American Civil War - Battle of Hampton Roads

American Civil War - Battle of Hampton Roads The Battle of Hampton Roads was fought March 8-9, 1862, and was part of the American Civil War. Fleets Commanders Union Flag Officer Louis M. GoldsboroughLieutenant John L. Worden1 ironclad, 2 screw frigates, 2 frigates, 1 sloop of war Confederate Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan1 ironclad, 3 gunboats, 2 tenders Background Following the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1860, Confederate forces seized the Norfolk Navy Yard from the US Navy. Prior to evacuating, the Navy burned several ships in the yard including the relatively new steam frigate USS Merrimack. Commissioned in 1856, Merrimack only burned to the waterline and most of its machinery remained intact. With the Union blockade of the Confederacy tightening, Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory began searching for ways in which his small force could challenge the enemy. Ironclads One avenue that Mallory elected to follow was the development of ironclad, armored warships. The first of these, the French La Gloire and British HMS Warrior, had appeared in the last year. Consulting John M. Brooke, John L. Porter, and William P. Williamson, Mallory began pushing the ironclad program forward but found that the South lacked the industrial capacity to build the needed steam engines in a timely manner. Upon learning this, Williamson suggested using the engines and remains of the former Merrimack. Porter soon submitted revised plans to Mallory that based the new ship around Merrimacks powerplant. Approved on July 11, 1861, work soon began at Norfolk on the casemate ironclad CSS Virginia. The interest in ironclad technology was also shared by the Union Navy which placed orders for three experimental ironclads in mid-1861. Key among these was inventor John Ericssons USS Monitor which mounted two guns in a revolving turret. Launched January 30, 1862, Monitor was commissioned in late February with Lieutenant John L. Worden in command. Aware of Confederate ironclad efforts at Norfolk, the new ship departed New York Navy Yard on March 6. CSS Virginia Strikes At Norfolk, work on Virginia continued and the ship was commissioned on February 17, 1862, with Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan in command. Armed with ten heavy guns, Virginia also featured a heavy iron ram on its bow. This was incorporated due to the designers belief that ironclads would be unable to harm each other with gunfire. A distinguished veteran of the US Navy, Buchanan was eager to test the ship and sailed on March 8 to attack Union warships in Hampton Roads despite the fact that workmen were still on board. The tenders CSS Raleigh and Beaufort accompanied Buchanan. Steaming down the Elizabeth River, Virginia found five warships of Flag Officer Louis Goldsboroughs North Atlantic Blockading Squadron anchored in Hampton Roads near the protective guns of Fortress Monroe. Joined by three gunboats from the James River Squadron, Buchanan singled out the sloop of war USS Cumberland (24 guns) and charged forward. Though initially unsure what to make of the strange new ship, Union sailors aboard the frigate USS Congress (44) opened fire as Virginia passed. Returning fire, Buchanans guns inflicted significant damage on Congress. Engaging Cumberland, Virginia pounded the wooden ship as the Union shells bounced off its armor. After crossing Cumberlands bow and raking it with fire, Buchanan rammed it in an effort to save gunpowder. Piercing the Union ships side, part of Virginias ram detached as it was withdrawn. Sinking, Cumberlands crew gallantly fought the ship until the end. Next, Virginia turned its attention to Congress which had grounded in an attempt to close with the Confederate ironclad. Joined by his gunboats, Buchanan engaged the frigate from a distance and compelled it to strike its colors after an hour of fighting. Ordering his tenders forward to receive the ships surrender, Buchanan was angered when Union troops ashore, not understanding the situation, opened fire. Returning fire from Virginias deck with a carbine, he was wounded in the thigh by a Union bullet. In retaliation, Buchanan ordered Congress be shelled with incendiary hot shot. Catching on fire, Congress burned throughout the rest of the day exploded that night. Pressing his attack, Buchanan attempted to move against the steam frigate USS Minnesota (50), but was unable to inflict any damage as the Union ship fled into shallow water and ran aground. Withdrawing due to darkness, Virginia had won a stunning victory, but had taken damage amounting to two guns disabled, its ram lost, several armored plates damaged, and its smoke stack riddled. As temporary repairs were made during the night, command devolved to Lieutenant Catesby ap Roger Jones. In Hampton Roads, the situation of the Union fleet improved dramatically that night with the arrival of Monitor from New York. Taking a defensive position to protect Minnesota and the frigate USS St. Lawrence (44), the ironclad awaited Virginias return. Clash of the Ironclads Returning to Hampton Roads in the morning, Jones anticipated an easy victory and initially ignored the strange-looking Monitor. Moving to engage, the two ships soon opened the first battle between ironclad warships. Pounding each other for over four hours, neither was able to inflict significant damage on the other. Though Monitors heavier guns were able to crack Virginias armor, the Confederates scored a hit on their adversarys pilot house temporarily blinding Worden. Taking command, Lieutenant Samuel D. Greene drew the ship away, leading Jones to believe that he had won. Unable to reach Minnesota, and with his ship damaged, Jones began moving towards Norfolk. At this time, Monitor returned to the fight. Seeing Virginia retreating and with orders to protect Minnesota, Greene elected not to pursue. Aftermath The fighting at Hampton Roads cost the Union navy the loss of USS Cumberland and Congress, as well as 261 killed and 108 wounded. Confederate casualties were 7 killed and 17 wounded. Despite the heavier losses, Hampton Roads proved a strategic victory for the Union as the blockade remained intact. The battle itself signaled the demise of wooden warships and the rise of armored vessels built of iron and steel. Over the next several weeks a standoff ensued as Virginia attempted to engage Monitor on several occasions but was refused as Monitor was under presidential orders to avoid battle unless absolutely required. This was due to President Abraham Lincolns fear that the ship would be lost allowing Virginia to take control of the Chesapeake Bay. On May 11, after Union troops captured Norfolk, the Confederates burned Virginia to prevent its capture. Monitor was lost in a storm off Cape Hatteras on December 31, 1862.

Eliots Waste Land

Eliots Waste Land Thomas Sterns Eliot, better known as T. S. Eliot, is considered to be one of the most ?realistic? American poets of this time. However, his life was not as jubilant as the rest of the country during this time. The pressures of uncongenial work, the strain of his home life and the need to hide his unhappiness brought on a nervous breakdown. In 1922, while recovering in a Swiss spa, Eliot began to write one of his longest and most moving poems, ?The Waste Land.The Waste Land? comes in five parts, starting with ?The Burial of the Dead,? a name taken from the Anglican funeral ceremony. The imagery of part one evokes a person, a civilization, numbed, distressed. Coherence and meaning have gone out of the world, as a prophetic voice with an Old Testament sound announces: ?Son of man . . .you know only / a heap of broken images, where the sun beats, / and the dead tree gives no shelter? (l.Drawing of T. S. Eliot by Simon Fieldhouse. Deutsc...20-23). To convey a vague menace, and recreate th e craze for spiritualism, Eliot introduces ?Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante,? with her ?wicked pack? of Tarot cards (l. 43-46).Eliot calls Part Two ?A Game of Chess,? a metaphor for sexual maneuvering. Eliot gives us a pampered woman, immersed in anything that could arouse the senses. This passage shifts suddenly into Eliot's forte, a dramatic dialogue giving us the real measure of the jaded woman:?My nerves are bad to-night. Yes, bad. Stay with me.Speak to me. Why do you never speak? Speak.What are you thinking of? What thinking? What?I never know what you are thinking. Think.? (Eliot l. 111-114)This painful vision of humanity swept up in lust continues in Part Three, ?The Fire Sermon,? which takes its name from...

How race, gender and sexual orientation appeal to some underlying Essay

How race, gender and sexual orientation appeal to some underlying biological influences - Essay Example 2211). In other words, the assumption that race and ethnicity are merely biological traits is utterly mistaken. Human categories such as gender and sexual orientation are oftentimes subjected to intense debates, especially gender orientation, as to whether they are nature or nurtured; and if there is a correlation between genes and gender orientation; the environment and gender orientation. Later on, an elaborative analysis shall be taken in order to explain whether, if indeed, race, sex, and gender orientation appeal to some biological influences. Also, this paper shall attempt to provide consequential and pertinent corroborations that should clarify some mistaken understandings in so far as the issues on biological influences in race, sex, and gender orientation are concerned. [Student’s Last Name] 2 Race Race â€Å"was a presumably biological feature that an individual had, but was composed of disparate elements that might contradict one another within a single body† (Marks 108). ... Race has been conventionally considered to classify population according to communal biological traits like genes, hair, eyes, and other apparent physical features (Drewnowski et al. 2211). While race expresses a common characteristic among a number of people, it is used profoundly to emphasize cultural and social characteristics and not biological influences (Drewnowski et al. 2211). Therefore, the attempts to study the biological influences in race are something that is not feasible. In fact, â€Å"if races are discrete groups of populations, the continuous nature of human variation undermines the utility of race as a basic way to study the species† (Marks 108). This is particularly true in that while it is â€Å"something relatively stable† (108) as it is part of human physiological composition, the evolution of man through its years of existence must have transpired significant modifications on its genetic composition with every succeeding generation that passes. Th us, obviously, there is no avenue through which one can scrutinize biological influences to race as there is no consistent representation of the genetic detail that could be considered coherent or uniform regardless of human variations. â€Å"Race is [Student’s Last Name] 3 largely a social category† (Marks 109). It â€Å"correlates to some extent with genetics but is principally derived from a non-scientific or folk concept of heredity† (109). This is partly due to the fact that while genetics affect race to some degree, there is no guaranteed uniformity or coherence on this biological influences due to the genetic changes that take place with respect to every generation that passes; thus, there can be no effective approach to completely scrutinize the organic

Societal Implications of the USA Patriot Act and How It Limits Daily Essay

Societal Implications of the USA Patriot Act and How It Limits Daily Life - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that one of the main ways the patriotic act limited people’s daily lives is by making them accept the unreasonable casual violation of their basic rights. For instance, the act made Americans accept without question that security agencies can subject them to unreasonable searches and seizures when they are traveling. The patriotic act limits the rights of Americans by increasing the capabilities of government to carry out surveillance in four areas. The act gives the government the power to conduct record searches. It does this by expanding the ability of the government to examine records indicating a person’s activity that are in third-party possession. The Patriotic act also authorizes secret searches that enable the government to search private property without issuing a notice. The Patriotic act also authorizes the government to conduct intelligence searches by extending an exception to the fourth amendment that was made to enable the government to gather foreign intelligence. The act also allows the government to engage in trap and trace searches by enabling the government to track the source and targets of communications and the content. The provisions of the patriotic act limit daily life by violating individual privacy. The act gives the government unchecked power to examine a person’s internet usage, medical history, library usage, and any other activity that leaves a record of some kind. This not only violates individual right to privacy protected in the fourth amend but may make people refrain from certain activities for fear of being watched by the government.

Expressions of Miami Vacation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Expressions of Miami Vacation - Essay Example The weather is pleasant and a long line of people is seen waiting outside the parrot jungle island. Young children, adolescents, middle-aged people as well as the elderly can all be seen waiting in these lines outside the entrance. There are people who can be distinguished from the locals who are waiting on special tourist counters as they are not aware of the ticket deals that are available at this tourist spot. Despite this rush, it can be accessed that the people waiting in these long lines are not disappointed owing to the lovely weather and the welcoming and warm staff of the parrot island who are organizing and managing the entrance and tickets really well. The situation inside the jungle island is no different and there are a lot of people seen inside as well. Tourists are seen to be moving in groups and some groups have their guides showing them the paths and explaining them the significance of different locations in the park. These tourists seem to be coming from every different corner of the world as they all seem to belong to different countries which can be analyzed by their languages and appearances. A Chinese couple is seen wandering here and there and they are being warmly guided by the locals for the ways and the different spots. Children are seen playing in the park of the island and they seem to be enjoying the atmosphere and the weather as well. Many elderly couples are seen seated on the benches and they are either busy in their conversations or are enjoying the beautiful sceneries around them. Young energetic couples and adolescents are seen moving around from here to there and analyzing and checking every corner of the island.  

Media Impact on Body Image

Media Impact on Body Image This research is on media’s negative influence on a persons’ body image. The paper will identify the problem of how and why media such as celebrities, magazines, television, advertising, and social networks negatively target an individuals’ self-perception. This research is important because many woman, and girls of our culture suffer a great deal of depression, stress, eating disorders, and many other psychological issues; because of not being able to meet unattainable thin   ideals set by the media. This research can be beneficial to many because it can help make   women aware about the dangerous effects of the media. As far as making women who perceive something that isn’t real, the media is at fault. This research   will teach   girls that they don’t have to look like an A-list model or celebrity to be beautiful. Body image in the media dates back to as far as the beginning of the 20th century. Before, curvy body types such as curvaceous Marilyn Monroe set the standards for women. By the 1960s body image was taken over by supermodels with their 90 pound body frames. These tiny figures featured in early television and magazines and drastically began changing the definition of â€Å"beautiful†. Body Image develops partly as a function of culture in response to cultural aesthetic ideals (Kim, Lennon 2007). I’ve found in some research that every society has its own way of torturing women. Psychological change is linked with environmental change which brings about how people define physical appearance based on various exposures to media. Media has so much control over the person staring back in the mirror.   Ã‚  Racine says,   80% of women under the age of 18 have tried dieting of some sort to see results like the photo shopped images of many models and celebrities that are on places like â€Å"Instagram and Facebook.† â€Å"These images that people see are computer made and the diets are not real.† Says Munro and Huon. When results are not seen after trying quick fixes it could lead to young women as young as 3rd grade being bulimic and depressed. This research   would   open the minds of adolescents who go through the daily struggle trying to fit in and attain the impossible by doing so in extreme dangerous life threatening ways. Girls need to know that no matter what a scale says it doesnt define them as a person, nor how beautiful they are. Some research says that media is progressively getting better with adding more positive messages within advertisement. â€Å"I wouldnt say that it’s worsening, but is media   really getting better? What does the future hold as far as body image within the media?† Say If society   doesn’t further   reach out to   youth about the risks of being influenced by unhealthy diet fads, and not loving themselves because the television   Ã‚  ,   as peers, teachers, and parents, society has failed. The media has made a few changes just to push away the negatives that thrown at them as far as just being thin. At the same time, media still continues to make note within the music society listen to and the most popular clothing to make money because thin is what sells in our culture. The worse part of all of this is that psychological and eating disorders can start in girls as young as seven or eight according to the Journal of School Health. Ten years ago it was safe to say that teens were ok to be exposed to media and it affects at the ages of 15 and 16. Now because of how easy electronics are to learn, children are exposed to electronics as young as 2. By the age of 5 they are using the same social networks as 26 and 30 year old adults, exposing their minds to things they can’t fully process. Confronting and educating an elementary aged child about loving themselves and healthy exercise and eating strategies is more relevant with cyber bullying, and self-evaluation happening because of not looking how the media says they should look. Media is thought to be the number one source of influence on negative body image. Some other research points to genetics, and socialized responses attributed to dysfunctional childhoods. Some think things such as low self-esteem result from abusive childhoods. Likewise, when obese children are raised by belittling parents who antagonize them with food and their physical appearances, it can cause problems as they develop and mature in their teenage years. The alternative is that early intervention   will help prevent long-term health issues for majority of patients with eating disorders and bad self-persistence. To carry out these methods people need to be educated. Starting more   non-profit organization that go to elementary, junior high, and even colleges   to educate women and girls on this topic. Those who care about this topic as much as someone going through it , and even with a little experience would be needed to help with this project. Teens and even adults commit suicide every year because of not being able to fit in.   Fundraisers to raise awareness and money for their families would help as well. More counselors to talk with more people who struggle with eating disorders, and find more information about why the media targets the people they do and exactly how they do it, in order to effectively help those who fall victim to it. One thing that needs the most attention, and   further research is psychology of the brain, and medical disorders of these victims to the media. This research is needed to fully understand why woman mentally feel the need to try and do as they see .   Ã‚  Many people overlook all of these issues and push the reasons of sadness, depression, and anger to other things that people go through or are experiencing in their life that very moment. Overall this   research is feasible because it’s something that is happening now. So many people can relate to falling victim to the Medias unrealistic perception of ‘beautiful’. Valuable resources have been found such as the Journal of School Health, NeTweens: The Internet and Body Image Concerns in Preteenage Girls, and also Media Influence on the Body Image of Children. Lots of people agree with this and though there are many non-profit organizations for this topic,   another voice cant hurti. Elementary school girls are obsessed with their weight, teen’s everyday experience psychological problems, and many women pay lots of money for diet quick fix fads that do not work. The media does a great job at pulling our society into the advertisement that result in sales. Even if the argument is made that media is not the initiator of a woman’s self-perception, just a mirror of society, the media still should take responsibility for at least perpetua ting the dysfunction. Works Cited Lawrie, Z., et al. Media Influence On The Body Image Of Children And Adolescents. Eating Disorders 14.5 (2006): 355-364. SPORTDiscus. Web. 16 Oct. 2014. Monro, F, and G Huon. Media-Portrayed Idealized Images, Body Shame, And Appearance Anxiety. International Journal Of Eating Disorders 38.1 (n.d.): 85-90. Science Citation Index. Web. 16 Oct. 2014. Tiggemann, Marika, and Amy Slater. Nettweens: The Internet And Body Image Concerns In Preteenage Girls. The Journal Of Early Adolescence 34.5 (2014): 606-620. PsycINFO. Web. 16 Oct. 2014. Racine, Elizabeth F., et al. The Relationship Between Media Use And Psychological And Physical Assets Among Third- To Fifth-Grade Girls. Journal Of School Health 81.12 (2011): 749-755. ERIC. Web. 16 Oct. 2014.

Plate Tectonics Essays -- Geophysics, Pangaea

Plate Tectonics Ever since the beginning on time, Humans believed the ground is solid and immobile. But this is not true whatsoever. The Earth is every-changing and continually in motion. The stability of the Earth is not at all what we think it is. Thinking about the rotational axis of the Earth, and possibly of what the Earth may become at a certain point in time, has a great influence on understanding all aspects of living things, either in the past, present, or future. The Theory of Plate tectonics is accredited to most of the creations of Mountain Ranges, the Centennial drifting Theory, for earthquakes, and volcanic activity. Plate tectonics and mountains also play a big part in the Earth and its geological features. Geophysics, which studies the physics of the Earth, has led to many important findings about the Earth and how it is made. Seismologic studies of planet Earth have revealed new information about the inside of the Earth that has helped to give new openings to plate tectonic theory. Due to geophysical studies, we now know that the Earth is made of several significant layers. Each one of these layers has its own properties. The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth. The crust is made up of the oceans and continents. The crust has a fluctuating thickness, being thirty to seventy-five kilometers thick in the continents and ten to fifteen kilometers thick in the ocean basins. The crust is made up mainly of alumino-silicates (Fowler p472). The layer underneath the crust is the mantle, which is made up mainly of ferro-magnesium silicates. The mantle is approximately two thousand, nine hundred kilometers thick, and is separated in to the upper and lower mantle. It is in the mantle where most of the centralized... ...sts believe that the North and South American plates are moving westward at approximately two to three centimeters per year. Based on the recordings of the earthquake, the Haitian quake seems to have occurred close to the Enriquillo Fault. The Enriquillo Fault is a big strike slip fault that runs across the southern border of Haiti. Scientists presume this is the fault that most likely ruptured because it is closest to the epicenter of the rupture. Although this was a big catastrophe for human life on the island of Haiti, it was not really unusual given the plate tectonic activity in that area. Unfortunately for Haiti, it is one of the most poorest and underdeveloped countries in the world. Its government was not really in the position to have any preparations in line for such a huge earthquake, and this caused thousands of people lost their lives (Kearey 2009).

Conflict Can Have Tragic Consequences for Everyone.

Conflict can have tragic consequences for everyone as the women portrayed in Bereford’s film, Paradise Road, react in a catastrophic manner in the events that lead on as the film progresses. The characters in the film are based on actual people: nurses or wives of major officials and civilians. These women are caught up in the global conflict of World War II and those who manage to survive are, despite any positive outcomes, are dreadfully damaged by their encounter with conflict both physically and emotionally.These moments of great unrest are captured in the film that innocent people are too often becoming caught up in and suffer from the effects of great struggle that are not of their own making. The viewers are powerfully positioned to recognise with the three main protagonists, Adrienne, Margaret and Susan, as they come to a conditions with the cruel and frequently tragic circumstances of their situation. In the film’s opening scene, we observe a sight of the prote cted and usual lives led by women who were fairly unimportant to the conflict of war.Now, plunged into a terrifyingly brutal and unknown world, they come across the tragic consequences of the conflict. On the voyage to the camp, Beresford highlights the ordinary qualities of the women as they move violently to retain their meagre property or endeavour to help each other endure the long walk. Afraid, starving and exhausted, the women are herded like cattle. On their appearance in Sumatra they see the disengaged head of a following prisoner displayed on a pole in the public square.The tragedies that occurred in the prisoners turn out to be a part of their daily lives, as many gave in to the belongings of untreated sickness. The scene with the two children creating simple wooden coffins for dead babies evidently highlights the tragedy of the conflict in the lives of normal people, and suggests that no reason can justify the dreadful consequences of violent conflict. Children are a figu re of innocence in the film. The innocent suffers the most in situations of tremendous conflict.The camp cemetery, with its rows upon rows of white crosses, is exposed as the camera pans across the penal complex compound throughout a performance of the vocal orchestra, enlightening the large numbers of prisoners who died all through the course of their imprisonment. The film also shows how intense conflict situations positions everyday people beneath a strange pressure, provoking and exacerbating conflicts on a private level, both between and within individuals.Stressed, sorrowing and deprived, a number of the women in Paradise Road find themselves positioned in a ethically and politically compromised condition when confronted with the option as to whether to remain at the Japanese ‘officers’ club’, providing sex in return for food and comfort, or to return to the camp. Those who choose to be recognise by the bribe of the officers who are not only prostituting th emselves but are also consorting with the enemy.Likewise, Adrienne was positioned in a compromising situation when she was asked if the orchestra will carry out a Japanese song for Colonel Hirota. She refuses, risking cruel punishment. At the same time, she makes a diverse option, to that of the women of the officers’ club, Beresford emphasises that war, and the struggle for survival, places harshly and unusual stress on individuals, which is able to cause them to act in ways they would not normally behave; as Sister Wilhelmina intelligently acknowledges, it is not fair to judge the events of others in a period of severe disagreement.In conclusion, conflict has the potential to allow an individual the ability to face challenges in order to overcome them and finally to grow as a person. The range of conflicts that acts as a basis towards venous responses ranging from the extreme life changing circumstances to those that are minor, but yet a significant ambition to change. Refe reeing to the film ‘Paradise Road’ we have seen many faces that have been challenged trough out their lives. However the women are able to follow their presence with the determination, courage and peace.

The Basic Concepts of Criminal Defense

The Basic Concepts of Criminal Defense Free Online Research Papers The basic concepts of criminal defenses are to prove your client innocent or get them a lesser criminal charge. Therefore you and or your staff (paralegal(s)) needs to research the type of crime your client is being accused of to see if there are any prior cases similar to the charges that are being brought about your client. Once you find cases similar to your case, the first item to look for is the result of the case guilty or not guilty, original charges filed or lesser charges determined by the jury. Appropriate defenses are developed by determining what made the cases defense or set it up for failure. Was there any or enough evidence? What facts are you able to find in those cases that my benefit you case? What failed that case that you should be cautious of? What failed that case that may help your case? Once you find the pieces you need you will then entice your research of the pieces to benefit your clients’ defense. The criminal defense used in the felony case I chose apparently was battered wife defense. In researching the term battered wife defense I found various definitions but the most descriptive info I found was as follows, Battered woman syndrome describes a pattern of psychological and behavioral symptoms found in women living in battering relationships. People v. Romero, 13 Cal Rptr 2d 332, 336 (Cal App 2d Dist. 1992); See Walker, L., The Battered Woman Syndrome (1984) p. 95-97. There are four general characteristics of the syndrome: 1. The woman believes that the violence was her fault. 2. The woman has an inability to place the responsibility for the violence elsewhere. 3. The woman fears for her life and/or her childrens lives. 4. The woman has an irrational belief that the abuser is omnipresent and omniscient. According to www.dictionary.com, omnipresent means present everywhere at the same time. Omniscient means having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things. â€Å"Apparently battered womans syndrome has been used in criminal cases since the late 1970s. Experts must qualify to testify on this syndrome as they must in any other case.† (divorcenet.com/states/oregon/or_art02). The defense developed in the case was appropriate due to the fact that Dixie Shanahan had been abused for years on end even though it would come and go in spurts. I don’t think there could or would be more appropriate defense per her case accept for maybe temporary insanity. I actually can see both sides of it though. When reviewing the description of the assignment it says that she went directly to the closet got the gun shot him dead blank then wrapped his body and closed off the room for a year. Per her defense she said that he already had the gun and she got a hold of it more or less. In any event she was in fear of her life and the lives of her children. What ever happened at that moment, she pulled the trigger. She is guilty of murder or voluntary manslaughter. Being that I have been in a similar situation, seeing my mother battered for the first seven years if my life as a child and also being the target of that abuse here and there myself during those seven years I can understand that fear. My mother lost what would have been my twin brothers due to being knocked down a flight of stairs. Six years later, I saw my mother and my now step father almost murdered in front of my 7 year old eyes. If I hadn’t made a sound that made them stop then me and my little sister and brother may have been with out the parents that raised us. Luckily, they didn’t see me, but I had caused enough ruckuses to make them run from the scene of the crime they had just committed. My mother never knew that I had seen everything being that I was too afraid to tell her. As a result of that night, we moved to a different state. I couldn’t see the whites of my mothers’ eyes for almost 2 years because they were solid red due to the blows that she had received from a 24 board. After 3 years of being on the run away from the psycho my parents decided to move back to our home state. I started having major seizures again (being epileptic) and apparently I started acting out. I finally told my mother that I had seen everything. I actually feel guilt for that sometimes because I could have been a witness against them yet as a child fear totally took over. Being that I saw so much and also experienced physical abuse as a child I can understand why the Dixie did what she did and why the citizens of her community and the governor gave her leniency. Due to what I experienced and witnessed I am a very head strong person and I can say with no guilt that I would do the same thing if I was as weak as her and had gotten to my limit as did she. Though being as head strong as I am due to experiencing what I did experience, I would leave the first time around if a man ever tried to do to me what my mother and Dixie experienced. With all the laws we have today pertaining to spousal abuse and bodily harm in general no one can say that there is nothing that can be done for actions that occur in that mannerism. A case I found that was quite similar to the one I chose for this project was the recent case of Mary Winkler, the wife of the Tennessee Minister Matthew Winkler, who was at the time the minister of the Fourth Street Church of Christ in Selmer, Tennessee. It is almost a duplicate situation of Dixie Shanahan’s case. She was continuously physically, mentally and sexually abused. All of which lead to her a point that she could not handle it anymore. She admitted to getting the gun yet claimed that she thought it didn’t have a bullet in it. She shot her husband from behind in the back. Yet, she plead insanity was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and released in august of this year from a mental institution. She didn’t even get half of the time that Dixie got. (cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/12/winkler.oprah/index.html). As you can see as time goes on changes happen. Even years prior to Dixie’s case she could have gotten the death penalty, though she did n’t. It all depends upon the time of the crime, how and where the crime occurred and last but not least the minds of the jury, how they see your situation evidence or no evidence it is the jury that makes the final decision. Research Papers on The Basic Concepts of Criminal DefenseUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Fifth HorsemanEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseTwilight of the UAWRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

Novo Nordisk and Ypsomed Selfcare Solutions

Novo Nordisk and Ypsomed Selfcare Solutions Novo Nordisk, a pharmaceutical company founded in Denmark in 1923, has been a pioneer of innovative insulin delivery methods for the treatment of diabetes with brand names Levomir‚Â ® (an injection pen that uses a pre-filled, replaceable insulin cartridge) and AERx‚Â ® (an insulin inhalant). While Novo Nordisk continues to be the world leader in diabetes treatment, the company has expanded into other areas of research and development including human growth hormone and hemostatic products in their biopharmaceuticals. Biopharmaceuticals is the method of developing products by biological process rather than chemical process often utilizing recombinant DNA, or DNA that is a combination of two or more organisms (Exploratorium, 2006).Ypsomed Selfcare Solutions, a company based in Burgdorf, Switzerland, was established in 2003 as a result of the split of the Burgdorf-based Disetronic Groups and is also involved in the medical appliances and equipment industry. Ypsomed is involved in the development and manufacture of custom-made injection pens and compatible pen needles for the administration of self-injection solutions by patients (Ypsomed Selfcare Solutions, 2003-2006).Novo Nordisk Kalundborg 20130729_003The company's products can be used for a variety of applications and therapies such as insulin therapy, growth hormone therapy, and osteoporosis and blood glucose monitoring. Ypsomed currently distributes its products primarily in Europe, but expect their market to grow worldwide due to the dramatic increase in diabetes cases.PriceWaterhouseCoopers is the auditor of records for these two companies (Ypsomed Annual Report, 2005 and Novo Nordisk Annual Report, 2005).Novo Nordisk Financial Data-2005 Annual ReportNovo Nordisk was the first Scandinavian company to be quoted on the New York Stock Exchange, and is now an international company with representation in 69 countries (Wikipedia, 2005). The 2005 annual report states the company had a turnover of DKK 33.8 billion, or approximately 4.5 billion EUR (X-rates, 2006). Total sales for diabetes...

The Roots and Backwash of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Research Paper

The Roots and Backwash of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill - Research Paper Example The Exxon Valdez supertanker was traveling outside normal shipping lanes as it was avoiding ice and after 6 hours of grounding, the ship damaged 8 of its 11 tankers and spilled a portion of its Prudhoe Bay oil cargo (Cutler, 2008).   Massive cleanup efforts by Exxon and the US Coast Guard were immediately started.   Thousands of Alaskan residents helped in the cleanup efforts and eventually after about three years, the US Coast Guard declared the clean-up complete (Exxon Mobil, n.d).   The cleanup started in April 1989 until September of 1989 for the first year and went on in 1990 and 1991 during the summer months and some shoreline monitoring in the winter months (Cutler, 2008).   Based on the assessment of the National Transportation Safety Board, there were 5 possible causes of the grounding: 1). The third mate failed to properly maneuver the vessel possibly because of fatigue and excess workload; 2). The master failed to give proper navigation watch probably because of al cohol intoxication; 3). Exxon Shipping Company did not supervise the master and provide rest for their crew; 4). The US Coast Guard did not provide an effective vessel traffic system, and 5). There were no sufficient pilot and escort services (Cutler, 2008).  Ã‚   The environmental and economic consequences of the disaster amount to more than just three years of cleanup; they amount to profits lost, damage to coasts, and other sea and bird life.   These consequences shall now be discussed in detail.   These economic consequences shall cover the ecological cost of the oil spill itself, the economic costs as shouldered by Exxon Company during the cleanup, and the penalties charged against the company for the disaster.  Ã‚  Ã‚   About 3700 to 5800 mammals from 9 different species were affected by the oil spill.   Three hundred direct mortalities were reported for seals while 2,800 mortalities were reported for otters and these deaths were mostly due to the breathing and ingestion of the toxic oil.

Contract law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contract law - Assignment Example The language of the contract is suffice to identify the mutual intent of the parties in a case where the language used is definite and clear. Courts always consider the course of the parties’ dealings if the language of the contract is unclear. The course of dealings refers to the initial contract and transactions the parties might have had in the past to interpret their conduct and expressions. When determining the clarity and definiteness of the language of a contract, the court views the terms in their common and ordinary construct of meaning unless it is apparent that the parties constructed the language in some technical or special sense (Gillies 71). If the words are used in a technical sense, the courts will apply a concept known as trade usage, which is the court’s consideration of constructing the meaning as per how it is used by a person in the same profession or business and formulate interpretation from that context unless the parties had not intended to use them as such. Generally, courts one of the two problematic rules governing admissions of evidence that is extrinsic to interpret a contract. One of the rules is the Plain Meaning Rule, which connects contract terms interpretation to the subjective notions of a Judge of the meaning of the words and deter parties from issuing evidence to change the meanings that are publically used are unanimously acknowledge. The Context Rule on the other side looks at the parties’ evidence subjective intention exclusive of the public meaning of the terms, which also, undermines the function of contract predictability (Gillies 63). The third rule, which is The Public Meaning Rule, only admits the extrinsic evidence produced by the public and constructs the meaning of the language as interpreted by the public. It considers the public domain while making assumptions on the extrinsic evidence of the subjective intent of the parties. This rule has epistemological element that relies on the fact