Sun Dance Essay Example For Students

Sun Dance Essay The Sun Dance O, Wakan Tanka, be merciful to me that my People may live. It is for this that I am sacrificing myself. The Sun Dance is held every year in the month of June or July when the moon was full. It was first uncovered in a vision to a Lakota Indian called Kablaya. Wakan Tanka told him that his People had become way to sluggish in their prayers, so he sent them a new way of praying-the Sun Dance. In a Sun Dance, dancers present their bodies as a sacrifice on behalf of all the Lakota people. Through their sacrifice, the people gain strength and understanding. In the beginning, a large tipi was built and a number of ritual objects gathered or where made. One of these was a round rawhide circle, which represents the sun. It was painted red, with a smaller blue circle in the center, which represented Wakan Tanka. Many singers came to sing the sacred songs, and a drum (its roundness representing the universe, its steady beat the pulse of the heart) was brought. Central to the ceremony was a cottonwood tree, a rustling tree, which was placed at the center of the tipi. This represented all of the enemies who have been attacked and conquered. A group of people go out to find the cottonwood, and when they did, a sacred Pipe was smoked. One person was selected to make the first cut on the tree. This symbolized counting coup on the tree, or enemy. Others then helped cut it down, but it was not allowed to touch the ground. The tree is then carried back to the dance place and put into the earth at the center of what became the sweat lodge. Then all of the ritual objects and the tree were purified with the smoke of sweetgrass. A sweat lodge was built around the tree and the chosen dancers entered it and were purified in an Inipi. The Pipe is smoked and the sacred songs were sung. One of them was: The Sun, the Light of the world. I hear him coming. I see his face as he comes. He makes the beings on earth happy And they rejoice. O, Wakan Tanka, I offer to You this world of Light. Black Elks The Sacred Pipe. Wreaths of sage were placed on each dancers head. Then each described what s/he would sacrifice. The sacrifice was either pieces of flesh or piercing of the flesh. Flesh represents ignorance one has, so the tearing or cutting of the flesh represented freeing the body from the grasps of ignorance. On the final day of the Sun Dance, some dancers had their flesh pierced, and rawhide thongs were threaded through the flesh and tied to the tree. Wreaths of sage were placed on each dancers head and around their wrists and ankles. As they danced, they blew eagle bone whistles. As singing and drumming continued throughout; they danced until the thongs break free. Other offered pieces of flesh to Wakan Tanka, to the Earth or the four powers of the four directions. When the dance was done, the dancers went into the sweat lodge and smoked a Pipe. Then all returned to the tipi and a feast was held.

World War I Powers Essay Example For Students

World War I Powers Essay World War I PowersDuring World War I many different types of weapons were utilized by both the Allied and Central powers.Some were variations on older models of weaponry, and others were totally new inventions created to aid in the wartime effort.Most of the new weapons were used as killing machines in trench warfare, which was practiced during World War I, while others were employed as tools of espionage, scouting land areas, or air and sea warfare.Communication also played a major role in World War I, especially the newly invented short wave radio.My report will discuss several of these new types of weaponry and communication; their uses in the war and their technical make-up. We will write a custom essay on World War I Powers specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Ground warfareTrenchesTrenches were long tunnel-like structures dug on the fronts during a stalemate in the war.They protected the troops inside from deadly artillery and especially machine gun fire.There were usually four sets of trenches dug on each side.An area of no-mans land separated the two sides.Crossing the no-mans land meant the risk of instant death by machine gun fire.An attack was usually staged in waves.Line after line of troops attempted to overrun the opposing trenches, only to gain a couple of miles. The firing trench was first, backed by cover trenches, which were a back-up line of defense in case the firing trenches were overrun.Following the cover trench were the support trench and the reserve trench.Off-duty troops lived in man made dugouts in the support trench.Rations, communications, extra troops, and other utilities were stored in the reserve trench.Some trenches also had a fifth trench dug out especially for the communications systems. TanksModern tanks are heavily armored track-laying military vehicles which have road speeds up to 60 mph.They weigh in between 14 and 50 metric tons and carry various types of mounted machine guns.Tanks are designed to penetrate or flank enemy lines and strike deep into the rear, capturing or eliminating vital fortifications.Although not as fast as modern tanks, and not as heavily armed, World War I saw the first mass use of tanks in open warfare. The idea of the tank was first designed by Leonardo daVinci in 1482.The French attempted to create the armored vehicles of which daVinci spoke, but it was the British who developed the first track-laying armored vehicles during World War I.On September 16, 1916, forty nine tanks were used at the battle of Somme near Courcelette, France, with negative results.A year later, in November 1917, 400 tanks penetrated the Hindenberg line near Cambrai on the Eastern Front.This attack captured 8000 enemy soldiers and 100 enemy guns.Through this battle, the role of the tank was established in modern warfare. Chemical warfareThis particularly horrific method of warfare is based on releasing toxins or incapacitating chemicals into enemy lines in order to cause mass death or at least incapacitate the enemy. During World War I there were several different types of gases used to break the deadlock of trench warfare.Tear gas, a gas causing excessive tearing when it comes into contact with the victims eyes.Chlorine gas and phosgene were two of the more common lung irritants used by the armies.Also widely used was mustard gas, which caused whoever it came into contact with to break out in severe burns.Mustard gas was often used in conjunction with the flame-thrower. By the end of World War I, most European powers had integrated gas warfare capabilities into their armies at some levels.Between the two great wars Germany developed various different nerve gases such as sarin, a paralysis inducing gas.Most western countries have taken steps to destroy their arsenals of chemical weapons. .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c , .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c .postImageUrl , .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c , .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c:hover , .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c:visited , .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c:active { border:0!important; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c:active , .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6887367d416225cbec98e0cbf3aa680c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Racism and evolutionary theory EssayFlame-throwerThis was a military weapon used to project flames toward the enemy.A flame-thrower consists of a fuel container filled with oil, a cylinder containing a gas propellant under a high pressure, a discharge tube with an adjustable nozzle and an ignition device.During World War I, two styles of flame-throwers were used: A heavy one mounted on a tank and a light, portable, hand carried one.The flame-thrower had great psychological impact during the war because it succeeded in inflicting fear into the enemy.However, as a weapon it was limited by its short range and unpredictable aim.The flame-throwers used in World War I consumed g reat amounts of fuel.Modern flame-throwers are carried in a pouch on the persons back and can accurately project a 60 foot flame for about nine seconds. Machine GunThe machine gun is a type of gun in which the operations of loading, extraction, and firing are performed automatically.This enables the machine gun to maintain a constant fire.Before Worl..d War I practically all machine guns used the same caliber ammunition as infantry rifles.During the war, they became divided into different types, each designed for its specific use.The lighter weight designed guns were suited to firing short, compact bursts of bullets.The heavier models were developed to be situated in one place and give off a constant barrage of fire.These came into use due to the trench warfare that took place during World War I.Machine guns were also developed for mounting in tanks and in airplanes.Later in the war special mounts were invented to allow the machine guns to be used in antiaircraft effort. Air warfareAirplanesAs the threat of Germany using zeppelins for military purposes during the war grew, many leading nations began to look critically at the potentiality of military aviation.When conflict began in 1914, both the Allies and the Germans each had about 200 aircraft on the Western Front.These were primarily used for reconnaissance or scouting out land areas, and were extremely vulnerable to antiaircraft fire due to their slow speeds.Then, in 1915, Dutch designer Anthony Fokker developed an interpreter gear which allowed a machine gun mounted on a plane to fire through the propellers without damaging the blades.This modification led to the development of speedier planes and thus the age of fighter aircraft was born. Early in the war, bombs were dropped over the side of the plane by hand.Later, however, heavier aircraft and standardized bomb fittings enabled the bombs to be dropped with greater accuracy on military and civilian targets.By the end of World War I, over 250 metric tons of bombs had been released in raids over England, causing 9000 civilian casualties.Even though this number is nowhere near the estimates from World War II, the droppings were psychologically and strategically important.It proved that aircraft were not only capable of providing protection to the troops on the ground at the front lines, but also could be used to deploy offensive maneuvers.The use of airplanes in World War I peaked in 1918 in the battles of Chteau-Thierry and Saint Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne in France ZeppelinsThe first zeppelin airship was designed by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in 1900.It consisted of a row of 17 gas cells individually covered in cloth.The body was confined in a cylindrical framework co vered with smooth surfaced cotton cloth.It was about 420 feet in length and approximately 38 feet in diameter.The ship was steered by forward and aft rudders and was powered by two 15 hp Daimler internal combustion engines, each rotating two propellers.Passengers and crew, as well as the engines were carried in two aluminum gondolas pendant from the forward part of the ship. At the beginning of World War I, ten zeppelins were used actively in the German army, and many more were constructed over the next four years.By 1918, Germany had over 65 zeppelins in its airforce.The main use of the airships was deploying bombs and scouting enemy territory.Most were painted black so they became difficult to see during the night.However, soon after the war, most high ranking officials realized that the huge zeppelins and other massive airships were too vulnerable to airplane attack, causing a major decrease in the amount of airships in the armies. .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 , .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 .postImageUrl , .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 , .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44:hover , .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44:visited , .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44:active { border:0!important; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44:active , .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44 .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8b9ac4048c2a9b145bd59d2dc3e01b44:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Computer Systems Analyst EssaySea warfareU-boatIn 1906, the Germans built upon the basic blueprint of the submarine, designed by famous American inventor, Robert Fulton.The first changes they made were adding a diesel powered engine and a periscope.Later, after the development of self propelled torpedoes, the Germans redesigned the structure slightly to accommodate for the new torpedoes.Thus, the U-boat was born. The German used the U-boats to sink merchant vessels coming into Britain.They hoped to cut off Britains supplies and deplete their navy.Through this process, the U-boats sunk Allied ships as well as the luxury liner-Lusitania.Because several American passengers were killed in this action, the United States was pushed to the brink of war, finally being drawn into the battle by the discovery of the Zimmerman telegram.The Germans continued to attack Allied ships, and therefore proved the U-boat to be a very deadly weapon for its time.Its success led to the development of depth charges, used in World War II. CommunicationShort Wave RadioDuring World War I, communication was mostly done by telegraph, or by the use of the newly invented short wave radio.The short wave radio uses high frequency broadcasts, from 3 to 30 MHz, to transmit radio waves over long distances.The short wave radio played an important part in communication between headquarters and the fronts, as well as Front to front and trench to trench.

Capital Punishment Essays (1871 words) - Penology, Free Essays

Capital Punishment Essays (1871 words) - Penology, Free Essays Capital Punishment Capital Punishment has been an issue of arguments for centuries. This topic was even of more importance during the 1700's than the present, because the quantities of punished people were significantly larger than now. In that time it was easy for an individual to loose his life for a small crime. In this research paper we will examine the views of two different types of people on this subject. The first person is a reverend from 18th century London, and the other is an American doctor from the same period. In the arguments of both gentlemen we can find similarities that lead us to understand the sentiment toward the issue during the 17th century. Revered E. Gillepsy begins his sermon with the definition of the meaning of being virtuous. He states that some one with good virtue will wish for world happiness. That person is to apply that wish through actions. These actions will be rewarded in both the present life as in the future one. Another strong point that Rev. Gillepsy presents is that the laws of nations should be made according to religion. They should obey God instead of man. Even if the rules of man justify taking away lives, this does not mean that God agrees with such laws. He means that the feelings taught by religion should overrule feelings extracted from political affairs. Rev. Gillepsy also talks about the sentiment of the people. He claims that is mankind was influenced entirely by the spirit of Christianity, they would never seek the death of another human being. People should see themselves in the shoes of other people, Do on to others as you would like done upon you. Man should never have to fall under a human executioner. Instead he should care for the criminal and give mercy. Rev. Gillepsy has many thoughts on the punishments that follow criminal apprehension. He says that the system does a poor job in the prevention of crimes. He also mentions that if the system is not changed, there is a risk of revenge from heaven. His worries on capital punishment are related with the little proportion between crime and punishment. He provides the reader with examples of some crimes that have been punished with death. One of those is the stealing of property. Amounts as low as 12-Pence have been seen as enough to kill a man. Other crimes include: breaking a fish pond, causing the fish to die; cutting a tree in a garden; associating with gypsies; witchcraft; sorcery, charm and enchantments. He cannot understand how society can possibly think that the life of fish or a tree can be seen as equal to the life of a human being. Rev. Gillepsy states that sanguinary laws are sign of disorder in a state. For example, the laws of the Romans Decemuiri were full of cruel punishments. Then there were the partion law which exempted all citizens from death sentence and they flourished. Under the emperors severe punishments were delivered and their empires fell. Gillepsy asks how capital punishment can be seen as an act of prudence, when the greatest act of prudence is preserving life. They are acting criminally by destroying life. Rev. Gillepsy also expresses a sentiment of possession. He says that God gave man the Earth for him to rule. He also gave him control over all things on Earth, but he did not give him control over each other. Therefore, God does not permit to ultimately control each other by taking away the lives of those facing punishment. Some alternatives to the death sentence are also given in the sermon. He says that a convicted felon should be forced to work until he repays what he owes. He sees this alternative as very effective because it restores property, employs the culprit and it answers to al ends of justice and society. However he suggests that the price of labour be less than the price of regular labourers and their diet be poorer. All these in order to deter people from committing crimes. Another alternative to capital punishment should be the exile of criminals. By sending the accused to another part of the world he is returning to duty of a community

Congregation and the Urban Landscape of Milwaukee Assignment

Congregation and the Urban Landscape of Milwaukee - Assignment Example People have changed their lifestyles and migrated to urban areas in the hope of securing job employments so as to live a comfortable life (Judith et al,pp.4-7). a). Rent Gap refers to the differences that exist between the rent that households are paying currently and the possible optimum rent that the market has the potential to generate. Assuming that there is an a positive correlation between the median household income and the percentage of home ownership, then three consensus tracks likely to experience gentrification. They include; Fairfield, Tripoli Park and Brown Deer Park (Judith et al., pp.4-7.b. The most actively sought natural amenities in Milwaukee by developers include the presence of amenities such as water and food. Food is among the most fundamental needs that human beings require for survival. Development based on latent cultural capital intends to ensure that redevelopment of the area is based on the culture of the people in the area (Hoelscher et al, pp.5-7). c. The current housing policies in Milwaukee have enabled the middle and upper-class families to able to afford to purchase houses. On the contrary, the Black community has been isolated in house ownership as the current policies are unfavorable to them (Gartner, pp.5-7). d. The residential congregation concept is a social and economical idea. The settlement of human beings influences their social interactions and economic activities. Furthermore, human beings are social able in nature and interact with each other. Consequently, it is impossible to find people who are living in solitude and cannot interact with other races. Residential congregations also pull people together who identify the existing business opportunities. People who reside together have escalating needs that need to be. Consequently. The entrepreneurs cease the opportunities and start providing goods and services that meet the needs of customers (Gartner, pp.1-4). Hoelscher,

Which aspects of Communism posed a challenge to liberal capitalism in Essay

Which aspects of Communism posed a challenge to liberal capitalism in the first half of the Twentieth Century - Essay Example Furthermore, in the communist system of Government basic needs such as health care and education are provided by the state since wealth was also equally distributed. The press was also owned and controlled by the state. The central focus of the communist system was on communal progression. On the other hand, the capitalist system was driven by the democratic system of Government and allowed for private ownership of property as well as press freedom. Furthermore in the capitalist system wealth was not evenly distributed since free enterprise was allowed, and its central focus was on individual progression1. Since the shift from communism to capitalism system was preferred towards the first half of the twentieth century, several aspects of communism posed different challenges to liberal capitalism. This academic paper shall focus on the different aspects of communism that posed challenges to liberal capitalism in the first half of the twentieth Century. This paper shall also address other related features such as the relationship between communism and coercion as well as how communism was understood in different parts of Europe2. Before the shift from Socialism to Capitalism in parts of Europe such as Russia, empires were under monarchs. The Russian society was composed into four groups namely the noble who were the ruling class, the upper class who were the clergy, the middle class and the masses. By that period, the ruling emperor was known as Tsar Nicholas the second and had unlimited political power. The noble and upper class owned majority of the land while the majority of the population entailed peasants who were poverty stricken and powerless. When the Russian system shifted from Communism to Capitalism, serfs could not own property hence market forces were not driven by free enterprise. Furthermore, the serfs were not completely free hence the Government was not democratic in any way3. Since theculture in severalcountriesincluding Russia

Alternative minimum taxable income Essay Example for Free

Alternative minimum taxable income Essay In 1969, Congress had noticed that 155 people with high incomes were legally using so many deductions and other tax breaks that they were virtually paying nothing in federal income taxes. This angered many tax paying citizens and embarrassed the government. In an effort to fix the system Congress came up with the alternative minimum tax. At the time the tax only affected the high income class but not so today. The alternative minimum tax was never adjusted for inflation and now affects more and more middle income taxpayers. Now a day the AMT affects people with an income over $75,000 and some large deductions. Most vulnerable are taxpayers with several children, interest deductions due to second mortgage, capital gains, and incentive stock options. The question I know you may be having is if you will be subject to the alternative minimum tax. A simple way to see if you are subject to paying AMT or how close you are to paying it. We can look at your Form 6251 from last year. We can compare the tentative minimum tax to your regular tax. Your change in income can leave you with an AMT liability. It could be because of a big item on your tax return or a lot of small items that would make you pay AMT. One of the best ways to understand the alternative minimum tax it to look at it as a separate tax system. This system has its own set of tax rates and its own rules for deductions. Let me explain how the AMT works. The AMT is reduced by an exemption amount to arrive at net alternative minimum taxable income. This income is then multiplied by 26% or 28% alternative minimum tax rate. If your income was to exceed $175,000 it will be subject the 28%. The first alternative minimum tax income of $175,000 will be subject to 26% tax rate. These rates are for individual returns. Corporations figure their tax under the regular system, which taxes corporate profits at a top rate of 35 percent. Then they figure it under the AMT system, which tosses out some deductions allowed under the regular system, and taxes the resulting profit at 20 percent. The corporation then pays whichever tax is higher. This amount then can be reduced by the alternative minimum tax foreign tax credit for the taxable year. For the last few years Congress has approved of temporary patches to increase the amount of income exempt from the AMT. Many AMT adjustments apply to businesses operated by individuals or corporations. The adjustments tend to have the effect of deferring certain deductions or recognizing income sooner. Depreciation deductions must be computed using the straight line method and longer lives than may be used for regular tax. (See MACRS) Deductions for certain preferences are limited. These include deductions related to circulation costs, mining costs, research and experimentation costs, intangible drilling costs, and certain amortization. Certain income must be recognized earlier like long term contracts and installment sales. Corporations are also subject to an adjustment (up or down) for adjusted current earnings. In addition, a partner or shareholders share of AMT income and adjustments flow through to the partner or shareholder from the partnership or S corporation. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. A corporation does get an exemption amount, which means that they can deduct $40,000. Furthermore, small corporations with average annual gross receipts less than $7,500,000 for the prior three years are exempt from AMT, but only so long as they continue to meet this test. â€Å"The tentative minimum tax of a corporation shall be zero for any taxable year if the corporation’s average annual gross receipts for all 3 taxable year periods ending before do not exceed $7,500,000.† (26 USC  § 55) If such taxable year is the first taxable year that such corporation is in existence, the tentative minimum tax of such corporation for such year shall be zero. Other than this Congress did a good job of making this tax difficult to avoid. The alternative minimum tax is a powerful and complicated tax system that is not easily avoidable. It was specifically made to not be avoided and to make up for the loopholes in the system. Given the company’s revenues exceeding $12,000,000 you can expect some form of alternative minimum tax. The best bet is to minimize the effect it has on you be being prepared. That means tax planning is essential in reducing or even avoiding AMT liability. I recommend we sit down and go thru all the different sections of AMT and look where we can maximize your deductions or how we can prepare you for future deductions.

Iran- Contra Scandal :: essays research papers

Over the centuries ancient Roman society has played a significant role in the creation of a common culture like our own. The material remains from ancient Rome have preserved valuable evidence for the status and accomplishments of the Roman people. Because so many aspects of ancient Roman civilization are respected and followed in society today, such as Roman art, Roman roads, and Roman law, it is important to understand the similarities and differences that ally within the two cultures. One aspect of Roman culture that I found interesting to focus on is the tradition of marriage. A traditional Roman marriage is completely different than a traditional marriage in our culture today, essentially because of the significant change in the role of women over time. Because Roman women had hardly any rights, their role in marriage was extremely limited. Women in ancient Rome barely had any rights by law, so they had very few opportunities to live independently. Roman women were expected to marry at a young age, usually when they reached their teen years or early twenties. A Roman woman's subordination in marriage began even before she became engaged, as it was tradition for a woman's father, or legal guardian to arrange the marriage of their daughters. In her work on Roman Marriage, Susan Treggiari sites a preserved document of a Roman mother explaining the rules of engagement to her daughter: "When you become engaged to someone, your father, will inform you of the fact. An engagement should come on a young girl as a surprise, pleasant or unpleasant, as the case may be. It is hardly a matter that she could be allowed to arrange for herself" (Treggiari, 125). The legal independence of women was also constrained by the institution of guardianship. If a woman outlived her father, it was required by law in Rome to ha ve a guardian, or tutor. The legal sources about the reasons women needed guardians are specific, as they describe women as lacking judgment, were easily victimized, basically because they claimed women were fools. Roman women were expected to be married, primarily because it was almost impossible for them to live independently, but also because single women, or maidens, were just not accepted in society. Most single women though were of the lower class, and had little opportunity to obtain a better life. "Free-born women continued to scratch our a living as laundresses, weavers, butchers, and fish-sellers, or in one of the occupations that are recorded on inscriptions at Pompeii: bean-dealer, nail-seller, brick-maker, even stonecutter.