Cylone Picture Book Essay

Cylone Picture Book Essay Cylone Picture Book Essay Isn't it crazy how life is one thing then in a second it becomes something else. Here I am, Sophie. A boring girl walking her dog in a small quite town. Then suddenly everything happens. At first I thought it was a little wind then I was blown off my feet and slammed against the pavement my dog pushed on-top of me. Then I realised it was a cyclone. The wind rung though my ears, like a loud high pitched scream. I could feel myself losing balance as the wind slammed though me. I picked up my dog and ran. I don't know what I was thinking when I ran. I just ran. The wind was stronger than ever and I could feel myself being dragged from the ground. I grabbed a tree and held on to it, but not for long after a second the tree uprooted and was flung across the road me going with it. I felt my eyes close as my head smashed against the floor. Jaxx? Where is Jaxx!? I shouted. Jaxx was my 3 month old Pomeranian husky and he was the best thing that ever happened to me. I could hear a loud cry it pierced though my ears. I scrambled towards it. Jaxx was trapped underneath a broken street lamp. I squeezed him out and hoisted him against me, the wind was so strong and debris was flying in every direction smashing against my skin. Then I saw something spectacular. Right in the middle of the cyclone there was an untouched spot, a safe spot. It was the eye of the cyclone. I started to run toward it my eyes aching from the wind. I charged through the cyclone inching towards the centre. In the eye everything was still and calm. I stood there in awe of the sight. I was standing untouched while the world around me

Biography of Czar Nicholas II, Last Czar of Russia

Biography of Czar Nicholas II, Last Czar of Russia Nicholas II (May 18, 1868–July 17, 1918) was the last czar of Russia. He ascended to the throne following the death of his father in 1894. Woefully unprepared for such a role, Nicholas II has been characterized as a naà ¯ve and incompetent leader. At a time of enormous social and political change in his country, Nicholas held fast to outdated, autocratic policies and opposed reform of any kind. His inept handling of military matters and insensitivity to the needs of his people helped to fuel the 1917 Russian Revolution. Forced to abdicate in 1917, Nicholas went into exile with his wife and five children. After living more than a year under house arrest, the entire family was brutally executed in July 1918 by Bolshevik soldiers. Nicholas II was the last of the Romanov Dynasty, which had ruled Russia for 300 years. Fast Facts: Czar Nicholas II Known For: Last Czar of Russia; executed during the Russian revolutionBorn: May 18, 1868 in Tsarskoye Selo, RussiaParents: Alexander III and Marie FeodorovnaDied: July 17, 1918 in Ekaterinburg, RussiaEducation: TutoredSpouse: Princess Alix of Hesse (Empress Alexandra Feodorovna)Children: Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and AlexeiNotable Quote: â€Å"I am not yet ready to be Tsar. I know nothing of the business of ruling.† Early Life Nicholas II, born in Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg, Russia, was the first child of Alexander III and Marie Feodorovna (formerly Princess Dagmar of Denmark). Between 1869 and 1882, the royal couple had three more sons and two daughters. The second child, a boy, died in infancy. Nicholas and his siblings were closely related to other European royalty, including first cousins George V (future king of England) and Wilhelm II, the last Kaiser (Emperor) of Germany. In 1881, Nicholas’ father, Alexander III, became czar (emperor) of Russia after his father, Alexander II, was killed by an assassins bomb. Nicholas, at age 12, witnessed his grandfathers death when the czar, horribly maimed, was carried back to the palace. Upon his fathers ascension to the throne, Nicholas became the Tsarevich (heir-apparent to the throne). Despite being raised in a palace, Nicholas and his siblings grew up in a strict, austere environment and enjoyed few luxuries. Alexander III lived simply, dressing as a peasant while at home and making his own coffee each morning. The children slept on cots and washed in cold water. Overall, however, Nicholas experienced a happy upbringing in the Romanov household. The Young Tsarevich Educated by several tutors, Nicholas studied languages, history, and the sciences, as well as horsemanship, shooting, and even dancing. What he was not schooled in, unfortunately for Russia, was how to function as a monarch. Czar Alexander III, healthy and robust at 6-foot-4, planned to rule for decades. He assumed there would be plenty of time to instruct Nicholas in how to run the empire. At the age of 19, Nicholas joined an exclusive regiment of the Russian Army and also served in the horse artillery. The Tsarevich didnt participate in any serious military activities; these commissions were more akin to a finishing school for the upper class. Nicholas enjoyed his carefree lifestyle, taking advantage of the freedom to attend parties and balls with few responsibilities to weigh him down. Prompted by his parents, Nicholas embarked upon a royal grand tour, accompanied by his brother George. Departing Russia in 1890 and traveling by steamship and train, they visited the Middle East, India, China, and Japan. While visiting Japan, Nicholas survived an assassination attempt in 1891 when a Japanese man lunged at him, swinging a sword at his head. The attackers motive was never determined. Although Nicholas suffered only a minor head wound, his concerned father ordered Nicholas home immediately. Betrothal to Alix and the Death of the Czar Nicholas first met Princess Alix of Hesse (daughter of a German Duke and Queen Victorias second daughter Alice) in 1884 at the wedding of his uncle to Alixs sister Elizabeth. Nicholas was 16 and Alix 12. They met again on several occasions over the years, and Nicholas was adequately impressed to write in his diary that he dreamed of one day marrying Alix. When Nicholas was in his mid-20s and expected to seek a suitable wife from the nobility, he ended his relationship with a Russian ballerina and began to pursue Alix. Nicholas proposed to Alix in April 1894, but she didnt immediately accept. A devout Lutheran, Alix was hesitant at first because marriage to a future czar meant that she must convert to the Russian Orthodox religion. After a day of contemplation and discussion with family members, she agreed to marry Nicholas. The couple soon became quite smitten with one another and looked forward to getting married the following year. Theirs would be a marriage of genuine love. Unfortunately, things changed drastically for the happy couple within months of their engagement. In September 1894, Czar Alexander became gravely ill with nephritis (an inflammation of the kidney). Despite a steady stream of doctors and priests who visited him, the czar died on November 1, 1894, at the age of 49. Twenty-six-year-old Nicholas reeled from both the grief of losing his father and the tremendous responsibility now placed upon his shoulders. Czar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Nicholas, as the new czar, struggled to keep up with his duties, which began with planning his fathers funeral. Inexperienced in planning such a grand-scale event, Nicholas received criticism on many fronts for the numerous details that were left undone. On November 26, 1894, just 25 days after Czar Alexander’s death, the period of mourning was interrupted for a day so that Nicholas and Alix could marry. Princess Alix of Hesse, newly converted to Russian Orthodoxy, became Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The couple returned immediately to the palace after the ceremony as a wedding reception was deemed inappropriate during the mourning period. The royal couple moved into the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo just outside of St. Petersburg and within a few months learned they were expecting their first child. (Daughter Olga was born in November 1895. She was followed by three more daughters: Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia. The long-anticipated male heir, Alexei, was finally born in 1904.) In May 1896, a year and a half after Czar Alexander died, Czar Nicholas’ long-awaited, lavish coronation ceremony finally took place. Unfortunately, a horrific incident occurred during one of the many public celebrations held in Nicholas’ honor. A stampede on the Khodynka Field in Moscow resulted in more than 1,400 deaths. Incredibly, Nicholas did not cancel the ensuing coronation balls and parties. The Russian people were appalled at Nicholas handling of the incident, which made it appear that he cared little about his people. By any account, Nicholas II had not begun his reign on a favorable note. The Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) Nicholas, like many past and future Russian leaders, wanted to expand his country’s territory. Looking to the Far East, Nicholas saw potential in Port Arthur, a strategic warm-water port on the Pacific Ocean in southern Manchuria (northeastern China). By 1903, Russia’s occupation of Port Arthur angered the Japanese, who had themselves recently been pressured to relinquish the area. When Russia built its Trans-Siberian Railroad through part of Manchuria, the Japanese were further provoked. Twice, Japan sent diplomats to Russia to negotiate the dispute; however, each time, they were sent home without being granted an audience with the czar, who viewed them with contempt. By February 1904, the Japanese had run out of patience. A Japanese fleet launched a surprise attack on Russian warships at Port Arthur, sinking two of the ships and blockading the harbor. Well-prepared Japanese troops also swarmed the Russian infantry at various points on land. Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, the Russians suffered one humiliating defeat after another, both on land and sea. Nicholas, who had never thought the Japanese would start a war, was forced to surrender to Japan in September 1905. Nicholas II became the first czar to lose a war to an Asian nation. An estimated 80,000 Russian soldiers lost their lives in a war that had revealed the czars utter ineptitude at diplomacy and military affairs. Bloody Sunday and the Revolution of 1905 By the winter of 1904, dissatisfaction among the working class in Russia had escalated to the point that numerous strikes were staged in St. Petersburg. Workers, who had hoped for a better future living in cities, instead faced long hours, poor wages, and inadequate housing. Many families went hungry on a regular basis, and housing shortages were so severe that some laborers slept in shifts, sharing a bed with several others. On January 22, 1905, tens of thousands of workers came together for a peaceful march to the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Organized by radical priest Georgy Gapon, protesters were forbidden to bring weapons; instead, they carried religious icons and pictures of the royal family. Participants also brought with them a petition to present to the czar, stating their list of grievances and seeking his help. Although the czar was not at the palace to receive the petition (he had been advised to stay away), thousands of soldiers awaited the crowd. Having been informed incorrectly that the protesters were there to harm the czar and destroy the palace, the soldiers fired into the mob, killing and wounding hundreds. The czar himself did not order the shootings, but he was held responsible. The unprovoked massacre, called Bloody Sunday, became the catalyst for further strikes and uprisings against the government, called the 1905 Russian Revolution. After a massive general strike had brought much of Russia to a halt in October 1905, Nicholas was finally forced to respond to the protests. On October 30, 1905, the czar reluctantly issued the October Manifesto, which created a constitutional monarchy and an elected legislature, known as the Duma. Ever the autocrat, Nicholas made sure the powers of the Duma remained limited- nearly half of the budget was exempted from their approval, and they were not allowed to participate in foreign policy decisions. The czar also retained full veto power. The creation of the Duma appeased the Russian people in the short run, but Nicholas’ further blunders hardened his people’s hearts against him. Alexandra and Rasputin The royal family rejoiced at the birth of a male heir in 1904. Young Alexei seemed healthy at birth, but within a week, as the infant bled uncontrollably from his navel, it was clear that something was seriously wrong. Doctors diagnosed him with hemophilia, an incurable, inherited disease in which the blood will not clot properly. Even a seemingly minor injury could cause the young Tsesarevich  to bleed to death. His horrified parents kept the diagnosis a secret from all but the most immediate family. Empress Alexandra, fiercely protective of her son- and his secret- isolated herself from the outside world. Desperate to find help for her son, she sought the help of various medical quacks and holy men. One such holy man, self-proclaimed faith healer Grigori Rasputin, first met the royal couple in 1905 and became a close, trusted advisor to the empress. Although rough in manner and unkempt in appearance, Rasputin gained the Empress trust with his uncanny ability to stop Alexeis bleeding during even the severest of episodes, merely by sitting and praying with him. Gradually, Rasputin became the empress closest confidante, able to exert influence upon her regarding affairs of state. Alexandra, in turn, influenced her husband on matters of great importance based upon Rasputins advice. The Empress relationship with Rasputin was baffling to outsiders, who had no idea that the Tsarevich  was ill. World War I and the Murder of Rasputin The June 1914  assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand  in Sarajevo set off a chain of events that culminated in  World War I. The fact that the assassin was a Serbian national led Austria to declare war on Serbia. Nicholas, with the backing of France, felt compelled to protect Serbia, a fellow Slavic nation. His mobilization of the Russian army in August 1914 helped to propel the conflict into a full-scale war, drawing Germany into the fray as an ally of Austria-Hungary. In 1915, Nicholas made the calamitous decision to take personal command of the Russian army. Under the czars poor military leadership, the ill-prepared Russian army was no match for the German infantry. While Nicholas was away at war, he deputized his wife to oversee affairs of the empire. To the Russian people, however, this was a terrible decision. They viewed the empress as untrustworthy since she had come from Germany, Russia’s enemy in  World War I.  Adding to their mistrust, the Empress relied heavily on the despised Rasputin to help her make policy decisions. Many government officials and family members saw the disastrous effect Rasputin was having on Alexandra and the country and believed he must be removed. Unfortunately, both Alexandra and Nicholas ignored their pleas to dismiss Rasputin. With their grievances unheard, a group of angry conservatives soon took matters into their hands. In a murder scenario that has become legendary, several members of the aristocracy- including a prince, an army officer, and a cousin of Nicholas- succeeded, with some difficulty, in  killing Rasputin  in December 1916. Rasputin survived poisoning and multiple gunshot wounds, then finally succumbed after being bound and thrown into a river. The killers were quickly  identified but were not punished. Many looked upon them as heroes. Unfortunately, the murder of Rasputin was not enough to stem the tide of discontent. The End of a Dynasty The people of Russia had become increasingly angry with the governments indifference to their suffering. Wages had plummeted, inflation had risen, public services had all but ceased, and millions were being killed in a war they didn’t want. In March 1917, 200,000 protesters converged in the capital city of Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg) to protest the czars policies. Nicholas ordered the army to subdue the crowd. By this point, however, most of the soldiers were sympathetic to the protesters demands and thus just fired shots into the air or joined the ranks of the protesters. There were still a few commanders loyal to the czar who forced their soldiers to shoot into the crowd, killing several people. Not to be deterred, the protesters gained control of the city within days, during what came to be known as the February/March  1917 Russian Revolution. With Petrograd in the hands of revolutionaries, Nicholas had no choice but to abdicate the throne. Believing that he could somehow still save the dynasty, Nicholas II signed the abdication statement on March 15, 1917, making his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail, the new czar. The grand duke wisely declined the title, bringing the 304-year-old Romanov dynasty to an end. The provisional government allowed the royal family to stay in the palace at Tsarskoye Selo under guard while officials debated their fate. Exile of the Romanovs When the provisional government became increasingly threatened by the Bolsheviks in the summer of 1917, worried government officials decided to secretly move Nicholas and his family to safety in western Siberia. However, when the provisional government was overthrown by the Bolsheviks (led by  Vladimir Lenin) during the October/November 1917 Russian Revolution, Nicholas and his family came under the control  of the Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks relocated the Romanovs to  Ekaterinburg  in the Ural Mountains in April 1918, ostensibly to await a public trial. Many opposed the Bolsheviks being in power; thus, a civil war erupted between the Communist Reds and their opponents, the anti-Communist Whites. These two groups fought for control of the country, as well as for custody of the Romanovs. When the White Army began to gain ground in its battle with the Bolsheviks and headed toward  Ekaterinburg  to rescue the imperial family, the Bolsheviks made sure that rescue would never take place. Death Nicholas, his wife, and his five children were all awakened at 2 a.m. on July 17,  1918, and told to prepare for departure. They were gathered into a small room, where  Bolshevik soldiers fired upon them. Nicholas and his wife were killed outright, but the others were not so fortunate. Soldiers used bayonets to carry out the remainder of the executions. The corpses were buried at two separate sites and were burned and covered with acid to prevent them from being identified. In 1991, the remains of nine bodies were excavated at  Ekaterinburg. Subsequent DNA testing confirmed them to be those of Nicholas, Alexandra, three of their daughters, and four of their servants. The second grave, containing the remains of Alexei and his sister Marie, was not discovered until 2007. The Romanov familys remains were reburied at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, the traditional burial place of the Romanovs. Legacy It might be said that the Russian Revolution and the events that followed were, in a sense, the legacy of Nicholas II- a leader who was unable to respond to changing times by considering the needs of his people. Over the years, research into the final fate of the Romanov family has revealed a mystery: while the bodies of the Czar, Czarina, and several children were found, two bodies- those of the Alexei, heir to the throne, and Grand Duchess Anastasia- were missing. This suggests that perhaps, somehow, two of the Romanov children actually survived. Sources Figes, Orlando. From Tsar to U.S.S.R.: Russias Chaotic Year of Revolution. October 25, 2017. â€Å"Historic Figures: Nicholas II (1868-1918).† BBC News.ï » ¿Keep, John L.H. â€Å"Nicholas II.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 28 Jan. 2019.

Should You Become a Truck Driver

Should You Become a Truck Driver Whether you’re contemplating a career change or are in the midst of a trucking program and having second thoughts, Smart-Trucking.com has some helpful advice to help you make your decision! Freedom of the RoadA crucial factor in whether you’ll enjoy trucking is where you’re able to drive- try to sign on with a company that has routes where you want to go! The truckers who blog over at Smart-Trucking still appreciate the scenery and beauty of our landscape. You also enjoy independence- checking in with your dispatcher or a family member may be all the talking you do in a day. And hey, for some, that’s exactly the right amount.Long Haul SkillsWhen you’re on the road for a long haul, there’s pretty much no choice but to develop your driving skills, adapt to weather and other challenging conditions, and get proficient in basic servicing for your vehicle. Maintaining your truck and your own sense of professionalism boost self-respect and can even translate to other career fields down the road.Residential FlexibilityAs long as the place you call home is on your route, you can live wherever you’d like as a trucker. This may be particularly compelling if you love small towns but know there’s not enough work to sustain you there. You won’t have to relocate or worry about your commute because the job is the commute!I hope this perspective helped clarify your stance. Is trucking  the right career for you? Anything you’d do differently, if you had it to do over again?

Describe the everyday life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Describe the everyday life - Essay Example Unconscious emotions may be fully understood in the context of mood swings. Most people may wake up in a bad mood or good mood, but they may find it hard to articulate and pinpoint the root source of the happiness (Wyer, 2014, p. 38). Human beings pass judgment on other people through thin-slicing. Thin slicing is a phenomenon by which human beings tend to judge others with limited information such as the first impression due to previous experiences of a similar nature. Henri Lefebvre’s works focus on describing and bringing a terse meaning of everyday life through introducing concepts such as â€Å"social space† and the â€Å"right to the city.† In his book, â€Å"Le Droit à   la ville† he discusses dwells on the concepts, where he proposes reforms that will improve everyday life for the betterment of the society (Lefebvre, 2002, p 19). Conclusively, Lefebvre’s theory insinuates that through the betterment of cities and urban centers, everyday life will improve and inflicting happiness among people. However, some of these unconscious actions maybe as a result of deliberate learning and thereafter become automotive due to repetitive undertakings by human beings. Most people show more care in the initial phase after a driving course. However, a person may be more at ease after some time and may subconsciously engage in other activities while driving (Bargh, 2013, p.

Statement of purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Statement of purpose - Essay Example My application to the university of xxxx Masters Program in Law is informed particularly by the university’s mission of preparing its graduates to compete globally. My interest in the field of law started developing during my childhood mostly because of my family background which has many of lawyers. I started appreciating and desiring the work done by lawyers as a child and went on to work hard in school especially in language subjects knowing there are pre-requisite to pursuing professional law. My father particularly has been a great source of inspiration for me; he kept encouraging working hard so as to achieve my dream of becoming a lawyer and strived to see me get the best quality education. At school especially high school level, joined the debating clubs and really enjoyed debating issues with a lot of passion. My teachers noticed my desire to pursue law as a professional and encouraged me to achieve good grades that would enable to me further my studies. My hard work paid and I was able to score grades that saw me secure a chance to pursue college education. It is during my undergraduate studies that my interest in becoming a lawyer became intense. My interactions with the course materials, lecturers and other students on campus made me understand a great deal how law as a profession plays in our everyday lives. Also my internship apart from the invaluable work experience and other skills gained made me appreciate the work of lawyers in resolving our issues in business, families and other facets of society. It is then that I made a resolve to pursue a Master degree in law so as to gain more knowledge, grow my professional outlook as a lawyer and apply my knowledge of law resolving problems in my society which I believe will give me a satisfaction of having participated in the transformation of society. Am a very outgoing

Pottery Statues of Ancient Chinese Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pottery Statues of Ancient Chinese Art - Essay Example There are various arts like painted potteries, folk arts, script, monuments, metal arts etc. Very expensive materials are used for the art works like granite, marble, lime stone, etc and even gold, silver and other precious materials are used. In early times they were not much aware about the materials used for arts and they used stone and rock for doing arts. These antique collections of ancient period are now placed in the museums. â€Å"The museum houses collections of various color-painted potteries of Neolithic Age and treasures of ancient grottoes. The design of these potteries is gorgeous and has the characteristic of the local culture.† (Gansu Provincial Museum). In museums there are varieties of wonderful art works which were done in the past. The Chinese culture hasn’t altered much from before and the people are still continuing with their traditional customs. The temples in China are considered as precious art wealth which signifies the prosperous culture of China. Chinese people have some beliefs with regard to their traditional arts. There are varieties of statues which symbolize different significances and faiths. Laughing Buddha is one among them which symbolizes health, prosperity, happiness, and so on and they believe that it brings all these goodness if it is placed somewhere and there are also other different kinds of laughing Buddha and each one has got some particular concept. The arts like Swastika, fengshui are some of the other Chinese artifacts which are used for good luck and to improve the life. Chinese people believe in such things; so most of them use these types of artifacts. The people from other countries prefer to use the Chinese arts mainly because of their quality and beauty. The ancient Chinese art is very gorgeous and superior which is totally different from other art works; so it has high demand. Not only the Chinese people buy this; people from every nation are now buying

SMA (Smooth Muscle Antigen) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SMA (Smooth Muscle Antigen) - Research Paper Example The name smooth muscle comes from the fact that these muscles do not have the banded appearance of skeletal or cardiac muscles. The third group is the cardiac muscles that serve to pump blood through the human body. Cardiac muscles, like the smooth muscles, are controlled involuntarily (Zimmermann, 2014). Several forms disease could affect smooth muscles as shown in the charts below (Elgaddar, 2013). When antigens such as bacteria or viruses attack smooth muscle, the body’s immune system produces antibodies to counter the antigen. Every antibody produced is unique, to defend against one type of antigen. In rare cases, antibodies are produced to attack the body’s own healthy cells. These are called auto antibodies and the person has an autoimmune disorder (Blocka, 2012). The most common smooth muscle disease is hepatitis or inflammation of the lever. Hepatitis types A and B are usually self-limiting. Most cases that require clinical studies are of hepatitis C. When a physician diagnoses smooth muscle problems, the first test he recommends is a test for hepatitis. The hepatitis virus itself cannot be detected in a test. When the virus is present, the human system produces antibodies which can be identified and serve as an indicator for presence of the infection. The Anti-Smooth Muscle Antibody or ASMA test is performed on a blood sample drawn from a vein in the arm of the person (Blocka, 2012). Smooth muscle antibodies were first identified in patients with chronic hepatitis, other liver diseases, viral infections, certain cancers and female infertility. SMA is a heterogeneous group of antibodies reactive with different smooth muscle auto antigens. Different SMAs give different immunofluorescent staining patterns which help the laboratory to identify the SMA (Toh, 1979). The history of the person for whom ASMA test is being administered is of relevance in the conduct of tests and interpretation of results. Hepatitis C is often associated