Monday, May 25, 2020

What Is the Cause of Sea Piracy

Most sea piracy is a crime of opportunity. Pirates, like other criminals, avoid operating in difficult environments. If controlling factors are not present then the possibility of piracy grows along with the severity of pirate attacks. The main reasons for piracy are not exclusive to crimes against ships. Social acceptance, lack of legal consequence, chronic unemployment, and opportunity all play a role in supporting a criminal enterprise. Social Acceptance of Piracy Even in this modern era of shipping, there is an occasional port where the population imposes an unofficial tax on visiting vessels. This is usually burglary of equipment or stores and many times there is no contact between pirates and crew. This type of crime is as old as shipping and has little economic impact on large operators. Any theft has the potential to cause additional losses if critical gear or supplies are stolen. The type of piracy that costs the shipping industry an estimated seven to fifteen billion dollars a year is very different from crimes near ports. This type of situation usually includes pirates holding the crew and vessel for ransom. Some hostage situations last over a year and captives die from malnutrition or disease. When ransoms are paid they can be millions of dollars. In the areas where pirates are operating there is public acceptance of their activities. In economically depressed areas these crimes bring additional funds into the economy. The majority of the money will go to financiers from outside the community but many pirates living nearby will spend with legitimate local merchants. Chronic Unemployment In this case, we arent talking about the type of unemployment familiar to residents of developed nations. Chronic unemployment in developing areas means not ever being able to find a job. So some people may only have occasional informal work and there is little opportunity in the future. There is a long-running argument over how to deal with piracy which can be summed up as feed them or shoot them. This argument is extreme at both ends of the spectrum but does show poverty is a significant motivator for pirates. The life of a pirate is difficult, and often ends in death, so desperation is almost always a precursor to piracy. No Legal Consequences Its only recently that pirates faced legal consequences for their actions. The pirates of a small private sailboat, the S/V Quest, were tried in U.S. Federal Court after all four U.S citizens aboard were killed. Combined European Naval Forces operations in the Arabian Sea have led to many arrests and some convictions. Legal strategies change often as some pirates are charged in their countries of residence while some are charged based on the flag of the pirated vessel. In some cases, trials take place in nations adjacent to the location of the crime. This is true of Kenyan pirate trials of Arabian Sea pirates. The legal system will eventually develop to the point where international law is able to impose strong sentences on pirates but right now there are many loopholes and the potential reward outweighs the risk. In 2011 the IMO released a document to offer advice for the use of armed personnel on ships which quickly led to a large number of security companies being formed and hired by shippers able to pay $100,000 and up for armed security teams. Less professional teams out for revenge occasionally tortured or killed surrendered pirates. One security team set fire to a small pirate skiff filled with bound pirates and the video was widely circulated online as a warning. Pirate Opportunities Certain types of situations can lead to a kind of nationalistic piracy. This is often a territorial dispute over nautical borders or resources. The 20-year span of increasing pirate attacks off the coast of East Africa is due to a fishing dispute where Somali fishermen took control of boats of other nations fishing in their territory. A long-running civil war left the country without a government or the ability to patrol their waters. Eventually, the fishermen were regarded as protectors of the fishery and supported by the community. Later, after ransoms were being paid regularly, some pirates realized an oil tanker was worth more in ransom than a wooden fishing boat. This is how months-long standoffs for the control of ships and crew came to be commonplace in the areas of East Africa.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

What Is the Bavarian Dialect in German

Who hasnt  heard of Bavaria? It is such a popular travel destination, offering everything from the fairy tale Neuschwannstein castle to the not-to-miss yearly Oktoberfest. As a tourist, Bavaria is fairly easy to explore and travel in, but as a German learner, not so if you want to really immerse in their culture. The barrier for any German learner or even Germans from other parts of Germany is  das baierische  Dialekt. True, Bavarians do speak Hochdeutsch as well since  it is taught in schools, but as the bavarian dialect  Ã‚  is the daily language  of choice among Bavarians,  you need to know some Bavarian in order to get by. But of course to complicate things further for the German language learner,  there are several bavarian dialects!  There are three main ones: northern bavarian (mainly spoken in upper Palatinate), central bavarian (spoken mostly along the main rivers  Isar  and  Danube, and  in upper Bavaria  including  Munich) and southern bavarian (mostly in Tyrol region). The Baierisch  that you hear on the bavarian tv channel is mostly the central bavarian dialect coming from Munich. There is hardly any bavarian literature out there.  Bavarian is considered to be a spoken language rather than a written one,  even though the bible was translated into Bavarian as well.   So how different is Bavarian from standard German? See if you can understand the following Bavarian tongue twister: Oa Zwetschgn im Batz dadatscht und oa im Batz dadatschte Zwetschgn gaabatn zwoa batzige dadatschte Zwetschgn und an batzign Zwetschgndatschi! Exactly! Now for something easier. Heres a silly  Bavarian poem: Da Jackl und sei Fackl Da Jackl, der Lackl,backts Fackl am Krogn,duads Fackl in a Sackl,mechts mim Hackl daschlogn. Aba as Fackl, so a Prackl,is koa Dackl im Frack,beißt an Jackl, den Lackl,durchs Sackl ins Gnack!                                                                           -  Barbara Lexa Better, nicht wahr? In standard German, the  poem would read as follows: Jakob, dieser Flegel,packt das Ferkel am Kragen,steckt das Ferkel in ein Sà ¤ckchen,mà ¶chte es mit der Axt erschlagen. Aber das Ferkel, so ein Ungetà ¼m,ist kein Dachshund mit Frack,beißt den Jakob, diesen Flegel,durch’s Sà ¤ckchen hindurch ins Genick.   And finally heres the English translation: Jakob, dieser Flegel,packt das Ferkel am Kragen,steckt das Ferkel in ein Sà ¤ckchen,mà ¶chte es mit der Axt erschlagen. Aber das Ferkel, so ein Ungetà ¼m,ist kein Dachshund mit Frack,beißt den Jakob, diesen Flegel,durch’s Sà ¤ckchen hindurch ins Genick. Hopefully, I havent discouraged you from visiting the Bavarian state, but please do not go there without learning   at least some common Bavarian phrases and words. Bavarians will be flattered that you have made the effort to learn a bit  of their language and you wont feel completely lost either when somebody addresses you   or uses some of the following phrases: To greet someone: Gruss GottWhen leaving: Pfiat eich! Until next time!Also very popular: Servus   This word can be used informally   either as hi or as goodbye with somebody with whom you are on familiar terms with. Sapperlot  »It is used to express surprise or enthusiasm in the same sort of way as more modern terms such as Alle Achtung! and Respekt! but it is also used in the same way as swear words to express frustration or outrage. These are just a few words and phrases. For more  Bavarian vocabulary and expressions, read here. There is one final point  about the bavarian dialect that I want that will gladden the heart of any German language learner:  The bavarian grammar is a little simpler from the standard German one:  Ã‚  only articles are declined,  PLUS, the simple past is hardly ever used! Thats one more reason to learn some Bavarian. Now go and visit Bavaria! Pfiat eich!

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Henry David Thoreau, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.s...

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the definition of civil disobedience is the â€Å"refusal to obey governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government.† Men such as Henry David Thoreau, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. have all used forms of civil disobedience and nonviolent protest to make changes in the world. These changes have made huge impacts on our societies and how we are able to live our everyday lives. Without these three men and their practice of civil disobedience, the world would be a very different place. Thoreau views civil disobedience as a necessity when the law causes someone to be unjust to another person. He claimed that it is a person’s right to stand up to the Government when he or she feels like their rights is being infringed upon. Most of these protests are nonviolent, but in the case of slavery he took a more active approach. 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Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Life Lessons free essay sample

People only get somewhere, in this world, if they have something to offer. I have a couple of things I can offer. I have lived in the same town my whole life. Ever since I was a little kid Oak Lawn has been my home. I have had a roof over my head, food to eat, and parents who love me as well as each other. For this I am very fortunate and thankful. However life was not always great. The entire time I was in grammar school I was one of the kids that did not have a whole lot of friends; instead I was treated like a fool. I was also never challenged enough and found myself bored with school and life. However the whole experience taught me many lessons and helped me find two critical skills that will impact my life forever. I learned to show compassion to all people, and I learned how to make time for any activity. And then came sophomore year, where I finally moved to the high school and became able to be fully active in the FFA. From judging range to showing goats, I believed that I was doing pretty great in the whole scheme of things. But I still had a problem. I still failed to come out of my shell beyond competitions and make any real connections. But then came my big opportunity to burst out of my cocoon. I wanted to campaign for a district officer position. The only problem was that in addition to a test, there was a required three minute long public speech to be given to delegates from all across the district. And that petrified me. For weeks I agonized over different speech topics ranging from serious and thought provoking focuses to more lighthearted matters. Finally, after my ag teacher decided to make a few jokes about Alabama, my accent, and my preference for brown gravy because â€Å"white gravy just isn’t natural where I come from,† I decided to face the crowd the only way that I knew how- with self-deprecating humor relating to my â€Å"hillbilly† origins. At last I got up on stage and spoke my heart out and by some miracle, I was elected to become a district officer. I believe that the day I received my corduroy jacket with Lake Whitney District embroidered in gold across the back was the happiest day of my life. But my struggle with introversion was not over- in fact, in some ways, it had just begun. The summer of my sophomore year turned out to be the most hectic of my life. From State Convention to Farm Bureau Camp I was busy most of the break. But the most important camp for me turned out to be Area Leadership Conference where our district team bonded and learned how to properly conduct the business of our district. The entire experience was new to me because it forced me to make friends and come out of my shell no matter how nervous I was about having to talk to new people. I made it my goal for the camp to not seem like I was nothing more than a timid little girl from Alabama who did not really know how to communicate with people on a personal level. And sadly, I realized that I failed. I arrived home still thrilled from the camp only to open my happy gram folder (happy grams are pieces of paper with notes to other people from the camp) and find that more than half contained the exact words â€Å"you need to come out of your shell.† Right then and there, I challenged myself to not make excuses to shy away from other people, but to take those opportunities to make lasting relationships. All in all, the FFA allowed me to recognize my shortcomings and become a more engaged person. I can say with little doubt that without the FFA, I would still be shy and not really fit in anywhere. The FFA has changed me for the better and allowed me to make many valuable friends all across the great state of Texas. For that I am forever grateful.