Equality A Movement Essays - Matthew Shepard, Hate Crime, Gay Bar

Equality: A Movement It was Friday June 27, 1969. New York's crime syndicates are extorting large sums of protection money from gay bars. Any who can, or will, not pay are either persuaded or closed down after a visit from NYCPDs Public Morals Section, who enforce the Mafia's stranglehold on the city's gay bars. The detectives from the Public Morals Section have no reason to believe that tonight's raid on the gay Stonewall Inn will be anything but brief and businesslike. They arrest two bartenders, three drag queens, and a lesbian. The customers are allowed to leave one-by-one. A crowd of these customers quickly gathers outside the Stonewall Inn. Cries of defiance and cheers begin to rise from the swelling crowd (Lesbian). Soon, the crowd becomes an angry mob. Out numbered, with no place to go, the police seek cover inside the Stonewall, bolting the heavy wooden door against the crowd. Outside an uprooted parking meter is used as a makeshift battering ram, the door flies open. Someone pours lighter fluid through a broken window-- a match is thrown and the bar is in flames as police reinforcements begin to arrive. By Sunday morning the riot has burnt itself out. Intermittent small incidents take place over the next four nights but the pent-up anger and fury of the gay community has been exhausted and replaced by an emotion they have never experienced before, pride. Within a month the first Gay Liberation Front meeting is held in New York (Lesbian). Every year following the riot, now referred to simply as Stonewall, Americans, gay and straight alike, come together in almost every city across the country. They come together in remembrance of Stonewall, prior struggles for equality, and just to make sure that the rest of the world knows that they exist and will never give in to oppression. The purpose of the gay rights movement is to prompt open minded Americans to get involved by finding, joining and supporting state federal, legal, educational and family groups; in order to gain societal equality for all homosexual, bisexual, and transgendered Americans. Since the 1960s, societal equality and acceptance has eluded the gay rights movement; consequently, there has been all-too-often occurrences of hate crimes that are in dire need of legislation against them; therefore, our society needs to be educated in understanding in order to increase the chances of passing equal rights laws, and the federal government needs to provide the same protection against housing discrimination, employment discrimination, and basic human rights discrimination for homosexual Americans. Hate Crimes In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury (Jefferson par. 30). Alan Schindler joined the Navy to see the world. He joined the Navy to serve his country and earn money for college. In his eyes, these things were possible; it didnt matter that he was gay. He soon found out, though, that others he was serving with didnt hold these same beliefs. Schindler told his friends and family of being harassed by other shipmates. He said that when he admitted to a legal officer that he was homosexual, it was an act of both liberation and desperation, because by then, afraid for his life, he wanted out of the Navy (Lavin A-14). Airman Apprentice Terry M. Helvey had initially developed a dislike for Schindler a year before, and was resentful at how Schindler had bossed him around on cleanup duty. His dislike grew more intense when word spread that Schindler was gay and was about to be discharged. On the night of October 27, 1993 Helvey and Airman Charles E. Vins went to a movie, then headed toward a park just outside the base in Japan, where they saw Schindler walking alone and decided to harass him (Lavin A-14). When Schindler went into a public bathroom, Helvey and Vins followed. Both hit and kicked Schindler, with Helvey striking the major blows. When the assailants left a few minutes later, Schindler's face was destroyed and several internal organs were injured, including mortal wounds to his heart and liver (Lavin A-14). There are many ways to rob a person. All police see many victims. Most of them, relieved of

Michael Graves Essays - Michael Graves, Alessi, Modern Architecture

Michael Graves Essays - Michael Graves, Alessi, Modern Architecture Michael Graves Michael Graves Michael Graves, born the summer or 1934 in Indianapolis, knew he wanted to be an artist by the age of six. Encouraged by his mother to seek a more practical career, Graves choose architecture. After studying at the University of Connecticut, he got his master's degree at Harvard University. After finishing school in 1959, he moved to New York City where he worked at the office of George Nelson. While working in New York, Graves received a fellowship to study at American Academy in Rome, Italy. Graves studied the classical architecture, which inspires much of his work. It was his time in Rome that allowed him to make the connection between ancient and modern architecture. In 1962, Graves started teaching architecture at Princeton University. He designed buildings upon commission, but not until 1977 did his work become nationally know. Graves received a commission for a cultural center spanning the Red River on the Minnesota/North Dakota border. Although lack of funding never allowed his design to be built, he gained a lot of attention. Graves' next project, the Portland Building, is a fifteen story postmodernist skyscraper. It can be defined this way because of its unusual use of color. There is also a reference to Greek columns on the facade of the building. As more commissions followed, Graves began his own design studio in Princeton. As a privileged member of the designers at this studio, I can witness the process of Graves' design. His firm is split into teams of designers. There are the interior and architectural designers in one building and the industrial designers in a separate studio. Michael and the team leaders primarily plan each project out. The teams then develop the project. Computer drawings are then sent to the modelers and painters. The atmosphere at the Graves studio is extremely laid back, but professional. For example there are several dogs roaming around the studios, but the conference rooms double as display rooms for Michael's previous projects and libraries. There are several reasons why Michael Graves is considered a post-modernist. The typical modernist based their designs on structure and technology and used plain surfaces such as glass and steel. Graves' designs are decorative and use natural materials. The colors used for most of Graves' designs are gray, soft blues, green stucco, and terra cotta. These colors add human qualities to the design. In an essay by Ivan Zurich, the classification of Graves' design is discussed. Is Graves a modern architect, a post-modern, a late modern, an eclectic, or a classicist? He would answer: I am just an architect. 'I don't care what people call me,' he says in response to the publicity; 'labels have the negative value of making smaller boundaries for people.' The Team Disney Building is Burbank, California was built in 1991 as Graves' first project for Disney. One face of the building uses seven 19-foot dwarfs as columns. These characters from Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs reference Greek columns in a playful manner. This side also has a pediment structure. The roof on the opposing side of the building has semicircular arches. These may be referencing gothic vaulted ceilings. The large glass plain walls of the building are typical modernist design, but they are colored terra cotta. The Engineering research Center at the University of Cincinnati was completed in 1995. At first observation, this building seems to be four separate rectangular buildings connected perpendicularly by a structure with a semicircular roof. The four extruding buildings have many rectangular features. The setback connecting structure has circular windows. These few circular elements make the building less like a modernist box. The main entrance building has columns which reference Greek architecture. The most recent nationally acclaimed design by Graves is the scaffolding on the Washington Monument. The scaffolding contains 37 miles of aluminum that drape over the obelisk. Standing 575 feet tall, Graves uses nylon fabric and 800 lights to illuminate the monument at night. The original purpose of the scaffolding was to aid workers as they repaired and cleaned the national monument, but it has become an artwork in itself. There is currently a bidding war over the deconstructed scaffolding to have it resurrected as a

Performance and compensation management-Annotated bibliography Essay

Performance and compensation management-Annotated bibliography - Essay Example Although appraisals are usually performed at the level of an individual employee, there is still scope â€Å"for employee voice/participation, both individually and collectively, and for varying degrees of management – union cooperation†. The New South Wales public education system case study leads to surprising findings. Despite the collective clout of the two thousand strong public school teacher union – the NSW Department of Education and Training – their history shows minimal confrontation with management. The study suggests that there is an acceptance of the merits of individualism over collectivism – a fact attested by the union’s acceptance of an individualized performance appraisal system that has been in place in the last decade. But this pragmatic concession on part of union has not diminished its power and potential for collective action in other areas. This article takes up an often neglected area of HRM research, namely that of a public school system. While government run institutions are usually seen as less merit-based, the successful implementation of an individualized performance appraisal programs in NSW questions this assumption. It proves how meritocracy can co-exist alongside political quotas for recruiting personnel (as in affirmative action programs in the United States). Fang Lee Cooke & Kun Huang, Post-acquisition Evolution of the Appraisal and Reward Systems: A Study of Chinese IT Firms Acquired by US Firms, Human Resources Management, November-December 2011, Vol.50, No.6, p.839-858 The article studies how performance appraisal and reward systems change for an IT firm after they have been acquired. In the case of the four Chinese IT firms being acquired by the larger US firms, the influencing factors were found to be â€Å"business strategy, organizational structure, resource-based power of the acquiring and acquired partners, management competence, labor market factors and the cultural norms of China†. The researchers find definite though not drastic changes to the performance appraisal programs before and after acquisition. One of the major obstacles to streamlining change is the reluctance of Chinese managerial staff to accept these changes. The acquirers have allowed more time for their Chinese managers to adapt to the new realities. As a result there is a divide in terms of HRM

Cultural Event Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 28

Cultural Event Report - Essay Example Buell theatre was full of all sorts of personality where in attendance including Senator Nancy Todd hence government was fully represented. The Shen Yun festival was all about Chinese culture and music. The set up was amazing it was like being on avatar movie (Fritsch 17). The Shun Yun performances are arts and entertainment based on the 5000 years of Chinese culture it’s a series of events including music and dances about China and the impact and its revolution. The dances express history and past ways of life .the revolution also is expressed. The orchestra is conducted by Antonia Joy-Wilson. While the dances vary from classical dances to story based. Animations are also included in portraying the full message of Chinese culture. Performances began at 8:00 am. First to perform were a group of Chinese ladies approximately sixty dancers. They performed a classical dance, there costumes were superb silk clothing and ribbons with bright colors there dresses where red white and green. The dance involved turns, leaping air flips spins and side ways movements in a well choreographed pattern. What followed was a group of other female dancers with white attires and pink ribbons was like the first dance involved less dancers but very colorful. The third dance was story based performed by male dancers , it portrayed one general who was heading to war while a woman probably his wife or mother holding his right hand while fighting with his left hand. All dancers were dress in brown attire except the woman who is in red one (Fritsch 109). Most are dressed like accident combat men. Then it followed a performance of ancient drums. The artists where dressed in orange tops, black boots and white trousers, the performed differ ent arts. Each rhythm came about with changes in the background representing the Chinese landscapes, buildings and different cultures. It showed the transformation of china over the

Writing assignment on a short story titled The Street That Got Mislaid

Writing on a short story titled The Street That Got Mislaid - Assignment Example Marc was in a dilemma whether to let the world know about the obscure street or not but he chose not to do so considering the fact that his one decision can destroy the world of several people who have consistently struggled throughout their lives. It was a very sensible decision and the one which should be lauded. Believing in yourself, is another very important theme in the story, Marc was condoned by his tenants and his subordinates but he kept believing in his knowledge and one day the breakthrough came and it changed his life and perception for the better, similarly it is a lesson for all those who get negative in life. Staying positive has always helped other people and it is also the key to success, Marc found solace by finding accommodating people, his new neighbors were also very kind-hearted and cared for him unlike his former neighbors who never respected his existence. Making informed decisions is also really important; we make the right decisions when we make informed decisions. Marc could have easily let the other people know about the old letter and the same would have had disastrous consequences but he decided to go and see the obscure street, one informed decision of his also changed the lives of several people who were living in that obscure street. â€Å"All of them, it seemed, had had their troubles, their losses and failures, before they found themselves in this place of refuge, this Green Bottle Street. To Marc, conscious of his own unsatisfactory existence, it sounded entrancing. He fingered the card in his pocket uncertainly. "Mr. Plonsky and Mr. Flanagan took a great liking to each other," Miss Trusdale continued. "Both of them have been travelers and they like to talk about the things they have seen. Miss Hunter plays the piano and gives us concerts.† (The Street that Got Mislaid) Marc was particularly kind to these people because they reminded of his

Anti-trust Law Case Study

Anti-trust Law Case Study Landmark: Antitrust Case Study Question 1: Write a 100- word abstract of the case, including the date of the case The essay gives a brief analysis and review of a case in which the government of the United States led to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is the defense of the claim appeal 384 U.S. competition 270 presented by the U.S. government against VON Grocery Co. (Von) in 1966 in the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of California No. 303. Duration was March 22, 1966 and the delivery of a verdict was the May 31, 1966. It was in favor of the defendant. This just reminded demand, government regulators were ignoring situations that occur within its jurisdiction. It was despite his knowledge of the changing developments in market structures that controlled processes. Government regulators failed to switch to a relaxed mood compared to previous legislative procedures necessary reacted to the threats and opportunities of his time. As a result, this led to the prevention of unfair trade practices or disposal of similar economic activities of small-scale business. Key words: VONS GROCERY CO, 384 U.S. 270, Shopping Bag Food Stores and 7 of the Clayton Act. Question 2: Describe the provision of the US Antirust Law invoked to judge the presence of anti-competitive behavior or potential of for moving the industry in that direction. The 1960 merger of Von Grocery Company with competitor Shopping Bag Food Stores (Shopping Bag) whose locations are in Los Angeles, California violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act (n. P Thomson Reuter). Its amendment in 1950 regulates the reasonable termination through the prohibition of mergers and acquisitions, which decreased competition. Even after a new amendment in 1980, remains the main reference point for antitrust law mergers that threatened the United States (Fox Fox). Question 3: Describe the basis for the ruling and action that pertain to all OR some of the following factors: The extent and trend in competition and expected in the future: Industry Structure and trend and projection for the future [based on the past, mostly]; CR4, CR8 and HHI, specially in cases of mergers. The claim of the United States had other modifications as support for their arguments. They were the 1950 amendment to Section 7 of the Celler-Kefauver and Congress sought to preserve competition for small businesses. Was also intended to help companies focus. The court was the agent that was against large companies that use concentrations in markets with increasing centralization of business. He succeeded in divesting after United States v. Philadelphia National. . Bank, 374 U.S. 321 Celler-Kefauver 362 Anti-Merger Act 1950 as amended provides relevant information: That no company engaged in commerce shall acquire all or part of the assets of another company also engaged in commerce, where in any line of commerce in any part of the country, the effect of such acquisition may be substantially to lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly. Question 4: Describe the â€Å"conduct† in question that has been considered â€Å"anticompetitive:†Determine if the defendant had used an anticompetitive Price Strategy and explain how. Likewise, describe any Non-price Strategies the defendant had used and describe how. In investing 233 F. Supp. 976 Richard A. Posner was counsel for the United States. Your tips help were Attorney General Marshall, Assistant Attorney General Turner, Robert B. Hummel, James J. Coyle and John F. Hughes. The defense attorney was William W. Alsup. Your tips help Warren M. Christopher and were William W. Vaughn. As an interested party, the National Association of Retail Grocers of the United States Attorney Bison was Henry J., Jr., as amicus curiae, urging affirmance. MR. JUSTICE BLACK was the judge in the case and give judgment. The date of the original application was March 25, 1960. March 28, 1960, the District Court did not grant the motion of the Government for a restraining order against Von Grocery Company. The latter wanted to acquire tangible capital around the Shopping Bag Food Stores, and the ruling was that not violate the terms of demand. It was a backdoor way of recognizing the merger and showing favoritism to the accused prior to final judgment. The main argument of the defense was that a company was protecting the other from the state of collapse. They merged to protect a stronger competitor. 374 U.S. 321, 362 was the claim that prohibiting such mergers. There were bank loans may have had access and filing for bankruptcy as a financial coverage. The company achieved this when it was about to collapse. He managed to regroup with the help of government agencies and private financial consultants. Question 5: Describe the effect of the defendant’s â€Å"conduct† on other firms (or the main rival) in the industry. Von was the third largest grocery market in the retail area Los Angeles on sales while the shopping bag of food was number six in 1958. Their 1960 joint sales rose 7.5% an annual output of two and a half million. Your Los Angeles market seemed too small part of their market to the government to fight. However, if the top ten companies had double combined, their total market share could have been about a third of the retail market of Los Angeles. To be fair to these stores, which had begun as the outgoing neighborhood store many Americans of his generation knew. Ten of the previous twelve years to the merger, the number of stores has increased to a little more than twice their number. The other positive numbers include increased sales and market share. Its merger positioned the number two supermarket chains in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, the discovery of individual owners tennis shops in Los Angeles dropped by nearly two-fifths. In 1963, the numbers continued to decline. The government witnesses lacked a thorough analysis of the facts and figures that the defense had in its possession. For example, from 1949 until 1958, nine of the top 20 competitors chains came into possession of 126 stores smaller rivals. An important defense witness gave details of previous acquisitions and mergers from 1954 to 1961. Apparently they were in the top 10 stores in Los Angeles. You might consider this as an ordinary person and discriminatory legal action. They should also have ground The nine competitors target rivals for smaller parties to legal action. However, the union of the two powers of financial market was a threat to government control in the area of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Los Angeles. The government reported data in its reply, the Federal Trade Commission prepared. Question 6: Describe the initial legal action taken against or in-favor of the defendant. The initial legal action taken against the defendant is that the US government accused Von’s Grocery Company of violating Section 7 of the Clayton Act because it was an attempting to create a monopoly. The company appealed and the District Court ruled in its favour. Also, it is important to mention that the government made accusations against the company because it wanted to purchase a smaller competitor in the retail grocery market that was called Shopping Bag Food Stores. Question 7: Describe any subsequent legal action in the case (such as the Supreme Court), if any. Once the case was resolved there was no subsequent action taken. The decision on the case was repealed by the District Court and it was possible for Von’s Grocery Company to merge with, and subsequently absorb, Shopping Bag Food Stores. Question 8: Carefully describe how the model of Structure-Conduct-Performance has been applied in the case under consideration. [The weight for this question is 40% of the grade.] The history of the struggle against mergers in the United States began in 1890. At that time, Congress passed the Sherman Act to prevent monopolies. Distrust of Americans back to the founding of the country. Unfortunately, did not protect the smaller companies businessman larger monopolistic pressures. In 1897, the Court ruled that the U.S. government against Trans-Missouri Freight Assn., 166 U.S. 290, 323. In [384 U.S. 270, 275], the Sherman Act did not protect the small businessman. Congressional approval in 1914, 7 of the Clayton Act allowed the merger of corporations through the purchase of shares of its competitors. By contrast, business people find a loophole and bought his opponents assets. A blow to the fight against the Clayton Act device came with the endorsement of Judge Brandeis, Taft chief justice and judges Holmes and Stone in 1926. As a result, there was a reduction in the number of large companies. The action was in 1950 Congress adopted the Celler-Kefauver Anti-Merger Act. Representative Celler and Senator Kefauver main reference was 384 U.S. lawmakers 270, 276 for the period 1940-1947. They used the Brown Shoe Co. v United States, 370 U.S. 294, 315 to argue their points. They and other members of Congress had the same concerns. In contrast, 7 of the Clayton Act had stamps in their lagoon and extending its coverage using 384 U.S. 270, 277. Evacuation This involved mergers between competitors and stop all instances of mergers. The U.S. v National Philadelphia. Banking, led to Amendment 7 to cancel the anti-competitive tendencies. 384 U.S. 270, 279 is another case of reference that allowed the passage of the Celler-Kefauver Act. In United States v. El Paso Gas Co., 376 U.S. 651, 662 defendants El Paso Gas Co. were notified of antitrust charges and declined to postpone divestment from the beginning. Moreover, these two other similar cases of United States v. du Pont Co., 366 U.S. 316; United States v. Alcoa, 377 U.S. 271, 281 are pre-trial demand 384 U.S. 270, 303 which was subjected to analysis. Decisions of typos with the figures presented in court said the government ran a presentation to meet with any person or body quirks. The government regulator requires constant awareness of the impact of legislative developments and industry trends and ongoing. There is the need for external consultants to give their objective on huge demands especially in unknown actions reviews. In such cases, the now useless but necessary demand requires more in-depth research, planning, analysis and the reality of how to fight cases misunderstood use laws. This implies compulsory receive expert help to train the executors. This paper has emphasized that the demands of the past are benchmarks for current and future cases and judgments. Upon focusing on how the SCP paradigm was applied in the case being considered, the first thing to note is that during the 1950s and 1960s, the grocery retail industry was characterized by ownership concentration. In other words, fewer and fewer owners started to own more and more stores (which they would go and absorb from smaller competitors). The structure and conduct of the market was going in the direction of fewer competitors of larger sizes. In the particular case of Von’s Grocery Company, it may be seen that its sales, when combined with the sales of Shopping Bag Food Stores, represented 7.5% of the total dollar amount of retail groceries sold per year in Los Angeles. Combining this fact by the fact that between the late 1940s and the late 1950s both businesses involved with the merger had doubled in size (measured by the amount of retail stores owned by each), and that the trend was going in the direction of larger (and fewer) competitors, it was decided that there wa s no violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act. In sum, it was decided that there was no attempt of creating a monopoly, but rather a strategic decision imposed by the market. Works Cited Fox, Byron E. Fox, Eleanor M. Chapter Summary, ABSTRACT TEXT:. LexisNexis Group. 2014. . Web. 21 June 2014. Thomson Reuters. U.S. Supreme Court. Thomson Reuters, 2014. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=USvol=384invol=270>. Web. 20 June 2014.

Tobacco :: Health, Diseases, Depression

Although there have been many studies regarding the negative health risks associated with tobacco, there have also been studies regarding its relation to obesity and depression (Leventhal et al., 2010). It discussed the relationships between tobacco use, obesity and depression by carrying out a population based survey of 41,654 adults (Leventhal et al., 2010). The data illustrated that tobacco use is very common in women with major depression and victims of obesity, in comparison with women who are non-smokers, but are still victims of major depression and obesity (Leventhal et al., 2010). The study will explain the effects on tobacco users. Depression is associated with the cause of obesity and vice-versa. Researchers have developed that the link between major depression and obesity is conditional upon a host of moderators which consists of gender, education, ethnicity, age, and genetics. The link between depression and obesity turned out to be common in females then males (Leventhal et al., 2010). Research by Leventhal et al. (2010) supports that major depression and obesity is associated with each other because depressed individuals engage in unhealthy eating behavior; an example of this would be binge eating or higher caloric intake (Leventhal et al., 2010). People who engage themselves in alternative behavior to cope with depressive symptoms may be less susceptible to the effects of depression and obesity. Leventhal et al. (2010) believes that tobacco is one such behavior because smoking is prevalent to people who are victims of depression. The relationship between major depression and obesity may be strong amongst nonsmokers because they are not using tobacco in order to modulate their depressive states. Leventhal et al. (2010) argued that concurrent tobacco use at any level of severity could diminish the major depression association. However, the alternative use of tobacco at any level of habitual degree could offset major obesity relations according to a substitute addiction framework (Leventhal et al., 2010). Within this experiment, certain groups were examined and they consisted of: two candidates of tobacco and included smoking status, and tobacco dependence that dealt with any tobacco used in the past year. They compared both results, and came up with a conclusion for their experiment. The participants for this experiment were respondents in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Most of the participants were civilian, non-institutionalized, and residents of the U.S from ages 18 or older. African Americans and Hispanics were oversampled and each group accounted for approximately 20%.

How Significant Was the Presence of Foreign Powers as an Influence on the Nature and Growth of Arab Nationalism in the Years 1900-2001

How significant was the presence of foreign powers as an influence on the nature and growth of Arab nationalism in the years 1900-2001? During the years 1900-2001 a number of significant interventions occurred which affected the growth and nature of Arab nationalism. Several key pressures considerably influenced a change in the nature of nationalism; including, economic levers, agreements and military presenses in the Middle East. Arab nationalism arose out of the fear of the possibility and later the certainty of European or American dominance. The emerging ideology believed all Arabs to be united by both a shared language and history.Foreign intervention in the Middle East long predated the First World War, dating back to during the 19th century. However, the time in which it had most effect on Arab nationalism in the area stretched from 1914 onwards. During this period many Arabs were resentful of being dominated by outside powers. Therefore, the link between foreign intervention between 1900 and 2001 and the consequent changes to Arab nationalism were very strong. In the years before 1900, nationalism had always been an underlying movement in the Middle East. Martin Kramer demonstrates this view of Arab nationalism; ‘Awake, O Arabs, and arise’.By selecting this phrase from an Arab poem Kramer shows that the Arab desire for an uprising is trying to be stirred. However, he goes on to voice the opinion of, ‘†¦ many Arabs have suspended their belief in the Arab nation, and now openly doubt whether there is a collective Arab mission’. This has led to a triumph of the nation states, whereby Arabs prefer to be seen as Syrian, Egyptian etc. This was the result of the retreat of Arab nationalism. In the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire tried to combat the growth of European power and influence.Borrowing money to develop their infrastructure, and modernise industry. However, modernisation saw them fall even more under the control of the Europeans, who provided loans for the process. Academics like Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and Qasim Amin encouraged the reinterpretation of Islamic principles in response to the modern world as a way to break free from the foreign power’s colonialism, especially Europe’s. Nationalist movements, like the Young Turks of Anatolia, also arose. Secular nationalism was especially strong among non-Muslim communities, which could not fully articipate in Islamic nationalist movements. Arab nationalism within individual states was beginning to challenge the authority of the Ottoman Empire. Greece won independence from the Ottomans in 1832, and other Balkan nations began to follow suit. The British decided to enter the region following a public speech by Asquith, he declared, â€Å"It is the Ottoman government, and not we, who have rung the death knell of Ottoman dominion not only in Europe but in Asia†. The following month an ‘attack’ was launched against the Ot tomans. This was the beginning of British intervention in the Middle East.After WW1 Europe still regarded the Arabs as a ‘subject’ race that were ruled by the British. It was also felt that the Arabs should be grateful that they’d been liberated from the Ottoman rule. The sole key figure to believe that Arab self-determination was underestimated was Woodrow Wilson of America. When Britain was to move into Egypt and discover the wealth of the cotton industry, however, the Egyptian Arabs were still in famine, poverty and were denied the right to take any part in Egyptian legislature. As a result nationalism fermented even further.Agreements including the Hussein-McMahon correspondence, Sykes-Picot and the San Remo resolution provoked and increased Arab distrust of the Europeans. This view is supported by William L. Cleveland in his book detailing the Middle East . He believed the Hussein-McMahon correspondence showed Hussein as initially having limited or no Arab n ationalist qualities. â€Å"He was not an Arab nationalist and did not think in terms of the ideology of Arabism. He was instead an ambitious dynast who used his Islamic status as Sharif†¦ † Hussein wanted to claim his family’s kingdom and gain sole power.This was also true of the Arab fighters in the 1916 Arab revolt aided by the British; they wanted gold and weapons much more than Arab independence. Cleveland highlights these points and the fact that the promises made in the correspondence prompted contentment on both sides, as the British wanted to see the fall of the Ottomans and Hussein wanted leadership. However, â€Å"McMahon’s language was so ambiguous and so vague.. [that it has] given rise to conflicting interpretations over whether Palestine was included as part of the future independent Arab state†.It is for this reason that the Arabs began to distrust Britain. The correspondence was between the British high commissioner, Sir Henry McMaho n and descendant of the prophet and Arab leader, Sharif Hussein. For the British it was a useful agreement as they already saw the Ottomans as a threat. However in the long term it caused unrest in the Middle East and widespread distrust of Britain. The agreement is useful in showing the unclear language used by the British to avoid either having to give land to the Arabs or create an argument. Deborah J.Gerner agrees with Cleveland in that secret agreements , caused Britain especially to be viewed negatively by the Arabs; â€Å"It is clear from this agreement [Sykes-Picot] that Britain had no intention of fulfilling its commitment to support Arab independence in the Levant at the end of the war, whatever might have been promised in the Hussein-McMahon correspondence. † This was the view many Arab nationalists would have taken. This secondary source offers a late 20th century vantage point of the deal which gives it an extra degree of credibility. From 1900 to 2001, the Unite d States has had global interests in the Middle East, the U. S. as made itself a key foreign power by using its strong diplomatic, economic, and military power in support of its national interests. This was demonstrated in 1919 where under President Woodrow Wilson the League of Nations was formed; it was quick to hand out a series of mandates laying out the colonial boundaries of the Middle East according to the U. S. These boundaries were not ideal for the Middle Eastern inhabitants however, the U. S. managed to maintain a positive reputation throughout World War One. I believe this to be a result of the British-French mistrust created as a result of previous agreements that were not stuck to.Therefore the US seemed more trustworthy and was viewed as a valuable ally. In the years between the wars Arab nationalist opposition towards foreign intervention continued to grow. By 1952, Gamal Abdal Nasser had led a coup against the Egyptian king and was named president of Egypt. He ended official British influence and became a truly symbolic leader for all Arabs. He tried to unite Egypt and Syria into a single United Arab Republic, but this attempt lasted for only a few years. It was clear Nasser saw foreign powers such as Britain as intervening trouble makers this is demonstrated by his clear dis-like of the Baghdad pact of 1955. Nasser saw the Baghdad Pact†¦ as an instrument of Western intervention and he feared that Jordan, Lebanon and Syria might also be convinced to join’ . In order to conquer this threat from the west Nasser utilised the power of radio to broadcast to millions of Arabs all over the world. This was perhaps the start of a worldwide effort for Arabs to unite, therefore, Egypt’s opposition to the western intervention in the Middle East was a main contributor to the growth of Arab Nationalism in the 1950s.Nasser’s personal international prestige grew immensely and by the end of 1955 he was seen as the leader of the Arab wo rld. This was important as the Arabs now had a firm identity and leader to follow, incomparable to the ‘Are we Arabs one big lie? ’ question voiced in Kramer’s book. Between 1955 and 1958 key events occurred which furthered the growth of Arab nationalism. Firstly, the Czech arms deal of September 1955; Nasser had agreed to buy arms from the Czech government, including Soviet aircraft and tanks.Once again Nasser was showing his independent power and this created a worry for the West, however, the worry was not without cause as on hearing the military news Arabs all over the world began to rejoice in their Arab-ness and the conquering of the foreign powers. Similar joy followed in 1956 with the Suez crisis, Britain and France were severely humiliated at having failed to regain control of the Suez Canal. Even though the canal had been withdrawn from as a result of the U. S. withdrawing their support, the Arab world saw this as a victory against Western powers.As a r esult of long years of Western dominance, a small victory such maintaining the Suez Canal led to widespread Arab nationalism. In the 1940s the U. S. began to involve itself more thoroughly in Middle Eastern politics. This was in order to protect its national interests, the most important being the fight against communism, namely the Soviets during the Cold War. Guaranteeing a secure supply of oil, and ensuring that no single power dominated the region were big priorities for the U. S. More recently, fighting terrorism was made a priority especially after 9/11 in 2001. The U.S. has supported leaders and governments it considered to be stable allies, like the Saudi royal family, Israel, and Egyptian governments, since Anwar Sadat was elected in 1970. A good example of the U. S. hindering the growth of Arab Nationalism whilst protecting self interests was in 1953 when anxious about growing Soviet influence in Iran during the Cold War, the U. S. toppled the regime of Iran's elected prim e minister Mossadeq, who intended to nationalise the Iranian oil industry. The U. S. backed a coup against Mossadeq and forced the election of the young Reza, Shah of Iran.America had demonstrated its control over the region and whilst this could have created anger and a sense of nationalism, it was not to fully rise until 1979. The new prime minister enforced many western policies throughout his reign and was head of a very oppressive government. 1979 led to an Islamic revolution against the Shah's regime and put a new kind of Islamic state into power governed by Islamic jurists and scholars. The popular hatred of the Shah also created hatred of his American supporters, and the revolution's anti-American passion led to the raid of the U. S.Embassy in Tehran, where 53 hostages were held for more than a year. This is a prime example of how a foreign power created a violent change in the nature of Arab Nationalism, an earlier example of this can also be shown from the Palestinian refu gee problem up until 1949, this was the result of an energetic Zionist effort that began before the turn of the century. Such historians as Ben Gurion supported this†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Israel was intended to be a national home for Jews, both spiritually, historically and physically. Nearly 75,000 Jews fleeing persecution from Nazi Germany, found refuge there.But its creation came at a heavy price. In addition to the many Jews who died struggling to create the new state, many Arabs were killed and hundreds of thousands of Arabs were either displaced by Jewish settlers or became unwilling citizens of Israel and voluntarily left the region. The U. S. under President Truman were firmly in support of the new Jewish homeland and this was confirmed when American airplanes were seen as essential to the Israeli victory in the 1967 Six-Day War that placed Israel against Arab powers.And when the Yom Kippur War in 1973 again threatened the Jewish state, a massive U. S. airlift of war material was cr ucial to Israel's survival in the conflict. Up until this event the U. S. had been seen to be extremely forward in trying to gain peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours, key achievements included the 1978 Camp David meeting that negotiated peace between Egypt and Israel and the 1993 Oslo peace agreements that established a framework for negotiating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians started the process for achieving a Palestinian state peacefully.However some Arab critics claim the superpower had not done all that it can to bring about peace in the region. Especially as much of the U. S. support to Israel was in the form of military equipment and the U. S. economy and jobs were devoted to continually upgrading the Israeli army. Some Palestinians argue that the U. S. was too committed in its support for Israel to make unbiased decisions and was unwilling to pressure the Israelis to negotiate peace, interested only in fuelling the rivals.

How to Form Question Tags in English

How to Form Question Tags in English Basic questions in English are formed using the auxiliary verb followed by the subject which comes before the main verb. Auxiliary Verb Subject Main Verb Do you live in Poland?How long has she worked at that company? Sometimes we dont really want to ask a question but just want to check information. For example, if you are sure that a friend lives in Seattle but want to check to make sure, you might use a question tag. Tom lives in Seattle, doesnt he? In this case, it isnt necessary to ask a question because you already know the information. Using a question tag helps you confirm that the information you know is correct. Question tags can also change meaning based on how you pronounce the tag at the end of the sentence. If you raise your voice on the question tag you are asking if the information you just stated is indeed correct. Using question tags in this manner helps to make sure that you are doing something correctly, or understand a situation accurately. Here are some examples: A mom buying some jeans for her daughter: You wear size 2, dont you?A friend writing a birthday card to a friend: Peter was born on March 2, wasnt he?A job interviewer checking information on a resume: You havent worked at this company before, have you? At other times, you drop the voice at the question tag. When dropping the voice at the question tag, you indicate that you are confirming information. Here are some examples: Young man filling out a form speaking to his wife: We live on Cherry St, dont we?Friend looking at a calendar with a meeting noted: Were meeting later this afternoon, arent we?Friend speaking to her friend as they walk in the rain: The sun wont shine today, will it? Forming question tags is very easy. Remember that the question tag uses the auxiliary verb in the opposite form of the sentence itself. In other words, if the sentence is positive, the question tag takes the negative form of the auxiliary verb. If the sentence is negative, the question tag employs the positive form. Heres a quick review of principle tenses, the auxiliary form they take, and an example of a positive and a negative question tag for each tense: EXAMPLE 1. Tense: Past Continuous Auxiliary Verb: Was / Were (to be) Positive Sentence Question Tag Example: Andy was working when you arrived, wasnt he? Negative Sentence Question Tag Example: They werent waiting for you, were they? EXAMPLE 2. Tense: Present Perfect Auxiliary Verb: Have / Has (to have) Positive Sentence Question Tag Example: Harry has lived in New York for a long time, hasnt he? Negative Sentence Question Tag Example: We havent visited our friends in Chicago this year, have we? EXAMPLE 3. Tense: Past Perfect Auxiliary Verb: Had (to have) Positive Sentence Question Tag Example: They had finished before he arrived, hadnt they? Negative Sentence Question Tag Example: Jason hadnt already finished before you provided the update, had he? EXAMPLE 4. Tense: Future with Will Auxiliary Verb: Will Positive Sentence Question Tag Example: Tom will think about it, wont he? Negative Sentence Question Tag Example: They wont be able to come to the party, will they? EXAMPLE 5. Tense: Future with Going to Auxiliary Verb: Is / Are / Am (to be) Positive Sentence Question Tag Example: Tom is going to study Russian, isnt he? Negative Sentence Question Tag Example: They arent going to be at the meeting, are they?

Top 7 Ways to Get Rid of Stress and Stay Happy

Top 7 Ways to Get Rid of Stress and Stay Happy Ways to Relieve Stress Naturally Stress is one of the main triggers of all our diseases, and, unfortunately, living in the modern society and not having stress is impossible. Expectations that the world often sets for us are too high and our inability to reach up to those sky-high standards leaves us drained and stressed. When we experience stress, our bodies release cortisone and adrenaline hormones which increase blood sugar level, blood pressure and in worst cases can even lead to organ damage. Therefore, it is very important to learn how to get rid of stress until it takes its toll on us. How do we usually react to stress? Ways of dealing with stress are very different, and, unfortunately, some people dont know how to deal with stress at all. While doctors often recommend medication, the best ways to deal with stress are natural, because natural stress remedies are easily accessible and have the best effect on us. Heres the list of top 7 stress remedies that you can use to release stress: Music therapy: Music affects our daily life, and you can use it to ease tensions within. Music is often used in therapy to heal such conditions as personality issues, autism, depression, cancer, etc. Why not to use it to remove stress? Outdoor walking: This is the easiest and the most accessible way to forget about stress. In addition to reducing stress, it also enhances our general well-being and mental condition. Meditation: Among all these recommendations, meditation is arguably the most important one. Numerous studies prove the beneficial impact of meditation on our well-being. 30 minutes of focused practice can remarkably increase your stress resilience. Message: Thats a great example of how a physical activity influences the mind. Massage reduces stress and improves vascular function. Essential oils that are used for massage eliminate anxiety and soothe the mind. Sleep well: Those who dont get enough sleep have more stress hormones in their bodies. You should sleep no less than 7-8 hours a day to give your mind and body the rest that it deserves. Exercise: According to numerous studies, regular physical exercise protects you from depression and reduces stress levels. It can be football, tennis, jogging or walking. 30 minutes on a daily basis is what rejuvenates your senses and mind. Eating healthy: We become what we eat. Therefore, if all we eat is these horrible hamburgers, then we will turn into sad unhealthy hamburger ourselves. Eat more fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole-grain cereal and you will arm your body with powerful stress-resilient agents. Also, abstain from soda and choose clean water or natural Chinese tea. And the last but not least think positively and find time for a good laugh! Talk to your mind more than it talks to you and sends it positive messages. As for laughing, it releases endorphins hormones of happiness. Never forget that being happy is the best cure for stress!

Government Public meeting about urban planing Essay - 1

Government Public meeting about urban planing - Essay Example They keenly followed the meeting and sought clarifications on some points. The meeting mainly focused on urban planning and the relevant steps the government had taken to achieve them. The meeting resolved to approve the utilization of the one-year State of Arizona contract with various companies such as Teknion Facilitec Inc., Corporate Interior and Systems Inc. among others. The decision aimed at benefiting the upgrading of the various departments in the city. The council approved the utilization for purchase of furniture products and services for different offices. In addition, the planned total expenditure to facilitate this process was quoted to be $555000 during the one-year period. An estimate of $300 of the total sum would be set aside for water/wastewater Capital Improvement Project Fund. The amount would be used for solving the water and sewerage issues in the city. That amount also funded the replacement of worn out environmental laboratory furniture. Consequently, the total budget was allocated for the expenses planned. Furthermore, the meeting approved renewal of the contract with AP Fire Station, LLC. This would ensure inspection, servicing, repairing, and upgrading all alarms and fire extinguishers in the city. This move by the council attempts to increase protection of citizens against fire and fire-related problems. Similarly, the repairing and servicing of fire alarms ensures victims of fire accidents seek instant help. Through this project, the council expects least number of fire problems in the city. The total cost of this project is estimated at $ 85000 during a year period. The council had allocated enough funds for this project prior to its approval. Moreover, according to the meeting, the committee plans to make significant repairs and improve the transport sector. Through the adoption of the one-year contract with Fabiani Painting and Decorating, Inc., the council aims

Equity premium puzzle Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Equity premium puzzle - Assignment Example Financial markets analysis shows those equity premiums puzzle still remain a reality with modifications to the assumed preferences and imperfections in the model of risk aversion. There have been some difficulties in the calibration used in the analysis and existence of a substantial equity premium (Lucas 1429). Equity premium and risk free rate puzzles The value premium states that for possible qualities of the danger repugnance coefficient, the contrast of the needed rate of profit for money markets and the riskless rate of premium is too huge, given the watched minor fluctuation of the development rate of capitalization. This puzzle is resolved in the wider context of an economy with rational expectations once the separable time preference is relaxed to allow adjacent complementarities in consumption. On the other hand, given that a large equity premium implies that investors get a high risk; the standard models of preferences in turn imply that they do not like growth that much. Although treasury bills may offer low returns, individuals forgo the consumption at a sufficiently fast rate as they prefer it safe in order to generate the per capita consumption which is average. The risk free rate puzzle states that although individuals like consumption to be very smooth, and where the risk free rate is very low, they still save enough for the per capita consumption to grow rapidly (Lucas 1430). Equity premium and risk free rate puzzles are robust and are explained peculiarities of an individual behavior and asset market structure. Individuals have preferences which are attached and associated with the standard utility functions applied in macroeconomics. The preferences maximize the expected discounted value of utilities generated by the power utility function. In addition, asset markets are complete, where individuals can have insurance contracts for any emergent unforeseen event in the market. Asset trading also constitutes no cost, taxes and fees in brokerage are assumed to be insignificant for this purpose. Investors either find it highly reluctant for consumption risk or stocks trading, and more costly than trading of bonds. The risk free rate puzzle shows that people save even when the returns are low, with equity puzzle demonstrating why individuals are so averse to the risks associated with stock returns, proving the large gaps in understanding of macroeconomics (Lucas 1434). In an attempt to describe and resolve these puzzles in an economy, some scholars explain that it is useful to review the basics of asset pricing. Applying the famous Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAMP), it assumes a perfect correlation between stock returns and a consumption stream of typical investors. Applying this model in an attempt to resolve the puzzle, financial analysts are allowed to calculate and measure the financial security risk. With the use of CAPM, a security risk can be measured using the covariance of the return with the per capita consumption . The difference in the covariance of the returns and the consumption growth is large. This clearly explains the enigma of the equity premium where in a quantitative sense the stocks are not really riskier in comparison with the treasury bills