Target readership Essays

Target readership Essays Target readership Paper Target readership Paper How do editors of tabloids and broadsheet newspapers use content, language, layout and images to attract and reflect their target readership? An analysis of the front pages of The Guardian and The Daily Mail from 16th March 2001. Targets: 1. To show insight into the idea of readership. 2. To analyse the way that the style and presentation are used in the media. 3. To analyse the way that language and images are used to create an impact. 4. To present and explain my opinions clearly and logically. British newspapers have been around for nearly three centuries.There are ten British national papers divided into two main categories: the tabloids and the broadsheets. The tabloids contain many articles on celebrities and gossip, some news and many large pictures. The most popular tabloids are The Sun and The Mirror (red tops). The broadsheets are larger papers and more serious. They include more news stories and cover politics and world issues. The most popular broadsheet is The Daily Telegraph. The circulation of the national papers has lowered from 15,672,431 in 1989, to 14,270,111 in 1994.This is because there is more technology today. People can receive instant news on the television, radio and internet. It is important for newspapers to know, target, attract and reflect their readership. With this information, they can write articles that interest their readers. It creates an image of what the readers are attracted to. The Guardian is a broadsheet. It is a slightly left-wing newspaper generally supporting the Government and Labour Party. According to stereotypes, people with professional jobs mainly read this paper.Statistics show that about twenty per cent of people aged 20-45 read The Guardian. The Daily Mail is one of two newspapers called the middle market dailies. It is a tabloid paper, but has a balance of news and feature articles. Stereotypes of the readers of The Daily Mail suggest that this paper is read mostly by less professional people. However, statistics prove that mostly professionals or people in junior management read The Daily Mail with a wide age group. The top of a newspaper can encourage sales if the readers are interested in what they see.As The Guardian is a very large newspaper, it is folded when in the shop so that only the top is seen by the customers. For this reason, the top of The Guardian has to be attractive and contain articles that interest its readers; Rewriting history. Why South Africas schools are stuck in the past. This is in the strapline that focuses on a different story than the main article. This suggests that the newspapers readers are interested in history and world issues, as this paper focuses on Africa and education.It seems that the editor of the newspaper wants to include all articles that its readers are interested in. The top of The Daily Mail is quite different to The Guardian. The style of the name suggests the newspaper is traditional as it has a royal crest in between. This suggests that the newspaper wants to create a traditional style paper. The main strapline reflects the readership of the newspaper; Britains farmers are suffering terribly. For them, and for the sake of our rural heritage Firstly, this shows that The Daily Mails readers are concerned about Britain and its farmers.Secondly, it shows that its readers are interested in the countryside and want to keep up the tradition of farming. The Daily Mail uses emotive language as it asks for their readers contribution to their Farm Aid Appeal. An emotional photograph is placed in the top right corner of newborn lambs, which attracts people, especially animal-lovers. This will make the readers feel sympathetic and will feel like they have to contribute to the appeal. Both papers focus on the foot and mouth story on the same day as it gives the latest information on a disease that indirectly affects almost everyone.Most cows and sheep are being killed, even if they are healthy, to try to stop the disease from spreading. Farmers are losing their money and the general election has been postponed as politics are also affected. This story will attract most readers for different reasons: farmers will want to know the latest information as it affects their business; any member of the public will want to an update on the disease as it affects the food they buy; and the people interested in the Government will want to know the date for the election.Also, animal-lovers will be concerned about the disease. Considering the stereotypes and statistics of the two different newspapers, it is clear that the two different newspapers will have different types of articles regarding the foot and mouth story. One can expect The Guardian to focus on the political side of any story and how business is affected by the news. The reader of The Daily Mail can predict to read less about politics, but about personal views and their opinions to the story. The Guardian focuses on the political side of the foot and mouth disease.It contains information on the latest news about the election and what the Government is planning to do about the crisis. The reporter is an environment correspondent and is trying not to be biased. Instead, he quotes the NFU president as he is more biased. This suggests that the newspaper aims to be as fair as possible and to produce mainly facts for its readers. This indicates that the reader does not want to read any gossip, but news that can inform them of the latest. The Daily Mail focuses on a personal point of view;It was when Blackie caught his eye that it really hit Leyland Branfield. This gives an emotional view about a specific farmer. It is the introduction to the article and makes the reader question who Blackie and Leyland Branfield are, encouraging them to read on. This, along with the heading, makes the article sound like it is a story. This will attract more readers. The heading of The Guardian is less attractive than The Daily Mail; Ministers gamble on mass cull This is the main headline and tells the reader that the main story is focused on politics.The word gamble is emotive language, which could suggest to the reader that Labour is lacking control or giving up. This will attract readers, as it is close to the election, and if Labour is not achieving what they should, the public could change their mind on who to vote for. In addition, there is a small article next to this about Labour, proving that the Government is a subject that most readers are concerned about. Some of the language used in the two different newspapers is quite different. However, a few techniques are used in both papers.

Optioning Your Screenplay to a Producer

Optioning Your Screenplay to a Producer Congratulations! Not only did you finish writing your 120-page cinematic opus, but you have a motion picture producer interested in bringing it to the silver screen. You’re ready to sell. Ready to see your name on the back of a director’s chair. Ready to chow down on craft service while Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams deliver your prose†¦ But wait, not so fast. What’s this agreement the producer’s handed you? An option? He’s not buying it? What does this mean? Well, let’s break it down†¦ What is an option exactly? An option agreement is an industry-standard document that interested producers give writers when they’re not quite ready to buy the script, but don’t want anyone else to buy it either. Maybe they don’t have enough money yet, aren’t sure they can get it made or don’t know what the budget will be (and the budget often determines the writer’s fee). An option simply gives the producer the exclusive right to purchase the material at any time during the term of the agreement. Here’s a sample option for reference:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kpiuHbB6zUJhm1FDUq__4OrB6LeaJ25QnJvF2fM_Vrw/edit?usp=sharing What do I need to have in place before optioning my script? First, make sure the script has been registered with the Library of Congress’ Copyright Office. This is crucial for your protection and necessary for the producer to prove chain of title to the eventual studio or distributor that picks up the film. Information on copyright registration can be found here:  https://www.copyright.gov/registration/performing-arts/index.html. For added protection, you can also register it with the WGA. Lastly, if the story is based on a real-life person, make sure you’ve acquired their life rights. How long should the option term be? Options can last however long you and the producer deem appropriate. Just remember that no one else can buy the script while that producer holds the option, so it may depend on your level of trust or how badly you want to work with him. One or two years is a fairly standard initial term, and it’s not unusual to have a one-year extended term triggered How much money should I ask for? Again, there’s no right or wrong answer here. Options can be as low as one dollar or as high as $10,000. As long as there’s consideration – something of value going from you to the producer and vice versa – the option is valid. The size of the fee will likely be based on the stature of the producer and how big the expected purchase price will be, but for a typical indie, $500 to $1,000 is common for the initial term. You might also negotiate a percentage (say 5-10%) of the expected purchase price. However, remember that the initial option fee is usually applied against the purchase price; so, if the producer pays a $2,000 option fee and the final purchase price is $20,000, he only owes another $18,000 to buy the script outright. What other elements should be part of the option? You certainly want the producer to lay out terms for exercising the option, including the purchase price, your writer’s credit, the notification procedure and exactly what rights he’s acquiring (just the film rights or also sequels, television, and other ancillaries). The compensation details are perhaps the most crucial though and should reference bonuses, backend participation and, if appropriate, fees for sequels, spin-offs and remakes. If the final purchase price can’t be determined yet because the budget is still undecided, ask for a percentage of the budget with a floor (i.e., 2% of the budget with a minimum of $20,000). What are those short-form documents at the end? The short form option and short form assignment are standard addendum to any option. The short form option, which states the deal between the parties in the simplest terms, is recorded with the copyright office

Solid Mechanics Assignment Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Solid Mechanics Assignment - Lab Report Example After the model was imported to ALGOR FEA the log was checked to ensure that there were no import errors or missing geometry. Then a fixed boundary condition was applied to the internal surface of the larger cylinder after which a normal force of 500 N was applied to the internal surface of the smaller cylinder. The application of a fixed boundary condition to one area of the model meant that the model was constrained from moving within that axis of rotation or translation. The model could either rotate on the longitudinal axis of the constrained cylinder or it could translate in either three directions (x, y and z). Implementing a fixed boundary condition indicates that the model is unable to move in any direction at all. Generally a fixed boundary condition can be considered analogous to a welded piece that is unable to move but can bend or flex under applied force. Though this may not simulate the actual conditions one on one (where the crank actually rotates though it does not tr anslate at all), but it does provide a satisfactory numerical investigation model. Furthermore the application of a normal force to the other cylinder’s internal surface indicates the application of normal average force when the crank will be in use. This application of force assumes that the pin attached to the smaller cylinder of the crank will be able to transmit the applied force at the pedal completely and uniformly all across the surface of the cylinder and that this force will be normal to the provided surface. However practically this is not going to be possible as the pin will bear some kind of clearance to ensure free rotation and the clearance in turn will mean that the pin will contact the cylinder non-uniformly. Moreover the pin’s contact will produce a normal force at areas with complete contact while they will produce slightly skewed forces where the cylinder only partially contacts the subject surface. This method of applying a force to the model is non ideal yet the approximation is tolerable enough because what will take place inside the cylinder is similar. Any differences in force will not be very significant so using normal force’s application is a viable technique. The model was given a material of Steel 4130 which was present in the software’s library. After this the model was meshed using default settings. After meshing the model was simulated for calculating the developed stress and for the FOS (factor of safety) calculations. The results for the first run are shown below. The mesh was redefined for element size (which was lowered) although the mesh was still based on a 4 point Jacobian approach. The newly meshed model was then simulated in order to see the effects of a changed mesh size on the numerical investigation. The results from the re-meshed run are shown below. The results above clearly indicate that the stress distribution levels and the FOS distribution did not change at all indicating that the pr evious mesh control was providing a mesh independent solution. Therefore for the purpose of this analysis and optimisation the previous mesh controls were re-implemented as a mesh independent solution had been achieved. The results above clearly show that the lowest FOS is very high which indicates a rather overdesigned scenario. The current situation dictates that the FOS ought to be around 3:1 for a viable design. In order to achieve a more suitable FOS the design was optimised for a

Improving the Presidential Election Process Essay

Improving the Presidential Election Process - Essay Example ults collected from primary elections and caucuses are used to determine the number of delegates to be assigned to the national conventions of each party (Sabato, 2006, p 61). The appointed delegates then select the presidential nominees basing on the party’s by-laws for their parties as they move towards November General Elections. This system of undertaking caucuses and presidential primaries is faced with shortcomings when some states hold their primary elections and caucuses earlier than others leading to biased allocation of delegates in each state. On the contrary the process is successful when campaign costs are cut down due to candidates concentrating resources in one state at a time because of the prolonged period of both caucuses and primary elections. According to the United States electoral procedures, delegates elected into the national conventions are charged with the responsibility of nominating official presidential candidates for the two major political parties of the United States (Kendall, 2000, p 56). To provide a balanced electoral system for the primary elections and caucuses, there need to be a balanced primary system where primary contents could be held in between late January and late May. Each state should be assigned a specific time frame and provision for electing 12% of delegates from a single state for party nominations. Using this system will have provisions where larger states will have more positions for additional delegates since the smaller states would have been catered for. In addition, a balanced diversity in the contest could be maximized by pairing liberal states with conservative states and urban areas to be harmonized with rural areas. By implementing this proposed system of conducting both primary elections and caucuses in each state, lesser known political candidates will get an equal chance to be nominated just like their influencing opponents. Furthermore it will cut down on advertising costs and travel time hence

President of the United States of America Essay Example for Free

President of the United States of America Essay The year 2008 saw the growth and emergence of various cultures around the world. This progression was however affected and sometimes hampered by the various global economic and political occurrences that defined the year 2008. The beginning of 2008 witnessed elections and consequent political instability in Zimbabwe which defined the global political system tremendously. This elections, which were characterized by allegations of rigging and foul-play caused global cries against the incumbent president in Zimbabwe, sanctions were imposed on the country thereby sending the country deeper into economic turmoil. These actions affected the global interaction of cultures in the sense that many Zimbabweans and Africans felt that the Western world was trying to impose its political culture on Africans who enjoy their culture to a great extent. This feeling of culture imposition from the Western world brought into Africa rejection of the Western culture irrespective of the goodness of the culture(David, K. 72-75) The middle of 2008 witnessed the ‘heating up’ of the most dramatic elections in the United States of America. This American election had an immense effect on culture around the world because the favorite candidate in the election, Senator Barrack Obama, had various ethnic backgrounds. Born to a Kenyan father and an American mother, Barrack has been viewed as the ideal world representative. His background and connection to the Asian ethnic community, to a great extent, complements his worldly representation. Consequently, this favorite candidate for the United States presidency, who represented various cultures around the world, emerged victorious because in him, Americans and the world felt represented in the affairs of the world politics. This election and the subsequent win of Barrack Obama for the White House cemented the cultural diversity of the American people and brought other foreign cultures to fame and scrutiny. This American election and the subsequent win for Barrack Obama as President of the United States of America, went a long way to encourage and promote inter-cultural integration around the world through marriage and lifestyle(David, K. 80-82) The end of the year 2008 witnessed a most devastating slump in the global economy as the world faced the credit crunch instigated by the mortgage crisis in the United States of America. This global economic melt-down led to a decrease in travel and purchasing power of individuals. Therefore, there was a significant reduction in global interaction thereby causing a reduction in inter-cultural interaction. The reduction in the purchasing power caused a slump in global trade which is a key component of global interaction. This also therefore reduced cultural interaction on the global stage. The closing of 2008 witnessed the biggest political crisis of the year, the Middle East Crisis. This crisis has had a devastating effect on the global cultural integration due to its ever changing form of violence. Many times, the violence is political with the Palestinians and the Israelites being the two aggressors. Sometimes, the crisis takes a religious angle with the Palestinians representing the Muslim faction while the Israelites represent the Jews. This Middle East crisis has therefore slowed down cultural interaction from the political and the religious angles(David, K. 93-96) Analysis of Arts and Culture in 2008 The year 2008 showed the different effects on arts and culture by the political, economic and religious happenings around the world. The year just showed us how vulnerable global arts and culture is to extinction, and at the same time prosperity, thanks to the global economic, political and religious dispensation. Through political, economic and religious development, global arts and culture flourished and sometimes reduced to a very low point. This fact therefore poses a challenge to every human around the world to ensure the flourishing of global arts and culture by allowing and maintaining political, economic and religious stability. The future of global arts and culture as defined by 2008 is uncertain. The future lies in the choices of men. The right choices will lead to the positive development of arts and culture while the wrong choices will lead to negative developments. The future is unpredictable and uncertain†¦it lies in our choices(David, K. 100-103) Arts in Global Interaction Arts can play a huge role in global interaction. Through arts, experiences are shared throughout the world. For instance, tourists travel all over the world and are welcomed by different cultures which they end up assimilating with. They are attracted by the unique nature of the different cultures and styles and some end up purchasing commodities from those cultures which they take back home. This art work gives the tourists a story to tell to their loved ones back in their homes. Therefore, through the making and selling of art work, one individual from one global destination earns a living, while others from various other destinations get entertained and have a story to share(David, K. 109-114). Indigenous Development of Talent In the current global village, local talent has great potential of developing into independent industries. Different culture and art forms are always appealing. If the local talent can be given space to develop and grow, the global market always has room for accommodating new art works thereby creating employment and income for millions of people around the world who represent the various art and cultural backgrounds. This arts and cultural talent can be developed through national arts and cultural exhibitions where the arts and cultures are showcased to the rest of the world. These exhibitions should also develop business systems that can support trade and therefore enable the artistes to earn a decent living. This is the only way to ensure sustenance of the various arts represented by people around the world(David, K. 112-118). Survey into the Main Global Initiatives on Arts, Culture and Society A small survey can be carried out to give a deeper understanding into matters affecting arts and culture with the following specifics: Purpose Statement: the world at large need to take up the responsibility of promoting arts and culture through ensuring political, economical and religious stability. Hypothesis: arts and culture thrive in a world of political, economical and religious stability. Objective: To study the effect of politics, economics and religion on arts and culture. The findings of the survey can then be recorded and analyzed to give a comprehensive conclusion to the survey. Work cited David, Kilcullen. (2007). â€Å"Ethics, Politics, and Non-State Warfare: A Response to Gonzalez. † Anthropology Today vol. 23, no. 3. pg 56-120

Baptism :: essays research papers

Naimoi, a good friend of mine, who lives in Bermuda did not consider baptism to be merely an option . She attended a seventh-day institution were they believe that by baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and testify our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in the newness of life. For more than a year she had eagerly studied the Bible, and longed to become a Christian. One evening she shared with her family the new information that she had learned, and they were glad for her. The time came for Naimoi to be baptized in the gravery waters. Peace filled her heart as she was baptized. The English word baptize comes from the Greek verb bapizo, which implies immersion, since it is derived from the verb bapto, meaning "to dip in or under." Baptism is simply a symbol of Christ's death and resurrection. If this was not so, baptism would have had no significance as a symbol of Christ's passion "if the apostolic church had practiced a mode of baptism other than immersion." Therefore "the strongest argument for baptism by immersion is a theological one. Baptism is virtually linked to salvation. Christ taught that "he who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16). Even though baptism is linked to salvation it does not guarantee salvation. It brings about a newness of life, forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. I can remember my baptism like it was yesterday. I was all excited, filled with joy and happiness. After coming from under the water, I felt like a new person. I didn't feel isolated anymore, because I became part of Christ's church. Even though I was baptized didn't mean that I had reached my highest peak attainable to being a Christian. As we grow spiritually, we acquire Christian graces to be used in serving others on God's plan of multiplication: "grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2) We see that baptism incorporates new believers into the church with the context of "being born again." Therefore, the question is often asked if infants or children be baptized? Incorporation takes place at the "new birth," not at "infant birth." This is why believers wee baptized - "both men and woman"(Acts 8:12) "Nowhere in the New Testament," Karl Barth

Powder †Story Analysis Essay

Powder is a straightforward story about an adolescent boy and his father on a ski trip. It is a first person story; written from the boy’s point of view who is also a central character in this story. The parents are separated or divorced; the father has promised to have the boy back to his mother in time for Christmas Eve dinner. But the father tarries, deciding to get in a few more runs, and by the time they set off, the mountain road they must take is closed and guarded by a state trooper. Eventually the trooper leaves his post and the father decides to risk the snow-covered road. In this story, everything seems to point to disaster. The narrator (an older version of the boy) consistently conveys a sense of worry, at first only that he will be late for Christmas Eve dinner (which has added importance because the father wants to win back the favor of his wife and is screwing this up), but later we fret about their physical well-being. The father sternly warns the boy against such foolhardy behavior. Disaster looms. Yet the boy, who is so tightly wired that he numbers his clothes hangers, is finally able to relax, to trust his father, to accept his fate and enjoy the journey. â€Å"If you haven’t driven fresh powder,† he says at the end, â€Å"you haven’t driven. † Really helps to wrap up this short story nicely. This story captures the two characters as images very well as we are drawn into their lives by the author (character as presented by the author). For example — â€Å"Criminy. This will have to be a fast one. † Expressed by the father give the reader, a sense of urgency and you can visualize this character on the slope with the proper expression. Then the line â€Å"My father in his forty-eighth year, rumpled, kind, bankrupt of honor, flushed with certainty. He was a great driver. † As expressed by the POV Character kind of brings it all together. The characters were alive from the beginning of this story and it was due to the really good characterization that was done by this author.

Indo-Burma Forests

Forestry â€Å"Indo-Burma Forests† Forests, some of the most essential ecosystems in the world, house about forty to seventy-five percent all plants and animals globally. Unfortunately, the amount of biodiversity in forests is severely at risk due to the increasing deforestation over the past four decades. It is estimated in the biological community that approximately 50,000 species are completely wiped out annually as a result of arbitration, land clearance, logging, and other human techniques.Dry. Edward Wilson, a Harvard professor, predicts that half of all of earth's species could be extinct in about 50 years, unless the deforestation rate decreases. In 2011, Conservation International (also known as C') conducted a study of the top ten most endangered forests in the world (half of them located Asia-Pacific Region). Of the ten, the Indo-Burma forests were deemed the number one most endangered forest. Encompassing approximately 2,373,000 km, the forests spreads from eastern India to Southern china.The Indo- Burma forests are considered to be one of 34 â€Å"biodiversity hotshots,† a term coined y Norman Myers (a British biologist), which is a biographic landscape characterized by outstanding levels of habitat loss and plant endemics. Over ninety- five percent of the region's forests have been destroyed, which leaves only about five percent of the original forest area still standing; therefore, the Indo-Burma forests are the most vulnerable forests globally. The Indo-Burma forests are positioned in the midst of floodplains, lakes, and rivers.These various waterways give off life and prosperity, allowing richness in biodiversity as well as resources. This region is home oh number of the largest freshwater fish, bird, and turtle species. There is also, an assortment of ecosystems embodied in this hotshot, comprising of dry evergreen, wet evergreen, and deciduous forests. There are also several patches of woodlands and scrubbings on karts limestone ridges, some in costal lands as well as dispersed heath forests. Additionally, a broad range of distinct, restricted vegetation developments, including seasonally flooded grasslands, lowland floodplain swamps, and mangroves.This vast biological diversity is a result of topographical interaction, soil hegemonies, climate change, and seasonal rainfall patterns. The plant species are abundantly diverse with 13,500 vascular plants estimated with about half of them being endemic. The flora of forests range from a variety of ginger and orchids (over 1,000 different orchid species found in Thailand alone) to tropical hardwood trees including Disintegrations (teak) and Dipterous (which happens to be commercially valuable).The animal species are even more widespread as Indo-Burma is continually unmasking biological treasures. In the last twelve years, [the following] six age mammals have been discovered: The Salon, the Inanimate Mountain, the Large- Antlered Mountain, the Leaf Deer, the Gre y Swanked Doc, and the Inanimate Rabbit. There are approximately 430 mammal species residing in the region; over seventy species and seven types are endemic. Over 280 amphibian species are found in the hotshot, but there is not high level of endemics outside of the genus level.The region has noteworthy freshwater fish creatures; there are over 1,260 recognized species (about 10% of the world's total freshwater fish). There are more than 1,260 bird species with over 60 being endemic. The floodplain wetlands and the rivers are absolutely essential for bird species conservation since population numbers have declined due to human expansion and hunting. The reptile population is one of the more prevalent species of the region. Almost 520 species of reptile reside there which more than 200 species being endemic and twelve genera.This Indo-Burma hotshot carries perhaps the largest assortment of freshwater turtles globally; there are exactly 53 species (57 including tortoises), signifying 2 0% of the world's species. A popular species is the Chitchatted, a striped narrow-headed turtle with a soft-shell, which can grow up to about 120 centimeters. These species are decreases in number as well, mostly due to the overexploitation on behalf of wildlife trade. Of the 22 non- marine turtle species that are endangered, almost half of them are found in the Indo- Burma region.Other prominent reptiles include the Ellipsis butterfly lizard, the Chinese crocodile lizard, and the Siamese crocodile. Humans have greatly impacted life for the animals, however, and the overall environment. Indo-Burma was actually one of the primary lands used by humans in the development of agriculture; Hereford, fire has been used more and more over the years to clear out land needed to fit agricultural needs and other human demands. As demand for agricultural goods has skyrocketed over the past years due to population and market expansion, forest destruction became widespread.Huge areas of lowland fo rests soon became replaced with tree plantations (oil palm, teak, and rubber), while hill forests and Montana were threatened by sugarcane, coffee, tea, and vegetable crop plantations. In addition to plantations, forests become endangered by mining for ores and gems, firewood collection, charcoal production, and logging. The marine ecosystem simultaneously became under great pressure in many areas due to development. Draining for the cultivation of wet rice has damaged freshwater wetlands and floodplain swamps (mainly in Vietnam, Thailand, and Manner).The damming of rivers have also become way more prevalent in efforts to generate electricity and maximize water storage to support the economic growth of the country as well as for exportation of goods and services to bordering countries to increase foreign exchange income; regrettably, damming a river not only converts that small body of eater into a large pond, but it decreases the oxygen content and overall temperature, as well as i n amplifies water turbidity down the river and river-bed erosion.The operational measures of the reservoir has resulted in sporadic or frequent flooding of sandbanks, stretches of channel assortment, sandbars, and other territory that is generally uncovered during dry season [severely impacting turtle species and nesting birds]. Mangroves in the region have been transformed to aquaculture ponds, while mudflats have been comprehensively afforested with mangrove or shed by piles of nets, which greatly effects their significance as a feeding habitat for migrating birds and other specimen.Furthermore, ecosystems of sand dunes are in severe danger due to forestation, and overfeeding along with excessive use of [destructive] fishing methods have produced a considerable problem with both the offshore and coastal aquatic ecosystems. Being that only 5% of natural habitats are left in a pristine state and 10%-25% of damaged land due to habitat loss and exploitation of resources, something had to be done to decrease the probability of omelet extinction of the forests. In the Indo-Burma hotshot, protected area structures have become the foundation of government conservation program.There is officially 236,000 km of land protected, representing nearly ten percent of the original amount of vegetation in the region. Conversely, only 132,000 km (almost six percent) is in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (ICON) protected area categories one to four. Together, the countries of Lower Mekong (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Ala P. D. R. ) have above 13 percent f their territory contained by an arrangement of protected areas.A fine approach to ensuring that the system of protected areas effectively preserves representative biodiversity is by securing the species that face the greatest danger of extinction globally. Endangered species worldwide are shielded best by targeting preservation investment to the sites in which they are prevalen t; these areas are known as â€Å"key biodiversity areas† (Kbps). More efforts towards the conservation of the Indo-Burma forests are currently in the making and there are many organizations and individuals that are eager to contribute.

minority rule in america essays

minority rule in america essays The People Who Control Your Mind: A Look At Minority Rule In America Alexis de Tocqueville discussed how he believed that majority rules in the United States. He writes about how the majority in America has control over the opinions of the masses and how people do not think for themselves. The latter part of that is true. The masses do not form many of their own opinions but these opinions are not given to them, like Tocqueville says, by the majority. These "ready made opinions" (Tocqueville 11) are given to American people by a powerful few. Tocquville's writing does not apply to the US today because several kinds of minorities wield inordinate amounts of power in modern American society. The media is the main source of information for America today. Tocqueville would call the media the "intellectual authority"(Tocqueville 13) in America. "Everybody there adopts great numbers of theories, on philosophy, morals, and politics, without inquiry"(Tocqueville 11) These forms of media, newspapers, television and radio to name a few are filled with opinions and ideas that people just accept. Many of the leading media corporations are run by a handful of people. This means that the ideas and opinions that the masses are accepting are those ideas and opinions of a certain few people, a minority. The President of the United States is the single most powerful person in America. "A president can cause immeasurable harm (or good) purely on his own authority"(Alterman 12). Today is a very important time concerning the future of the Presidency and our country. The elections are coming up. The only two candidates who really have a chance of being our next President are Al Gore and George W. Bush. Both of these are wealthy, white, Christian family men. Political and economic power is in the hands of a few, like Gore and Bush. These candidates along with their corporate backers represent such a small number of people in our country that it cons...

Overview of the Peoples Crusade

Overview of the People's Crusade A popular movement of crusaders, mostly commoners but also including individuals from all levels of society, who did not wait for the official leaders of the expedition but took off for the Holy Land early, unprepared and inexperienced. The Peoples Crusade was also known as: The Peasants Crusade, The Popular Crusade, or The Crusade of the Poor People. The Peoples Crusade has also been termed the first wave of crusaders by noted Crusades scholar Jonathan Riley-Smith, who has pointed out the difficulty of distinguishing separate crusade expeditions among the almost ceaseless stream of pilgrims from Europe to Jerusalem. How the Peoples Crusade got started: In November 1095, Pope Urban II made a speech at the Council of Clermont calling for Christian warriors to go to Jerusalem and free it from the rule of Muslim Turks. Urban no doubt envisioned an organized military campaign led by those whose entire social class had been built around military prowess: the nobility. He set the official date of departure for mid-August of the following year, knowing the time it would take for funds to be raised, supplies to be procured and armies to be organized. Shortly after the speech, a monk known as Peter the Hermit also began to preach Crusade. Charismatic and passionate, Peter (and probably several others like him, whose names are lost to us) appealed not just to a select portion of travel-ready combatants but to all Christians men, women, children, the elderly, nobles, commoners even serfs. His enthralling sermons fired the religious zeal in his listeners, and many people not only resolved to go on Crusade but to go right then and there, some even following Peter himself. The fact that they had little food, less money, and no military experience did not deter them in the least; they believed they were on a holy mission, and that God would provide. Armies of the Peoples Crusade: For some time, the participants in the Peoples Crusade were regarded as nothing more than peasants. While it is true many of them were commoners of one variety or another, there were also noblemen among their ranks, and the individual bands that formed were usually led by trained, experienced knights. For the most part, to call these bands armies would be a gross overstatement; in many cases, the groups were simply a collection of pilgrims traveling together. Most were on foot and armed with crude weapons, and discipline was almost nonexistent. However, some of the leaders were able to exercise more control over their followers, and a crude weapon can still inflict serious damage; so scholars continue to refer to some of these groups as armies. The Peoples Crusade moves through Europe: In March 1096, bands of pilgrims began to journey eastward through France and Germany on their way to the Holy Land. Most of them followed an ancient road of pilgrimage that ran along the Danube and into Hungary, then south into the Byzantine Empire and its capital, Constantinople. There they expected to cross the Bosphorus to territory controlled by the Turks in Asia Minor. The first to leave France was Walter Sans Avoir, who commanded a retinue of eight knights and a large company of infantry. They proceeded with surprisingly little incident along the old pilgrim route, only encountering any real trouble in Belgrade when their foraging got out of hand. Their early arrival at Constantinople in July took the Byzantine leaders by surprise; they had not had time to prepare proper lodging and supplies for their western visitors. More bands of crusaders coalesced around Peter the Hermit, who followed not far behind Walter and his men. Greater in number and less disciplined, Peters followers encountered more trouble in the Balkans. At Zemun, the last town in Hungary before reaching the Byzantine border, a riot broke out and many Hungarians were killed. The crusaders wanted to escape punishment by crossing the Sava River into Byzantium, and when Byzantine forces tried to stop them, violence ensued. When Peters followers got to Belgrade they found it deserted, and they probably sacked it in their ongoing quest for food. At nearby Nish, the governor allowed them to exchange hostages for supplies, and the town almost escaped without damage until some Germans set fire to mills as the company was leaving. The governor sent troops to attack the retreating crusaders, and although Peter ordered them not to, many of his followers turned to face the attackers and were cut down. Eventually, they reached Constantinople without further incident, but the Peoples Crusade had lost many participants and funds, and they had inflicted serious damage on the lands between their homes and Byzantium. Many other bands of pilgrims followed after Peter, but none made it to the Holy Land. Some of them faltered and turned back; others were sidetracked in some of the most horrific pogroms in medieval European history. The Peoples Crusade and the First Holocaust: The speeches of Pope Urban, Peter the Hermit, and others of his ilk had stirred up more than a pious yearning to see the Holy Land. Urbans appeal to the warrior elite had painted Muslims as enemies of Christ, subhuman, loathsome, and in need of vanquishing. Peters speeches were even more incendiary. From this malevolent viewpoint, it was a small step to see Jews in the same light. It was, sadly, an all-too-common belief that Jews had not only killed Jesus but that they continued to pose a threat to good Christians. Added to this was the fact that some Jews were notably prosperous, and they made the perfect target for greedy lords, who used their followers to massacre entire Jewish communities and plunder them for their wealth. The violence that was perpetrated against European Jews in the spring of 1096 is a significant turning point in Christian and Jewish relations. The horrific events, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Jews, have even been called the First Holocaust. From May to July, pogroms occurred at Speyer, Worms, Mainz, and Cologne. In some cases, the bishop of the town or local Christians, or both, sheltered their neighbors. This was successful at Speyer but proved futile in other Rhineland towns. The attackers sometimes demanded that the Jews convert to Christianity on the spot or lose their lives; not only did they refuse to convert, but some even killed their children and themselves rather than die at the hands of their tormentors. The most notorious of the anti-Jewish crusaders was Count Emicho of Leiningen, who was definitely responsible for the attacks on Mainz and Cologne and may have had a hand in the earlier massacres. After the bloodshed along the Rhine was over, Emicho led his forces onward to Hungary. His reputation preceded him, and the Hungarians would not let him pass. After a three-week siege, Emichos forces were crushed, and he went home in disgrace. The pogroms were decried by many Christians of the day. Some even pointed to these crimes as the reason God forsook their fellow crusaders at Nicaea and Civetot. The end of the Peoples Crusade: By the time Peter the Hermit arrived in Constantinople, Walter Sans Avoirs army had been restlessly waiting there for weeks. Emperor Alexius convinced Peter and Walter that they should wait in Constantinople until the main body of Crusaders, who were massing in Europe under powerful noble commanders, arrived. But their followers were not happy with the decision. Theyd undergone a long journey and many trials to get there, and they were eager for action and glory. Furthermore, there still wasnt enough food and supplies for everyone, and foraging and theft were rampant. So, less than a week after Peters arrival, Alexius ferried the Peoples Crusade across the Bosporus and into Asia Minor. Now the crusaders were in a truly hostile territory where there was little food or water to be found anywhere, and they had no plan for how to proceed. They quickly began squabbling amongst themselves. Eventually, Peter returned to Constantinople to elicit help from Alexius, and the Peoples Crusade broke into two groups: one primarily made up of Germans with a few Italians, the other of Frenchmen. Toward the end of September, the French crusaders managed to loot a suburb of Nicaea. The Germans decided to do the same. Unfortunately, Turkish forces expected another attack and surrounded the German crusaders, who managed to take refuge in the fortress at Xerigordon. After eight days, the Crusaders surrendered. Those who did not convert to Islam were killed on the spot; those who did convert were enslaved and sent eastward, never to be heard from again. The Turks then sent a forged message to the French crusaders, telling of great riches the Germans had acquired. In spite of warnings from wiser men, the Frenchmen took the bait. They rushed onward, only to be ambushed at Civetot, where every last crusader was slaughtered. The Peoples Crusade was over. Peter considered returning home but instead remained in Constantinople until the main body of the more organized crusading forces arrived. The text of this document is copyright  ©2011-2015 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. 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#2 Religion Reflection Assignment on a reading by Scarboro and Luck Essay

#2 Religion Reflection Assignment on a reading by Scarboro and Luck called The Goddess and Power (Reading material is uploaded) - Essay Example While thinking about the first question the researcher discovered that the exposition of the paper makes a reader indulge into reflective mode since the reader is compelled to question what the real objective of the authors could be in writing this paper. It appears as if the author would discuss the emergence of religious diversity in order to show the accommodative, liberal and diverse nature of the American religious arena. However, the terms â€Å"religious plethora† â€Å"pagan ceremonies† and â€Å"radical† (Scarboro and Luck, 69) used in the second paragraph bear negative connotation for beliefs like Wicca and Witchcraft and seem to belittle the value of these beliefs in the very onset. This implies that the authors consider all such religious practices somewhat alien to the mainstream America belief systems. The research questions brought forward by the authors – â€Å"What is the appeal of witchcraft to contemporary Americans?† and â€Å"W hat does Wicca offer to the wider American religious tradition?† (69) – also implicate alienation, separation and distancing of these religious beliefs form the authors’ own beliefs. The wording and terminology used here could look more convincing if the authors had used more neutral language. The discussion also implies that the attributes of Wicca religion and the Witches’ attack on Christian beliefs make the readers assume that Wicca Witches are insolently bold and believe in personal and communal freedom. The words like â€Å"distant, stern, judging, vengeful [....] standing over against the human† (71) used by the Witches for the Christian God implicate that the Witches believe in a belief system which does not have any threat of judgement or punishment. Likewise, the gender inclusive nature of divinity in Wicca culture also sounds striking and imply that the practitioners of this religion believe in human rights and, more specifically speaking, women rights. The male