Romeo Essays (1087 words) - Rodham Family, Bill Clinton,

Romeo As quoted by Hamlet in the play by William Shakespeare, To be or not to be, that is the question(Fetzer 360). When on the subject of President Clinton, some would rather he not be than to be. Some look down upon him because of recent accusations against him concerning him having a sexual relationship with someone other than his wife and then lying about not taking part in any of his accused shenanigans. The whole ordeal has upset many parents about how their children will react to all that is going on about the Clinton scandal, but still some parents find it as an educational and somewhat profitable lesson to teach their children. The Presidency is a highly honorable task and the President has disgraced his office. As leader of the free world, it is his responsibility to set a good example. To little surprise, there are some countries that are angered by the way the President has handled himself lately. The Clinton scandal is giving parents a chance to have serious talks to their chi ldren, justifying the act of lying in the minds of children, and giving countries a reason to look down upon the United States. Due to President Clinton's actions concerning these allegations, there have been three substantial and obvious affects on today's society. First, the scandal is giving parents a chance to sit down and have serious talks with their children. Children are interested in learning about what is going on with the President and why he is in such big trouble, so parents find this as an opportune time to talk about lying and lying's drastic consequences. As stated by Chuck Green, I wrote that parents can cite no finer example than Bill Clinton not as an example of getting away with lying but as an example of its consequences(Green n.pag.). The problem with this is parents sometimes get into a sticky situation when they don't know what to tell their children, but Chuck Green replies by saying, Just tell your kids the truth - that lying doesn't pay, even if you are the President. Sooner or later, you'll pay a heavy price(Green n.pag). Lying is not the only major issue that the President's problems have brought to many parents' attention. Sex has become another issue that parents can discuss with their children because of the recen t scandals. A lot of parents choose not to tell their children about the birds and the bees, but the scandal almost forces them to talk about it. Mr. Clinton's troubles also are putting parents on the spot when it comes to explaining sex, which is a good thing(MacDonald n.pag.). When asked about what she thought about the Clinton scandal, Amy McMahon said that, She and other parents and experts say that discussions with children about the President's on going problems may border on 'distasteful' and 'disgusting'. Some, though, see it as an opportunity to talk about family values, appropriate and inappropriate behaviors and what happens when people get into trouble(MacDonald n.pag.). Sex is a part of everyone's life, and it has the necessity to be discussed with a child eventually; this inappropriate situation allows for a good discussion in this area. Next, in the minds of children, the President's lying has significantly justified the act of lying. Children see the President as a role model, which they look up to and sometimes imitate in actions. A boy said of the President, He can't lie like the rest of us, 'cause he's a role model(Shales n.pag.). If kids find the President as a role model and they see and hear of the President doing these bad things, it might get imbedded in their heads that what the President has done is all right(Hoover n.pag.). Looking at the situation from another standpoint, some might say that they see the President doing bad things then they will learn from his mistakes, right? That is not true. Parents have tried to teach their children right from wrong and they have always told them to get a role model to look up to. If the President is a role model and so many kids look up to him, then they will think what he is doing

How the WWII Battle of Stalingrad Was Fought

How the WWII Battle of Stalingrad Was Fought The Battle of Stalingrad was fought from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943, during World War II (1939-1945).  It was a key battle on the Eastern Front. Advancing into the Soviet Union, the Germans opened the battle in July 1942. After over six months of fighting at Stalingrad, the German Sixth Army was encircled and captured. This Soviet victory was a turning point on the Eastern Front. Soviet Union Marshal Georgy ZhukovLieutenant General Vasily ChuikovColonel General Aleksandr Vasilevsky187,000 men, rising to over 1,100,000 men Germany General (later Field Marshal) Friedrich PaulusField Marshal Erich von MansteinColonel General Wolfram von Richthofen270,000 men, rising to over 1,000,000 men Background Having been stopped at the gates of Moscow, Adolf Hitler began contemplating offensive plans for 1942. Lacking the manpower to remain on the offensive all along the Eastern Front, he decided to focus German efforts in the south with the goal of taking the oil fields. Codenamed Operation Blue, this new offensive began on June 28, 1942, and caught the Soviets, who thought the Germans would renew their efforts around Moscow, by surprise. Advancing, the Germans were delayed by heavy fighting in Voronezh, which allowed the Soviets to bring reinforcements south. Angered by a perceived lack of progress, Hitler divided Army Group South into two separate units, Army Group A and Army Group B. Possessing the majority of the armor, Army Group A was tasked with capturing the oil fields, while Army Group B was ordered to take Stalingrad to protect the German flank. A key Soviet transportation hub on the Volga River, Stalingrad also possessed propaganda value as it was named after the Soviet leader  Joseph Stalin. Driving towards Stalingrad, the German advance was led by General Friedrich Paulus 6th Army with General Hermann Hoths 4th Panzer Army supporting to the south. Preparing the Defenses When the German objective became clear, Stalin appointed General Andrey Yeryomenko to command the Southeastern (later Stalingrad) Front. Arriving on the scene, he directed Lieutenant General Vasiliy Chuikovs 62nd Army to defend the city. Stripping the city of supplies, the Soviets prepared for urban fighting by fortifying many of Stalingrads buildings to create strong points. Though some of Stalingrads population left, Stalin directed that civilians remain, as he believed the army would fight harder for a living city. The citys factories continued to operate, including one producing T-34 tanks. The Battle Begins With German ground forces nearing, General Wolfram von Richthofens Luftflotte 4 quickly gained air superiority over Stalingrad and began reducing the city to rubble, inflicting thousands of civilian casualties in the process. Pushing west, Army Group B reached the Volga north of Stalingrad in late August and by September 1 had arrived at the river south of the city. As a result, Soviet forces in Stalingrad could only be reinforced and re-supplied by crossing the Volga, often while enduring German air and artillery attack. Delayed by rough terrain and Soviet resistance, 6th Army did not arrive until early September. On September 13, Paulus and 6th Army began pushing into the city. This was supported by 4th Panzer Army which attacked Stalingrads southern suburbs. Driving forward, they sought to capture the heights of Mamayev Kurgan and reach the main landing area along the river. Engaged in bitter fighting, the Soviets fought desperately for the hill and the No. 1 Railroad Station. Receiving reinforcements from Yeryomenko, Chuikov battled to hold the city. Understanding the German superiority in aircraft and artillery, he ordered his men to stay closely engaged with the enemy to negate this advantage or risk friendly fire. Fighting Among the Ruins Over the next several weeks, German and Soviet forces engaged in savage street fighting in attempts to take control of the city. At one point, the average life expectancy of a Soviet soldier in Stalingrad was less than one day. As fighting raged in the ruins of the city, the Germans met heavy resistance from a variety of fortified buildings and near a large grain silo. In late September, Paulus began a series of attacks against the citys northern factory district. Brutal combat soon engulfed the area around the Red October, Dzerzhinsky Tractor, and Barrikady factories as the Germans sought to reach the river. Despite their dogged defense, the Soviets were slowly pushed back until the Germans controlled 90% of the city by the end of October. In the process, 6th and 4th Panzer Armies sustained massive losses. In order to maintain pressure on the Soviets in Stalingrad, the Germans narrowed the two armies front and brought in Italian and Romanian troops to guard their flanks. In addition, some air assets were transferred from the battle to counter the Operation Torch landings in North Africa. Seeking to end the battle, Paulus launched a final assault against the factory district on November 11 which had some success. Soviets Strike Back While the grinding fighting was taking place in Stalingrad, Stalin dispatched General Georgy Zhukov south to begin building up forces for a counterattack. Working with General Aleksandr Vasilevsky, he massed troops on steppes to the north and south of Stalingrad. On November 19, the Soviets launched Operation Uranus, which saw three armies cross the Don River and crash through the Romanian Third Army. South of Stalingrad, two Soviet armies attacked on November 20, shattering the Romanian Fourth Army. With Axis forces collapsing, Soviet troops raced around Stalingrad in a massive double envelopment. Uniting at Kalach on November 23, the Soviet forces successfully encircled 6th Army trapping around 250,000 Axis troops. To support the offensive, attacks were conducted elsewhere along the Eastern Front to prevent the Germans from sending reinforcements to Stalingrad. Though the German high command wished to order Paulus to conduct a breakout, Hitler refused and was convinced by Luftwaffe chief Hermann Gà ¶ring that 6th Army could be supplied by air. This ultimately proved impossible and conditions for Paulus men began to deteriorate. While Soviet forces pushed east, others began tightening the ring around Paulus in Stalingrad. Heavy fighting began as the Germans were forced into an increasingly smaller area. On December 12, Field Marshall Erich von Manstein launched Operation Winter Storm but was unable to break through to the beleaguered 6th Army. Responding with another counter-offensive on December 16 (Operation Little Saturn), the Soviets began driving the Germans back on a wide front effectively ending German hopes for relieving Stalingrad. In the city, Paulus men resisted tenaciously but soon faced ammunition shortages. With the situation desperate, Paulus asked Hitler for permission to surrender but was refused. On January 30, Hitler promoted Paulus to field marshal. As no German field marshal had ever been captured, he expected him to fight to the end or commit suicide. The next day, Paulus was captured when the Soviets overran his headquarters. On February 2, 1943, the final pocket of German resistance surrendered,  ending over five months of fighting. Aftermath of Stalingrad Soviet losses in the Stalingrad area during the battle numbered around 478,741 killed and 650,878 wounded. In addition, as many as 40,000 civilians were killed. Axis losses are estimated at 650,000-750,000 killed and wounded as well as 91,000 captured. Of those captured, fewer than 6,000 survived to return to Germany. This was a turning point of the war on the Eastern Front. The weeks after Stalingrad saw the Red Army launch eight winter offensives across the Don River basin. These helped further compel Army Group A to withdraw from the Caucasus and ended the threat to the oil fields. Sources Antill, P. (Feb. 4, 2005),  The Caucasus Campaign and the Battle for Stalingrad June 1942–February 1943HistoryNet, Battle of Stalingrad: Operation Winter TempestYoder, M. (Feb. 4, 2003), Battle of Stalingrad

Informative Speech (1 page outline and 2 page speech) Essay

Informative Speech (1 page outline and 2 page speech) - Essay Example Finally, giving an overview of how it came to be widely manufactured and consumed all over the world. A. According to mythical origins, cocoa originated from the sacrifice of an Aztec princess who preferred death by the enemy to revealing the secrets of her kingdom. From her blood sprung the delicate cacao plant (Verna, 2013). From the early Aztec cultures, western civilization came in when Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Guanaja and received the gift of a cup of chocolates (Verna, 2013). He then introduced the beans in Spain by offering them to the king and queen. Progressively over the years, it went on to spread and acquired by everyone. C. In the United States, the production of chocolate proceeded at a faster pace than anywhere else in the world. This was motivated by World War II and as discovered chocolate played a role in motivating the armed forces (Szogyi, 1997). With the understanding of where chocolate is from and its history, we are able to appreciate it. Certainly, after this, we will all rush to the store to grab a bar of chocolate and while munching the bar, it is imperative to remember the culture of the Aztec

International Environmental Agreements Assignment

International Environmental Agreements - Assignment Example As the study discusses  Kyoto Protocol was enforced on February 16, 2005, and its requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were binding on the 35 industrialized nations that were party to its sanction. The United States was not among the parties to the Protocol's ratification. The U.S. under Bush’s administration precluded the protocol. Instead, the U.S. formulated a discretionary climate change policy that regulated the domestic emission levels.This paper stresses that  the U.S. continued its membership to the UNFCCC but avoided any involvement with the Kyoto Protocol. Surprisingly, by 2012, the U.S. had embraced some of the Kyoto Protocol’s regulations. The Kyoto Protocol is viewed as an essential initiative towards a genuine reduction of greenhouse gas emission worldwide. Currently, in Durban, adjustment plans are underway to develop new protocols agreeable to all parties, whose implementation is anticipated by the year 2020.  In 1991, an agreement was s igned between the U.S. and Canada aimed at addressing trans-boundary air contamination, whereby toxins discharged at one area travels from one location to another, deteriorating air quality both at the point of emission and the surrounding.  Under the Scientific and Technical Activities and Economic Research Annex, Canada and the United States consent to organize their air contamination checking systems; use good configurations and strategies for observing and reporting.

Comparing 600-1450 & 1450-1750 Essay Example for Free

Comparing 600-1450 1450-1750 Essay Periods of time have always been changing and evolving. The 600 to 1450 era had some similarities to the following era, the 1450 to the 1750; though as said before, there were the changes also. Many continuities and breaks occurred between both periods. There were the changes in their trading systems, the technology, their global interactions, urbanization, social systems, and their political government development. These events led to various inventions and some that are still used to this day. All the terms involving continuity during both time periods eventually changed and affected the era. Analyzing these ideas will help receive a better understanding of both periods. During the 600s to the 1450s, trading was mostly done by land. There were long-distance trading occurring then, but not as much sea travel and ocean trade routes as in the 1450s to 1750s time period. The post-classical period (600-1450) included the long-distance trade from the European to the African kingdoms. However, there wasn’t any constant trading happening between the eastern and western hemisphere. On the other side, during the time frame after this (1450-1750), trading was constant with the western and eastern hemispheres now connected by sea-based travel. World trade patterns where happening due to the Atlantic Ocean trade eventually crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Trading began with small items and grew to even humans, slaves. Trade routes influenced the cultures and belief systems back then also. Connections between different people brought both positive and negative effects. Technology also improved because of necessary traveling items. The technology during both of these time periods where advancing and improving. During the 1450-1750, these innovations strengthened their political organization and economic growth. Afterwards these two affected and altered the world trade pattern. In these early years, the Scientific Revolution occurred and the methods used by scientists then, are now the basis for science; for example mathematical formulation, empirical evidence, and freedom of inquiry. The Scientific Revolution was a new vision of science relying on the human reason for comprehending the scientific phenomena. This Revolution was brought by the earlier Renaissance and the Reformation. During the 1450-1750, there wasn’t a Scientific Revolution, but there was the forcing of converting to Catholicism from the Spanish and Portuguese towards the Amerindians. In the earlier era, it was optional for people to rely on the Scientific Revolution as their belief, but in the later era, Catholicism was forced into being the belief of all. In navigation technology, the Portuguese made great contributions including the magnetic compass and the astrolabe, helping mariners determine their locations at sea. They also made advancements in the design of ships. Caravel was the name of the newly developed ship by the Portuguese. Its size allowed the exploration of shallow coastal areas and rivers, and was also strong eno0ugh to withstand storms out on the ocean. This navigational technology made history. Socially, there were many important cultural changes. For example in the 600-1450, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment were beliefs that oriented European minds toward science and invention. This allowed them to escape from the social and intellectual boundaries of the Middle Ages. Speaking first of the Renaissance, which was primarily launched in Italy, this was a time of â€Å"rebirth† to the intellectual and artistic creativity of the people. Humanism is the interest of an individual’s capabilities and accomplishments, but in the Italian Renaissance, humanism was reflected through philosophies, portrait painting, and autobiography. The Reformation occurred both in the Protestant group and later on in the Catholic people. The rebellions against the church were the Protestant Reformation, which began in 1517 by Martin Luther and his 95 Theses. The Catholic Church responded forcefully and began the Catholic Reformation. During this time, a Council of Trent rose and Jesuits was founded which traveled all around Europe trying to convince ex-members back. During the time when the Spanish were ruling over the Americas, the forced their way into that land and killed everyone they found. These conquistadors were cruel, slaughtering small children, pregnant women, and even old men. Their political development systems changed slightly and this caused a new turn to the governments’ ruling and its land/sea possession of trade. During the post-classical era, the kingdoms were long lasting overall. In the period after, there was a great expansion of their kingdoms. The Spanish and French kings gained enough power to turn into absolute monarchs, which held complete control over their kingdoms. The French kings also cultivated a belief in the divine right, which was the authority of king with God’s blessing. In other parts of Europe (Britain and the Netherlands) developed constitutionalism as their style of government. Though, the development of capitalism and technological advances was constant on all government types. Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership of property and business that produce goods to be sold in a free market. The joint-stock companies, back then, organized commercial ventures on a large scale by allowing investors to buy and sell shares. In the â€Å"putting-out system†, entrepreneurs delivered the raw material to the workers in their home, from where they were transformed into finished products. The Portuguese established viceroyalties, which were the king’s representatives in the New World and wielded a great deal of power over their lands. They later became independent and set up their government in an urban area. Talking more about the time of 1450-1750, the Zhen He’s voyages were very important. I founded interesting that after Yongle’s death, the Ming government decided to stop the voyages, but if they hadn’t, might the Chinese have been the ones to discover the Americas first?!!? Overall, periodization has changed and had made an impact on us today. The era between the 600-1450s and the one of 1450-1750s were both very interesting and had marker events that shape our life today. Analyzing, comparing the continuities and the breaks help us get a better understanding on what really made history.

Essay --

Introduction We are experiencing unprecedented rates of biodiversity loss. 60% of the ecosystem services (such as freshwater, fisheries, pollination and climate regulation) which biodiversity underpins are either degraded or in decline. Predictions are that this trend will worsen. It is clear that it has severe economic implications, not only for society but also for business as most industries depend on ecosystem services to function. The pharmaceutical sector is both dependent on and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services or BES. Approximately 25% to 50% of the pharmaceutical market is derived from active ingredients from nature. The sector’s dependence on the BES stems from the use of active ingredients from nature in drug discovery and manufacture, the use of water and a reliance on inert raw materials such as fish oils, soya and palm oil in drug manufacturer. Impacts include water pollution from drug manufacturing and use, overexploitation of active ingredients from nature that can’t readily be synthesized and use of inert ingredients linked with environmental degradation. For the pharmaceutical sector, this may pose reputational, operational, regulatory and market risks as well as new opportunities linked to new drug discovery. Pharmaceutical industry investors may also face reputational and financial risks if the companies in which they invest do not adequately manage their own BES risks. All companies reviewed have started to consider the business implications of declining BES. However, none are managing the BES in a comprehensive manner. The focus of corporate activity has been on understanding site-level impacts on biodiversity such as risks associated with potential impacts on protected areas or water consump... ...e to determine company risk exposure in relation to BES. Lack of information on how companies are managing their risks and opportunities leads to decreased investor confidence. Companies should be encouraged to disclose more information on volume, nature and provenance of raw materials sourced, the outcomes of products and issue risk assessments and the activities underway to address them, if that assessment shows them to be material. References †¢ http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/index.html †¢ file:///C:/Users/De/Desktop/Media_release_-_pharmaceutical_companies_face_biodiversity_risk.pdf †¢ http://www.naturalvalueinitiative.org/content/010/102.php †¢ http://www.cefic.org/Documents/IndustrySupport/RC%20tools%20for%20SMEs/Document%20Tool%20Box/Biodiversity-and-Ecosystem-services_What-are-they-all-about.pdf †¢ Biodiversity and Human Health By Jensa Bell

Girl by Jamaica Kincaid

The short story â€Å"Girl† by Jamaica Kincaid is a story of the belief that happiness steams from a life of domesticity. The central topics of gender roles in a family structure, and the expression of female sexuality and will be examined. A look into the mother’s beliefs on the necessity of serving your husband and remaining sexually conservative will be the focus. Secondly, the importance of food and clothes in the story will be looked at, providing evidence to the central claim of being content with this lifestyle. Lastly, the relationship between the mother and daughter will be discussed, reflecting on if the views of the mother will ultimately make the decisions for the daughter, as to the path she will follow in her own life. The portrayal of gender roles in this story shows the husband as the breadwinner and the wife staying home to tend to the house and children. This could be considered traditional, however we would consider it outdated in western society today. This story has the mother, teaching her daughter her place in Antiguan society, most likely in the fifties, and in a marriage. This is demonstrated though the teaching of everyday tasks she will need to know to run a household smoothly. It is also clear that the mother’s life reflects these ideals that a husband should be the one working and the wife is to be happy and content by taking pride in her home. The mother also has very strong views on behavior and throughout the story gives many warnings on this such as â€Å"on Sundays try and walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming†. This is a very clear statement giving us an idea of the mother’s values with female sexuality as well as a reflection on the values at that time. She wants her daughter to find a husband and she believes kept pure, and with the knowledge of how to run a successful household, she will be a prize for any man. Abstinence sounds great in theory, but this is not always the case for young women. In this time, expectations are to be wed and then have sex. As much as the mother would like to keep her daughter from having sex, from warning her, and teaching her things like letting then hem of her dress down to be longer, she does realize this may not happen. It is interesting how she feels it necessary to teach her how to get rid of a baby. This reference to abortion at this time shows how crucial the need to keep up appearances at any cost can be, even if it is illegal or against moral and religious beliefs. Food and clothes play an important role in many of the mother’s teachings. The mother shows the daughter how to cook pumpkin fritters, bread pudding, pepper pot and doukona. Some of these dishes are traditional Antiguan which shows the importance of tradition and doing things the way they always have been done. The mother also teachers her how to set tables specifically for different meals. This shows how in the household, eating together is an important part of her ideal home and family. The role of bread in this story is crucial. At the end, he mother teaches her how to squeeze the bread to tell if it is fresh. The daughter, replies â€Å"but what if the baker wont let me feel the bread? † The mother frustrated after all of her lessons is upset that her daughter has not gotten the point that if you do all of these things, you will not have to worry about it because the baker will respect you. The role of the clothes is quite similar to that of food. She teaches her daughter to keep things clean, how to separate the colors from the darks and lights, as well as when to wash each. This particular example shows how much importance the mother places on routine. She also mentions the pressing of her husband’s khaki pants, showing that the way he presents himself can be a reflection of her. Hemming dresses and skirts was looked at with relation to female sexuality earlier, but it also is an example of how much importance is placed on appearances. The relationship between the mother and daughter in this story is important to recognize because the mother seems to hold preconceived notions about what daughter will or will not become. Following most instructions her mother provides, the mother concludes the set with some mention of her daughter being bent on becoming a slut. It seems like she uses this word to encompass any from of deviance from the social norm. It’s questionable as to why her mother has such a strong fear that her daughter will become his—we do not have any specific examples identifying any reason for her to think such things of her own child. Therefore, we lack the ability to argue for or against such a point. However, this might be a difference in generation, perhaps the girl’s mother is stuck in the ways to which she was taught by women in her family before hand. Perhaps her mother has a fear that her daughter is going astray from her values or living a modernized life that she is so unfa miliar with. We tend to fear what is unfamiliar, especially when it happens so close to home. Parents always want to teach their children what they know, however, children don’t always choose to follow. Whether the daughter chooses to listen and follow, or listen and lead her own life, it is clear that her mother has had a significant impact on the daughters life. The importance of domesticity to the mother, and having her daughter display a conservative sexuality ties back to the behaviours related to food and cloth in this story. The mother places this vital importance on household knowledge and respectable appearances, believing they are the key to overall happiness. This is clearly not the case. For some people this type of life could bring them a sense of fulfillment or accomplishment. However, for others, this may not feel like a life of their own and could live always feeling empty or wanting something more. People should be given the choice to do what they want. Unfortunately in this time, women did not get that luxury.