The American Fur Company Essay Example

The American Fur Company Essay How would you evaluate Astor in terms of his motive, his managerial ability, and his ethics? What lesson does his career teach about the relationship between virtue and success? Astor seems as though he wanted to make a better life for himself because he grew up very poor, but didnt want to be in the same business as his father so he ventured out to make a better living for himself. Therefore, I believe Stators motive is greed. He was doing what any businessman would and that is to make money. He didnt care about the consequences or what it would do to other people in his path. He seems as though he has the need for power and control. His managerial ability is based on many different avenues including him being hard working and is a good negotiator. He was also very well at dealing with his competition by beating them to the next customer and coming up with ideas that his competition wouldnt have thought of; such as: higher prices, supplying the Indians with whisky, purchasing large quantities of trade goods at a lower cost and use of political influence. We will write a custom essay sample on The American Fur Company specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The American Fur Company specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The American Fur Company specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer His behavior is both ethical and unethical. Some things that Astor did in his time, such as slaughtering a certain animal r species was acceptable and simply looked passed; however, today if Astor did that, there would be lawsuits and a lot of legal activity associated with him and his business. The trading of whisky to Indians for goods was frowned upon and was technically illegal and still is today. I feel as though in Stators case, virtue and success do not go hand in hand. It seems like Astor had no virtues of his own but yet he was able to become very successful in his company and make a lot of money, more than he could have dreamed of, especially when he was a young boy. 2. How did the environment of the American Fur Company change in the sasss? What deep historical forces are implicated in these changes? The environment of the company changed when everyone believed that a disease called Cholera was spread. People were afraid that the disease was actually spread through the transported furs that Astor was bringing in which lead to a fur trade standstill. Other things that caused a negative impact on the fur trade was that alcohol was prohibited in all Indian reservations, new products drove the fur industry downhill, such as new leather hats. Historical forces that implicated in these changes could be libations, inequality, chance and nation state. 3. What were the impacts of the fur trade on society that is, economic, cultural, technological, natural, governmental, legal, and internal? Economically-?the furs were light enough to transport using different forms of transportation such as mules, barges and ships to eastern ports then to Europe. This increased the profits due to not spending as much on transportation. Governmentally-?the government had no proof of Astor ever trading or bargaining with alcohol and buying the furs in large quantities offered him an opportunity to lower the price of it. In nature-?basically mountain life had been wiped out by man due to the constant need to find more fur to keep companies, such as American Fur, afloat. Legally-?the government failed to regulate the trade of fur and fur trade was beloved by Washing and Jefferson. Technologically-?introduction of the first sailboat and then the steamboat on the Missouri River. Internally-?the internal environment of the American Fur Company was dominated by Astor whereas other fur companies were operated by proprietors or partnerships. 4. Who were the most important stakeholders of the nineteenth century fur industry? Were they treated responsibly by the standards of the day? By the standards of today? Astor, as the owner of American Fur Company compensated himself excessively, which led him to becoming the second richest man in America. The suppliers of the fur and employees of the American Fur Company were not treated fairly. Indian trappers were cheated, robbed and killed. Free trappers worked very hard in dangerous conditions and got paid very little for the efforts and work. Governments were manipulated and ignored. Customers Were the only fairly treated because they received the product hey purchased. Stators abuse of weaker stakeholders was typical of his era, however if he were to trade today, he would be hit with a hefty fine, thrown in jail and even lose his company and all his earnings. Not all of the stakeholders were treated fairly or responsibly, but Astor did what he did to make his business grow and make money and a name for himself. . On balance, is the legacy of the American Fur Company and of the fur trade itself a positive legacy? Or is the impact predominantly negative? Think it could be either positive or negative. The reason for negative is because he began raiding for fur and started his business out of greed which led to competition, which could be a good thing or bad thing for a business depending on what type of business your in , then it tainted nature which could have reduced the elimination of an already decreasing population of a specific animal or specie. Other negatives are: economic benefits were narrowly enjoyed, destruction of Native American cultures, many trappers died, and no respect for the government of laws. The positives could be listed as: created wealth, not only for Astor but his employees as well, created jobs, supplied a product in high emend, trappers and traders became leading citizens in new settlements. 6. Does the story of the American Fur Company hint at how and why capitalism has changed and has been changed over the years?

The Vietnam War and Fred Shepherd essays

The Vietnam War and Fred Shepherd essays The Vietnam War was fought in 1964-1975. Before United States involvement, Vietnam was a French colony and the Vietnamese wanted their freedom. They fought for their independence from the French and were successful in 1955. The United States wanted an ally in Asia. As it was, all the countries in Asia were communist. The United States wanted some kind of balance of power in Asia. The Geneva accords where then produced in the hope that it would unify the two nations. In 1956 president of South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Deim, along with the support of President Eisenhower, did not have an interest in holding an election. The election threatened the possibility of communist influences. North Vietnam also had no interest in the elections fearing that the south influences would prosper. North Vietnam called themselves the National Liberation Front (NLF or Viet Cong). When the United States heard about the guerilla movement against the southern government, the United States approved (08/07/1964) the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving support to President Johnson to increase the U.S. involvement in the war. At the beginning of the war in 1964, Fred Shepherd was still in high school. He graduated high school in 1966 at the age of 18. Fred started worked in banking after he graduated before volunteering for the army in 1969 at the age of 19. Fred went through the basic training, then was nominated for leadership school (2 out of 100 got chosen), and his highest ranking was Sergeant. He was sent and stationed in South Korea for some time. Freds brother, Jack Shepherd, was also involved in the war. He received his draft papers three weeks before his brother Fred and had to go to Vietnam. Fred did not have to go to Vietnam because his brother received his papers first. Fred traveled a good bit in his army experience. He went to Korea, Japan, and his involvement in the war was on the line of demarcation (DMZ) between Nor...

Burkes Contributions to Rhetoric

This paper discusses Kenneth Burkes contributions to rhetoric and its importance as a communicative tool. This paper examines the history of rhetoric and its significance in early Greek and Roman civilizations that coincided with creation of democracy and the importance of public speech. It then shows Kenneth Burkes contribution to the new rhetoric as an argumentative weapon and his influence on the post-modern deconstructionism. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Section One: The Preceding Conversation 3. Section Two: Contribution to the Conversation 4. Section Three: Effect on the Conversation 5. Conclusion From the paper: `The word `rhetoric` has an old fashioned air about it. It calls up images of schoolrooms with children in ruffled collars and Latin grammars and not a laptop in sight for several centuries. But rhetoric is as alive as is language itself, and this paper examines the importance of rhetorical studies in helping each of us to become the best writers and speakers ` the best communicators ` that we can be. A historical study of changes models and standards in rhetoric can also provide us not only with a sense of how linguistic and especially English style has changed over the years as well as illuminating how our conception of language and its structure and function have changed as well. This paper engages in such an examination by focusing on the work of Kenneth Burke. We begin with a brief overview of the life of this man whose rhetorical work we will then examine.`

Phase4 IP Market Structure and Firm Strategy Essay

Phase4 IP Market Structure and Firm Strategy - Essay Example In this market, the price elasticity of demand is inelastic. This means, demand remains relatively unchanged with changes in price. This characterizes a monopolistic competition market structure. According to Boyes and Melvin (2013), this market structure is characterized by a downward slopping demand curve. Product differentiation largely influences demand elasticity such that the greater the differentiation, the more inelastic the demand elasticity. Therefore, Justcookbooks.com ventured into this highly differentiated market that makes it a mini-monopoly, hence the inelasticity of demand would see the demand for its cookbooks minimally affected by changes in pricing as it establishes itself in the market. Success in this market would therefore be guaranteed by seeking greater differentiation of the online cookbooks. With the argument by Schotter (2009) that greater differentiation causes greater inelasticity, greater differentiation at Justcookbooks.com would cause demand to remain unaffected by changes in pricing, hence consistent quantity demanded. For Justcookbooks.com, pricing with different types of customers and asymmetric information would be most appropriate. According to Arnold (2013), this strategy involves charging less cost per unit for those who buy more and a higher cost per unit for those buying less. Using this strategy, Justcookbooks.com would encourage purchases of high volumes which increase revenue and thus

Classical Theorists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Classical Theorists - Essay Example Wilson did not believe in the principle of equality, implying that claims to superior wisdom cannot validate law or rule and that legalize government is based on the people’s consent. Wilson acknowledges that that expertise and skill is the title to govern or administer. Despite this, Wilson suggests that under certain circumstances and at certain times, certain systems in America will work. Wilson trusted in the expertise as the best way to administer which is coupled with a reflective of republican view of self-government (Cook, 2007). Democracy has enlightened many people of the stubborn, ignorant, foolish, and selfish to people who emanate from distinct nationalities. Despite this, Wilson believed that there was still hope in that his aim was to champion for bureaucracy from wise and intelligent people, generate from them, and open for the people a bureau of economical, knowledgeable, and skilled administration. Wilson’s views on administration and politics were har d to sell to the American people because they preferred and believed in democracy. Wilson believes that administration must be perceptive to public view. When assessing the dichotomy of politics and administration, Wilson argues that the establishment of a public office must be viewed as a public trust (Cook, 2007). Wilson’s views on an effective administration were based on the idea that trained and skilled servants would teach the people by enhancing public belief/views and thereby even governing them. Therefore, according to Wilson, the bureaucracy would educate and enlighten voters. This implies that Wilson was more concerned about civil service, which he believed was self-sufficient and cultured to act aggressively, and in relate with the popular vote by ways of constant public advice and elections in order to attain arbitrariness of class struggle (Cook, 2007). Wilson’s approach to politics and administration was not ideal because it failed

Material Science Essay Example for Free

Material Science Essay Abstract In this assignment I will be defining the 3 essential properties of every material and describing those. I would also be describing how silicon-based semiconductors revolutionized computing. I will also define what microchips are and how they relate to integrate circuits. Since the pressing questions about the increasing ability of computers to quickly process large amounts of information is whether a computer can be built that is considered â€Å"alive† or â€Å"conscious.† I will also be defining artificial intelligence and telling the difference between the human brain and the central processing unit of a computer. Material Science There are three essential properties of every material that scientists use as a foundation for most every study. First it is the kind of atoms that is made up from the material. There are the neutral elements and the compound elements. The neutral elements would have the identical amount of protons and electrons; this would essentially terminate one another, which would leave the protons and electrons neutral. The compound element is when there is a combination of more than one element. The atoms are second in the way that they are arranged. A great way to explain this is by relating atoms of liquid and atoms of solids. For example the atoms of liquids move around allowing the atoms of solids which are packed together. The way that atoms are attached together is number three. These are the key properties when understanding the study of materials. The strong point of the material, this is the capability to endure forces being useful to it without breaking, this is first. The materials elasticity is second, which is the capability to flex while returning to its original form. Number three is the materials plasticity; this is the ability to change its shape forever. Thanks to the starter of semiconductors, computers have developed over a billion times faster than one of the first built in 1946 (ENIAC). Describe how silicon-based semiconductors revolutionized computing. Since silicone semiconductors are capable to move easily through the solid component it is more proficient than copper based conductors. Silicone based conductor’s makes holes which produces and fills a space constantly. This means electrons jump from one atom to another. This will also change the silicon through a process called doping by adding either phosphorus or aluminum the desired effect is achieved. When adding phosphorus to silicon it develops n-type which is negative-semiconductor. When adding aluminum to silicone it develops p-type semiconductors. These are both essential parts functions efficient electrical devices microchips, which are used in computers. Microchips are positive and negative type semiconductors. Microchips do a detailed function. A microchip is individual diodes and transistors will play a big part of the essential function in modern electronics, although these strategies have been mainly replaced by much more complex arrays of P- and N- kind semiconductors, known as microchips. Microchips may join hundreds or thousands of transistors in one integrated circuit, particularly intended to do a specific role. They are related to integrated circuits this is why. Combined circuits (microchips) are the main component in devices such as microwave calculators, and other devices. An integrated circuit microprocessor lies on modern technology. Modern technology is occupied with electrical integrated circuits. Such as, Televisions, MP3 players and computers all contain integrated circuit which allows them to perform specific functions. Also known as microchips or microprocessors, these circuits keep track of all the information being transferred within the device, in essence giving it life. Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce are both who take credit with inventing the integrated circuit, both coming up with the idea within a year of each other while working for separate companies. Artificial Intelligence is a division of science which deals with helping machines and finds explanations to complex problems in a more human like manner. This normally contains borrowing features from human intelligence, and applying them as procedures in a computer friendly way. A more or less well-organized approach can be taken depending on the necessities recognized, which impacts how artificial the intelligent performance seems. (http://ai-depot.com/Intro.html) The 2 essential differences between human brains and the central processing unit of a computer is the brain-computer metaphor has served intellectual psychology well, research in intellectual neuroscience has revealed many significant changes between brains and computers. Escalating these differences may be crucial to understanding the mechanisms of neural information processing, and eventually for the creation of artificial intelligence. (http://scienceblogs.com/developingintelligence/2007/03/27/why-the-brain-is-not-like-a-co/) One difference is that brains are analogue and computers are digital. For instance one of the primary devices of information communication appears to be the amount at which neurons fire a fundamentally unbroken variable. Likewise, networks of neurons can fire in relative synchrony or in relative confusion; the coherence affects the strength of the signals received by downstream neurons. Lastly, inside each and every neuron is a leaky integrator circuit, composed of a diversity of ion channels and endlessly changing membrane potentials. (http://scienceblogs.com/developingintelligence/2007/03/27/why-the-brain-is-not-like-a-co/) Another difference is short-term memory is not like RAM. While the superficial similarities between RAM and short-term memory encouraged many early intellectual psychologists, a closer examination reveals strikingly important differences. Although RAM and short-term memory both seem to required power, short-term seems to hold only to long-term memory however. RAM holds data that is Isomorphic which is having similar appearance but different ancestry. Not like RAM, the capacity limit of short-term memory is not fixed, the capacity of short-term memory seems to vary with differences in processing speed as well as with expertise and understanding. (http://scienceblogs.com/developingintelligence/2007/03/27/why-the-brain-is-not-like-a-co/)

One Hundred Years Of Solitude :: essays research papers

One of the stated aims of Mà ¡rquez, as he said it, was to “tell a story just like my grandmother would have done it';. With the result in hand the conclusion must be that he has done it quite well. Mà ¡rquez has managed to capture the vivid language of story telling as well as having the story moving both " forward and sideways". Togheter with the extensive use of magic realism and the life of mankind portrayed in the village I ´m quite sure that it will take me many years before I even start forgetting the book. In the beginning of the book the reader is directly thrown into action with Colonel Aureliano facing the firing squad. With his thoughts we are taken several years back in time when Macao was a village of twenty adobe houses. This, the beginning of the town, could in a different light be seen as representing the begining of mankind , “clear water that ran along a bed of polished stones, which were white and enormous, like prehistoric eggs.' ;. As the story goes on the town moves from utter igorance “ the world was so recent that many things lacked names'; and developes until we are in the modern time with the banana company, telephones and the union until it, towards the end of the book due to heavy rainfall, turns into an uncivilized town again before it ´s destroyed in a heavy storm. The cycle of the town starts and ends on the same point just as the development of the family and all actions, they all turn in cycles just as Ùrsula thanks to her old age found out. The way in which the story is written, with magic realism and the story evolving both forwards and sideways is one of the more unusual characteristics when, as a european, reading the book. The story gives the impression of moving sideways as the same incidents are retold from the view of different persons which means that events are put in a different order compared to other novels “Melquà ­ades had not put events in the order of man ´s conventional time, but had concentrated a century of daily episodes in such a way that they coexisted in one instant';. Magic realism, another specific South American characteristic, adds to the feeling of the narrator really just copying an old oral story. “ the boy brought him a cup of thick and steaming chocolate, which he drank without pausing to breath.

Deception Point Page 98

Jesus Christ. The controller looked back at the deck. Delta-Two still hung in the Triton's claws, but now the sub was suspended over a gaping hole in the deck. His feet dangled over the void. All Tolland had to do was release the claws, and Delta-Two would be next. â€Å"Okay,† the controller barked into the CrypTalk. â€Å"Hold on. Just hold on!† Rachel stood below on the deck and stared up at the Kiowa. Even from this height the controller sensed the resolve in her eyes. Rachel raised the CrypTalk to her mouth. â€Å"You still think we're bluffing?† she said. â€Å"Call the main switchboard at the NRO. Ask for Jim Samiljan. He's in P A on the nightshift. I told him everything about the meteorite. He will confirm.† She's giving me a specific name? This did not bode well. Rachel Sexton was no fool, and this was a bluff the controller could check in a matter of seconds. Although the controller knew of no one at the NRO named Jim Samiljan, the organization was enormous. Rachel could quite possibly be telling the truth. Before ordering the final kill, the controller had to confirm if this was a bluff-or not. Delta-One looked over his shoulder. â€Å"You want me to deactivate the jammer so you can call and check it out?† The controller peered down at Rachel and Tolland, both in plain view. If either of them made a move for a cellphone or radio, the controller knew Delta-One could always reactivate and cut them off. The risk was minimal. â€Å"Kill the jammer,† the controller said, pulling out a cellphone. â€Å"I'll confirm Rachel's lying. Then we'll find a way to get Delta-Two and end this.† In Fairfax, the operator at the NRO's central switchboard was getting impatient. â€Å"As I just told you, I see no Jim Samiljan in the Plans and Analysis Division.† The caller was insistent. â€Å"Have you tried multiple spellings? Have you tried other departments?† The operator had already checked, but she checked again. After several seconds, she said, â€Å"Nowhere on staff do we have a Jim Samiljan. Under any spelling.† The caller sounded oddly pleased by this. â€Å"So you are certain the NRO employs no Jim Samil-â€Å" A sudden flurry of activity erupted on the line. Someone yelled. The caller cursed aloud and promptly hung up. Onboard the Kiowa, Delta-One was screaming with rage as he scrambled to reactivate the jamming system. He had made the realization too late. In the huge array of lighted controls in the cockpit, a tiny LED meter indicated that a SATCOM data signal was being transmitted from the Goya. But how? Nobody left the deck! Before Delta-One could engage the jammer, the connection from the Goya terminated on its own accord. Inside the hydrolab, the fax machine beeped contentedly. CARRIER FOUND†¦ FAX SENT 121 Kill or be killed. Rachel had discovered a part of herself she never knew existed. Survival mode-a savage fortitude fueled by fear. â€Å"What was in that outbound fax?† the voice on the CrypTalk demanded. Rachel was relieved to hear confirmation that the fax had gone out as planned. â€Å"Leave the area,† she demanded, speaking into the CrypTalk and glaring up at the hovering chopper. â€Å"It's over. Your secret is out.† Rachel informed their attackers of all the information she had just sent. A half dozen pages of images and text. Incontrovertible evidence that the meteorite was a fake. â€Å"Harming us will only make your situation worse.† There was a heavy pause. â€Å"Who did you send the fax to?† Rachel had no intention of answering that question. She and Tolland needed to buy as much time as possible. They had positioned themselves near the opening in the deck, on a direct line with the Triton, making it impossible for the chopper to shoot without hitting the soldier dangling in the sub's claws. â€Å"William Pickering,† the voice guessed, sounding oddly hopeful. â€Å"You faxed Pickering.† Wrong, Rachel thought. Pickering would have been her first choice, but she had been forced to choose someone else for fear her attackers had already eliminated Pickering-a move whose boldness would be a chilling testimony to her enemy's resolve. In a moment of desperate decision, Rachel had faxed the data to the only other fax number she knew by heart. Her father's office. Senator Sexton's office fax number had been painfully engraved into Rachel's memory after her mother's death when her father chose to work out many of the particulars of the estate without having to deal with Rachel in person. Rachel never imagined she would turn to her father in a time of need, but tonight the man possessed two critical qualities-all the correct political motivations to release the meteorite data without hesitation, and enough clout to call the White House and blackmail them into calling off this kill squad. Although her father was most certainly not in the office at this hour, Rachel knew he kept his office locked like a vault. Rachel had, in effect, faxed the data into a time-lock safe. Even if the attackers knew where she had sent it, chances were slim they could get through the tight federal security at the Philip A. Hart Senate Office Building and break into a senator's office without anyone noticing. â€Å"Wherever you sent the fax,† the voice from above said. â€Å"You've put that person in danger.† Rachel knew she had to speak from a position of power regardless of the fear she was feeling. She motioned to the soldier trapped in the Triton's claws. His legs dangled over the abyss, dripping blood thirty feet to the ocean. â€Å"The only person in danger here is your agent,† she said into the CrypTalk. â€Å"It's over. Back off. The data is gone. You've lost. Leave the area, or this man dies.† The voice on the CrypTalk fired back, â€Å"Ms. Sexton, you do not understand the importance-â€Å" â€Å"Understand?† Rachel exploded. â€Å"I understand that you killed innocent people! I understand that you lied about the meteorite! And I understand that you won't get away with this! Even if you kill us all, it's over!† There was a long pause. Finally the voice said, â€Å"I'm coming down.† Rachel felt her muscles tighten. Coming down? â€Å"I am unarmed,† the voice said. â€Å"Do not do anything rash. You and I need to talk face-to-face.† Before Rachel could react, the chopper dropped onto the Goya's deck. The passenger door on the fuselage opened and a figure stepped out. He was a plain-looking man in a black coat and tie. For an instant, Rachel's thoughts went totally blank. She was staring at William Pickering. William Pickering stood on the deck of the Goya and gazed with regret at Rachel Sexton. He had never imagined today would come to this. As he moved toward her, he could see the dangerous combination of emotions in his employee's eyes. Shock, betrayal, confusion, rage. All understandable, he thought. There is so much she does not understand. For a moment, Pickering flashed on his daughter, Diana, wondering what emotions she had felt before she died. Both Diana and Rachel were casualties of the same war, a war Pickering had vowed to fight forever. Sometimes the casualties could be so cruel. â€Å"Rachel,† Pickering said. â€Å"We can still work this out. There's a lot I need to explain.† Rachel Sexton looked aghast, nauseated almost. Tolland had the machine gun now and was aiming at Pickering's chest. He too looked bewildered. â€Å"Stay back!† Tolland yelled. Pickering stopped five yards away, focusing on Rachel. â€Å"Your father is taking bribes, Rachel. Payoffs from private space companies. He plans to dismantle NASA and open space to the private sector. He had to be stopped, as a matter of national security.† Rachel's expression was blank.

Dehydration and Gc Lab Report

Introduction In an E1 reaction, where E stands for elimination and 1 stands for unimolecular. The breaking of the C-LV bond is completed before any reaction occurs between the base to lose a hydrogen and form the carbon-carbon double bond [1]. When the more substituted alkene is the dominant product, the reaction follows Zaitsev's rule. Zaitsev's rule states that the major product of a ? -elimination reaction is the most stable alkene [1]. Acid-Catalyzed Dehydration is the elimination of a molecule of water from adjacent carbon atoms.An alcohol can be converted to an alkene by dehydration, which is often brought on by heating the alcohol with either 85% phosphoric acid or concentrated sulfuric acid [1]. The objective of this experiment is to dehydrate 3-methyl-3-pentanol to obtain the product mixture of isomeric alkenes 3-methyl-2pentene and 2-ethyl-1-butene. Then use the gas chromatography to separate the product mixture and analyze the composition [2]. [pic] [pic] [pic] Figure1: Ta ble of Reagents Name |Molecular Weight |Density |Melting Point |Boiling Point | |2-methylcyclohexnol |114. 19 g/mol |0. 921 g/cm3 |-9. 5oC |165oC | |Phosphoric Acid |98 g/mol |1. 88 g/cm3 |42. 35oC |158oC | |Calcium Chloride |110. 98 g/mol |2. 15 g/cm3 |772oC |1,935oC |Fig: The chart shows the reagents used in the laboratory experiment and information regarding the solvents. Experimental The experiment started by gathering the supplies for distillation. In the vial, 2mL of 2-methylcyclohexanol and 1mL of phosphoric acid is added. The solvents are thoroughly mixed and a few boiling chips is added to help with the boil. The sand bath is set up with the thermometer and the sand will be heated up to 100oC and the vial containing the solvents will be placed on the sand and let to boil. The process should take about 30 minutes to start boiling.A beaker with a flask will be covered in ice and the water would be sucked out with the Pasteur pipette. When the distillation process is completed , the distillated liquid would be saved. CaCl2 would be added to the liquid to prevent evaporation and allows distillate to dry over drying agent. Then the little container will be weighed empty, and then the container with the liquid will be weight. Results ****** I can’t figure out how to insert our graph. When I copy it my computer says it is too big to paste in a word document. So I’m going to pretend the graph is in this spot, and put the results of the graph under here.Hopefully someone else in the group can use their computer to insert the graph or we can print it off and the graph will just have its own page. A gas chromatogram is a plot of a response against the retention time. Chemical substances as gases are retained on the liquid column (stationary phase) with a flow gas being the carrier (mobile phase) through the column. At the end of the column is some means of detection. The peak height or the peak area is used to quantitate the amount of substance. The number of peaks can also help determine whether or not one is dealing with a pure compound.Peak one has a retention time of . 29 seconds and a peak area of 999. 00. Peak two was found to have a retention time of . 37 seconds and a peak area of 5067. 00. The percent composition for peak one is 16. 46884% and the percent composition for peak two is 83. 53116%. The percent yield is given by the ratio of the experimental yield to the theoretical yield, which was found to be 52%. Discussion All possible products were observed. Under kinetic control, a significant yield of 3-methlycyclohexane is expected when 2-methylcyclohexane is dehydrated.The kinetic product is known as Hofman product. The mechanism of this dehydration involves the formation of a tertiary carbocation intermediate. The observed products do support E1 mechanism. E1 mechanism indicates an elimination, unimolecular  reaction, where rate = k [R-LG]. This implies that the rate determining step of the mechanism depends on the decomposition of a single molecular species. The pathway involves two critical steps, which are the loss of the leaving group to generate a  carbocation intermediate, then  the loss of a proton from the carbocation to form a pi-bond.In this experiment the slow step in this elimination is the loss of a water molecule (the leaving group) from the oxonium ion to form the carbocation intermediate. This unimolecular rate-determining step makes this an E1 mechanism. The percent composition of a compound is a relative measure of the mass of each different element present in the compound. It gives the composition of the sample that was injected into the gas chromatograph, which ultimately helps determine alkene stability. In an error analysis of this experiment, peak resolution is critical.In a good chromatographic separation, the components of the sample are completely separated from each other in the chromatogram. Unfortunately, an incomplete separation of the components in a sam ple gives poor peak resolution and there is an overlap between adjacent peaks in the chromatogram. When the peaks in a chromatogram are poorly resolved, it is necessary to adjust one or more of the separation parameters until baseline resolution is obtained. Reference [1] Brown, William Henry. Organic Chemistry. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Page 149-157 2] Hill, Richard K. , and John Barbaro. Experiments in Organic Chemistry. Raleigh, NC: Contemporary Pub. of Raleigh, 2005. Print. Page E8-13 to E8-15 Questions (T8-9) 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When peaks in the gas chromatograms are poorly separated, it is best to change one or more separation parameters so the baseline resolution is obtained. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Benzene > o-xylene > p-xylene > toluene 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cyclohexyl methyl ether would have a shorter retention time because of the increase in temperature. 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Retention will increase when the temperature column is decrease dB. When you increase the length of a column, the retention time would increase because of the longer distance traveled. C. Increasing flow rate of carrier gas will decrease the retention time 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  105oC 6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Little to no partitioning of components in the sample will occur and therefore giving poor to no separation. 7)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  29mm2, 210mm2, 136mm2 Mole %=(Area under individual Peaks)/(Total area under all the peaks) x 100% %=29mm/375mm x100%=7. 73% %=210mm/375mm x100%=56% %=136mm/375mm x100%=36. 27% Total area under peak= 29+210+136= 375mm

The Briley Brothers Killing Spree

The Briley Brothers Killing Spree In 1979, Brothers Linwood Briley, James Briley Jr., and Ray Briley went on a seven-month  killing spree  in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia. When they were finally caught, there were 11 people dead, although investigators believed that there were as 20 victims. Childhood Years James and Bertha Briley were a hard-working couple when their first child, Linwood Earl Briley, was born in 1995.  Their second child, James Dyral Briley, Jr. was born about 18 months later followed by their youngest and last child, Anthony Ray Briley. From the outside looking in, the Briley family seemed well adjusted and happy. They lived in a nice two-story home located on Fourth Avenue in downtown Richmond. Unlike a lot of kids their age, the Briley boys came from an unbroken home where both parents were directly involved with their lives. Helping Hands During their preteen years, the boys would lend a hand to some of their senior neighbors by helping tend to their yards or help start a car.  The general consensus around the neighborhood was that the brothers were polite, helpful and all around good kids. That same opinion was not shared by their schoolmates. At school, the brothers harassed and bullied the other kids. The brothers seemed indifferent towards adult authority and would tend to ignore  whatever the punishment  was that was handed out by a teacher or the principle. But when they got home, their father James Sr., was clearly the one in charge and managed to invoke a level of fear in his sons. Bertha Moves Away   The Briley brothers had two major interests. They enjoyed collecting exotic spiders and snakes like tarantulas, piranhas, and boa constrictors and they habitually cut and saved newspaper stories about gang activity.   When the boys reached their teenage years, Bertha and James split up and she moved away. The split was apparently  amicable  and without drama. It was also during this time that James Sr. was weighed down with growing concerns about how Linwood was acting and the influence he had over the other boys. He developed a sense of fear of his sons. Worried for his own safety,  he began locking his bedroom door at night from the inside with a deadbolt.   Orline Christian On January 28, 1971, Linwood Briley was 16 years old and home alone, when he saw his neighbor,  57-year-old Orline Christian, outside hanging up her laundry. For no apparent reason, Linwood got a rifle from the closet, aimed it out his second-floor bedroom window towards Christian, and pulled the trigger,  fatally shooting  Christian. Somehow no one noticed that she had a gunshot wound in her back and it was assumed that stress led to her death after having recently buried her husband. Then during a viewing her body, some of her relatives noticed a spot of blood on her dress. Curious as to why the family asked for a second examination. It was during the second examination that a bullet was found lodged in her back and a murder investigation was opened. An investigation of the murder scene led the police straight to Linwoods bedroom window. A search of the house produced the murder weapon. With the solid evidence staring him in the face, Linwood confessed to the murder.  In a flat, unemotional voice, the 16-year old said to the detective:  I heard she had heart problems, she would have died soon anyway. Linwood was found guilty and sentenced to one year in reform school. The Murder Spree Begins In March 1979, the Briley gang had a plan to do a series of random burglaries and home invasions. The plan was that the group would get in and out fast and not leave any witnesses alive. William and Virginia Bucher March 12, 1979- The Briley gang went to  Henrico County and randomly selected the  home of William and Virginia Bucher. Linwood knocked on the Buchers door, and when William answered it Linwood claimed that he had car trouble and needed to borrow a phone to call Triple A. Williams said he would make the call and asked Linwood for his Triple-A card, but when he opened the screen door to get the card, Linwood rushed towards him and forced his way into the house. The rest of the gang followed behind Linwood and they took control of William and Virginia and tied them up in separate rooms. They then went through each room and took any valuable that they wanted and saturated the rooms with kerosene. When they were finished stealing what they wanted, Linwood poured kerosene all over Williams legs, then lit a match as he was leaving the house. The Buchers were left tied up inside to burn to death alive. Somehow William Bucher managed to untie himself and he was able to get himself and his wife to safety. The Buchers are the only known victims of the Briley gang that survived their attack. Michael McDuffie March 21, 1979- Michael McDuffie  was the victim of a home invasion. The Briley gang forced themselves into his home, assaulted McDuffie and robbed the home and then shot McDuffie to death. Mary Gowen April 9, 1979 - Mary Gowen was walking home from a babysitting job when the Briley gang spotted her and followed her to her home. They then forced their way into her home and beat, robbed and raped her repeatedly, then shot her in the head. The 76-year-old woman managed to survive the attack, but fell into a coma the next day and died a few weeks later. Christopher Philips July 4, 1979 -  Christopher Philips, age 17, lingered around Linwoods car a minute too long. Assuming that he was planning on stealing it, the Bailey brothers forced the boy to a field where they beat and kicked him and then Linwood killed him by crushing his head with a  cinderblock. Johnny G. Gallaher   September 14, 1979 - Popular disc jockey John Johnny G. Gallaher was playing in a band at a nightclub when he went outside during a break. The Briley gang saw him and forced him into the trunk of his  Lincoln Continental, then drove to an old paper mill out by the James River. Gallaher was pulled from the trunk, robbed and shot in the head at close range. His body was discovered floating in the river two days later. Mary Wilfong September 30, 1979 - Mary Wilfong, age 62, was working as a private nurse when the Briley gang saw her and followed her home. Just as she was about to enter her apartment, the Brileys assaulted her, then beat her to death with a baseball bat, after which they burglarized her apartment. Blanche Page and Charles Garner October 5, 1979 - On Fourth Avenue, not far from the Briley home, the brothers  assaulted  then  bludgeoned to death 79-year-old Blanche Page, then beat and stabbed to death her boarder, 59-year old Charles Garner. According to investigators, the beating and murder of Garner was one of the most brutal that the investigators had ever seen. The Wilkersons October 19, 1979 -  Harvey Wilkerson and his wife, 23-year-old Judy Barton and her five-year-old son lived around the corner from the Brileys home. Wilkerson and the Briley brothers had known each other for years and were friends. The four would often talk about snakes since, like the Briley brothers, Wilkerson also owned pet snakes.   On October 19, the Brileys were in a celebratory mood. J.B., the middle brother, had been paroled earlier that day. Throughout the day the brothers had been hanging out on Fourth Avenue, drinking and smoking pot, and as night fell they began to talk seriously about finding another victim that night. They decided on Harvey Wilkerson, possibly because they thought he had been dealing drugs and wanted the money or his customers or both. Wilkerson was outside when he saw the Briley brothers and 16-year-old Duncan Meekins headed his way. He went inside and locked the door, but the group kept coming. When they got to Wilkersons apartment, they knocked on the door and despite his fears, Wilkerson opened the door and let them inside. As soon as the gang got inside they began attacking the couple. They bound them with duct tape and gagged them, and then Linwood Briley raped Judy while in close proximity to her son and husband. When he was finished, Meekins, who was considered one the gang, continued to  sexually assault  and sodomize  the pregnant woman. The gang then went through the house and took whatever personal belongs that they wanted. Linwood put J.B. in charge and left the apartment with some of the stolen goods. J.B. told his brother Anthony and Meekins to cover Wilkerson and his wife with sheets. They left 5-year-old Harvey on the couch. J.B. then ordered Meekins to shoot Wilkerson. Meekins grabbed a pillow and shot through it multiple times and killed Wilkerson. J.B. then shot Judy, killing her and her unborn child. Anthony allegedly shot and killed the boy. The Brileys didnt know that the police had the area under  surveillance  and were aware that the gang had gone into Wilkersons apartment. When the police heard gunshots go off, they could not tell where the shooting was coming from and started canvassing the area. They spotted Meekins and two of the Briley brothers leaving Wilkersons apartment. They did not think that it was connected to the gunshots that they heard. Arrest Three days later the police received a request to do a welfare check on Wilkerson and Judy. As they approached the apartment, they found the front door was slightly ajar. Entering the apartment they walked into a macabre scene that, for even hardened police officers, was hard to handle. Apparently, before leaving the apartment the Briley brothers had let loose Wilkersons pet snakes. Also left inside for three days to fend for themselves were two Doberman puppies. Before the forensic team could begin their work, animal control had to come and clear the apartment. But the crime scene was so badly compromised by the puppies that much of the evidence collected was of little value. Having seen the Briley gang leaving the Wilkersons apartment on the day that the Wilkersons were murdered, made them the prime suspects in the murders. An arrest warrant was issued for the three brothers and for Meekins. When the police went to serve the warrants, Linwood, his father and Meekins took off in a car with the police following close behind. Linwood was the driver and he refused to pull over and continued to lead the police down several streets. Concerned about public safety, the police finally decided to force the car into a pole. Once the car crashed, Linwood continued to make run for it but was soon captured. Later, they found out that the other two Briley brothers had turned themselves into the police. Interrogation At this point, the only crimes that the police connected the Bailey brothers to were the Wilkerson murders. With so much tainted evidence, they knew that their best shot for convictions would be if one of them would enter into a plea agreement in exchange for pointing the finger at the killers. Duncan Meekins was just 16 year old and his background did not fit that of a cold-blooded killer. He lived with his parents in a nice home; he was a good student and attended church regularly. With the encouragement of his parents, he accepted a plea deal where he would be given a life sentence with the possibility of parole in exchange for all the details surrounding the crime. If he kept himself out of trouble in prison, he was looking at doing 12 to 15 years behind bars. As agreed, Meekins began talking and not just about the Wilkerson murders. He also provided details about other unsolved murders that had gone on during the worse crime spree that had ever hit Richmond. Prior to Meekins confession, investigators had not connected  what they thought were random acts of crime. The rapes and murders happened in different areas around Richmond. The race, sex and ages of the victims seemed to be random. Victims of serial killers often share a physical quality. Gang-related murders are usually rival gangs. When looking at the people raped and murdered by the Bailey brothers, the only major link that could be found was the brutality and  viciousness that had been shown by the murderers themselves.   Interrogating the Bailey brothers was frustrating. They were arrogant, defiant, and liked to push the patience of the interrogators. When questioning Linwood Bailey about the murder of  Johnny G. Gallaher, he mocked the investigator and told him he would never be convicted of the murder because there was no evidence linking him to it. The investigators then brought in a retired detective to interrogate Linwood. He had been a longtime friend of Gallahers.  As the interview began, the detective noticed Linwood was wearing a  turquoise  ring that belonged to Gallaher and one that he always wore. In fact, the detective had been with his friend when he bought it. With that evidence and more that was slowly uncovered, the Bailey brothers were charged with various crimes and some of the murders. Guilty Linwood Bailey was found guilty and given multiple life sentences and the death penalty for the murder of Gallaher. J.B. Bailey was also given multiple life sentences and two death penalty sentences for the murders of Judy Barton and her son. Anthony Bailey was given a life sentence with a possibility of parole. It could not be proven that he was directly responsible for any murders. Linwood and J.B. Briley  were sent to death row at Mecklenburg Correctional Center. It wasnt long before the pair had profitable drugs and weapons racket going on from the confines of death row. Escape It has been said that Linwood Briley had a certain magnetism about him and the prisoners and some of the guards liked to be on his good side. The guards probably thought it was of little consequence to keep him happy. After all, they were in a prison that had the most sophisticated security system in the state. But Linwood had spent several years paying attention to how things worked, the wording that guards would use when making requests to other prison units, and which guards were the least attentive and those who were friendly towards the inmates. On May 31, 1984, Linwood managed to get a guard to keep the door of the control room opened, just long enough for another inmate to rush in and release the locks on all of the death row cells. This allowed for there to be enough manpower to overtake the 14 guards that were assigned to that block. Ordered to strip down, Linwood, J.B. and four other inmates put on the guards uniforms and after a series of events were able to drive away from the prison in a prison van.   The plan was to go to Canada, but when the escapes reached Philadelphia, the Briley brothers separated from the group and met up with their uncle who had made arrangements for a place for them to stay. The brothers managed to stay free until June 19, 1984, when information retrieved from a wiretap placed on the uncles phone left the authorities to their hiding place. Executions Within months of being returned to prison, both Linwood and James Briley exhausted their appeals and execution dates were set. Linwood Briley was the first to be executed. Depending on which version you read, he either walked to the electric chair without assistance or he had to be sedated and dragged to the chair. Either way, on October 12, 1984, Linwood was executed. James Briley followed in his older brothers path as he had always done and was electrocuted in the same chair that his brother had died in months earlier. On April 18, 1985, James Briley was executed.   Anthony  Briley  remains in a Virginia prison. All efforts for his release have been denied by the parole board.

Minnesota Rag Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Minnesota Rag - Essay Example Johan Morrison began to publish the Rip-Saw, this was published weekly which exposed the illegal uses and other vice, which according to Morrison were carried out directly or indirectly by the municipal authorities. Of the targets of the newspapers were the two legislators who weren't satisfied with route to ordinary defamation laws. With the help of the press established as Minnesota they sketched the Public Nuisance Law 1925 which allowed the permanent judge to direct the newspapers from publishing upon a finding that is "customarily or regularly" published "defamatory, malicious and scandalous" material. The defense was a truth given that the intention behind were good for justified ends. This was passed with little or no fame and press didn't show up an opposition, but before Duluth representatives, in order to shut down the Rip-Saw with the help of gag law, Morrison died. (P.14-27) Apart from the above another crisis rose of the whiskey trade from Canada, when Jay Near and an associate started the publication of the scandal sheet of their own called Saturday Press. While the conventional press often soft-pedaled its reporting on vice and corruption, the Press held nothing sacred. Sometimes trustfully but always recklessly, it accused law enforcement and political figures of seizing every available illicit opportunity. Unlike, Morrison, the publishers of the Press were scandalmongers without redeeming moral zeal, and they were frequently accused of using their paper as an instrument of blackmail (p. 32-35). In May 1928, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously upheld the law's constitutionality, finding the Press to be a nuisance to public comfort and repose akin to noxious weeds, dogs and houses of prostitution. The court had no difficulty distinguishing "nuisances" like Near's rag from the "the sincere and honest voice of the press," which had no need to fear the statute (p 61). The constitutional guarantee, the court insisted, extends only to the boundaries of propriety; "licentiousness" is unprotected (p. 61-62). Consequently, the court found that "there is no constitutional right to publish a fact merely because it is true" p62. And when the fledgling American Civil Liberties Union announced that it would undertake an appeal to the Supreme Court on Near's behalf (p. .63-64), the Minneapolis Evening Tibune's editorial echoed the court's emphasis on the need to protect only "responsible" journalism: "The Civil Liberties Union will no doubt make a great pother about the freedom of the press, but the legitimate newspapers will be rather bored than excited about it" (p.64-65). Enter Colonel Robert R. McCormick and his Chicago Tribune. Obsessed by government hostility to press freedoms McCormick nudged out the ACLU and assumed the financial burden and strategic control of the case. He believed that Near's accusation about local politicians probably were true (p. 70), and he feared in any event that, unless stamped out quickly, Minnesota technique for suppressing newspapers would spread to other states (p. 78). Client and patron soon developed divergent interest; while Near bridled at delays in resuming his tawdry livelihood, McCormick and his law firm were intent on gaining a constitutional victory at the highest level (p. 77, 84-87). In the end, McCormick had his way. At oral argument before the Supreme Court, Weymouth

Common ground Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Common ground - Essay Example According to Terris (1999), one sixth of the total land base in our country yielded to development within a short ten year period from 1982 to 1992. This author’s article deals with the issue of a decline or extinction in various species caused by bulldozing down grasslands and forests, thus building towards a plea for the conservation and preservation of wildlife. The article by Shaw (2004) however, does acknowledge that human activity has stripped away a considerable amount of forested land, thereby depriving the wildlife of their habitat; however reforestation has also been active and this has produced a condition where the nation is now a haven for wild animals and many species that were once endangered are not multiplying in record numbers. For wxample, Shaw (2004) cites the example of the bald eagle, whose population was once down to 32 pairs but has now increased to 329 known active bald eagle nests. In providing an argument that urban sprawl has contributed to the decl ine in certain species of wildlife, Terris(1999) provides specific examples of such species that have been out at risk, such as the Florida panther, the pygmy owl, the kangaroo rat and even plant species such as the saguaro cactus. Her analysis is based upon the following main arguments: (a) Development of land for habitation and especially leap frog developments have eroded the natural habitat for wildlife. (b) Patterns of urban growth have produced loss of habitat for several species of wildlife, fragmentation or the breakup of ecosystems and the generalization of ecosystems wherein only the hardy species that can survive on green lawns and stuff from garbage cans are able to survive. (c) Conservation alone cannot save wildlife, what is necessary is control over development patterns, i.e, restricting unfettered and unplanned development and effectively managing growth in such a manner that it protects wildlife The article by Shaw (2004) is based upon two singular aspects; first th e proliferation of wildlife and second, the increasing proximity of humans to wildlife. In support of her claim that reforestation is rekindling many once diminished species, Shaw (2004) offers the following arguments: (a) Natural reforestation is increasing due to the decline in farming, especially in the eastern United States, which is also increasing wildlife (b) Suburbanization or low density development outside the cities provides a variety of habitat and vegetation that is a draw for animals. (c) A new ecology is being established, i.e, with suburbanization, people build new kinds of habitat such as bird feeders, gardens and ornamental nurseries which are breeding grounds for meso mammals, or mid sized species which only need smaller areas to roam (d) Some species such as deer and geese are both wildlife success stories and a cause of nuisance as well. For example, deer can be a nuisance in the form of deer related collisions, carriers of Lyme disease and damage to crops and s eeds. (e) Increasing proximity of wildlife has become a cause of concern in several areas, for example a mountain lion attacked a woman riding a bicycle near a wild life park. (f) On the basis of her arguments, Shaw(2004) argues that there seems to be an apparent compatibility between human and wild life and the growing notion and people can exist side by side with wilds animals. Entrepreneurs are making efforts to build natural sites