came the 100th, 301st, and 302nd Squadrons under the command of Lieutenant Colonel BENJAMIN O. DAVIS, SR. , who became Americas FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN GENERAL on October 25, 1940. By 1944, the 99th was added to the 332nd and participated in campaigns in Sicily, Rome, and Romania. The 99th and 332nd earned many DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATIONS. These historical examples are but a small sample of the many great contributions and sacrifices made by black people in order to secure freedom and prosperity for this great nation. We owe them a debt than can never be fully repaid. If anything these great contributions should curtail any negative or racial thoughts toward such a magnanimous people. You would think that with all that has transpired throughout history, that we as a people could live and coexist together with peace and harmony. My only hope is that with time people will come to realize that we are all not that different from one another and that we can thrive together for a better future for all of us.

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La caricatura polà ­tica En sus inicios, la palabra caricatura surgià ³ para designar el arte de resaltar los rasgos fà ­sicos (principalmente del rostro) de ciertos personajes, en ese sentido, se caracterizaba por su estilo recurrente de representar a los actores con cabezas enormes y dejar de lado (en un segundo plano) el resto del cuerpo. Posteriormente, se le da importancia a las extremidades, puesto que se comprendià ³ que lo kinà ©sico y proxà ©mico aportan significado a la imagen; asà ­, por ejemplo, la ropa es un factor importante para representar aspectos relacionados con la cultura. Acto seguido, la caricatura comenzà ³ a incursionar en el à ¡mbito de la polà ­tica, dejando en un segundo plano el interà ©s por mostrar las desfiguraciones faciales, para impregnarse de un tinte polà ­tico y mordaz con miras a criticar aspectos socio-polà ­ticos. En efecto, este à ºltimo aspecto mencionado es lo que interesa en este trabajo. Puesto que, como ya se habà ­a mencionado, la caricatura polà ­tica es de suma importancia dentro de la sociedad colombiana, ya que se constituye como ‘una herramienta’ por medio de la cual se puede criticar el sistema socio-polà ­tico del paà ­s, sus dirigentes y las acciones polà ­ticas que afectan (positiva o negativamente) a la poblacià ³n. En ese orden de ideas, Acevedo (2009) afirma que: La caricatura polà ­tica busca un objetivo distinto: mofar, ironizar, fastidiar, burlarse, ridiculizar, decir las cosas a la inversa, distorsionar el sentido original, agredir, construir opinià ³n y destruir simbà ³licamente al oponente. En la caricatura polà ­tica en general, alguien o algo sale daà ±ado en su imagen (†¦) (p. 35) Al criticar el sistema socio-polà ­tico actual del paà ­s, la caricatura (re)construye una imagen (en la mayorà ­a de los... ...ambià ©n el pensamiento y la accià ³n. Nuestro sistema conceptual ordinario, en tà ©rminos del cual pensamos y actuamos, es fundamentalmente de naturaleza metafà ³rica†. (p. 39). Entendida asà ­ la metà ¡fora, el anà ¡lisis pareciera que solo se quedara en lo verbal, en lo ‘monomodal’, por lo que se hace necesario recurrir al concepto de metà ¡fora multimodal, la cual es definida por Pardo (2012:43) como â€Å"expresiones que se construyen a partir de la presencia de uno o mà ¡s modos en el dominio de origen, y que en el dominio de llegada son representadas predominantemente en modos sà ­gnicos diferentes y en coexistencia, para producir significado†. En ese sentido, la metà ¡fora se materializa dentro de la caricatura no solo en lo verbal, sino en la correlacià ³n de varios sistemas sà ­gnicos (o modos semià ³ticos) que dotan de significado a las representaciones que se dan en la caricatura.

Horror Of War

This story speaks the truth about the w AR rather than romanticizes it and emphasizing on the idea Of the honor, patriotic duty, DVD endure, and glory. All Quiet on the Western Front displays the war how it really was. Using images of fear and meaningless to replace the romantic visions of heroism. This novel focuses m such on the physical ND psychological damage that war brings.In the end, almost every major chaw racier is dead. This shows war's horrible and devastating outcome on the young generation of m en who were recruited and forced to fight. One of the worst things about war is the images shown to man. Men killed by the millions in terrifying ways. Bodies blown to pieces, limbs broken, and flesh me Tied from the bones. Along with the deaths, there are many injuries that often outnumber d dead men. As Paul Beamer witnessed his friend, Franz Chimer's, death in the hospital, the NJWere terrifying and often lead to death. Chimer's death was the first sign of the meaningless of li fe and death in the war. The turmoil was expressed in the lines, â€Å"Day after day goes by with pain and fear, groans and death gurgles. Even the death room I no use anymore; it is too small. † (Armature 19) Ryan 2 In the novel and in war the men have no where to hide from bombs and bubble TTS. Paul and his friends must reside in dirt trenches where death surrounds them. â€Å"We lie under the network Of arching shells and live in a suspense Of uncertain ant.If a shot moms, we can duck, that is all; we neither know nor can determine where it w ill fall. † (Armature 101) They sleep holding their bread so no rats steal it. The dirt surrounding them t urns dark as it absorbs the blood of the fallen. The worst part of the war is that both sides fighting live through the same con editions. Paul realizes this when he guards the Russian prison camp. Paul sympathizes with the soldiers poor shape and he knows that he shares the same role as them in the war. W hen Paul kills t he man who dies in his shell hole he feels remorseful.But now, for the first time, I see you are a man like me. I thought of your Han grenades, of your bayonet, of your rifle; now I see your wife and your face and our fellows hip. Forgive me, comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are pop or devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear Of death, and the same dying and the same generative me, comrade; how could you be my e enemy? † (Armature 223) This is when he decides that he must live with the fact that all the men have ski Lied others that were just like them.In the end of the novel, Paul is the last of his friends to die. As he falls to dead h his face shows a sense of calmness. Ryan 3 â€Å"He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping. Turning him o ever on saw that he could not have suffered long; his face had an expression of calm, as though al most glad the end had come. † (Armature 296) Paul was happier in death than life because of the horrors of war. Paul was ha pier that he didn't have to lead a life of war any longer.

Fundamentals of Speech Chapter 7 Assignment

Fundamentals of Speech (Stiefel) CHAPTER 7 ASSIGNMENT Student Name: Below are arguments based on faulty reasoning. Identify the fallacy used (use a fallacy only ONCE): 1. Loaded WordsIt’s ridiculous to worry about protecting America’s national parks against pollution when innocent people are being attacked by terrorists. 2. Red HerringThe proposal is likely to be resisted by the business-as-usual bureaucrats on Capitol Hill. 3. Celebrity EndorsementQueen Latifah promotes Cover Girl Cosmetics, so they must be good quality. 4. HearsayMy friend heard on the news the other day that the U. S. will declare war on Iran. . Question BeggingSince I'm not lying, it follows that I'm telling the truth.6. Slippery SlopeIf we allow the school board to spend money remodeling the gymnasium, next year they will want to build a new school and give all the teachers a huge raise. Taxes will soar so high that businesses will leave and then there will be no jobs for anyone in this town. 7. In valid AnalogyRaising a child is just like having a pet: you need to feed it, play with it, and everything will be fine. 8. Personal AttackI can’t support Senator Smith’s proposal for campaign finance reform because of all that time he spent in rehab back in the 1980s. . Hasty GeneralizationFred, the Australian, stole my wallet. Thus, all Australians are thieves. 10. False DillemaIf you don’t support the war in Iraq, then you don’t support the troops. 11. Authority FigureNoted psychologist Dr. Frasier Crane recommends that you buy the TurboSpa Hot Tub.12. Either OrWe must either increase tuition or cut back on library services. 13. Arguing From IgnoranceSince you cannot prove that ghosts do not exist, they must exist. 14. Complex QuestionHave you stopped using illegal sales practices? 15. Prejudicial LanguageA godly person would agree that social programs must be maintained. 6. CoercionOnly those employees who want to keep their jobs should show up to the Saturday morning work session. 17. Straw ManSome people claim the â€Å"War on Drugs† is a failure, but I say they are wrong. 18. Unnamed AuthorityHealthcare insiders estimate there are more than 2 million needless surgical procedures conducted every year. 19. BandwagonI don’t see any reason to wear a helmet when I ride my bicycle. None of my friends do. 20. Cause and EffectThe Great Depression was caused by the Hoover administration. Herbert Hoover became president in March 1929, and the stock market crashed just seven months later.

Death Of A Salesman Essays (1080 words) - English-language Films

Death Of A Salesman Essays (1080 words) - English-language Films Death Of A Salesman Death of a Salesman: In the play, Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman: Willy Loman, a sympathetic salesman and despicable father whos life is a casting off has some traits that match Aristotles views of a tragic hero. Willys series of ups and downs is identical to Aristoles views of proper tragic figure; a king with flaws. His faulty personality, the financial struggles, and his inabiltity are three substantital flaws that contribute to his failure and tragic end. Willy, an aging salesman who sells nothing, is abused by the buyers, and repeatly borrows money from Charley to make ends meet. He is angered by the way his boss, Howard fired him after working for thirty-four-years at the same company, You cant eat the orange and throw the peel awaya man is not a piece of fruit! (Miller, 61). Willy is battling for his life, fighting to sustain a sense of himself that makes it worthwhile living at all in a world which seemingly offers less and less space for the individual. Now, If it is true that tragedy is the consquence of a mans total complusion to evaluate himself justly, his destruction in the attempt posits a wrong or an evil in his environment. And this is precisely the morality of tragedy and its lesson. The discovery of the moral law, which is what the enlightenment of tragedy consists of, is not the discovery of some abstract or metaphysical quantity. (miller, common man) His problem is that he has so completely accepted the values of his society that he judges himself by standards rooted in social myths rather than human necessities. This lack of insight is strikingly similiar to traits of the tragic hero. As Aristotles writes, the tragic hero, Lives for honor and fame. The glaring point of his faulty personality of neglecting others includes those closest to him, his wife, Linda and his two sons, Biff and Happy. Youll retire me for life on seventy goddamn dollars a week? (Miller, 28) is evidence of the cruelty Willy can show toward Happy as he does to Biff. Willy puts enormous pressure on his older son, Biff, to help him out in his time of need, Hap, [Willy] got to understand that Im not the man somebody lends that kind of money to, (Miller, 81). In the past, Biff went unexpectly to Boston, to a hotel where Willy was staying and begs Willy to come back to New York and convince his math teacher to give him a passing grade in a math course so he can graduate on time. While there, Biff sees the WOMAN in his fathers hotel room. Willy, at first, claims she is in the room because her shower is broken; then he changes the story and says he knows her through work, Theyre painting her room so I let her take a shower here. Go back, go back... (Miller,93). It did not get much better at home either. He constantly puts down his wife and hates it when she interrupts him in his conversations with Biff and Happy, Willy reacts angrily,[to LINDA]: Stop interrupting! (Miller, 47). Willy does the best as he know how because his father was never there for him. Despite the good influence Willy has on his wife and two sons, he is a good father to his sons because he spends time with them. For the most part, he is a decent husband who never abused his wife but his wrongs outweight the postive things he did do for his family. He has a difficult time selling anything to earn money, A hundred and twenty dollars! My god, if business dont pick up I dont know what Im going to do!, (Miller, 23). He works very hard he has nothing to show for it. He decides that it was hard for him to travel to places of business and asks his boss, Howard, if he can work closer to home in New York. He gets fired for asking. His financial struggles continue with late bills, and no payment for his premium insurance; he is going deep into debt. He ignores the problems and thinks that everything is going to be all right. Because of the booming economy, he is left behind in the dust; everybody competes for positions in their respective professions, in the world of Americas business. For, if it is true to say that in essence the tragic hero is intent upon claiming

Can We Actually Rewrite a Film

Can We Actually Rewrite a Film The term â€Å"rewrite† by definition is to write something again. Its purpose is to correct or improve a piece of writing or a written document. In the academic world, rewriting a piece of document is to write it in a different manner, alter its form and make it concise, amend or carry out necessary improvements. Hashtag: #RewriteAFilmIn5Words Rewrite Is Not Limited to Piece of Writing The term â€Å"rewrite† by definition is to write something again. Its purpose is to correct or improve a piece of writing or a written document. In the academic world, rewriting a piece of document is to write it in a different manner, alter its form and make it concise, amend or carry out necessary improvements. However, is this definition and academic form of â€Å"rewrite† applicable to film? LEARNING MORAL VALUES IN COLLEGE MOVIES In reality, the difference between a film and piece of writing such as books, articles, essays, and other written documents is their form. Films and written documents are actually mediums of communication where authors can transmit ideas to the audience. Moreover, if one would look closely, a film (except actual footage of real-life events of course) is nothing but a visual representation of a written story, images of scripted events, and ideas delivered in an explicit and more understandable form. The advantage, however, is that unlike paperbacks, films leaves nothing to the imagination and therefore complete and more accurate in terms audience comprehension. Therefore, when someone says #RewriteAFilmIn5Words, the person is actually asking you to write a concise five words description of the written ideas successfully transmitted by the film you saw. Now, how would you do that? Since the understanding of ideas transmitted through a film is highly dependent on viewer’s (reader’s for paperbacks) recall and interpretation, slight variation in the rewritten text is expected. However, the rewritten text must reflect the main ideas and objectives of the film otherwise; it is nothing but a deceptive piece of writing. Rewriting Is an Exact Science Rewriting a film is no different from rewriting an article, essay, and other written documents you read and understood. However, rewriting a concise version of an original document or film requires skills or the ability to restructure and write it in your own words without spoiling its main ideas and  objectives. If one would rewrite this article in 10 words, for example, the rewritten text will be something like â€Å"rewriting a film is possible but it must be exact†. Similarly, five words rewrite of the 1994 film â€Å"Shawshank Redemption† should be something like â€Å"Inmates redeemed through mutual respect† rather than simply â€Å"I have a black friend†. The reason is that although the film is undeniably about true friendship, the film’s main idea, and the objective is much more than having a black friend. In fact, the film is sharing some ideas regarding the possibility of imprisonment regardless of innocence, education, and color, friendship between men can flourish through mutual respect, the power of education and knowledge in reducing difficulties in life, the effect of long incarceration on the ability of ex-convicts to start a new life, and others. If there is no word limit, then the rewritten text for this film will be longer, detailed, and precise. WHAT IS THE WORST SONG IN THE WORLD? A film rewrite should be accurate and like a piece of writing, the rewritten text should be different in form, improved, concise but communicating similar ideas and achieving the same objectives as the original work. In practice, rewriting academic text requires a thorough knowledge of the original work, paper formatting, and content restructuring, paraphrasing technique, different writing styles, consistency, and precision. Now, can we actually rewrite a film? Yes! Just apply these skills and you can rewrite a film in any number of words.

Managerial Support Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Managerial Support Systems - Assignment Example If a company has a new product it wants to launch into the marketplace then the marketing function of the business become extremely important. A process is much different that a functional area. A business process can be defined as a set of coordinated tasks and conducted by both people and equipment that leads to a specific organizational goal (Techtarget, 2009). In a manufacturing plant the entire production line constitutes a business process. Business processes can be either internal or external. For example a company could have a business process in which the customers after purchasing a product must register the purchase in the corporate website in order to activate the warranty. This business process could be considered an external process because someone other than the employee had to perform the task. Business processes are important because they provide guidelines and parameters for stakeholders to follow. Typically each functional area within a business has its own set of business