Question and answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Question and answer - Essay Example The theory requires that the goods should be tradable to enable high cost countries to import goods from low-cost countries; therefore, forcing currency values back to purchasing power parity. The big mac index has relevance because although there are other methods of comparing efforts the Big Mac index receives a lot of attention. For example, the United Nations and the OCED are involved in the International Price Comparison Programme, which analyses a wide range of prices; hence, producing more demanding estimates of the exchange rates that would eradicate price dissimilarities between their members (Carbaugh 394). I would not substitute it with a basket of goods index because it reflects more than just the cost of meat, bread and vegetables, but also non-tradable elements such as labor and rent; hence, comparing countries roughly at the same stage of development. The basket of goods looks at the non-tradable imports and services indicating that they should be alike in different countries. The global consumption habits can be derived by establishing the international correlation risk where inequalities in food consumption should be determined. The basket of goods reflects the inequality in food consumption where the little there is in the food basket it reflects how the global market is working. The between link currency and international trade is determined by various factors such as differential inflation where a country with low inflation rates exhibits a rising currency values. Secondly, the link between the two is differential interest rates where exchange, interest, and inflation rates are highly correlated because by manipulating interest rates the central banks exert influence over inflation. Additionally, the link between currency and international trade is brought about by public debt and current account deficits where some countries work with money that they do not have in

The Role of the Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Role of the Government - Essay Example In 2010, the US government has made affordable care Act. In this plan, the government has made comprehensive reforms for health care which will be implemented for four years. Some of these reforms include 50% discount for the senior citizens on buying the medicine, the age of young adults is increased to 26 years, and they are eligible for their parent’s medical plan up to this age. Around 4 million businesses that are small in scale, tax credit is eligible for them so that they can provide medical benefits for their employees (Healthcare, 2012). The US government, healthcare providers, and the employers should work hard to make sure that the health care is accessible to every person. Incentive should be given to the providers so that health services are expanded (Pomerance, 2011). Pomerance, D. (2011). Access to Healthcare: The Right of the People. Retrieved January 4, 2012, from www.healthmgttech.com:

Effects of Industrial Revolution in the World Essay Example for Free

Effects of Industrial Revolution in the World Essay Industrial Revolution [pic] In the 1700s, the world was on the verge of a great change – the industrial revolution. By the end of the eighteenth century, the industrial revolution was well under way in England and would spread to the rest of Europe, the United States, and Japan during the next hundred years. Before the industrial revolution, Europe and the rest of the world were rural societies. Over three quarters of the population lived on farms, and in the busiest of countries only a few hundred thousand out of several million lived in towns and cities. Tools and the few machines that existed then were made mostly from wood. European products were handmade and the power to operate these tools came from human muscles. The only other available power sources were wind and water, but the use of wind and water-powered machinery was restricted to places where the wind and water power was reliable. Therefore, what’s known as the domestic system was used. The domestic system is a form of manufacturing in which goods were produced in the homes, either alone or in very small groups. A few industries used simple factories, single-room buildings or workshops for the manufacture of luxury goods, such as cloth and the production on certain military weapons. â€Å"This world of cottage industries and wooden tools was about to be transformed. After the industrial revolution, only traces of this former existence would remain. † (Corrick, 12) The industrial revolution began in eighteenth-century England. England had money and natural resources, but most importantly, people. The industrial revolution required both workers and consumers. England had a population boom in the 1700s due to cured diseases, healthier childbirths, and more and better food. Economic historian Phyllis Deane says, â€Å"Without the rising demand for goods†¦which reflected†¦the growth of population, there would have been less incentive for British producers to expand†¦and hence some of the dynamism which powered the industrial revolution would have been lost. † (Corrick, 18) With the growth of population came the demand for goods and the need for better, easier, and cheaper ways to make these goods. England also had a natural abundance of iron and coal. Iron became increasingly important because it was a common building material and an essential factor in the development of mechanical production. With England’s jagged coastline, which provided excellent natural harbors, iron became a major export. In addition to people, natural resources, and inventions, money was needed to start the industrial revolution. England had roads, banks, insurance brokers, and all the things needed to open a business. Rich English traders were more than eager to put their wealth to work and invest in English industry. England had all the factors of production and was the ideal region for the start of the industrial revolution. Another great English industry aside from iron production was the textile industry. â€Å"The export of cloth accounted for about a third of all English trade, both at home and abroad. † (Corrick, 20) In 1733 John Kay invented the flying shuttle. When added to the regular hand loom, a single weaver was able to work the loom. Even though the weaving was still done by hand, it went faster and weavers turned out cloth much more rapidly. Following the invention of the flying shuttle were James Hargreaves and his spinning jenny, Richard Arkwright and the water frame, Samuel Crompton and Crompton’s mule, and probably most importantly, James Watt and the steam engine. With the ending of Watt’s patents, other inventors were able to make the steam engine more powerful and find more uses for it. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the industrial revolution played an important role in England. New and larger factories were filling the English landscape. In the meanwhile, the revolution began to spread: first to Western Europe, then all over the world. Although England was the center of the revolution, France had its fair share of inventors. Nicolas-Louis Robert developed a machine that turned out paper in long rolls, Claude-Louis Berthollet invented chlorine bleaching of linen, and Joseph-Marie Jacquard built a machine that was able to pattern cloth with elaborate designs. Despite these new inventions, most technology was still found in England, so Europeans were drawn to England to study the new machines. England tried to stop it by passing laws banning the export of technology, but they couldn’t stop the technology transfer from England to the rest of Europe. When Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power in France, it became more difficult for the industrial revolution to come to continue spreading in France. Although Napoleon promoted modernization of the French textile industry, England was soon at war with Napoleon and established a naval blockade of Europe. The blockade cut off French manufacturers from raw materials normally imported from England. Once Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, France began modernizing industry with illegally bought British equipment and imported English workers. However, unlike England whose iron production played an important role in industry, â€Å"French industry instead concentrated on a ‘lighter’ type of manufacturing, particularly the luxury trade. † (Corrick, 35) The French specialized in printing designs onto cotton cloth and also got into the manufacturing of furniture. Germany also had a hard time industrializing. Germany was not a unified country and the independent states were separated by religion, currency, and even viewed each other as economic rivals. â€Å"They discourage emigration and levied custom duties†¦not only on goods entering from other states but even on trade between towns and cities within the same state. † (Corrick, 36) There were many economic barriers between the German territories. One German state, Prussia, played a major role in bringing industry to Germany. Prussia joined with a number of states to form the Zollverein. They didn’t charge customs and allowed goods to go freely though their territories. The other states were at an economic disadvantage and joined the Zollverein. Now manufacturers were able to move in and set up factories within the union’s boundaries. Prussia also helped remove serfs and guilds, which were both standing in the way of industry. Now that serfs were no longer bound to their landlord’s farms, Germany was exposed to an important amount of capable industrial workers. In1810, Prussia enacted a law that opened manufacturing to guild and non-guild members, Other German states followed Prussia’s lead and by the 1830s, many obstacles to German industrialization were down. The industrial revolution didn’t stay in Europe. It eventually spread to the United States and Japan as well. Unlike most countries, Japan was extremely resistant to industry. Japan had a strict policy of isolation from the rest of the world. The rulers of Japan, or the shoguns, thought of the rest of the world as barbarians, and didn’t want corrupt foreign ideas to pollute Japanese society. For that reason, the Japanese lacked all modern technology, and it was for that same reason that July 8, 1853 marked one of the greatest turning points in Japanese history. On that day, US Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Edo Bay with orders from President Millard Fillmore the Japanese to open Japan to the outside world, even if using force was necessary. The Tokugawa shogunate was in charge of Japan at the time and the government attempted to show the strength of Japan’s military, but Commodore Perry was well aware that his military advantage was superior. Eventually the Tokugawa realized that their forces are no match for the American military might, so in 1854 Japan gave in and signed the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US. Once Japan was open to the US, there was no way to close it. Japan in due course signed treaties with England, Russia, and Holland. The stage was now set for revolution in Japan, leading to the Meiji Restoration, and ultimately to the beginning of industry. Japanese daimyos launched a brief rebellion and were able to overthrow the Tokugawa. â€Å"Rather than submit to the same fate (as Korea, China, and other East Asian islands being dominated by the West), Japanese leaders decided on a bold and unprecedented strategy†¦to initiate a massive modernization program†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Nardo, 21) They believed that there was no other way for Japan to become a great independent nation, and through odernization Japan could be militarily and economically equal to the Western powers. The newly empowered Meiji made a major change – industrialization. He sent young upperclassmen to Europe and America to learn engineering, economics, and military science. Every year he ordered the construction of new railroads, steamships, ports, and canals. Huge corporations now dominated the economic landscape. Industrialization arose in Western European countries because they desired it. People always wanted more, and they wanted it fast. France saw British success and wanted it. German states such as Prussia saw the British success and wanted it. That was the difference between industrialization in Europe and industrialization in Japan: Japan didn’t want it. Japan was determined to stay isolated as long as possible and only rose to the challenge of industrialization because they realized the dangers of not industrializing. The Japanese were too proud to be economically and militarily less superior to the rest of the world. The industrial revolution was a major turning point in world history.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

To Kill A Mockingbird Essay ï » ¿ Injustice is a problem which everyone faces. Nobody likes to suffer from injustice, yet they make others suffer all the time. Yet some individuals like Atticus Finch rise above this injustice enough to stay proud of his ways and to know what he was doing was truely right. Other individuals like Boo Radly hide indoors practicing ways â€Å"Alien† to Maycomb believing what he was doing was morally right and he would be repaid in his afterlife. The last man who rises above injustice is Tom Robinson, who has been charged with a crime he didn’t commit but yet he stayed strong enough to be able to think beyond it and win his court case. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, there are three characters who suffer the most injustice. These people are Atticus, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Atticus, a man with great wisdom, suffers from the fact that he had taken on a Negro case. He was constantly persecuted for his decision by all classes in Maycomb county, which made him have to work even harder and keep his head up if he was going to overcome the odds and win the trial. Even though his family was made fun of, he stuck with his choice and worked the hardest he could to ignore the threats and harassment. Some people almost tried to turn his own kids against him through persuading them against him and telling them about the different ways of Atticus; â€Å"‘Do you know he can play a Jew’s Harp?’(About Atticus) this modest accomplishement served to make me even more ashamed of him†(Lee 90). He did very well to ignore all the abuse and was greatly respected after the trial was over. Another person who suffered from injustice was Tom Robinson. He suffered a different type of Injustice than Atticus Finch though. He suffered a Racial Injustice, a raw, upfront injustice; â€Å"‘I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin on my Mayella’†(Lee 173). He was charged with a crime he did not commit. His side of the story was not believed because he was black, which really shows the amount of injustice during the time the novel was set in. Through the whole trial, he did not retaliate at the white people, he did not get mad because he was improperly accused, he just showed the level of respect which everyone deserves.

HR Plan for Principle Financial Group Essay

Human resources are the most important aspect of any organization in today’s world. The developing idea of the necessity of HR department and the need of making the efficient and timely use of the organization’s resource for the betterment of the organization has taken recent importance. Companies that are the giants of business arena have made it sure that their sole target is not to keep their customers satisfied but also to ensure that their employees are satisfied with their work and they are giving their best output. The paper will look into the organization named â€Å"Principle Financial Group† that how the HR of organization works and how they are making it work better. Principle Financial Group The organization Principal Financial Group (The Principal) is a worldwide financial services contributor which provides an extensive variety of financial commodities, and is a U. S. leader in 401(k) plans. The Headquarters of The Principal are based in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The corporation is serving more than 18 million customers globally. By September 30, 2009, the organization had assets amounting more than $280 billion. In May 2009, Fortune Magazine had listed The Principal as 273rd in the list of 500 largest companies in USA. It is also considered as the most Ethical Company of the world and has received many awards due to this quality (Principal. com, 2010). The organization was founded by Mr. Edward Temple in the year 1879 by the name ‘Bankers Life Association’ and it used to provide life insurance to the men aged between 22 to 55 years. Since then, Mr. Edward served as the President of the organization for thirty years and the organization saw its prosperity under his leadership. In the year 1985, after nearly a century, Bankers Life Company became Principal Financial Group (PFG). The company started to expand and decided to provide its services in other countries too that included Brazil, China, Argentina, Chile, Hong Kong, Mexico and India. In October 2001, the company offered its initial public offering and became listed in New York stock Exchange (Principal. com, 2010). The competitors of PFG are AXAHY. PK, John Hancock Financial Services Inc. , a privately held organization and Lincoln National Corporation. PFG ranks to be the highest amongst the three mentioned (Daily Finance. com, 2010). The Culture of Principal Financial Group Culture is the way people work in an organization. It the way employees are thought to behave and perform their tasks. Culture is an important aspect of any organization as with out culture and organization would not function properly. It may not seem to be an integral of any organization’s success, but when giant corporations are looked over, it would come to our realization that culture makes each and every organization distinguish itself from others. Cultures can originate from many factors and they can also become the permanent way of work performances. Stories, jargons, ceremonies are part of an organization’s culture. Culture can be formalized i. e. , followed strictly by the words of book, or it can also be simple. In which ever way culture is followed, it makes an important component of an organization and it also helps employees get familiarized with the place they work in. Culture of PFG Culture of PFG is very vibrant and helps employees enjoy the work they do. The culture of PFG is embedded with their commitment to honesty and togetherness. They believe in team work and they want to excel at what they do. There are certain components of their culture. They are: Commitment to diversity, Commitment to development, Commitment to community and Commitment to ethical practices (Principal. com, 2010). They have faith in diversity if employees in organization. They respect the employees which hail from different back grounds and consider that their experiences and their knowledge would help the organization perform better. They appreciate learning from them and value the differences present amongst each other. Development is important for the organization. Training to the employees is important and they accept the fact as true. They have their training programs and they enhance the capabilities of the employees’ not for the organization only, but they trust that employees should be given importance as they give importance to their work. Additional development openings are provided to the employees through Employee Resource Centers. These centres foster a way of learning amongst the employees. These groups give a proper work setting for the employees who have common interests, and they provide career development opportunities and reach out the community for the purpose of recruitment and selection. Some of the employees resource groups are; ‘Asian Employee Resource Group’, ‘Disability Employee Resource Group’, ‘Muslim Employee Resource Group’, ‘Women in Technology Group’ etc (Principal. com, 2010). Core Values of PFG Their core values are the factors that are critical to their success. They are factors which help the organization make its decision and they do not change. These factors give the organization its personality. They are customer focused and they believe that customers will help their organization grow and they are very concerned about what their customers want and desire. Be it any business or an individual that needs financial assistance, they make it sure that their customers are provided with complete choice and control in their financial provisions. Training and Development at PFG Training and development of employees is another important aspect of the organization. The organizations that ignore the aspect of training and development come across many troubles at the later stage of their organizational life cycle. They fail to stay in touch with the recent development in the environment and their response to those changes is laid back which results in failure. In order to stay in touch with the regular changes in internal as well external environment, companies must train and develop their employees. Importance of training and development can not be ignored. Timely training and development not only helps the employees, but it also provides organizations with competitive advantage over their competitors (Noe, 2009). Employee development is another critical to success factor of the organization. Excellent culture with growth opportunities is what PFG gives to its employees and it believes that continuous training and development will help them retain employees and would give satisfactory results to the organization. Change and innovation is another key to success for PFG and it works on it to help employees change with ease and flexibility (Principal. com, 2010). Profitability and sound financial performance is also the success factor of the organization. Along with operational brilliance they provide their customers with timely solutions and satisfactory results with their products and services. With fierce competition they are faced with, PFG has been able to remain an outstanding financial solution to many institutes and individuals (Principal. com, 2010). Recruitment and Selection When recruiting and selecting the employees, PFG follows the guidelines of EEOC. i. e. , Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They are fully dedicated to the concept of the equal employment opportunities and it is evident through the diversity of the employees in the organization. The policy is to hire, train and develop employees regardless of gender, color, race, religion, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, etc. Harassment of employees on these differences is strictly forbidden in the company. However, the things to decide their eligibility to the employment are their competence, qualification and their merit (Roberts, 2008). In the work place the employees are treated with great respect. Diversity in the organization makes employees accept each other’s differences as the basis of their learning and experience. The principles they follow at their work place are: work schedules are flexible to cater to the needs of their employees. They believe that employees should be given the required flexibility so they do not find hindrances in their personal as well as professional lives. Multicultural celebrations are norms at PFG. Employees learn the cultural celebrations of their colleagues and they respect each others traditions. This creates the bond between employees and they value the contentment of their partners. For the expectant mothers, PFG is very considerate to help them during their pregnancy. PFG provides prenatal care to the mothers and ensures that working mothers who are expecting their babies are to be taken care of. They do not discriminate them on their health issues. For Muslims, they also provide a separate prayer rooms to ensure that that religious obligations do not go unattended and it helps the employees respect the religious needs of their counterparts (Principal. com, 2010). Compensation Management in PFG Compensation management is other important aspects of an organization’s contend employees. Efficient compensation management gives the employees with advantage of performance management too. These two aspects are closely linked. Employees must know that their compensation would tend to increase if they outperform their colleagues and give performance that is beneficial towards meeting the goals of the organization (Berger & Berger, 2008). Compensation Management in PFG is based on the competitive salary system and salaries are evaluated yearly on the basis of the performance of the employees. They also get to participate in the annual incentive program which is subjective to the performance of the organization as well as the individual performance. They call it PrinPay (Principal. om, 2010). The organization’s compensation package is not just salary but it comprises of different benefits provided to the employees. These benefits are the medical benefits which can be customized by the employees according to their choice. Dental benefits include different dental services. Other benefits are vision coverage, wellness programs, and flexible spending accounts. Financial benefits provided to the employees include the retirement programs with 401 (k) plans, stock purchase program and treatment to short term and long term disability of the employees. The financial and health benefits are not the only incentives that are given to the employees of the organization. The employees enjoy the time off facility called ‘Personal Time off (PTO)’. The PTO is saved in a â€Å"PTO Bank† and employees earn extra hours at the year end. Nine paid holidays are given to the employees through out the year, and they are also given some time off for voluntary activities they want to perform. PFG does not believe in standardized compensation package and year end salary raises are all subjected to the performance of the employees (Principal. com, 2010).

Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler Essay - 698 Words

The Holocaust was one of the biggest genocide in the world. Over 17 million people died in it mostly Jews. There where more things to The Holocaust World War 2, Hitlers rise to power, and Anne Franks Diary. These events all happened at the same time reflecting on one another. The Holocaust was one of the worlds worst events in history. Hitles rise to power started when he was put in jail for trying to overthrow the German government. He was sent to jail for 10 years but got out in 9 months for good behavoir. In jail he wrote a book called Mein Kampf or My struggle. He blammed the jews for everything and got famous for it in Germany. When he got out of jail he rose up through the government becoming Chancellor of Germany. He then made†¦show more content†¦People where put in gas chambers where they died then they where throwen into ovens where they where burned. There where also mobile killing sqauds after the German army left a area these people would go and kill any other people that survied. This list had different races on it like Jews, African Americans, and handy caped on it. Hitler would kill anyone that list even if they where a child. Hitler also thought that people with blonde hair and blue eyes where the best people. The Holocaust is the wrost thing in the world. The Holocaust lead to World War 2 one of the worst wars ever. Hiter started World War 2 in 1930 when he invaded Poland. Britan and France then declared war on him and attacked. Hitle then made the Tripartiet which made Germany, Italy, and Japan allies for 10 years. In 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor Americas Navl base. That then pulled us into World War 2. When we entered we turned it around and brought the fight into Germany. We then invaded France in 1942 it was called D-day. On are way to Germany fighting through we liberated thousands of camps. We then dropped two atomic bombs on Japan ending World War 2. The Holocaust can connot to Anne Frank because of Germany rounding up Jews it made them go into hiding. Anne went into hiding when Hitler first started rounding up Jews to put into camps. Anne Frank then brought the Van Danns into the Annex to hide with them. They had all sort of connections to people to buy food for the annex.Show MoreRelatedMein Kampf by Adolf Hitler1077 Words   |  5 Pagesthe mastermind behind it at all. The very man that was to blame for the series of events leading up to World War II is none other than the infamous Adolf Hitler. Hitler was just like any of his other peers when he was young. He had the same dreams that many of his friends would have, and had a family that loved him very much. However, what separated Hitler from simply any other kid trotted alongside the street would be the unsettling despair in his heart throughout his unfortunate childhood as heart-breakingRead MoreMein Kampf, By Adolf Hitler883 Words   |  4 Pages Mein Kampf is a outrageo us book written by Adolf Hitler. The title Mein Kampf in Germany means my struggle and was published in the summer of 1925, followed by his second version in 1927. Mein Kampf was written while he was imprisoned. Four and a Half Years of Struggle against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice was Hitlers orignally title that he chose. His publisher thought it would have been better to give it a shorter title. Hitler talked about his life and gave ideas of how he would run GermanyRead MoreAdolf Hitler : Mein Kampf, Nation And Race1108 Words   |  5 PagesJennifer Mills College Writing Dec 11, 2014 Adolf Hitler: Mein Kampf, Nation and Race Adolf Hitler was born in Austria, on April 20, 1889. He was the fourth child of the six children from Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. When Adolf was three years old, his whole family moved into Germany. In his young age, he had many arguments with his father until he became detached and introverted when his young brother died in 1900. (HistoryLearningSite, 2014) Adolf was interested in fine arts than business, soRead MoreMein Kampf by Adolf Hitler Essay551 Words   |  3 PagesAdolf Hitler was a terrible person, he blamed all the Germans problems on the Jews. He tried to overthrow the German government to and he failed and he was sent to prison. His prison sentence was supposesed to last five years long but it only was nine months because he wrote a book called Mein Kampf means My Struggle. In the book was his plan to help the government with its problems by blaming the jewish. When he got out of prison he went into politics to get into the German military. He workedRead MoreModernis m in Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler802 Words   |  3 Pagesexpelled from Germany and many of its champions emigrated overseas as Hitler described modern art as â€Å"Bolshevist art†Ã¢â‚¬  in his autobiography â€Å"Mein Kampf† and â€Å"criticized the Weimar Republic for its alleged cultural weaknesses†.(Architecture and Politics in Germany ) â€Å"The Enabling Act (German: Ermà ¤chtigungsgesetz ) was a 1933 amendment to the Weimar Constitution that gave the German Cabinet – in effect, Chancellor Adolf Hitler – the power to enact laws without the involvement of the Reichstag†, TheRead MoreMein Kampf by Adolf Hitler Essay529 Words   |  3 PagesIn 1933 Hitler became chancelor of Germany. This was the first step for rising to power. Once the leader of Germany died Hitler said that they did not need to fill in that position again. Hitler came up with the final solution while he was in jail. Hitler had gone to jail for treason and his sentence was for five years, but he was let out after about nine months. In the short time that Hitler was in jail he wrote a book called Mein Kampf which means my struggle. In this book Hitler wrote all theRead MoreMein Kampf : Jewish Virtual Library988 Words   |  4 PagesIn Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote various hate-filled comments such as,â€Å"The personification of the devil as the symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew†(â€Å"Mein Kampf: Jewish Virtual Library† 7). This is only one of the variou slurs the dictator used in the Mein Kampf. There were many controversial topics in the book, not just the derogation of the Jews. He explains the formation of his views and thoughts along with the construction of the Nazi party. Hitler â€Å"decided the he would rule theRead MoreAdolf Hitler: A Political Theorist1619 Words   |  7 PagesMost would not recognize Adolf Hitler of being a political theorist, due to the fact of the horrific events that transpired under his control. However, he indeed was one for better or worse. Hi s views about the political world were extreme to say the least and he often wrote his theories in need or due to circumstance (http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/kampf.htm. His views were mostly formed in three time periods of his life (http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/kampfRead MoreNegative Essay : Meiin Kampf904 Words   |  4 PagesGermany officially became a Nazi state in 1933 when a man by the name of Adolf Hitler seized total power of the country. Mein Kampf, or â€Å"My Struggle†, was written in 1923 by Adolf Hitler in prison. This book clearly outlines Hitler’s ideology as well as his beliefs in making Germany a superpower. In Mein Kampf, the opening volume expresses Hitler’s relations with the Jews. Hitler clearly blames the fall of Germany and the economic crisis on the Jews. He mentions how Jews are selfish and stingy andRead MoreEssay on Adolf Hitler596 Words   |  3 PagesAdolf Hitler Anger and hatred can be produced with such little integrity it is frightening. Adolf Hitler’s work, Mein Kampf, is filled with such fury and abhorrence. Millions of people bought into his ideas without even stopping to question the validity of his work. Considering at this time many Germans were freezing, starving and suffering from a huge economic depression not much had to be said to get people on Hitler’s side. Hitler makes many false statements and provides no evidence

Medieval Methods for Making Fabric From Wool

In the Middle Ages, wool was turned into cloth in the thriving wool production trade, in home-based cottage industry, and in private households for family use. Methods could vary depending on the wherewithal of the producer, but the basic processes of spinning, weaving, and finishing cloth were essentially the same. Wool is usually sheared from sheep all at once, resulting in a large fleece. Occasionally, the skin of a slaughtered sheep was utilized for its wool; but the product obtained, which was called pulled wool, was an inferior grade to that shorn from live sheep. If the wool was intended for trade (as opposed to local use), it was bound up with similar fleeces and sold or traded off until it reached its final destination in a cloth-manufacturing town. It was there that processing began. Sorting The first thing done to a fleece was to separate its wool into its various grades by coarseness because different types of wool were destined for different end products and required specialized methods of processing. Also, some types of wool had specific uses in the manufacturing process itself. The wool in the outer layer of fleece was ordinarily longer, thicker and coarser than the wool from the inner layers. These fibers would be spun into worsted yarn. The inner layers had softer wool of varying lengths that would be spun into woolen yarn. Shorter fibers would be further sorted by grade into heavier and finer wools; the heavier ones would be used to make thicker yarn for the warp threads in the loom, and the lighter ones would be used for the wefts. Cleansing Next, the wool was washed; soap and water would usually do for worsteds. For the fibers that would be used to make woolens, the cleansing process was particularly stringent and could include hot alkaline water, lye, and even stale urine. The aim was to remove the wool grease (from which lanolin is extracted) and other oils and greases as well as dirt and foreign matter. The use of urine was frowned upon and even outlawed at various points in the Middle Ages, but it was still common in home industries throughout the era. Following cleansing, the wools were rinsed several times. Beating After rinsing, the wools were set out in the sun on wooden slats to dry and were beaten, or broken, with sticks. Willow branches were often used, and thus the process was called willeying in England, brisage de laines in France and wullebreken in Flanders. Beating the wool helped remove any remaining foreign matter, and it separated entangled or matted fibers. Preliminary Dyeing Sometimes, dye would be applied to fiber before it was used in manufacturing. If so, this is the point at which the dyeing would occur. It was fairly common to soak fibers in a preliminary dye with the expectation that the color would combine with a different shade in a later dye bath. Fabric that was dyed at this stage was known as dyed-in-the-wool. Dyes usually required a mordant to keep the color from fading, and mordants often left a crystalline residue that made working with fibers extremely difficult. Therefore, the most common dye used in this early stage was woad, which did not require a mordant. Woad was a blue dye made from an herb indigenous to Europe, and it took about three days to use it to dye fiber and make the color fast. In later medieval Europe, such a large percentage of wool cloths were dyed with woad that cloth workers were often known as blue nails.1 Greasing Before the wools could be subjected to the harsh processing treatment that lay ahead, they would be greased with butter or olive oil to protect them. Those who produced their own cloth at home were likely to skip the more rigorous cleansing, allowing some of the natural lanolin to remain as a lubricant instead of adding grease. Although this step was done primarily to the fibers intended for woolen yarn, there is evidence that the longer, thicker fibers used to make worsteds were also lightly greased. Combing The next step in preparing wool for spinning varied depending on the type of wool, the instruments available and, oddly enough, whether certain tools had been outlawed. For worsted yarn, simple wool combs were used to separate and straighten the fibers. The teeth of the combs might be wooden or, as the Middle Ages progressed, iron. A pair of combs was used, and the wool would be transferred from one comb to the other and back again until it had been straightened and aligned. Combs were usually constructed with several rows of teeth and had a handle, which made them look a little like a modern-day dog brush. Combs were also used for woolen fibers, but in the central Middle Ages cards were introduced. These were flat boards with many rows of short, sharp metal hooks. By placing a handful of wool on one card and combing it until it had been transferred to the other, and then repeating the process several times, a light, airy fiber would result. Carding separated wools more effectively than combing, and it did so without losing the shorter fibers. It was also a good way to blend together different types of wool. For reasons that remain unclear, cards were outlawed in portions of Europe for several centuries. John H. Munroe posits that the reasoning behind the ban could be a fear that the sharp metal hooks would damage the wool, or that carding made it too easy to fraudulently blend inferior wools into superior ones. Instead of carding or combing, some woolens were subjected to a process known as bowing. The bow was an arched wooden frame, the two ends of which were attached with a taut cord. The bow would be suspended from the ceiling, the cord would be placed in a pile of wool fibers, and the wooden frame would be struck with a mallet in order to get the cord to vibrate. The vibrating cord would separate the fibers. Just how effective or common bowing was is debatable, but at least it was legal. Spinning Once the fibers were combed (or carded or bowed), they were wound on a distaff -- a short, forked stick —in preparation for spinning. Spinning was chiefly the province of women. The spinster would draw a few fibers from the distaff, twisting them between thumb and forefinger as she did so, and attach them to a drop-spindle. The weight of the spindle would pull the fibers down, stretching them out as it spun. The spinning action of the spindle, with the help of the spinsters fingers, twisted the fibers together into yarn. The spinster would add more wool from the distaff until the spindle reached the floor; shed then wind the yarn around the spindle and repeat the process. Spinsters stood as they  spun  so that the drop-spindle could spin out as long a yarn as possible before it had to be wound up. Spinning wheels were probably invented in India sometime after 500 CE.; their earliest recorded use in Europe is in the 13th century. Initially, they werent the convenient sit-down models of later centuries, powered by a foot pedal; rather, they were  hand-powered  and large enough so that the spinster would need to stand to use it. It may not have been any easier on the spinsters feet, but much more yarn could be produced on a spinning wheel than with a drop-spindle. However, spinning with a drop-spindle was common throughout the Middle Ages until the 15th century. Once the yarn was spun, it might be dyed. Whether it was dyed in the wool or in the yarn, color had to be added  by  this stage if a multi-colored cloth was to be produced. Knitting While knitting wasnt wholly unknown in the Middle Ages, scant evidence of hand-knitted garments survives. The relative ease of the craft of knitting and the ready availability of materials and tools for making knitting needles makes it hard to believe that peasants didnt knit themselves warm clothing from wool they got from their own sheep. The lack of surviving garments isnt at all surprising, considering the fragility of all cloth and the amount of time that has passed since the medieval era. Peasants could have worn their knitted garments to pieces, or they may have reclaimed the yarn for alternate uses when the garment grew too old or threadbare to wear any longer. Far more common than knitting in the Middle Ages was weaving. Weaving Weaving cloth was practiced in households as well as in professional cloth-making establishments. In homes where people produced cloth for their own use, spinning was often the province of women, but weaving was usually done by men. Professional weavers in manufacturing locations like Flanders and Florence were also usually men, though women weavers were not unknown. The essence of weaving is, simply, to draw one yarn or thread (the weft) through a set of perpendicular yarns (the warp), threading the weft alternately behind and in front of each individual warp thread. Warp threads were usually stronger and heavier than weft  threads  and came from different grades of fiber. The variety of weights in warps and wefts could result in specific textures. The number of weft fibers drawn through the loom in one pass could vary, as could the number of warps the weft would travel in front of before passing behind; this deliberate variety was used to achieve different textured patterns. Sometimes, warp threads were dyed (usually blue) and weft threads remained undyed, producing colored patterns. Looms  were constructed to make this process go more smoothly. The earliest looms were vertical; the warp threads stretched from the top of the loom to the floor and, later, to a bottom frame or roller. Weavers stood when they worked on vertical looms. The  horizontal loom  made its first appearance in Europe in the 11th century, and by the 12th century, mechanized versions were being used. The advent of the mechanized horizontal loom is generally considered the most important technological development in medieval textile production. A weaver would sit at a mechanized loom, and instead of threading the weft in front of and behind alternate warps by hand, hed merely have to press a foot pedal to raise up one set of alternate warps and draw the weft underneath it in one straight pass. Then hed press the other pedal, which would raise the other set of warps, and draw the weft underneath  that  in the other direction. To make this process easier, a shuttle was used -- a boat-shaped tool that contained yarn wound around a bobbin. The shuttle would glide easily over the bottom set of warps as the yarn unspooled. Fulling  or Felting Once the fabric had been woven and taken off the loom it would be subjected to a  fulling  process. (Fulling wasnt usually necessary if the fabric was made from worsted as opposed to woolen yarn.) Fulling thickened the fabric and made the natural hair fibers mat together through agitation and the application of  liquid. It was more effective if heat was part of the equation, as well. Initially,  fulling  was done by immersing the cloth in a vat of warm water and stomping on it or beating it with hammers. Sometimes additional chemicals were added, including soap or urine to help remove the natural lanolin of the wool or the grease that had been added to protect it in the earlier stages of processing. In Flanders, fullers earth was used in the process to absorb impurities; this was a type of soil containing a significant amount of clay, and it was naturally available in the region. Though originally done by hand (or foot), the  fulling  process gradually became automated through the use of fulling mills. These were often quite large and powered by water, although smaller, hand-cranked machines were also known. Foot-fulling was still done in household manufacturing, or when the cloth was particularly fine and wasnt to be subjected to the harsh treatment of hammers. In towns where cloth manufacture was a thriving household industry, weavers could take their cloth to a communal fulling mill. The term fulling is sometimes used interchangeably with felting. Although the process is essentially the same,  fulling  is done to cloth that has already been woven, whereas felting actually produces cloth from unwoven, separate fibers. Once cloth was fulled or felted, it could not easily unravel. After  fulling, the fabric would be thoroughly rinsed. Even worsteds that didnt need  fulling  would be washed to remove any oil or dirt that had accumulated during the weaving process. Because dyeing was a process that immersed the fabric in liquid, it may have been dyed at this point, especially in home industries. However, it was more common to wait until a later stage in production.  Cloth  that was dyed after it was woven was known as dyed-in-the-piece. Drying After it was rinsed, cloth was hung up to dry. Drying was done on specially-designed frames known as tenter frames, which used tenterhooks to hold the cloth. (This is where we get the phrase on tenterhooks to describe a state of suspense.) The sturdy frames stretched the fabric so that it wouldnt shrink too much; this process was carefully gauged, because fabric that was stretched too far, while large in square feet, would be thinner and weaker than fabric that was stretched to the proper dimensions. Drying was done in the open air; and in cloth-producing towns, this meant the fabric was always subject to inspection. Local regulations often dictated the specifics of drying cloth in order to ensure quality, thus maintaining the reputation of the town as a source of fine cloth, as well as that of the cloth manufacturers themselves. Shearing Fulled fabrics—especially those made from curly-haired woolen yarn -- were often very fuzzy and covered with nap. Once the fabric had been dried, it would be shaved or  sheared  to remove this extra material. Shearers would use a device that had remained pretty much unchanged since Roman times: shears, which consisted of two razor-sharp blades attached to a U-shaped bow spring. The spring, which was made of steel, also served as the handle of the device. A shearer would attach the cloth to a padded table that sloped downward and had hooks to keep the fabric in place. He would then press the bottom blade of his shears into the cloth at the top of the table and gently slide it down, clipping the fuzz and nap by bringing down the top blade as he went. Shearing a piece of fabric completely could take several passes, and would often alternate with the next step in the process, napping. Napping or Teaseling After (and before, and after) shearing, the next step was to raise the nap of the fabric enough to give it a soft, smooth finish. This was done by grooming the cloth with the head of a plant known as a teasel. A teasel was a member of the  Dipsacus  genus and had a dense, prickly flower, and it would be rubbed gently over the fabric. Of course, this could raise the nap so much that the cloth would be too fuzzy and had to be sheared again. The amount of shearing and teaseling necessary would depend on the quality and type of wool used and the result desired. Though metal and wood tools were tested for this step, they were considered potentially too damaging for fine cloth, so the teasel plant was used for this process throughout the Middle Ages. Dyeing Cloth might be dyed in the wool or in the yarn, but even so, it would usually be dyed in the piece as well, either to deepen the color or to combine with the previous dye for a different tint. Dyeing in the piece was a procedure that could realistically take place at almost any point in the manufacturing process, but most commonly it was done after the fabric had been sheared. Pressing When the teaseling and shearing (and, possibly, dyeing) was done, the fabric would be pressed to complete the smoothing process. This was done in a flat, wooden vise. Woven wool that had been fulled, dried, shorn, teaseled, dyed, and pressed could be luxuriously soft to the touch and made into the finest clothing and draperies. Unfinished Cloth Professional cloth manufacturers in wool production towns could, and did, produce cloth from the wool-sorting stage to the final pressing. However, it was quite common to sell fabric that wasnt completely finished. Producing undyed fabric was very common, allowing tailors and drapers to choose just the right hue. And it was not at all uncommon to leave out the shearing and teaseling steps, reducing the price of the fabric for consumers willing and able to perform this task themselves. Cloth Quality and Variety Every step along the manufacturing process was an opportunity for cloth-makers to excel -- or not. Spinners and weavers who had low-quality wool to work with could still turn out fairly decent cloth, but it was common for such wool to be worked with the least possible effort in order to turn out a product quickly. Such cloth would, of course, be cheaper; and it might be used for items other than garments. When manufacturers paid for better raw materials and took the extra time required for higher quality, they could charge more for their products. Their reputation for quality would attract the wealthier merchants, artisans, guildsmen and the nobility. Although sumptuary laws were enacted, usually in times of economic instability, to keep the lower classes from garbing themselves in finery ordinarily reserved for the upper classes, it was more often the extreme expense of the clothing worn by the nobility that kept other people from buying it. Thanks to the diverse kinds of cloth manufacturers and the many types of wool of different levels of quality they had to work with, a wide variety of wool cloth was produced in medieval times.