Was Mozart the Greatest Composer Ever? :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Was Mozart the Greatest Composer in History?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has to be the greatest composer to ever live. He and his sister were both considered very gifted child prodigies. He started composing music when he was four and he started to write minuets by the age of five. When Mozart was around eight or nine, he started to write symphonies. Mozart also played quite a few instruments. When he was three years old he was already playing the harpsichord. He also was very talented on the keyboard and played the violin very well. Mozart was so naturally gifted when it came to music that when he was blindfolded, he was able to recognize the played notes. This was said that he had â€Å"perfect pitch.† Another reason why he has to be the greatest composer is that he had the ability to write all the notes of the Miserere score from memory. His first opera was performed when he was eleven years old. It would only take him about two weeks to write an entire symphony or concerto. How many composers can do a n entire piece in such little amount of time? He wrote twenty seven piano concerti, which he also invented. Mozart was never a very healthy person, in fact, he was suffering some sort of illness. I believe that this makes him even more admirable because doing anything when your health isn’t good just makes things even more difficult. One time Mozart gave a series of twenty two piano concerts and conducted a few of them in a five week period. After his father died he became very depressed and his music turned dark and depressing as well. This makes him great because he would write from his heart and that showed in his music. He wouldn’t let a setback like his fathers death keep him from doing what he loves which is composing music. Mozart never stuck to one genre, he wrote many different types of music such as concertos, symphonies, and German style operas to name a few.

GCSE Geographical Investigation

Managing Resources There is a need to manage, preserve and enhance the environment (built and natural) to maintain the tourist trade. This can be achieved in a variety of ways. The Growth in tourism There has been a steady but dramatic increase in tourism since the 1920/1930's. This was due to the increase and availability of cars for the average family. As families began to develop more and more disposable income in which they could use to buy cars etc. With this came family individuality, this meant that family's who wanted to go out into the countryside didn't have to wait for a long and uncomfortable bus journey to get into places of natural beauty. The questions that I will be answering in my essay are as follows: 1) Is there a need for conservation and stewardship in the Upper Derwent Valley? 2) Is the area managed in order to conserve the environment in the Upper Derwent Valley? 3) Does the Upper Derwnet Valley have some or all the features of a honeypot location? How will answering these questions help me to investigate my title? By answering these questions I will gather evidence and information about the Upper Derwent Valley, I will then be able to decide whether there is a need for management or stewardship in certain areas of the Upper Derwent Valley. Background Information Over 100 years ago the Derwent Valley in North Derbyshire was identified as having all the necessary attributes for water storage to satisfy the growing needs of the local population and industry in North Derbyshire, Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby and Leicester, the valley being deep and long, surrounded by grit stone edges with narrow points for dam building, and having a high rainfall. This valley close to Sheffield is now extremely popular with visitors who come to enjoy the attractive mix of water and woodland within the surrounding moorland. The road winds up the left flank of Lady bower, Derwent and Howden Reservoirs for nearly 8 miles to a turnaround at King's Tree. Here are some interesting facts about the famous reservoirs in the Upper Derwent valley: Catchment area 19,850 hectares Reservoir capacity 463692 million litres (3 reservoirs) Treatment works Yorkshire Bridge, opened 1929 Water filtered, chlorine added and pH corrected Bamford Stage I opened 1948 Bamford Stage II opened 1967 Where the water goes: (millions of liters) 450 (untreated) Sheffield 172 (treated) 77 Derbyshire 68 Leicester 27 Nottingham The Dambusters Derwent reservoir was used by the RAF's Dambusters to practise their low level flying techniques during 1943, in preparation for delivering Barnes Wallis' famous ‘bouncing bombs' to German dams. Located in the West Tower of the Derwent Valley Dam is the Derwent Dam (617 Squadron) Museum which houses a collection of memorabilia dedicated to the famous Dams Raid carried out by 617 Dambusters Squadron. It includes photographs and other material covering all aspects of the Dams Raid

Evaluate the idea that gender and sexuality are socially constructed Essay

In recent years sociologists have been studying the great extent to which gender roles are learned. Many behaviors that have traditionally been thought to be genetically determined male or female behaviors turn out to be learned behaviors and therefore subject to change in future generations. In a summary of gender role socialization studies, David Shaffer (1979) points out that by the age of two, children have generally learned to recognize â€Å"maleness† and â€Å"femaleness† on the basis of clothing and hair styles. By the age of three, children usually have learned to prefer sex-typed toys and recognize that girls become â€Å"mommies† and boys become â€Å"daddies†. By school-age, children realized that they are expected to engage in appropriate gender behavior and if they do not, they will meet with disapproval from other children and adults. Many sociologists have personally questioned the value of such early gender-role learning and raised questions about how this learning can inhibit later opportunities in terms of education and career selection (Howe, 1979). To understand how gender and sexuality are socially constructed we must look at the adaptive and functional nature of socialization. One can look at the content of socialization as adaptive for the individual and functional for the society. As adaptive for the individual, the content of socialization involves knowledge necessary for individual to adapt to the changing situation of their daily lives, while, as a function for society, the content of socialization involves the knowledge necessary for its members to maintain a society as an ongoing entity. Knowledge of social rules, appropriate emotional behavior, social situations, technical knowledge, one’s self-identity, and communicative abilities give individuals an ability to adjust their behaviors to one another in the different groups and situations in which they encounter each other. Such adjustments are necessary for the ongoing existence of a society. Only people know how to adjust their behaviors to each other can the group activities and relationships which make up a society be maintained. Only with a socialized adult population can anything such as a society be said to exist. The particular content of socialization becomes highly important in terms of the make-up of the society that one is observing. If the content of socialization were to change, people’s activities and motivations would change, and clearly the society would change. So, on a sociological quest the content of socialization is something to which the sociologist should and must pay attention (O’Brien, 2001). Charles H. Cooley (1964), a pioneer of American socialization studies, referred to an individual’s self-concept as a â€Å"looking-glass self†. Cooley implied that our self-conceptions reflect our interpretation of the relations to our behavior of those around us with whom we interact. According to Cooley, we not how others respond to our actions, which produces in us a feeling about ourselves, which influences how we perceive ourselves. For instance a person who drops something and overhears another’s remark about how clumsy he is, may come to think of himself as a clumsy individual. We come to think of ourselves in terms of our understanding of how others think about us. It is through interaction that we come to apply to ourselves such labels as â€Å"kind† or â€Å"mean†, â€Å"awkward† or â€Å"graceful†. To see oneself as beautiful is to interact with persons who see you as meeting the criteria of beauty. Whether one sees oneself as an ugly duckling or a beautiful swan depends upon the flock with which one swims. As a naturalistic and empirical quest for understanding the various aspects of social reality is that everyone both influences and is influenced by society, sociology is ultimately a quest for self understanding. Humans beings are not isolated entities; we are not hermits who live apart uninfluenced by one another. Rather, we are social beings who can only be fully understood when the social context of our actions are taken into account and carefully studied. In order to carry out the quest for sociological knowledge it is necessary to have an understanding of the types, uses and limitations of the various sociological tools or methods. The sociological quest can be the appropriate sociological map or theory (Shaffer, 1979). Now I want to look at social life as a process and structure in the social construction of gender and sexuality. Social life involves processes of socialization, culture, and deviance. Learning how to act in society via socialization, developing and sharing of orientations toward social life via culture, and the negative sanctioning of inappropriate behaviors via the labeling process of deviance are universal processes, which are necessary to social life, and found in all societies. Although their particular make-up will vary from society to society, these three processes exist in all human societies. But, in addition to these processes, there also exists in all societies some relatively permanent patterns of organized social life that sociologists refer to as social structures. It is within and through social structures that the processes of socialization, culture and deviance take place. Just as the processes of human life take place in the structure of the human body so, too, the processes of society take place within and are influenced by social structures (Macionis, 1997). The most basic social structure around and through which social life takes place are groups; groups range in size from relatively small informal groups such as families, to large bureaucracies and formal organizations such as businesses and governmental agencies. All groups are composed of members who have met certain criteria for membership, who play certain understood roles in the group, and who have a sense of group belonging, which is sometimes termed a â€Å"we-feeling† or a â€Å"consciousness-of –kind†. Groups, related to one another in terms of their performing similar social activities, together from the social structures called social institutions. For example all the groups primarily involved in educational activities together form a society’s educational institution. It is through and in groups, and the institutions that they compose that the basic social processes of a society take place. It is in social groups that the learning of socialization takes place that cultural roles are shared and acted upon, and that deviance is ascertained and punished. People know how to perform roles in groups because they have knowledge of how to act which they developed in the process of socialization, because they share cultural understandings with other group members with whom they interact, because they have an understanding of what is considered deviant and unacceptable behavior in the various groups to which they belong (O’Brien, 2001). When we consider how females and males differ, the first thing that usually comes to mind is sex, the biological characteristics that distinguish males and females. Primary sex characteristics consist of a vagina or a penis and other organs related to reproduction, secondary sex characteristics are the physical distinctions between males and females that are not directly connected with reproduction. Secondary sex characteristics become clearly evident at puberty, when males develop more muscles, a lower voice, and more hair and height while females form more fatty tissue, broader hips, and larger breasts. Gender is a social and not a biological characteristic. Gender consists of whatever traits a group considers proper for its males and females. This is what makes gender vary from one society to another. Sex refers to male or female, gender refers to masculinity or femininity, so sex you inherit and you learn your gender as you are socialized into specific behaviors and attitudes (Gilmore, 1990). The sociological significance of gender is that it is a device by which society controls its members. Gender sorts us on the basis of sex, into different life experiences. It open and closes doors to power, property, and even prestige. Like social class, gender is a structural feature of society. Biology plays a significant role in our lives. Each of us begins as a fertilized egg. The egg, or ovum, is contributed by our mother, the sperm that fertilizes the egg by our father. At the very moment the egg is fertilized, our sex is determined. Each of us receives twenty-three pairs of chromosomes from the ovum and twenty-three from the sperm. The egg has an X chromosome. If the sperm that fertilized the egg also has an X chromosome, we become female. If the sperm has a Y chromosome we become male. That’s the biology. Now the sociological question is, does this biological difference control our behavior? Does it make females more nurturing and submissive and males more aggressive and domineering? (Macionis, 1997) Almost all sociologists take the side of â€Å"nurture† in this â€Å"nature vs. nurture† controversy. The dominant sociological position is represented by the symbolic interactionists. They stress that the visible differences of sex do not come with meanings built into them. Rather each human group determines what these physical differences mean for them and on that basis assigns males and females to separate groups. It is here that people learn what is expected of them and are given different access to their society’s privileges. Most sociologists find compelling argument that if biology were the principal factor in human behavior all around the world we would find women to be one sort of person and men another. In fact, ideals of gender vary greatly from one culture to another and as a result, so do male-female behaviors. For example the Tahitians in the South Pacific show a remarkable contrast to our usual expectations of gender. They don’t give their children names that are identifiable as male or female, and they don’t divide their labor on the basis of gender. They expect both men and women to be passive, yielding and to ignore slights. Neither male nor females are competitive in trying to attain material possessions (Gilmore, 1990). Society also channels our behavior through gender socialization. By expecting different attitudes and behaviors from us because we are male or female, the human group nudges boys and girls in separate directions in life. This foundation of contrasting attitudes and behaviors is so thorough that, as adults most of us think, act and even feel according to our culture’s guidelines of what is appropriate for our sex. Our parents are the first significant others who teaches us our part in this symbolic division of the world. Their own gender orientations are so firmly established that they do much of this teaching without even being aware of what they are doing. This is illustrated by a classic study done by psychologists Susan Goldberg and Michael Lewis (1969). They asked mothers to bring their 6 month old infants into their laboratory to supposedly observe the infant’s development. Secretly these researchers also observed the mothers. They found that the mothers kept their daughters closer to them. They also touch and spoke more to their daughters. By the time the children were 13 months old, the girls stayed closer to their mothers during play, and they returned to them sooner and more often than did the boys. When they set up barriers to separate the children from their mothers, who were hiding toys, the girls were more likely to cry and motion for help, the boys ere likely to try to climb over the barrier. Goldberg and Lewis (1969) were able to conclude that in our society mothers unconsciously reward their daughters for being passive and dependent, their sons for being active and independent. These lessons continue throughout childhood. On the basis of their sex, children are given different kinds of toys. Preschool boys are allowed to roam farther from home than their preschool sisters, and they are subtly encouraged to participate in more rough and tumble play. Even get dirtier and to me more defiant. Such experiences in socialization lie at the heart of the sociological explanation of male/female differences (O’Brien, 2001). In today’s society mass media plays a vital role in gender and sexuality roles. Sociologist stress how this sorting process that begins in the family is reinforced as the child is exposed to other aspects of society. Especially important today are the mass media, forms of communication that are directed to large audiences. Powerful images of both sexes on television, music and the internet reinforce society’s expectation of gender. Television reinforces stereotypes of the sexes. On prime time television, male characters outnumber female characters by two to one. They also are more likely to be portrayed in higher status positions. Viewers get the message, for the more television that people watch; the more they tend to have restrictive ideas about women’s role in society. The expectations to the stereotypes are notable and a sign of changing times. Video games have some youths spending countless hours playing games. Even college students, especially males, relieve stress by escaping into video games. But more studies into the affect of these games on the ideas of gender are needed. Because the games are the cutting edge of society, they sometimes also reflect cutting edge changes in sex roles (Macionis, 1997). As women change their roles in society, the mass media reflects those changes. Although media images of women are passive, subordinate, or as mere background objects remain and still predominate, a new image has broken through. Exaggerating changes in society, this new image nonetheless reflects a changing role of women, from passive to active in life outside the home, from acquiescent to dominate in social relations. Books, magazines, DVD’s and video games are made available to a mass audience. And with new digital advances they have crossed the line form what we traditionally think of as games to something that more closely resembles interactive movies. Sociologically, what is significant is that the content of video games socializes their users. Gamers are exposed not only to action, but also to ideas as they play. Especially significant are gender images that communicate powerful messages, just as they do in other forms of mass media (O’Brien, 2001). Lara Croft, an adventure seeking archeologist and star of Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider 2, is the essence of the new gender image. Lara is smart, strong, and able to utterly vanquish foes. With both guns blazing, she is the cowboy of the twenty-first century, the term cowboy being purposely chosen, as Lara breaks gender roles and assumes what previously was the domain of men. The old remains powerfully encapsulated in the new. Lara is a fantasy girl for young men of the digital generation. No matter her foe, no matter her predicament, Lara always is outfitted in form fitting outfits, which reflect the mental images of the men who created this digital character. Their efforts have been so successful that boys and young men have bombarded corporate headquarters with questions about Lara’s personal life. Lara had caught young men’s fancy to such an extent that more than 100 web sites are devoted to her. The final reward of the game is to see Lara in a nightie one can question that regardless of tough girl images just how far stereotypes have been left behind (Macionis, 1997). Gender stratification gives males and females unequal access to power and prestige and property on the basis of sex. It is closely associated with class and caste stratification and is a related phenomenon of gender stratification. Some but not all societies have men and women as unequal with the latter being more seen. Sexual in equality is characteristic of societies that are stratified in other ways as well. Women have historically occupied a position of inferiority to men in the class structured societies of the Western world. Sexual inequality may sometimes be seen in societies that are not otherwise stratified, in such instances men and women are always physically as well as conceptually separated from one another. The rise of gender stratification often seems to be associated with the development of strongly centralized states. Because social stratification of any kind tends to make life oppressive for large segments of a population, the lower classes are usually placated by means of religion, which promises them a better existence in the hereafter. Gender inequality is not some accident; instead it is the institutions of each society that work together to maintain the group’s particular forms of inequality. Customs throughout history both justify and maintain these arrangements. Although men have resisted sharing their privileged positions with women, change has come (O’Brien, 2001). By playing a fuller role in the decision making processes of our social institutions, women are going against the stereotypes and role models that lock males into exclusively male activities and push females into roles that re considered feminine. As structural barriers fall and more activities are engendered, both males and females will be free to pursue activities that are more compatible with their abilities and desires as individuals. As they develop a new consciousness of themselves and their own potential, relationships between females and males will change. Certainly distinctions between the sexes will not disappear. There is no reason for biological differences to be translated into social inequalities. The reasonable goal is appreciation of sexual differences coupled with equality of opportunity which may lead to a transformed society.

45 Idioms with Roll

45 Idioms with Roll 45 Idioms with Roll 45 Idioms with Roll By Mark Nichol Roll, ultimately derived from the Latin noun rota, meaning â€Å"wheel,† is the basis of numerous idioms about movement, many of which are listed and defined below. 1. a rolling stone gathers no moss: a proverb meaning that one who remains active will not become complacent or hidebound 2–4. get rolling or get/start the ball rolling: get started 5. heads will roll: said in reference to a reckoning, such as a mass firing at a business, alluding to decapitations such as those that occurred during executions by guillotine after the French Revolution 6. let it roll: an exhortation to make something move or allow it to move 7. let the good times roll: an expression perhaps originating with (and directly translated from) the Cajun French saying â€Å"Laissez les bons temps rouler,† associated with Mardi Gras 8–9. let’s rock and roll/roll: slang exhorting others to join in starting an endeavor 10. on a roll: a reference to being on a lucky streak 11. ready to roll: prepared 12. roll along: a reference to smooth operation 13. roll around: slang for â€Å"arrive or occur again,† as in the case of an anniversary 14–15. roll back/rollback: return to a previous state; an act of returning to a previous state 16–17. roll back the clock/years: a reference to going back in time 18. roll by: move past, as in a reference to the passage of years 19. roll call: reading of a roster of names to determine who is present in a group 20. roll (one’s) eyes: a reference to the expression one makes to signal annoyance, derision, or disbelief 21. roll in: appear or arrive, especially in large amounts or numbers 22. roll in the hay: a euphemism for sex, from the notion of a pile of hay in a barn being used in lieu of a bed 23. roll off the tongue: a reference to how easily or awkwardly a word, phrase, or expression can be spoken depending on the juxtaposition of consonants and vowels 24–25. roll out/rollout: introduce something, such as a product; an act of introducing something 26. roll out the red carpet: a reference to providing an elegant experience, from the association with red carpets set out at the entrance to an exclusive event 27. roll out the welcome mat: show friendliness and hospitality 28–29. roll over/rollover: reinvest; a reinvestment 30. roll over and play dead: idiom related to surrendering or to feigning death 31. roll over in (one’s) grave: a reference to how a revered deceased person would be agitated if he or she were to become reanimated and be aware of how something associated with that person has supposedly become degraded (spin is sometimes used as an intensifier of â€Å"roll over†) 32. roll the bones/dice: a reference specifically to casting dice in the gambling game of craps or in general to taking one’s chances 33. roll up (one’s) sleeves: a reference to preparing to work hard, from the notion of protecting shirtsleeves from materials that may damage or soil them or of ensuring that they do not get caught in machinery 34. roll up in: slang referring to someone approaching in a distinctive vehicle (one that is described subsequent to the phrase) and coming to a stop 35. roll up the sidewalks: a jocular reference to the lack of nightlife in small towns, with the notion that sidewalks are put away at a certain time each night because there is no longer any foot traffic 36. roll with it: said as advice to someone to accept, and perhaps take advantage of, a situation 37. roll with the punches: adjust to difficulties, from boxing slang for moving as a punch is delivered toward one to minimize the impact 38. rolled into one: a reference to something having multiple purposes or uses 39–41. rolling in dough/it/money: said of someone wealthy 42. rolling in the aisles: said in reference to something extremely amusing, from the notion that audience members at a performance are laughing to the extent that they fall out of their seats and tumble into the aisles 43–44. rolling on the floor/rolling on the floor laughing my ass off: a reference, usually abbreviated ROTFL/ROTFLMAO, to one being so amused that one falls to the floor and rolls around, laughing helplessly; the latter phrase is an intensifier 45. rolling stone: a restless or itinerant person 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†75 Idioms and Expressions That Include â€Å"Break†Adverbs and Hyphens

A Profile of Henry VIII of England

A Profile of Henry VIII of England Henry VIII was King of England from 1509 to 1547. An athletic young man who famously grew much larger later in life, he is best known for having six wives (part of his quest for a male heir) and breaking the English church away from Roman Catholicism. He is arguably the most famous English monarch of all time. Early Life Henry VIII, born June 28, 1491, was the second son of Henry VII. Henry originally had an older brother, Arthur, but he died in 1502, leaving Henry heir to the throne. As a youth, Henry was tall and athletic, frequently engaged in hunting and sport, but also intelligent and academic. He spoke several languages and studied the arts and theological debate. As king, he wrote (with help) a text refuting the claims of Martin Luther, which resulted in the Pope granting Henry the title of Defender of the Faith. Henry became king on the death of his father in 1509 and was welcomed by his kingdom as a dynamic young man. Early Years on the Throne, War, and Wolsey Shortly after acceding to the throne, Henry VIII married Arthur’s widow Catherine of Aragon. He then became active in international and military affairs, pursuing a campaign against France. This was organized by Thomas Wolsey. By 1515, Wolsey had been promoted to Archbishop, Cardinal, and Chief Minister. For much of his early reign, Henry ruled from a distance through the greatly capable Wolsey, who became one of the most powerful ministers in English history and a friend of the king. Some wondered if Wolsey was in charge of Henry, but this was never the case, and the king was always consulted on key matters. Wolsey and Henry pursued a diplomatic and military policy designed to raise England’s (and thus Henry’s) profile in European affairs, which was dominated by the Spanish-Franco-Habsburg rivalry. Henry displayed little military ability in wars against France, living off one victory at the Battle of the Spurs. After Spain and the Holy Roman Empire became united under Emperor Charles V, and French power was temporarily checked, England became sidelined. Wolsey Grows Unpopular Attempts by Wolsey to change England’s alliances to maintain a position of importance brought a backlash, damaging vital income from the English-Netherlands cloth trade. There was upset at home, too, with the regime growing unpopular thanks partly to demands for more taxation. Opposition to a special tax in 1524 was so strong the king had to cancel it, blaming Wolsey. It was at this stage in his rule that Henry VIII entered into a new policy, one which would dominate the rest of his rule: his marriages. Catherine, Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII’s Need for an Heir Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon had produced just one surviving child: a girl called Mary. As the Tudor line was recent to the English throne, which had little experience of female rule, no one knew if a woman would be accepted. Henry was worried and desperate for a male heir. He had also grown tired of Catherine and fascinated by a woman at the court called Anne Boleyn, sister of one of his mistresses. Anne didn’t want to simply be a mistress, but queen instead. Henry may also have been convinced his marriage to his brother’s widow was a crime in Gods eyes, as proved by his dying children. Henry decided to solve the matter by requesting a divorce from Pope Clement VII. After seeking this, he decided to marry Anne. Popes had granted divorces in the past, but now there were problems. Catherine was an aunt to the Holy Roman Emperor, who would be offended by Catherine being shunted to the side, and to whom Clement was subservient. Furthermore, Henry had obtained, at cost, special permission from a previous Pope to marry Catherine, and Clement was loathe to challenge a previous papal action. Permission was refused and Clement dragged a court decision out, leaving Henry worried about how to proceed. Fall of Wolsey, Rise of Cromwell, Breach With Rome With Wolsey growing unpopular and failing to negotiate a settlement with the Pope, Henry removed him. A new man of considerable ability now rose to power: Thomas Cromwell. He took control of the royal council in 1532 and engineered a solution which would cause a revolution in English religion and kingship. The solution was a breach with Rome, replacing the Pope as the head of the church in England with the English king himself. In January 1532, Henry married Anne. In May, a new Archbishop declared the previous marriage voided. The Pope excommunicated Henry soon after, but this had little effect. The English Reformation Cromwell’s break with Rome was the start of the English Reformation. This wasn’t simply a switch to Protestantism, as Henry VIII had been a passionate Catholic and he took time to come to terms with the changes he made. Consequently, England’s church, which was altered by a series of laws and bought tightly under the control of the king, was a halfway house between Catholic and Protestant. However, some English ministers refused to accept the change and a number were executed for doing so, including Wolsey’s successor, Thomas More. The monasteries were dissolved, their wealth going to the crown. Six Wives of Henry VIII The divorce of Catherine and the marriage to Anne was the start of a quest by Henry to produce a male heir which led to his marriages to six wives. Anne was executed for alleged adultery after court intrigue and only producing a girl, the future Elizabeth I. The next wife was Jane Seymour, who died in childbirth producing the future Edward VI. There was then a politically-motivated marriage to Anne of Cleves, but Henry detested her. They were divorced. A few years later, Henry married Catherine Howard, who was later executed for adultery. Henry’s final wife was to be Catherine Parr. She outlived him and was still his wife at the time of Henrys death. Final Years of Henry VIII Henry grew ill and fat, and possibly paranoid. Historians have debated the extent to which he was manipulated by his court and the extent to which he manipulated them. He has been called a sad and bitter figure. He ruled without a key minister once Cromwell fell from grace, attempting to stop religious dissension and maintain the identity of a glorious king. After a final campaign against Scotland and France, Henry died on January 28, 1547. Monster or Great King? Henry VIII is one of England’s most divisive monarchs. He is most famous for his six marriages, which caused two wives to be executed. He is sometimes called a monster for this and for executing more leading men than any other English monarch on alleged charges of treason. He was aided by some of the greatest minds of his day, but he turned against them. He was arrogant and egotistical. He is both attacked and praised for being the architect of England’s Reformation, which brought the church under crown control but also caused dissension which would lead to further bloodshed. Having increased the holdings of the crown by dissolving the monasteries, he then wasted resources on failed campaigning in France. Henry VIIIs reign was the height of direct monarchical power in England. However, in practice, Cromwell’s policies enlarged Henry’s power but also bound him tighter to Parliament. Henry tried throughout his reign to enhance the image of the throne, making war partly to increase his stature and building up the English navy to do so. He was a fondly-remembered king among many of his subjects. Historian G. R. Elton concluded that Henry was not a great king, for, while a born leader, he had no foresight for where he was taking the nation. But he was not a monster, either, taking no pleasure in casting down former allies. Sources Elton, G. R. England Under the Tudors. Routledge Classics, 1st Edition, Routledge, November 2, 2018. Elton, G. R. Reform and Reformation: England, 1509-1558. The New History of England, Hardcover, First Edition edition, Harvard University Press, January 26, 1978.

Life Expectancy in Every Country

Life Expectancy in Every Country The list below indicates estimated life expectancy of every country as of 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau International Data Base. Life expectancy from birth on this list ranges from a high of 89.5 in Monaco to a low of 49.7 in South Africa. The global average life expectancy for the entire planet is 68.6. Here are the top five highest life expectancies and the five lowest life expectancies: Highest Life Expectancies 1) 89.5 years - Monaco 2) 84.7 years - Singapore (tie)   2) 84.7 years - Japan (tie) 4) 83.2 years - San Marino 5) 82.7 years - Andorra Lowest Life Expectancies 1) 49.7 years - South Africa 2) 49.8 years - Chad 3) 50.2 years - Guinea-Bissau 4) 50.9 years - Afghanistan 5) 51.1 years - Swaziland Life Expectancy by Country Afghanistan  - 50.9Albania  - 78.1Algeria  - 76.6Andorra  - 82.7Angola  - 55.6Antigua and Barbuda  - 76.3Argentina  - 77.7Armenia  - 74.5Australia  - 82.2Austria  - 80.3Azerbaijan  - 72.2The Bahamas  - 72.2Bahrain  - 78.7Bangladesh  - 70.9Barbados  - 75.2Belarus  - 72.5Belgium  - 80.1Belize  - 68.6Benin  - 61.5Bhutan  - 69.5Bolivia  - 68.9Bosnia and Herzegovina  - 76.6Botswana  - 54.2Brazil  - 73.5Brunei  - 77.0Bulgaria  - 74.6Burkina  Faso - 65.1Burundi  - 60.1Cambodia  - 64.1Cameroon  - 57.9Canada  - 81.8Cape Verde  - 71.9Central African Republic  - 51.8Chad  - 49.8Chile  - 78.6China  - 75.3Colombia  - 75.5Comoros  - 63.9Congo, Republic of the  - 58.8Congo, Democratic Republic of the  - 56.9Costa Rica  - 78.4Cote dIvoire  - 58.3Croatia  - 76.6Cuba  - 78.4Cyprus  - 78.5Czech Republic  - 78.5Denmark  - 79.3Djibouti  - 62.8Dominica  - 76.8Dominican Republic  - 78.0East Timor (Timor-Lest e)  - 67.7Ecuador  - 76.6Egypt  - 73.7El Salvador  - 74.4Equatorial Guinea  - 63.9Eritrea  - 63.8Estonia  - 74.3Ethiopia  - 61.5Fiji  - 72.4Finland  - 79.8France  - 81.8Gabon  - 52.0The Gambia  - 64.6Georgia  - 76.0Germany  - 80.6Ghana  - 66.2Greece  - 80.4Grenada  - 74.1Guatemala  - 72.0Guinea  - 60.1Guinea-Bissau  - 50.2Guyana  - 68.1Haiti  - 63.5Honduras  - 71.0Hungary  - 75.7Iceland  - 81.3India  - 68.1Indonesia  - 72.5Iran  - 71.2Iraq  - 71.5Ireland  - 80.7Israel  - 81.4Italy  - 82.1Jamaica  - 73.6Japan  - 84.7Jordan  - 80.5Kazakhstan  - 70.6Kenya  - 63.8Kiribati  - 65.8Korea, North  - 70.1Korea, South  - 80.0Kosovo  - 71.3Kuwait  - 77.8Kyrgyzstan  - 70.4Laos  - 63.9Latvia  - 73.7Lebanon  - 75.9Lesotho  - 52.9Liberia  - 58.6Libya  - 76.3Liechtenstein  - 81.8Lithuania  - 76.2Luxembourg  - 80.1Macedonia  - 76.0Madagascar  - 65.6Malawi  - 53.5Malaysia  - 74.8Maldives  - 75.4Mali  - 55.3Malta  - 80.3Marshall Islands  - 72.8Mauritania  - 62.7Mauritius  - 75.4Mexico  - 75.7Micronesia, Federated States of  - 72.6Moldova  - 70.4Monaco  - 89.5Mongolia  - 69.3Montenegro  - 78.4Morocco  - 76.7Mozambique  - 52.9Myanmar (Burma)  - 66.3Namibia  - 51.6Nauru  - 66.8Nepal  - 67.5Netherlands  - 81.2New Zealand  - 81.1Nicaragua  - 73.0Niger  - 55.1Nigeria  - 53.0Norway  - 81.7Oman  - 75.2Pakistan  - 67.4Palau  - 72.9Panama  - 78.5Papua New Guinea  - 67.0Paraguay  - 77.0Peru  - 73.5Philippines  - 72.8Poland  - 76.9Portugal  - 79.2Qatar  - 78.6Romania  - 74.9Russia  - 70.5Rwanda  - 59.7Saint Kitts and Nevis  - 75.7Saint Lucia  - 77.6Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  - 75.1Samoa  - 73.5San Marino  - 83.2Sao Tome and Principe  - 64.6Saudi Arabia  - 75.1Senegal  - 61.3Serbia  - 75.3Seychelles  - 74.5Sierra Leone  - 57.8Singapore  - 84.7Slovakia  - 76.7Slovenia  - 7 .80Solomon Islands  - 75.1Somalia  - 52.0South Africa  - 49.7South Sudan  - 60.8Spain  - 81.6Sri Lanka  - 76.7Sudan  - 63.7Suriname  - 72.0Swaziland  - 51.1Sweden  - 82.0Switzerland  - 82.5Syria  - 75.6Taiwan  - 80.0Tajikistan  - 67.4Tanzania  - 61.7Thailand  - 74.4Togo  - 64.5Tonga  - 76.0Trinidad and Tobago  - 72.6Tunisia  - 75.9Turkey  - 73.6Turkmenistan  - 69.8Tuvalu  - 66.2Uganda  - 54.9Ukraine  - 69.4United Arab Emirates  - 77.3United Kingdom  - 80.5United States of America  - 79.7Uruguay  - 77.0Uzbekistan  - 73.6Vanuatu  - 73.1Vatican City (Holy See)  - No permanent populationVenezuela  - 74.5Vietnam  - 73.2Yemen  - 65.2Zambia  - 52.2Zimbabwe  - 57.1

Company(Target) Firm Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Company(Target) Firm Analysis - Research Paper Example Target Corporation’s retail segment is inclusive of food discount stores, general merchandise stores, and an integrated online business, target.com. Target Corporation also operates a segment for credit cards that offers Visa credit cards and branded proprietary products. TGT currently operates one thousand seven hundred and sixty seven target stores across forty-nine states in the U.S. (Forbes.com 1). Target corporation’s fiscal year ends on January the 31st. This paper is a company research project on â€Å"Target Corporation†. Target Corporation aims to reinforce the company’s value proposition via the striking of a balance between the core components of its brand mission and promise, i.e. expect more and pay less (Forbes.com 1). Expect more refers to target Corporation’s emphasis on trends, which differentiates it from its competitors, for example, Walmart while pay less is meant to underscore the Corporation’s notion concerning compellin g presentation of its consumables and commodities as their key strategy. Target Corporation’s recent rollout of their P-fresh expanded food format is likely to connect well to their consumers, which should improve traffic, as well as same store sales growth (Forbes.com 1). Solid underlying trends within target Corporation’s credit business are expected to provide a boost to the company’s earnings in the future. ... Target Corporation’s well differentiated stores will give it an edge their main competitors, like Walmart. Their balance sheet and cash flow remain in a healthy position. However, increased competition and a competitive pricing environment from Walmart are expected to portend an adverse effect on the future of target Corporation. TGT seems to be losing focus on the sale of women’s apparel that accounts for more than ten percent of their total sales (Forbes.com 1). Target Corporation’s credit business is increasing their exposure to various deteriorations in the credit trends of their consumers, for example, higher default rates that could have a significant impact on their profitability. Their escalating utilities and healthcare costs could lead to increased SG&A expenses. Digest Group analysts estimate the Corporation’s long-term growth rate, as ranging from lows of nine percent to highs of fifteen percent, coming up with an average of 11.3% (Forbes.com 1 ). These analysts at Digest Group are of the belief that target.com is the company’s fastest growing segment. This segment provides an online shopping experience, which adds new online tools, for example, the online gift finder that is driving sales up. In addition, TGT is building a seamless shopping experience for their stores, Target.com and their catalog. Over the last decade, TGT has utilized its marketing expertise in the transformation of the trademark bull’s eye into a symbol that is universally recognized, which, in turn, has helped to establish its retail format into a unique destination for clients from the United states (Forbes.com 1). TGT’s marketing approach is focused on the retail end as a brand. TGT perhaps, has played the