Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge, Massachusetts essays

Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge, Massachusetts papers Norman Rockwell significantly appreciated crafted by different artists. The Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge presents a normally changing project of crafted by different artists since it accepts that probably the most ideal approaches to appreciate and comprehend a craftsman is through examination and appear differently in relation to different craftsmen. The guest to the Norman Rockwell Museum at Stockbridge will at present find roughly 60 unique show-stoppers by Norman Rockwell on display, including works from each time of Rockwell's profession. Compositions on show incorporate once in a while observed works from open and private assortments, just as numerous from the exhibition hall's broad changeless assortment. Included are an unprecedented determination of magazine spread outlines, story representations, and workmanship for publicizing that reflects Norman Rockwell's creative development, from juvenile expert to stunning painter, artist and narrator. These incorporate two extraordinary magazine spread delineations named The Runaway, painted at unmistakably various focuses in the craftsman's profession, that mirror a comparable topic. Both the previous picture, painted for Look in 1922, and the investigation for the 1958 Saturday Evening Post spread are right now on see fine instances of Rockwell's initial and developed styles. The lavishly painted 1967 McCall's story representation, Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas, offers an all encompassing look at the town that Rockwell called home for the last a quarter century of his life. Furthermore, delightfully imagined publicizing representations like Market Day Special, painted for Sun servant in 1930, and The Engagement Ring, made for Sears A skilled sketcher, painter and visual narrator, Rockwell was fastidious about his specialty and profoundly looked for after for his point by point story pictures. He worked seven days every week to satisfy the assignments o... <!

US Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

US Democracy - Essay Example The inquiry how fair is vote based system in U.S may appear to be trying to a layman however it is obvious from the U.S constitution that the states practice majority rule government in practically the entirety of their dealings. Anyway somewhat America arrangement of administration has neglected to receive a portion of the a portion of the developments and changes in the majority rule frameworks and perfect. The United States constitution permits the normal residents to partake in different majority rule procedures, for example, political decision and participating in submission on the off chance that there is any. Anyway somewhat the American majority rules system gets weaken step by step with a greater amount of her capacity Washington. The states are turning out to be more republic united government. The politically right and chronicled revisionists have dirtied United States with limited yet vilifying despotisms that have very gouged our free just individuals. Lawmakers utilize the term vote based system when they need something from the publics, and they utilize the term republic when they needn't bother with something from the residents. It is political framework and where the legitimate power is controlled through given and listed forces. For example, the United States Constitution, and overwhelmingly the Bill of Rights, was planned to restrain governments part to what United States’ establishing ancestors saw as governments most extreme crucial capacities. The fundamental capacities were to hold singular freedom and protect private property. Besides, Persons vary in their view of a constrained government, regardless, one normal comprehension is that a restricted government is one that forces simply abundant assessments to convey for state barrier and police security and afterward avoids publics endeavors. For instance, a constrained government is one that doesn't trouble itself with issues, for example, what sallies should representatives land from the positions they do, retirement venture plans of

The Art of Waiting

The Art of Waiting There are many things in life that require you to have the ever elusive skill of patience â€" waiting for the bus, waiting on a friend at a café, or (dare I say it) constantly refreshing the decisions.mit.edu page. I remember when I was in your shoes. Back in the day, I had to do it not once but TWICE because I was deferred the first time around in December. It was torturous, and the clock seemed to tick too fast and too slow. There was nothing I wanted more than to know the decision but I feared the finality of it, all at the same time. I find the act of waiting (not scrolling on my phone or talking to someone, but just existing) extremely difficult. Scientists say it’s because we have very short attention spans now from our phones and need constant stimulation. Which perhaps is true, but also if I leave my mind to its own devices, I often descend into a deep thought spiral.  Then, sitting at the coffee counter, I start wondering if I got the time wrong or the date wrong, or maybe theyre mad because I left them on read for too long last week, or perhaps something terrible happened to them and they’re in the hospital and…you get the point. So Ive developed some go-to time-burners to get my mind on something else. Variable weather calls for variable coping mechanisms (especially since you applicants are all over the world!). Waiting on a nice, sunny day: Go forth and feel the warmth on you skin! I will be jealous as my lips crack and my skin turns lizard-y in the Boston cold. Workout  per Veronicas wonderful plan! Wander around while listening to some tunes. For some new sounds, check out what the bloggers listen to, a good 2019 variety show:  The New York Times 2019 playlist, or a great podcast about music when you want an in-between: Switched on Pop  (one of my favorite episodes â€" on the one and only Taylor Swift). Go explore your city! If you leave your hometown, this could be the last few months to visit your favorite places and/or discover new ones. For example,  a lot of yoga studios have community classes that are donation-based or $5, museums and other galleries often have student discounts, etc! Waiting on a dreary, rainy day: Grab some popcorn and escape the stress of this world for the stress of another world. Here are some  TV shows and movies Ive been watching for those Netflix and (actually) chill nights: Russian Doll: a Black Mirror-esque show with an actress from Orange is the New Black, basically she keeps dying and reliving the same day. Its way better than it sounds. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: these are also all a little bit macabre, i’m sorry. Sorry to Bother You: a psychedelic look at modern day race relations in a world that is just a step away from our own. Her: Ex Machina-esque but less frightening, an unconventional rom-com. Waiting on a blustery, snowy day: Doesn’t it make you want to just crawl into bed, a cup of chamomile tea in hand, and snuggle up with a book? We have a lot of these kinds of days over here, so I have many a recommendation. FYI, I read on my phone or iPad on Kindle and Axis360, an app that most US libraries support to borrow eBooks, convenient to pull out on the subway, in class (shh), or right before bed. Books on my docket (or just ones that I love): For the feel-good types: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine: still reading so cant say too much yet, but it deals with hard topics in a lighthearted, approachable way. A Gentleman in Moscow: lovely prose, a slower-paced read so don’t expect any dramatic showdowns. Little Fires Everywhere: a suburban utopia gets turned upside down, a mother-daughter piece of fiction that hits me right in the feels. For the magically-inclined: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories: the namesake is the only short story to ever win all three short story awards, so good ah La casa de los espíritus: on the queue, as well as Allende’s other book Más allá del invierno. English versions are available too if thats more understandable. American Gods: An adult version of Percy Jackson, featuring a complex clash between the old gods (i.e. wisdom, darkness and light) and new gods (i.e. technology, media) For the practical / technologist: Algorithms to Live By: get a head start on 6.006 (Intro to Algorithms), applied to daily life. When Breath Becomes Air: a good perspective shift, talks a lot about life, purpose, and death. So pick your poison, and I hope this helps countdown the final few hours. Best of luck!

Hidden Curriculum and Processes Within Schools Produce...

Hidden Curriculum and Processes Within Schools Produce Inequalities Between Children of Different Social Classes Through many different researches, it has been shown that working class students are underachieving compared to that of their middle class peers. Middle class pupils are obtaining better grades, and more of them are staying on in education past the compulsory age. The difference that is noticeable is that they are from different social class backgrounds, and therefore they are socialised differently. In order to find out more about this, we need to discuss the reasons for differences between the ways in which the different social classes are taught in schools. The hidden curriculum†¦show more content†¦It could be that they are interested, but have more important work commitments; therefore they dont have time to visit the school. Also, the parents may be put off from visiting the school due to the ways in which the teachers interact with them. Teachers are more likely to have a better attitude to parents of middle class than working class, and this may be putting the parents off visiting the school and paying attention to their childs education. Many schools have a system where classes are divided into different ability groups. This is known as streaming. Peter Woods is a sociologist, whose research found that, in general, middle class students were placed in higher ability groups, and working class students were in lower groups. Most teachers admitted to having a preference of teaching the higher sets, because the students were better behaved. When educating the lower groups, the teacher often spent more time controlling behaviour, rather than teaching. The lower groups often had an anti-school subculture, in which breaking school rules was regarded as cool by some students. Due to this anti-school subculture and poor behaviour of the lower ability students, the teachers often expected less from them. This led to the students being deprived of higher knowledgeShow MoreRelated Social Class and Quality of Education Essay1197 Words   |  5 PagesOne of the concerns regarding social justice in education is that there are m arginalised groups within society do not having equal access to the learning and life opportunities that they deserve. The concept of social justice stresses that every individual within society is entitled to have equal rights and opportunities. This means that an individual from a lower class background deserves the same opportunities as a person from a wealthier background. It is about becoming aware and recognising thatRead MoreImportance of Curriculum Foundations2440 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction Curriculum planning involves making a series of choices (Saylor, Alexander and Lewis, p. 27) In the process of curriculum planning the three bases of curriculum should be considered these bases are society, learner and knowledge. Each of these bases is equally important and cannot be neglected. They are like three legs of a tripod stand, if one leg is bigger than the other than the tripod cannot stand. Similarly each of these bases cannot be given more importance over than the otherRead MoreThe Contribution of Functionalist Sociology to an Understanding of the Role of Education in Society2234 Words   |  9 PagesWhat are the functional relationships between the education system and other parts of the social system. Firstly, Functionalism is a theory. A theory based on â€Å"value consensus†. Functionalism is based on the view that society is a system of interdependent parts held together by a shared culture or value consensus (an agreement amongst society’s members about what values are important). Functionalist theories assume the different parts of a society each have theirRead More Poverty, Racism, and Literacy Essay2294 Words   |  10 PagesPoverty, Racism, and Literacy A significant correlation between race and poverty exists, with Black and Hispanic Americans three times more likely to be impoverished than White Americans (Proctor and Dalaker 2002). The cycle of poverty and low-literacy functioning is well documented, as is the achievement gap between White students and students of color. Race is a persistent factor in employment statistics, educational attainment, and the acquisition of literacy skills, with significantly higherRead MoreThe Real American Dream : Realizing Education Inequality2569 Words   |  11 Pages Social Inequality November 20, 2014 Research Paper: Education Inequality The Real American Dream: Realizing Education Inequality through Intersectionality In recent years, the term intersectionality has taken the foregrounds in understanding how differences such as age, gender, race, sexuality, disability, and religion, etc., interweave and intersect upon individual lives in modern society (Beck 1992). Intersectionality has become a demonstration as to understand, employ, and analyze withRead MoreEssay on Class Distinctions in America5795 Words   |  24 Pagesany thing is possible. Many Americans subscribe to this pluralist view of the Country, believing that within our democratic system it is the majority who maintains control and sets policy. Unfortunately this idyllic country does not exist nor has it ever existed. America is made up of distinct social classes and the movement within those classes is for the most part, limited to the various classes in the middle where the lines of demarcation are blurred. Although the majority of the Countrys populationRead Morepreschool Essay46149 Words   |  185 Pagesearly learning and p develop ­ ent for California’s preschool m children. Young children are naturally eager to learn. However, not all of them enter kindergarten ready for school. All too often, children are already lagging behind their classmates, and this circumstance can impede their continued learning and development long past kindergarten. High-quality preschool teaching contributes to children’s longrange social and academic success, as well as their ability to express themselvesRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesproblematic and challenging subject. This is not the case with the present book. This is a book that deserves to achieve a wide readership. Professor Stephen Ackroyd, Lancaster University, UK This new textbook usefully situates organization theory within the scholarly debates on modernism and postmodernism, and provides an advanced introduction to the heterogeneous study of organizations, including chapters on phenomenology, critical theory and psychoanalysis. Like all good textbooks, the book isRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagesintellectual strengths and capabilities rather than making artificial distinctions between what is acceptable and what is not. He also has contributed widely to the accounting literature, taking forward the British tradition of economic theorizing in financial accounting as well as being a constant source of creative thinking in the management accounting field. Michael has also contributed in a number of different institutional arenas: the academic, of course, but also those of the profession andRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesperspectives on the past) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-4399-0269-1 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0270-7 (paper : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0271-4 (electronic) 1. History, Modern—20th century. 2. Twentieth century. 3. Social history—20th century. 4. World politics—20th century. I. Adas, Michael, 1943– II. American Historical Association. D421.E77 2010 909.82—dc22 2009052961 The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard

Copenhagen by Michael Frayn

Why do we do the things we do? It’s a simple question. But sometimes there’s more than one answer. And that’s where it gets complicated. In Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen, a fictional account of an actual event during World War II, two physicists exchange heated words and profound ideas. One man, Werner Heisenberg, seeks to harness the power of the atom for Germany’s forces. The other scientist, Niels Bohr is devastated that his native Denmark has been occupied by the Third Reich. Historical Context In 1941, German physicist Heisenberg paid a visit to Bohr. The two spoke very briefly before Bohr angrily ended the conversation and Heisenberg left. Mystery and controversy have surrounded this historic exchange. About a decade after the war, Heisenberg maintained that he visited Bohr, his friend,  and father-figure, to discuss his own ethical concerns about nuclear weaponry. Bohr, however, remembers differently; he claims that Heisenberg seemed to have no moral qualms about creating atomic weapons for the Axis powers. Incorporating a healthy combination of research and imagination, playwright Michael Frayn contemplates the various motivations behind Heisenberg’s meeting with his former mentor, Niels Bohr. The Setting: a Vague Spirit World Copenhagen is set in an undisclosed location, with no mention of sets, props, costume, or scenic design. (In fact, the play does not offer a single stage direction – leaving the action completely up to the actors and the director.) The audience learns early on that all three characters (Heisenberg, Bohr, and Bohr’s wife Margrethe) have been dead for years. With their lives now over, their spirits turn to the past to try to make sense of the 1941 meeting. During their discussion, the talkative spirits touch upon other moments in their lives – skiing trips and boating accidents, laboratory experiments and long walks with friends. Quantum Mechanics on Stage You don’t have to be a physics buff to love this play, but it certainly helps. Much of the charm of Copenhagen comes from Bohrs and Heisenberg’s expressions of their devout love of science. There is poetry to be found in the workings of an atom, and Frayn’s dialogue is most eloquent when the characters make profound comparisons between the reactions of electrons and the choices of humans. Copenhagen was first performed in London as a â€Å"theater in the round.† The movements of the actors in that production - as they argue, tease, and intellectualize - reflected the sometimes combative interactions of atomic particles. The Role of Margrethe At first glance, Margrethe might seem the most trivial character of the three. After all, Bohr and Heisenberg are the scientists, each one having a profound impact on the way mankind understands quantum physics, the anatomy of the atom, and the capability of nuclear energy. However, Margrethe is essential to the play because she gives the scientist characters an excuse to express themselves in layman’s terms. Without the wife evaluating their conversation, sometimes even attacking Heisenberg and defending her often-passive husband, the play’s dialogue might devolve into various equations. These conversations might be compelling for a few mathematical geniuses, but would be otherwise boring for the rest of us! Margrethe keeps the characters grounded. She represents the audience’s perspective. Ethical Questions At times the play feels too cerebral for its own good. Yet, the play works best when ethic dilemmas are explored. Was Heisenberg immoral for trying to supply the Nazis with atomic energy?Were Bohr and the other allied scientists behaving unethically by creating the atomic bomb?Was Heisenberg visiting Bohr to seek moral guidance? Or was he simply flaunting his superior status?​Each of these and more are worthy questions to consider. The play doesn’t provide a definitive answer, but it does hint that Heisenberg was a compassionate scientist who loved his fatherland, yet did not approve of atomic weapons. Many historians would disagree with Frayn’s interpretation, of course. Yet that makes Copenhagen all the more enjoyable. It might not be the most exciting play, but it certainly stimulates debate.

My Nephew Vinnie Free Essays

My nephew Vinnie is someone special who is a very important little person in my life. He is the oldest child of my older brother’s four children and was the first kid to make me an uncle. I can remember when he was born it made me so excited about being a first time uncle. We will write a custom essay sample on My Nephew Vinnie or any similar topic only for you Order Now He is pushing eight years old and is a very well mannered boy. There are times where I’ve helped him with school, gave him advice, or just listened to him cry when no one else would. He always helps me by cheering me up when I’m not in the greatest mood. He is super talented and has a ton of skill and potential. When he’s not taking care of his three wild younger siblings he is winning baseball championships, playing video games, riding his dirt bike, practicing karate, or studying for school. In many ways Vinnie has inspired me to be a better person and reminds me to sometimes look at things from a different perspective. Vinnie is fearless, athletic, honest, smart, goodhearted, dependable, and one of the coolest kids I’ve ever met. He is such an adorable kid with his dad’s big blue eyes and his mom’s dark hair. Vinnie has no problem talking to girls and is far from being a shy guy. I have seen him at school around the other kids and he is always being chased around by the young girls. For his age he is really strong and a little bit bigger than the other kids his age. He makes friends easily and is always spending time with them running around the neighborhood and playing at the school across the street. Whenever I go to surprise visit him he excitedly jumps in my arms and says â€Å"Uncle Mike!†. He really loves when I come to his house in Crystal Lake to visit. I’m proud of him because he is always winning his little league games and getting awarded the MVP for his team. I’ve been to all of his games and I love to watch him play along with the rest of my family. He is a leader among his teammates and always has a gleaming positive attitude motivating them to do better. For a little eight year old surprisingly he already knows what he wants to be when he grows up. He wants to be a shark studying marine biologist, and he is fascinated with big fish and watching documentaries on catching them. He is very competitive in any and everything that he does. His colorful personality is very loud and in your face, because he always wants to win and impress the people around him. I’m always impressed by the things he does and he makes me happy whenever we hang out together. How to cite My Nephew Vinnie, Papers

The Pearl Review

'The Pearl' Review The Pearl (1947) is somewhat of a departure from some of  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹John Steinbecks earlier works. The novel has been compared to Ernest Hemingways The Old Man and the Sea (1952). The seeds of Steinbecks The Pearl began to germinate in 1940 when he was traveling in the Sea of Cortez and heard a story about a young man who found a large pearl. From that basic outline, Steinbeck reinvented the tale of Kino and his young family to include his own experiences, including in his novel the recent birth of a son, and how that exhilaration affects a young man. The novel is also, in some ways, a representation of his long appreciation of Mexican culture. He made the story into a parable, warning his readers of the corrupting influences of wealth.​ Be Careful What You Wish For... In The Pearl, Kinos neighbors all knew what good fortune could do to him, his wife, and his new baby boy. That good wife Juana, they said, and the beautiful baby Coyotito, and the others to come. What a pity it would be if the pearl should destroy them all.Even Juana tries to throw the pearl into the sea to free them from its poison. And she knew that Kino was half insane and half god... that the mountain would stand while the man broke himself; that the sea would surge while the man drowned in it. But, she needed him yet, and she would follow him, even as he admits to his brother: This pearl has become my soul... If I give it up I shall lose my soul.The pearl sings to Kino, telling him of a future where his son will read and he may become something more than a poor fisherman. In the end, the pearl doesnt fulfill any of its promises. It only brings death and emptiness. As the family returned to their old house, the people around them said that they seemed removed from human experienc e, that they had gone through pain and had come out the other side; that there was almost a magical protection about them.

Founding of the Republican Party

Founding of the Republican Party The Republican Party was founded in the mid-1850s following the fracturing of other political parties over the issue of slavery. The party, which was based on stopping the spread of slavery to new territories and states, arose out of protest meetings which took place in a number of northern states. The catalyst for the founding of the party was the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in the spring of 1854. The law was a major change from the Missouri Compromise of three decades earlier and made it seem possible that new states in the West would come into the Union as slave states. The change splintered both major parties of the era, the Democrats and the Whigs. Each party contained factions that either endorsed or opposed the spread of slavery into western territories. Before the Kansas-Nebraska Act was even signed into law by President Franklin Pierce, protest meetings had been called in a number of locations.   With meetings and conventions happening in a number of northern states, it is impossible to pinpoint one particular place and time where the party was founded.  One meeting, at a schoolhouse  in Ripon, Wisconsin, on March 1, 1854, is often credited as being where the Republican Party was founded. According to a number of accounts published in the 19th century, a convention of disaffected Whigs and members of the fading Free Soil Party assembled at Jackson, Michigan on July 6, 1854. A Michigan congressman, Jacob Merritt Howard, was credited with drawing up the first platform of the party and giving it the name Republican Party. It is often stated that Abraham Lincoln was the founder of the Republican Party. While the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act did motivate Lincoln to return to an active role in politics, he was not part of the group which actually founded the new political party. Lincoln did, however, quickly become a member of the Republican Party and in the election of 1860 he would become its second nominee for president. Formation of a New Political Party Forming the new political party was no easy accomplishment. The American political system in the early 1850s was complicated, and members of a number of factions and minor parties had widely varying degrees of enthusiasm about migrating to a new party. In fact, during the congressional elections of 1854, it seemed that most of the opponents to the spread of slavery concluded their most practical approach would be the formation of fusion tickets. For example, members of the Whigs and the Free Soil Party formed tickets in some states to run in local and Congressional elections. The fusion movement was not very successful, and was ridiculed with the slogan Fusion and Confusion. Following the 1854 elections momentum grew to call meetings and begin to seriously organize the new party. Throughout 1855 various state conventions brought together Whigs, Free Soilers, and others. In New York State, the powerful political boss Thurlow Weed joined the Republican Party, as did the states anti-slavery senator William Seward, and the influential newspaper editor Horace Greeley. Early Campaigns of the Republican Party It seemed obvious that the Whig Party was finished, and couldnt run a candidate for the presidency in 1856. As the controversy over Kansas escalated (and would eventually turn into a small-scale conflict dubbed Bleeding Kansas), the Republicans gained traction as they presented a united front against the pro-slavery elements dominating the Democratic Party. As former Whigs and Free Soilers coalesced around the Republican banner, the party held its first national convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from June 17-19, 1856. Approximately 600 delegates gathered, mainly from the northern states but also including the border slave states of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and the District of Columbia. The territory of Kansas was treated as a full state, which carried considerable symbolism given the unfolding conflict there. At that first convention, the Republicans nominated explorer and adventurer John C. Frà ©mont as their presidential candidate. A former Whig congressman from Illinois who had come over to the Republicans, Abraham Lincoln, was nearly nominated as the vice presidential candidate but lost to William L. Dayton, a former senator from New Jersey. The first national platform of the Republican Party called for a transcontinental railroad and improvements of harbors and river transportation. But the most pressing issue, of course, was slavery and the platform called for prohibiting the spread of slavery to new states and territories. It also called for the prompt admission of Kansas as a free state. The Election of 1856 James Buchanan, the Democratic candidate, and a man with an uncommonly long record in American politics won the presidency in 1856 in a three-way race with Frà ©mont and former president Millard Fillmore, who ran a disastrous campaign as the candidate of the Know-Nothing Party. Yet the newly formed Republican Party did surprisingly well. Frà ©mont received about a third of the popular vote and carried 11 states in the electoral college. All the Frà ©mont states were in the North and included New York, Ohio, and Massachusetts. Given that Frà ©mont was a novice at politics, and the party had not even existed at the time of the previous presidential election, it was a very encouraging result. At the same time, the House of Representatives began to turn Republican. By the late 1850s, the House was dominated by Republicans. The Republican Party had become a major force in American politics. And the election of 1860, in which the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln, won the presidency, led to the slave states seceding from the Union.

How to Use a Pell Grant Calculator

How to Use a Pell Grant Calculator SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're trying to plan out your college expenses, the ability to estimate your federal aid eligibility can be a big advantage. There are so many factors to take into account, though - it might be hard to know where to begin. The good news is that calculating your Pell Grant eligibility probably isn't as hard as you think it is. And there's an added bonus: calculating Pell Grant eligibilitywill also generate informationabout other federal aid programs, like Stafford loans and work study. Best of all, it should only take about 10 minutes! Read on to learn about what you need to get started and how to calculate your eligibility. What Information Do You Need Before You Get Started? There are certain pieces of information that you probably don't need to research - like how many siblings you have, or your marital status - thataffect Pell Grant calculations. The calculator will also check for certain federal aid eligibility requirements.If you don't meet all federal requirements, you can't receive the Pell Grant; check out our Pell Grant eligibility guide for more information before you get started. The information you probably will need to research will be on your family's finances. If you don't have the documentation on hand it's fine to give estimates, but your calculations probably won't be as accurate.Here's thedocumentation you should have when you do your calculations: Your parents' most recent tax returns. Specifically, you need their adjusted gross income. The calculator will tell you exactly what line number you can find the adjusted gross income, depending on what form you have available. Your parents' asset net worth.The calculator will estimate an asset net worth based on the adjusted gross income you enter, but you may need to edit this. Asset net worth is defined as what your parents own (money, businesses, investments) minus any debt on those assets. You shouldn't include your parents' home or retirementplans. Your own most recent tax returns and asset net worth.If you don't file taxes or have any assets (like cash savings), you don't have to worry about inputting this information. Once you've gathered all this information, all you need to do is plug it into the federal aid calculator! What was that thing Ben Franklin said about taxes again? How Do I Actually EstimateMy Pell Grant Award? If you have financial information discussed above, this next step should be quick and easy. First, you should know there's no dedicated application for the Pell Grant - instead, all applicants are considered for it when they submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. To calculate your Pell award, we'll be using the FAFSA aidcalculatorcalled ... wait for it ... the FAFSA4caster.The FAFSA4caster isn't the actual application, so using it doesn't mean you've submitted an application for the Pell Grant. Although the calculator is pretty accurate, there's no guarantee that you'll receive the exact amount of aid estimated by the 4caster. To get started, click here and select theFAFSA4casterlink towards the top of the page. From there, follow the prompts on the screen; answer all questions as honestly as possible for an accurate estimate.There's a "helps and hints" section on the right side of the screen that will provide more information about the question prompts. Interpreting Your Calculator Results I completed an example calculation to demonstrate how to interpret your federal aid eligibility results. Keep in mind that my (fake!) results will likely look different from yours. Here's an example of what an aid eligibility calculation looks like before you enter college cost Whenmaking this example, I chose all of the standard options (no special housing circumstances, married/remarried parents, US citizen), didn't enter any personal income, and set my "parents'" income to $50,000. Based on this information, I would be eligible for a $2885 Pell Grant, in addition to $1465 in work-study and $5,500 in Stafford Loans.You can see these results in the image above. You've probably noticed that there are some blank boxes for state grants, college grants, and scholarships. The FAFSA4caster doesn't calculate these for you - it's just for federal aid - but itincludes these boxes in case you have other sources of aid you wanted to take into account. What you can do next, if you'd like, is calculate the difference betweenthe total cost of college and the amount of aid you get. The difference would be the remaining balance, or what you would be responsible for paying. Using the same information as above, I entered a College Cost of $30,000 and pressed "calculate." An example estimate of college cost minus total aid available In this example, my total aid (Pell Grant + work study + Stafford Loan) subtracted from my College Cost ($30,000) leaves me with a difference of $20,210. You'll notice that at the bottom of your calculation page there are spots to input savings and additional loan amounts - these numbers can be helpful to play around with if you're working out how to pay that remaining balance. What if the Aid You're Eligible For Isn't Enough? You've figured out roughly what you'll have to pay for college after accounting for federal aid, but what if that "difference" calculation is more than you expected? The good news is that you have other opportunities for aid. State financial aid also uses information generated by the FAFSA, so make sure to submit your application sooner rather than later. You can also look into private loans, scholarships through your school, or other merit-based scholarships. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

ASEAN Free Trade Area Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ASEAN Free Trade Area - Essay Example The AFTA agreement aims at promoting free trade in the region by bringing down the tax barriers and making the trade related policy framework to be more encouraging. The agreement can be understood as a kind of regional liberalization of trade policies that are favorable for boosting regional trade. Further the article focuses to find out whether if formation of this agreement has created trade creation or trade diversion. Trade creation can be considered as a development whereas trade diversion from the non member nations to the member nations can not be considered as a positive development. An important instrument for applying the trade agreement in the total region is the Common Effective Preferential Tariff scheme that requires the tariff of certain commodity to fall below zero to five percent. These commodities include capital and non capital as well as manufactured goods. This process of liberalization and eliminating the identified commodities from taxable commodities has been phased out in for phases. This has been done in order to prevent any instantaneous impact over the respective national economies of the member countries. A gradual tariff reduction would assure that the change shall be absorbed over a period of years and thus promote trade. After fifteen years of the agreement, it can be observed that the countries have largely succeeded in achieving the goals.

Apple Inc. Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Apple Inc. Analysis - Case Study Example employs to run its shows in the electronic consumer market (Thompson, Strickland & Gamble, 2011). Also, the paper will determine the various strategic elements of Apple’s competitive and product differentiation in the market place. Further, the paper will examine the competitive strength and thereby provide indications as to why Apple Inc. is a stable competitor. Moreover, the paper will assess the financial performance of Apple Inc. and provide recommendations aimed at strengthening Apple’s market position going forward. Elements of Competitive Strategy As a major developer, Apple Inc. develops, manufactures and markets personal computers and the supporting and/or related products. These product packages are directed basically to business entities and their owners, creative industry and the general consumer markets (Marino, Hattaway & Jackson, 2011). In addition, Apple Inc also provides the consumers of electronic products with the supporting utility languages, operati ng systems, the necessary developer tools and the needful software databases. Therefore, according to Lashinsky (2009), Apple Inc. is the only company that designs and owns the whole widget comprising of the hardware components, software components and the driving operating system components, which in togetherness serve the varied needs of their customers accordingly (Lashinsky, 2009). In the forefront to motivate Apple Inc. is the able hand and mind of the top notch executives in the overall realm of electronic product consumption market, which form the nucleus of the executive officer’s brain trust and thereby drive the operational excellence that is needed in order to sustain the growing number of the loyal customer base that the company currently prides of (Lashinksy, 2009). Additionally, Apple Inc. has a broad wealth of software and engineering skills that enables the company to develop evolving elements as per the demands of the market as well as the global influence of the products that it specializes in (Marino, Hattaway & Jackson, 2011). In order for any consumer to fully consume and enjoy the use of products in the personal computers in specific and the electronic market products in general, he/she must be able to access the three distinctive product components that Apple Inc. has prioritized; software, hardware and the operating systems. Therefore, it is evident that the various elements of Apple’s competitive strategy work in togetherness to maximize the value that the consumer accrues. This implies that the company’s product element pieces purposefully fit together to provide the necessary millage in terms of competitive capability in the market. Further, the fact the Apple has initiated and executive strategic decisions to sign agreements with other major players in the market enables it to fully exploit the generic strategic form provisions and thus develop products that the consumers consider highly innovative since they pr ovide advancements and/or complements the other products in the market (Marino, Hattaway & Jackson, 2011). Elements of Apples product strategy Personal computers Apple Inc. designed and distributed personal computer product line that enabled it to assemble the various product components together to enable the compatibility with the peripheral

Is Human Security Better Than State Centric Security?

Is Human Security Better Than State Centric Security? Along with the end of the Cold War, the spread of globalisation, and the fast development, the world is facing new challenges and threats endangering states as well as people all over the world. Those new problems require effective counteractions. Two approaches can be distinguished, which are particularly meaningful in a context of global security, Human Security, and state-centric approaches, such as realism, neo-realism, or Strategic Studies. They differ not only because of the subject of their focus, and hence the manner of protection, but also because definition of security they draw and methods of achievement of that security. New threats endanger people globally, therefore Human Security, which is focused on the providing the security of people, not states in the first line, seems to offer better way of dealing with these non-traditional problems. However, is the Human Security sufficient? Both approaches, like any other theories, comprise positive and negative aspects. In ord er to estimate which of these two approaches offer a better way of dealing with non-traditional new global security problems, first the definition of security will be explained, in context of both theories, to assess an impact of diverse conceptions of security on the specifying threats and methods of dealing with them. Next, and there will be assessed an importance of non-traditional new global security problems, in the scope of states and human security, and threats and difficulties associated with them will be clarified as well. Furthermore, both conceptions will be characterised, including examination of manner they offer to challenge the new threats, and to provide security, additionally effectiveness of their models will be estimated. Finally, two perceptions will be compared, emphasising the most colliding issues between them, and all arguments will be put together and summarised in ending statement. Diverse dimension of security Primary issue, whilst discussing the different perception of the global security problems, appears to be understanding of the security concept. Recognition of threats and methods we use to challenge them depend on the way we define security. We can distinguish two potential objects of security, states and human beings. The former conception is strictly associated with realism, which favour protection of state as the highest authority, according to King and The traditional view of security has focused on using the military to ensure the territorial integrity of sovereign states.  [1]  Realists argue that the main goal of states is assurance of their survival, regardless of citizens well-being. Military potential is according to realism a guarantor of states existence, and consequently, therefore realists claim that the best method to obtain the highest level of security is maximization of states unilateral military capabilities.  [2]  However, there is also other side of this idea, because such states struggle to the maximization of military power and international hegemonic position, as Richard Ullman argues in the long run can only increase a global insecurity,  [3]  therefore realist definition of security seems to have positive as well as negative aspects. Such model on the one hand offers a way to protect states, but on the other hand put it in danger. The latter concept, Human Security theory, draws a view that the individuals are of primary importance. For that reason they turn their attention towards the international rather than national security. Subsequently, because of its wider and more global character, it establishes different risks, not only military, but also environmental, social, and economic, proposing different methods of protection. However, there is also another interesting aspect, even though people are aware of the different kinds of threats and their crucial impact on their lives they value defence from violence more than from any other risks. The outcome of the enquiry conducted in 2005 in Afghanistan justifies that fact. Accordingly, 37% of questioned said that violence is the biggest danger facing their country, whilst 29% sustained that they are economic problems, such as poverty or unemployment.  [4]  Subsequently, people appreciate their physical safety more than a good condition of a country, and bel ieve that violation of human rights is the major threat resulting in many others difficulties. To sum up, the essential aspect in counter measuring of a particular threat is first its recognition, because in order to deal with something we need to be aware that it is a threat to our security. The effectiveness is determined by the extent that particular threat endangers our security. Here arises the question, how those distinct perceptions of threat and security affect attitude of both approaches to non-traditional threats? Non-traditional new global security problems We cannot decide of the predominance of one theory over another without explaining types and meaning of non-traditional security problems. New threats are of diverse nature, for example environmental threats, spreading of diseases, grooving population, poverty, intercontinental crime, threats associated with new technology, or acts of terrorism, and for that reason there are so hard to be challenged. What makes them even more problematic is their interconnectedness, usually one issue is correlated with another one or even causes another problems. They, therefore, need collective response, which obviously in anarchical model of self-interested states created by realists is difficult to obtain. Non-traditional threats often cause as many harms as traditionally defined dangers, such as war. This assumption is illustrated by the following example: AIDS is a direct threat to human security because it kills an estimated three million people every year.  [5]  Health issues concern not only developing countries, as it is generally believed. Stefan Elbe claims that because of the number of military operations all over the world, and highly developed tourist industry, the diseases spread very fast all over the world. Furthermore, there are also economic consequences, necessity of replacement of infected stationed soldiers equals additional costs, and likewise those soldiers create a risk for the population of their national states. Such situation took place in Sierra Leone, during peacekeeping operation number of people infected by HIV/AIDS increased in that region.  [6]   Another worth noting issue is environmental threat. Thomas Homer-Dixon argues that environmental scarcities are already contributing to violent conflicts in many parts of the world.  [7]  There is strict correlation between water and land exploitation and ethnic and national conflicts. Scarcity of resources resulting from devastating environmental occurrences such as global warming, acid rains, or deforestation, in result constrains people to migration, fighting for other sources of resources, or worsens states economic and social situation. Some of non-traditional threats are of greater military context, such as terrorism, arm trade, or militarization of children, other are less, such as poverty, health insecurity, or violation of human rights. What is certain, however, all of these threats are of the significant importance in terms of global security, both of people and states. Notwithstanding, difficulties in confronting those non-traditional threats derive from interrelation and global dimension of those issues. Non-traditional threats can very fast, if ignored, transformed into traditional ones. Which of the given approaches then offer a better way of dealing with new threats to global security? State-centric security approaches in an era of new threats First, there will be discussed the case of state-centric approaches, which at the first sight sacrifice very little attention to non-traditional threats. According to main theory in that scope, realism, major actor on the political arena is a state, and it is a state that should be protected and secured. Subsequently, the primary, if not only, danger for state is military invasion of other state; therefore the chief area of state-centric considerations is war and peace. Correspondingly to that conception, the only provider of security is state, and as long as the external security of state is achieved, the state is in stable and safe position. Accordingly, protecting the state from military threats has the effect of protecting its people,  [8]  what indicates that state-centric approaches do not completely ignore the safety of people, although they believe that safety can only be attained through military actions. Realism and other state-centric approaches offer some useful ways though with dealing with non-traditional threats, even though some argue that they do not even recognise domestic insecurity as a threat.  [9]  Realism focuses on the national security. War, as Amitav Acharya argues, frequently endangers people by causing physical violence, but also undermines interior situation of the state, triggers malnutrition, migration of refugees, maximises the probability of pandemic, and negatively affects economic and industrial development of a certain state,  [10]  to name only few destructive features of military conflicts. For that reason, preventing wars consequently provides, to some extent, security against non-traditional threats which would result from a military conflict. Moreover, considering national security as a primary value affects the seriousness in deliberation any threats that somehow put that national security at risk. Nevertheless, not every arising problem might be resolved militarily. Furthermore, state-centric approaches apparently omit a lot of serious aspects of global security, we may even say that they are very monothematic in a context of security. One of the major omissions is a role of a state as the threat for its own citizens, not always protector. Enquiry held by Amnesty International greatly exemplifies such argument: In 1993 annual report of Amnesty International spoke of human rights violations on a terrifying scale, recording violations in 161 states.  [11]  States interest are, in a context of that particular theory, various of the interest and well-being of its inhabitants, Alan Collins even claims that a state exists somewhat apart from society,  [12]  as a result it is unsafe to sustain that state should be the highest and only provider of law and security, and ought to have unconditional sovereignty. Another weakness of state-centric approach is its static character. It ignores possibility of collective actions in order to increase states and human security, as it does not recognise non-traditional threats as a serious danger. Richard Ullman claims that such manner, staying focusing only on the one aspect of a threat, reduces their total security.  [13]   Overall, state-centric approaches, although they established some valuable techniques of providing security, tend fail to provide reasonable method of dealing with non-traditional threats, as most of these threats are concerned with human, not state, security. Human Security in a struggle to assure global security The most beneficial factor of Human Security approach in dealing with non-traditional threats is its area of focus. It places human beings in the centre of considerations. Therefore, scholars of that particular theory very broadly define security and distinguish numerous variants of security violation. The Report of the Commission on Human Security defines Human Security as: to protect the vital core of all human freedoms and human fulfilment.  [14]  Human Development Report classified seven areas of human security: economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community and political security.  [15]  Why then Human Security seems to offer a better way of dealing with non-traditional threats? First of all, because it admits that those threats are of significant importance. Most of new threats are of a global not state dimension. Therefore, while attempting to assure of security of all the individuals around the world it is aware of necessity of involvement multiple actors in challenging those dangers, such as NGOs, civil society, intergovernmental organisations, international institutions, single individuals, and many others.  [16]  Furthermore, it offers numerous methods of dealing and preventing threats. To these methods we can include, for instance, world supporting programs, such as Millennium Development Goals, sanctions in case of any violations, humanitarian interventions, peacekeeping operations, implementation of international rules and laws, and setting up institutions that enforce abidance of those laws, because respecting human rights are at the core of protecting human security.  [17]  Human Security approach values more the prevention of conflict, en suring economic, social and political stability, than the military actions when the military dispute already begins. It comprehends the crucial meaning of development, innovations, and personal well-being. Additionally Human Security is seriously judged by states, for instance Japan and Canada included human security principles in their foreign affairs programs. Human Security is also the leading policy of the UN programs, and had its contribution in the establishment of Geneva Convention, Responsibility to Protect Report, the Ottawa Treaty.  [18]   However, although Human Security approach appears to offer very successful way of dealing with new global threats it has also some defects. One of its failures is that it ignores external military threats,  [19]  because it provides the security of people not states, it does not pay much attention to the relations between states. Next, it is difficult to find any effective method of dealing with non-traditional threats whilst we grant everything an importance, as Yuen Khong claims making everything a priority renders nothing a priority,  [20]  therefore we have already plurality of non-traditional threats, and it would be hard to challenge them if we grant everything an equal status. For that reason, some scholars argue that Human Security define concept of security extremely broadly and that makes it implausible. Consequently, Human Security is very often divided into two sectors freedom from fear, and freedom from want.  [21]   Notwithstanding, in a context of globalism and global dimension of contemporary threats, Humanitarian Security offers a better way of dealing with non-traditional threats. Mostly because majority of those threats endangers directly human security first and usually affects large regions at the same time, consequently collective response is inevitable, which is rather problematic to obtain in state-centric approaches. Comparison of both conceptions Which of those two approaches better adapts to contemporary standards, and offer a better way of dealing with modern threats? When we take under considerations Alan Collins argument, that conflict since the mid-1990s overwhelmingly takes place within the borders of developing states, not between states,  [22]  we would certainly assume that the state-centric approaches since the end of the Cold War are no longer adequate to current global situation. Nevertheless, there is also other aspect of a dispute between those two theories, namely humanitarian intervention. Realists strongly believe in the right to unconditional sovereignty and that in some cases, intervention may exacerbate conflict, rather than mitigate it. Furthermore, interventions of different kinds are sometimes regarded as the hegemonic interference and an attempt to gain control. This in effect might cause hostility, as the threat to ones sovereignty is a threat to a security. Consequently how can we deal with new t hreats, which include also protection of fundamental rights, without supplying more harm than benefit? Human Security theorists believe, on the other hand, that sovereignty is conditional, as long as a state is responsible for well-being and protection of its citizens, any violation of that should require response of international community. It is strictly combined with the idea of sovereignty as responsibility.  [23]   Conclusion To summarise, both theories in contrary way try to challenge new global security threats. Nevertheless, state-centric approaches together with the end of the Cold War seem to lost their effectiveness and plausibility. Human Security, because of its alternative attitude and flexibility in dealing with arising problems, also due to its widely defined concept of security offer methods which appear to be more adequate and have a potential of success. Nature of non-traditional threats is diverse, interlinked and primarily global, therefore to deal with such threats, collective response is essential, but also of multilateral character, i.e. confronting diverse problems at the same time. The most threatened in a context of new global problems is human being, and from both of these theories, only Human Security offers a direct protection of people, and offers a resolution of global dimension, which is necessary taking under consideration global problems.

Common Accidents Among Children

Common Accidents Among Children A person would think the safest place on earth is a family’s home. Most accidents occur in and around the home. Most of the accidents that occur could have been prevented if a few precautions have been taken. Safety measures are often overlooked when a people are in a rush however protecting loved-ones from a senseless tragedy is worth the time. Most accidents that occur with infants are the use of mobile walkers. In 1997, mobile walkers need to be made wider than 36 inches, the size of a standard door. Accidents occur when a child in a walker falls down the stairs. The accidents can happen either inside a house, outside on the ground, or when on a deck or raised surface. Although it is the law that children are to ride in car seats when under the age of six or 60 pounds not everyone follows the law. Children are injured in motor vehicle accidents when the children are not placed in the car seats, the car seats are installed improperly, or the child is not wearing a seat belt. Many times when children are injured from not being in a car seat in an accident, there is an empty car seat in the back seat of the car. Burns are very common accidents with children. Parents should make sure their thermostat on the water heater is set below 120 degrees. Burns occur from scalding hot water in the bath tub. Many children suffer burns when adult’s accidentally spills hot liquids such as coffee or tea on a child. Children can also receive burns when they grab the handles of pots cooking on the stove. Parents should always make sure they all pot handles are turned toward the back of the stove so small children cannot pull them down on top of them. Another common way children receive burns are when the children pull the cords of curling irons or irons. Children riding on bikes with their parents are often injured. Children’s feet are caught in the spokes of the bicycle. Parents should always ride in seat. Parents and children should always make sure to wear their helmets. Poisoning is another accident that can be preventable. Cleaning products, paint thinners, pesticides, and medicines need to be locked up and out of the reach of children. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco should also be kept out of reach of children, if ingested it can be harmful to children. Children can also ingest plants that are poisonous. It is a good idea for parents to keep the phone number to poison control by the telephone in case of accidental ingestion. It is also a good idea to keep a bottle of Ipecac syrup in a medicine cabinet at all times. Parents should never induce vomiting unless instructed to do so by poison control. One of the most common causes of injury or death to young children is drowning. More males are injured than females, 3:1. A common misconception is that it takes a great deal of water for a child to drown. However, a child can drown in a few inches of water. Parents should Eradicate any standing water around the home. It sounds a little silly but even installing locks on the toilet bowl lids could prevent drowning. Children drown when left unattended in the bathtub. Parents should never leave their child unattended for any length of time when filling a bathtub full of water (Neifert, M. ,2003). Swimming pools should have gates with locks and have removable ladders. Children should never be allowed to swim by themselves. To maximize the security of children around the swimming pool, some parents have installed a water alarm. The alarm will sound when something enters the water. Electrocution is another common accident. Parents should put safety plugs in all outlets. This helps so that children cannot stick their fingers or metal objects into the outlets. Electrical cords should be hidden or out of the reach of the children. Children can pull at them or chew on them. Radios, curling irons and hair dryers should always be unplugged and kept away from the bathtub. Choking is another injury which occurs to children. Children especially those who have not started to walk yet pick up small objects off the floor and put them in their mouths. Toys that have small removable parts should not be given to children. Another toy children love that should be avoided is balloons. When balloons pop, the child can put a piece into his or her mouth. Once the balloon is swallowed it is very difficult to eject the balloon out of the child’s throat. Parents should always supervise their children when they are eating. Parents should avoid giving children hard candy, grapes, hot dogs, and peanuts. Children have also been known to choke accidentally themselves on the cord to the mini-blinds. Parents should not let their children play with long strings, ribbons, or ropes. Plastic bags should be thrown away or kept out of the reach of children to prevent suffocation. Keeping children safe is a difficult job. Parents and caregivers can make it easier by taking a few helpful precautions. If a house has a flight of stairs, parents need to put safety gates at the top and bottom to help prevent children from falling (LeBlanc, 2007). Keep the stairs free from toys or clutter to prevent falls. Loose carpeting should be tacked down and area rugs should have non-slip mats on the underside. The best way to prevent tragic accidents is to be aware about home safety. Supervision is the key with children. Children are quick and accidents can occur in a few seconds. References LeBlanc, J. (2007). Making Our Homes Safe For Children. Pediatrics for Parents, 23(9), 12. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database Neifert, M. (2003). Preventing common childhood injuries. Baby Talk, 68(8), 19. Retrieved from MasterFILE Premier database.

Earths Bigger, Older Planetary Cousin

Ever since astronomers first began searching out planets around other stars, theyve found thousands of planet candidates and confirmed more than a thousand as actual worlds. There could be billions of worlds out there. The tools of the search are ground-based telescopes, the Kepler Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, and others. The idea is to look for planets by watching for slight dips in the light of a star as the planet passes in its orbit between us and the star. This is called the  transit method because it requires that a planet transit the face of the star. Another way to find planets is to look for tiny shifts in the stars motion that are caused by a planets orbit. Detecting planets directly is very difficult because stars are quite bright and planets can get lost in the glare.   Finding other Worlds The first exoplanet (a world circling other stars) was discovered in 1995. Since then, the rate of discovery grew as astronomers launched spacecraft to look for distant worlds. One fascinating world that theyve found is called Kepler-452b. It circles a star similar to the Sun (a G2  star type) that lies about 1,400 light-years from us in the direction of the constellation Cygnus. It was found by the Kepler telescope, along with 11 more planet candidates orbiting in the habitable zones of their stars. To determine the planets properties, astronomers conducted observations at ground-based observatories. Their data confirmed the planetary nature of Kepler-452b, refined the size and brightness of its host star, and pinned down the size of the planet and its orbit Kepler-452b was the first near-Earth-sized world found, and it orbits its star in the so-called habitable zone. Thats a region around a star where liquid water could exist on the surface of a planet.  It is the smallest planet ever found in a habitable zone. Others have been larger worlds, so the fact that this one is closer to our own planets size means astronomers are close to finding Earth twins (in terms of size).   The discovery does NOT tell whether or not there IS water on the planet, or what the planet is made of (that is, whether it is a rocky body or a gas/ice giant). That information will come from further observations. Yet, this system does have some interesting similarities to Earth. Its orbit is 385 days, while ours is 365.25 days. Kepler-452b lies just five percent farther away from its star than Earth does from the Sun.  Ã‚   Kepler-452, the parent star of the system is 1.5 billion years older than the Sun (which is 4.5 billion years old). Its also a bit brighter than the Sun but has the same temperature. All these similarities help give astronomers a comparison point between this planetary system and our own Sun and planets as they seek to understand the formation and history of planetary systems. Ultimately, they want to know how many habitable worlds are out there.   About the Kepler Mission The Kepler space telescope (named for astronomer Johannes Kepler) was launched in 2009 on a mission to spy out planets around stars in a  region of the sky near the constellation Cygnus. It performed well until 2013 when NASA announced that failed flywheels (that keep the telescope pointed accurately) were failing. After some research and help from the scientific community, mission controllers devised a way to keep using the telescope, and its mission is now called K2 Second Light. It continues to search out planetary candidates, which are then re-observed to help astronomers determine the masses, orbits, and other characteristics of the possible worlds. Once Keplers planet candidates are studied in detail, they are confirmed as actual planets and added to the growing list of such exoplanets.

Battle of Cape St. Vincent - Horatio Nelson Battle of Cape St. Vincent

The Battle of Cape St. Vincent was fought during the Wars of the French Revolution (1792 to 1802). Jervis won his victory on February 14, 1797. British Admiral Sir John JervisCommodore Horatio Nelson15 ships of the line Spanish Don Josà © de Cordà ³ba27 ships of the line Background In late 1796, the military situation ashore in Italy led to the Royal Navy being compelled to abandon the Mediterranean. Shifting his principal base to the Tagus River, the commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, Admiral Sir John Jervis instructed Commodore Horatio Nelson to oversee the final aspects of the evacuation. With the British withdrawing, Admiral Don Josà © de Cà ³rdoba elected to move his fleet of 27 ships of the line from Cartagena through the Straits of Gibraltar to Cadiz in preparation for joining with the French at Brest. As Cà ³rdobas ships got underway, Jervis was departing the Tagus with 10 ships of the line to take up a position off Cape St. Vincent. Having left Cartagena on February 1, 1797, Cà ³rdoba encountered a strong easterly wind, known as a Levanter, as his ships cleared the straits. As a result, his fleet was blown out into the Atlantic and forced to work their way back towards Cadiz. Six days later, Jervis was reinforced by Rear Admiral William Parker who brought five ships of the line from the Channel Fleet. His work in the Mediterranean completed, Nelson sailed aboard the frigate HMS Minerve to rejoin Jervis. The Spanish Found On the night of February 11, Minerve encountered the Spanish fleet and successfully passed through it without being detected. Reaching Jervis, Nelson came aboard the flagship, HMS Victory (102 guns) and reported Cà ³rdobas position. While Nelson returned to HMS Captain (74), Jervis made preparations to intercept the Spanish. Through the fog on the night of February 13/14, the British began to hear the signal guns of the Spanish ships. Turning towards the noise, Jervis ordered his ships to prepare for action around dawn and stated, A victory to England is very essential at this moment. Jervis Attacks As the fog began to lift, it became clear that the British were outnumbered nearly two-to-one. Unfazed by the odds, Jervis instructed his fleet to form a line of battle. As the British approached, the Spanish fleet was divided into two groups. The larger, consisting of 18 ships of the line, was to the west, while the smaller, made up of 9 ships of the line stood to the east. Seeking to maximize the firepower of his ships, Jervis intended to pass between the two Spanish formations. Led by Captain Thomas Troubridges HMS Culloden (74) Jervis line began to pass the western Spanish group. Though he had numbers, Cà ³rdoba directed his fleet to turn north to pass alongside the British and escape towards Cadiz. Seeing this, Jervis ordered Troubridge to tack to the north to pursue the larger body of Spanish ships. As the British fleet began to turn, several of its ships engaged the smaller Spanish squadron to the east. Turning to the north, the Jervis line soon formed a U as it changed course. Third from the end of the line, Nelson realized that the present situation would not produce the decisive battle that Jervis wanted as the British would be forced to chase the Spanish. Nelson Takes the Initiative Liberally interpreting Jervis earlier order of Take suitable stations for mutual support and engage the enemy as coming up in succession, Nelson told Captain Ralph Miller to pull Captain out of line and wear ship. Passing through HMS Diadem (64) and Excellent (74), Captain charged into the Spanish vanguard and engaged Santà ­sima Trinidad (130). Though severely out-gunned, Captain battled six Spanish ships, including three that mounted over 100 guns. This bold move slowed the Spanish formation and allowed Culloden and subsequent British ships to catch up and join the fray. Charging forward, Culloden entered the fight around 1:30 PM, while Captain Cuthbert Collingwood led Excellent into the battle. The arrival of additional British ships prevented the Spanish from banding together and drew fire away from Captain. Pushing forward, Collingwood pummeled Salvator del Mundo (112) before compelling San Ysidro (74) to surrender. Aided by Diadem and Victory, Excellent returned to Salvator del Mundo and forced that ship to strike its colors. Around 3:00, Excellent opened fire on San Nicolà ¡s (84) causing the Spanish ship to collide with San Josà © (112). Nearly out of control, the badly damaged Captain opened fire on the two fouled Spanish vessels before hooking onto San Nicolà ¡s. Leading his men forward, Nelson boarded San Nicolà ¡s and captured the vessel. While accepting its surrender, his men were fired upon by San Josà ©. Rallying his forces, Nelson surged aboard San Josà © and compelled its crew to surrender. While Nelson was accomplishing this amazing feat, Santà ­sima Trinidad had been forced to strike by the other British ships. At this point, Pelayo (74) and San Pablo (74) came to the flagships assistance. Bearing down on Diadem and Excellent, Captain Cayetano Valdà ©s of Pelayo ordered Santà ­sima Trinidad to re-hoist its colors or be treated as an enemy vessel. Doing so, Santà ­sima Trinidad limped away as the two Spanish ships provided cover. By 4:00, the fighting effectively ended as the Spanish retreated east while Jervis ordered his ships to cover the prizes Aftermath The Battle of Cape St. Vincent resulted in the British capture of four Spanish ships of the line (San Nicolà ¡s, San Josà ©, San Ysidro, and Salvator del Mundo) including two first-rates. In the fighting, Spanish losses numbered around 250 killed and 550 wounded, while Jervis fleet suffered 73 killed and 327 wounded. In reward for this stunning victory, Jervis was elevated to the peerage as Earl St. Vincent, while Nelson was promoted to rear admiral and made a knight in the Order of Bath. His tactic of boarding one Spanish ship to attack another was widely admired and for several years was known as Nelsons patent bridge for boarding enemy vessels. The victory at Cape St. Vincent led to a containment of the Spanish fleet and ultimately allowed Jervis to send a squadron back to the Mediterranean the following year. Led by Nelson, this fleet achieved a decisive victory over the French at the Battle of the Nile.