Inflation Evaluation Essays - Inflation, Monetary Policy

Inflation Evaluation Today it is almost impossible to pick up a financial journal without seeing news on the bull market that some consider to be overvalued. Overvalued or fairly valued, only the future will show the truth. Either way, this market is one that has shown greater run ups and returns, than any other market in history. (Reference Appendix #1a) Recently the Dow Jones Industrial Average has reached historical highs and then receded back to previous levels, leaving investors who are used to consistent and record setting gains month after month, baffled. Both the Dow Jones and the S & P 500 indices have seen modest and even flat performances over the past three months. (Reference #1b) A recent article that was published on the front page of the Wall Street Journal emphasized that returns were flat due to the fact that investors were concerned of the possible on set of inflation. If these concerns are warranted and inflation is thus expected, the Bull market may very well be over. This after all makes sense, inflation has slowed and stopped many run-ups in the past, and the onset of inflation now could very well do the same. While the article introduced some possibilities, it said nothing of the likelihood, the causes of, the Fed.'s reactions to, and the probability of expected inflationary increases in the future. This paper is thus dedicated to expanding on these ideas by exploring the rationality of these concerns by examining the circumstances surrounding inflation. It is my speculation that the Bull market may eventually correct itself in the future, but not in the short term due to immediate inflation. That is, that the market was in fact flat due investors concerns, but actual imperative inflation does not look to be expected in the near future. In order to begin to understand the nature of market trends and forces, one must first consider the current state of the U.S. economy relative to its' business cycle. Certain aggregates can be measured that tell us a great deal about this. These aggregates have a strong history of leading, coinciding, or lagging the relative business cycle with a high amount of regular correlation. Appendix 2a contains illustrations, which show graphically the trends of the leading, lagging, and coincident indicators over the past few years. These graphs are composites of each group, and upon examination it is clear that all the indicators are rising. In fact the composite index of leading indicators shows that they have not experienced a significant downturn since the early 1980's, and have been increasing rather sharply over the past 3 years. The fact that all of these indicators are currently rising indicate that the economy is in a period of robust growth, or an expansionary phase. The fruits of this expansion have proven to be many, however it is often said that too much of a good thing can be bad. In this regard there are factors associated with the degree and nature of this economy, which could cause slowdown. For example, how is inflation measured, and to what degree should we be concerned with the effects and attributes of cost- push and demand- pull sources of inflation in this robust economy? According the Baye and Jansen, inflation can be measured by considering the growth of the money supply, the growth of M velocity, and the growth of real output. Algebraically this is represented by the equation: inflation = (gm + gv) - gy. This equation thus considers the monetary, supply-push, and demand-pull factors. When the rate of inflation is measured in this way one can see, that over the last few years inflation has been relatively stable about its' trend. This is in part, a result of the steady growth of GDP over the same period, and is testimony to the success of the Federal Reserve Board's monetary and fiscal policies. The rates of inflation over the last 10 years are graphically illustrated in Appendix 3A. Cost-push inflation incurs when the prices of inputs for production increase and thus cause profit margins to diminish. If firms are unwilling or unable to accept the declination in operating income, they will pass these increases on to consumers in the form of increased prices. In a competitive market it would seem that firms would be unable to raise prices, unless there was uniform pressure affecting the aggregate whole of suppliers. (Examples include per unit costs of production, labor costs, energy prices, etc..) Both the dollar cost per person per hour, and the output per person have been

Biography of Dmitri Mendeleev, Periodic Table Inventor

Biography of Dmitri Mendeleev, Periodic Table Inventor Dmitri Mendeleev  (February 8, 1834–February 2, 1907) was a Russian scientist best known for devising the modern periodic table of elements. Mendeleev also made major contributions to other areas of chemistry, metrology (the study of measurements), agriculture, and industry. Fast Facts: Dmitri Mendeleev Known For: Creating the Periodic Law and Periodic Table of the ElementsBorn: February 8, 1834 in Verkhnie Aremzyani,  Tobolsk Governorate,  Russian EmpireParents: Ivan Pavlovich Mendeleev, Maria Dmitrievna KornilievaDied: February 2, 1907 in Saint Petersburg, Russian EmpireEducation: Saint Petersburg UniversityPublished Works:  Principles of ChemistryAwards and Honors:  Davy Medal, ForMemRS  Spouse(s): Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva, Anna Ivanovna PopovaChildren: Lyubov, Vladimir, Olga, Anna, IvanNotable Quote: I saw in a dream a table where all elements fell into place as required. Awakening, I immediately wrote it down on a piece of paper, only in one place did a correction later seem necessary. Early Life Mendeleev was born on February 8, 1834, in Tobolsk, a town in Siberia, Russia. He was the youngest of a large Russian Orthodox Christian family. The exact size of the family is a matter of dispute, with sources putting the number of siblings between 11 and 17. His father was Ivan Pavlovich Mendeleev, a glass manufacturer, and his mother was Dmitrievna Kornilieva. In the same year that Dmitri was born, his father went blind. He died in 1847. His mother took on the management of the glass factory, but it burned down just a year later. To provide her son with an education, Dmitris mother brought him to St. Petersburg and enrolled him in the Main Pedagogical Institute. Soon after, Dmitris mother died. Education Dmitri graduated from the Institute in 1855 and then went on to earn a masters degree in education. He received a fellowship from the government to continue his studies and moved to the University of Heidelberg in Germany. There, he decided not to work with Bunsen and Erlenmeyer, two distinguished chemists, and instead set up his own laboratory at home. He attended the International Chemistry Congress and met many of Europes top chemists. In 1861, Dmitri went back to St. Petersburg to earn his P.hd. He then became a chemistry professor at the University of St. Petersburg. He continued to teach there until 1890. The  Periodic Table of the Elements Dmitri found it hard to find a good chemistry textbook for his classes, so he wrote his own. While writing his textbook, Principles of Chemistry, Mendeleev found that if you arrange the elements in order of increasing atomic mass, their chemical properties demonstrated definite trends.  He called this discovery the Periodic Law, and stated it in this way: When the elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic mass, certain sets of properties recur periodically. Drawing on his understanding of element characteristics, Mendeleev arranged the known elements in an eight-column grid. Each column represented a set of elements with similar qualities. He called the grid the periodic  table of the elements. He presented his grid and his periodic law to the Russian Chemical Society in 1869. The only real difference between his table and the one we use today is that Mendeleevs table ordered elements by increasing atomic weight, while the present table is ordered by increasing atomic number. Mendeleevs table had blank spaces where he predicted three unknown elements, which turned out to be germanium, gallium, and scandium. Based on the periodic properties of the elements, as shown in the table, Mendeleev predicted properties of eight elements in total, which had not even been discovered. Writing and Industry While Mendeleev is remembered for his work in chemistry and the formation of the Russian Chemical Society, he had many other interests. He wrote more than 400 books and articles on topics in popular science and technology. He wrote for ordinary people, and helped create a library of industrial knowledge. He worked for the Russian government and became the director of the Central Bureau of Weights and Measures. He became very interested in the study of measures and did a great deal of research on the subject. Later, he published a journal. In addition to his interests in chemistry and technology, Mendeleev was interested in helping to develop Russian agriculture and industry. He traveled around the world to learn about the petroleum industry and helped Russia to develop its oil wells. He also worked to develop the Russian coal industry. Marriage and Children Mendeleev was married twice. He wed Feozva Nikitchna Leshcheva in 1862, but the couple divorced after 19 years. He married Anna Ivanova Popova the year after the divorce, in 1882. He had a total of six children from these marriages. Death In 1907 at age 72, Mendeleev died from the flu. He was living in St. Petersburg at the time. His last words, spoken to his doctor, reportedly were, Doctor, you have science, I have faith. This may have been a quote from the famous French writer Jules Verne. Legacy Mendeleev, despite his achievements, never won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In fact, he was passed over for the honor twice. He was, however, awarded the prestigious Davy Medal (1882) and ForMemRS (1892). The Periodic Table did not gain acceptance among chemists until Mendeleevs predictions for new elements were shown to be correct. After gallium was discovered in 1879 and germanium in 1886, it was clear that the table was extremely accurate. By the time of Mendeleevs death, the Periodic Table of Elements was internationally recognized as one of the most important tools ever created for the study of chemistry. Sources Bensaude-Vincent, Bernadette. â€Å"Dmitri Mendeleev.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 25 Feb. 2019.Gordon. â€Å"Mendeleev - the Man and His Legacy...†Ã‚  Education in Chemistry, 1 Mar. 2007.Libretexts. â€Å"The Periodic Law.†Ã‚  Chemistry LibreTexts, Libretexts, 24 Apr. 2019.

The Ancient Illyrians Connection to Todays Albanians

The Ancient Illyrians Connection to Todays Albanians Mystery enshrouds the exact origins of todays Albanians. Most historians of the Balkans believe the Albanian people are in large part descendants of the ancient Illyrians, who, like other Balkan peoples, were subdivided into tribes and clans. The name Albania is derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe called the Arber, or Arbereshà «, and later Albanoi, that lived near Durrà «s. The Illyrians were Indo-European tribesmen who appeared in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula about 1000 B.C., a period coinciding with the end of the Bronze Age and beginning of the Iron Age. They inhabited much of the area for at least the next millennium. Archaeologists associate the Illyrians with the Hallstatt culture, an Iron Age people noted for production of iron and bronze swords with winged-shaped handles and for domestication of horses. The Illyrians occupied lands extending from the Danube, Sava, and Morava rivers to the Adriatic Sea and the Sar Mountains. At various times, groups of Il lyrians migrated over land and sea into Italy. The Illyrians carried on commerce and warfare with their neighbors. The ancient Macedonians probably had some Illyrian roots, but their ruling class adopted Greek cultural characteristics. The Illyrians also mingled with the Thracians, another ancient people with adjoining lands on the east. In the south and along the Adriatic Sea coast, the Illyrians were heavily influenced by the Greeks, who founded trading colonies there. The present-day city of Durrà «s evolved from a Greek colony known as Epidamnos, which was founded at the end of the seventh century B.C. Another famous Greek colony, Apollonia, arose between Durrà «s and the port city of Vlorà «. The Illyrians produced and traded cattle, horses, agricultural goods, and wares fashioned from locally mined copper and iron. Feuds and warfare were constant facts of life for the Illyrian tribes, and Illyrian pirates plagued shipping on the Adriatic Sea. Councils of elders chose the chieftains who headed each of the numerous Illyrian tribes. From time to time, local chieftains extended their rule over other tribes and formed short-lived kingdoms. During the fifth century B.C., a well-developed Illyrian population center existed as far north as the upper Sava River valley in what is now Slovenia. Illyrian friezes discovered near the present-day Slovenian city of Ljubljana depict ritual sacrifices, feasts, battles, sporting events, and other activities. The Illyrian kingdom of Bardhyllus became a formidable local power in the fourth century B.C. In 358 B.C., however, Macedonias Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, defeated the Illyrians and assumed control of their territory as far as Lake Ohrid (see fig. 5). Alexander himself routed the forces of the Illyrian chieftain Clitus in 335 B.C., and Illyrian tribal leaders and soldiers accompanied Alexander on his conquest of Persia. After Alexanders death in 323 B.C., independent Illyrian kingdoms again arose. In 312 B.C., King Glaucius expelled the Greeks from Durrà «s. By the end of the third century, an Illyrian kingdom based near what is now the Albanian city of Shkodà «r controlled parts of northern Albania, Montenegro, and Hercegovina. Under Queen Teuta, Illyrians attacked Roman merchant vessels plying the Adriatic Sea and gave Rome an excuse to invade the Balkans. In the Illyrian Wars of 229 and 219 B.C., Rome overran the Illyrian settlements in the Neretva River valley. The Romans made new gains in 168 B.C., and Roman forces captured Illyrias King Gentius at Shkodà «r, which they called Scodra, and brought him to Rome in 165 B.C. A century later, Julius Caesar and his rival Pompey fought their decisive battle near Durrà «s (Dyrrachium). Rome finally subjugated recalcitrant Illyrian tribes in the western Balkans [during the reign] of Emperor Tiberius in A.D. 9. The Romans divided the lands that make up present-day Albania among the provinces of Macedonia, Dalmatia, and Epirus. For about four centuries, Roman rule brought the Illyrian-populated lands economic and cultural advancement and ended most of the enervating clashes among local tribes. The Illyrian mountain clansmen retained local authority but pledged allegiance to the emperor and acknowledged the authority of his envoys. During a yearly holiday honoring the Caesars, the Illyrian mountaineers swore loyalty to the emperor and reaffirmed their political rights. A form of this tradition, known as the kuvend, has survived to the present day in northern Albania. The Romans established numerous military camps and colonies and completely latinized the coastal cities. They also oversaw the construction of aqueducts and roads, including the Via Egnatia, a famous military highway and trade route that led from Durrà «s through the Shkumbin River valley to Macedonia and Byzantium (later Constantinople) Constantinople Originally a Greek city, Byzantium, it was made the capital of the Byzantine Empire by Constantine the Great and was soon renamed Constantinople in his honor. The city was captured by the Turks in 1453 and became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks called the city Istanbul, but most of the non-Muslim world knew it as Constantinople until about 1930. Copper, asphalt, and silver were extracted from the mountains. The main exports were wine, cheese, oil, and fish from Lake Scutari and Lake Ohrid. Imports included tools, metalware, luxury goods, and other manufactured articles. Apollonia became a cultural center, and Julius Caesar himself sent his nephew, later the Emperor Augustus, to study there. Illyrians distinguished themselves as warriors in the Roman legions and made up a significant portion of the Praetorian Guard. Several of the Roman emperors were of Illyrian origin, including Diocletian (284-305), who saved the empire from disintegration by introducing institutional reforms, and Constantine the Great (324-37)who accepted Christianity and transferred the empires capital from Rome to Byzantium, which he called Constantinople. Emperor Justinian (527-65)who codified Roman law, built the most famous Byzantine church, the Hagia Sofia, and re-extended the empires control over lost territories- -was probably also an Illyrian. Christianity came to the Illyrian-populated lands in the first century A.D. Saint Paul wrote that he preached in the Roman province of Illyricum, and legend holds that he visited Durrà «s. When the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves in A.D. 395, the lands that now make up Albania were administered by the Eastern Empire but were ecclesiastically dependent on Rome. In A.D. 732, however, a Byzantine emperor, Leo the Isaurian, subordinated the area to the patriarchate of Constantinople. For centuries thereafter, the Albanian lands became an arena for the ecclesiastical struggle between Rome and Constantinople. Most Albanians living in the mountainous north became Roman Catholic, while in the southern and central regions, the majority became Orthodox. Source [for the Library of Congress]: Based on information from R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N. Dupuy, The Encyclopedia of Military History, New York, 1970, 95; Herman Kinder and Werner Hilgemann, The Anchor Atlas of World History, 1, New York, 1974, 90, 94; and Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15, New York, 1975, 1092. Data as of April 1992SOURCE: The Library of Congress - ALBANIA - A Country Study

Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of joining a Assignment

Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of joining a professional association - Assignment Example rm, to voice and commiserate, and to provide affiliates a feeling that they are never alone in the hurdles opened by their profession in general (Kjellberg, 2013). Opportunities to discover new techniques, job options, among others, are priceless advantages to group members (Kjellberg, 2013). The disadvantages, on the other hand, of joining these organizations are needless fees, consumes a lot of time, needless expenses, socializing takes the attention away from career development and also they create a lot of pressure to achieve highly among its members (Harvey et al., 2003). Most professional organizations need the reimbursement of yearly fees. There might also be the first application fee (Kjellberg, 2013). Whereas $100 does not appear to be much, it accumulates when the individuals joins the national and state associations of numerous professional organizations (Harvey, 2004). Apart from the membership fees and applications, people also spend money on association lunches, breakfasts and dinners and gas expenses or transportation costs (Harvey, 2004). According to these advantages and disadvantages of belonging to a professional organization, I would opt to join a professional organization because I need access to the information, which will influence my practice. I also need people who will advocate for me in front of others and people who will develop me professionally, thus my decision to join a professional

Policy Contribution part 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Policy Contribution part 2 - Assignment Example This proposal favors the Latino portion of the population who make up the highest number of immigrants from Mexico, but the government should consider many underlying factors, including the reasons for immigration and the effects on the United States’ resources. This report will give an overview of factors to consider when formulating an immigration policy; then propose a possible policy change and implementation plan using the fifth and sixth steps Jansson’s policy plan respectively (Jansson, 2010). According to Guyette, Tavalin and Rooker (2012), the United States has throughout history attempted to control illegal immigration into the country by passing restrictive policies and increasing border security. These approaches have failed if the debate for and against illegal immigrants is anything to go by. Data concerning illegal immigration is mostly hypothetical, since transactions concerning immigrants are mostly not recorded in any official documents. For instance, Barnes (2010) claims that it costs each native households $ 1,117 per annum to support illegal immigrants, totaling to $113 billion a year for the whole nation. The influx of illegal immigration cases can be blamed on a myriad of reasons, but the main cause is the government’s inefficiency in enforcing its policies on immigration. Therefore, the country needs to refrain from a complete overhaul of policies, which has been the main reason for increased illegal immigration due to inefficiency and inconsistencies, and adopt a stable policy that will be monitored and improved continuously. Any policy proposal change should ensure to account for all the positive and negative aspects of immigration, mostly by being fair to illegal immigrants if the merits of having them in the country outweigh the demerits. An effective policy should contribute positively to various aspects of the United

Italian Cuisine and Pizza Essay Example for Free

Italian Cuisine and Pizza Essay Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, round bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings. Pizza was originally invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish has since become popular in many parts of the world.. Many varieties of pizza exist worldwide, along with several dish variants based upon pizza. Pizza`s in Pakistan The first pizzerias opened up in Karachi and Islamabad in the late 1980s, with Pappasallis serving pizza in Islamabad since 1990. Pizza has gained a measure of popularity in the eastern regions of Pakistan namely, the provinces of Sindh, Punjab, and Azad Kashmir, as well as the autonomous territory of Gilgit-Baltistan. Pizza has not penetrated into western Pakistan; of the remaining provinces and territories of Pakistan, only one (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) has seen much of the dish, in the form of a single Pizza Hut in Peshawar. In the regions where pizza is known, spicy chicken and sausage-based pizzas are very popular, as they cater to the local palate. Health matters Advantages European nutrition research on the eating habits of people with cancer of the mouth, oesophagus, throat or colon showed those who ate pizza at least once a week had less chance of developing cancer. , An antioxidant chemical in tomatoes, which is thought to offer some protection against cancer. Carlo La Vecchia, a Milan-based epidemiologist said, Pizza could simply be indicative of a lifestyle and food habits, in other words the Italian version of a Mediterranean diet. A traditional Mediterranean diet is rich in olive oil, fiber, vegetables, fruit, flour, and freshly cooked food. Disadvantages In contrast to the traditional Italian pizza used in the research, popular pizza varieties in many parts of the world are often loaded with high fat cheeses and fatty meats, a high intake of which can contribute to obesity, itself a risk factor for cancer. Pizza can be high in salt, fat and calories. There are concerns about negative health effects. Food chains, such as Pizza Hut, have come under criticism for the high salt content of some of their meals, which were found to contain more than twice the daily recommended amount of salt for an adult. Some mass produced pizzas by food chains have been criticized as having an unhealthy balance of ingredients. Some studies have linked consumption of the antioxidant lycopene, which exists in tomato products that are often used on pizza, as having a beneficial health effect.

Essay --

Sigmund Freud, probably the most famous psychologist and most controversial of the twentieth century, has helped shaped how we consider our views of the world. His theories bring forth a new kind of thinking to the psychology world and show why we think them. It’s a way many don’t think but may put forth the reasoning to it. There are many though that think Freud was just another crazy psychologist that was on drugs. Though his many proofs behind his major theories such as: the conscious and unconscious mind, the Id, Ego, and Superego, psychosexual theory, and others as well, can prove why it wasn’t just a drug trip Freud was on. The mind is divided up into three sections according to Freud. It consists of the conscious, preconscious, and the unconscious mind. In Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, the conscious mind consists of everything inside of our awareness. (Psychology) This part of the mind is known for keeping hold of our senses, memories and perception in our awareness. This part of our mind can tie into our preconscious mind as well, through the things we aren’t aware of though when thought about its presence is in our conscious mind now. The preconscious mind is the part of the mind that represents ordinary memory. (Psychology) We can remember this stuff and always pull it back into our conscious mind whenever needed. This makes much sense towards Freud’s thinking bringing forth a tie between the conscious mind and preconscious, showing how we can do things in our conscious mind and be stored in our preconscious for later use. The third part of our mind is the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of our conscious awareness. (P... ...st of a person's life and the individual develops a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex. (Psychology) This stage represents how an individual is most interested in one’s pleasure seeking thoughts such as relationships and or sexual thoughts. This can compromise how we humans think and how we react to many things. It all does seem like this information doesn’t make sense though it all seems to tie in to each other. All these theories tie into each other and have some proof behind each one. It all seems reasonable when too many and is always used as a reference in the psychology world. There are many critics towards Freud’s work due to the time period he was living in and how much it influenced his thinking. Others put forth how the drugs he was on may have caused to him to think all these theories though with the proof behind some of them it can go either way.

How does samules shape the ending to Act 1 and how effective do you find it? Essay

How does Samuels shape the ending to Act 1 and how effective do you find this ending? (30 marks) Samuels uses different ideas and techniques in order to shape the ending in order to make it an effective piece of writing. He creates suspense and emotion in order for the audience to feel attached to the plot and show the true feelings of the characters. Samuels does this by not only highlighting the vast emotions of both charters but also mixes this with a novel called ‘The Rat-catcher’. This book was one from Evelyn’s childhood and both she and Eva were haunted by it throughout her life. The first way in which Samuels shapes the ending of Act 1 is by exaggerating the drama and emotion of the situation in order to emphasis the great truth that is revealed in this situation; that Faith is a Jew, effected by the Holocaust. For example Faith says, â€Å"Jesus. How could I possibly not be a bad child with such a terrible mother?† Then later in the conversation, â€Å"I could kill you†. During this last section the truth is being revealed to Faith of her past, of her being a Jew and of her grandfather’s death during the holocaust which had been otherwise hidden from her previously. Here Samuels highlights the flying and rising emotions of the conversation, in order to spark a more interesting and viewable final act. Another way in which Samuels shapes the ending of Act 1 is by creating a link between Eva, Evelyn and the dreaded Rat-catcher, in an on stage masterpiece. He uses the layouts of the play to not only create drama between the same person, in different periods of time but also between them and a mythical being. For example, Evelyn: â€Å"He’s not coming† and Eva: â€Å"He’ll burn my fingers till they melt†. Here both characters are talking about someone who does not actually appear to them but is rather just a being that gets inside their consciences in order to question what they are doing. This means that a dramatic contrast is created between Eva and Evelyn, the past and present, which impacts by allowing the audience to understand the difficultly between the choose of leaving her old life behind of facing the reality of what is a daughter discovering her hidden past.

Harry Houdini

Sarah Busi Ms. Roach Honors American Literature 12 March 2013 Harry Houdini: World’s Greatest Magician â€Å"Remembered for his ability to escape from bonds and containers, Houdini is the world’s most famous magician, and his name is instantly recognized, although he died over 70 years ago† (â€Å"Harry 1†). Harry Houdini was much more than any ordinary magician a mother might hire for their child’s birthday party. When one thinks of Harry Houdini, the furthest thing from their mind would be the cliched pulling a rabbit out of a hat or amateur card tricks.Houdini forced his audience to question reality with his outstanding and incomprehensible ability to make the impossible possible. During the 1920s, crime, gangster activity, and racial discrimination were at their peak, but Harry Houdini was able to offset some of those harsh realities by entertaining and fascinating people using the mystery and illusion of his magic tricks. Harry Houdini’s early life influenced and sparked his interest in entertainment and magic.The Weiss family, consisting of Mayer Samuel, Cecilia Steiner Weiss, and their five children, were originally from Budapest, Hungary and later immigrated to Appleton, Wisconsin (Higbee). Harry Houdini was born on March 24, 1874 (â€Å"Harry 2†). Harry Houdini’s father, a rabbi named Mayer Samuel, did not necessarily agree with his son’s interest in magic, but when Harry was sixteen, his father passed away, and he felt free to pursue his passion as a career. Harry’s brother, Theodore Hardeen, born Ferencz Deszo Weiss, helped him to kick-start his career by becoming his magic assistant.The duo became known as the â€Å"Houdini Brothers† (Higbee). Houdini later met Wilhelmina Beatrice â€Å"Bess† Rahner, and two weeks later, he made her his wife. Bess was also in the entertainment business as a struggling singer, so she decided to help her husband with his magic career. Although she replaced Theodore, Bess made a great magic assistant because she could sing, dance, and she was light weight (â€Å"Harry 1†). To most, magic is just a hobby, but instead, Harry Houdini decided to pursue his passion and was very ambitious to become the best in his craft. Houdini’s first exposure to magic was when his father took him to see Dr.Lynn, a touring magician, who used butcher knives to cut off the limbs and head of a victim in a cabinet. Harry Houdini was thereafter infatuated with magic. â€Å"At the age of 12, Houdini ran away from home to find a job and help support his family. When he returned, he greeted his mother with, â€Å"Shake me, I’m magic. † As his mother shook him, coins flew from his body; this was Houdini’s first magic trick. † The young, aspiring magician educated himself primarily with books. Revelations of Spirit Medium by A. Medium exposed the tricks of fake psychics, and The Memoirs of Robert-Houdin was the autobiography of Houdini’s mentor and inspiration. At the age of seventeen, Erich Weiss changed his name to Harry Houdini after Harry Kellar, American magician, and Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin, from whom Houdini took his surname and added the letter ‘i’. Houdini had written, â€Å"From the moment I began to study the art, he became my guide and hero. I asked nothing more of life than to become in my profession like Robert-Houdin† (â€Å"Harry 1†). Harry Houdini’s thirty-five year magic career was very successful and his well-known, outrageous stunts made him the legendary magician we know him as today.One of Houdini’s first performances got him the name the â€Å"King of Cards. † He was obviously a talented magician but he performed simple tricks that got mediocre reviews (â€Å"Harry 1†). For about seven years, Houdini worked small shows and labored in obscurity. He was on the brink of reevaluating his career when he was given his big break on vaudeville by theater master, Martin Beck. Beck became Houdini’s manager and helped the young magician get nationwide notoriety. This was a huge leap from the twenty-five dollar a week Harry had been previously making. This was a huge turning point for his career (â€Å"Harry 4†). Harry joined the Society of American Magicians (S. A. M. ) in 1904, an organization established in 1902 by professional and amateur conjurers who shared a common interest in publicizing mystery attractions and sharing their tricks at monthly meetings. † Houdini resigned two weeks later because of disagreements regarding his magazine. Harry Houdini and S. A. M. eventually reconciled their differences and Harry not only rejoined the group, but was readmitted as an honorary member in 1912 and was later even elected president, which was a huge honor to Houdini (â€Å"Harry 1†).He sailed to England in the summer of 1900 where he began his first internati onal tour. Upon returning to the United States in 1905, he was feeling pressure to become bigger and better. Houdini toured for the next ten years, constantly finding ways to stay in the public eye and push his abilities to their limits (â€Å"Harry 4†). But Harry was smart. He knew that his vaudeville tours would not last forever so he started finding alternative ways to further his career. He began appearing in silent films such as Master Mystery and Grime Game.This also sparked his idea to found the Houdini Picture Corporation in 1921. The production company debuted its first film the Man From Beyond (â€Å"Harry 5†). Another venture that Harry Houdini was particularly proud of was the Conjurer’s Monthly Magazine (â€Å"Harry 3†). Harry Houdini is known for his death-defying stunts and escapes and his ability to entertain and shock his audience which is why he is considered to be one of the forefathers of magic and illusions. Houdini had two fundamenta l types of tricks: illusions and escapes.For example, early on in his career, Harry realized that most handcuffs open with the same key. He then took this premise and began to encourage the members of his audience to bring their own handcuffs to lock him into for a sense of believability. This became known as his â€Å"Challenge Handcuff Act†. But later on in his career, his escapes became more and more outrageous. On January 7, 1906, Harry Houdini established himself as a professional magician by escaping from the jail cell of President Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau, in Washington DC.Houdini was stripped down, searched, and locked up in the cell. Not only did he escape from the cell, he also retrieved his clothes that were locked in a different cell, redressed, and switched eight other prisoners to different cells, all in 21 minutes. This stunt was coined, the â€Å"Naked Prison Test Escape†. Harry Houdini then decided to take his escape skills to the ne xt level by challenging himself to get out of a straitjacket. Sure enough, the master escape artist was able to do it, but how? There are theories that Harry had to dislocate his shoulder in order to get slack.Or perhaps another, and more likely theory, is that Harry expanded his chest and strained against the body straps. While those are just examples of Houdini’s most famous escapes, he is also known for being an illusionist as well. One of Harry’s most famous illusions was the â€Å"Vanishing Elephant† which became such a hit, that Houdini continued to perform it on his tour for nineteen weeks. It first debuted on January 7, 1918 when Houdini’s 10,000 pound elephant, Jenni, walked into an empty cabinet with a door on the back and a curtain in front. Two seconds later, Jenni had disappeared. Needless to say, Houdini left the audience dumbfounded.Unfortunately, however, during Houdini’s tour on October 22, 1926, students from McGill University ask ed if Houdini could withstand a blow to the stomach. Before Harry had any time to brace himself for the hit, J. Gordon punched the famous magician three times causing his appendix to rupture. Harry survived but not for much longer. A few weeks later he fell ill from streptococcus peritonitis (an inflammation of the abdominal cavity) and died on October 31, 1926. Harry Houdini’s mysterious illusions and risky escapes caught the attention of people all over the world, and he continued to entertain them for the early part of the 1920s.As the forefather of magic, Harry Houdini set the stage for future, aspiring magicians to try to go above and beyond his already extreme tricks. There have been comparable stunts from magicians, such as Chris Angel and David Blane more recently, but Harry was the first to make the impossible possible. For that he will forever be known as the greatest magician of not only the 1920s, but the greatest magician of all time. Works Cited â€Å"Harry 1 H oudini. † American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In Context. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Harry 2 Houdini. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Biography In Context. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Harry 3 Houdini's Magic. † American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 1: 1900-1909. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 33-37. Biography In Context. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Harry 4 Houdini. † St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. Biography In Context. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. Higbee, Joan F. â€Å"Houdini: A Biographical Chronology. † Houdini: A Biographical Chronology. Oct. 1996: n. p. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 22 Feb 2013.

Hallstatt Culture - Early European Iron Age Culture

Hallstatt Culture - Early European Iron Age Culture The Hallstatt Culture (~800-450 BC) is what archaeologists call the early Iron Age groups of central Europe. These groups were truly independent of one another, politically, but they were interconnected by a vast, extant trading network such that the material culturetools, kitchenware, housing style, farming techniqueswere similar across the region. Hallstatt Culture Roots At the end of the Urnfield stage of the Late Bronze Age, ca. 800 BC, the central Europeans were mostly farmers (herding and growing crops). The Hallstatt culture included an area between central France to western Hungary and from the Alps to central Poland. The term includes many different unrelated regional groups, who used the same set of material culture because of a strong network of trade and exchange. By 600 BC, iron tools spread into northern Britain and Scandinavia; elites concentrated in western and central Europe. The Hallstatt elites became concentrated within a zone between what is now the Burgundy region of eastern France and southern Germany. These elites were powerful and located in at least 16 hillforts called seats of power or fà ¼rstensitz. Hallstatt Culture and Hillforts Hillforts such as Heuneburg, Hohenasberg, Wurzburg, Breisach, Vix, Hochdorf, Camp de Chassey and Mont Lassois have substantial fortifications in the form of bank-and-ditch defense. At least tenuous connections with the Mediterranean Greek and Etruscan civilizations are in evidence at the hillforts and some non-hillfort settlements. Burials were stratified with a few extremely richly outfitted chamber graves surrounded by up to a hundred or so secondary burials. Two dated to the Hallstatt which contain clear connections with Mediterranean imports are Vix (France), where an elite female burial contained a huge Greek krater; and Hochdorf (Germany), with three gold-mounted drinking horns and a large Greek cauldron for mead. Hallstatt elites clearly had a taste for Mediterranean wines, with numerous amphorae from Massalia (Marseille), bronze vessels and Attic pottery recovered from many fà ¼rstensitze. One distinctive trait of Hallstatt elite sites was vehicle burials. Bodies were placed in a timber-lined pit along with the ceremonial four-wheeled vehicle and the horse gearbut not the horsesthat were used to move the body to the grave. The carts often had elaborate iron wheels with multiple spokes and iron studs. Read more about hillforts Read more about Heuneburg Sources Bujnal J. 1991. Approach to the study of the Late Hallstatt and Early La Tà ¨ne periods in eastern parts of Central Europe: results from ​comparative classification of Knickwandschale. Antiquity 65:368-375. Cunliffe B. 2008. The Three Hundred Years that Changed the World: 800-500 BC. Chapter 9 in Europe Between the Oceans. Themes and Variations: 9000 BC-AD 1000. New Haven: Yale University Press. p, 270-316 Marciniak A. 2008. Europe, Central and Eastern. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. New York: Academic Press. p 1199-1210. Wells PS. 2008. Europe, Northern and Western: Iron Age. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. London: Elsevier Inc. p 1230-1240.

Early Childhood Care and Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Early Childhood Care and Education - Assignment Example Both were fond of reading books. At this young age, Margaret's first encounter with the schools in Iverness left a lasting impression in her mind. The children were given Corporal punishment for bad behaviours; basic sanitation, water facilities and hygiene were not maintained in the class rooms and in the surroundings. Except academics importance was not given to other aspects of child development either physical or emotional. This resulted in an insecure feeling and stress in the children. Where the place of learning should be a pleasant one, it proved to be opposite for children. Margaret McMillan was deeply disturbed by this and could recall all these even at her old age. This also would have made her to work for the welfare of children when she faced young ones living in similar conditions at a later age .Jean McMillan who was very keen that the children got good education and worked hard to meet that goal died when Margaret was 17 years old. Margaret McMillan moved to London to train as a Governess for young girls and her sister stayed back for filial commitment towards their ailing grandmother. Margaret McMillan started working as a Superintendent for young girls in London. Around this time her sister Rachel also moved to London and stated to work in similar job. Prior to this Rachel McMillan got introduced to the Christian Socialist movement and got impressed and convinced with their principles. She started reading the groups newspaper Justice and liked the articles written for the young By Peter Kropotkin. She contributed to the socialist magazine. When she joined her sister in London in the year 1888, she convinced Margaret McMillan to join the Socialists. From this time on Rachel McMillan remained as great influence to her sister throughout her life. They both started attending the Socialist meetings and met important people in the group namely William Morris, Peter Kropotkin, and H.M.Hyndman who were instrumental in bringing the changes in the girls. Moved with their plight, they decided that basic education and awareness would enhance the lives of these people. They approached young working girls and offered to teach them in the evenings. Though the girls were not convinced, they attended the classes. But soon Margaret found out that they were not serious about learning and were coming for a sort of relaxation. The girls endured a very hard life at that young age and the hardships they suffered had completely changed their personalities. In 1892 the sisters shifted to Braford, the place which later came to be associated with Margaret McMillan's contribution to nursery education. Here they toured the industrial work places extensively to meet the people and could see the conditions of the children first hand. The infants and toddlers of the workers were totally neglected, child labour was prevalent and basic sanitation facilities were not available. Children were deprived of any medical facilities too. Here apart from the socialist movement, the sisters were drawn towards the Fabian movement which had an aim to construct a fair and just society with high moral values. Also they entered into politics by joining the Independent Labour Party which later helped Margaret to campaign for her goals towards the children welfare. At

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment - Essay Example The AYP must also have its basis on assessments by the state, as well as one additional indicator of academic performance. The objectives also need to be set out with the aim of having all learners gaining at least a proficiency level in the next twelve years, i.e., by the 2013-2014 academic year (Olivert 43). The adequate yearly progress objective also need to be evaluated at the school level, with schools failing to meet the laid down objectives for two years in a row being marked for improvement. The AYP results for the mentioned special groups of children need to be reported as a separate entity, in order to determine whether the student groups were able to meet their objectives for AYP. In addition, at least ninety-five percent of every group needs to participate in these statewide assessments. Finally, states can aggregate their data for up to three years in their determination of AYP. It requires that the states provide for teachers who are highly qualified for all students. E very state also sets its specific standards as to what can be referred to as highly qualified teachers (Olivert 44). The act also requires that states set each of its students one challenging and high standard, although, the curriculum standards need to be applied to all students instead of having varying standards for various students in different areas of the state or other states all together. The Act requires that schools allow military recruiters get contacts for students unless the student does not want to grant access to these recruiters. States also regard this Act as an unfunded mandate because the Act’s main provision requires schools to give standardized tests for the entire state when the year ends (Olivert 69). If schools fail to show any significant improvement in these tests from one year to the subsequent year, they are asked to improve the quality of education that thy offer. This is through hiring highly qualified teachers and providing for private tutoring for the failing students. To continue being the recipients of federal assistance, the states will have to provide plans that show steps being taken to improve education quality in their schools. The Act mandates states to provide funds for the needed improvements and, thereafter, provide appropriate training for the teachers deemed as less qualified (Olivert 69). What are the federal rules regarding Medicaid? How is most Medicaid funding spent? How have states coped with rapid escalation in medical costs? In order to fulfill the statutory purpose of Medicaid in the provision of medical assistance to specific individuals and to participate in the program, all states are required to cover low-income core group individuals (Iritani 34). The minimum eligibility groups have expanded incrementally over time, especially to include pregnant women and children, disabled individuals, the elderly, and parents up to the income levels specified. Another rule requires that the ACA is inclusive of maintenance of effort requirement that keeps CHIP and Medicaid coverage stable until reform expands coverage. The federal government also requires that enrollees to be provided, with a core set of benefits that are mandatory and specific cost sharing protections in order to participate in this program. In addition, the states are largely in charge of determining provider payments within the limits of federal requirements. The federal government requires payments to be consistent with access, quality, economy,