7 Military Ranks Common in Popular Culture

7 Military Ranks Common in Popular Culture 7 Military Ranks Common in Popular Culture 7 Military Ranks Common in Popular Culture By Mark Nichol 1. Captain This all-purpose title, originally identifying the leader of any band of warriors but later formalized to refer to someone holding a specific military rank, is used in civilian contexts to refer to a sports team’s most prominent member, a successful businessperson (â€Å"captain of industry†), or any leader. The rank originated with land-based forces but was carried over in naval contexts when military leaders took nominal command of ships for naval operations or ferrying of troops from one place to another, though the master of the ship the owner or owner’s representative, who unlike the captain had nautical skills actually supervised the ship’s operations. Now, any boat owner or operator is called a captain, and the commander of a naval vessel is referred to as the captain (or, less formally, the skipper) regardless of actual rank. 2. Colonel Was Colonel Sanders, founder of the fast-food chain KFC, a military veteran? He did serve briefly in the US Army, but as a lowly private. So, where did he get his title? From the Commonwealth of Kentucky, it turns out; the Bluegrass State awards the honorific â€Å"Kentucky colonel† to selected individuals who in some way contribute to the state’s well-being. But why â€Å"Kentucky colonel†? After the Revolutionary War, aristocratic landowners who had been commissioned as colonels in the Continental Army and authorized to form regiments were thereafter referred to as â€Å"Colonel† to honor their participation in that glorious conflict. Because such men were community leaders, by extension, the honorific, and in Kentucky the more specific phrase, was later bestowed on wealthy gentlemen in general, whether they had actually held a colonel’s commission or not. This tradition intensified after the American Civil War, when, as before, it was a point of honor to be able to identify oneself as a veteran especially one who had been a senior officer. The title became a routine honorific for wealthy Southern men, even those born in succeeding generations. Colonel Sanders, though of humble origins, adopted this persona after the governor of Kentucky awarded him the title. (A similar, tongue-in-cheek designation is â€Å"Nebraska admiral† a jocular nod to the fact that the Cornhusker State is landlocked.) 3. Drill Sergeant Noncommissioned officers assigned to train recruits, depending on the particular branch of the military in which they serve, have different designations, but this title, for US Army trainers, is the one most familiar to civilians, and it is often used in nonmilitary contexts to denote a harsh taskmaster. This characterization comes from the formidable personalities drill sergeants and their ilk display, because their job is to break their recruits so that their individuality is subsumed to develop unquestioning obedience and unit cohesion, two necessities for group survival in combat. 4. Ensign Originally, ensign referred to a flag, and sometimes the rank of the junior officer assigned to carry a military unit’s flag in battle was given the same name. By extension, though ensign is no longer a rank in land-based military forces, it became the entry-level officer rank in navies, though that officer’s duties have nothing to do with flags. 5. Lieutenant This term, from the French words meaning â€Å"in place of,† originally referred to the deputy of a military leader and later came to be formalized as a military rank (with variations). Like captain, it was then extended into nonmilitary contexts to refer to any immediate subordinate. A similar word is subaltern, an obsolete junior rank corresponding to a lieutenant; the term, though rare, has the same nonmilitary connotation. 6. Major Why is the leader of a marching band called a drum major? Such ensembles are descended in concept from military marching bands, which evolved from the use of bugles, fifes, and drums to sound signals to military units because shouted orders, hand gestures, signal flags, and other forms of communication might be difficult to hear or see in the noise and confusion of battle. Civilian marching bands, whose uniforms are a carryover from military dress, originally were primarily seen in parades, but performances at sporting events, stand-alone events, and band competitions began to predominate. The title of drum major an appointment, not a rank in the military hierarchy carried over to civilian usage; as with military ensembles, the person in that position, who may serve as a conductor, a marching coordinator, or both, wears a distinctive uniform to be easily recognizable. 7. Marshal This word sometimes used in place of or in addition to general in the military hierarchies of some countries, referring to a very high-ranking officer, has lowly origins: It is from a Germanic term meaning â€Å"stable boy† or â€Å"stable servant.† (The first syllable is a cognate with mare, meaning â€Å"female horse†). In medieval society, the humble stable keeper’s status steadily rose until the title referred to the commander of a feudal lord’s cavalry. Ultimately, the term â€Å"field marshal† referred to the leader of an army or a large division of it. The law enforcement term derived from association with a military marshal’s role in keeping the peace, and the use of â€Å"grand marshal† to designate an honorary parade leader stems from the military officer’s duties in ceremonial traditions. (Similarly, constable, which developed from a Latin term meaning â€Å"count of the stable,† was used throughout history from the later days of the Eastern Roman Empire as a title for various high-ranking officials, but constable now usually refers to a low rank in law enforcement.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Coordinating vs. Subordinating ConjunctionsCapitalization Rules for Names of Historical Periods and MovementsTrooper or Trouper?

Exceptional Women Eleanor of Aquitaine and Hildegard of Bingen essays

Exceptional Women Eleanor of Aquitaine and Hildegard of Bingen essays Norman Cantor (1999) has noted that the lives of medieval women were as diverse as those of men, and that women in this era contributed to all the major movements that spelled success for an emerging European civilization. Nevertheless, women in the Middle Ages were, regardless of their position, status or birth, regarded as legitimately inferior to men and as of necessity submissive to their fathers and husbands and brothers (Weir, 2000). Even in the case of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine - wife to two kinds and mother of two more - a misstep could result in imprisonment at the behest of a husband (Cantor, 1994; Kaufman, 2002). Other women such as St. Hildegard of Bingen, who chose the religious over the secular life, may have experienced a slightly greater degree of autonomy than even a queen such a Eleanor. In both cases, however, the privileged status of these two women ensured that they would live longer, healthier, and more productive lives (including lives of the intellect) than their less well-placed peers Ordinary women in the Middle Ages could be roughly divided into three or four groups. Women born into the ruling or noble families could count on some education and also on being used as bartering chips in their families' quest for power and status. Women of the merchant classes were less free and less privileged, while women of the peasant class lived lives that were short, harsh and subservient. Women who elected to choose the religious life - or had it chosen for them by their fathers or other relatives - had many privileges as well, but limited freedom of activity (Labarge, 1986). In almost all cases, women were very much subject to the rule and domination of their male relatives before marriage or husbands after marriage; if they chose the abbey or the cloister, they accepted the rule of the Church. Even an important abbess such as Hildegard of Bingen wa...

Unionization of employees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Unionization of employees - Essay Example Industrial Revolution was one of the major turning points in human development. It is the process of change from an agrarian, handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacture. This revolution had a major impact on the society and the labor force. Initially, this revolution made people work in factories for long hours perhaps from 14 to 16 hours. As a result of which many of them including children were forced to work in this manner and was very hard for them.Industrial revolution began in England in the 18th century which involved technological changes such as the use of iron and steel, new energy sources, the invention of new machines that increased production in relatively less time. Many of them did not survive the hardship and died. Though Britain was where the Industrial Revolution began, it was also the place where reformations started. In 1932 when middle class males won the right to vote in Great Britain all the reformation started. Workers formed socie ties and in due course it was called trade unions also known as the unionization of employees began (Wikipedia, 2008). The aim of trade unions was to fight for better working conditions and better pay as a result changes were also brought to the working conditions such as 10 hour work days, child labour laws and required school. Therefore, a trade union is an organization which was formed to promote and protect the interests of a collection of workers. Even today, unionization is helping employees and is fighting for there rights. This research paper aims to provide information on how unionization of employees has had an impact on various aspects. The status of unionization of employees varies for country to country or state to state. While in some countries trade unions possess substantial freedom, from the right to Freedom of Association, to public demonstrations and active protest against political opponents such as strikes, in other countries it is totally opposite and are actively suppressed by political or military rules, with little or no freedoms. Additionally, in these countries the prospect of violence or even death is high. Like it or not unionization of employees are political in nature, and often attract both positive and negative consequences. Over the last few decades, trade unions have developed into a number of forms propagandize by differing political and economic regimes. Trade unions in the early days, such as the Friendly Societies, often offered a number of benefits to insure members against unemployment, ill health, old age and funeral expenses. Similarly, in many industrialized countries, these functions have been taken up by the state. In addition, the provision of professional training, legal advice, and representation for members still remain among the main benefits of trade union membership. The second and one of the most important aims of unionization of employees is that they are able to operate openly, are legal bodies and are recognised by employers, they may negotiate with employers over wages and working conditions. If the demands are not met, employees union may organize strikes or resistance to lockouts if their particular goals are not agreed by the authorities. They may also go to the extent of camp aigning, undertake lobbying, or financially support individual candidates or parties for public office who will help to fulfil their demands (Wikipedia, 2008). There are several researchers who have devoted several years working on the effects of unionization of employees. Brown and Medoff (1978) are the pioneers who worked on this issue. Following the pioneering work and inspired by the controversial work of Freeman and Medoff (1984), a number of empirical studies have studied the impact of union on productivity particularly in UK and the USA. Although a number of authors have estimated positive union productivity differentials, there is a common agreement in the literature about unionism

What is normative question and is there a place for normative question Term Paper

What is normative question and is there a place for normative question - Term Paper Example y have the tendency of finding reason for everything they do and observe because they are not automatons who simply will do what they are asked to do. Instead, people have feelings and dreams which drive them to make sense of the things that affect their lives. Philosophers such as Plato, Confucius and Socrates asked various normative questions, trying to find not only the meaning and reason behind the norms but also the meaning and reason of living itself. However, it does not always take a philosopher to ask these questions. Normative questions have been asked even by nameless, faceless children. Normative questions are the opposite of positive questions. While normative questions focus on value, positive questions concentrate on the facts. For instance, normative questions will ask if a norm is good or bad or if it is right or wrong but positive questions inquire about the how the world moves, what is the distance between the moon and the earth or the speed of a falling body. In other words, positive questions spark a person’s interest on things that can be described and measured and answered with proofs such as statistics and experiments. The answers for normative questions on the other hand, are based on experience and general observations. In the world today wherein wisdom and intelligence are equated with knowledge about facts, normative questions are not as desired as positive questions. It seems that more and more people are interested in finding out about facts that science can explain. Many people are abandoning the teachings of religions because they claim that only unquestioning fanatics get fooled by the inaccurate teachings of religions. Stories in the Bible, Qu’ran and other religious books have become mere fairytales which only our â€Å"uneducated† ancestors believed to be true. Those who follow such teachings are not considered bright enough to see that they believe stories made up by men. This then brings the issue whether normative

Colonialism. Ottoman Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Colonialism. Ottoman Empire - Essay Example mpire, the ideas is to trace the history of the Ottoman empire and link it with colonialism, thus trying to understand the impact of colonialism through the example of the Ottoman empire. Colonialism is defined as the process of acquiring a foreign territory. The art of acquiring a foreign territory along with maintaining the territory without treating the people as equals has been the pattern of colonization throughout history. It has led to many bloody battles, while the Europeans have been at the centerfold of colonizing the entire world, from the Americas to Africa, Asia and the new worlds. It has been the practice of domination and was mastered by the European for ages. It involves political and economic control over a country, while the people are treated as second-class citizens. The European masters would extract the last bit of money from the controlled territories and it involved utter domination over the natural citizens of the country. The Ottoman Empire has been recorded in the history as one of the most significant and dominating empires of all time. The timeline of the empire ranges from 1301-1922. The empire was at its peak in the medieval ages and continued to thrive for six centuries. The empire has been a long lasting legacy of the Mediterranean countries. Islam and the Islamic philosophy heavily influenced it. The Ottoman Empire started during the 13th century AD. The ruler Osman 1 was the man who initiated the conquest of the Ottoman Empire. The name ‘Ottoman† comes from Osman, who was the founder of the empire. The Ottoman Empire at its heights was considered as one of the most powerful empires of all times. There are three significant periods in the timeline of the Ottoman Empire. The first is the ascendancy and rise of the empire, which took place between 1299-1453. The second and the most significant period of the empire then come between 1453-1683. This is the time when the empire was growing rapidly and made huge strides. This

Responsibility for Healthcare Between Society and the Family

Responsibility for Healthcare Between Society and the Family The balance of responsibility for healthcare between society and the family societal versus family responsibilities â€Å"Responsibility for health: personal, social, and environmental† INTRODUCTION: The Family is the basic or functional unit of a society. In making healthcare policy society and family plays a great part in implementation. Responsibility starts within each member of the family with the proper guidance of parents. Preventive efforts regarding healthcare issues must be practice by parents. A good example of which is by teaching their children at the very early age the three basic food groups (go, grow and glow) and proper hand washing, in such a way that each child will be guided accordingly regarding the proper diet to prevent illness and diseases. As a child goes to school he/she becomes a member of the society, a good practice of healthcare can be shared between peers. As they grow much older this good practice and views regarding healthcare becomes more profound and evident they becomes more responsible towards health and to the society. In my personal point of view responsibility for health is as basic as food, taking good care of one self is the fundamental r esponsibility an individual in becoming a better member of a society. The society has the responsibility of providing proper health services to the family and to a certain individual. An example of which is a good access in healthcare insurances, Equality in healthcare services on all facilities in government and private alike. The right for information regarding laws, provisions and policies should be properly disseminated. Access to rural or community health involving different business, healthcare, and transport sectors to address any healthcare issues. One of the most important obligations of society is ensuring that each and every one has access to health care. This has been the main focus of health care policies all over the world. While this has been the most important, it is also vital that societies promote health in many other ways. Society plays a great role in making sure that everyone has access to optimal health care and there are a lot of means by which this will be successful. One very common and effective way is by means of education and training. By means of education, people may be able to know more about ways on how to promote health and how to prevent certain diseases. Education is an effective tool to spread out information not just about the social issues but more importantly, about health. Through education, we may be able to enlighten people about the most important health issues that we have now. Some of these issues include sanitation, pollution, food and drug safety and disease prevention. Much attention should be focused on ways on how to promote health besides access to health care. These include environment and public health and health research. In today’s modern age, there are numerous technological advances which affect our daily living. Whether we like to admit it or not, our lives are easier now because of these technological advances. They help us get to places faster and aid us with everyday activities so that we may be able to do them with more ease but as they say, there is always downside to everything. These advances may be the reason why there are several people who are becoming lazier when it comes to doing chores at home or at work. People nowadays tend to depend largely on technology to do simple things which they can do themselves. Simple things like walking when going to nearby places or picking something up from a store. Lifestyle plays a huge role in some of the most fatal illnesses that exist now. According to Ralph Neas the total expenditures on health care in the United States represented 17 percent of the gross national product in 2010 and are projected to reach 20 percent by the end of this decade. The United States spends 141 percent more on health care than other economically advanced nations; furthermore, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although smoking has declined steadily there since the 1960s, smoking- related medical expenses are still about US$75.5 billion per year. Obesity, which has been climbing in the past two decades, accounts for about US$75 billion in healthcare costs there each year, moreover, alcoholism and drug addiction in the USA account for annual healthcare costs of about US$22.5 billion and US$12 billion, respectively. Federal government spending on healthcare relating to HIV/AIDS is over US$13 billion per year. This goes to show that health educ ation is important and that people needs to be informed thoroughly on how to improve health and prevent diseases from spreading. It is also sensible to allot sufficient budget on health research and find means on how to prevent and if possible, to completely eradicate such diseases. The balance of responsibility for healthcare between society and the family societal versus family responsibilities encompasses different aspects in healthcare. It needs the involvement of all stakeholders. A families views and attitudes towards healthcare has a great impact in a society. A good example is in the Philippines, the Department of social welfare and development (DSWD) together with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and some None-Government organization groups Spear headed a program/Scheme Pantawid Pamilyang Pangkabuhayan or( 4Ps). The main purposes of the program is Hunger Mitigation, Prevention of Maternal and infant deaths by giving financial assistance to the families under poverty line with conditionality’s. The conditions: Pregnant Household Member/s should visit their local health center to avail of pre- and post-natal care starting from the first trimester of pregnancy. Children 0-5 Years Old members of the household who are 0–5 years old shall visit the health center and avail of Immunization/vaccination, weight monitoring, and management of childhood disease. Children aged 6–14 years old should receive deworming pills twice a year Education conditionalities. Children aged 3–5 years old enrolled in Day Care Program or pre-school program and maintain a class attendance rate of at least 85% per month (still subject to evaluation/study). Children aged 6–14 years old enrolled in elementary and secondary schools and maintain a class attendance rate of at least 85% per month. Other conditionalities. Parents should attend Family Development Sessions at least once a month. Participate in community activities to promote and strengthen the implementation of the program. The first task is to identify the families who will be eligible and be the beneficiary of the program by doing surveys in the rural areas. First they disseminate the information from national down to local government units, barangays and families. After which they inform and award the families legible for the said program. Together with the Department of Health Philippines and Department of Education they create programs. The DOH launches the Immunization program visiting families house to house and immunizing children 8y/o and below. Each family also receives financial assistance. According to WHO 1992, healthcare issues regarding the environment addresses all the physical, chemical, and biological factors external to a person, and all the related factors impacting behaviours. It encompasses the assessment and control of those environmental factors that can potentially affect health. It is targeted towards preventing disease and creating health-supportive environments. This definition excludes behaviour not related to environment, as well as behaviour related to the social and cultural environment, and genetics. While it is sensible to place sole responsibility to an individual to take care of their health, there are several objections to it as well. One argument is that it is unfair to hold someone completely responsible for their own health especially if that person does not have a sound mind or is under the influence of drugs. Another is that it would be exceedingly difficult to implement a system that holds individuals responsible for their own health, since diseases and disabilities result from a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Although it is completely rational that an individual must be able to maintain their health, the responsibility should not be placed solely on them. Whichever the case may be, the society must always help promote health and prevent illness. Although access to health care is extremely vital, society should also focus on creating means on how to promote health. They say, prevention is better than cure and it is true in so many ways. Preven tion is more cost-effective and is more medically efficacious rather than finding means of treatment. For instance, it is more cost-effective to prevent certain serious illness rather than undergoing surgery or chemotherapy in the long run. The government should be able to provide its people their needs and with regards to health care, this includes monitoring of disease, urban planning and should be able to guarantee food and drug safety. Family on the other hand, is considered to be the basic unit of a community and is therefore a great factor in an individual’s attempt to health promotion and disease prevention. It is through family that a person first learns everything which is why family greatly affects the choices made by an individual. Most often than not, a person confides with a family member in decision making may it be with finances, work related problems and health issues as well. If a person is unable to decide, a family member, usually the elder or the head of the family steps in to make the decision for them. For instance, in New Zealand, since there are numerous rest homes, it is the obligation of the family or one of the family members to decide what is best for their loved ones who are residing at these rest homes especially if their loved ones cannot decide for themselves or is not able to comprehend some of the information given to them. CONCLUSION: Health care access is one of the most important factors to consider in terms of societal issues with regards to health care but it is also with utmost importance that the society is able to promote health through education and research as well. Much importance should be placed not just on health care access but more so on strategies for health promotion especially on environmental and public health and health research. Government action is also vital and should be able to provide the needs of its people especially if it’s already out of their control like monitoring of disease and urban planning. Family is the basic unit of community and is considered to be the basis of one’s decision with just about anything. May it be financial or health issues, families play a huge role in an individual’s choice. REFERENCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Smoking costs nation $150 billion each year in health costs, lost productivity. Press Release. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/r020412.htm Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Obesity costs states billions in medical expenses. Press Release. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/r040121.htm Resnik D.B. July 2006. Responsibility for Health: Personal, Social and Environmental. J Med Ethics. Aug 2007; 33(8): 444–445. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/issues/174348/ Neas, Ralph. (May 2011). Our Ailing Health. Politico. Retrieved from http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55775.html World Health Organisation. (1992). Environmental Healthcare. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/environmental_health/en/ World Health Organisation. (1999). Population Issues. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/en/ Department of Social Welfare and Development. Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Retrieved from http://pantawid.dswd.gov.ph/

Short Story Essay examples -- essays research papers

There was a girl named Kandy, she was 15 years old. Her life was extremely boring, all she ever did was go to school, go on her computer, eat and sleep. She spent all summer on her computer. She was really good with HTML and spent her free time making web sites. Kandy didn't have many friends and rarely talked to guys because she was shy and unconfident about her looks. That's why she went into chat rooms. She made a web site with pictures of herself on it and told people in chat rooms to go there. A lot of people would tell her how pretty she was and some would say she was ugly. That made her feel awful. When anyone would say anything nice to her, she wouldn't believe them and think that they were just making fun of her. She only had one real friend that she could talk to, her name was Ang.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  School was starting next week and Kandy has to go shopping for new clothes. That was the only thing she enjoyed more than being on her computer. She absolutely loved clothes. Kandy was very girlie and always wore high heels, nail polish, jewelry, make up and plenty of lip gloss. After deciding that she wanted to be different, she bought shoes that weren't high heels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first day of school started and Kandy was in 10th grade. Her new clothes got her a lot of attention, everyone complimented her about how they loved what she was wearing. That was the only thing she was confident about, her clothes. She knew that her style was awesome. Her best friend, Ang, was in two of her classes. Kandy thought that this would be the best year of school because she never had any friends in any of her classes before. Turns out they both had the same lunch. They would talk up by the road, on the sidewalk, to Speedway everyday for lunch. For some reason people would always honk at them and one day a girl yelled out the window and called them sluts. Obviously because she was jealous. The first few days of school went by fast, then kept getting slower and slower.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After a few days, Kandy saw this really hot guy named Jesse. But of course she was to shy to talk to him. She thought that if she told him how she felt about him that he wouldn't like her and think that she was ugly. So she didn't say anything. Kandy and Ang both had a friend named Gary. Kandy told Gary about how she liked Jesse but she didn't realize that he was friends with Jesse. Gary told Jesse that Kandy li... ...d he was buying her a present. Pulling out a wrapped box, Gary handed it to Kandy. She quickly opened it to find a beautiful necklace. She put it on and hugged him. They had enough of shopping, and went to see a movie. Kandy suggested a horror movie, so she had an excuse to get close to Gary. Too bad they didn't get to see most of the movie, because they were making out. That was the best five dollars she ever spent. Holding hands, Gary walked Kandy and Ang to their car. She said good bye and drove off.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Kandy got home, she went on her computer to her chat room, messaged her online friends and told them how she wasn't going to be on there any more. They asked why and she explained to them how she has a boyfriend now and she doesn't need them. They were heartbroken, but she didn't care, she only cared about Gary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next day, Gary called her and said that he feels uncomfortable being around her and scared to even say hi. He asked her if it was all right if they would just be friends. She said sure, hung up on him, and started to cry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After a few days she forgot all about him, and continued with her chatting, and found a new guy to become obsessed with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚