Attending a Speech by Ira Berlin on Slavery -- Slavery Race

â€Å"Rethinking Slavery† – A Retrospect I recently attended the lecture of renowned historian Ira Berlin. Professor Berlin is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland. He has also been the recipient of many awards and acknowledgements over the last decade. In 2002, President Clinton appointed Professor Berlin to the advisory committee of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Professor Berlin was visiting the campus as a result of his recent appointment as a Mellon Distinguished Senior Fellow for the spring semester at the University of Illinois. He hosted an invitation-only conference at the Illini Union entitled â€Å"Transforming Slavery† on the day following his lecture. Usually when I am on my way to see a lecture, I am not exactly â€Å"anxious† to get there. I was, however, anticipating Professor Berlin’s lecture very much. I had a strong feeling that Professor Berlin was very well established and respected in his field. However, I became disappointed before the lecture even began. According to various sources I had seen around the University, Professor Berlin’s lecture was supposed to begin at 2:30. My plan was to have a conference at 12:30 with Professor Rogers, eat some lunch, and then head to the lecture at about 2:15. Luckily for me, during my 2 conference, I was informed that the lecture began at 3:30. After returning to my dorm, I researched the sources again. I found two sources that had the starting time of the lecture as 2:30, and two sources that had the starting time of the lecture as 3:30. So, needless to say, I was confused. ... ...of the audience to Professor Berlin’s lecture, I can only say that the reaction was mixed. I noticed that the scholars and professors on hand were captivated by Berlin’s presence and were very attentive. I even noticed that a professor in front of me literally tried to write every word Berlin spoke. As for the attitude of the rest in attendance, it was rather dull. It seemed that there were some people that seemed moderately interested in the speech, while others teetered on slumber. I must admit that I was one of the latter (even dosing off occasionally). It just seemed that, overall, the audience, I included, was slightly disappointed in the content and context of Professor Berlin’s lecture. Although there was a definite feeling that Professor Berlin was a very honored person, he failed to captivate most the audience, which was disappointing to say the least.

The Sea and the Fury

The Sea and The Fury Piracy seems more suited to Johnny Depp and Robert Louis Stevenson books, not devastating violent acts that have had an ever-growing fear in the 21st century. Southeast Asia, or the `Arc of Instability' (a more appropriate name for this essay), has become a hot spot for modern day pirates within the last decade. Maritime Terrorism has also become more widespread due to several Southeast Asian terrorist groups who have the intention and capability of waging terror on the high seas. However, one cannot say that piracy is a more persistent and significant threat to regional security than international terrorist networks.In many cases, piracy and terrorism overlap, and can therefore be constituted as the same thing. Piracy is defined by the United Nations as â€Å"violence on the high seas, that is, beyond any state's territorial waters† (Young & Valencia, 269) and to the International Chamber of Commerce's International Maritime Bureau as â€Å"an act of boa rding or attempting to board any ship with the intent to commit theft or any other crime and with the intent or capability to use force in furtherance of that act†. (Young & Valencia, 269. Maritime Terrorism is defined as â€Å"political piracy† which is â€Å"any illegal act directed against ships, their passengers, cargo, crew or against sea ports with the intent of directly or indirectly influencing a government or group of individuals. † (Young & Valencia, 270. ) Because these acts are similar in nature and intent, one cannot be said to be more of a threat than the other. This paper will analyze separate cases of piracy and terrorism and cases where the acts overlap, with attention given to the Straits of Malacca, one of the world's busiest waterways and a veritable sitting duck for terrorism and piracy.Piracy has made a remarkable return to the new world with hundreds of cases being reported every year. With many of the surrounding countries in the South Pac ific being economically and politically unstable, and the fact that the seas are some of the most heavily trafficked in the world, piracy has become a viable means of thievery. â€Å"Reported incidents of piracy worldwide have dramatically increased over the last 5 years, peaking at 469 in 2000. A significant portion of these incidents occurred in Southeast Asian waters, increasing from 22 in 1997 to 164 in 2002.Indonesian waters alone accounted for 119 out of 469 reported worldwide incidents in 2000, 91 out of 335 incidents in 2001, and 103 incidents of a total 370 reported incidents in 2002. † (Young & Valencia, 270. ) Piracy is used for financial gain, with different levels of piracy set at common thievery, temporary seizures, long-term seizure and hijacking. The Straits of Malacca saw a cargo ship, the Alondra Rainbow, of aluminum ingots hijacked on its way to Japan. The crew was held hostage for a week before being set adrift; they were later found by a Thai fishing boat .The ship was found weeks later in Indian waters. Terrorism is usually not heard of at sea, but is just as serious as it is on land. â€Å"Terrorism, and its maritime manifestation, political piracy or maritime terrorism, is motivated by political goals beyond the immediate act of attacking or hijacking a maritime target. † (Young & Valencia, 271. ) The Abu Sayyaf Group, the Gerakan Aceh Merdeka and the Jemaah Islamiyah are three terrorist groups with roots in the South Pacific that have taken advantage of the high volume of shipping that passes through the waters by perpetrating acts of piracy and terrorism.Al-Qaeda is also thought to be an enemy that would terrorize ships traveling through the region. â€Å"Not only do pirates terrorize ships' crews, but terror groups like al-Qaeda could also use pirates' methods either to attack ships, or to seize ships to use in terror attacks at mega-ports, much like the Sept. 11 hijackers used planes. A more sinister scenario is that a small but lethal biological weapon could be smuggled into a harbor aboard ship and released.Terrorist groups regard seaports and international cruise lines as attractive targets because they lie in the intersection of terrorist intent, capability and opportunity. † (Banaloi, 67. ) This has affected Southeast Asia horribly, causing drops in tourism, trade and shipping revenues. Terrorist groups are more rampant in this region because of the great amount of political unrest and are usually able to procure the weapons needed for such activities relatively easily due to the political climate and amount of Black Market goods. This may be only the beginning of Maritime Terrorism.In 1982, the United Nations drew up the Laws of Sea, detailing how many miles offshore nations could call their own and where maritime boundaries were regarding international waters. However, the flaw here lies in the fact that the United Nations did nothing to provide for nations that have conflicting boun daries except add an addendum that stated that nations had to â€Å"peaceably† come to a compromise. Conflicts have arisen due to the fact common waterways are narrow, nations have competing claims for boundaries, and an abundance of rich resources have been found in the area. Piracy and terrorism overlap in several ways, particularly in the tactics of ship seizures and hijackings. And some of the conditions which allow it to thrive are also similar to the causes of terrorism, for example, poverty, political instability, permeable international boundaries, and ineffective enforcement. † (Young & Valencia, 271. ) Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore all border the Straits of Malacca, one of the busiest shipping areas in the world. Oil has been tapped and pumped off the coast of East Timor by Australia.Brunei is rich from oil deposits, as would the Philippines, Vietnam and China be – if someone drew up a proper boundary and split the territory. All of these claims hav e led to an amazing amount of unrest in the area, culminating with escalating violence. â€Å"Because piracy is frequent in Southeast Asia, terrorists have found it an attractive cover for maritime terrorism terrorists could adopt pirate tactics of stealing a ship, which they could then blow up or ram into another vessel or a port facility, to sow fear.Thus, security experts consider the line between piracy and terrorism to have blurred in Southeast Asia. † (Banalaoi, 64. ) A narrow waterway linking the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the Straits of Malacca are bordered by Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and sees thousands of shipping cargo pass through its ports every year. â€Å"The Malacca Strait alone carries more than a quarter of the world's maritime trade each year – more than fifty thousand large ships pass, including forty to fifty tankers.Because the strait is the maritime gateway between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, it will remain a world center of maritime activity. It has been argued that it would be difficult for terrorists to disrupt shipping in the strait by sinking a ship in a precise spot. However, were terrorists to hijack one and turn it into a floating bomb to destroy ports or oil refineries, the effect would be catastrophic. Such an attack incident would not only cripple world trade and slow down international shipping but spread fear-more broadly than on 9/11. † (Banaloi, 65. The United States has expressed grave fear over the possibility of sinking a tanker in the Straits, and has, along with India, taken to patrolling the waters. Japan has also expressed concern over the safety of the Strait with good reason: Japanese ships were hijacked in 1998, 1999 and 2000, one of which was the infamous Alondra Rainbow. Needless to say, the problem is not going to go away. Piracy has become more rampant in the Straits during the last few years, and is expected to rise even more when China begins using more oil. â€Å"T he number of such attacks has tripled over the past decade.In the first week of June, for example, a tug and barge disappeared on their way to Port Klang in Malaysia, armed robbers looted a tanker in Indonesian waters and crews repelled two other attacks in the Strait itself. † (www. economist. com. ) Despite the apparent rise of piracy and the serious potential for terrorist acts, all hope should not be lost. â€Å"A total of 16 countries and one administrative region were represented at the Asian Maritime Security Summit: Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.After discussing measures to deal with piracy and maritime terrorism, the participants adopted an â€Å"Asia Maritime Security Initiative 2004† calling for cooperation among their countries in this area. It seems fair to see this development as an expression by Japan of its readiness to take the initiative in regional maritime security. † (Isami, 49. ) Recently, Japan, no doubt influenced by its hijackings, has spearheaded a campaign to end piracy and terrorism in the Straits and other sea-lanes in the South Pacific.One popular idea raised at the conference was building an Asian Coast Guard, wherein each nation would send people to be trained as officers and be able to patrol and safe guard the waters. The Copenhagen School in Denmark â€Å"introduced the concept of â€Å"securitization† to challenge the traditional conception of security. Emmers applies the â€Å"securitization theory† to have a deeper understanding of the â€Å"securitization† of drug trafficking, piracy/maritime terrorism, and people smuggling in Thailand, Singapore and Australia, respectively. (Banaloi, 388. ) â€Å"Securitization† has become a theory used to pinpoint the ways in which regions become â€Å"securitized† and â€Å"de-securitized. † The theory has been met with gr eat fanfare, especially in the South Pacific. Yet another theory to help scholars and government aides with the situation is the Grey Area Theory presented by Peter Chalk, where threats to the stability of nations are provided by non-nation processes, organizations and people.A review of his theory stated, â€Å"The piracy chapter touches on important weaknesses in international law, particularly in relation to the sensitive issue of â€Å"hot pursuit† and the problems of seas where there are disputed or no clear maritime boundaries, truly â€Å"grey-areas. † It also raises significant regional examples of active cooperation, such as the joint maritime patrols by the littoral states of the Malacca and Singapore Straits which have helped to reduce incidents of piracy. (Grundy-Warr, 111. ) The Royal Malaysian Navy has stepped up efforts to patrol the Straits, as has the Singaporean Navy. While the navies have reduced some acts of piracy and terrorism, the Straits under the Indonesian zone are largely unguarded due to lack of funds. The United States has offered assistance, but Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have declined, preferring advice and equipment rather than actual presence, which they fear might anger their country's inhabitants.Piracy and terrorism have been blended together to form a rather extreme form of diabolical action. Terrorism is the face of global disorder in the coming decade and will need to be prevented in order to ensure a safer world. The war over installing a democracy in Iraq may not be the way to staunch the flow of terrorism, but a â€Å"securitized† Straits of Malacca could ensure the safety of people, trade and economic cooperation for years to come.

Any aspect of lactation in the muskrat

The secretion of milk from mammary glands in the process of feeding their young is characteristic of all mammals. The muskrat, an amphibious rodent that is mostly aquatic is no different (Colby 1967).Its name is derived from scent glands otherwise known as musk within their bodies. This scent is vital in their communication while mating or defending their territory. Muskrats can be found in water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds or marshes with at least not less than 4 feet and not exceeding 6 feet. Marshes are however the most suitable habitat for muskrats.Descriptive FactsOn average a muskrat has a length of about 2 feet and weighing close to 3 pounds. Its eyes are small and the ears hidden in the fur (Cyril 1984). Its lips are fleshy and furred such that it can gnaw with its incisors while underwater without water sipping in its mouth. Its short legs and small forefeet ensure that it grabs objects.The grip is further enhanced by a large hind feet with strongly clawed toes (Banf ield, 1974). The muskrat can be easily tracked by its tail which accompanies the track made by the foot. Its color can be black, grey, white or albino though the commonest is the mahogany color with tawny or grey under parts. The Cree Indians referred to this creature as â€Å"Musquash† due to a pungent smell noticeable in the mating season (Colby, 1967).Way of lifeMuskrats are mainly nocturnal and since most of their time is spent in water these little creatures are excellent swimmers. On average a muskrat can spend up to fifteen minutes under water. They use their tail and hind feet as propellers and rudder respectively. Due to the waterproof fur, muskrats can remain submerged for about 3 minutes. The underbelly fur adjusts easily to the seasons. In the warm seasons it is pale and becomes darker as the cold season approaches.Just like most mammals muskrats live in family units and are aggressive in defending their home territory. Normally, the home environment is approximat ely 65 yards. The area population densities vary from 3 to 4 animals per acre to about 35 per acre.The muskrats face the threats of a number of predators both inside the water and on land. The most serious and notable predator is the mink. During the spring these predators are notorious since the muskrats are on the move whereas the young are confined in the dens. Other predators include the snapping turtle, foxes, wolves, black bear and some birds that kill the muskrats when out in the open marshes.Muskrats live in well plastered mud houses constructed on bulrushes. The houses are either built on a stump or on a log. The location is normally close to deep water, about 4 feet above water level or at the edge of a vegetation cover.The area should not be one that faces drastic water level changes though the year. This is to ensure that the young are offered with enough protection for the muskrats since they face threats from the predators. However, in most cases the homes are usually destroyed in spring as a result of flooding.The Muskrat’s DietThe muskrat has two kinds of diet that are favored either during summer or winter. To a greater extend muskrats are herbivores but in case of scarcity they do predate on other animals. In the summer season there is plenty of food, mostly emergent vegetation such as water lily, bulrush and arrowhead (Barker, 1987).This diet is well balanced with animal matter which include; small turtles, frogs, catfish and salamanders. The winter food is usually limited since much food is not stored in summer. The submerged vegetation that wholly meets the diet of the muskrats comprises water weed, water lily tuber, and pondweeds.

Eastern Gary Kangaroo essays

Eastern Gary Kangaroo essays The Eastern grey kangaroo is in the Animalia kingdom. The phylum they belong to is the Chordata phylum. The class they belong to is the Mamalia class. The Diprotodontia is the order they belong to. The family they are a part of is the Macropodidae family. The Eastern gray Kangaroos scientific name is Macropus giganteus. They live in eastern Australia and the Tasmania Islands. The average rainfall is around 150-300mm. Eastern Grey Kangaroos live in wet areas. They live on the grass lands, forests and woodlands. They graze on strips of land called a home range.. Since they eat dry grass they drink much water. They mostly sleep in the shade under trees because of the heat. Eastern grey kangaroos are well adapted to their environment both behavioral and physiological. To keep from over heating they sleep during hot days and then go out to eat in late afternoon and early morning. They also can dig holes, so they can sleep in the cool soil. They have large dark eyes which gives them very accurate sight. Their ears can turn in any direction so they can pick up the faintest noise. The also have a good sense of smell. When they sense any danger at all they stomp the ground very hard to warn the other kangaroos of danger. They have specially designed tendons that stretch when they hop so they use up little energy hen they hop, so they can go for a long time to escape danger. They also have the ability to balance their weight on the tail to give a strong and deadly kick to other males and predators. Their tail also helps them balance when then hopping. The eating habits of an Eastern Kangaroo are mostly made of dry grass and shrubs. They graze on farmers property with the sheep and sometimes get shot for it. They do not eat very thick water grass at all. They do no eat it because it takes to much room up in their stomach. Eastern kangaroos have no natural day large predator. Their ears and eyes though suggest that the...

How To Write Every Day (and why you should)

How To Write Every Day (and why you should) How To Write Every Day (and why you should) How To Write Every Day (and why you should) By Ali Hale If you aspire to be a writer, and read tips from well known authors, you’ll have come across the advice that you should write every day. Sharon suggested this in the best way to start out in freelance writing: I recommend writing every day, even if it’s only for a little while. It makes writing part of your daily routine and it makes it easy to draw on the skills you have built up even if a particular writing project isn’t very inspiring. And shes in good company. Stephen King (in On Writing) tells fiction writers to aim for a target of 1,000 words a day, six days a week. Julia Cameron’s bestselling book The Artist’s Way has popularised the idea of â€Å"the morning pages† – writing three pages in your journal when you wake up. And if you have a blog, whether a personal or professional one, you might well be trying to publish something new every day (perhaps you want to emulate the success of blogs like ‘Daily Writing Tips’ †¦ ;-)) Knowing that it’s a good idea to write every day, however, doesn’t make it easy to do so! Often, you’ll be busy and struggle to find a chance to write – and when you do have the time, you may not feel creative. Here’s how to write fiction, journal entries or blog posts every day: Fiction I’ve found it easiest to write daily when I’m working on a longer piece of fiction, such as a novel. End each day in the middle of a scene (or even in the middle of a sentence), and you’ll never be faced with a blank screen at the start of your writing session. Have a target number of words or pages to aim for each day – perhaps working towards a deadline. I’d strongly recommend taking part in NaNoWriMo this November (or doing your own novel writing month before then); to â€Å"win† you have to write 50,000 words in a month – averaging 1,667 per day. It’s challenging, but will definitely help you to establish the daily writing habit! If you’re working on short stories, and aiming to write every day, I’d urge you to count planning, outlining and editing as part of your writing. You might find you need to allocate a day for coming up with ideas (brainstorming), a day for planning in more detail, then three or four days to write the first draft. Journal You don’t need to write in your journal first thing in the morning. If, like me, you’re a â€Å"morning person†, you might well find it’s a good time to think through your plans and hopes for the day in writing †¦ but for many people, finding time to journal before breakfast just isn’t practical. The important thing with daily journaling is to be consistent with when you do it. Pick a time of day when you’ll always write in your journal (before breakfast, during your lunch hour, last thing at night before you go to bed) and it will quickly become a habit. Also, try to see your journaling as a treat – a little chunk of time set aside just for you and your thoughts. It might help to buy a really nice notebook to write in (I have a lovely A4 hardback one for my journal), or to have your favourite drink or snack during your journaling time. Blogging Just because you want to publish a post every day doesn’t mean you have to write one each day: many bloggers write several posts ahead of time (perhaps at the weekend, if they have full-time jobs) then publish them throughout the week. Skellie, for example, suggests: Set aside one morning or afternoon on the quietest day of the week where you will write all non-news posts for the following seven days. However, if you have a news-orientated blog, you’ll need to cover stories as and when they break – writing and publishing on the same day. Or if your blog is a personal diary, you might be trying to keep it updated daily (especially if you’re posting your achievements towards a goal). In these situations, a deadline and a sense of responsibility to your readers can work wonders. Promise on your blog that there’ll be a new post each day, then set yourself a private daily deadline (eg. 8pm) and aim to hit â€Å"publish† before then. Even when you’re not in the mood to write, the embarrassment of letting your readers down will motivate you to get typing†¦ Are you trying to write every day? What sort of writing are you doing – and is it going well? Do you have any great advice for other Daily Writing Tips readers who want to establish a daily writing habit? Let us know with the comment form below! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them)Proved vs. ProvenPrepositions to Die With

Product and Service Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Product and Service Design - Research Paper Example Firms are acknowledging the model behind manufacturing can be translated beyond cost control to design products and services that are easily maintained and serviced. Improving the manufacturing process is an important goal in product and service design (WSP, 2013). A powerful tool can be used to lower manufacturing costs as well as improve the quality of the product or service. Background of the Chapter under Review The value of a business organization is the products and services it offers, all aspects of the organization and the structure of supply chain around the products and services. It is clear that organizations with properly designed products and services are in a better place in realization of their goals than those with defectively designed products and services. Products or service design should be closely linked with an organization’s strategy. This is owing to the fact that it is a major aspect in quality assurance, cost, customer satisfaction and competitive advantage. As a result, various departments including finance, IT, HR, finance, operations and accounting should be involved (Stevenson, 2011). It can be noted that a major cause of operations failed can be attributed to faulty design. Designs that are not

The European Intermodal Transport Operations Term Paper

The European Intermodal Transport Operations - Term Paper Example There are different types of shipping operations that include longterm charters, spot charters operations, and liner operations. Long term charters operations require that the shipowner knows the type of cargo to handle as well as the port that should be used for that purpose. Spot charter is an operation where an owner of a ship has a general idea of where the ship should be situated but does not have any knowledge about the type of goods to be used for the port. Liner operation states that the owner of a ship should have knowledge of the port or volumes of cargo to be used but the venue of the operation may change from one period to another. The shipping companies may approach the business by taking into account several issues such as the purchasing of vessels that are highly flexible, those that serve several markets and reduce the rate of risk from occurring. In addition, this may prompt an owner of a ship to use expensive open hold bulk carrier that handles containers as well as dry bulk cargo. Other ship owners may prefer to use ships that are designed for specific purposes, therefore more efficient and incur less operating cost during their operations. This system is used to create opportunities for its customers by availing the products to the market at the appropriate time and place. It is an information technology tool that is used for ensuring that there is efficient management and management of intermodal door to door transport operations using scientific tools such as logistic and communication systems appropriate for the organization. It was established so that it could help in the reduction of congestion as it was witnessed in the road network. The businessmen in the shipping industry opted to have the following factors into place so as to carry out their activities profitably.The factors include higher reliability, lower prices, more flexibility and quality service levels for the customers.