Military, Army and War - Military Down Sizing and the Fall of a Great N

Military Down Sizing:   The Possible Fall of a Great Nation       America is one the most powerful nations in the world.   Being a strong nation includes having a strong military as well as economy.   As one can observe, the U. S. economy is growing by leaps and bounds.   However, the military is being down sized, and if we do not do something about it, it will continue to be down sized until we have an armed force that will no longer be capable of protecting this great nation.   Not only will this down sizing affect our ability to protect ourselves, it will also cause a substantial loss in economic strength and power abroad.   Because military down sizing lessens our power abroad, opens the United States up to a possible invasion, and hurts our economy, the military must be maintained in order to ensure a strong, healthy nation both abroad and on the home front for many centuries to come.    Military down sizing is increasing at a rapid rate.   This down sizing is primarily due to budget cuts.   Since the peak of Korean war spending in 1953, military spending has declined in twenty-five of the last thirty-seven years.   The build up for Vietnam was short and followed by an equivalent build down.   The Carter-Reagan buildup was longer but smaller than the one for Vietnam, and is currently being succeeded by a new build down (Brauer 299).   If history keeps repeating itself, the United States military will continue to build up and then hinder this build up with an even greater build down.   As a result the U.S. sustains a weaker more vulnerable armed force.    The military's inability to provide its men and women with sufficient transportation is also a problem caused by budget cuts.   Many military trucks represent technolo... ...must always be ready for the least expected.       Works Cited    Brauer, Jurgen, and Manas Chatterji, eds.   Economic Issues of Disarmament.   New York:   New York University Press, 1993. Federation of American Scientists.   Ed. Marcus Corbin. "The New Threats Argument."   February 2000.   27 February 2000  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  <http://www.fas.org/pub/gen/mswg/msbb/new.html>. Hinkle, Jeffrey J.   "Funding the New, Fixing the Old holds the Future for Tactical Trucks."   National Defense 82 (1997-1998): 32-34. Kaminski, Paul G.   "Building a Ready Force for the 21st Century."   Defense Issues 11 (1996): 1-4. Rosello, Lieutenant Colonel Victor M.   "Predicting the Unpredictable."   Military Review 75 (1994-1995): 127-129. Sandler, Todd, and Keith Hartley, eds.   The Economics of Defense.   New York:   Cambridge University Press, 1995.      

Ballroom Dance

Ballroom dance – refers to a set of  partner dances, which are enjoyed both  socially  and  competitively  around the world. Because of its  performance  and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television. – may refer, at its widest, to almost any type of social dancing as recreation. However, with the emergence of  dance sport  in modern times, the term has become narrower in scope. It usually refers to the International Standard and International Latin style dances. These styles were developed in England,  and are now regulated by the  World Dance Council  (WDC). In the United States, two additional variations are popular: American Smooth  and  American Rhythm. – The term ‘ballroom dancing' is derived from the word  ball, which in turn originates from the Latin word  ballare  which means ‘to dance' (a ballroom being a large room specially designed for such dances). In times past, ballroom dancing was  social dancing  for the privileged, leaving  folk dancing  for the lower classes. These boundaries have since become blurred, and it should be noted even in times long gone, many ballroom dances were really elevated folk dances. The definition of ballroom dance also depends on the era: balls have featured popular dances of the day such as the  Minuet,  Quadrille, Polonaise,  Polka,  Mazurka, and others, which are now considered to be  historical dances. Ballroom  Dances 1. Cha Cha The Cha Cha is a lively, flirtatious ballroom dance full of passion and energy. The classic â€Å"Cuban motion† gives the Cha Cha its unique style. Partners work together to synchronize each movement in perfect alignment. 2. Foxtrot The Foxtrot is a ballroom dance that is lots of fun and simple to learn†¦ n excellent dance for beginners. The Foxtrot is a smooth dance in which dancers make long, flowing movements across the floor. 3. Jive Jive is a ballroom dance style that originated in the United States from African-Americans. It is a lively form of Swing dance, and a variation of the Jitterbug. 4. Lindy Hop The Lindy Hop is the ballroom dance considered to be the father of all Swing dances. It is known for its unique, athletic style, and often contains aerial jumps, twists and flips. 5. Mambo he Mambo is one of the most sensual and emotional Latin American ballroom dances. Swaying hip movements, facial expressions, arm movements and holds all add to the sensuality of the dance. 6. Paso Doble The Paso Doble is one of the liveliest ballroom dances, originating in southern France. It is modeled after the sound, drama, and movement of the Spanish bullfight. 7. Quickstep The Quickstep is a quick version of the Foxtrot. It is a ballroom dance comprised of extremely quick stepping, syncopated feet rhythms, and runs of quick steps. The Quickstep is exciting to watch, but among the most difficult of all the ballroom dances. . Rumba The Rumba is considered by many to be the most romantic and sensual of all Latin ballroom dances. It is often referred to as the â€Å"Grandfather of the Latin dances. † 9. Samba Possibly the most popular of all Brazilian ballroom dances, the Samba is popular with young people as well as older generations. The Samba can be performed solo or with a partner. 10. Tango The Tango is one of the most fascinating of all ballroom danc es. This sensual ballroom dance originated in South America in the early twentieth century. 1. Viennese Waltz The Viennese Waltz is a quick rotating ballroom dance with a subtle rise and fall. It is considered by most to be one of the most difficult dances to learn. The simple and elegant rotational movement characterizes the Viennese Waltz. 12. Waltz The Waltz is one of the smoothest ballroom dances. It is a progressive dance marked by long, flowing movements, continuous turns, and â€Å"rise and fall. † The dance is so graceful and elegant, Waltz dancers appear to glide around the floor with almost no effort.

Sharpie Pen Tie Dye - Use Science to Create Wearable Art

Normal tie dye can be messy and time-consuming. You can get a really cool tie-dye effect using colored Sharpie pens on a t-shirt. This is a fun project that even young kids can try. Youll get wearable art and may learn something about diffusion and solvents. Lets get started! Sharpie Pen Tie Dye Materials colored Sharpie pens (permanent ink pens)rubbing alcohol (e.g., 70% or 90% isopropyl alcohol)white or light-colored cotton t-shirtplastic cup Lets Do Tie Dye! ... except you dont have to tie anything. Smooth a section of the shirt over your plastic cup. You can secure it with a rubber band if you want.Dot a Sharpie to form a circle in the center of the area formed by the cup. You are aiming for a dotted ring about 1 in diameter. You can use more than one color.Drip rubbing alcohol on the blank center of the circle. I used the extremely low-tech method of dipping a pencil in the alcohol and dotting it on the shirt. After a few drops, you will see the alcohol spread outward from the center of the ring, taking the Sharpie ink with it.Continue adding drops of alcohol until you are satisfied with the size of the pattern.Allow a couple of minutes for the alcohol to evaporate before moving on to a clean section of the shirt.It doesnt have to be a circle. You can make stars, triangles, squares, lines... be creative!After your shirt is completely dry (alcohol is flammable, so dont use heat on a damp shirt), set the colors by tumbling the shirt in a hot clothes dryer for ~15 minutes.You can wear and wash your new shirt like other clothes now. How It Works The ink in a Sharpie pen dissolves in alcohol but not in water. As the shirt absorbs the alcohol, the alcohol picks up the ink. You can get new colors when different colors of ink mix together. The wet ink will diffuse, or move from areas of higher concentration to lower concentration. When the alcohol evaporates, the ink dries. Sharpie pen ink doesnt dissolve in water, so the shirt can be washed. You can use other types of permanent markers, but dont expect great success using washable markers. Theyll dissolve in the alcohol to make the tie-dye pattern, but theyll also lose color as soon as you wash them.