The Dark Side Of The Eyes By Bram Stoker - 1704 Words

Eyes are the real windows into the soul. Although some individuals may attempt to mask their true feelings, all is revealed by glancing into their eyes. From the lurid red eyes described in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, to the golden brown orbs of Edward, Stephanie Meyer’s character in Twilight, the eyes become a peephole to one’s inner most thoughts and feelings. Not only a peephole into their thoughts; but also a chink in the armor used to protect the individual from harm. This crack exposes feelings that Stoker and Meyer’s characters would like to keep to themselves. A vampire’s hunger â€Å"for thirst† can strongly be expressed through their eyes. In the beginning of Twilight, Bella â€Å"vividly remembered the flat black color of [Edward’s]†¦show more content†¦hunt people†(Meyer 186). Jacob continues by saying that the â€Å"family wasn t supposed to be dangerous because [they] only hunted animals† (Meyer 1 86). The red eyes of James, Victoria and Laurent are a manifestation of their diet. Bella describes their eyes as â€Å"not the gold or black [she] had come to expect, but a deep burgundy color that was disturbing and sinister† (Meyer 376). Meyer’s usage of the words disturbing and sinister give the impression that the travelers are up to no good and give the reader an eerie vibe. The burgundy color represents what their diet consist of, human blood. Bella and the Cullens know that the travelers’ thirst will need to be fulfilled, their thirst for her blood. Count Dracula’s eyes, like those of the travelers’ in Twilight, are also red, making the connection that he feeds on human blood. An expression of his thirst comes when Jonathan ironically cuts himself while shaving. Jonathan writes, of Dracula, that â€Å"his eyes blazed with a sort of demoniac fury, and he suddenly made a grab at my throat† (Stoker 33). This perceived fury is the Countà ¢â‚¬â„¢s thirst for blood. The fury being described as demoniac shows that Dracula is not of this world, he acts like a demon, a monster from hell. Through blazing eyes, Edward and Count Dracula convey their hatred toward others. Edward’s hate toward the men in Port Angeles is revealed when, â€Å"his blazing eyes stared straight ahead† as he drove at high speeds through parts of the town

Eden Lenner. Book Review- Winning The War Of Words . One

Eden Lenner Book Review- Winning the War of Words One problem for someone trying to offer a defense of Israel despite the determined intellectual attack on the country in recent years is that, while the assault is simply and easily understood; the defense is harder to explain. To defame the country one simply needs to say ‘colonization’ or ‘apartheid’, and add a photo of a soldier manhandling a child, but to defend Israel requires an expansive understanding of at least 100 years of history in both Europe and the Middle East, an understanding of how we have reached this moment, and of what Israel’s only choices are right now. Anyone trying to explain Israel’s case needs to be mature enough to make sense of this to people outside the†¦show more content†¦Like many Israelis, she had her mind changed by the Palestinians repeatedly rejecting Israel’s peace offers and by their use of brutal terrorism. She writes that she noticed, what she had previously regarded as legitimate critici sm of Israeli policies was in fact something different, it was an ideology disturbing in its intention and content. She concluded that this criticism wasn’t about a two-state solution at all, but it ‘only very thinly masks a deep and visceral hatred for the state and its people that cannot be explained by mere criticism for the policies of some of its elected governments.’ Things move so far and so fast in the Middle East that some of the pieces here already seem like distant history just a year or two after happening and being written. If Iran, in 2013, ‘felt that the economic pressure and the credible threat of military intervention were to threaten its very survival, it might, just as Assad did with the chemical weapons, go as far as give up the entire nuclear program altogether.’ Before 2014 started was a relatively peaceful time. But of course, we know now that the West will never make such a threat, that the mullahs will have their way, and that the Americans are in retreat amidst the confused ruins of their policies as the Russians move in. Wilf’s views are particularly sharp towards the regional turmoil due to many in the West being

Law of Contract Business Incorporate Company

Question: Describe about the Law of Contract for Business Incorporate Company. Answer: 1: In this question, Bob's daughter Alice informed him that if he incorporates the company, he can catch twice the quota of scallops that can be caught by each person in a single year. In this regard, according to Scallop Fishing and Marketing Act only 50 ton scallops are allowed to be caught by one person in a single year. But Bob has the capability to catch more scallops, and he also wishes to earn more, therefore Alice had told him that if he incorporates a company, it will be a separate entity under the law and in this way, he can catch twice the amount of scallops. In order to decide the above-mentioned issue, the application of the doctrine of separate entity needs to be considered. In Salomon v Salomon, the court had specified that a duly created corporation enjoys the status of a distinct entity that is distinct from the members who had formed the company. Generally this principle is followed by the courts. Due to this notion, a corporate veil is considered to exist between the company and its members. Hence it can be said that a duly incorporated corporation is to be considered as a different body and it is different from its members (Graw, 2011). There are some instances where it may be required that this corporate veil should be lifted by the courts to enforce liability on the members or for the purpose of revealing the real nature of the company. The justification after the instances where the corporate veil may be lifted by the court is that the regulation does not permit that the corporate veil should be misused by certain persons. Due to this reason if under the circumstances, it appears to the court that the corporate form is being distorted by the persons who have formed the company, the court might disregard the corporate veil and reveal the true nature of the corporation. Hence, these are the cases where the court may disregard the notion of isolated lawful character that has been provided in Salomon. According to the corporations law, it is believed that a distinct legal entity has been created when the company has been duly registered. But occasionally, the court might disregard the corporate veil for enforcing liability on the members who were behind this veil. Consequently, the court can disregard the legal fiction of separate entity (Latimer, 2016). The term used for such a situation is piercing the corporate veil. The result is that under the circumstances mentioned above, the court may arrive at the conclusion that the distinct lawful character of the organization should be overlooked and the true nature of the corporation should be revealed by the court. When it has been determined by the court that the corporate veil should be impaled, the court can ignore the companys structure for enforcing a liability on the members even if the notion of distinct personality is strictly applied, such liability can be imposed on the member of the company (Lipton, Herzberg and Welsh, 201 6). When it has been decided that the corporate veil should be lifted, the court may impose any liability of the company on its members. However there are very rare circumstances when the court is allowed to do so. Therefore it can be said that the general rule still provides that the obligations of a firm are enforceable only against the corporate. On the grounds of the above-mentioned legal provisions, in the present question also, the Scallop Fishing and Marketing Act states that every fisherman can catch 50 tons of scallops only. But Bob wants to catch more scallops. Therefore he is looking for the ways to escape these provisions and increase the quota of his catch. Under these circumstances, Bob's daughter Alice had stated that if he incorporates a company, he may double his quota of scallops. Alice believes that as the law considers that the company has its own distinct identity, Bob will be allowed to catch 50 tons of scallops in his personal capacity and 50 tons on behalf of the company. But by giving this advice, Alice had ignored the notion of piercing the corporate veil. As in this case, it will be clear that the new company is created only for escaping the legislative provisions mentioned in Scallop Fishing and Marketing Act, it may be available to a court to impale the corporate veil in this case and look behind the structure of the new corporation formed by Bob and impose liability on Bob Beech. On these grounds, it can be said that the advice given by Alice is not correct 2: In this question, the issue arises if the parent company, New Nirvana Ltd. can be responsible for the carelessness of its subsidiary, Nuclear Blast Sounds. The brief facts are that Nuclear Blast Sounds was responsible for setting sound at the performances of N/N. But owing to negligence, the sound was set at such a high level that certain persons in audience underwent hearing loss permanently. These members wanted to initiate a claim for negligence but they came to know that Nuclear Blast doesnt have the required funds for paying damages that the court may grant to these persons. This corporation doesnt have negligence insurance. Consequently the injured persons are willing to bring a claim against New Nirvana as this company can pay the expected damages. The basic rule of the corporations' law that is applicable in such cases provides that a parent company cannot be responsible for the acts of the subsidiary. This way, the basic rule clearly provides that parent company cannot be responsible for the actions of subsidiary. But an exception is also present to the general rule. According to this exception, in some cases, the court may resolve that the corporate veil needs to be pierced and consequently the parent company can be held accountable for the obligations of the subsidiary. In case of lifting the corporate veil, the court ignores the protection that is provided by the doctrine of limited liability entity (Vermeesch and Lindgren, 2011,). For the purpose of basing the corporate veil and to arrive at the conclusion that the parent company needs to be held responsible for the obligations of its subsidiary, the plaintiff has to establish that the corporation had an overt intention to disregard the corporate entity for the purpose of avoiding a duty that was owed towards the plaintiff. The law provides that in some cases, the court may left the corporate veil in case of a group of companies and treat them as partners. For instance in D.H.N. Food Products V. Tower Hamlets, DHN was the holding company and there were three companies in the group. The other two companies were the wholly-owned subsidiaries of DHN. One of the subsidiary companies owned the land that was used by DHN at the other subsidiary company retained the vehicles that were used by DHN. Therefore when this land was subjected to compulsory purchase, DHN wanted compensation for disturbing its business. While deciding the case, the court stated that the subsidiary companies were bound and therefore to the parent company and were required to do whatever the parent company wanted them to do. Therefore, this group can be considered as the same as a partnership and all the three companies can be considered as partners. The court stated that these three companies should not be considered distinctly so that t hey will be beaten on a procedural argument. The result was that the court stated that DHN was entitled to compensation. Therefore in this case, the court disregarded the principle of separate corporate personality. But it needs to be noted that such a decision is likely to be delivered by the court only when the subsidiary companies are wholly owned by the parent company and they have no other issue other than owning the assets of the parent company. On these grounds, in the present case, it can be said that the court can impale the corporate veil and determine New Nirvana as accountable for the negligence of Nuclear Blast. 3: The relevant provision that deals with the present issue has been mentioned in section 140, Corporations Act, 2001. For this purpose, section 140(1) mentions that the constitution of the company should be treated as having the effect of a contract that has been concluded between:- The corporation and each of its members (s140(1)(a)) The company and each director/company secretary of the corporation (s140(1)(b)) A member of the company and other members (s140(1)(c)). In this way, the constitution and the replaceable rules form of legislative contract created among the corporation and the members and officers, including the directors. In Hickman v Kent (1915), it was stated by the court that the corporation can enforce the provisions of its constitution against the members of the company. But at the same time, it has also been mentioned in Eley v Positive Life Assurance Co (1875) that the members cannot enforce the provisions mentioned in the Constitution of the company that appeared to confer rights on these members in some extra capacity except their capacity as the members of the corporation. In this way, concerning the contractual influence of the constitution and the replaceable rules applying to a company, it should be emphasized that this effect is restricted to the above mentioned situations. The result is that no rights are provided under common law to any person in any other capacity. The decision in Eley v Positive Life (1876) establishes this point. Mr. Eley was chosen by the company as its solicitor. Afterwards, he was also made a member of the corporation. His selection was stated in the articles. These also stated that Eley will act as the company's solicitor for his life. Under these circumstances, some time later, the company decided to remove Eley as company's solicitor. The result was that Eley started legal proceedings in the court, alleging breach of contract by the insurance company. But the court determined that the articles did not provide any rights to Eley in any other capacity except as companys member. The court stated that because these rights we re not affected; the action for breach of contract initiated by Eley cannot succeed. The position under the common law in this regard was also illustrated by Hickman v Kent (1915). The articles declared that if a disagreement arose between the company and its members, such a dispute needs to be brought before an arbitrator before starting any court proceedings. However, when a dispute arose between the company and Hickman, he direct away started proceedings in the court and did not refer the matter to an arbitrator as required by the articles of the company. As a result, the company could obtain a stay of the legal proceedings started by Hickman. Consequently, in this case also, it can be said that Don cannot successfully sue Millennium Pty Ltd for breaching the contract when some other person was nominated as companys solicitor. On the other hand, Millennium Pty may obtain a stay of the legal proceedings because these were started without referring to dispute to an arbitrator. References Graw, S. 2011, An Introduction to the Law of Contract, 7th Ed., Thomson Reuters. Latimer, P, 2016, Australian Business Law CC, 2016 Edition Vermeesch, R B, Lindgren, K E, 2011, Business Law of Australia Butterworths, 12th Edition Lipton P, Herzberg A and Welsh, M, 2016, Understanding Company Law, 18th edition, Thomson Reuters Case Law Adams v Cape Industries plc [1990] Ch 433 DHN Food Distributors Ltd v Tower Hamlets London Borough Council [1976] 1 WLR 852 Eley v Positive Life Assurance Co Ltd [1876] 1 Ex D 88 Hickman v Kent or Romney Marsh Sheep-breeders Association [1915] 1 Ch D 881 Salomon v Salomon Co [1897] AC 22

Research Indian Retail Industry Essay Example

Research: Indian Retail Industry Essay Aim To develop learners’ skills of independent enquiry and critical analysis by undertaking a sustained research investigation of direct relevance to their Higher Education programme and professional development. Summary of Learning Outcomes To achieve pass learners must demonstrate the ability to deal with each of the following outcomes: Understand how to formulate a research specification Be able to implement the research project within agreed procedures and to specification Be able to evaluate the research outcomes Be able to present the research outcomes. Scenario For the assignment, you will be required to select Research project into an area of commercial business practice that interests you. The study should use both primary and secondary sources of information, and analysis should be done by using appropriate methods and present the findings with regard to initial proposal. Or The Indian Retail Industry is the largest among all the industries, accounting for over 10 per cent of the country’s GDP and around 8 per cent of the employment. The Retail Industry in India has come forth as one of the most dynamic and fast paced industries with several players entering the market. We will write a custom essay sample on Research: Indian Retail Industry specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research: Indian Retail Industry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research: Indian Retail Industry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer But all of them have not yet tasted success because of the heavy initial investments that are required to break even with other companies and compete with them. The Indian Retail Industry is gradually inching its way towards becoming the next boom industry. Despite of exponential growth, the retail industry in India facing enormous challenges. Your research should dwell upon challenges in Indian retail industry. Major Retailers in India Pantaloon: Pantaloon is one of the biggest retailers in India with more than 450 stores across the country. Headquartered in Mumbai, it has more than 5 million sq. ft retail space located across the country. Its growing at an enviable pace and is expected to reach 30 million sq. ft by the year 2010. In 2001, Pantaloon launched countrys first hypermarket ‘Big Bazaar’. It has the following retail segments: Food amp; Grocery: Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar Home Solutions: Hometown, Furniture Bazaar, Collection-i Consumer Electronics: e-zone Shoes: Shoe Factory Books, Music amp; Gifts: Depot Health amp; Beauty Care: Star, Sitara E-tailing: Futurebazaar. com Entertainment: Bowling Co. Tata Group Tata group is another major player in Indian retail industry with its subsidiary Trent, which operates Westside and Star India Bazaar. Established in 1998, it also acquired the largest book and music retailer in India ‘Landmark’ in 2005. Trent owns over 4 lakh sq. ft retail space across the country. RPG Group RPG Group is one of the earlier entrants in the Indian retail market, when it came into food amp; grocery retailing in 1996 with its retail Foodworld stores. Later it also opened the pharmacy and beauty care outlets ‘Health amp; Glow’. Reliance Reliance is one of the biggest players in Indian retail industry. More than 300 Reliance Fresh stores and Reliance Mart are quite popular in the Indian retail market. Its expecting its sales to reach  Rs. 90,000 crores by 2010. AV Birla Group AV Birla Group has a strong presence in Indian apparel retailing. The brands like Louis Phillipe, Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Peter England are quite popular. Its also investing in other segments of retail. It will invest  Rs. 8000-9000 cores by 2010. Retail formats in India Hyper marts/supermarkets: large self-servicing outlets offering products from a variety of categories. Mom-and-pop stores: they are family owned business catering to small sections; they are individually handled retail outlets and have a personal touch. Departmental stores: are general retail merchandisers offering quality products and services. Convenience stores: are located in residential areas with slightly higher prices goods due to the convenience offered. Shopping malls: the biggest form of retail in India, malls offers customers a mix of all types of products and services including entertainment and food under a single roof. E-trailers: are retailers providing online buying and selling of products and services. Discount stores: these are factory outlets that give discount on the MRP. Vending: it is a relatively new entry, in the retail sector. Here beverages, snacks and other small items can be bought via vending machine. Category killers: small specialty stores that offer a variety of categories. They are known as category killers as they focus on specific categories, such as electronics and sporting goods. This is also known as Multi Brand Outlets or MBOs. Specialty stores: are retail chains dealing in specific categories and provide deep assortment. Mumbais Crossword Book Store and RPGs Music World are a couple of examples. Challenges facing Indian retail industry The tax structure in India favors small retail business Lack of adequate infrastructure facilities High cost of real estate Dissimilarity in consumer groups Restrictions in Foreign Direct Investment Shortage of retail study options Shortage of trained manpower Low retail management skill Web sources: http://www. fibre2fashion. com/industry-article/free-retail-industry-article/ http://zenithresearch. org. in/images/stories/pdf/2012/May/ZIJMR/22_ZIJMR_Vol2_Issue5_May%202012. pdf http://www. economywatch. com/business-and-economy/challenges-indian-retail-industry. html http://indianresearchjournals. com/pdf/APJMMR/2012/September/1. pdf LO-1: Understand how to formulate a research specification . 1. Formulate and record the research project outline specifications. (AC 1. 1) 1. 2. Identify the factors that contribute to the process of research project selection. (AC 1. 2) 1. 3. Undertake a critical review of key references for the proposed research project. (AC 1. 3) 1. 4. Produce a research project specification. (AC 1. 4) 1. 5. Provide an appropriate plan and procedures for the agree d research specification. (AC . 5) LO-2: Be able to implement the research project within agreed procedures and to specification 2. 1. Match resources efficiently to the research question or hypothesis. AC 2. 1) 2. 2. Outline how you undertake the proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed specification and procedures. (AC 2. 2) 2. 3. Record and collate appropriate and relevant data. (AC 2. 3) LO-3: Be able to evaluate the research outcomes 3. 1. Using appropriate research evaluation techniques, evaluate the collected data. (AC 3. 1) 3. 2. Interpret and analyze the results in terms of the outlined research specification. (AC 3. 2) 3. 3. Make recommendations and justify areas of study for further consideration. (AC 3. 3) LO-4: Be able to present the research outcomes 4. 1. Use report format to present the outcomes of the research to an audience. (AC 4. 1) Marking and Grading Pass Assessment Criteria To achieve PASS grade the student must meet all the learning outcomes mentioned below: Outcomes| Assessment criteria for passTo achieve each outcome a learner must demonstrate the ability to:| LO1Understand how to formulate a researchspecification| 1. 1. formulate and record possible research project outline specifications1. 2. identify the factors that contribute to the process of research project selection1. 3. undertake a critical review of key references1. 4. produce a research project specification1. . provide an appropriate plan and procedures for the agreed research specification| LO2 Be able to implement the research project withinagreed procedures and to specification| 2. 1. match resources efficiently to the research question or hypothesis2. 2 undertake the proposed research investigation in accordance with the agreed specification and procedures2 . 3 record and collate relevant data where appropriate| LO3 Be able to evaluate the research outcomes| 3. 1. use appropriate research evaluation techniques3. 2. interpret and analyze the results in terms of the original research specification3. make recommendations and justify areas for furtherconsideration| LO4 Be able to present the research outcomes| 1. 1 Use an agreed format and appropriate media to present the outcomes of the research to an audience. | * Merit/Distinction Assessment Criteria Merit: M1: Effective choices and judgements have been made (Applicable Task 1. a. (AC 1. 1), Applicable to Task 3. a. (AC3. 1)) M2: Range of sources of information has been used (Applicable to Task 1. c. (AC 1. 3),(Applicable to Task 1. d. (AC 1. 4)) M3:Communication has taken place in familiar and unfamiliar contexts(Applicable to Task 1. e. AC1. 5), Applicable to Task 2. c. (LO 2. 3)) Distinction: D1: Use critical reflection to evaluate possible alternative strategies for organization (Ap plicable to Task1. d. (AC 1. 4), Applicable to Task 3. b. (AC 3. 2)) D2: Autonomy/independent thought and analysis has been demonstrated (Applicable to Task 2. a. (AC2. 1), (Applicable to Task 3. c. (AC 3. 3)) D3: Convergent and logical thinking have been applied ((Applicable to Task 2. b. (AC 2. 2), Applicable to Task 3. a. (AC3. 1)) Note: The assignment shall be graded as ‘Not Achieved’ if a student does not i. Submit within stipulated time. ii. Meet all the assessment criteria. Submission Guidelines: The student must submit an assignment in a report format 800-1000 words for each task or 4000 (+/-) 500 words for the entire assignment. * Complete the title page and sign the statement of authenticity. * Upload the soft copy of final version of the assessment on live campus latest by 18. 00hrs. on the scheduled date. *Please use the standard report format available on live campus. Comply with the formatting rules stated therein. *For Late Submission policy, Plagiarism and Collusion please refer to your student course handbook available on Live Campus.

People Come and Go… but I will Surely Stay Essay Essays

People Come and Go†¦ but I will Surely Stay Essay Essays People Come and Go†¦ but I will Surely Stay Essay Essay People Come and Go†¦ but I will Surely Stay Essay Essay It’s been a tough twenty-four hours. I arrived at place tardily conveying tonss of school assignment and here goes my ma censuring me for acquiring place tardily. I thought it’s been her avocation. She ever does the same thing without even inquiring the really ground why I came place tardily. She’s been rigorous these past few yearss. I haven’t taken my tiffin yet that twenty-four hours. I’m even be aftering to jump dinner that dark. I rushed into my room. puting my dismay clock and planning to take a sleep for a piece. Minutess passed by and yet I’m still non into remainder. My organic structure wants to but my mind’s stating me that there are more of import things to make than to merely put down my bed for relaxation’s interest. I still don’t want to submerge myself with tonss of school assignment. I merely want to make something else that can do me experience better and that’s reminiscing about the happiest time s of my life – when my great expansive female parent was still populating. I miss her so bad. I can still retrieve the times when she stays by my side whenever I stay up wholly dark making my preps and undertakings. She neer sleeps until she finds me in the thick of the dark. How I wish that she’s still populating us go oning to portion every minute of her life with us. I continued to reminisce until I found my cryings running down my cheeks. I hugged one of my teddy bears and realized that I’m embracing an old material plaything which was given to me by my great expansive female parent as a birthday present when I was still a kid. Minutess subsequently. I stopped shouting. I can’t explicate the feeling I that I experienced that really minute. It’s like I was lying beside my grandma and she’s caressing me back. merely like how we used to manner back my childhood yearss. I don’t know but it was jut so existent. Subsequently on. I heard a susurration stating â€Å"people semen and go† I felt Goosebumps all over my organic structure. I remembered my grandma who ever tells me non to swear a individual in merely a short period of clip. She doesn’t desire me to prosecute into something that seems to be a s hort-run relationship. in friendly relationship. in love life and any other relationships with other people. Every clip that I’m holding such jobs. she’s the 1 who comforts me non every bit much as my parents do. She ever enlightens me with the ideas and life lessons that truly do me experience loved and so blest. And one more thing that she ever reminds me is to pray. She ever led me into supplications each twenty-four hours. There’s no ground for me to fear for I have a God that will remain with me everlastingly. even when she’s non around for me. She promised me that she will ever remain with me. but God will make greater things far better than her promises to me. She told me that all of the people that I’ve got to meet. my friends. my household. may relatives and even her will travel. merely God will certainly remain all throughout. That statement truly moved me. â€Å"Gising na. tanghali na! † . my ma shouted as she tries to wake me up inside my room. It’s already 5:00 in the forenoon and I’ll be late for school. She scolded me for jumping dinner. She went downstairs and calls me for breakfast. I realized that last dark was merely a dream. It was merely a simple reminder that I don’t have to worry about anything for there is person who will ever remain us. . and that’s God!

Foo Fighters and UFOs

Foo Fighters and UFOs Foo Fighters and UFOs Foo Fighters and UFOs By Maeve Maddox Only recently have I come across the delicious term Foo Fighter. foo fighter: Any of various unidentified lights encountered by airborne forces during the Second World War (1939-45), interpreted variously as enemy weapons, natural phenomena, or alien spacecraft. OED According to a lengthy and informative article at Answers.com, foo fighters were seen at sites all over the world during World War II: 1941: Indian ocean: 1942 Java Sea, Solomon Islands 1945 France The etymology of foo fighter is uncertain: The term is generally thought to have been borrowed from the often surrealist comic strip Smokey Stover. Smokey, a firefighter, was fond of saying, Where theres foo theres fire. (This foo may have come from feu, the French word for fire, or Feuer the German word for fire, or from Smokeys pronunciation of the word fuel.) A Big Little Book titled Smokey Stover the Foo Fighter was published in 1938. Foo may alternatively have come from either of the French words faux meaning fake, or fou, mad. Answers.com The term flying saucer to describe an unidentified flying phenomenon dates from 1947. The term Unidentified Flying Object dates from 1950; the first documentation of the abbreviation UFO is from 1953. The abbreviation led to the coining of the unlovely word Ufology: the study of UFOs. Perhaps because UFO carries connotations of craziness, a new acronym has come into use: UAP, Unidentified Aerial Phenomenona. There’s a National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena dedicated to the study of UAP sightings. Whatever you call them, these strange aerial phenomena have been around for a very long time. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Direct and Indirect ObjectsEnglish Grammar 101: Verb MoodThe "Pied" in The Pied Piper

Quantitative Methods and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Quantitative Methods and Analysis - Essay Example It is expected that increase in employee benefits will be positively related with intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction. What are the least squares regression line equations for each of the 3 different regressions? The regression line is the basic simple linear regression model: linear in the parameter ?0 (or Y-intercept) and ?1 (Slope); and in the independent variable (Kutner, Nachtsheim and Neter, 2004). Mathematically, simple linear regression is represented as: Y = ?0 + ?1(X) This paper drew data from the AIU data set. Regression analysis was carried out by excel. Three regression lines were obtained by using benefit as an independent variable and intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction as dependent variables. Following results were obtained. Regression Line 1: Intrinsic Job Satisfaction = 4.61781924 + 0.034(Benefits) Regression Line 2: Extrinsic Job Satisfaction = 5.411102 - -0.058 (Benefits) Regression Line 3: Overall Job Satisfaction = 4.934424 + 0.006301 (Benefits) What are the slopes and the y-intercepts? ‘ Regression Line 1: Â   Coefficients Intercept 4.61781924 Slope 0.033893373 Regression Line 2: Â   Coefficients Intercept 5.411102 Slope -0.058 Regression Line 3: Â   Coefficients Intercept 4.934424 Slope 0.006301 What are the R-squared values for the 3 different regressions? Regression Line 1: Regression Statistics R Square 0.001964739 Regression Line 2: Regression Statistics R Square 0.011193 Regression Line 3: Regression Statistics R Square 0.000174 Similarities, differences and strength of correlation The results obtained by the regression analyses revealed both positive and negative slope values showing positive and negative relationships between the dependent and the independent variables. The first and third regression lines have a positive slope which shows that employee benefits are positively related with intrinsic and overall job satisfaction. However, small values of R-square show a weak relationship between these variables. The second regression model shows negative correlation between benefits and extrinsic job satisfaction. The strength of this relationship as measured by R square was highest and therefore the correlation between these two variables was high (Stuart, 1998) Conclusion The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between employee benefits and job satisfaction. It was asserted that increase in employee benefits would be positively related with intrinsic, extrinsic and overall job satisfaction. However, the results of this study weren’t consistent with this assertion. Overall, the results of this study show that the employee benefits can be used to predict employee satisfaction. According to the results employee benefits were positively related with intrinsic and overall job satisfaction. Furthermore, there was negative relationship between benefits and extrinsic job satisfaction. The strength of this relationship as measured by R square was highest a nd therefore the correlation between these two variables was high. References Kutner, M. H.. Nachtsheim, C. J and Neter J. (2004), Applied Linear Regression Models, 4th ed., McGraw-Hill/Irwin, Boston Locke, E. A. (1976). Nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M.D. Dunnette, (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and or Organizational psychology, 1297-1349. Chicago. Schneider, B., Gunnarson, S. K.,& Wheeler, J.K. (1992). The role of opportunity in the conceptualization

Benefits of Implementation a Good Accounting System Essay - 3

Benefits of Implementation a Good Accounting System - Essay Example Accounting system requires three financial accounting documents; the balance sheet, which determines financial position of the business, income statement, which shows if the business is making a profit or loss and finally and cash flow statement which shows money inflow and outflow in the business. Business activities are run by money given to the management body by the owners. Therefore, a financial statement is useful in monitoring the effectiveness of management. Financial statements also act as a tool used in making an assessment. These statements show how management spent resources allocated to them in the process of reducing the company’s cost and increasing profitability (Kieso and Weygandt 34). It is the work of the accounting department to make such assessments and give a report. Good accounting system helps a company’s stakeholder to make economically informed decisions. The decisions made are based on the information received after analyzing financial statements. Business decisions are always based on accounting information. The accounting system is also very important for record keeping. Information collected from numerous sources is received, analyzed and communicated to the prospective users for decision making. Based on accounting details, company records can be used to make monetary policies. Efficient accounting system helps to detect deception by putting in proper internal control mechanism to monitor events (Kieso and Weygandt 47). Effective and efficient tracking of internal events can be achieved by having a good accounting information system in place.

Gender Differences in Religious Belief Essay Example for Free

Gender Differences in Religious Belief Essay Critically examine the relationship between gender, religious participation and religious organisation Studies of religious belief verify consistently that the female gender shows greater participation to religion than that of males. This greater commitment to religion described by sociologists such as Bensen applies throughout the course of the woman’s life, and as noted by Glock and Stark, their greater pledge to religion is consistent regardless of the religious organization, whether it be New Religious movements, New Age spirituality, or traditional faiths. Beit-hallahmy and Argyle state that whether it is a matter of private churchgoing or private prayer and regardless of religious belief women appear more religious than men. Religions universally have been found to be deeply oppressive to women, born from ancient teachings indicating their inferiority to men. Writers like de Beauvoir and Sadwai see religion and religious ideology as playing a part in maintaining male domination that is found in many aspects of contemporary social life. In religious scriptures women take the lesser position; De Beauvoir highlights how scriptures in most religions suggest that â€Å"man is master by divine right† and Aldridge explains how in the Qu’ran women are legally inferior to men. Why, then, do women pursue a faith which encourages their oppression, more so than the gender with the power to dominate it? Biological factors begin with Miller and Hoffman’s explanation that women take fewer risks than men and as a result seek to conform to a groups religious identity rather than undertake the challenge of authority and autonomy. Men more often reject the religious beliefs of the mainstream and engage in risk-taking behaviors. According to Stark this risk taking inclination in a man to not â€Å"think ahead† means that men are less religious because they are willing to take a gamble on there not being an afterlife. However sociologists like Freese and Montgomery debate this argument works on an assumption that everyone makes the same risk assessment when in fact men are just more prepared to take that risk. Roth produced a study which showed there to be a smaller gap between genders in the percentage who believe in an afterlife but a large gap in those who give attendance and prayer to religion, suggesting women just participate actively more than men. Armstrong states that biological differences between men and women gave way to male domination; patriarchal montheism has replaced polysthetic beliefs which promoted the role of the female in society, for which evidence was found by archeologists in the form of old statues of goddesses. He argues that natural male aggression was the tool used to manipulate religion into a patriarchal institution. The socializations built upon this biology, are of men to be strong and domineering, and of women to be passive, obedient, and nurturing, which according to Mol, are the qualities associated with religiosity. Miller and Hoffman establish that gender socialisation makes women more cooperative and caring, and this can leads to many explanations for their greater participation in religion. One is their role of guardians in family life. Bruce states that women’s child bearing and rearing experiences for instance develop their traits as nurturers as opposed to confrontational and goal seeking. Luckmann further explains that women have a greater responsibility for rearing children and participate to a lesser degree in the labor force, leaving them with more time for church-related activities and a greater need for a source of personal identity and commitment. Women are more likely to take on the task of the moral development of their child along with the rest of their duties in socializing a child. There is an expectation for women to be defenders of tradition and Halman and Draulans note that these roles give women a greater focus on the family. Luckmann also highlights how women’s role as a housewife gives them lesser participation in the labor force, leaving them with more time for church-related activities and a greater need for a source of personal identity and commitment. They are more likely to experience status frustration, born from the constraints of housework and childcare or the unsatisfying lower middle class jobs which are mainly done by women. Religious participation can reinstate identity and give women focus, because where men gain individuality through work, women revive their low sense of worth through religion. Religious faith and practice can enhance psychological well-being by being a source of comfort to women in times of distress and by enhancing their social interaction with others in places of worship. More responsive and sensitive personality traits in a woman mean they are more likely to contemplate emotional wellbeing and not only seek solace in religion bit find meaning and purpose in life. Personality was be attested as a key factor by Thompson, who found that men who possess those qualities more commonly found in women, such as sensitivity , were similarly more likely to be religious. Reasons other than oppression that lead a higher percentage of women to respond to their environment and pursue happiness through religion are the increased levels of poverty they experience. Official figures show women are 14% more likely than men to live in households with incomes that are 60% below the national average. More frequently diagnosed mental illness and depression in women can explain their higher contribution to religion, as cults, sects as a social network and comfort for women outside the isolation of the home or of their minds. Women’s tend to be more open about sharing personal problems and are more relational than men which is encouraged in the close knit community of a sect. The intimacy of the private sphere can also replicate women’s â€Å"sphere of the home† whilst theodicies explaining their feelings and offering solutions justify their role as a woman. New Religious Movements such as cults are also generally more popular with women because of cult focus on self-discovery and fulfilment, which correlates with the female inclination towards self-criticism and self-improvement, due to their suffering higher levels of marginalisation and lack of self-confidence. Some evidence contradicts the male role as non-spiritual however, as Davie found there is an equal spiritual confidence in the existence of ghosts between genders. A key to understanding modern women’s higher participation in religion is the shifts in demographic trends. Brierly’s study found that in 1979 the proportion of male church goers were 45% but in 1989 it had dropped to 42%. The ratio of live females to live males rises steadily and correspondingly a disproportionate number of elderly women seek refuge in the church in response to loneliness or consoling philosophy nearing the end of their lives. Davie explains how women are more actively responsive to religion because males and females have differing visions of God; males associate him with power and status whereas women associate with his traits of love, comfort and forgiveness which explains their greater involvement in community religions. They are more concerned with people orientation than control. Female differences in nature also explains the particular appeal of New Age ideas revolved around well-being and stress relief. Concepts such as herbalism, yoga and meditation, homeopathy, aromatherapy and massage, horoscopes, astrology, fortune-telling are strongly associated with females, according to Glendinning and Bruce. This recent marketization of religion often promotes earthly concepts which are more linked to femininity and female empowerment than the tradition of male domination. Mother Gaia, the theory of Mother Earth as a living entity, is more appealable to women for instance. Women’s heightened spirituality can be attributed to their greater role in biological life processes. Walter and Davie see women as more emotionally exposed to the â€Å"ups and downs† of life because of childbirth, and their nurturing role as teachers, care assistants, social workers, and so on, and also the expectation that they be unpaid carers for vulnerable family members. This heightens their sensitivity and attunes the spiritual dimension of human existence, because as Davie argues, these factors give women a closer association with birth and death which are generally central concepts of religion. As females live longer than men some studies have shown that many widowed women may turn to religion for the comfort of reassuring philosophies and social networks. It is possible that some women take refuge from some of the theoretical oppressions bore by religion. Swatos talks of the fulfilment that can be had from being a second class citizenship. Feminist writers like Walby and be Beauvoir suggest that the doctrine of many of the world’s religions contain an ideology of the family which emphasises women’s traditional roles as wives and mothers in the family. Some women, however, are happy to take on this role. Barrett and Pryce, for instance, highlight how Rastafarianism assumes the woman’s position as a housewife and mother as a protection from sexual and racial abuse in the outside world. On one hand this gives ultimate power to men by denying female participation to society in the name of protection, but some more introverted Rastafarian women may enjoy this safety within the sphere of the home. A similar contradiction of female subjugation is the veil; whilst Aldridge notes the hijab in Islamic cultures as a symbol of patriarchy, degrading women to a state of invisibility and keeping them devoid of identity, some women find anonymity to be protective from the judgement and sexual degradation of men. A growing number of Western Muslims have taken to wearing the veil to in fact reinstate a female identity separate from their face; writers like Ahmed and Watson argue that the veiling of one’s face can be a way to resist the patriarchy and sexual objectification of Western culture which views women as visual objects. Faiths as a majority oppose the admission of women to leadership in religious organisations. A pun of the â€Å"stained glass ceiling† is used as a pun by sociologists to explain how women are maintained at the bottom of the career ladder to authority within the church, and barred completely from the priesthood in Roman Catholicism and Orthodox Judaism, which is seemingly discriminatory, but perhaps female role models within religious doctrines presented as meek and nurturing figures have had such an influence on the identity of a religious women that they feel more comfortable in a non-domineering role. Examples can be taken from any religion proving the sub-ordinance of women taught by most faith systems. The socialisation of women to be obedient and take on the follower role means they are further likely to be a willing follower of religion. Overall social, psychological, and biological factors interlink to form explanations for greater female participation in religion and religious organisation. The gravity of female relation to religion as an explanation, compensator, duty, and social outlet mean that their commitment is likely to persist regardless of the injustices and subjugations it bears upon the gender.

Dead Poets Society Essay -- essays papers

Dead Poets Society Many poets and directors believe in the concept of living life to the fullest. In this quote, by Sir Henry David Thoreau, he shows that we should live life to its fullest and make sure we make our mark while we still can, so people remember us. In the Movie," Dead Poets Society," a group of students from the Welton Prep School are moved by the teachings of their English teacher, Professor Keating. He teaches the boys to be their own boss, leaders and not followers. This quote relates to the movie because this quote tells what Keating wants to teach his kids. Many events take place during the movie that asks whether or not Professor Keating's teaching are appropriate, it is also questionable whether or not he was successful. "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life†¦" -Sir Henry David Thoreau The quote by Sir Henry David Thoreau, from Walden can be summarized by the statement," live life to the fullest." In the quote, it says you should do what you want and not to care what others think, be your own person. "And not, when ...

Animal cruelty speech Essay

Imagine you were the one being tested on, imagine your skin being torn off alive, imagine your arms and legs being ripped off while still alive, imagine being burnt alive, fellow classmates even imagine losing your life, just so you can satisfy other species. Doesn’t sound fun does it? Good afternoon Miss —– and fellow classmates. Many of you may ask what is animal cruelty is. Animal cruelty is the act of violence against animals, testing them just so humans can undergo their normal lives. Ask yourselves what’s more important, mascara, or a living organism. They live and breathe like us, they have feelings and hearts, and so what makes us better than them? Are we just murderers too? I stand before you today, to make you all aware of how appalling animal cruelty really is and why it MUST be stopped. I will discuss three arguments, the different types of animal cruelty, animal testing and lastly why animal cruelty should be abolished. Let’s begin with the different types of animal cruelty. I strongly believe that there are several types of animal cruelty that many people disregard. When you think of animal abuse you probably just think violence being inflicted on an animal, or leaving it out in the cold, but those are just some forms of animal abuse. People are making animal’s fight each other until one of them has died while suffering an unbearably painful death, just for their entertainment. Animals are being slaughtered in the most painful ways so that people can enjoy a nice delicious meal. Animals don’t exist to be eaten; they exist for having a life just as us human beings. Each year, thousands of young and healthy Greyhounds are killed because they lack racing potential or have been injured while racing and are no longer competitive. This means that they are being killed, simply for lacking the fitness level. Statistics show, that 12,569 animals are being cruelly treated every day in Australia alone. 65% of those numbers are dogs. Imagine your dog, who is like your best friend, being forced to fight another dog, having its ears torn off, its legs ripped off while it screams and yelps for your help, but there’s nothing you can do about it, just sit and watch. Society doesn’t realise how serious animal testing is, people are just testing animals for their own selfish selves. Do you know what disgusts me most? Animal testing! It happens all around the world and people are only influencing it. Do you care that animals are suffering everyday due to animal testing? Worldwide, at least 22 animals die every second in labs due  to animal testing . Why is it that these animals are being tested on, being killed and we are doing nothing about it? Aren’t we just murderers? They seem to think that humans are most superior to everyone and we’re the only ones that deserve to live on this planet. Right now, millions of mice, rats, rabbits, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are locked inside cold, barren cages in laboratories across the country. They languish in pain, ache with loneliness, and long to roam free and use their minds. Instead, all they can do is sit and wait in fear of the next terrifying and painful procedure that will be performed on them. Animal cruelty is like a disease, it just won’t stop, students I will now tell you all my last argument which is why animal cruelty should be abolished. Classmates imagine your eyes being blinded, your skin being burnt off of your bones, your hair being ripped off or your legs or arms being torn apart. In today’s cruel society, there are millions of animals that do not have the privileges we humans do. Talk about equality, these animals are getting no say in what they want. Each day, dogs are fighting ferociously just for human entertainment while these animals are powerless to refuse. Imagine for one whole day, animal cruelty was turned around, and we were the ones suffering. Animals are being left to starve, disabled, blinded just for us humans. Over 50 million rabbits, I repeat over 50 MILLION rabbits each year are dying just for their fur. Every year animal cruelty increases, there MUST be a stop. My fellow classmates, animal cruelty is a disregarded social problem that affects the world appallingly. It’s nauseating to even mention the words, these people are no different from being murderers. Three arguments were discussed, the different types of animal cruelty such as animals being forced to violence and animals being slaughtered, animal testing which is used on millions of animals all around the world for human products and lastly why animal cruelty should be abolished and how horrendous it is. I encourage you all to make a decision now, think of the horrible lives the animals live as they wait for their death, think about the harm that you’re doing to helpless victims. Animal cruelty isn’t something that can be stopped with by myself, it takes an entire nation, and this is just the beginning. Should animal cruelty be stopped? No! animal cruelty MUST be stopped! So classmates, I ask, what are you going to do about it?

Main Purpose of Education

Main purpose of education Nowadays,Hong Kong education system has an controversial issue which is about the teachers train their students in order to ensure they obtain the highest grade in public examination. As a result ,they do not know how to apply the knowledge they learned into the workplace. Teachers only teach the knowledge and students recites the information from the textbook,thus many secondary school graduates are lack of the ability to present their opinion and idea in a precise and organized way..The current education system ignores the main purpose of education which is to train the students’ critical thinking in the lesson. Practicing the critical thinking is definitely essential for the students because they have to contact with the hustle business environment after they graduate from the college. If they can elaborate their point of views in current affairs clearly before they graduate, they could compete with other candidates and have the higher opportunity to be hired by employer.The world is changing and going forward gradually, as Charles Darwin have said ‘Survival of the fittest’. There is a great deal of workers who has high education level in society, the employer tend to employ the people who can criticize and analyze social topic with valid reasons since well critical thinker can communicate effectively and easier to find solution of complicated problems. Provided that the students equip with critical thinking, they can be an independent and lifelong learners.Moreover , being a competitive worker should apply the critical thinking in the daily life ,instead of reciting the theory from the textbook. Even if students can comprehend the textbook’s knowledge ,it still have colossal difference between the theory and real condition. For instance, if you learned the marketing skill through the textbook, it is impossible to duplicate the whole theory in the varied business environment since there are numerous uncert ain and unpredictable factors such as adjustment of government policy to affect the decision making.Therefore, it is crucial for the students to learn how to criticize the issue since the secondary school education. After we understand the significance of critical thinking, there are several ways to exercise the students to equip with it by the parents and teachers. Firstly, teacher can change the teaching approach so as to make the students can ponder the same issue in various angles. They should adopt multidisciplinary education method instead of spoon-fed education method.They can inspire and motivate the students to think more about social issue and topic, whereas the students can express their notion to teacher and student. For example, when they learn the social condition in China, teacher can teach them the current social issue such as the problem of rural and urban disparity rather than using the outdated examples in the reference book. Having more opportunity to discuss the issue with classmates is an effective way to cultivate students’ critical thinking in the class.Secondly ,the parents can instruct their children through the social issue as many adolescents love to face the virtual environment and they overlook the social topic . When they receive the news from the media ,they will not analyze and assess the topic immediately because their parents force them to attend the tutorial and they only get the skill to answer the questions, not the ability of critical thinking.Being attentive to current affairs will enhance the competence of critical thinking,hence the parents can encourage their children to read more editorial in newspaper since the students can develop their own reflection on some issue after they comprehend other’s point of view . Ultimately, getting the highest grade does not equal to obtain the better occupation. The aim of education is not only to let the students learn the knowledge and apply it to the real situation. More importantly, it should train students to be well critical thinker for the sake of working in the society.

The Circumstances of Adolf Hitlers 1943 Death by Suicide

The Circumstances of Adolf Hitlers 1943 Death by Suicide With the end of World War II imminent and the Russians nearing his underground bunker beneath  the Chancellery building in Berlin, Germany, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler shot himself in the head with his pistol, likely after swallowing cyanide, ending his own life just before 3:30 pm on April 30, 1945. In the same room, Eva Braunhis new wifeended her life by swallowing a cyanide capsule. After their deaths, members of the SS carried their bodies up to the Chancellery’s courtyard, covered them with gasoline, and lit them on fire. The Fà ¼hrer Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933, beginning the era of German history known as the Third Reich. On August 2, 1934, German President, Paul Von Hindenburg, died. This allowed Hitler to solidify his position by becoming der Fà ¼hrer, the ultimate leader of the German people. In the years following his appointment, Hitler led a reign of terror that embroiled many millions in the Second World War and murdered an estimated 11 million people during the Holocaust.​ Though Hitler promised that the Third Reich would reign for 1,000 years,1 it only lasted 12. Hitler Enters the Bunker As Allied Forces closed in on all sides, the city of Berlin was partially evacuated to prevent approaching Russian troops from seizing valuable German citizens and assets. On January 16, 1945, despite advice to the contrary, Hitler chose to hole up in the vast bunker located below his headquarters (the Chancellery) rather than leave the city. He stayed there for over 100 days. The 3,000-square-foot underground bunker consisted of two levels and 18 rooms; Hitler resided on the lower level. The structure was an expansion project of the Chancellery’s air raid shelter, which had been completed in 1942 and located under the building’s diplomatic reception hall. Hitler contracted Nazi architect Albert Speer to build an additional bunker under the Chancellery’s garden, which was located in front of the reception hall. The new structure, known as the Fà ¼hrerbunker, was officially completed in October 1944.  However, it continued to undergo several upgrades, such as reinforcement and the addition of new security features. The bunker had its own electricity feed and water supply. Life in the Bunker Despite being underground, life in the bunker exhibited some signs of normalcy. The upper quarters of the bunker, where Hitler’s staff lived and worked, were largely plain and functional. The lower quarters, which contained six rooms specifically reserved for Hitler and Eva Braun, contained some of the luxuries that they had become accustomed to during his reign.   Furniture was brought in from the Chancellery offices for comfort and decoration. In his personal quarters, Hitler hung a portrait of Frederick the Great.  Witnesses report that he stared at it on a daily basis to steel himself for the continued fight against outside forces. Despite the attempts  to create a more normal living environment in their underground locale, the strain of this situation was palpable. The electricity in the bunker intermittently flickered and the sounds of war reverberated throughout the structure as the Russian advance grew nearer. The air was stuffy and oppressive. During the final months of the war, Hitler controlled the German government from this dismal lair. The  occupants maintained access to the outside world via telephone and telegraph lines. High-level German officials made periodic visits to conduct meetings on items of importance related to the government and military efforts. Visitors included Hermann Gà ¶ring and SS Leader Heinrich Himmler, among several others. From the bunker, Hitler continued to dictate German military movements but was unsuccessful in his attempt to stop the forward march of Russian troops as they approached Berlin. Despite the claustrophobic and stale atmosphere of the bunker, Hitler rarely left its protective atmosphere. He made his last public appearance on March 20, 1945, when he surfaced to award the Iron Cross to a group of Hitler Youth and SS men. Hitler’s Birthday Just a few days before Hitler’s last birthday, the Russians arrived at the edge of Berlin and encountered resistance from the last remaining German defenders. However, since the defenders consisted of mostly old men, Hitler Youth, and policemen, it didn’t take long for the Russians to sweep past them. On April 20th, 1945, Hitler’s 56th and final birthday, Hitler hosted a small gathering of German officials to celebrate. The event was overpowered by the imminence of defeat but those in attendance tried to put on a brave face for their Fà ¼hrer. Attending officials included Himmler, Gà ¶ring, Reich Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop, Reich Minister of Armaments and War Production Albert Speer, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and Hitler’s personal secretary Martin Bormann. Several military leaders also attended the celebration, among them were Admiral Karl Dà ¶nitz, General Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel, and recently appointed Chief of the General Staff, Hans Krebs. The group of officials attempted to convince Hitler to evacuate the bunker and flee to his villa in Berchtesgaden; however, Hitler put up great resistance and refused to leave. In the end, the group gave in to his insistence and abandoned their efforts. A few of his most devoted followers decided to remain with Hitler in the bunker. Bormann remained along with Goebbels. The latter’s wife, Magda, and their six children also chose to remain in the bunker rather than evacuate. Krebs also remained below ground. Betrayal by Gà ¶ring and Himmler Others did not share Hitler’s dedication and instead chose to leave the bunker, a fact that reportedly upset Hitler deeply. Both Himmler and Gà ¶ring left the bunker shortly after Hitler’s birthday celebration. This did not help Hitler’s mental state and he is reported to have grown increasingly irrational and desperate in the days following his birthday. Three days after the gathering, Gà ¶ring telegraphed Hitler from the villa at Berchtesgaden. Gà ¶ring asked Hitler if he should assume leadership of Germany based on Hitler’s fragile state and the decree of June 29, 1941, that placed Gà ¶ring in the position of Hitler’s successor. Gà ¶ring was startled to receive a reply penned by Bormann that accused Gà ¶ring of high treason. Hitler agreed to drop the charges if Gà ¶ring resigned all of his positions. Gà ¶ring agreed and was placed on house arrest the following day. He would later stand trial in Nuremberg. Upon leaving the bunker, Himmler took a step that was even brasher than Gà ¶ring’s attempt to seize power. On April 23, the same day as Gà ¶ring’s telegram to Hitler, Himmler began movements to negotiate surrender with U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower. Himmler’s attempts did not come to fruition but word reached Hitler on April 27. According to witnesses, they had never seen the Fà ¼hrer so infuriated. Hitler ordered Himmler to be located and shot; however, when Himmler could not be found, Hitler ordered the execution of SS-General Hermann Fegelein, Himmler’s personal liaison who was stationed in the bunker. Fegelein was already on bad terms with Hitler, as he had been caught sneaking out of the bunker the previous day. Soviets Surround Berlin By this point, the Soviets had started bombarding Berlin and the onslaught was unrelenting. Despite the pressure, Hitler remained in the bunker rather than make a last minute escape attempt to his hideaway in the Alps.  Hitler worried that fleeing could mean capture and that was something he was unwilling to risk. By April 24, the Soviets had the city completely surrounded and it appeared that escape was no longer an option. Events of April 29 On the day that American forces liberated Dachau, Hitler began the final steps toward ending his life. It is reported by witnesses in the bunker that shortly after midnight on April 29, 1945, Hitler married Eva Braun. The pair had been romantically involved since 1932, although Hitler was determined to keep their relationship fairly private in its initial years. Braun, an attractive young photography assistant when they met, worshipped Hitler without fail. Although he is reported to have encouraged her to leave the bunker, she vowed to stay with him until the end. Shortly after Hitler married Braun, he dictated his last will and political statement to his secretary, Traudl Junge. Later that day, Hitler learned that Benito Mussolini had died at the hands of Italian partisans. It is believed that this was the final push towards Hitler’s own death the following day. Shortly after learning about Mussolini, Hitler is reported to have asked his personal physician, Dr. Werner Haase, to test some of the cyanide capsules he had been given by the SS. The test subject would be Hitler’s beloved Alsatian dog, Blondi, who had given birth to five puppies earlier that month in the bunker. The cyanide test was successful and Hitler was reported to have been rendered hysterical by Blondi’s death. April 30, 1945 The following day held bad news on the military front. Leaders of the German command in Berlin reported that they would only be able to hold off the final Russian advance for another two to three days, at most. Hitler knew that the end of his Thousand Year Reich was fast approaching. After a meeting with his staff, Hitler and Braun ate their final meal with his two secretaries and the bunker’s cook. Shortly after 3 pm, they said goodbye to the staff in the bunker and retired to their private chambers. Although there is some uncertainty surrounding the exact circumstances, historians believe that the pair ended their lives by swallowing cyanide while sitting on a couch in the sitting room. For added measure, Hitler also shot himself in the head with his personal pistol. Following their deaths, Hitler and Braun’s bodies were wrapped in blankets and then carried up into the Chancellery garden. One of Hitler’s personal assistants, SS Officer Otto Gà ¼nsche doused the bodies in gasoline and burned them, per Hitler’s final orders. Gà ¼nsche was accompanied to the funeral pyre by several of the officials in the bunker, including Goebbels and Bormann. The Immediate Aftermath Hitler’s death was publicly announced on May 1, 1945. Earlier that same day, Magda Goebbels poisoned her six children. She stated to witnesses in the bunker that she did not wish them to continue to live in the world without her. Shortly thereafter, Joseph and Magda ended their own lives, although their exact method of suicide is unclear. Their bodies were also burned in the Chancellery’s garden. On the afternoon of May 2, 1945, Russian troops reached the bunker and discovered the partially burned remains of Joseph and Magda Goebbels. Hitler and Braun’s charred remains were found a couple of days later. The Russians photographed the remains and then reburied them twice in secret locations. What Happened to Hitler’s Body? It is reported that in 1970, the Russians decided to destroy the remains. A small group of KGB agents dug up the remains of Hitler, Braun, Joseph and Magda Goebbels, and the Goebbel’s six children near the Soviet garrison at Magdeburg and then took them to a local forest and burned the remains even further. Once the bodies had been reduced to ash, they were dumped into a river. The only thing not burned was a skull and part of a jawbone, believed to be Hitler’s. However, recent research questions that theory, finding that the skull was from a woman. The Fate of the Bunker The Russian army kept the bunker under close guard in the months following the end of the European front. The bunker was eventually sealed to prevent access and attempts were made to detonate the remains of the structure at least twice over the next 15 years. In 1959, the area above the bunker was made into a park and the bunker entrances were sealed. Because of its proximity to the Berlin Wall, the idea of further destroying the bunker was abandoned once the wall was built. The discovery of a forgotten tunnel renewed interest in the bunker in the late 1960s. The East German State Security conducted a survey of the bunker and then resealed it. It would remain this way until the mid-1980s when the government built high-end apartment buildings on the site of the former Chancellery. A portion of the bunker’s remains were removed during excavation and the remaining chambers were filled with earthen material. The Bunker Today After many years of attempting to keep the location of the bunker secret to prevent Neo-Nazi glorification, the German government has placed official markers to show its location. In 2008, a large sign was erected to educate civilians and visitors about the bunker and its role at the end of the Third Reich.

William Henry Harrison, U.S. General and President

William Henry Harrison, U.S. General and President William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773–April 4, 1841) was a U.S. military commander and the ninth president of the United States. He led American forces during the Northwest Indian War and the War of 1812. Harrisons time in the White House was brief, as he died about one month into his term of typhoid fever. Fast Facts: William Henry Harrison Known For:  Harrison was the ninth president of the United States.Born:  February 9, 1773 in Charles City County, Virginia ColonyParents: Benjamin Harrison V  and Elizabeth Bassett HarrisonDied:  April 4, 1841 in Washington, D.C.Education: University of PennsylvaniaSpouse: Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison (m. 1795-1841)Children: Elizabeth, John, William, Lucy, Benjamin, Mary, Carter, Anna Early Life Born at Berkeley Plantation, Virginia, on February 9, 1773, William Henry Harrison was the son of Benjamin Harrison V and Elizabeth Bassett (he was the last United States president to be born before the American Revolution). A delegate to the Continental Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence, the elder Harrison later served as governor of Virginia and used his political connections to ensure that his son received a proper education. After being tutored at home for several years, William Henry was sent to Hampden-Sydney College at age 14 to study history and the classics. At his fathers insistence, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in 1790 to study medicine under Dr. Benjamin Rush. However, Harris did not find the medical profession to his liking. When his father died in 1791, Harrison was left without money for schooling. After learning of his situation, Governor Henry Light-Horse Harry Lee III of Virginia encouraged the young man to join the army. Harrison was commissioned as an ensign in the 1st U.S. Infantry and sent to Cincinnati for service in the Northwest Indian War. He proved himself an able officer and was promoted to lieutenant the following June and became an aide-de-camp to Major General Anthony Wayne. Learning command skills from the gifted Pennsylvanian, Harrison took part in Waynes 1794 triumph over the Western Confederacy at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. This victory effectively brought the war to a close; Harrison was among those who signed the 1795 Treaty of Greenville. Frontier Post In 1795, Harrison met Anna Tuthill Symmes, the daughter of Judge John Cleves Symmes. A former militia colonel and delegate to the Continental Congress from New Jersey, Symmes had become a prominent figure in the Northwest Territory. When Judge Symmes refused Harrisons request to marry Anna, the couple eloped and wed on November 25. They would ultimately have 10 children, one of whom, John Scott Harrison, would be the father of future president Benjamin Harrison. Harrison resigned his commission on June 1, 1798, and campaigned for a post in the territorial government.  These efforts proved successful and he was appointed Secretary of the Northwest Territory on June 28, 1798, by President John Adams. During his tenure, Harrison frequently served as acting governor when Governor Arthur St. Clair was absent. Harrison was named the territorys delegate to Congress the following March. Though he was unable to vote, Harrison served on several Congressional committees and played a key role in opening the territory to new settlers. With the formation of the Indiana Territory in 1800, Harrison left Congress to accept an appointment as the regions governor. After moving to Vincennes, Indiana, in January 1801, he built a mansion named Grouseland and worked to obtain the title to Native American lands. Two years later, President Thomas Jefferson authorized Harrison to conclude treaties with the Native Americans. During his tenure, Harrison concluded 13 treaties which saw the transfer of over 60,000,000 acres of land. Harrison also began lobbying for a suspension of Article 6 of the Northwest Ordinance so that slavery would be permitted in the territory. Harrisons requests were denied by Washington. Tippecanoe Campaign In 1809, tensions with Native Americans began to increase following the Treaty of Fort Wayne, which saw the Miami sell land that was inhabited by the Shawnee. The following year, the Shawnee brothers Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa (The Prophet) came to Grouseland to demand that the treaty be terminated. After they were refused, the brothers began working to form a confederation to block white expansion. To oppose this, Harrison was authorized by Secretary of War William Eustis to raise an army as a show of force. Harrison marched against the Shawnee while Tecumseh was away rallying his tribes. Encamping near the tribes base, Harrisons army occupied a strong position bordered by Burnett Creek on the west and a steep bluff to the east. Due to the strength of the terrain, Harrison elected not to fortify the camp. This position was attacked on the morning of November 7, 1811. The ensuing Battle of Tippecanoe saw his men turn back repeated assaults before driving off the Native Americans with determined musket fire and a charge by the armys dragoons. In the wake of his victory, Harrison became a national hero. With the outbreak of the War of 1812 the following June, Tecumsehs War became subsumed into the larger conflict as the Native Americans sided with the British. War of 1812 The war on the frontier began disastrously for the Americans with the loss of Detroit in August 1812. After this defeat, the American command in the Northwest was reorganized and after several squabbles over rank, Harrison was made commander of the Army of the Northwest on September 17, 1812. After being promoted to major general, Harrison worked diligently to transform his army from an untrained mob into a disciplined fighting force. Unable to go on the offensive while British ships controlled Lake Erie, Harrison worked to defend American settlements and ordered the construction of Fort Meigs along the Maumee River in northwest Ohio. In late April, he defended the fort during an attempted siege by British forces led by Major General Henry Proctor. In late September 1813, after the American victory at the Battle of Lake Erie, Harrison moved to the attack. Ferried to Detroit by Master Commandant Oliver H. Perrys victorious squadron, Harrison reclaimed the settlement before commencing a pursuit of British and Native American forces under Proctor and Tecumseh. Harrison won a key victory at the Battle of the Thames, which saw Tecumseh killed and the war on the Lake Erie front effectively ended. Though a skilled and popular commander, Harrison resigned the following summer after disagreements with Secretary of War John Armstrong. Political Career In the years following the war, Harrison aided in concluding treaties with the Native Americans, served a term in Congress (1816–1819), and spent time in the Ohio state senate (1819–1821). Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1824, he cut his term short to accept an appointment as ambassador to Colombia. There, Harrison lectured Simon Bolivar on the merits of democracy. In 1836, Harrison was approached by the Whig Party to run for president. Believing they would be unable to defeat the popular Democrat Martin Van Buren, the Whigs ran multiple candidates hoping to force the election to be settled in the House of Representatives. Though Harrison led the Whig ticket in most states, the plan failed, and Van Buren was elected. Four years later, Harrison returned to presidential politics and led a unified Whig ticket. Campaigning with John Tyler under the slogan Tippecanoe and Tyler Too, Harrison emphasized his military record while blaming the depressed economy on Van Buren. Promoted as a simple frontiersman, despite his aristocratic Virginia roots, Harrison was able to easily defeat the more elitist Van Buren. Death Harrison took the oath of office on March 4, 1841. Although it was a cold and wet day, he wore neither a hat nor coat as he read his two-hour inaugural address. He fell ill with a cold on March 26, shortly after taking office. While popular myth blames this illness on his prolonged inaugural speech, there is little evidence to support this theory. The cold quickly turned into pneumonia and pleurisy, and despite the best efforts of his doctors, Harrison died on April 4, 1841. Legacy At age 68, Harrison was the oldest U.S. president to be sworn in prior to Ronald Reagan. He served the shortest term of any president (one month). His grandson Benjamin Harrison was elected president in 1888. Sources Collins, Gail.  William Henry Harrison. Times Books, 2012.Doak, Robin S.  William Henry Harrison. Compass Point Books, 2004.

Land law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Land law - Essay Example In the case of William and Catherine, both of them hold a separate license agreements to the property, otherwise known as a â€Å"License to Occupy†, which was for an unspecified short term. Since the agreement does not stipulate a fixed duration, it can be terminated at the will of the landowner, provided that the notice requirement under Article 4 (1) (2) of the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1954 has been satisfied. There is no exclusive possession in this kind of agreement as the licensee does not enjoy exclusive occupation over the property. In fact, based on the agreement, there was a provision which allows Judith, the licensor, to enter the flat and share the couple’s bedroom any time she wishes.  This is merely a temporary arrangement and cannot ripen to a full lease agreement. In the case of In  EC Commission v United Kingdom  (Case C-359/97) [2000] STC 777,804, the European Court held that: â€Å"The term ‘letting of immovable property’ must be construed strictly. The  Court concluded, that the term ‘letting of immovable property’ cannot be considered to cover contracts where, the parties have not agreed on any duration for the right of enjoyment of the immovable property, which is an essential element of a contract to let." While in the case of Timmons v. Cropper (40 Del. Ch. 29, 172 A.2d. 757, 759) ‘License with respect to real property is a privilege to go on premises for a certain purpose, but does not operate to confer on, or vest in, licensee any title, interest, or estate in such property. In addition, â€Å"Licenses to occupy are somewhat less than leases and do not grant ‘possession’ or a legal interest in the land, which is the usual right of exclusive occupation. One example of a license is that of a lodger in a landlord's home. The lodger has no exclusive possession of any part, and shares facilities. The landlord has total control though there is a small element of protectio n in that even residential licensees can appeal to the courts against summary eviction† (Landlord Zone). Hence, Elizabeth has the right to enter the property at anytime she wishes and claim the portion of the property being used by William and Catherine and revoke the license, provided the notice requirement has been sent to the licensors. In the case of the first floor of the property, since Philip was an employee of Judith who served as the handyman in the house, Philip’s stay in the property served as part of his fringe benefits as an employee. As an employee, his stay in the house did not create exclusive use of that portion of the house where he is presently occupying, as evidenced by the key to the flat to do housekeeping. However, since the property was sold to a third party, the ownership and possession of the property has now been automatically transferred to the new owner, Elizabeth. Although there was no mention as to the term of the lease agreement, it is pr esumed that the owner can claim the property at anytime she wishes as she remains to be the owner of the property. The same treatment shall be applied to Beatrice, Judith’s niece who was granted a gratuitous license to use the top flat for free since was unemployed. â€Å"A gratuitous license is revocable by notice at any time† (Duhaime). Lord Mackay Clashfern,  Halsbury's Laws of England has stated that:   "A license is normally created where a person is granted the right to use premises without becoming entitled to exclusive possession of them. If the agreement is merely for the use of the property in a certain way and on certain terms while the property remains in the owner's possession and control, the agreement operates as a license. It does not create any

EFFICIENCY OF CAPITAL MARKETS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EFFICIENCY OF CAPITAL MARKETS - Essay Example Funds that have bet against the market and performed poorly have been closed or folded into other funds, because their performance is not strong enough to attract new buyers. When one counts fund performance over two different periods of time, if one does not allow for survivorship bias, the data can be biased in favors of those funds that have done well, and can make the overall market’s fund performance seem better than it is. 3) What is the relationship between risk and return? How do we normally calibrate returns for risk? In a classic model, the higher the risk, the greater the return should be. Risk is the potential for loss weighed against return, the actuality of gain. With survivorship bias and fund piloting (where a group of funds begin at the same time with the notion that only the successful will ultimately survive), risk tends to be hidden by the mutual fund industry, making it seem like returns are higher than they are, and safer. 4) What is alpha and what does it measure? Alpha is a risk-adjusted statistical measure that weighs the return that is afforded in excess of the risk borne. It can usually be determined by subtracting funding performing from a relevant benchmark index. If one bets on the fund manager, one expects the fund to outperformance the basket of stocks bought in an index. 5) What is a t test and what does it measure? The t-test is a statistical measure used to weigh the significance of two different sample means, through a comparison of the variance between the means. In the case of the Malkiel study (p. 554) it indicates that there is a fairly strong difference between the mean performance rating of surviving funds and non-surviving funds, supporting the notion that survivorship bias must be account for to get a true picture of mutual fund records over time. 6) What conclusions can you reach about "the hot hand" investor? Who are the notable exceptions to this observation? The idea of a â€Å"hot hand† manager

Comparison of the key management and leadership aspects of Essay

Comparison of the key management and leadership aspects of organisations in the private sector, public sector and not for profit - Essay Example The behavioural approach to management is preferred to other approaches to management because it takes into consideration the behaviour of employees. Behaviour is one of the key factors that significantly influence performances of employees in various organizations. Therefore, managers who wish to lead and motivate employees should fully understand how behaviours of individuals under them respond to different phenomenon in the organisation. This will enable them integrate and influence the environment under which the employees work, without hurting their feelings. According to Sloan (1964), number of factors including manager’s biasness, the type of organisation as well as growth and development stage of an organisation among other factors influence choice of management approach in any given organisation. The development of the behavioral approach to management in an organisation The behavioral approach was derived from human relations approach management. This is because its major focus is human dimension at work. According to this approach, productivity is improved through proper understanding of individual’s behavior at work. Human relation theorists defined the employees as individuals, resources, and assets. In the behavioral approach, direct relation exists between employee satisfaction and production. Most human experts believe that workers are more productive when they are satisfied. Therefore, managers who wish to increase and improve organisation’s performance should work hard to meet the needs of people who are working for them. In addition, the theorists believe that employees can be empowered through training, motivation and providing appropriate tools for work. According to Tripathi (2008), the behavioural approach to management gives employees more flexibility in terms of autonomy, independence and empowerment in the organisational structure (Barnard, 1962). The behavioral approach points out that human rationality has constr aints when making the optimal decisions. These constraints are both practical and situational. Both employees and managers may make sub-optimal decisions due to influence by their behaviour. According to Vroom (1964), behaviorists insist that it is appropriate to humanize administration control process and encourage self-direction process rather imposing controls to restrict individuals. Managers should also consider various needs of individuals when influencing people because employees are different. In organizational conflict and change, behavioral approach remains to be practical. It addresses the inevitability of conflict and proposes that conflicting individuals should be understood. Furthermore, it acknowledges that individual often resist change on social aspects. Workers are often organised into teams in the behavioural approach. This is because managers in most organisations are biased to a flatter organisational structure. Application of behavioural approach to management began in 1930’s as a reflection of Hawthorne’s expression of human relation movement and organisational behaviour development. The field of organisational behavior was developed to fill the gap left by early human relation experts who concentrated on inter-personal relations and gave little attention to the patterns of group behavior. As compared to human relations approach management, behavioral approach concentrates it efforts in the study of human behavior. Douglas, McGregor, Chester Barnard, Rensis

History Essays Americas Involvement in the Vietnam War

History Essays Americas Involvement in the Vietnam War How can we explain Americas involvement in the Vietnam War?To what extent did America get it wrong, terribly wrong? Americasofficial explanation for its involvement in the Vietnam War was the containmentof communism and the liberation of the Vietnamese people. As is usually thecase when nations involve themselves in war, the reasons for it are not assimple as are made out. In this essay I will argue that the allied victory inWorld War 2, the Cold War, and the national image, all played a part in Americasinvolvement in Vietnam. Robert McNamara, the then Secretary of Defence, wrotetwenty years after the war We were wrong, terribly wrong.So how did they get it wrong? The blanket answer is their failure to see thatvictory was highly unlikely and victory without massive cost was impossible.Repeated advice to that effect from their own military experts and others wentunheeded. The history of the Vietnamese response to centuries of attack byother nations, the extent of their desire for independence and justice, and thegrass-root support for the iconic Ho Chi Minh and his motivated resistancemovement were not taken into account. I will show that these factors togetherwith civil unrest at home and an unwillingness to lose face are why America gotit terribly wrong. World War 2ended in victory for allied forces with America emerging as a superpower. A newconfidence after pre-war recession found it extending its interests around theworld, with the aim of opening up global markets. At the same time, it wascommitted to protecting those interests against the spread of Communism,predominantly from Russia and China, which might threaten their Capitalistaspirations. Buzzanco (1999, p.16) summarises the U.S. post war agenda: TheUnited states had interests [I]n Europe, Americans hoped to rebuild Britain,Germany, France, Italy, and other countries along Capitalist lines while alsousing those areas to prevent the Soviet Union from spreading Communism beyondEastern Europe, and in Asia, the Japanese, with American direction andaid, were being transformed into the foundation for Capitalist expansion andanti-Communism in Asia. Asself-proclaimed liberators of nations from poverty, and leading protagonists inthe Cold War conflict between Capitalism and Communism, the stage was set forAmerican intervention that would see military action for many years to come.The inevitability of this was seen by certain observers, who realised that therewas but a short step between this containment policy and an indiscriminateglobalism that could compel the United States to intervene militarily on behalfof weak puppet states in remote areas of the world places, that is, likeVietnam. (Logevall, 1999, p.385). In the early1950s, the French occupation of Vietnamwas meeting fierce resistance from the Viet Minh,In response America began sending limited financial and military aid to theFrench occupying forces. By 1954, the occupation was virtually broken and theFrench hold on Vietnam was in dire straits. Conditions in Asia were seen ascritical by the U.S. leadership. France was requesting urgent Americanassistance, and the Chinese Communist Party was gaining increasing power inopposition to the U.S. friendly Chinese government of Jiang Jieshi. The Frenchsituation and the prospect of an independent Vietnam posed two major problemsfor America. Firstly, to withhold assistance from the French would be to risklosing a major ally in the Cold War. Secondly, an independent Vietnam left anopen door for the expansion of Chinese communism into Vietnam and a significantbarrier to U.S. economic development in Asia. In order to confront theseproblems, America began to increase financial aid to massive propo rtions, aswell as military hardware and advisors. At the same time an agreement inGenevaresulted in the partition of Vietnam into the North and South sectors, to becontrolled by the Viet Minh and a nominal moderate power, respectively. Thisarrangement was to exist pending a re-unification election for Vietnam withintwo years. By 1955, America,unhappy with the status quo in Vietnam had installed a pro-Americananti-communistas governor of the Southern sector. Diem subsequently proclaimed his sector asthe Republic of Vietnam. The South now became the central focus for the U.S.and with the inauguration of John F. Kennedy as U.S. President in 1961, cameincreased involvement. Kennedy, reluctant to commit to all out war in Vietnamsaid: Wewill continue to assist [Diem regime] them, but I dont think that thewar can be won unless the people support the effort However, Kennedywas dealing with other problems, and his solutions often went against the grainof more hawkish elements in Washington, which led to pressure on him. Hisdealings with the Russians and Cubaresulted in critics strongly advising that a stand needed to be taken withwhich to assert the image of superpower and that the stand should be made inVietnam. Buzzanco (1999, p.65) writes: oneof his closest advisors, suggested that clean-cut success in Vietnam coulderase the stain of the Bay of Pigs. In Saigon General Lionel McGarr, likewisenoted the White Houses strong determination to stop the deterioration of USprestige By the time ofKennedys death in 1963, over 16,000 U.S. military advisors were deployed inSouth Vietnam, against increasing strikes by the Viet Minh from within SouthVietnam and from the North. Linden Johnson took over the presidency from Kennedy in1963, and vowed to continue the policy of involvement in Vietnam. In the sameyear resistance in South Vietnam increased significantly so that by 1964 thepossibility of the overthrow of the U.S. installed regime loomed large. Johnsonresponded with an escalation in U.S. involvement. By 1965, sustained, intensivebombing campaigns were being carried out on North Vietnam, and the number ofAmerican troops deployed in the South had risen to over 184,000, leavingthousands of American troops dead along with thousands of Vietnamese troops andcivilians. This was despite the misgivings of leading senators who were agreedthat: insofaras Vietnam is concerned we are deeply enmeshed in a place where we ought not tobe; that the situation is rapidly going out of control and every effort shouldbe made to extricate ourselves (Siff, 1999, p.40) The militaryalso were against escalation. The Commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam, GeneralWestmoreland expressed strong reservations: Westmorelandwas likewise reluctant to fight in Vietnam. In September 1964, the commanderdid not contemplate putting US troops into combat; that would be amistake, because it is the Vietnameses wara purely military solution isnot possible (Buzzanco, p.74) By the end of1967, the number of U.S. troops deployed in Vietnam had reached half a million.Despite this, there was no sign of an American victory, and despite increasingconviction among the military, senators, financial institutions and largeportions of the American public, there was no movement by its leadership toextricate the nation from a seemingly losing battle. The fear of Communism andlosing face in the eyes of the world left America locked into a no-winnightmare. The VietnameseNationalist forces, although sustaining heavy casualties throughout the war,constantly gained the upper hand and were always able to replace their losses.A major figure behind the success of their campaign for independence was Ho ChiMinh. Minh was inspired by the historic resistance of the Vietnamese peoplethroughout centuries of invasion by other nations. The Mongols, Chinese andFrench had all encountered fanatical opposition to occupation. Even if it tookyears, the Vietnamese fought doggedly to victory, and when World War 2 broughtanother occupation, this time by the Japanese, Ho Chi Minh: Ledan underground, communist-led resistance movement called the Viet Minh (theLeague for Vietnamese Independence) against the Japanese invaders Well-organised but under-funded the Viet Minh carried out a campaign ofterrorism and intelligence-gathering (Elliot, 1996, p.22). The Japanesesurrendered to allied troops in 1944 and the prospect of an independent Vietnamlooked possible. It was not to be though. The French re-established controlwith the help of the British and once again the Vietnamese found themselvesfighting for freedom. Over the next thirty years the Viet Minh (came to beknown as the Viet Cong in the South) proved to consist of soldiers andsupporters with high discipline, motivation and confidence in their quest forliberation from first the French and then the U.S. and its puppet regime.Those qualities and the advantage of fighting in their own land and on theirown terrain were factors in their eventual ejection of America. In Ho Chi Minhand the Viet Minh, the Americans: Wouldface a leader and organisation that seemed dedicated to their defeat and whocarefully and effectively used the images of rebellion that resonated deep inthe Vietnamese past (Edmonds, 1998, p.33). The Americanforces contrasted sharply with that of their enemy. Apart from having to fighta guerrilla war, for which they were not trained or experienced, on unknownterrain, civil unrest at home impacted deeply on morale and discipline. At theheight of the Vietnam War, America was seeing violent protest and massdemonstrations on civil rights issues. Martin Luther King was openly condemningthe Vietnam War along with other civil rights campaigners. A member of the StudentNonviolent Coordinating Committee: Warnedblacks that when LBJ talks all that garbage about hes sending boys over thereto fight for the rights of coloured people, you ought to know thats a lie.Cause we live here with them, and they dont ever do a thing for us. Hewent on to describe the war as white people sending black people to makewar on yellow people to defend the land they stole from red people.(Buzzanco,p.206) The messageresonated with the thousands of black soldiers in Vietnam and contributed toracial division, often resulting in ghetto environments in which ethnic groupsswore allegiance only to themselves and rejected others. Further, a lack ofleadership conviction in the war caused by deep rifts in policy making and thedirection it should take, inevitably filtered down through the chain of commandto the white soldiers on the ground. Disillusionment in the cause for war, andexposure to the brutalities caused by it, hit morale hard, and drugs andalcohol use became rife among troops. Capps (1991, p.34) writes: Whatwas experienced was the harshness of war: brutality, death, and atrocitywithout a comprehensive rationale to seal over the reality. The Vietnam Warprovided no transcendent meaning by which the national purpose could beinterpreted American unwillingness to accept the prospect of defeatand loss of face continued after Johnson and throughout the Nixon presidency,keeping its troops in Vietnam until 1975. I have argued that the emergence of America from World War2, as a superpower with aspirations of global expansion and a dedication tooppose Communism wherever it deemed fit, led to its involvement in Vietnam. Arefusal to withdraw in the face of defeat, in order to maintain its image as asuperpower in the eyes of the world, and in fear of the Communist threat, meantan involvement that lasted over two decades. The last thirteen years of it cost58,000 American and at least 1.5 million Vietnamese lives, as well as thedestruction of millions of acres of land. By misjudging the resources of theVietnamese people, and disregarding the voice of its own people, the cost paidfailed to achieve the aims for Americas involvement and resulted in themgetting it Wrong, terribly wrong. Bibliography Buzzanco, R. (1999) Vietnam and the Transformation ofAmerican Life Oxford, Blackwell. Capps, W. (1991) The Vietnam Reader New York,Routledge. Edmonds, A. (1998) The War in Vietnam U.S.A.,Greenwood Press. Elliott, P. (1996) Vietnam Conflict and ControversyNew York, Arms Armour Press. Kissinger, H. (2003) Ending the Vietnam War NewYork, Simon Schuster. Logevall, F. (1999) Choosing WarCalifornia, University of California Press. Prados, J. (1995) The Hidden History of the Vietnam WarU.S.A., Ivan R. Dee. Siff, E. (1999) Why the Senate Slept U.S.A.,Praeger Publishers.