Beyond Magic essays

Beyond Magic essays Only David Copperfield, the greatest magician alive and of all time, can put on a show and influence peoples perspective on how things are viewed and seen. Copperfield being named one of 10 outstanding men in American U.S. Jaycees is just one of many achievements Copperfield is proud of. Although people view Copperfield as an illusionist and that is it, Copperfield actually uses his magic in other ways that just in his shows, but most people look at the trick itself and not the entire performance. Although there is more than just the trick to the show, there are certain aspects Copperfield uses in all of his performances. Lights. The lights dim down. The curtain rolls open with thunder. Music. An open elevator is seen up above the stage while fog and rock n roll fill the auditorium. The empty elevator is closed and shown empty with light shining through a screen. Magic. Suddenly, a shadow appears and the elevator is now opened to reveal the star of the show, David Copperfield! Even though the spectators mouths have dropped and some are already on there feet applauding, the show has just begun. Lights, music, and magic are all parts of a spectacular show: a spectacular show that David Copperfield performs over five hundred times a year! Copperfield is considered the master of disappearing acts. (Dawes and Seterington 55). There are not too many things Copperfield hasnt made disappear. He has made everything vanish from assistants to motorcycles to a jet airliner, which was the highlight of the 1981 TV special (Gubernick, Newcomb). On autumn of 1983, Copperfield took his vanishing act a step higher once again by attempting to vanish the Statue of Liberty. It will be known as the most famous object vanished, known by millions of people and by David Copperfield (Current Biography 92 ed. 135). That evening Copperfield temporarily removed the 450,000-pound symbol off freedom form plain view...

Slavery in the Southern States essays

Slavery in the Southern States essays In early America, the southern states quickly realized that crops such as tobacco and cotton were very much in demand. The land and climate were excellent for the growth of these crops and slave labor was perfectly suited for the jobs. Most importantly to the growers, slave labor was very cheap. The planters invested in slaves rather than machinery to increase production. Slavery originated from a concept known as indentured servitude. One half to two-thirds of all immigrants to Colonial America arrived as indentured servants. At times, as many as 75% of the population of some colonies were under terms of the indenture. Even on the frontier, according to the 1790 U.S. Census, 6% of the Kentucky population was indentured. The historic basis for indenture grew out of English agricultural servitude and began because of labor shortages in England and the colonies. It developed at a time when England had a great number of people being displaced from farming. This led to the early growth of the indentured labor system. The importation of white servants under contracts known as indentures proved more profitable as a short-term labor source than enslaving Indians or using free labor. Eventually, the final attempt to ease labor shortages was enslavement of Africans. A labor-intensive cash crop such as tobacco required a large workforce. The earliest indentured servants were brought to Virginia as farm laborers. In practice, the servant would sell himself to an agent or ship captain before leaving the British Isles. In turn, the contract would be sold to a buyer in the colonies to recover the cost of the passage. In theory, the person is only selling his or her labor. In practice, however, indentured servants were slaves, and the courts enforced the laws that made it so. The treatment of the servant was harsh and often brutal. Colonial laws punished runaway indentured servants with severity. The government initially soug...

Business Law (International) Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Law (International) - Coursework Example The United States Supreme court has stated that "The legal right of an individual to decrease the amount of what would otherwise be his taxes or altogether avoid them, by means which the law permits, cannot be doubted." [Wikipedia] Tax can be averted by: To minimize their tax liability within the United States and to try to reduce tax disadvantages, a growing number of American corporations have been moving their headquarters offshore, a procedure known as â€Å"corporate inversion.† A corporation opens a subsidiary in another country’s jurisdiction. That subsidiary then buys up the shares or assets of the parent corporation, becoming the legal â€Å"Mother Company,† with the U.S. facility now transformed into the subsidiary. Virtually nothing else changes as a result of this inversion. Manufacturing, jobs, sales, and marketing remain as they were before. It is basically just a paperwork process to shift the company’s ownership outside the United States to avoid such fiscal disadvantages as double-taxing of earnings. It is not costless. The formal selling of the shares by the stockholders results in a capital gains on which they then have a tax liability to the U.S. government, even though those sold shares are merely transferred into shares of the newly relocated company. Yet a growing number of companies have chosen to make this move with shareholder approval because of the long-run tax savings for the corporation. (Clarkson, 2008) One company, Seasons Steel of Australia, Sydney, made this shift to Bermuda because they estimated that while capital gains taxes owed by shareholders to the U.S. Treasury would be as much as $150 million as a result of the inversion, the company would save as much as $30 million per year in tax liabilities. Assuming a 2.5 percent interest rate, over 10 years this would result in a savings of $263 million in present-value terms. At the same time, the company estimated that the higher profitability of the firm resulting from the

Managing people- Structure and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing people- Structure and Culture - Essay Example The secret of their success is that they try to do every work with efficiency. In order to perform efficiently researchers have identified many theories and models, which organizations have adopted freely. These have focused on the theories and models of organization structure and culture. Both of these are very important for an organizations success. In order to study in detail the structure and culture of an organization I have selected one of the largest banks in UK which is HSBC. This paper not only focuses on discussing the structure of bank but also identifies it impact on the workforce and the possible changes in future (Mullins Laurie J, 2007, p.550) In today’s global environment HSBC bank is the biggest financial service provider. It is one of the largest banks in UK, having its headquarters in London. It has 10,000 offices in 82 states some of which are in Middle East, Asia –Pacific Regions, Africa, Europe, United Kingdom etc. it have a wide network. HSBC Holdings Plc has 200,000 shareholders in hundred nations, such as in Hong Kong, UK, Paris, New York etc. Due to the facilities of internet and other technological systems HSBC provides many financial services to the customers, which includes personal financial services, investment banking, commercial banking, and other products and services. HSBC mainly considers principles and values in the organization. It provides financial services to small and medium sized enterprises. It has more than three million customers on the list which includes public companies, incorporated businesses, associations, clubs, partnership and sole proprietorship. HSBC organizational structure model is similar to the model defined in the theories of organizational behavior as shown in figure 1. A normal model of structural framework is used in a chart. It emphasizes on the fact that organizational structure provides

MBA BUSINESS ANALYSIS, portfolio 1 sub Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MBA BUSINESS ANALYSIS, portfolio 1 sub - Essay Example Business analytics is the key for the company to run its business activities. As Vijayan (2011, p. 1) states, â€Å"predictive analytics approaches are focused on helping companies glean actionable intelligence based on historical data†. For working on the data provided by the clients and checking its operational feasibility through predictive models, the use of business analytics seems essential. Moreover, the company also uses management information system to manage information in a logical manner. The management information system helps the company in storing and processing of information into useful data which can be used for decision making purposes. Let us take a real life example of the use of business analytics in Front Guide investment Solutions. A client goes to the company to know whether he/she should make investment in the telecom sector of any particular country or not. Now, the company will gather data related to the telecom sector of that country which may incl ude annual revenue, growth potential, GDP deflator, and other important data and will perform statistical analysis of the data to know whether investment in that sector will be a feasible option for the client or not. Looking at this example, it is obvious that the company is a data driven organization and has adopted the use of business analytics to a great extent. How is it benefiting from doing so? The company is getting a number of considerable benefits from the use of business analytics. For example, the company is able to provide accurate details about the feasibility of investment to the clients. Clients come to the company to know what the investment will yield for them in future. The company provides the clients with information based on statistical analysis of data which in not only accurate but also very close to reality as the analysis is done using predictive models. As Stubbs (2011, p. 1) states, â€Å"the value of analytics lies in its ability to deliver better outco mes†. The more the employees will be skilled in using business analytics, more accurate and consistent will be the results of analysis. The well organized business analytics system also provides many other benefits for the company. For example, one of the main benefits of using business analytics appears when the company applies re-apply existing competencies to get real life data regarding investment scenarios. The company also applies modeling skills to increase the revenue, improve customer retention, and maintain the business image. Along with improving the business efficiency, business analytics helps the company in avoiding the risk of miscommunication by communicating the value of business analytics clients in such a way that become able to build support and gain traction. Business analytics does not just relate to statistics, it also plays a key role in organizational change processes (Stubbs 2011). Do analytics contribute to business performance and profitability? The business analytics definitely contribute to improved business performance and profitability. It helps the company maintain its competitive advantage that comes from the firm’s ability to capitalize on uniqueness. Front Guide investment Solutions has the potential to make use of that exact uniqueness in a unique and matchless way. The company takes advantage critical data, which is the biggest

Fine Art, Photography And Influence In Dadaism

Fine Art, Photography And Influence In Dadaism Photography has played a controversial but an important role in the arts for the last 150 years. The question is still debated whether photography is an art or a form of documentation seen by the eye instead of the mind. Since its beginnings, photography, as an art form has been questioned the view is that photography is not an art, but a form of mechanical reproduction, it was slandered as being more technological than creative. Dadaists, in contrast, embraced photography, enjoying its modern means of creation. Their experiments with the medium include use of double exposures, radical perspective, and unconventional subjects. Dadaists also experimented with photograms, camera-less photographic prints that record the placement of objects on photosensitive paper that has been exposed to light; these are among some of the earliest abstract photographs. The Dadaists were the first artists to abandon conventional materials and techniques.Raoul Haussmann, John Heartfield, and Hannah Hoch invented photo-montage a collage of separate photographs that is re-photographed so that the final image is converted back into a seamless photographic print. The original aim of the Movement was far removed from the world of art, and was primarily political in nature. To its supporters Dada was not art, it was anti art, and for everything art stood for dada was to represent the opposite they wanted to affect all aspects of Western civilization, to take part in the revolutionary changes which were the inevitable result of the chaos of the First World War They were not interested in painting pictures which the public would admire in an detached manner, they wanted to provoke the public into reacting to their activities. To the Dadaists, a violently negative reaction was better than a passive acceptance. The artwork consisted of photomontages paintings, advertisements, collages, poetry, essays, leaflets and combinations of multiple art forms. Dada influenced almost every artistic principle of our time. Protests in the US during the 1960s copied those of the Dadaists during and after the World Wars. Dada artists developed new techniques of collage and montage and pioneered the use of materials such as newspaper clippings and postcards in their works. A weaving together of photographs and paper to create a new artistic image The main representatives of Dadaism were Hans Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Hugo ball, Francis Picabia, Max Ernst, Raoul Haussmann, Man Ray, John Heartfield Marcel Janco, Kurt Schwitters, Hannah Hoch, Sophie Taeuber Arp. Max Ernst born in Germany, 1891-1976 enrolled at Bonn University in 1909 and studied philosophy, art history, literature, psychology and psychiatry. In 1914 he met Hans Arp a founder member of Dada in Cologne. The two soon became friends and their friendship lasted for fifty years. With the outburst of the First World War Ernst was conscripted to the army,, He fought in France and Poland, in his autobiography he referred to his time in the army On the first of August 1914 Max Ernst died. He was resurrected on the eleventh of November 1918which suggests to me, that a part of himself died when he enlisted in the war, which started on Aug 1st and that the day the war ended 11th Nov he felt hed come alive again .His artwork reflected his experiences in battle using military photographs as source material for photomontages and considering he studied psychology and art history in University , violence and brutality were probably no reflection of the man he was. Pasting together images of planes or bombs with humans, Collage is the exploitation of the chance meeting of two distant realities on an unfamiliar plane -Max Ernst, 1919 The Punching Ball or the Immortality of Buonarroti 1920 Self Portrait Photomontage, gouache, and ink on photograph Painting is not for me either decorative amusement, or the plastic invention of felt reality; it must be every time: invention, discovery, revelation. Max Ernst. Man Ray born Emmanuel Radnitzky1890-1976 an American photographer and painter raised in New York Beginning as a commercial artist in New York, he taught himself photography to reproduce his paintings and mixed media. Man Ray, was the Dadaist most committed to photography, he abandoned painting altogether, and dedicated his art making after 1918 to film and photography. He had his first solo show of paintings and drawings in 1915. His first Dada-style work, an assemblage he called Self-Portrait, was shown in 1916. After meeting Marcel Duchamp, he founded the American branch of the Dada movement. The New York Dadaists tended to be more optimistic than their European counterparts. Dadaist ideas were not really accepted by New Yorkers and Man Ray left America to live and work in Paris in 1921, he set up a photography studio and began making photograms, which he called Rayographs. These Rayographs summarise the essence of Dadaism and Surrealism. His experiments with photography included rediscovering how to make camera less pictures. He made them by placing objects directly on light-sensitive paper, which he exposed to light and developed them In Paris he created one of his best known Dadaist artworks: Indestructible Object (1923), a metronome with a photo of an eye attached to its clicking arm. artists such as James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, and Jean Cocteau posed for Man Rays camera. When Dada dispelled, Ray was already an active Surrealist Man Rays negative portrait of Jacqueline Goddard (1930) initialled by the photographer in pencil, is one of the photographers many images of women. Printed from an auto chrome, as opposed to a conventional negative, the auto chrome, used in place of a negative during the printing process, yielded a photograph with reversed tones and a diffuse luminosity. Man Ray rotated the picture to 90 degrees, so that Goddard who had been lying down during the sitting, appears in the finished print to float in space with her hair streaming dramatically behind her John Heartfield born Helmut Herzfeld 1891 1968 was a German photomontagist, draughtsman, typographer and stage designer John Heartfield and his siblings were abandoned by their parents his mother, a political activist, and his father, a socialist writer had to flee Germany to avoid persecution for their political beliefs. The children were raised by relatives and in institutions From 1907 to 1911 John Heartfield studied art at the KÃ ¶nigliche Kunstgewerbeschule in Munich , specializing in poster design. In the summer of 1916, Germany had been using an offensive nationalistic slogan: Gott Strafe England or May God Punish England. This angered Helmut who protested by changing his name to John Heartfield. John Heartfield played a major role in the Dada Movement, he learned techniques and styles from many other artists who expressed their political ideas through art. His experiences in World War I led him to conclude that the only worthy art, was that which took account of social realities. He witnessed a country of hungry, desolate people in the midst of chaos during the Second World War, and through his art, protested their suffering. He took a sarcastic approach, condemning the anti-semite and the wealthy industrialists who supported the German army Most of his career was spent declaring his opposition to Hitler and the Nazi Regime and he used his art to protest the violent, greedy governmental control of the Nazi party. His politically charged photomontages were banned in his home country during the Nazi regime In 1939 the Arcade Gallery in London showed one of Heartfields most famous exhibitions, One Mans War against Hitler . This piece is Hearfields interpretation of the Nazi military slogan. Blood dripping from the swastika infers that the military (weapons and soldiers) was all Germany needed for victory. Bismarck had stated that the German people would be reformed through a combination of blood and iron. Heartfields 1934 photomontage shows how this was to be interpreted in reality In my opinion Dada was a radical art form that challenged Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. Dadaists were the first to use photography to create photomontage images which made visible to the world the violence, hypocrisies and chaos of the war and revolution. They used their art and photography as a weapon to express their political dissatisfaction. They weaved together in their photomontages and collages, their thoughts and experiences and associations with the environment and culture they witnessed during their lifetime. Dada seem to me to have been a group of people who stood up an fought back against dictatorship and oppression. While the thunder of guns rolled in the distance, we sang, painted, glued and composed for all our worth. We are seeking an art that would heal mankind from the madness of the age. Jean Arp The photomontage images were created by taking multiple negatives of photos and stacking them together to create a new photo or picture. It is two dimensional with, no perspective or unified point of view. Modern technology today gives us Photoshop and other creative software to create photomontage images, layering and merging photographs together to create new images.

Malaysian :: Business and Management Studies

Malaysian PROTON'S bonnet badge shows a tiger, but a fish might be more appropriate because the state-backed Malaysian car-maker is going from being the largest resident in the small pond of its protected local market to being a minnow in the deep waters of the global car industry. the state-backed Malaysian car-maker is going from being the largest resident in the small pond of its protected local market to being a minnow in the deep waters of the global car industry Malaysia becomes a richer, more discerning car market with lower trade barriers Southeast asia's economy is growing again, and that has triggered record vehicle sales. in Southeast Asia Malaysia is second hootest market after china is clearly the biggest [sales] opportunity for car manufacturers anywhere in Asia. Just 1 in 35 Indonesians owns a car, compared with 1 in 14 Thais and 1 in 7 Malaysians. Right now car purchasers can get loans on a new model with as little as 5% cash up front. That compares with the 20% down payments common just a few years ago. Unlike in China and India, big global auto makers aren't rushing to build manufacturing capacity in high-risk Indonesia. Proton and Perodua are Malaysia's two main domestic manufacturers, claiming over 70 percent of a market where demand is estimated at around 500,000 cars this year. Two other companies also assemble cars locally. While the government continues to encourage small and medium-scale players, there may also be a need to consider steps to consolidate among the many vendors (suppliers) in the automotive industry in order to gain scale, financial strength and managerial talent to expand internationally," Najib Razak told the conference. Political system 1. government While the government continues to encourage small and medium-scale players, there may also be a need to consider steps to consolidate among the many vendors (suppliers) in the automotive industry in order to gain scale, financial strength and managerial talent to expand internationally," Najib Razak told the conference. That suppliers power 2. Malaysia drops duties, adds tax Import duties on cars from outside Southeast Asia will be lowered to 35 percent for knocked-down models, and to 80 percent to 200 percent on fully built models, the government said. Malaysia said it would wait until 2008 to further reduce motor vehicle import duties, to the required range of zero percent to 5 p â€Å"On this basis, the government does not expect major price changes in the cars produced or assembled in Malaysia during 2005.† ercent. Market 1. Malaysia's market is too small to sustain more than one or two domestic car makers, given increasing competition from imports. 2. Malaysia Market Summary Malaysia is a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations

Leadership Lessons from D-Day: A Book Review

For this book review, I chose Victory Principles: Leadership Lessons from D-Day by Leonard Kloeber, Jr., a retired army officer.This book is not only a mere history book but it also provides a lesson on leadership principles based on what was applied by the Allied leaders during those crucial moments that characterized D-Day (also known as Operation Overlord) from the planning stage to the actual execution of the operation which was a success and eventually led to the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation.The first part is more of a historical narrative.   The Kloeber narrates the important events that were considered the defining moments of D-Day which are organized into chapters.   The prelude in included to set the tone and help put the reader on the proper perspective in approaching the book and what it is all about.Each chapter mentioned important leaders during the operation, not just for trivia but describing what they did that made success possible.   These are lead ers who were actually there with the men as they saw action.Such senior leaders were Brigadier General Norman Cota, assistant division commander of the 29th Infantry Division which landed on Omaha Beach and received the brunt of the fighting. It also featured junior leaders such as Lieutenant Richard Winters, of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne who led the company to neutralize an enemy gun emplacement menacing the beaches (Kloeber, Jr., 2009, pp. 61-62, 83).   What these leaders had in common was they made crucial decisions under fire but since they were in the thick of the action, they had a grasp of the situation and came up with crucial decisions that led to victory.Part Two provides an analysis as Kloeber spelled out what he called â€Å"Victory Principles† which were applied by the above-mentioned leaders which were key to the success of D-Day. One example of these principles was resilience which was demonstrated by Generals Cota and Roosevelt when their m en were under fire.They did not panic and maintained their composure which was the glue that kept the men together even though they were taking casualties (Kloeber, Jr, 2009, pp. 208-209).Another principle discussed was making timely decisions as applied by Lieutenant Winters when he and his men carried out their mission which was successful (Kloeber, Jr, 2009, p. 186).   It can be seen that the author did a great job organizing his ideas by telling the story first and discussing the relevant principles.   He was able to establish a connection between the two parts.Part Three is what military leaders call the â€Å"Staff Ride† where military students would tour the battlefield to get a feel of what has happened though not necessarily during actual combat as part of applying the lessons learned in the classroom.The purpose here is to immerse them â€Å"spiritually† and by making them picture themselves being there and it is proven to be an effective method when unde rstanding the principles.   An appendix is added which provides supplemental details on D-Day.Overall, Kloeber’s book is not only for history students but also those who wish to be enlightened on leadership principles and the author has done a good job identifying them and showing how they were applied as well as mentioning their applicability in any kind of situation which need not be about combat.ReferenceKloeber Jr., L. (2009). Victory Principles: Leadership Lessons from D-Day. Garden City, New York: Morgan James Publishing, LLC..

Abortion in America misc essays

Abortion in America misc essays One of the most debated issues in America is abortion: Pro-life or pro-choice. This is a decision that each person has to make for him or herself. Many people say that abortion is the woman's choice. I firmly believe, however, that if the woman is willing to have sex, she should be willing to suffer the consequences. Being a female myself, I am now with the consequences of choosing to be sexually active. But after hearing that innocent heartbeat, I know it will be worth it. Not everyone feels this way. Over one million babies will be aborted this year because of the careless actions of the sexually active. When Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, it was because a woman was raped and became pregnant due to those unfortunate circumstances, not because she was looking for the easy way out (Schmitt). Abortion has become a form of birth control. Instead of using condoms, birth control, and the best form, abstinence, women have turned to killing the innocent. Abortion is at an all time high. Once a sperm and an egg meet, the egg is fertilized. "You then have a new human being. You have the total DNA, everything that human being will ever be" (Pro-Life). This is not an ant to be stepped on; this is a human life being put to an end because of the negligence of two people (National). In the last few years, the right to die has been a highly debated issue in America. Should people with terminal illnesses be able to choose whether they live or die? I feel this relates well to the issue of abortion. Being pregnant is not a terminal illness. It's not an illness at all. It's a live, breathing, growing human being. Shouldn't that human being have the right to life? Lawmakers have said that people do not have the right to die, so why can't a baby have the right to live? Life is a precious thing, whether inside or outside of the body. It is not something to be toyed with or taken granted of. A baby, no m ...

Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn

Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn Conflict: The Battle of Bannockburn occurred during the First War of Scottish Independence (1296-1328). Date: Robert the Bruce defeated the English on June 24, 1314. Armies Commanders: Scotland King Robert the BruceEdward Bruce, Earl of CarrickSir Robert KeithSir James DouglasThomas Randolph, Earl of Moray6,000-6,500 men England King Edward IIEarl of HerefordEarl of Gloucesterapproximately 20,000 men Battle Summary: In the spring of 1314, Edward Bruce, brother of King Robert the Bruce, laid siege to English-held Stirling Castle. Unable to make any significant progress, he struck a deal with the castles commander, Sir Philip Moubray, that if the castle was not relieved by Midsummer Day (June 24) it would be surrendered to the Scots. By the terms of the deal a large English force was required to arrive within three miles of the castle by the specified date. This arrangement displeased both King Robert, who wished to avoid pitched battles, and King Edward II who viewed the potential loss of the castle as a blow to his prestige. Seeing an opportunity to regain the Scottish lands lost since his fathers death in 1307, Edward prepared to march north that summer. Assembling a force numbering around 20,000 men, the army included seasoned veterans of the Scottish campaigns such as the Earl of Pembroke, Henry de Beaumont, and Robert Clifford. Departing Berwick-upon-Tweed on June 17, it moved north through Edinburgh and arrived south of Stirling on the 23rd. Long aware of Edwards intentions, Bruce was able to assemble 6,000-7,000 skilled troops as well as 500 cavalry, under Sir Robert Keith, and approximately 2,000 small folk. With the advantage of time, Bruce was able train his soldiers and better prepare them for the coming battle. The basic Scottish unit, the schiltron (shield-troop) consisted of around 500 spearmen fighting as a cohesive unit. As the immobility of schiltron had been fatal at the Battle of Falkirk, Bruce instructed his soldiers in fighting on the move. As the English marched north, Bruce shifted his army to the New Park, a wooded area overlooking the Falkirk-Stirling road, a low-lying plain known as the Carse, as well as a small stream, the Bannock Burn, and its nearby marshes. As the road offered some of the only firm ground on which the English heavy cavalry could operate, it was Bruces goal to force Edward to move right, over the Carse, in order to reach Stirling. To accomplish this, camouflaged pits, three feet deep and containing caltrops, were dug on both sides of the road. Once Edwards army was on the Carse, it would be constricted by the Bannock Burn and its wetlands and forced to fight on a narrow front, thus negating its superior numbers. Despite this commanding position, Bruce debated giving battle until the last minute but was swayed by reports that English morale was low. On June 23, Moubray arrived in Edwards camp and told the king that battle was not necessary as the terms of the bargain had been met. This advice was ignored, as part of the English army, led by the Earls of Gloucester and Hereford, moved to attack Bruces division at the south end of the New Park. As the English approached, Sir Henry de Bohun, nephew of the Earl of Hereford, spotted Bruce riding in front of his troops and charged. The Scottish king, unarmored and armed with only a battle axe, turned and met Bohuns charge. Evading the knights lance, Bruce cleaved Bohuns head in two with his axe. Chastised by his commanders for taking such a risk, Bruce simply complained that he had broken his axe. The incident helped inspire the Scots and they, with aid of the pits, drove off Gloucester and Herefords attack. To the north, a small English force led by Henry de Beaumont and Robert Clifford was also beaten off by the Scottish division of the Earl of Moray. In both cases, the English cavalry was defeated by the solid wall of Scottish spears. Unable to move up the road, Edwards army moved to the right, crossing the Bannock Burn, and camped for the night on the Carse. At dawn on the 24th, with Edwards army surrounded on three sides by the Bannock Burn, Bruce turned to the offensive. Advancing in four divisions, led by Edward Bruce, James Douglas, the Earl of Moray, and the king, the Scottish army moved towards the English. As they drew near, they paused and knelt in prayer. Seeing this, Edward reportedly exclaimed, Ha! they kneel for mercy! To which an aid replied, Yea sire, they kneel for mercy, but not from you. These men will conqueror or die. As the Scots resumed their advance, the English rushed to form up, which proved difficult in confined space between the waters. Almost immediately, the Earl of Gloucester charged forward with his men. Colliding with the spears of Edward Bruces division, Gloucester was killed and his charge broken. The Scottish army then reached the English, engaging them along the entire front. Trapped and pressed between the Scots and the waters, the English were unable to assume their battle formations and soon their army became a disorganized mass. Pushing forward, the Scots soon began to gain ground, with the English dead and wounded being trampled. Driving home their assault with cries of Press on! Press on! the Scots attack forced many in the English rear to flee back across the Bannock Burn. Finally, the English were able to deploy their archers to attack the Scottish left. Seeing this new threat, Bruce ordered Sir Robert Keith to attack them with his light cavalry. Riding forward, Keiths men struck the archers, driving them from the field. As the English lines began to waver, the call went up On them, on them! They fail! Surging with renewed strength, the Scots pressed home the attack. They were aided by the arrival of the small folk (those lacking training or weapons) who had been held in reserve. Their arrival, coupled with Edward fleeing the field, led to the English armys collapse and a rout ensued. Aftermath: The Battle of Bannockburn became the greatest victory in the history of Scotland. While full recognition of Scottish independence was still several years off, Bruce had driven the English from Scotland and secured his position as king. While exact numbers of Scottish casualties are not known, they are believed to have been light. English losses are not known with precision but may have ranged from 4,000-11,000 men. Following the battle, Edward raced south and finally found safety at Dunbar Castle. He never again returned to Scotland.

Radio Wave Propagation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Radio Wave Propagation - Essay Example So waves lose strength rapidly. [1] Radio waves travel very fast but only in a straight line. Thus the curvature of the earth should limit the distance between transmitter and receiver, a distance of about 60 miles 100 km). However, the earth's atmosphere has properties that allow enhanced propagation. The atmosphere is layered, and these layers have important effects on waves that are propagated on the earth's surface. The layer called the troposphere is a heavy, oxygen filled layer that extends from the surface to about 30 miles (50 km) altitude. From 30m (50 km) to 260m (416 km) is a highly charged layer called the ionosphere. The ionosphere affects radio signals in different ways depending on their frequencies. [2] The frequencies used for radio propagation range from 30 kHz to 3 GHz. Frequencies are continuous but are defined in bands according to their properties and uses. Higher frequencies have shorter wave lengths and more energy: LF waves are propagated as ground waves which, as the name implies, travel along the ground. Because the ground and its terrain interfere with ground waves, transmission requires lots of power. LF waves are used mainly in maritime communications over the sea and the navigational system called LORAN. [4] Sometimes ground waves suffer from a reflecting wave off the ionosphere that can return to earth out of phase near the receiver and interfere with the direct reception. MF wave frequencies are used for AM radio broadcasting. They are also ground waves and during the daylight hours are limited to a range of about 60 miles (100 km). But radio waves can be bent or refracted by changes in the earth's atmosphere particularly by weather patterns and by the ionosphere. The Ionosphere consists of the "D" (30-60 miles [50-100 km]), "E" (60-100 miles [100-160 km]), F1 (90-160 miles [144-256 km]), and the F2 (160-250 miles [256-400 km]) layers. At night, the "E" layer disappears and the F1 and F2 layers combine to form the "F" layer (somewhere between 90 and 250 miles [144-400 km]). Since the "E" layer disappears at night, the lower frequency Sky Waves (MF) travel further up into the atmosphere, where they are REFRACTED by the "F" layer[ up to 300m]. That's why at night, your radio often picks up many more AM broadcast stations! [4] HF waves have enough energy to reach the ionosphere during the day and are refracted by its various layers. Thus short-wave can travelled much further than the curvature of the earth would normally allow. This Sky Wave propagation depends strongly on the ionosphere which is in constant flux. The ionosphere is affected by many astronomical events like meteor showers and solar flares; it is also affected by seasons. Because the ionosphere changes so much, short-wave is considered unreliable for important commercial use. However, some of the effects on radio transmission are positive. These so-called anomalous propagations are of

Creation Myth Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Creation Myth Project - Essay Example The matter and energy did not exist as separate entities, but rather there existed a vastness filled by senseless, meaningless, formless, nebulous space that pervaded every inch of a universe that was without any dimensions, forms or meanings. The universe was thirsty for a sense of form, dimensions and meaning. Then at the very center of this formless, dimensionless and shapeless world, there emerged a scintillating, shimmering, and incessantly vibrating substance element. In a world that was hitherto substance less, it was the first thing that could be called to be a substance, if it was a substance. This substance atom, this substance particle achieved enhanced sense of shimmering, vibration and scintillation, indicative of some infinite energy that was poised to both pervade and envelope the disturbing zero all around. The vibration soon increased to enhanced levels of humming and void, and the nooks and corners of this pervasive null were filled with an incessant and disturbing, humming. Fear gripped the hearts and minds of the entire creation that was yet to be. A sense of urgency, a sense of apprehension, and fear imbued the entire, pervasive nothingness. And then this substance element lost form and started to emit vast rays of energy, just a millisecond before it burst into flames and water. The flames scattered all around the surrounding vacuum and emptiness, finally cooled by its chillness and silence, to yield land masses or what the generations were to call planets. The water emanating from this bursting of the substance particle filled the cracks and crevices of these land masses. There emerged to be oceans, rivers and lakes full of water. The atomic content emanating from this elemental burst gave way to a chemical soup, which eventually shaped by the heat of this burst evolved to form organic molecules. The incessant cycle of life had been initiated in which the molecular organic creations further evolved