The Battle of Valley Forge

The American Revolution era was one of the most significant time periods in the history of America. As America became more popular and gained more states they had to somehow break free from British rule. The thirteen colonies joined together to slowly gain freedom from Britain and become it’s own independent country. They began to decline British rule and eventually lead to war, to what is now known as the American Revolutionary War. The British sent invasion forces into New England in order to try and regain its power over the states, but they failed and were driven out by Washington and his army.After, George Washington, the general of the troops at the time, moved his troops to a more secure location for the soon coming winter. This location was known as Valley Forge. The times in Valley Forge were known to be very difficult for the soldiers fighting. According to more traditional sources, the soldiers lacked food, shelter and warmth and were also in need of more men. Accor ding to Robert Middlekauff’s text from â€Å"The Glorious Cause†, the times at Valley Forge were indeed miserable and the troops suffered greatly.Jack Rakove’s text from â€Å"Revolutionaries† agrees with Middlekauff’s view, and adds that over two thousand soldiers died that winter. However, Ray Raphael takes on the less traditional view and states that the soldiers did not in fact have such great difficulty. When you compare and contrast the other sources, Ray Raphael has a more persuasive document, as opposed to the more traditional accounts. Robert Middlekauff’s â€Å"The Glorious Cause† takes on the traditional story of Valley Forge, one that it was of extreme suffering and conditional, careless decisions, yet one of bravery and hope.Valley Forge was a difficult time for the soldiers fighting for their country. The conditions were severe and there were no buildings, as the troops had to put up their own. The troops lacked shoes, c lothing and soap and frequently had nothing to eat. The soldiers were starving and many were cold and sick. The water for all uses had to be carried for considerable distances. These are only few of the problems the soldiers faced day by day. George Washington, the leader of the troops, did his best to find food and get it to Valley Forge.Although Congress encouraged Washington to seize food that troops needed, Washington resisted suggestions. He recognized that relief of his troops hunger would undercut principles of revolution, and political support of people. Instead, he sent commissary in search of provisions, seized supplies, and attempted to protect seller's interest as much as possible. Washington’s orders suggest that he did not overlook many ways of maintaining discipline. The soldiers were absolutely miserable. They lacked everything an army needs for survival, from clothing to food to shelter.They had been hungry for weeks and suffering for months. After all of ago ny and distress, the soldiers pulled through with hope, and continued to fight. â€Å"Revolutionaries†, by Jack Rakove, as well, speaks about the great hardships and suffering that the soldiers went through at Valley Forge. George Washington was somewhat of a tough leader who knew his priorities. â€Å"We have not more than three months to prepare a great deal of business in, and if we let these slip or waste, we shall be labouring under the same difficulties all next campaign as we have done this.He explains that although George Washington understood the difficult circumstances that the men were going through, they had to continue in order to prevent from a cycle of the same things happening again. According to Rakove, when the winter at Valley Forge began, the soldiers were â€Å"barefoot, huddled in the snow around flickering fires†, while the enemy was sleeping warm, well fed, in nearby Philadelphia. In mid February, the men were lacking meat, and drenching rains washed out roads, swelled rivers, and badly disrupted the flow of supplies to camp.Over two thousand soldiers died that winter. Although they were starving, lack of food was not the main reason for the soldier’s deaths, but rather the lowered resistance to disease, food shortages, and inadequate clothing while the men were overcrowded on the huts. What caused all of this was mostly the strategic and political considerations. Congress imposed well meant but misguided reforms, which strained to the breaking point of the supply system.Although congress meant well, they’re plans were in fact failures and led to the critically harsh times of the soldiers. Many mistakes made by the congress lead to not only political problems, but also problems within the soldier’s lives during the harsh winter. Although Jack Rakove and Robert Middlekauff take on the more traditional story of the experience in Valley Forge, Ray Raphael takes on a different approach. In Ray Raphaelâ₠¬â„¢s â€Å"The Winter At Valley Forge†, he explains that many people believe in the traditional telling of the experiences in Valley Forge.Many people believe that the winter was one of the cruelest winters in the countries history and that the soldiers suffered greatly, but were able to withstand the wrath of British. Raphael exclaims that the traditional Valley Forge story is â€Å"disrespectful to the soldiers who endured years of hardships, endangered their lives, and in many cases died so that the United States could gain and retain its independence. To give these patriots the respect that is their due, we have to cease creating idealized fantasies about how well they behaved themselves.Raphael is greatly disappointed with the treatment and lack and respect towards the soldiers and story of Valley Forge and explains that the soldiers demanded food, clothing, and money, which had been promised to them and which was necessary for them in order to stay in the field and fa ce the enemy. â€Å"The few who act upon Principles of disinterestedness are, comparatively speaking, no more than a drop in the Ocean. † This is a quote by George Washington, commenting on the lack of people joining the army and helping the country fight for it’s independence.Reluctantly, the Congress offered bounties to those who agreed to join the army. This is why the men demanded the food, clothing and pay. Congress allowed the Commissary Department to fall into shambles, as the much needed food and clothing never arrived. Congress was accountable for the lack of provisions that caused the soldiers great suffering and grief. Forced to move on, the troops moved forward from Valley Forge to pillage local civilians. When the soldiers failed to receive adequate food, minimal clothing, or the pay they had been promised, they were forced to make a decision.They either had to endure their hardships silently, grumble among themselves, or make trouble. They could either de fend themselves or walk away. Soldiers had to deal with this unsolvable problem everyday, and they chose to act forcibly and continue. This is the true story of Valley Forge. These three sources share similarities and differences. It is quite clear that Jack Rakove and Robert Middlekauff, for the most part agree on their depictions of the experience at Valley Forge. But, Ray Raphael shares a much more interesting, more realistic portrayal.The traditional telling of Valley Forge is one somewhat out of a fairytale. It is simply over exaggerated with the overly harsh conditions and strong heart of the men who pulled through with their dedication to their country and continued fighting without ever giving up or losing hope. In the words of Ray Raphael himself, it is â€Å"disrespectful† towards the soldiers who fought for our country in Valley Forge. All three of these sources do agree that the times were not easy, but Raphael bases it off of a more reasonable explanation, rather than blaming the misery on nature.Raphael explains that it was in fact the congress’ fault for the soldier’s suffering. The congress did not send the soldiers the proper necessities in which they were promised, such as food, clothing or pay. The soldier's could have simply retreated and walked away, but they chose not to. They decided, despite the fact that they did not have the proper necessities to fight, they would continue and use what they could to survive and defeat the enemy. Raphael shares a more respectful, appreciative and persuasive telling of the story of Valley Forge.

Benefits of eating organic foods Essay

There are many benefits of eating organic foods and the main reasoning for this is because of the way these foods are grown. They are all grown on smaller farms and are cared more for. The farmers use natural soils, get rid of the weeds naturally without using sprays, and they use beneficially insects and birds to get rid of pests and diseases. Using natural resources to grow foods prevents us from eating chemical and in some cases added hormones. Organic foods have more zinc, iron and other vitamins than non-organic foods. They can help reduces your risk for cancer because weed, insect, and mold killers have been linked to the cause of some cancers. The ways these foods are grown also help our environment by creating less pollution. The prices for organic foods are more expensive than non-organic. Non-organic foods are generally more affordable and there are more varieties as well. Non-organic foods do not contain E coli because most organic soil that is animal manure and it can cause E coil in organic foods. Between organic and non-organic foods there are benefits to eating each of them. There are certain foods that you should buy organic over non-organic. These foods are the ones that are more nutritious and contain fewer pesticides. Apples are generally more contaminated with pesticides so buying them organically will reduce the risk of them. Celery, strawberries, peaches, spinach, nectarines, grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, kale, and lettuce are all other foods that you should buy organically due to pesticides. There are some foods that are safe to buy non-organically and they will save you money. These foods are onions, corn, pineapple, avocado, asparagus, sweet peas, mangos, eggplant, cantaloupe, kiwi, cabbage, sweet potatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, and mushrooms. Some sources think that organic foods are healthier than non-organic foods and others believe there is no significant difference between the two. Organic foods are grown on smaller private farm and they do not release or consume any pesticides. Organic foods are also more nutritious because they do not contain any pesticides either. The sources I chose were all from the Internet and they were from either a print or web source. I found these sources to be helpful because they were all able to provide me with enough information that I needed. More than half my sources described what foods you should buy organically and what foods you shouldn’t buy organically. I found this information to helpful because the list of foods that you should buy organically is shorter than the ones you shouldn’t. Fruits are typically the ones that have to worry about having pesticides and that are why more fruits are recommended to buy organically. The pesticides that are used on foods kill the nutrients in foods but it still is able to hold some nutrients but not as much as organic fruits. Composting at the World’s Largest Natural Foods Supermarket Chain. (2004). Biocycle. 45(11). p27. Retrieved on 3-3-05 from Ebscohost. Federal or Government Sources Organic Foods 101: Basic Information about organic foods, national labeling standards and online organic foodsellers. (2002). Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http://www. nrdc. org. The National Organic Program . (USDA). (2002). Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http://ams. usda. gov. Trade Publications Organic Food Facts. (2003). Organic Trade Association. Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http://www. ota. com/organic/mt/food. html Industry Statistics and Projected Growth. (2003). Organic Trade Association. Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http://www.ota. com/organic/mt/business. html Organic foods are getting more popular among the world compare to the bigger consumption of conventional foods. There certain true organic foods may cost a bit more, but most of the people agree, taste and quality are well worth compare to conventional. In today`s supermarket, organic foods are everywhere. There are clearly many benefits to organic foods, but there are specific like: it is healthier, protect the environment, different taste. The organic farming and produce of organic foods has been prevalent from the time agriculture was first conceived. The natural way of growing crops started becoming unpopular and economically less feasible. More crop yields meant higher profits to the farmer and better utilization of the land. The farmers who used fertilizers started growing two crops during the same time-period. That was the begging of fast growing industry of conventional foods. Organic foods are healthier than conventional in many aspects. The nutrients present in organic foods that are not in commercial foods. â€Å"Organic food for mineral levels, the researchers also looked for the amount of the heavy metals aluminum, cadmium, lead and mercury. Aluminum has been implicated for years in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s content in organic food averaged 40% less that in commercial foods. Lead toxicity, which has been in the new a lot lately, can adversely affect our children’s’ IQ. It averaged 29% lower in organic foods. Mercury, which can cause neurologic damage, averaged 25% lower in organic foods† (Crinnion, Walter). The organic meat is healthier compare the conventional gown, full with antibiotics and many other chemicals for fast growing, which goes to us. The healthier means saver way of leaving. People consume more conventional food which evokes more farmers to use pesticides and to double their crops. The pesticides are dangerous for environment and wild life. People should buy more organic foods and lower the production of the conventional. That`s one of the ways to protect and safe the environment and wildlife of the world. Used chemicals kill different insects which are part of our ecosystem. Chemicals go from soil to the water reservoir and again back to us. The organic foods are proven to taste better and different than conventional grown foods. The organic food not only taste better, but doesn`t contains preservatives. The conventional milk, has inspiration date around 2 months compare to the organic one it`s not more than two weeks. The smell and the taste of organically grown tomatoes are totally different. The organic farms will continue to grow and produce more quality foods around the world. The healthier and long lasting life is connected with the consumption of more organic foods, which taste better and than the conventional. The organic farms help to reduce chemicals that are used for produce their crops. That’s the way to save the environment and the wild life of the world. A disadvantage of organic food is the life of the product. Without the preservatives found in inorganic foods nearly all of these products must be refrigerated. Organic farming also yields fewer crops because insects, weeds, and fungi often damage a larger portion of organic crops than conventionally grown crops. Finally, only about half of the states regulate organic foods and little exists to stop organic farmers from labeling any food they wish as â€Å"organic†. There are numerous benefits of organic farming[->0] for the environment, as well. Without pesticide or chemical use, the water contamination and health risks that occur elsewhere are eliminated. Crops on organic farms are rotated constantly, which keeps the land fresher, healthier, and less worn out. They also help to avoid pest problems, erosion of the soil, and nutrient deprivation in the soil. Cover crops are planted prior to the main crop and bring helpful things to the land such as nitrogen and helpful insects (Roth, 2) [->0] – .. /essay_search/organic_farming. html.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 21

Chapter 21 AVENGING ANGEL Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, Theo thought. He twisted his ankle when he hit the ground; pain shot up his leg like liquid fire. He fell and rolled onto his back in the mud. He'd pushed the remote button that unlocked the Range Rover too soon the vehicle had chirped and the lights had blinked, alerting the undead. He'd made the jump blind, and missed. They were coming for him. He pushed himself up and started hopping toward the Range Rover the car key ready in his right hand, his flashlight lost behind him in the mud. Grab him, you rotting fucks,† screamed Dale Pearson. Theo fell forward as his good foot slipped out from under him, but he rolled back to his feet, a bolt of pain shooting white-hot across his shin. He caught himself on the back window of the black Range Rover, snatching at the rear wiper for balance. He risked a glance back toward his pursuers and heard a loud thump by his head followed by a deafening screech. He turned just in time to see a skeletal woman sliding across the roof of the Range Rover, leading with her teeth. He ducked, but not before he felt fingernails raking his neck, teeth thumping into his scalp. She rode him to the ground and he could feel a grating pain in his head as the zombie tried to bite through his skull. His face was pushed into the mud. His nostrils and mouth filled with water, and amid a flashing whiteness of terror he thought, I'm so sorry, Molly. â€Å"Yuck! That's hideous!† said Bess Leander, spitting a couple of teeth on the back of Theo's head. Marty in the Morning grabbed Theo by the head and licked the teeth marks that Bess had left. â€Å"That's horrible. He's stoned. I'm not eating stoned brains.† The undead moaned in disappointment. â€Å"Get him up,† said Dale. Theo inhaled a great spray of mud along with his first breath and he went into a coughing fit as the undead lifted him up and held him against the back window of the Range Rover. Someone wiped the mud out of his eyes, and a stench that made him gag filled his nostrils. He could see the dead but animated face of Dale Pearson only inches from his own. The corpse's foul breath overwhelmed him. Theo tried to twist away from the evil Santa, but decaying hands held his head fast. â€Å"Hey, hippie,† said Dale. He held Theo's flashlight down by his Santa beard to illuminate his face from below. There were two stripes of bloody drool running down either side of the beard. â€Å"You're not thinking that your pot-smoking ways are going to save you, are you? Don't.† He pulled a snub-nose revolver out of the pocket of his red coat and shoved it under Theo's chin. â€Å"We'll have plenty to eat. We can afford to waste you.† Dale ripped open the Velcro fasteners of Theo's jacket and started feeling around his waist. â€Å"No gun? You suck as a lawman, hippie.† He went to the pockets of Theo's cop shirt. â€Å"But this! The one thing you can be depended on for.† Dale held up Theo's lighter, then reached in, tore the whole pocket off the cop shirt, and wrapped the dry fabric around the lighter. â€Å"Marty, try this. Keep it dry.† Dale gave the lighter to a rotting guy with a wet Ziggy Stardust red mullet, who slogged back to the pile of debris at the side of the chapel. Theo watched as Marty in the Morning bent over the pile of plywood, pine branches, two-by-fours, cardboard, and the torn-up body of Ben Miller. The wind was still whipping, the rain less intense now, but even so the drops stung Theo's face when they hit. Don't light, don't light, don't light, Theo chanted in his head, but then his hope drained away when he saw the orange flame catch on the debris, and Marty in the Morning pull away with his sleeve on fire. Dale Pearson stepped aside so Theo could see the fire whipping up the side of the building, then put the .38 against Theo's temple. â€Å"Take a good look at our little barbecue fire, hippie. It's the last thing you're going to see. We're gonna eat your crazy wife's brains char-broiled.† Theo smiled, happy that Molly wasn't inside, wouldn't be part of the massacre. â€Å"I didn't hear ‘Shave and a Haircut, † said Ignacio Nunez. â€Å"Did you hear ‘Shave and a Haircut'?† Tuck panned his flashlight across a dozen frightened faces, then one whole side of the chapel went orange with the light from the fire outside the windows. One woman screamed, others stared in horror as smoke started to snake in around the window frames. â€Å"Change of plan,† Tuck said. â€Å"We go now. Guys in front of your groups. Give the car keys to the next person back.† â€Å"They'll be waiting for us,† said Val Riordan. â€Å"Fine, you burn up,† Tuck said. â€Å"Guys, knock over whatever gets in your way, everyone behind just keep going for the cars.† All the barricades and braces had been removed from the chapel doors. Tuck put his shoulder against one door, Gabe Fenton was on the other. â€Å"Ready. One, two, three!† They threw their shoulders against the doors and bounced back into the others. The doors had only opened a couple of inches. Someone shone a flashlight through the gap to reveal a huge pine-tree trunk braced against one of the doors. â€Å"New plan,† shouted Tuck. Theo tried to look at the fire, but he couldn't see beyond the undead eyes of Dale Pearson. Thought had fled. There was just fear and anger and the pressure of the gun barrel against his temple. He heard a whooshing sound and a thump by his ear and the gun barrel was gone. Dale Pearson was stepping away from him, holding a dark stump where his gun hand had just been. Dale opened his mouth to shout something, but in that second a thin line appeared across his face at nostril level and half of his head slid to the ground. He slumped in a pile at Theo's feet. The hands that were holding Theo let go. â€Å"Brains!† screamed one of the undead. â€Å"Crazy-woman brains!† Theo fell on top of Dale's rekilled body, then spun around to see what was happening. â€Å"Hi, honey,† Molly said. She stood on the roof of the Range Rover, grinning, wearing a leather jacket, sweatpants, and her red Converse All Stars, holding the ancient Japanese sword in Hasso No Kamae before her, the blade gleaming orange in the light from the burning church. There was a dark swath across the blade where it had hewn the head of the zombie Santa. Theo had never been a religious man, but he thought in that instant that this must be what it was like to look on the face of an avenging angel. The zombies who had been holding Theo reached for Molly's legs, and in a single motion she stepped back and brought the sword around in a low arc that sent a rain of severed hands flying into the mud. The undead wailed around her, and tried to claw their way onto the SUV with their stumps. Bess Leander tried to replicate the move she had used on Theo, stepping up the hood behind Molly and diving across the roof of the Range Rover. Molly spun and sidestepped, making a low swing with her sword that would have not looked out of place on a golf course. Bess's head rolled off the top of the Land Rover into Theo's lap. He pushed it aside and got to his feet. â€Å"Honey, you might want to go let everyone out of the chapel before they burn up,† said Molly. â€Å"I'm not sure you want to watch this.† † ‘Kay,† said Theo. The undead had left their stations at the front and back doors of the chapel, where they had been waiting to ambush the escaping partyers, and charged Molly. Three fell headless while Molly stood on the Land Rover, but as they surrounded her, she ran and leaped over the heads of the mob, landing behind them. Theo ran for the front doors of the chapel, his vision blurred from the rain and the blood running into his eyes from the bite wound on his head. He looked back for a second and saw Molly sailing over the top of her attackers. He nearly ran into two great pine logs that had been braced against the chapel doors. He looked back a second and caught a glimpse of Molly mowing down two more zombies, one split down the middle from the crown of his head to his sternum, then he turned and tried to get his back under one of the logs. â€Å"Theo, is that you?† Gabe Fenton had his face pressed in an inch-wide gap between the doors. â€Å"Yeah. There are logs against the doors,† Theo said. â€Å"I'm going to try to move them.† Theo took three deep breaths and lifted for all he was worth, feeling as if veins would explode in his temples. The wound on his head throbbed with every heartbeat. But the tree trunk moved a couple of inches. He could do this. â€Å"Is it working?† yelled Gabe. â€Å"Yeah, yeah,† said Theo. â€Å"Give me a second.† â€Å"It's filling up with smoke in here, Theo.† â€Å"Right.† Theo strained again and the log moved another two inches to the right. Another foot and they'd be able to get the door open. â€Å"Hurry, Theo,† said Jenny Masterson. â€Å"It's – † She went into a coughing fit and couldn't finish what she was saying. Theo could hear everyone coughing inside. Wails of rage and pain were coming from the side of the chapel where Molly was fighting. She must be okay, they were still yelling about eating her brain. Another lift, another two inches. Gray smoke was streaming out the crack between the doors. Theo fell to his knees with the effort and almost passed out. He shook himself back into consciousness, and as he prepared to put his back into another effort, hoping it wouldn't be his last, he noticed that the screaming had stopped at the side of the chapel. Rain, wind, the coughing of the trapped, and the crackle of the fire. That was all he heard. â€Å"Oh my God. Molly!† he screamed. A hand on his cheek, a voice at his ear. â€Å"Hey, sailor, need a little hand getting your church door open, if you know what I mean?† Sirens sounded in the distance. Someone had seen the burning chapel through the storm and had somehow gotten through to the volunteer fire department. The Lonesome Christmas survivors were gathered in the middle of the parking lot, illuminated by headlights. The heat from the fire had driven them nearly seventy-five yards to the street. Even this far away, Theo could feel the heat on his cheek from the fire as Lena Marquez bandaged his head. Others sat in the open hatchbacks of SUVs, trying to catch their breath after being exposed to the smoke, drinking bottled water or just lying there dazed. Around the burning chapel the wet pine forest steamed, a great white cloud rising into the sky. Down the left side of the chapel: carnage – a rekilling ground of the undead, where Molly had hacked them into submission, even chasing down the last few in the woods and decapitating them after she and Theo had let the partyers out of the chapel. Molly sat beside Theo, under the open hatchback of someone's Expedition. â€Å"How did you know?† he asked. â€Å"How could you possibly have known?† â€Å"The bat told me,† Molly said. â€Å"You mean he showed up and you said, ‘What's wrong, boy, is Timmy trapped down a well? and he barked to tell you that's what was wrong? Like that?† â€Å"No,† Molly said. â€Å"It was like, ‘Your husband and a bunch of other people have barricaded themselves in the chapel against a horde of brain-eating zombies and you need to go save them. Like that. He has some kind of accent. Sounds Spanish.† â€Å"I for one am glad that you went off your meds,† said Tucker Case, who was standing next to Lena as she bandaged Theo's head. â€Å"A few hallucinations are a small price to pay, if you ask me.† Molly held up her hand for him to be quiet. She stood and brushed the pilot aside, looking back toward the burning church. A tall dark figure in a long coat was coming toward them through the killing field. â€Å"Oh no,† said Theo. â€Å"Everyone get in the cars and lock them.† â€Å"No,† Molly said, dismissing Theo's instructions with a distracted backward wave. â€Å"We're okay.† She met the angel in the middle of the parking lot. â€Å"Merry Christmas,† said the angel. â€Å"Yeah, you, too,† said Molly. â€Å"Have you seen the child? Joshua?† asked Raziel. â€Å"There's a kid over there with the others,† said Molly. â€Å"That's probably him.† â€Å"Take me to him.† â€Å"That's him,† Theo said. â€Å"That's the robot guy.† â€Å"Shhhhhh,† Molly shushed. Raziel walked to where Emily Barker was holding her son, Joshua, sitting on the back of Molly's Honda. â€Å"Mom,† wailed Joshua. He hid his face in his mother's chest. But Emily was still stunned by witnessing her mate's death, and she didn't react at all except to hold the boy tighter. Raziel put his hand on the boy's head. â€Å"Fear not,† he said. â€Å"For I bring you tidings of great joy. Behold, your Christmas wish has been granted.† The angel waved toward the fire and the carnage and the exhausted and terrified survivors as if he were a game-show hostess presenting a washer/dryer set. â€Å"Not what I would have wished for,† the angel said, â€Å"but I am but a lowly messenger.† Josh rolled in his mother's arms and faced the angel. â€Å"I didn't ask for this. This isn't what I wished for.† â€Å"Sure it is,† said Raziel. â€Å"You wished that the Santa you saw killed be brought back to life.† â€Å"No, I didn't.† â€Å"That's what you said. You said you wanted him brought back to life.† â€Å"That's not what I meant,† said Joshua. â€Å"I'm a kid. I don't always get stuff right.† â€Å"I'll vouch for that,† said Tucker Case, stepping up behind the angel. â€Å"He is a kid, and he is wrong most of the time.† â€Å"We still should cut your head off,† said Josh. â€Å"See,† said Tuck. â€Å"Always wrong.† â€Å"Well, if you didn't mean you wanted him brought back to life, what did you mean?† asked Raziel. â€Å"I didn't mean I wanted Santa to be a zombie and kill big, dumb Brian and everything. I wanted everything to be okay. Like it never happened. So it would be a good Christmas.† â€Å"That's not what you said,† said Raziel. â€Å"That's what I wanted,† said Joshua. â€Å"Oh,† said the angel. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"So he's an angel?† Theo said to Molly. â€Å"Like a real angel?† Molly nodded, smiling. â€Å"Not a killer robot?† Molly shook her head. â€Å"He's here to grant a Christmas wish, to one child.† â€Å"Like it never happened?† the angel asked Joshua. â€Å"Yeah!† said Josh. â€Å"Oops,† said the angel. Molly stepped over and put her hand on the angel's shoulder. â€Å"Raziel, you fucked up. Fix it?† The angel looked at her and grinned. Perfect teeth, if a little sharp. â€Å"So be it,† he said. â€Å"Glory to God in the highest, peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.†

SOCIAL SCIENCE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SOCIAL SCIENCE - Essay Example The selected regions of England and Wales followed a similar pattern with Wales by far surpassing the other regions. In the North West region the percentage of good water quality was greater than fair or poor quality for the four year period. A similar situation occurred with Southern and Wales. In the regions of Midlands and Anglian, though, the percentage of fair water quality was greater than the good quality for the years 1990 and 1995. Nonetheless in 2000 and 2005 there seems to be a dramatic improvement in the quality of water. In the Midlands, the percentage increase moved from 45 in 1995 to 59 in 2000 and 2005 whilst Anglian increased from 39 percent in 1995 to 49 in 2000. Wales outperformed the regions by a great margin for the entire period. Their good water quality ranged from 79 percent in 1990 to 93 percent in 2005. North West came in second in terms of the percentage of good water quality to fair and poor. Anglian’s good water quality ranged from 17 to 46 percent. At no time were they able to cross the half mark of 50. Thus, Anglian seems to have performed the worst in terms of the percentage of good water quality. Although North West experienced the highest percentage of poor quality water of 27 percent in 1990 this figure was significantly decreased to 8 percent by 2005. Hence, North West had the greatest percent decrease of poor water quality of 19 percent during the period. Interestingly, in 1990 Anglian with 17 percent began as the worst performing region in terms of the smallest percent of good water quality. Although they made a 22 percent leap to 49 in 2000, they remained with the lowest percent in good water quality. The market economy is one that is run by the forces of a market, that is, the economy is based on the dynamic relationship between the prices of goods and services and the behavior of producers and consumers. For example, as consumers increase their demand for a particular good or service the price of that commodity

The characteristics of food production and food and beverage service Assignment

The characteristics of food production and food and beverage service systems - Assignment Example The paper dwells upon the factors affecting recipes and menus for specific systems. Different systems will have different factors affecting their recipes and menus. In the conventional system, recipes and menu items are flexible depending on the tastes and preferences of the customers. With the onsite kind of production, the management, and cooks interact with the clients almost on a daily basis and therefore have to modify the menu. In both systems, menus will be affected by the current budget, and skills in preparing specific food. In addition to that, the time taken to cook specific food, and when they will be required by the customers will also affect the recipes and menus. As indicated before, the conventional system is labor intensive, explaining why it is costly. With the decentralized kind of operation, many employees are required to ensure that every point remains active. With the view of reducing the cost of operations, this system employs both skilled and unskilled staff m embers. However, this has implication on the quality and consistency of the food prepared. On the other hand, the centralized food system has fewer employees, who are also highly skilled. The resulting advantage is improved food quality, consistency and control of resources to prevent waste. With fewer staff members, there is low cost of operations leading to high returns. Justify the suitability of systems for particular food and beverage outlets (P4) The discussed food systems are suitable for particular outlets. For instance, the conventional system is particularly suitable for restaurant, and institutions of learning search as colleges. As indicated before, there is a high perception of high quality of food under this system. This perception will be imperative in increasing sales in these settings. This attracts and retains such clients, which is a competitive edge of the business. On the other hand, the centralized system is more convenient in

Analysis of the Film Star Trek Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of the Film Star Trek - Essay Example Technology has played a big role in shaping global politics and global powers, which in turn affects the global economy. It is evident that technological advancements in a country determine its international economic influence. For instance, the US holds its current position in global politics and economy due to its state of technology. Other nations such as China and India have invested a lot in technology to gain international recognition. The film also illustrates the key sectors that countries invest their technology. The first area of interest is communication. Unlike past technology, modern communication devices have numerous capabilities and therefore numerous implications for the governance of a country. The film indicates the greater development of technology and therefore greater impacts on governance. Since the time of the scientific revolution, the government has played a great role in the development of science and technology (Asherman 134). For instance, the most sophis ticated technology is applied to the production of military types of equipment. In addition, the current mobile technology was applied by the military before communication devices for civilians were made. This indicates the influence that political governments have on science and technology. Space science the other aspects of technology that is of interest to the global leaders. Different world powers have a keen interest in space technology at their own capacity. America was the first country to conduct successful space explorations with the 1960 s landing on the moon been their climax in space exploration. This made Russia initiate its own space exploration programs aimed at countering the efforts of the US. Their 1970 s landing on the moon came as a surprise attack to the US. Tensions and rivalry between the US and Russia heightened during the cold war and each of these powers used its space exploration programs to demonstrate its military capabilities. Since the end of the cold war, space exploration has not received much progress and enthusiasm. This is a contradiction since missions conducted in the 1960 s and 70s did not involve the state of the art technology that is available in the modern world (Asherman 34). This indicates that political systems in the world are critical to such discoveries. Recently the Chinese and Indians have shown their interests in continuing the works initiated by Americans and Russians. China and India have launched their own satellites into space and they intend to send astronauts to the moon. The progress has been made by China and India indicates the shift of political and economic power from the west to the east. Although the film depicts the capabilities that technology has over governance, it also shows the negative aspect of technology on governance. The film demonstrates incidences of attacks on communication systems. Cyber attacks are the next battlefield in the modern world. Incidents of cyber attacks have been repo rted in various countries. This shows the role that technology plays in shaping global politics. Iran has reported cyber attacks on computers that operate its controversial nuclear facilities. According to BBC news agencies, the cyber attacks that were carried out on Iranian nuclear facility have the capabilities of slowing Iran’s nuclear ambitions for a period of five years.  Ã‚  

Outline the key features of a sports development strategy, and discuss Essay

Outline the key features of a sports development strategy, and discuss the relevance that this has to contemporary sports management - Essay Example It is also a roadmap to good health. It resists diseases and helps to improve the quality of life. The economy of most of the countries depends upon the sports (Girginov, 2008). In the past decade there has been an enormous evolution in the sports. The health and fitness sector has expanded itself to meet the demand of athletes and sportsmen. Employment in this sector has been increased due to the increased professionalism of the National Governing Bodies and huge investments by different organizations. As this industry has groomed itself, the need of qualified and educated mangers has increased. Because they could better understand the sports market and cater its needs and could apply their professional knowledge in an organized way. Thousands of schools and colleges have been established to cater the needs of the sports sector (Trenberth & Hassan, 2011). The management has been turned into sophistication and it is constantly evolving. Due to the global nature of the sports it has to deal with all kind of socio-economic barriers. Certain issues like gender relation, social responsibility and violence are to be really addressed. These are some of the challenges which the sports managers of today are facing (Hassan & Lusted, 2013). Sports management are the set of skills relating planning organizing, Leading, controlling and budgeting for an organization whose main responsibility is to cater the services in the sports. The sports industry has been segmented into three main categories. First one is the Sports Performance. It includes the activation and participation of the people related to the sports industry and its stakeholders. Second segment is Sports Production which is related to its products and influence on the products. The third division of the sports industry is the Sports Promotion which is the core of Sports Event Management. Different promo tools are used to promote the sports event and make it familiarize

Steve Jobs Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Steve Jobs - Term Paper Example Background - experience, past and present - impact on the current organization Born in the year 1955, Steve Jobs was in Homestead school, in California. He often visited companies like Hewlett-Packard, after his lectures. Jobs first assignment was at Atari, as a technician where he created a circuit board for a game. Finally Wayne, Wozniak and Jobs founded Apple computers and used to sell it in the garage of Jobs’ parents in the year 1971. As a company Apple started its existence in 1976 with much of funding from investors. (Steve Jobs Leadership Case Study) Apple was expanded over the years until it became huge. It was Jobs who observed the commercial potentials from mouse driven GUI belonging to Xerox PARC and this inspired the creation of Apple Lisa. Based on this a year later, Macintosh was invented in 1984. Due to some incidents of dispute Jobs retired from Apple in 1985, and in that year only formed NeXT Inc. (Steve Jobs Leadership Case Study). NeXT Inc was later was abs orbed by Apple in 1996 bringing back Jobs. It was in 1997, when he once again became the CEO of Apple. Under Jobs’ supervision, the invention of i-Pod, i- Mac, i-Tunes, and subsequently i-Pad ensued. Fighting with cancer since 2003 he finally resigned from his duties as a CEO in August 2011. Finally he was elected as a chairman in Apple (Lomas). Jobs never limited himself to Apple or NeXT only. He bought Pixar, and merged with Disney, produced innumerable computer animated pictures such as â€Å"Toy Story†, â€Å"A Bug’s Life† and others (Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple) Six leadership characteristics Jobs exhibited Few traits of quality leadership that Steve jobs possessed are enumerated and analyzed below- â€Å"Look-ahead† mindset He set precise goals and had a clear and concise vision of the future. He ensured that the vision got inculcated in the minds of everyone throughout the organization. Effective leaders like him have always envisione d exactly what they want and how they are going to achieve their goals in order to get what they want. (Lomas) Jobs always focused on what Apple should do next in the future. He always invited employee’s suggestions about the future actions. His each and every week started with having a three or four hour discussion regarding the scenario they would foresee in the world in the coming days. In a statement he commented, "We are inventing the future... Come down here and make a dent in the universe" (Jobs). His unfathomable and unparalleled obsession with brightening the future with technological advancements paved the way for Apple to be the first name uttered amongst many, when it comes to everyday gadgets, be it mobiles or digital music players or PCs or even OSs. (Hyatt) Persistence - Steve Jobs epitomizes the virtue persistence and it was most exemplified through his exit from Apple. He refused to give up, and in fact, went on to start NeXT computers which would eventually be acquired by Apple Computers Inc. It would have been obvious for a common person to give up at this point and regret the loss. As a leader, one has to be prepared to encounter and conquer hindrance. It is all the more important to show this character, especially if one would like to form a

Genetically Modified Organisms and Concerns of Safety Research Paper

Genetically Modified Organisms and Concerns of Safety - Research Paper Example Humans have long sought to push the boundaries and experiment well outside the zones of comfort and recommendation. Such pushing of the envelope has given us the age of jet travel, space exploration, advanced science, and many other inventions and realities that we would not otherwise have. Yet, the fact remains that pushing the envelope and seeking to engage in something that is unknown is a process which only certain individuals within society have been comfortable at performing. Due to such an understanding, it becomes obvious that expecting all of society to engage in an activity that might be entirely outside of their comfort zone is neither ethical nor advantageous. This is very much the situation with regard to the use of GMOs in food supplies around the globe. With the rapid advance of science, scientists and researchers have been able to genetically modify a host of different plants and organisms as a means of tweaking the way in which they produce. This level of scientific manipulation has been able to provide the world with heartier and more productive crops; however, the fact of the matter is that the true levels of drawbacks that are exhibited within these genetically modified organisms are not fully understood. Due to the level of incomplete knowledge that exists with regard to GMOs within the food, many nations around the world have banned them entirely. However, the United States and several other developed nations have not. As a means of analyzing the potential drawbacks and negatives that GMO might exhibit within a nation’s health and food supply, this particular analysis will focus upon several of these determinants and seek to provide relevant and up-to-date information.

Do Some Elements Of Religion Have More Weight Than Others Essay

Do Some Elements Of Religion Have More Weight Than Others - Essay Example However these elements do not hold same value as each other. Elements like belief system, rituals and emotional experience have more value than other elements of religion. Belief system has always been the foundation of a religion and without it the pillar of religion would shake. Every religion is based on certain beliefs and faith and hence it has more weight than other elements. Without belief there a religion cannot exist. According to (Cline,2011)â€Å"Religion is certainly a type of belief system, but not all belief systems are religion. Differentiating religious from non-religious belief systems is sometimes easy, but other times rather difficult†. Religious beliefs gives a meaning and perception to a person’s imagination .Religious beliefs are supernatural in nature and people believe in it with full faith .People and various communities throughout the world have been believing in sets of rules and customs since ages, which is passed on to them by their ancestor s. These religious belief systems are based on the writings and teachings made by the founder of these religious concepts. The ideas and thoughts of religion are codified in to belief system and hence it’s of high value.... Even though the religion has 8 elements few element can be seen as totally absent. We can see that element like true devotion and self realization is absent .The people are now more in to religion for material benefits and there is not honesty or truth in their practice of religion. People are not pure in their thought and actions even though they follow the customs and rituals of their religion. To be faithful in religion, one must be pure in thoughts and deeds and in the present religious practice it is more of outwardly action that inward. Sometimes people practice a religion just for namesake and there is no meaning to it from their part. In ancient times, God and religion was really sacred concepts and people gave it prior importance than people of these times. Another element totally absent in religion is the process of self realization. People all over the world do pray and perform rituals, but they fail to acknowledge the divinity inside them. This problem arises due to the l ack of education from religious perspective. People believe that God is an outwardly thing and pray and struggle before God. They fail to understand that God exist in the core of our heart and realizing him is the sole way to be happy. People mostly love God for their self benefit and not out of natural love for him. When one understands that God is inside him, he will be blissful and content with life. People need to enquire about self and his purpose on this earth in order to prove his love to God. Scientology is a concept which believes that human beings are immortal and it concentrates on human rights. As per (Kent,1997) â€Å"Although some social scientists insist that Scientology is a religion, the more appropriate position to take is that the

Football helmet Essay Example for Free

Football helmet Essay The average tackle football player has a natural tendency to experience fear and tension when thinking about the heavy rate of concussion injuries within the sport. In response to the violently physical nature of the game, Riddell Sports has produced a helmet that provides the best defense to worries and consequences of a concussion. The Riddell Revolution 360 football helmet has been constructed by engineers to protect the mental processes and safety of players. As a football player myself, I can think of no better alternative for head trauma prevention than this helmet. Riddell takes into account and states that players sustain roughly 950 impacts to the head over the course of a season. As a result of this, the helmet places a strong emphasis on protection of the most impacted part of the head, the front. Patented in 2012, HIT technology was established by Riddell in their experiment labs to measure the severity and location of head impacts from all directions. This technology proves that detrimental impact to the brain can go unnoticed or misunderstood, and use it to prevent future mental problems for players. This product changes the way participants feel comfortable and confident on the playing field more than ever before. The technology that is added includes a new carbon steel facemask that flexes in reaction to impact. Also added to the helmet was a new face frame structure which is made up of continuous hexagonal shaped padding on the interior that shapes to players heads for a custom and tight fit. This is important for reducing the amount of force to the head, which will allow the sport to be more commonly tolerated by everyone interested. With the rise of cognitive damage in football due to head trauma, parents are more hesitant than ever to allow their children play the game at a young age. However, parents can be assured that the expanded technology in the Riddell 360 will protect their children like never before. Customers will instantly feel the difference in protection when they place the helmet on for the first time! Although this product is revolutionary to the sport, there is a steep cost necessary to consider before purchasing it. The helmet itself has a retail value of $450 which could scare some customers away. This price does not appeal to high school or university student athletes who typically are looking for the best deal possible. However, the helmet is vastly popular amongst professional players and university athletic departments who have the income to buy the product at ease. The helmet also has plenty of cheaper competitors that provide more financially reasonable selections. Although the other products may be cheaper, the helmet Riddell has designed contains technology and protection that no other competitors can match. The helmet is a symbol of how far technology has advanced in sports to accommodate the needs of its participants. Football is notorious for its wide spectrum of physical limitations to those interested in playing, but innovation within the labs at Riddell have allowed for these barriers to slowly come crashing down over the years. The Riddell Revolution 360 football helmet should be strongly considered by all those striving to play the game of football in its safest possible fashion.

Responsibilities and Duties Essay Example for Free

Responsibilities and Duties Essay Executive housekeepers are usually in charge of overseeing the cleaning process of large establishments like hospitals, nursing homes and hotels. These positions are normally indoors, although some time can be spent outdoors at lodging establishments. Work hours are done during the day, but evening or night hours are common with establishments that are open around the clock. A standard workweek for many executive housekeepers is 40 hours, although overtime or weekend hours can be required during busy periods. ASSISTANT HOUSEKEEPER Assistant executive housekeepers support the executive housekeeper and other cleaning supervisors in all duties of the housekeeping operation. Assistant executive housekeepers coordinate, schedule and supervise housecleaning staff, inspect building areas for proper cleaning, and inventory cleaning supplies. They provide on-the-job training, coordinate the housekeeping schedule and facilitate communications among guests, housekeeping staff and other hotel managers FLOOR MANAGER As Floor Manager, you will supervise the work of a team of room attendants or housekeeping assistants, servicing a floor, or several floors of the hotel between you. You report to the head housekeeper, and may deputies in that persons absence (depending on your seniority over the other floor housekeepers). Staff has to be briefed, and their work checked. Reception must be informed when rooms are ready for re-letting, or if there is a problem (such as a late departure, or if two people seem to be occupying a room for one person). Maintenance will need to be told of repairs and replacements. You may also be responsible for issuing cleaning materials clean linen and guest suppliers (soap, shampoo, etc.) to your staff, for their rooms. You will need to be aware of safety and hygiene risks, and alert to security concerns. Your master key/card will open all the guest rooms in your area of the hotel. PUBLIC AREA SUPERVISOR Job descriptions for public area attendants show that the primary duty for personal area attendants is to keep one or more public spaces within a facility clean and safe. They thus may be responsible for removing hazards, dusting, vacuuming, polishing, emptying ashtrays and trash receptacles, wiping down surfaces and performing other housecleaning tasks. Additionally, public area attendants may greet customers, answer customer questions and relay customer needs to other employees or to their supervisor. LAUNDRY ATTENDANT Laundry attendants are essential components of the networks of housekeeping and maintenance staffs found in commercial and public facilities. Common facilities where laundry attendants work include hospitals, gyms, spas and hotels. The duties of a laundry attendant may vary depending on the place of employment; however knowledge of relevant health issues and policies is always required. LINEN ROOM SUPERVISOR Supervises and coordinates activities of workers engaged in storing linens and wearing apparel, assembling loads for DRIVER, SALES ROUTE, and maintaining stock in linen supply establishments: Assigns duties to workers. Inventories articles in stock, such as table linens, bed sheets, towels, and uniforms, and confers with SUPERINTENDENT, LAUNDRY to request replacement of articles in short supply. Counts articles in loads for DRIVER, SALES ROUTE to ensure agreement with quantity specified on load sheet Confers with DRIVER, SALES ROUTE and with customers to resolve complaints and to modify orders according to size, color, and type of articles specified. ROOM ATTENDANT Room attendant are responsible in cleaning the guestrooms, rendering night turn-down-service, giving guest requests and maintenance and cleaning of guestroom hallways, service areas (including linen closet and room attendants comfort room) and guest elevator / service trucks.) PUBLIC AREA ATTENDANT Keeps all lobbies and public facilities (such as lobby restrooms, telephone area, the front desk, and offices) in a neat and clean condition. Public area attendant promotes a positive image of the property to guests and must be pleasant, honest, and friendly and should also able to address guest requests and problems. LINEN ROOM ATTENDANT Job purpose of linen room attendant is to perform all activities associated with the retrieval of soiled linen, processing of linen and distribution of clean linen. HOUSEMEN A houseman carries out general duties in a home or hotel. His duties can be broad and general like handling minor maintenance issues to cleaning up after banquets and other large gatherings. A housemans duties are, essentially, a combination of small jobs that are performed as needed by his employers.

ILETS Test Evaluation

ILETS Test Evaluation IELTS The International English Language Testing System The purpose of any test is to diagnose what the learners know or dont know, in other words to check learning. The International English Language Testing System or IELTS test is a language proficiency test which covers all four language skills reading, writing, listening and speaking and is the most widely used and accepted test for English language. Each paper holds a percentage of the final score each equally weighted at 25%. The IELTS test is unique in that you cant fail it (Takeielts.britishcouncil.org, 2017). Although we live in a very more modern, electronic world, the IELTS test is still a pen and paper-based test (Takeielts.britishcouncil.org, 2017). The papers/tests covering the four skills are: Reading a 60 minute test which includes three texts to be read Writing a 60 minute test showing the test takers ability to summarise, explain or describe Listening this test is a 30 minute test Speaking this is the shortest of all four tests at 11-14 minutes. My essay will be focusing on the evaluation and the validity or fitness for purpose of the speaking test within the IELTS test. Michael Halliday (1968 cited in Levine and Spencer, 1996, p. 46) quotes; Language is a form of culturally determined behaviour and this behaviour includes the ability to take on a range of linguistically defined roles in speech situations. Unless the child grows up in an environment in which all these speech situation roles are open to him, he will fail to master important areas in the grammar of his language. With this is mind we must understand that all types of tasks have both advantages and limitations (or disadvantages) so it is necessary to ascertain the Fitness for purpose of a particular task and to use a different range of task types within the framework. We must provide different speaking tasks which activate our different speaking processes. The tasks should elicit behaviour which truly represents the candidates ability and which can be scored validly and reliably (Hughes, 1991, pg. 101). Although speaking can seem both simple and natural it is, in fact, a very complex skill with several stages to follow. From the conceptualisation of an idea we must then convert that idea into language. This is done through both lexical and grammatical knowledge. Through this knowledge we are able to form sentences and phrases in order to vocalise our idea. Once we have the essential words, sentences and phrases these are then changed into sound or articulated. This is how a non-verbal idea becomes an actual verbal expression. As you will know, when we speak we are constantly monitoring ourselves in order to ensure the flow of speech continues smoothly, whether this be through our internal access to vocabulary, grammar or intonation, etc. When we s peak all of these stages are completed automatically and naturally this is why speaking can be so challenging for learners. If a learner lacks both lexical and analytical knowledge their retrieval of that vocabulary or grammar may well take longer causing a less natural or automatic response to a task or question through longer pauses and hesitations. We must then ensure that testing incorporates all manner of validity and reliability in order to produce a rounded and more thorough outcome. The IELTS speaking test is a face-to-face, one-on-one interview between the test taker and the IELTS trained examiner. The interview only lasts between 11 to 15 minutes and is recorded. The speaking test can be taken before the other three sections listening, reading, writing of the test and the speaking comprises of three separate sections. The first section or part 1 is known as the introduction and interview segment. Here the interviewer introduces him or herself to the test taker. This is then continued as if it were an interview albeit a little formal whereby the test taker shares information with the examiner. The examiner will have a script of questions to ask the test taker which cover every day familiar topics e.g. work, study, where you live, food, holidays, friends, goig out, festivals, sports, school and public transport (TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC, 2017). The test taker provides the examiner with information about themselves, their family, work and interests through a series of open-ended questions like those in appendix 1 e.g. Whats the most interesting part of your village/town? Would you say its a good place to live? Why? (Ieltsessentials.com, 2017) and answers them to the best of their ability. This section usually takes around 4-5 minutes. The second section or part 2 is known as the individual long turn. In this segment the candidate or test taker is given a topic card (see appendix 2). The topic card has a subject on it which the test taker must talk about for two minutes. Before speaking, the candidate is allowed one minute in order to prepare notes on their given topic. These topic tasks are generally about a personal experience, for example, a memorable day or a person of great significance to them and they then have to produce a monologue on this topic. Once the candidate has completed their monologue the examiner will then ask them some follow up questions which then leads them into part 3 of the test. The third section or part 3 is known as the two-way discussion. This two-way discussion or dialogue is between the test taker and the examiner and is generally thematically linked (Karim and Haq, 2014) to part 2. If you look at appendices 2 and 3 you will see that the candidate in part 2 spoke about a piano he once owned and in part 3 the examiner then asks to have a discussion regarding things we own. Interviewing is a tried and tested way of assessing a language learners speaking capabilities, however, it can seem intensely formal to the interviewee and cause the interaction to be dominated by the examiner (Karim and Haq, 2014) in their role as interviewer in the IELTS test. In the test then, this tends, to lend itself toward a situation in which the speaking is less natural in form than it could be if it were in a different format e.g. an informal discussion over coffee. Hughes (1991) states the most obvious format for the testing of oral interaction is the interview, however, it has at least one potentially serious drawback. When the test taker feels they are in an interview situation they will speak to the examiner as if speaking to a superior (Hughes, 1991, pg.104). Therefore, the speaking confidence of the test taker may be put to a disadvantage. This limitation may well be avoided should the candidate feel they are able to ask questions as well as the examiner. Through a re laxed dialogue rather than an interview the conversation could well take a more natural path providing more confidence for the test taker. Also, interviews can cause unnecessary anxiety and nervousness to the test taker which could limit their interaction. We could also argue that natural conversation is built up with more informal language, whereby a conversation is not scripted but flows along an unseen path to an unseen destination. Conversation does not follow a strict or distinct route but is nudged along in many different directions. The question we are asking is Is the test successful in achieving its objectives? and for this we need to look at what is known as the validity and reliability of a test. Validity has several forms and I have looked at content, face and criterion-related validity. Content validity is a representative sample of the skills and abilities which have been taught. The structure and content of the IELTS speaking test is the same at all levels. This means that an elementary level candidate will be answering the same questions of those at advanced levels. This does not provide a concrete level of testing as the structure and content do not provide a more challenging course for those with more advanced skills. Face validity looks at the measurement of skill the test should be assessing. If we look at the format of the IELTS test we can see that it is clearly established. It is universal in its approach and anywhere you look for information on the IELTS test it always provides the same information. In contrast both IELTS academic and General English tests are no different with regards to what is tested for in the speaking section. If we look at the band descriptor (appendix 4) we can see that there is no distinction for specific English. This brings into question the validity of criterion-based validity. The reliability of the IELTS test must also be looked at. A single examiner is responsible for rating the candidate, therefore, the inter-rater reliability has to be questioned due to interpretation but a single person of the test taker. The scoring is split between four categories (appendix 4) within these four categories there is no in-depth breakdown so scoring is at the discretion of the examiner. The effectiveness of the IELTS speaking test has some limitations. Overall it is a meaningful test which shows validity and reliability in some areas but there are areas in which both validity and reliability fall short as has been shown. The following suggestions could make the IELTS speaking test somewhat more valid and reliable provide more time for the candidate to talk freely in the first section. In this way we could elicit more authentic data from the candidate and be provided with a more in-depth analysis of the actual ability the candidate has. More tasks would elicit a better performance from the candidate discussion about a picture or tasks which represent different communicative processes. The grading scale should be open to more variables to provide a broader perspective and finally, more than one examiner would ensure a more reliable assessment. APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 Speaking sample task Part 1 https://www.ieltsessentials.com/global/-/media/IELTS/Global/Files/MP3s/speakingsamplepart1recording.ashx?la=en Part 1 Introduction and interview [This part of the test begins with the examiner introducing himself or herself and checking the candidates identification. It then continues as an interview.] Lets talk about your home town or village. What kind of place is it? Whats the most interesting part of your town/village? What kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do? Would you say its a good place to live? (Why?) Lets move on to talk about accommodation. Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in? How long have you lived there? What do you like about living there? What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in? Speaking sample task Part 1 transcript Part 1 Introduction and interview [This part of the test begins with the examiner introducing himself or herself and checking the candidates identification. It then continues as an interview.] Transcript Examiner: Now, in this first part, Id like to ask you some more questions about yourself, OK? Lets talk about your home town or village. What kind of place is it? Candidate: Its quite a small village, about 20km from Zurich. And its very quiet. And we have only little two little shops because most of the people work in Zurich or are orientated to the city. Examiner: Whats the most interesting part of this place village? Candidate: On the top of a hill we have a little castle which is very old and quite well known in Switzerland. Examiner: What kind of jobs do people in the village do? Candidate: We have some farmers in the village as well as people who work in Zurich as bankers or journalists or there are also teachers and some doctors, some medicines. Examiner: Would you say its a good place to live? Candidate: Yes. Although it is very quiet, it is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ people are friendly and I would say it is a good place to live there, yes. Examiner: Lets move on to talk about accommodation. Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in APPENDIX 2 Speaking sample task Part 2 https://www.ieltsessentials.com/global/-/media/IELTS/Global/Files/MP3s/speakingsamplepart2recording.ashx?la=en Part 2 Individual long turn Candidate Task Card Describe something you own which is very important to you. You should say: where you got it from how long you have had it what you use it for and explain why it is important to you. You will have to talk about the topic for 1 to 2 minutes. You have one minute to think about what youre going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish. Rounding off questions Is it valuable in terms of money? Would it be easy to replace? Speaking sample task Part 2 transcript Part 2 Individual long turn Transcript Examiner: Alright? Remember you have one to two minutes for this, so dont worry if I stop you. Ill tell you when the time is up. Candidate: OK Examiner: Can you start speaking now, please? Candidate: Yes. One of the most important things I have is my piano because I like playing the piano. I got it from my parents to my twelve birthday, so I have it for about nine years, and the reason why it is so important for me is that I can go into another world when Im playing piano. I can forget whats around me and what I can forget my problems and this is sometimes quite good for a few minutes. Or I can play to relax or just, yes to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ to relax and to think of something completely different. Examiner: Thank you. Would it be easy to replace this, this piano? Candidate: Yes, I think it wouldnt be that big problem but I like my piano as it is because I have it from my parents, its some kind unique for me. APPENDIX 3 Speaking sample task Part 3 https://www.ieltsessentials.com/global/-/media/IELTS/Global/Files/MP3s/speakingsamplepart3recording.ashx?la=en Part 3 Two-way discussion Lets consider first of all how peoples values have changed. What kind of things give status to people in your country? Have things changed since your parents time? Finally, lets talk about the role of advertising. Do you think advertising influences what people buy? Speaking sample task Part 3 transcript Part 3 Two-way discussion Transcript Examiner: Weve been talking about things we own. Id like to discuss with you one or two more general questions relating to this topic. First, lets consider values and the way they can change. In Switzerland, what kind of possessions do you think give status to people? Candidate: The first thing which comes in my mind is the car. Yes, because lots of people like to have posh cars or expensive cars to show their status, their place in the society. Examiner: Is that a new development? Candidate: No, I think it isnt. Examiner: People have thought like that for quite a long time? Candidate: Yes. Another thing is probably the clothing. It starts already when you are young. When the children go to school they want to have posh labels on their jumpers or good shoes. Examiner: What do you think of this way of thinking that I need to have a car or certain clothes to show my status? Candidate: Probably its sometimes a replacement for something you dont have, so if your wife has left you or your girlfriend, you just buy some new, I dont know, new watches or new clothes to make you satisfied again. Examiner: You dont think of it as a healthy way of thinking? Candidate: Its probably not honest to yourself. You can understand what I mean? Examiner: Yes. And do you think this will change? In the future, will cars and designer clothes be status symbols in the same way? Candidate: Im sure that clothes will be that the thing with the clothes will be the same. Im not so sure about the cars because cars cause lots of environmental problems and probably in some years, a few years, this will change because its not reasonable to drive a car anymore. Examiner: Can you tell me a little bit more about that? APPENDIX 4 IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors Band Fluency and coherence Lexical resource Grammatical range and accuracy Pronunciation 9 speaks fluently with only rare repetition or self-correction; any hesitation is content-related rather than to find words or grammar speaks coherently with fully appropriate cohesive features develops topics fully and appropriately uses vocabulary with full flexibility and precision in all topics uses idiomatic language naturally and accurately uses a full range of structures naturally and appropriately produces consistently accurate structures apart from slips characteristic of native speaker speech uses a full range of pronunciation features with precision and subtlety sustains flexible use of features throughout is effortless to understand 8 speaks fluently with only occasional repetition or self- correction; hesitation is usually content-related and only rarely to search for language develops topics coherently and appropriately uses a wide vocabulary resource readily and flexibly to convey precise meaning uses less common and idiomatic vocabulary skilfully, with occasional inaccuracies uses paraphrase effectively as required uses a wide range of structures flexibly produces a majority of error-free sentences with only very occasional inappropriacies or basic/non-systematic errors uses a wide range of pronunciation features sustains flexible use of features, with only occasional lapses is easy to understand throughout; L1 accent has minimal effect on intelligibility 7 speaks at length without noticeable effort or loss of coherence may demonstrate language-related hesitation at times, or some repetition and/or self-correction uses a range of connectives and discourse markers with some flexibility uses vocabulary resource flexibly to discuss a variety of topics uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary and shows some awareness of style and collocation, with some inappropriate choices uses paraphrase effectively uses a range of complex structures with some flexibility frequently produces error-free sentences, though some grammatical mistakes persist shows all the positive features of Band 6 and some, but not all, of the positive features of Band 8 6 is willing to speak at length, though may lose coherence at times due to occasional repetition, self-correction or hesitation uses a range of connectives and discourse markers but not always appropriately has a wide enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length and make meaning clear in spite of inappropriacies generally paraphrases successfully uses a mix of simple and complex structures, but with limited flexibility may make frequent mistakes with complex structures though these rarely cause comprehension problems uses a range of pronunciation features with mixed control shows some effective use of features but this is not sustained can generally be understood throughout, though mispronunciation of individual words or sounds reduces clarity at times 5 usually maintains flow of speech but uses repetition, self correction and/or slow speech to keep going may over-use certain connectives and discourse markers produces simple speech fluently, but more complex communication causes fluency problems manages to talk about familiar and unfamiliar topics but uses vocabulary with limited flexibility attempts to use paraphrase but with mixed success produces basic sentence forms with reasonable accuracy uses a limited range of more complex structures, but these usually contain errors and may cause some comprehension problems shows all the positive features of Band 4 and some, but not all, of the positive features of Band 6 4 cannot respond without noticeable pauses and may speak slowly, with frequent repetition and self-correction links basic sentences but with repetitious use of simple connectives and some breakdowns in coherence is able to talk about familiar topics but can only convey basic meaning on unfamiliar topics and makes frequent errors in word choice rarely attempts paraphrase produces basic sentence forms and some correct simple sentences but subordinate structures are rare errors are frequent and may lead to misunderstanding uses a limited range of pronunciation features attempts to control features but lapses are frequent mispronunciations are frequent and cause some difficulty for the listener 3 speaks with long pauses has limited ability to link simple sentences gives only simple responses and is frequently unable to convey basic message uses simple vocabulary to convey personal information has insufficient vocabulary for less familiar topics attempts basic sentence forms but with limited success, or relies on apparently memorised utterances makes numerous errors except in memorised expressions shows some of the features of Band 2 and some, but not all, of the positive features of Band 4 2 pauses lengthily before most words little communication possible only produces isolated words or memorised utterances cannot produce basic sentence forms Speech is often unintelligble 1 no communication possible no rateable language 0 does not attend REFERENCES Hughes, A. (1991). Testing for language teachers. 1st ed. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press. Ieltsessentials.com. (2017). Speaking Practice Tests. [online] Available at: https://www.ieltsessentials.com/global/prepare/freepracticetests/speakingpracticetests [Accessed 01 Mar. 2017]. Karim, S. and Haq, N. (2014). An Assessment of IELTS Speaking Test. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 3(3). Levine, J. and Spencer, M. (1996). Developing pedagogies in the multilingual classroom. 1st ed. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books. Takeielts.britishcouncil.org. (2017). IELTS teachers questions answered | Take IELTS. [online] Available at: http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/teach-ielts [Accessed 7 Feb. 2017]. TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC. (2017). Evaluating speaking the IELTS speaking test. [online] Available at: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/evaluating-speaking-ielts-speaking-test [Accessed 07 Mar. 2017].

Venezuela Essay -- Violence, Murder, Robbery, Kidnapping

Venezuela is a dangerous country, and its capital, Caracas is an extremely dangerous city. Venezuela is a deadlier place then Iraq, with about four times the number of deaths from violence in Venezuela then in Iraq. In 2008 the homicide rate for Venezuela was 48 for every 100,000 people. In the United States the rate was 5.6 per 100,000 (Llana, 2008). A 2010 report puts the murder rate at 75 per 100,000 (Shooting gallery, 2010). Caracas has become the deadliest city in the world, with approximately 200 murders per 100,000 people (Romero, 2010; US Department of State, 2010). That is in contrast to New Orleans, the city in the United States with the highest murder rate at 52 per 100,000 people, and considered the deadliest city in the US (FBI, 2010). In an example of the dangers of just being in Caracas, on August 13th, 2010, Chinese baseball player Cheuk Woon Yee Sinne was struck by a stray bullet as she took the field for a match in Caracas (Shooting Gallery, 2010). The US Department of State, in their travel information on Venezuela, lists murder, robbery, and kidnappings as problems for travelers. Thieves will rob their victims using guns or knives and they are not afraid to use force. Thieves will even attack their victims in crowded markets with little worry. Kidnappings are also a threat in Caracas. One type of kidnapping is the â€Å"express kidnapping† that can occur at the airport. Victims are taken, usually at gunpoint, to withdraw as much money as possible from ATMs. There is also the â€Å"virtual kidnapping† where scam surveys are used to get contact and personal information on minors. The â€Å"kidnapper† then calls the parents for ransoms without the child actually being taken. A third type of kidnapping is the â€Å"i... ...country (James, 2010b). In order to help with the health care of Caracas’ poor, the Chà ¡vez government has brought doctors from Cuba to Venezuela. The Cuban doctors live with the residents of the barrios of Caracas, setting up offices in unused rooms. The Cuban doctors are not only available to deal with whatever emergencies that should arise (heart attacks, child births, gunshot wounds), but one of their primary goals is preventive medicine (sexual health, the importance of boiling water, proper meal preparation). There is opposition to the Cuban doctors, with the Venezuelan Medical Federation claiming that the Cubans do not have proper accreditation. The Federation has even won a lawsuit against the government, with a ruling that the Cuban doctors had to be replaced with Venezuelans. The government ignored the ruling, and dissolved the court (Ceaser, 2004).

Service Learning :: Papers

For my psychology paper I chose to do Service Learning. I volunteered 20 hours at the Benton County Women's Shelter. I enjoyed the time that I served there. They really made me feel needed and welcome. I decided, however, that I would not be capable of a career in this field. Just in the small amount of time that I volunteered there my heart wrenched for the girls there. I felt helpless to do more for them. And yes, I even felt sorry for them. That is not to say that I am not going to continuing volunteering. I have arranged with the organization to volunteer two Saturday's a month. Perhaps it is me that is weak. I suppose to some degree we are all weak. But the women I encountered there had the confidence of a child just beginning to walk: determined, but shaky. I couldn't watch the inner conflict and pain these women endure on a daily basis. I have gained a respect and admiration for those who can. However, my chosen field of study is Public Relations and it is my ho pe to someday gain a position at a charitable organization and become a spokeswoman for a greater cause. The Benton County Women's Shelter is a non-profit organization, a corporation with an overall purpose to work towards alleviating the problems of family violence. They provide shelter, counseling and financial assistances to women in an effort to instill a sense of self-purpose and self-esteem. I learned within my first hours of service what a benefit this service is to the women there. Without it, several would have no where to go. However, through my volunteer work, I seemed to see the same pattern repeat itself over and over. The women had little or no self-esteem. Most came from poverty situations. All of the women I encountered had children. All seemed unsure of their ability to support themselves and their children. Alcohol reappeared over and over again. Aggression problems surfaced in both the women and their children. Mostly, all just seemed lost and were searching for a source of comfort and security. That is what we do at the Benton County Women's Shelter. We give the women a sense of self-worth. We teach them how to beat the cycle of abuse.

Essay --

As modern medical research begins to discover the deep-rooted genetic and environmental origins of many chronic diseases and illnesses, researchers have began to realize the complexity of illnesses that plague mankind. One prevalent disease among humans is Asthma, a chronic lung disease that irritates and tightens the airways, resulting in reocurring periods of coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Asthma’s phenotypic range does not follow the relative simplicity of Mendelian genetics, but is rather rooted in multiple genes, such as Interleukin-13 (IL-13), and specific environmental exposures such as air pollution. The IL-13 gene is one of several hundred candidate genes which are segments of DNA believed to contain nucleotide sequences affecting the asthma phenotype. The IL-13 gene is mostly expressed in T Helper cell 2 (TH2) as Interleukin-13 cytokines, operating through IL-13R (a heterodimer of IL-4RÃŽ ± and IL-13RÃŽ ±1) (4, 11, 6). These cytokines relay messages to other immune cells, warranting a coordinated immune response (6). However, the operation of Interleukin-13 is largely dependent on the presence and expression of Interleukin-4 (IL-4), another cytokine (11). Not only is a dimer of IL-4, IL-4Ra, critical to the reception of IL-13 cytokines, but IL-14 is crucial in the advancement of T cells in Th2 cells, the main producer of IL-13 cytokines (11). This epistatic dependency of IL-13 on the expression of IL-4 and other genes is another contributor to the complexity of asthma. In addition to various genes affecting the phenotype of asthma, multiple environmental factors like indoor and outdoor air pollution, tobacco smoke, and allergies to pets, molds, common pests (e.g. cockroaches) change gene expr... ...on and a related treatment option (10). The severity of an indivual’s asthma is based on many factors, including the prescence and epistatic interactions of the asthma susceptibility genes; even if the genes are present, if the complementary miRNA strand is actively synthesized, the genes won’t cause asthma. Genetic and miRNA expression can then be altered by environmental exposures through methylation and acetylation. The genetic and environmental contributions discussed here to the expression of asthma are a small fraction of the known factors. Due to the complicated intertwined relationship of the abundant factors contributing toward asthmatic phenotypes that have been discovered in approximately the last twenty years, the currently known complexity of asthma could very well be simple in relation to the verity of asthma’s genetic and environmental labyrinthe.

The United States Hypocrisy

The United States hypocrisy is evident when the â€Å"land of the free and home of the brave† came at the cost of Native American cultural genocide and near physical destruction. The term genocide was first used by Polish Journalists Raphael Lenin in his book â€Å"Axis Rule in Occupied Europe.† which was published in 1944. Lenkin defined genocide as the intentional mass killing of members of a nation and/or executing acts with the intention of destroying the basic foundations of life, aiming to destroy the group as a whole. The term â€Å"basic foundations of life† refer to the culture, language, religion, established public and social institutions, liberty and personal safety, health and dignity. After coining the term, Linken petitioned the United Nations to criminalize genocide, which they did in 1948. The United Nations coined their own term. Defining genocide as the intentional killing of or causing serious physical or mental harm to members of a group, deliberately inflicting life conditions calculated to bring physical destruction to a group, preventing births and transferring children forcibly from one group or another. Both definitions are broad, but the use of â€Å"intention† has lead to controversy regarding Native Americans and the atrocities committed by the United States and their government. Whether the U.S intentionally slaughtered Natives with the intention of extermination is of great controversy. Simply because there was no official decree passed by Congress calling for their demise. However, the US demonstrated genocidal mentality on multiple occasions that resulted in the massacre of hundreds of indigenous people. This mentality was exhibited by Secretary of War, Henry Knox in 1790 when he ordered the US army to â€Å"extirpate, utterly, if possible,† a group of natives refusing to cede their land in Ohio. President Jefferson also demonstrated the same mentality a few years later when faced with the altercations with different Indians. â€Å"If we are ever constrained to lifting the hatchet against any tribe, we will never lay it down till that tribe is exterminated or driven beyond Mississippi.† Later adding â€Å"They will kill some of us, we will kill all of them.† Both the Secretary of State and President of the US made it perfectly clear extermination was the only option when Natives refused to give their land. But this was not the first case of a president exhibiting such intolerant views. In 1799 the US declared war on the Haudenosaunee tribe for raids that had set back colonial settlement. â€Å"The objective of this war was â€Å"the total destruction and devastation of their settlements. † – George Washington. In this war, the US directly murdered 200 natives (Natives). When the topic of settlers and native American interactions arise, the common legend of Smallpox infested blankets being distributed to Natives by the settlers is widely debatable due to lack of hard evidence. Some argue it never happened, but on June 23rd, 1763 Captain William Trent wrote in his journal â€Å"We gave them two blankets and a handkerchief out if the Smallpox hospital†¦ I hope it will have its desired effects. † As a result, 60-80 Native died of Smallpox (Smallpox). It is clear that from the early years' colonial settlement that the high ranking US officials possessed a genocidal mentality regarding the indigenous people who resided there first. On May 28th, 1830 Congress passed the Indian removal act. This policy, was vigorously promoted by Andrew Jackson, provided the opportunity for the US to negotiate with the natives for their land with the promise of compensation. Instead of buying the land, The US used brute force to obtain it. The five â€Å"civilized tribes', Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, creek, and Cherokee initially refused to negotiate. Many members of these tribes were trying to assimilate into American society. In 1835 self-appointed representatives from the Cherokee tribe drafted the Treaty of Echota. The treaty proposed trading of all Cherokee lands East of Mississippi River for five million dollars along with relocation assistance and compensation for lost property. The federal government agreed to these terms but most of the Cherokee felt betrayed. BY 1838 only two thousand had left for the reservation (Native), in response the government appointed General Winfield Scott and seven thousand other soldiers to handle the altercation. Their method of peace was to remove the natives and loot their homes. Afterwards, they forced the Natives to march 1200+ miles west, During this excruciating journey, they were not given food water or supplies. Over five thousand died from starvation, malnutrition and several flue epidemics including Whooping Cough, Typhus, Dysentery and Cholera. This journey was known as the Trail of Tears, and twenty-five per cent of these tribes died. Despite relocating the Native Americans and seizing land, the US still possessed presenting feelings towards natives. In the 1850s California Gold Rush natives were still being persecuted against and then enslaved. Should they not comply with treaties colonists would â€Å"make war..which must of necessity be one of extermination to many of the tribes.† stated by Californian Governor John McDougal in 1851 (Natives). A prime example of Native enslavement was exhibited on John Sutter's private mill, where gold was discovered. Sutter was one of the most influential landowners at the time, enslaving hundred of natives who resided on his property and controlling them with fear. The Natives were used for labour and as a makeshift militia to protect Sutter's 50,000 acres and trading centre. Sutter treated the native people horrendously. He was friendly at first but began to interfere with tribe customs and marriages. A former employee, Heinrich Lienhard accused Sutter of forming a Harlem and molesting young native girls. HIs method of control was fear. He was not hesitant to whip or kill noncompliant natives. Visitors noted â€Å"Sutter keeps 600-800 Indians in a complete stage of slavery†, feeding them leftover bread wheat from troughs while they slept in locked rooms without furniture. (Jeffery). The use of Native labour during the gold rush was common, even more so was the sale of indigenous people between farmers. Enslavement was a popular form of oppression during the gold rush, but it was not the only ordeal Native Americans faced. One particularly revolting act was Californian Governor John B Wells rendering funding for the Eel River Rangers. The Eel River Rangers was a group of twenty or so white men who hunted down and slaughtered Indigenous women and children. (Natives )The State government of California provided finances needed to take the lives of innocent women and children. Of course when discussing homicidal acts perpetrated by the United States one cannot forget the Indian Wars. The Indian Wars were U.S army campaigns that targeted smaller groups of tribes to send a message to the rest of the population. The U.S army intentionally slaughtered hundreds of Natives on three separate occasions. The first massacre occurred near Preston, ID in 1863. Named the Bear River massacre an estimated 384 Shoshone Indians were open fired on. The second massacre occurred January 28th,1870. Two hundred natives, mostly women and children, were murdered. The issue pertaining to their deaths was the altercation between Malcolm Clarke and Owl child when Clarke accused Owl Child of stealing his horses and whipping him brutally as a punishment. After the whipping, Owl Child gathered several allies and they murdered Clarke, fleeing afterwards. This issue led to a massive outcry and the federal government appointed Major Eugene Baker to retaliate. When looking for Owl Child and his allies, baker and his men came across a band of peaceful Indians. The band consisted of women, children and elderly men. When informed this was the wrong tribe Baker replied: â€Å"That makes no difference, one band or another, they are all Piegans (Blackfeet) and we will attack them.† On that day 37 men, 90 women and 50 defensless children were open fired on. Additionally, Baker captured 140 woman and children as prisoners. But when finding that the majority were infected with smallpox he abandoned them with no food or other supplies (Olster). Baker was clearly more focused on seeking revenge than bringing justice to the guilty. He was not concerned with what was right or wrong. He deliberately massacred defenceless people, knowing their innocence, because he despised natives. This genocidal mentality proceeded by Owl Child's cries resulted in their demise. As revolting as Baker's actions were, they were still considered mediocre to the Wounded Knee Massacre. On December 15, 1890, colonists attempted to arrest Cheif Sitting-Bull. A fight erupted and Cheif Spotted elk led the band of natives to the Pine Ridge Reservation. On December 28th natives encountered a US cavalry that escorted them to Wounded Knee Creek. After being disarmed the natives commenced a â€Å"Ghost Dance†, a ceremonial dance that they believed would protect them from the American's bullets. This agitated the US cavalry. Attempting to stop the natives resulted in a scuffle in which more than 60 women were killed. US cavalry suffered casualties of 31 dead, 333 wounded out of 500. (Olser). These massacres were messages to the larger population. Attempts to disrupt and destroy smaller members of a nation to cripple or at least communicate the homicidal intentions that would be met with further resistance or retaliation. The massacres exhibited the immense hatred the colonists possessed by slaughtering innocents as reparations for the guilty. In all cases, natives were disarmed, defenceless and completely innocent of violence against colonists. By attacking communities instead of armies the US army demonstrated intentions of destroying basic foundations fo life within the nation. When examining Native American oppression and the US government it is crucial to note the direct action US Congress took against the indigenous people. In this case, the United States established Native Americans on conditions precalculated to result in their deaths. On November 29th,1864 Cheif Black Kettle and Cheif Niwot led their band to Fort Lyon in compliance with provisions of a peace treaty established earlier that year in September. The Chiefs and their people were asked to relocate with the threat of their safety. To demonstrate friendliness to any Americans they may encounter the Natives hung a large American flag and a smaller white flag beneath it. John Chivington led the attack against the natives. Claiming â€Å"They were of the same tribes with those who had murdered many persons and destroyed valuable property on the Platt and Arkansas Rivers.† (Olster). Estimated casualties in this massacre vary, Chivington claimed â€Å"500 -600 warriors were killed.† But John S.Smith, an eyewitness general under Chivington's command estimates 135 deaths, 105 being woman and children. Smith also accounted for the scalping of women and infants and further mutilation fo the deceased. The Cheyennes lost many women and children. Chiefs White Antelope, Yellow Wolf, Big Man, and a number of others, many who advocated for peace with the colonists, were killed. Chivington had no legitimate reason to believe these natives a threat. They had flown an Amercian Flag and the universal flag for peace yet he still chose to slaughter them. his actions expose the premeditated murder of these people. Chivington had no intention of letting the natives escape, these conditions resulted in the inevitable deaths of innocent indigenous people. From scalping women and infants to completely abolishing their millage and even murdering Smith's â€Å"Hald breed † son Jack, Chivington displayed no compassion. Instead, he demonstrated brute force and barbarism towards natives. Unfortunately, the Sand Creek massacre wasn't the finale occurrence of premeditated lethal conditions. On September 28th,1862 the American Government tried 392 Idginieos prisoners, sentencing 303 to death and giving 16 prison terms. Because this trial was a military trial President Lincoln reviewed the commissioner's findings and found that 303 deaths seemed to genocidal. So he revised the criteria for the death penalty to those who had been convicted of rape, which lowered it to two. This number was still unsatisfactory so the criteria changed to those who had participated in the civilian massacres. December 26th, 1862 39 natives were sentenced to death. 38 were hanged and one was given a reprieve at the last minute. What makes this event so heinous was the conditions in which the trial was executed. The trial was conducted in English, the natives were unrepresented and unfamiliar with court proceedings. Also, the war that prompted these â€Å"war crimes† occurred in a sovereign state and those men who have surrendered were entitled to treatment of such. The disadvantages of the hearing completely abolished any chance of the natives having a fair trial and the possibility of them being found innocent. By placing them in that biased, tainted courtroom the American Government sealed their fate with no chance to defend themselves. The reason for the war? Two years prior to the trial the US failed to meet treaty obligations. In retaliation, Dakota warriors raided stole food and killed five settlers. After the sentencing and executions, it was found that two natives had been hung by mistake and a letter written by Cheif Wabasha stated the Americans had promised no innocent natives would be punished if they followed the advice of General Sibley (Trials). The Us clearly deceived the Natives, placing them in a premeditated, biased courtroom with less than fair trial conditions that would ultimately result in their deaths. In 1887, the American Government passed the Dawes Act. A policy that aimed to â€Å"safely guide natives from the night of barbarism to the fair dawn of Christian civilization.† Assimilation consisted of natives converting to Christianity, learning and speaking English, wearing western clothes and hairstyles, and living a typical American lifestyle. The act also stated that Indian Reservations were to be distributed to individuals and that land could not be sold for 25 years, land left over from distribution could be sold to outsiders. This allowed native land to be purchased by Americans as if Americans didn't have enough already. And it doesn't stop there. In 1930 the Supreme Court ruled that Congress could disperse native land without Indian consent. And in 1924 The Citizenship act was passed. This Act granted citizenship to all Native Americans. Unfortunately, the desired effects were not seen as natives were forced to send their children to boarding schools for their education. In these schools children are often taught false information and censorship reigns supreme. Other nasty consequences of this act were the denial of rights to vote and extreme poverty. Most Indigenous people residing in inadequate housing with limited healthcare. While the United States failed in completely exterminating all Native Americans, no one can deny they had the mentality to do so. And this mentality, combined with artillery support led to the demise of hundreds of Natives. But even the slaughter of their people wants enough. Not only did we take their lives and their land, but we also stole their culture. Demanding them to replace their customs with our own or face death and discrimination. The United States failed in physical genocide but was successful in the demise of a cultural genocide.