http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_Purchase
The Alaskan purchase is a funny story that is told very differently depending on college US history courses and their high school counter parts. The article on Wikipedia is short and tells the usually pieces of information. When it happened, who was responsible, for how much, and how it was looked at when it first happened.
This is highly accurate in what is included, but very much inaccurate as a whole for what wasn’t included. Wikipedia makes no effort to give the story leading to the deal, nor the discovery of gold that reversed the notion of the transaction being a “folly.”
What isn’t spoken of is how the Civil War a few years earlier was causing Britain great financial trouble. Textile industries decimated by the blockade of southern ports by the US navy demanded British intervention. Finally the British sent armies via boat to Canada to prepare for an invasion. The Russians who hated the Brits knew this could happen, so they sent hundreds of thousands of troops to New York to have a parade and declare their support for the United States. This effectively ended the invasion and the troops were left in Ottawa.
Angry the British decided to send the troops across Canada to seize Alaska, for the Canadians discovered gold in the streams coming from Alaska. The US spies learned of the British plot to take the gold rich lands. With the Civil War over, they decided to “thank” Russia for their show of support by offering them a deal for Alaska. With the intelligence that Britain was going to declare war and the lands would be lost, they jumped at the deal. The deal was considered horrible for America, until gold was “discovered” shortly after by a government sponsored expedition to Alaska.
America likes to romanticize our ethics with pride, but we thank an act of alliance by effectively stealing under false pretenses. Cheat once, lie twice is what we did. Hoorah American revisionist history! Wiki has none of this info, most likely because it is too controversial to say anything anti American.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mondays predictions for the Deadline.
Predictions as of Monday.
Brian Burke will continue to say stupid shit.
Besides that
The Wings should land Prospal, and I think some other Defenseman no one will see coming. I think Staios would be great, but more likely someone who is going to be a 7th or even 8th defensemen.
Blake will not move, but maybe he is moved to the Wings.... San Jose is talked as is Anaheim, neither makes sense. I want him if we dont make a bigger deal for Staios.
Tampa will move Richards, I am calling the blockbuster, him for Hossa. Perhaps even a three team or more trade? Tampa will also aquire Al Montoya.
Camaleri is going to be moved, for futures to the highest bidder.
Tanguay is going to Montreal. Ryder prob on his way out.
Olli is going to Edmonton, not!
Vancouver will get him.
I tell you Malik is getting moved as is Sydor I kinda think Malik is going to San Jose and Marleau is going east, Ottawa would prob make that move as they are making bad moves lately.
Brian Burke will continue to say stupid shit.
Besides that
The Wings should land Prospal, and I think some other Defenseman no one will see coming. I think Staios would be great, but more likely someone who is going to be a 7th or even 8th defensemen.
Blake will not move, but maybe he is moved to the Wings.... San Jose is talked as is Anaheim, neither makes sense. I want him if we dont make a bigger deal for Staios.
Tampa will move Richards, I am calling the blockbuster, him for Hossa. Perhaps even a three team or more trade? Tampa will also aquire Al Montoya.
Camaleri is going to be moved, for futures to the highest bidder.
Tanguay is going to Montreal. Ryder prob on his way out.
Olli is going to Edmonton, not!
Vancouver will get him.
I tell you Malik is getting moved as is Sydor I kinda think Malik is going to San Jose and Marleau is going east, Ottawa would prob make that move as they are making bad moves lately.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Blog 6 advertising.
I have a thing for brunettes, true story, although I am not really sure why I just find them far more alluring. I noticed something of the course of the last half decade that pleased me greatly; brunettes are the new hair color of choice. Really, it is darker hair in general but when you consider how long blonde was considered the hair color of choice for women to the point hair coloring became a huge industry this is quite the development. I know this change is occurring because every facet of media is making the switch, especially the yardstick of our capitalist culture, the commercial.
While the normal tactics once were to put a bombshell blonde in sexy garb, utilizing a product, visiting a place, or generally existing in perfect bliss due to something that can be acquired for greenback. Now the tactic seems to be to put a beautiful brunette basking in the delight of a person, place, or thing brought to you by the life style that can only be obtained with the capitalist goods offered at your local place of business. I think it is because it is somehow more believable, that perhaps they are not making women feel inferior for not being born to some ideal and instead appeal to the average woman. At least that is the feeling I get from seeing slightly more normal looking women in commercials. The commercial that encapsulates this is a line of hair dye commercials where famous celebrities, many of which were once blondes, are promoting darker hair dyes. True they have auburn and black too, but the blonde seems auspiciously absent. Perhaps this is a paradigm shift, most likely some psychologist/marketing team somewhere after an expensive research/think session determined it would move more cars.
I also like to point out that Word prefers I use the more PC, brown-haired women and blonde-haired women instead of Brunettes and Blondes. This is somehow funny to me.
While the normal tactics once were to put a bombshell blonde in sexy garb, utilizing a product, visiting a place, or generally existing in perfect bliss due to something that can be acquired for greenback. Now the tactic seems to be to put a beautiful brunette basking in the delight of a person, place, or thing brought to you by the life style that can only be obtained with the capitalist goods offered at your local place of business. I think it is because it is somehow more believable, that perhaps they are not making women feel inferior for not being born to some ideal and instead appeal to the average woman. At least that is the feeling I get from seeing slightly more normal looking women in commercials. The commercial that encapsulates this is a line of hair dye commercials where famous celebrities, many of which were once blondes, are promoting darker hair dyes. True they have auburn and black too, but the blonde seems auspiciously absent. Perhaps this is a paradigm shift, most likely some psychologist/marketing team somewhere after an expensive research/think session determined it would move more cars.
I also like to point out that Word prefers I use the more PC, brown-haired women and blonde-haired women instead of Brunettes and Blondes. This is somehow funny to me.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Blog 5 Sample
Public Spaces seem to be really about appealing to the senses of the aforementioned public. Conveying to the senses the type of message the builders want to convey. In The Truman Show, the public spaces are designed for a TV audience as well as to contain and convince him of its authenticity. At Ford Field, the home stadium for the Detroit Lions, the public is the hometown Detroit fans. The message is pride, even if the team does not convey that same message.
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