Black Comedy

Black Comedy Free Online Research Papers I expected to go see a black comedy in Peter Shaffer’s Black Comedy. I expected that there would be in actuality a serious subject matter handled with humor; hence â€Å"black comedy†. It, in fact, turned out to be slapstick humor, played off on the literal meaning of â€Å"black† and â€Å"comedy†. Nevertheless, I found it enjoyable and entertaining. Brindsley is a starving artist, whose girlfriend, Carol, is the daughter of a stuffy, judgemental old man. The play actually begins in a dark room, where, Brindsley and Carol, intent on impressing his stuffy future-father-in-law-to-be, have â€Å"borrowed† furniture from an absent neighbour. They are also expecting for the evening, a millionaire by the name of George Bamberger, deaf (to add to the humor), who also happens to be an art collector. Just as they are getting done setting up the room, a fuse blows out sending everyone into the dark. As the lights go full-on on stage, you realize that their life has been lit up until now, and as our lights have gone on, their room has gone completely dark. Once the room is dark, typical, predictable neighbours start showing up, starting with a neighbour, an old lady who I believe was a preacher’s daughter, showing up before the expected father-in-law. Colonel Melkett, the typical difficult father, is completely unimpressed by Brindsley. To make it funnier, the neighbour whose furniture has been stolen comes home early, unexpectedly. Desparately not wanting to get caught in his little funny web of lies, Brindsley brings Harold, the furniture owner over too. Then to make matters worse, Brindsley’s mistress shows up for a rendez-vous as well. The rest of the evening is spent by Brindsley covering his moves, trying to hilariously get (more like slide) Harold’s furniture back into his apartment, without Harold noticing, and get his own back into his apartment, all in the dark! This is interlaced with mismanaged drinking, and a spicy meeting with Clea. When she calls, he specifically asks her not to come over. S he, however, does show up, quietly and unannounced. Brindsley, feeling his way around in the dark, finds her by recognizing the way her butt felt! The Colonel’s lighter is a prop that I found amusing. In a dark room, searching for things or people with a lighter is much like using your cell-phone in the dark to find your car keys. Subsequently, the electrician shows up, and the stereotypical characters mistake him for the deaf millionaire, thanks to his accent. The characters assume that all accents sound alike, delivering predictable laughs, but amusing nonetheless. When the lights finally do come back , Brindsley is in big trouble. His affair has been exposed, Harold has found out about his furniture and the Colonel and now Carol as well aren’t happy with him at all. This play showed that human beings come in so many layers. The simplest people, we find, the ones with the morals are the ones we find complex. and the most complex people, we tend to excuse as the most â€Å"human-like.† The most layered character of this play, in the end, is caught in his own web of lies. Research Papers on Black ComedyThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsWhere Wild and West Meet19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Hockey GameComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Spring and AutumnPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice

Lieutenant General John Burgoyne in the American Revolution

Lieutenant General John Burgoyne in the American Revolution General John Burgoyne was a noted 18th century British Army officer who is best remembered for his defeat at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. First seeing service during the War of the Austrian Succession, he later earned fame as a cavalry officer and leader during the Seven Years War. In this period, he formed his own cavalry unit and commanded troops in Portugal. With the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775, Burgoyne was one of several officers dispatched to Boston. Seeing little opportunity in the post, Burgoyne departed and returned to North America the following year with reinforcements for Canada. While there, he conceived of the idea for what would become the Saratoga Campaign. Given permission to move forward in 1777, his army was ultimately blocked, defeated, and captured by American forces. Paroled, Burgoyne returned to Britain in disgrace. General John Burgoyne Rank: GeneralService: British ArmyNickname(s): Gentleman JohnnyBorn: February 24, 1722 in Sutton, EnglandDied: August 4, 1792 in London, EnglandParents: Captain John Burgoyne and Anna Maria BurgoyneSpouse: Charlotte StanleyChildren: Charlotte Elizabeth BurgoyneConflicts: Seven Years War, American RevolutionKnown For: Battle of Saratoga (1777) Early Life Born February 24, 1722 at Sutton, England, John Burgoyne was the son of Captain John Burgoyne and his wife Anna. There is some thought that the young Burgoyne may have been the illegitimate son of Lord Bingley. Burgoynes godfather, Bingley specified in his will that the young man should receive his estate if his daughters failed to produce any male heirs. Beginning in 1733, Burgoyne began attending the Westminster School in London. While there, he befriended Thomas Gage and James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange. In August 1737, Burgoyne entered the British Army by purchasing a commission in the Horse Guards. Early Career Based in London, Burgoyne became known for his fashionable uniforms and earned the nickname Gentleman Johnny. A known gambler, Burgoyne sold his commission in 1741. Four years later, with Britain involved in the War of the Austrian Succession, Burgoyne returned to the army by obtaining cornets commission in the 1st Royal Dragoons. As the commission was newly created, he was not required to pay for it. Promoted to lieutenant later that year, he took part in the Battle of Fontenoy that May and made repeated charges with his regiment. In 1747, Burgoyne pulled together sufficient funds to purchase a captaincy. Elopement With the wars end in 1748, Burgoyne began courting Stranges sister, Charlotte Stanley. After his proposal of marriage was blocked by Charlottes father, Lord Derby, the couple elected to elope in April 1751. This action infuriated Derby who was a prominent politician and he cut off his daughters financial support. Lacking active service, Burgoyne sold his commission for  £2,600 and the couple began traveling around Europe. Spending extensive time in France and Italy, he became friends with the Duc de Choiseul who would later oversee French policy during the Seven Years War. Additionally, while in Rome, Burgoyne has his portrait painted by famed Scottish artist Allan Ramsay.   Following the birth of their only child, Charlotte Elizabeth, the couple elected to return to Britain. Arriving in 1755, Strange interceded on their behalf and the couple reconciled with Lord Derby. Using his influence, Derby aided Burgoyne in obtaining a captaincy in the 11th Dragoons in June 1756. Two years later he moved to the Coldstream Guards and ultimately achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. With the Seven Years War raging, Burgoyne took part in the June 1758 raid on St. Malo. Landing in France, his men remained for several days while British forces burned French shipping. 16th Dragoons Later that year, Burgoyne went ashore during Captain Richard Howes raid on Cherbourg. This saw British forces land and successfully storm the town. A proponent of light cavalry, Burgoyne was appointed to command the 16th Dragoons, one of two new light regiments, in 1759. Rather than delegate recruiting duties, he directly oversaw the construction of his unit and personally courted the landed gentry in Northamptonshire to become officers or encourage others to enlist. To entice potential recruits, Burgoyne advertised that his men would have the finest horses, uniforms, and equipment. A popular commander, Burgoyne encouraged his officers to mix with their troops and desired his enlisted men to be free thinking in battle. This approach was enshrined in a revolutionary code of conduct he wrote for the regiment. Additionally, Burgoyne encouraged his officers to take time each day to read and encouraged them to learn French as the best military texts were in that language. Portugal In 1761, Burgoyne was elected to Parliament representing Midhurst. A year later, he was dispatched to Portugal with the rank of brigadier general. Following the loss of Almeida to the Spanish, Burgoyne boosted Allied moral and earned fame for his capture of Valencia de Alcntara. That October, he again triumphed when he defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Vila Velha. In the course of the fighting, Burgoyne directed Lieutenant Colonel Charles Lee to attack a Spanish artillery position which was successfully captured. In recognition of his service, Burgoyne received a diamond ring from the King of Portugal and later had his portrait painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. With the end of the war, Burgoyne returned to Britain and in 1768 was again elected to Parliament. An effective politician, he was named the governor of Fort William, Scotland in 1769. Outspoken in Parliament, he became concerned about Indian affairs and regularly attacked Robert Clive as well as corruption in the East India Company. His efforts ultimately led to the passage of the Regulating Act of 1773 which worked to reform the companys management. Promoted to major general, Burgoyne wrote plays and verse in his spare time. In 1774, his play The Maid of the Oaks was staged at the Drury Lane Theater. American Revolution With the beginning of the American Revolution in April 1775, Burgoyne was dispatched to Boston along with Major Generals William Howe and Henry Clinton. Though he did not take part in the Battle of Bunker Hill, he was present at the Siege of Boston. Feeling the assignment lacked opportunity, he elected to return home in November 1775. The following spring, Burgoyne led the British reinforcements which arrived in Quebec. Serving under Governor Sir Guy Carleton, Burgoyne aided in driving American forces from Canada. Critical of Carletons cautiousness after the Battle of Valcour Island, Burgoyne sailed for Britain. Arriving, he began lobbying Lord George Germain, Secretary of State for the Colonies, to approve his campaign plans for 1777. These called for a large British army to advance south from Lake Champlain to capture Albany. This would be supported by a smaller force approaching from the west via the Mohawk Valley. The final element would see Howe advance north up the Hudson River from New York. Planning for 1777 The cumulative effect of the campaign would be to sever New England from the rest of the American Colonies. This plan was approved by Germain in early 1777 despite word from Howe that he intended to march against Philadelphia that year. Confusion exists as to when Germain informed Burgoyne that participation by British forces in New York City would be limited at best. As Clinton had been defeated at Charleston, SC in June 1776, Burgoyne was able to secure command of the northern invasion force. Arriving in Canada on May 6, 1777, he assembled an army of over 7,000 men. The Saratoga Campaign Initially delayed by transport issues, Burgoynes army did not begin moving up Lake Champlain until late June. As his forces advanced on the lake, Colonel Barry St. Legers command moved west to execute the thrust through the Mohawk Valley. Believing the campaign would be simple, Burgoyne was soon dismayed when few Native Americans and Loyalists joined his forces. Arriving at Fort Ticonderoga in early July, he quickly compelled Major General Arthur St. Clair to abandon the post. Sending troops in pursuit of the Americans, they defeated part of St. Clairs forces at Hubbardton on July 7. Regrouping, Burgoyne pushed south towards Forts Anne and Edward. His advance was slowed by American forces which felled trees and burned bridges along the route. In mid-July, Burgoyne received word from Howe that he intended to sail for Philadelphia and would not be coming north. This bad news was compounded by a rapidly worsening supply situation as the army lacked sufficient transport that could traverse the regions rough roads. In mid-August, Burgoyne dispatched a force of Hessians on a foraging mission. Meeting American troops, they were badly defeated at Bennington on August 16. The defeat bolstered American morale and caused many of Burgoynes Native Americans to leave. The British situation further deteriorated when St. Leger was defeated at Fort Stanwix and forced to retreat. Surrender of Burgoyne by John Trumbull. Photograph Courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol Defeat at Saratoga Learning of St. Legers defeat on August 28, Burgoyne elected to cut his supply lines and quickly drive on Albany with the goal of making winter quarters there. On September 13, his army began crossing the Hudson just north of Saratoga. Pushing south, it soon encountered American forces led by Major General Horatio Gates which had entrenched on Bemis Heights. On September 19, American forces led by Major General Benedict Arnold and Colonel Daniel Morgan defeated Burgoynes men at Freemans Farm. With their supply situation critical, many of the British commanders recommended a retreat. Unwilling to fall back, Burgoyne again attacked on October 7. Defeated at Bemis Heights, the British withdrew to their camp. In the wake of the action, American forces surrounded Burgoynes position. Unable to break out, he surrendered on October 17. Later Career Paroled, Burgoyne returned to Britain in disgrace. Attacked by the government for his failures, he attempted to reverse the accusations by blaming Germain for failing to order Howe to support his campaign. Unable to obtain a court martial to clear his name, Burgoyne changed political allegiances from the Tories to the Whigs. With the Whig ascent to power in 1782, he returned to favor and served as commander in chief in Ireland and a privy councillor. Leaving government a year later, he effectively retired and focused on literary pursuits. Burgoyne died suddenly at his Mayfair home on June 3, 1792. He was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Portfoilio week 8 6310 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Portfoilio week 8 6310 - Essay Example The demonstrations will be on the oral methods of drug administration to different types of patients depending on their ages, conditions and instructions from the doctor. In line with this, i will divide the class into several teams of two people each and then using the simulation dummies (where I will have attached notes on each â€Å"patient† to be administered drug to), I will monitor and evaluate on how each team performs its instructions (based on what I have taught in class) and then grade them (Billings and Halstead, 2012). According to Svinicki and McKeachie, (2011), demonstration is an effective and useful method to evaluate the learning of students where the main aim of the lesson is practicality. The objectives of this lesson are: Students will identify different methods of imparting positive attitude to the patients during the drug administration. This first objective on a higher level taxonomy yields two objectives which are: students will select the best method to use to impart positive attitude to the patients during drug administration. The second one is: students will apply this selected method when administering drugs to the patients. How are the learners able to identify the different ways of imparting positive attitude during drug administration? How are they able to select the best of these methods and applying them? The other objective is: the students to list the different ways of administering oral medication according to the patient’s condition, age and doctors’ instructions. On a higher level taxonomy (http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html), this objective has two other objectives which are: the students to select the most effective ways to administer drugs according to the patient’s condition and doctor’s instructions and the other is for the students to be able to apply the most effective ways of administering oral medication according to the patient’s condition,

Math questions Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Math questions - Speech or Presentation Example vertisement: â€Å"In a recent clinical study, Brand ABC* was proved to be 1950 percent better than creatine!† Actual brand will not be named (Sobecki et al., p. 810). Comment: For one, the statement is missing numerical figures essential a reader’s understanding such as the probability that the new substance promoted would take effect within a specific confidence interval. Despite claiming that the product is 1950% proven effective, no actual proof is presented so the ad’s exaggeration could either raise suspicion or stir curiosity on potential consumers. Readers may also find themselves trying to make vague sense of how recent the study was made since the claim does not go any further than mentioning ‘recent’ which could mean dating to a couple of years back. Moreover, the term ‘clinical’ appears insignificant unless replaced by a name of a credible health institution known to have conducted similar studies in the past. By not divulging the brand name or label, the advertisement runs the risk of making some of the readers think that it is a possible hocus-pocus or that without sufficient details, it emerge s a detractor of another leading brand in the market. Explanation: The double negatives and the manner in which the question is made seems misleading as it occurs more disposed to convince someone to agree that tutoring students who pass is still important. Chances are, on one hand, the person being asked may be readily and psychologically conditioned to consider the importance of tutorial in any case without paying due regard on situations it is most needed, and on the other, he or she may find that passing students make no significant difference from the failing ones. So the ambiguity of meanings attached to the question might cause results out of an erroneous understanding that tutorial is actually a necessity and the query sounds as if no second thoughts or further analysis is required. It is quite obvious how the application of suspect

War Poets Research Paper Essay Example for Free

War Poets Research Paper Essay Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon are both considered two of the best war poets to ever write. These two poets actually possess many similarities with Sassoon being a great influence on Owen. With both of them being a part of World War I, that greatly motivated them to write poetry about the war. Neither one of them was very fond of being in the war. This led to them both writing poems of anger and distress towards the war. Both Owen and Sassoon had terrible experiences with war so one can understand where the anger they wrote with came from. Owen’s poems describe actions in the war and how awful and miserable he was as a soldier. Sassoon’s poems do not contain as much of an angry tone as Owen does in his but Sassoon does portray war as being totally negative with nothing good to say about it. Owen and Sassoon are very similar in that neither one of them are war friendly, they had tragedies that made them feel this way, and wrote poems of how they despised World War I. At the time Wilfred Owen was writing his poems, the world was in the middle of a war known as World War I. He considered the subject of his poetry during that time frame to be â€Å"the pity of war,† and sought to present the grim realities of battle and its effects on the human spirit. With a subject like this it was obvious that he was not a fan of the war and it shows in many of his poems. The motivation for him to write poems in such grueling detail of the war really shows his true feelings towards it. In his poem â€Å"Dulce Et Decorum Est,† he describes his account of war. In it he quotes â€Å"Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots †¨But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This clearly shows why he would have such hatred toward war. All throughout the poem he talks of how dismal he and other soldiers are and the terrible experience they had during war. In another one his poems â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth,† he speaks about the funeral of a young soldier. In the very last line of the poem he says that each slow dusk is â€Å"a drawing down of blinds.† This line in the poem describes the suffering that loved ones of the soldier endured during the burial. In this line Owen is kind of giving a warning that war is a stressful event and loved ones can be lost in the act of war.

Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy Essay -- Dystopia Utopia

Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy As a child, one of my favorite cartoon shows was The Jetsons. This was a show about an average American family who lived out in space, with a dog, and a robot named Rosie as the household maid. I recall that in one episode Rosie, the robot, overheard the family holding a conversation pertaining to how the family could get by just fine without her. The point of this episode is that the robot's feelings were hurt and she decided to run away. After Rosie's departure, the family learned that she was in fact a valuable member of the family, and they searched all over space to find Rosie the robot. Could it be, a robot with feelings? In The Jetsons technology was an important aspect in life in space. Each family owned a space ship, instead of an automobile. And traffic existed in the sky, instead of the highways that we have today. I believe that Marge Piercy, the writer of Woman on the Edge of Time may have had similar expectations of the future. Piercy's novel depicts the life of a diagn osed schizophrenic patient by the name of Connie that lives in a mental institution. Connie is able to time travel into two different futures, in order to escape the fearful reality of her world. This novel was published in 1976, and yet the writer's interpretation of a dystopian future is not too far off from what we might watch on television today. I will be exploring the life of Connie, the main character, as Piercy portrays her throughout the story, as well as supporting characters that play a role in Connie's utopian and dystopian futuristic societies. The reader is able to clearly discern which society Connie recognizes to be her Utopia. Consuelo Camacho Ramos, who will be referred to as Connie, is... ... Piecy published her novel. Perhaps, Piercy would rather that we focus our energy to making the world where we currently live in a better place, and value the small things that we take for granted, like in the village Mattapoisett. Instead of placing more value on technology and focusing on how what we can come up with next. Oppositely, I think technology is not to be feared, and has not dehumanized us, at least not yet. The fact that our mind can take us into places so much further advanced than we are actually able to achieve at the present time proves just how extraordinary the mind is. It must be this sense of "living on the edge" creativity that drives humans to develop such astronomical technological mechanisms. Works Cited Barbera, Hanna. The Jetsons. Cartoon Network. 1998 Piercy, Marge. Woman on the Edge of Time. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976.

Emission Testing Essay

With this paper I hope to gain a better understanding of emission pollution and the emission testing process. With my research and my visit to the local Clean Air Car Check site, I have compiled information that will prove valuable. I will define emission pollution and the major contributors. I will answer the why we have to emission test. I will also take you through the testing process. My overall goal of this paper is to ascertain whether or not emission testing is an effective way to reduce or prevent emission pollution when one owns a vehicle. Emission Pollution Emissions describe the gases and particles that are released into the air by many different sources, including vehicles. According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) web site, the sources of emissions are put into four categories: point, mobile, biogenic, and area. Point sources include factories, mobile sources include vehicles, biogenic sources include gas seeps, and area sources include dry cleaners (EPA, 2006). For this paper, we will focus on mobile sources. Driving is the most polluting thing that we can do. The National Safety Council (NSC) states that motor vehicles release millions of tons of pollutants, classified as toxics, into the air each year. These toxics cause around 1,500 cases of cancer every year. Car emissions also contribute to acid rain and global warming (NSC, 2006). Vehicles emanate three major pollutants: hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. The Coalition for Clean Air (CCA) web site states that hydrocarbons are defined as compounds containing various combinations of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Nitrogen Oxides pertain to compounds of nitric acid, nitrogen dioxide, and other oxides of nitrogen. They are typically created during combustion processes, and are major contributors to smog and acid deposition (CCA, 2007). The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) website displays the text book, Chemicals, the Environment and You. They define carbon monoxide as a colorless, odorless poison gas produced by incomplete combustion of organic matter (NIEHS, 2000). The Clean Air Car Check (CACC) web site says, â€Å"Cars and light duty trucks contribute 30-50 % of the pollution that cause harmful ozone and also contribute significantly to the amount of air toxics and particulate matter in the environment† (CACC, n. d. ). They also state that if our vehicles are properly maintained, there will be less contamination released in the air and ground water (CACC, n. d. ). What effect does emission pollution have on our environment? The Clean Air Car Check answers this by stating, Hydrocarbons are unburned gasoline particles that contribute to the formation of ground level ozone, often referred to as smog. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas formed from partially burned fuel that can adversely affect mental function, visual focus, alertness, and can even cause death. Nitrogen oxides, when mixed with other compounds, can contribute to ground level ozone, acid rain, water quality deterioration and global warming. Ozone is an irritant produced from emissions from gasoline powered vehicles. It can cause eye and throat irritations, respiratory distress, and damage breathing passages, making it difficult for the lungs to work. Ozone is formed near the ground in a photochemical process: 1) Gasoline, paints and solvents evaporate, thereby releasing hydrocarbons. 2) Cars and factories burn fossil fuels, releasing nitrogen oxide and reactive hydrocarbons. 3) Heat and sunlight trigger a photochemical reaction between these emissions, transforming them into ozone (CACC, n. d. ). Emission Testing The time is here again; time to take the car in to be emission tested. What a pain in the neck! You might think that emission testing is a waste of time, and an inconvenience. What some people may not realize is that motor vehicle manufacturers are required to meet more and more severe pollution emission standards, and it is our responsibility to maintain our vehicles (CACC, n. d. ). Recognizing faulty emission control systems and having them repaired has reduced ozone emissions by more than 4,000 pounds each summer day. Testing is just part of the 1990 federal Clean Air Act. The goal of the act is to improve our quality of air by reducing hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides (CACC, n. . ). The testing procedure may differ slightly depending on the age of the vehicle being tested. All vehicles, however, will get a gas cap pressure check. This test is used to see if the vehicles gas cap is keeping fuel vapors from escaping (CACC, n. d. ). Vehicles made from 1996 or newer will receive the on-board diagnostics test (OBD). This tests the vehicles on-board computer to make sure there ar e no malfunctions. The next test is the inspection and maintenance test (I/M 93). Vehicles made from 1981-1995 will be put on a treadmill, called a dynamometer. The exhaust is captured to evaluate the effectiveness of the emission control equipment (CACC, n. d. ). The last test is for vehicles from 1976-1980. A metal probe is inserted into the tailpipe while it is idle and a sensor is put on the hood to measure the engine speed (CACC, n. d. ). Vehicles that were made in 1975 or older are not required to be emission tested. I recently took a trip to my local Clean Air Car Check site to watch the testing procedure. A man told me that having people stand outside the waiting area is not usually allowed, but since I was doing research for school he allowed it. He also did not want his name to be used in my final paper. He did not want me to be in the way so he asked me to stay as far away as possible and he offered me a face mask. The first vehicle to be inspected was a 1990 Ford Ranger. The inspector walked around the vehicle with a long mirror, making frequent stops. I asked him what this step was for and he replied that it was to check for fluid leaks, holes in the exhaust system, or any modifications that may cause a safety hazard. Once the Ranger was inspected, the driver was asked to leave the vehicle and sit in the waiting area. The inspector checked the Ranger for a catalytic converter and then attached a device to the gas cap. This was the gas cap pressure check that makes sure that no fuel vapors are escaping. After that, the inspector drove the Ranger onto a treadmill device and had attached a large hose to the tailpipe. As he watched a screen he drove the Ranger as if he were driving it on the road. Accelerating and braking when necessary. The large hose collects the exhaust to check for emissions. The inspector let the driver return to the Ranger while he gathered the results. With a smile he politely said, â€Å"Congratulations, you passed†. The next few vehicles went through the same process. There was a different test, however, performed on a 2000 Chevrolet Blazer. After the inspector performed the gas cap pressure check, he plugged something into the bottom of the dashboard. I asked him what this process was and he said it was a scan tool and it is plugged into the OBD connector on the Blazer. He said it will read the Blazer’s computer and analyze whether or not the OBD system is working properly. I was at the Clean Air Car Check site for a little over an hour. Unfortunately, I did not see any vehicles that were from 1976-1980 so the probe test was not performed. Before I left, I asked the inspector why diesel engine trucks do not have to be tested. He said, â€Å"Unlike regular gas exhaust, the exhaust from a diesel engine has really low levels of the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. They just aren’t as polluting as regular cars†. Not necessarily agreeing with his last statement, I asked him how long he had worked there. He said with a smile, â€Å"10 long years. I have learned a lot, almost too much†. Effectiveness How effective is emission testing? It is effective enough to reduce emission pollution by 4,000 pounds every summer day. I asked the emission test inspector his opinion on the effectiveness of emission testing. â€Å"If our cars were not tested, the air would be much worse. † He said, â€Å"I think that having your car tested and repaired is keeping that much more crap out of our air†. My friend, who we will call Jan, said, â€Å"Emission testing is a big pain in the butt, and only three counties in Indiana do it, and I think THAT alone is bull. Doesn’t make sense. I think that if they are going to do it, it should be in all fifty states, and all counties. † She continued, â€Å"But, â€Å"if it is helping reduce the pollution in the air we breathe, I guess I will have to put up with it†. I think that testing is effective because if a vehicle does not pass, it has a time period to be repaired or it will not be able to get registered. This car will not be allowed to drive on the road, and that is less emission toxics flowing into our air. Conclusion Emission pollution is a major issue in not only Indiana, but the rest of the country. If these toxics are released from our vehicles, and emission testing can help reduce the flow, then I strongly believe it is a step in the right direction.

American Idol and the Presidential Elections

The industry of broadcasting has long been taking its toll to the mindset of the general population. For the very long time, media outputs have played a vital role in providing its patrons the kind of entertainment they intentionally or non-intentionally introduce. However, due to the fact that media is almost always represent the popular culture of the people, it can’t be denied that the whole reflection of the social function of a nation can be seen clearly in any forms of media communication. The creation of the popular reality program American Idol has changed the way viewers portray the role of an ordinary observer.The program has provided a fresh new outfit of correspondence where the interaction of the viewers is as valuable as the program itself. Apparently, because of the increasing number of communication device options in the market today, it is now very easy to take part in any media event with just a click of a button. This event has prompted many television netwo rks to tap the marketing capability of communication devices to increase the so-called advertising revenue. The American idol was able to use this strategy by introducing the electronic voting system for the viewers.They have designated the use of a phone or mobile device, which serves as a medium to participate in the casting of votes for the contestants. The release of statistics that reflected the number of voters in American Idol has somehow stirred a relatively significant concern when it reflects out that it has outnumbered the actual number of votes in the presidential elections. This scenario has lead to a good argument whether the government system is really at the verge of being disgusted or if the data is merely a raw commodity that has not yet reached the maturity of analysis.Somehow, there has been a feeling of disgust that currently manifests in the world of politics. Some of the attributes in the elections provide a rather inconceivable effect of aversion among the pu blic. This is because politics are only very much concerned on how it will project its image rather than how it will serve the public. Just pondering the billions of dollars spent in a presidential election would make an individual squirm because of the fact that the money, wherever it came from, only the advertising component will benefit form it.Even though, we cannot readily say the electoral process system is broken just for the simple fact that the public is not interested in politics at all. We can look at the statistics about the voting numbers of the American Idol as against to the presidential election but being as a critical thinker. If in any case there is still a large discrepancy based on factor analysis, then that would be the only time when assumption of massive hatred in that politics have resulted to the public’s apathy and have fallen apart from its grip of public trust.The American idol voting system is practically very attuned to the convenience of the par ticipants while on the other hand, the presidential elections needs a specific format process to address the standard requirements in casting a political vote. For American idol, landline phones and mobile phones give instant results of the voting with a simple keypad button sequence while you have to register and be at least 18 years old to vote for America's leader. In the television program, you just have to dial a phone to vote for the next American Idol.You don't have to be 18; you don't have to â€Å"register,† and you aren't limited to one vote; you're limited to two hours. You don't have to use gas to get to the polls, and you don't have to decipher any ballots; you just pick a person and dial a phone (Falk, par. 2). This might have been the very reason why number figures favor much of the data in the American Idol voting compared to the presidnetial elections. Of course it is not possible to compare the numbers since they were acquired in two very different modes.As a matter of fact, the voting system has some serious voting problems were tens of millions of votes were lost (Seibel, par. 3). Even though this is the case, the problem of people diverting away from their interest in politics will still have a very large negative impact. The principles employed in the political advertising arena makes it a very unrecognizeable aspect of social function. People will just find a more appealing and more realistic system such as the American Idol where they see and feel the actual results almost instantly.There is not much that politics can do to acquire back the interest of the public whether they do good or not. Ploticians will always be embarked on the unusual activities of advertising their platforms to gain the public’s approval of their competnecies. However, the media has the responsibility to provide the most realisitc analysis of true representation of what is actually happening in the society. In the case of the American Idol being mor e popular than the national electoral process, it can readily define how people preceive the actual dilemma of the community, more of a nation.This attention and preference discrepancy can only be resolved if there is a complete transparency in disseminating info coming from both sides. The American Idol should exemplify the actual process of voting and its statistics while the presidential electoral institution should clearly present their advocacy in their politcal ads. Works Cited: Falk, Michael. 17 May 2006. Seibel, Deborah. 17 May 2004.

Free Essays on Greece And Rome

Rome and Greece both had similarities in the way they were built. Both were formed on the edges of a body of water. Both relied on the land and surrounding area for hunting and agriculture. In Greece, the first city was built on the palatine hill. They proceeded to build other structures in the same area; mostly this is the hill in which homes were built on. The built their capitol on Capital hill. Also on the same hill they built temples to worship in. Cliffs that were hard to reach surrounded Capitol Hill. They had many stages in the development in Greece. The Cycladic stage was first; here they relied on metalworking and developing trade routes. The Cycladic stage ended around 1550 BC. The Minoans came next. In this stage they formed the first stages of writing and law. This stage came to an end in 1220 BC. The Dark Ages were from 1200 to 800 BC. In this period they formed a military, had a population problem, and were constantly at war with one an other. In Archaic Greece they expanded on writing and literature. The religion they followed was based on gods and goddesses. From 500 to 100 BC they went through major changes. They had an ever-changing leadership, took a more appealing look at art, gave women more of a public life, and fought with the Peloponnesian wars. Rome has a very small history compared to Greece. They built on the banks of the Tiber River. They also had Capitoline hill and Palatine hill. They also had a Forum; this is where all their trade was done. The Romans had their own alphabet, language, laws and government. Between 509-146 BC they changed from a city to empire. They carried the language of Latin. The Romans also fought wars. The First and Second Punic Wars took a tremendous toll on Rome. The similarities between the two are numerous. The two governments both had rule over the people. They also had high taxes in both. The two were different in respects to the type of gove... Free Essays on Greece And Rome Free Essays on Greece And Rome Rome and Greece both had similarities in the way they were built. Both were formed on the edges of a body of water. Both relied on the land and surrounding area for hunting and agriculture. In Greece, the first city was built on the palatine hill. They proceeded to build other structures in the same area; mostly this is the hill in which homes were built on. The built their capitol on Capital hill. Also on the same hill they built temples to worship in. Cliffs that were hard to reach surrounded Capitol Hill. They had many stages in the development in Greece. The Cycladic stage was first; here they relied on metalworking and developing trade routes. The Cycladic stage ended around 1550 BC. The Minoans came next. In this stage they formed the first stages of writing and law. This stage came to an end in 1220 BC. The Dark Ages were from 1200 to 800 BC. In this period they formed a military, had a population problem, and were constantly at war with one an other. In Archaic Greece they expanded on writing and literature. The religion they followed was based on gods and goddesses. From 500 to 100 BC they went through major changes. They had an ever-changing leadership, took a more appealing look at art, gave women more of a public life, and fought with the Peloponnesian wars. Rome has a very small history compared to Greece. They built on the banks of the Tiber River. They also had Capitoline hill and Palatine hill. They also had a Forum; this is where all their trade was done. The Romans had their own alphabet, language, laws and government. Between 509-146 BC they changed from a city to empire. They carried the language of Latin. The Romans also fought wars. The First and Second Punic Wars took a tremendous toll on Rome. The similarities between the two are numerous. The two governments both had rule over the people. They also had high taxes in both. The two were different in respects to the type of gove...

Battle of Carillon in the French and Indian War

Battle of Carillon in the French and Indian War The Battle of Carillon was fought July 8, 1758, during the French Indian War (1754-1763). Forces Commanders British Major General James AbercrombieBrigadier General Lord George Howe15,000-16,000 men French Major General Louis-Joseph de MontcalmChevalier de Levis3,600 men Background Having suffered numerous defeats in North America in 1757, including the capture and destruction of Fort William Henry, the British sought to renew their efforts the following year. Under the guidance of William Pitt, a new strategy was developed which called for attacks against Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Fort Duquesne at the forks of the Ohio, and Fort Carillon on Lake Champlain. To lead this last campaign, Pitt desired to appoint Lord George Howe. This move was blocked due to political considerations and Major General James Abercrombie was given command with Howe as brigadier general (Map). Assembling a force of around 15,000 regulars and provincials, Abercrombie established a base at the southern end of Lake George near the former site of Fort William Henry. Opposing the British efforts was Fort Carillons garrison of 3,500 men led by Colonel Franà §ois-Charles de Bourlamaque. On June 30, he was joined by the overall French commander in North America, Marquis Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. Arriving at Carillon, Montcalm found the garrison insufficient to protect the area around the fort and possessing food for only nine days. To aid the situation, Montcalm requested reinforcements from Montreal. Fort Carillon Construction on Fort Carillon had begun in 1755 in response to the French defeat at the Battle of Lake George. Built on Lake Champlain, near the northern point of Lake George, Fort Carillon was situated on a low point with the La Chute River to the south. This location was dominated by Rattlesnake Hill (Mount Defiance) across the river and by Mount Independence across the lake. Any guns emplaced on the former would be in position to bombard the fort with impunity. As the La Chute was not navigable, a portage road ran south from a sawmill at Carillon to the head of Lake George. The British Advance On July 5, 1758, the British embarked and began moving over Lake George. Led by the industrious Howe, the British advance guard consisted of elements of Major Robert Rogers rangers and light infantry led by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage. As the British approached on the morning of July 6, they were shadowed by 350 men under Captain Trà ©pezet. Receiving reports from Trà ©pezet regarding the size of the British force, Montcalm withdrew the bulk of his forces to Fort Carillon and began building a line of defenses on a rise o to the northwest. Beginning with entrenchments fronted by thick abatis, the French line was later strengthened to include a wooden breastwork. By noon on July 6, the bulk of Abercrombies army had landed at the northern edge of Lake George. While Rogers men were detailed to take a set of heights near the landing beach, Howe began advancing up the west side of the La Chute with Gages light infantry and other units. As they pushed through the wood, they collided with Trà ©pezets retreating command. In the sharp firefight that ensued, the French were driven off, but Howe was killed. Abercrombies Plan With Howes death, British morale began to suffer and the campaign lost momentum. Having lost his energetic subordinate, Abercrombie took two days to advance on Fort Carillon, which normally would have been a two-hour march. Shifting to the portage road, the British established a camp near the sawmill. Determining his plan of action, Abercrombie received intelligence that Montcalm possessed 6,000 men around the fort and that the Chevalier de Là ©vis was approaching with 3,000 more. Là ©vis was approaching, but with only 400 men. His command joined Montcalm late on July 7. On July 7, Abercrombie dispatched engineer Lieutenant Matthew Clerk and an aide to scout the French position. They returned reporting that it was incomplete and could be easily carried without artillery support. Despite a suggestion from Clerk that guns should be emplaced atop and at the base of Rattlesnake Hill, Abercrombie, lacking imagination or an eye for terrain, set upon a frontal assault for the next day. That evening, he held a council of war, but only asked whether they should advance in ranks of three or four. To support the operation, 20 bateaux would float guns to the base of the hill. The Battle of Carillon Clerk again scouted the French lines on the morning of July 8 and reported that they could be taken by storm. Leaving the majority of the armys artillery at the landing site, Abercrombie ordered his infantry to form with eight regiments of regulars in the front supported by six regiments of provincials. This was completed around noon and Abercrombie intended to attack at 1:00 PM. Around 12:30, fighting began when New York troops began engaging the enemy. This led a ripple effect where individual units began fighting on their fronts. As a result, the British attack was piecemeal rather than coordinated. Fighting forward, the British were met by heavy fire from Montcalms men. Taking severe losses as they approached, the attackers were hampered by the abatis and cut down by the French. By 2:00 PM, the first assaults had failed. While Montcalm was actively leading his men, sources are unclear as to whether Abercrombie ever left the sawmill. Around 2:00 PM, a second attack went forward. About this time, the bateaux carrying guns to Rattlesnake Hill came under fire from the French left and the fort. Rather than push forward, they withdrew. As the second assault went in, it met with a similar fate. Fighting raged until around 5:00 PM, with the 42nd Regiment (Black Watch) reaching the base of the French wall before being repulsed. Realizing the scope of the defeat, Abercrombie ordered his men to fall back and a confused retreat ensued to the landing site. By the next morning, the British army was withdrawing south across Lake George. Aftermath In the assaults at Fort Carillon, the British lost 551 killed, 1,356 wounded, and 37 missing against French casualties of 106 killed and 266 wounded. The defeat was one of the bloodiest battles of the conflict in North America and marked the only major British loss of 1758 as both Louisbourg and Fort Duquesne were captured. The fort would be captured the British the following year when Lieutenant General Jeffrey Amhersts advancing army claimed it from the retreating French. Following its capture, it was renamed Fort Ticonderoga.

Multinational firms are a force for progress‟. Discuss Essay

Multinational firms are a force for progress‟. Discuss - Essay Example That is exactly what we will be discussing in this paper. Let us first see what a MNC really is. According to D. H. Robertsons â€Å"Multinational corporations are a substitute for the market as a method of organizing international exchange. They are islands of conscious power in an ocean of unconscious cooperation† (Hymer,S. 1994). They are powerful organizations whose power commands most countries and governments. Now my question is that how can that be a wonderful thing, when there is no one to protect you interests. It in layman term means ‘survival of the fittest’. But what happens to those who don’t have the strength that others have. Well they are doomed. In the long term as well as short term. So is that a good thing. If you are one of the weak would you be happy about this? In this research paper I am going to outline, as stated by Margaret House, the costs MNC’s incurs for Developed/Advanced nations and Developing/Underdeveloped nation. I am going to outline the implications MNC’s has on the world as a whole. First let us look at the terms Developed/Advanced nations and Developing/Underdeveloped nations. Developed countries are those nations having an elevated level of development in regards to GDP, Industrialization, Human development index, etc. In other words countries which are economic super powers like the Japan, United States in North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, most of Europe, etc. (United Nations, 2009). On the other hand developing economies  are nations that posses low levels of material well being. Countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Mongolia, Zimbabwe, Mexico, etc. (United Nations, 2009). Now moving on to the diverse effects MNC’s is bound to have. First let us see what effect MNC’s will most definitely have the on jobs in developed economies. As it is well known that the cost of

Course Evaluation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Course Evaluation Paper - Essay Example During the course, most students identified with the outcomes. I expected to learn the various aspects of family dynamics, which exist in the society regardless of race, social class, or religion, and I did. I expected to learn the theories involved and to be able to learn various solutions to family problems. I was able to relate to some factors that influence family dynamics that apply to my real life. The factors I learnt include the effect of parent’s relationships on the family, aspects of strictness and lenience among parents, personalities, single parenthood, size of family and culture, and beliefs in the family. The course reflected issues that exist in many families in the world, and was able to broaden my knowledge and thinking about family life. I expected the course to highlight the various positive and negative issues that exist in the family and the impact they have on psychological health of family members. Some of the positive family attributes highlighted incl ude success of children linked to good parenting practices, good parent’s relationships and good family values. Peace in the family always relates to good personalities in children and older family members among others. The negative attributes highlighted in the course include the effect of single parenthood on children, violence in the family most likely led to the fall of the family to factors such as divorce, and divorce affected children even in their adulthood. The lecturer was able to teach in the most practical way, making everyone to participate in asking and answering questions, making the course even more enjoyable. She always asked practical questions that apply in real life, used pictures and videos to teach and expected every student to relate to some issues raised during the course of study. This made the course very exciting and easy to learn. The outcomes had a great impact and were specific to the target population, which in this case were classroom students. The course highlighted many issues, which exist in different families. I related to some of the factors that I have experienced in my own family. Most students were able to relate and connect to most of the issues explained in the course. In some instances the mentioned examples and scenarios rekindled bad memories among some students and caused emotional grieve. These included students coming from a family that experienced violence in the past, drug abuse, families affected by issues such as unemployment, extramarital affairs, and divorce. Some students on the other hand connected well with their well-structured families, which had good values, proper parenting practices, and wealth among others. In either way most students lamented that, they learnt a lot from the course and expected to improve their lives in one way or another. The outcomes were measurable with the timeframe. The lecturer managed to teach various levels of family dynamics within the expected timeframe, and in th e most systematic way. The mentioned outcomes on the students always revealed in each classroom session, and with time, the students had developed a sense of connection with the lecturer and would freely express their views and experiences without fear. The objectives and the outcomes related well in this course and at the end, the lecturer manage