Showing posts with label Investigative Jourmalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Investigative Jourmalism. Show all posts
Theodore Roosevelt was a great leader!
"The government is us...You and me!"
- Theodore Roosevelt (Morris).
Theodore Roosevelt identified himself as part of something greater. His ideas were progressive and realistic. As a student at Harvard University, Roosevelt titled his 1880 thesis “The Practicability of Equalizing Men and Women before the Law”; he wrote: "Viewed purely in the abstract, I think there can be no question that women should have equal rights with men" (Roosevelt, Theodore. 1880). Roosevelt was experienced in many leadership roles. His resume is one of the most impressive in the history of The United States. “In addition to holding elective office as a New York State Assemblyman, Governor of New York, Vice President, and President, he was also a deputy sheriff in the Dakota Territory, Police Commissioner of New York City, U.S. Civil Service Commissioner, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Colonel of the Rough Riders” (Roosevelt, Tweed). He also “oversaw the admission of Oklahoma as the 46’th state” ("Oklahoma Journeys - Teddy Roosevelt's Birthday"). Theodore Roosevelt accomplished many things in his political career; he made a positive and long-term impact on the entire world.
Roosevelt understood that he was not always the best candidate for some leadership positions. He demonstrated this understanding during his experience with the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American war. The Rough Riders were “The First United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment... organized by Theodore Roosevelt and Leonard Wood, M.D...
Because he lacked military experience, Roosevelt suggested that Leonard Wood be given command of the volunteer cavalry regiment; and accordingly Wood became colonel, and TR was made lieutenant colonel... The Rough Riders were landed at Daiquiri, Cuba on June 22, and saw their first action in the Battle of Las Guasimas on June 24. The Rough Riders were part of the large American force that assembled for the assault on the Spanish fortifications protecting the city of Santiago. On the night of June 30, the eve of the big battle, Colonel Leonard Wood was promoted in the field to Brigadier General and Theodore Roosevelt was made Colonel of the Rough Riders. On July 1, 1898 TR on horseback led the Rough Riders and elements of the Ninth and Tenth Regiments of regulars, African-American "buffalo soldiers," and other units up Kettle Hill. After that hill was captured, TR, now on foot, led a second charge up the San Juan Heights. This was what TR called his "crowded hour," his great moment” (The Theodore Roosevelt Association). Roosevelt was nominated for [and denied] the Congressional Medal of Honor shortly after the San Juan Heights charge, before landing in Montauk Long Island with the Rough Riders; in September he was nominated for a position as Governor of New York State by the Republican Party, and elected in November ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life").
In 1900, Roosevelt became Vice-President under President William McKinley ("Theodore Roosevelt”). On September 6 1901, an assassination was attempted on the President, and “for several days, President McKinley seemed to be getting better” (Rosenberg, Jennifer). Vice President Roosevelt decided to continue with a planned summit expedition on Mount Marcy in New York State; after several days, his group was met [while picnicking] by a man “waving a yellow envelope in his hand. Silence fell upon them all as they watched Mr. Roosevelt break it and read the message. It was brief: "The President's condition has changed for the worse.—Cortelyou." That was all.
He read it over once, twice, and sat awhile, the message in his hand, grave shadows gathering in his face. Then he arose, the food untouched, and said briefly: " I must go back at once." (The Outlook). Theodore Roosevelt was sworn into office as President eight days after McKinley was shot ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life").
Roosevelt faced crisis early in his presidency; “It was in the 1880s when coal was first used to generate electricity for homes and factories. Long after homes were being lighted by electricity produced by coal, many of them continued to have furnaces for heating and some had stoves for cooking that were fueled by coal” ("A Brief History of Coal Use in the United States"). Even in 1940, three out of every four households were still using coal or wood for heat ("Census of Housing"). America was dependent on coal when miners went on a major strike in 1902; there had already been smaller strikes in 1900, and 1897 (Grossman). “Restless miners demanded more pay and shorter hours, while the mine operators complained that profits were low, and that the union destroyed discipline. When the owners refused to negotiate with the union, miners appealed to President Roosevelt to call a special session of Congress” (Grossman). When faced with the difficult conflict between the miners and their employers, Roosevelt predicted the possibility of an “untold misery . . . with the certainty of riots which might develop into social war" (Morrison). Despite the advice of the attorney general, the President intervened; Roosevelt constructed a group of commissioners who successfully negotiated a solution to the coal conflict, although he was ready to deploy the United States army [as a last resort] to dig the nation’s coal (Grossman).
Theodore Roosevelt valued fair treatment of the common people, by organizations. “The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was the first measure passed by the U.S. Congress to prohibit abusive monopolies...
A trust was an arrangement by which stockholders in several companies transferred their shares to a single set of trustees. In exchange, the stockholders received a certificate entitling them to a specified share of the consolidated earnings of the jointly managed companies. The trusts came to dominate a number of major industries, and were, in effect, monopolies” ("The Sherman Antitrust Act"). “While in office, Roosevelt became a "trust buster" by forcing the great railroad combination in the Northwest to break apart” ("Presidential Accomplishments"). “The first trust giant to fall victim to Roosevelt's assault was none other than the most powerful industrialist in the country — J. Pierpont Morgan. Morgan controlled a railroad company known as Northern Securities. In combination with railroad moguls James J. Hill and E. H. Harriman, Morgan controlled the bulk of railroad shipping across the northern United States... The President informed Morgan that no compromise could be reached, and the matter would be settled by the courts. Morgan inquired if his other interests were at risk, too. Roosevelt told him only the ones that had done anything wrong would be prosecuted... Who would decide the difference between right and wrong? The occupant of the White House trusted only himself to make this decision in the interests of the people... The American public cheered Roosevelt's new offensive. The Supreme Court, in a narrow 5 to 4 decision, agreed and dissolved the Northern Securities Company. Roosevelt said confidently that no man, no matter how powerful, was above the law. As he landed blows on other "bad" trusts, his popularity grew and grew” ("The Trust Buster"). Roosevelt further mediated rail companies in 1906 by signing the Hepburn Act, which gave the Interstate Commerce Commission “power to regulate railroad rates” ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life”).
In addition to national conflict resolution, Roosevelt “mediated a dispute between France and Germany over Morocco, preserving Moroccan independence and the European balance of power, thus for a time saving the peace in North Africa and Europe” ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life”). One of Roosevelt’s most famous achievements involves the development of the Panama Canal. “In 1901, the United States negotiated with Britain for the support of an American-controlled canal that would be constructed either in Nicaragua or through a strip of land—Panama—owned by Colombia. In a flourish of closed-door maneuvers, the Senate approved a route through Panama, contingent upon Colombian approval. When Colombia balked at the terms of the agreement, the United States supported a Panamanian revolution with money and a naval blockade, the latter of which prevented Colombian troops from landing in Panama. In 1903, the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty with Panama gave the United States perpetual control of the canal for a price of $10 million and an annual payment of $250,000” ("American President: Theodore Roosevelt"). “If taking land from Colombia was the fastest and most favorable solution, then it was the only option as far as he was concerned” (Ragone, Nick, and Ali Velshi, 108). In addition to connecting the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Roosevelt settled a dispute between Britain and The United States regarding Alaska’s border [in favor of the U.S.] (Ricketts, Bruce).
Roosevelt expanded The Monroe Doctrine. “The Monroe Doctrine, put forth in 1823 by President James Monroe, called for an end to European intervention in the American continents (both north and south). This applied only to independent governments in the Americas however, not to areas that were colonies at that time.
“In what came to be known as the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, Roosevelt asserted that European nations should not intervene in countries to the south of the US, however under certain conditions, United States intervention might be justified”” ("Roosevelt Corollary and the Monroe Doctrine”). Roosevelt is also credited with signing the Portsmouth Treaty, which ended The Russo-Japanese War [he was awarded The Nobel Peace Prize in 1905 for this achievement] ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life”).
After reading an advance copy of Upton Sinclair’s whistle-blowing expose of the meat industry’s sickening practices; Roosevelt passed a meat inspection act in 1906 ("Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906"). According to www.u-s-history.com, Roosevelt’s meat inspection act implemented the following changes in the meat processing industry:
- “All animals were required to pass an inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prior to slaughter”
- “All carcasses were subject to a post-mortem inspection”
- “Cleanliness standards were established for slaughterhouses and processing plants”
(“Meat Inspection Act: The Power of the Pen”).
Numerous environmental conservation efforts were enacted by President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. During his administration, Roosevelt is credited with establishing the following parks: Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, Sullys Hill in North Dakota, Platt National Park in Oklahoma, and Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado; he also made Wichita Forest in Oklahoma the first “federal game preserve”, as well as: the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Fire Island in Alaska, and The National Bison Range in Montana. ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life”). Roosevelt’s environmental efforts were genuine; they were not staged political displays of framed theatrics.
Part of Roosevelt’s vision consisted of positive creation that could prosper long after his administration’s end. In 1902, Roosevelt signed the Newlands Reclamation Act which established the following:
- “The federal government would plan, construct and manage irrigation projects for the purpose of reclaiming marginal lands
- Money for these projects would be generated by the sale of public lands
- The on-going expenses of the projects would be supported by fees paid by farmers and ranchers using the water” ("Newlands Act: Early Reclamations Legislation").
In 1903, Roosevelt recognized Pelican Island, Florida as this first of 51 bird reservations that would eventually be established during his presidency ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life"). In 1905, Roosevelt founded The National Forest Service ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life"). “The Forest Service manages public lands in national forests and grasslands” and has a mission “to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run” ("About Us"). In 1906, Roosevelt launched the Forest Homestead Act; “The Forest Homestead Act... allowed people to settle on land primarily suited for agriculture located within the national forests” ("Forest Homesteads”). At the end of his presidency, Roosevelt held the first governors conference “at the White House to consider problems of conservation” before appointing “a National Conservation Commission to prepare [the] first inventory of natural resources” ("Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life").
"I have always been fond of the West African proverb: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far"” (Miller). This saying suggests that Roosevelt embodied the concept of diplomacy in his foreign affairs, while wielding great power.
Theodore Roosevelt is an inspirational leader as he championed the areas of: human rights, national development, environmental conservation, and international politics. "Optimism is a good characteristic, but if carried to an excess, it becomes foolishness. We are prone to speak of the resources of this country as inexhaustible; this is not so" (Roosevelt, Theodore. Seventh Annual Message to Congress).
Works Cited
"About Us." US Forest Service. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.fs.fed.us/aboutus/>.
"American President: Theodore Roosevelt." Miller Center. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://millercenter.org/president/roosevelt/essays/biography/5>.
"A Brief History of Coal Use in the United States." US Department of Energy. 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://fossil.energy.gov/education/energylessons/coal/coal_history.html>.
"Census of Housing." Census Bureau Home Page. 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/census/historic/fuels.html>.
"Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906." Lawyers, Legal Forms, Law Books & Software, Free Information - Nolo. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/content/fed-meat-act.html>.
"Forest Homesteads." The Forest History Society. 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.foresthistory.org/ASPNET/Publications/region/1/flathead/chap11.htm>.
Grossman, Jonathan. "The Coal Strike of 1902 – Turning Point in U.S. Policy." United States Department of Labor. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
"Meat Inspection Act: The Power of the Pen." United States American History. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h918.html>.
Miller, Nathan. Theodore Roosevelt: a Life. New York: Perennial, 2003. 337. Print.
Morris, Edmund, and Edmund Morris. Theodore Rex. New York: Modern Library, 2002. 140. Print.
Morrison, Elting E. Introduction. The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt. Vol. III. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1951. 360. Print.
"Newlands Act: Early Reclamations Legislation." United States American History. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h938.html>.
"Oklahoma Journeys - Teddy Roosevelt's Birthday." Oklahoma Historical Society Home. Oct. 2008. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.okhistory.org/okjourneys/teddyroosevelt.html>.
The Outlook [New York] 30 Jan. 1904. Print.
"Presidential Accomplishments." U.S. National Park Service. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.nps.gov/history/logcabin/html/tr3.html>.
Ragone, Nick, and Ali Velshi. Presidential Leadership: 15 Decisions That Changed the Nation. Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 2011. Print.
Ricketts, Bruce. "The BC - Alaska Boundary Dispute." Mysteries of Canada. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/BC/bc_alaska_boundary_dispute.htm>.
"Roosevelt Corollary and the Monroe Doctrine." About Theodore Roosevelt. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/rooseveltcorollary.htm>.
Roosevelt, Theodore. Seventh Annual Message to Congress. 3 Dec. 1907. Speech.
Roosevelt, Theodore. "The Practicability of Equalizing Men and Women before the Law" Thesis. Harvard University, 1880. Print.
Roosevelt, Tweed. "Biography of Theodore Roosevelt." About Theodore Roosevelt. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/biotr.htm>.
Rosenberg, Jennifer. "William McKinley Assassinated." 20th Century History. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://history1900s.about.com/od/1900s/qt/mckinleykilled.htm>.
"The Sherman Antitrust Act." The Linux Information Project. 17 June 2004. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.linfo.org/sherman.html>.
The Theodore Roosevelt Association. "The Rough Riders and Colonel Roosevelt." About Theodore Roosevelt: President and More, from The Theodore Roosevelt Association. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/Rough_Riders.htm>.
"Theodore Roosevelt." Think Quest. Web. 30 Nov. 2011.
"Timeline of Theodore Roosevelt's Life." About Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt Association, 2001. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/timeline.htm>.
"The Trust Buster." Ushistory.org. Web. 30 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/43b.asp>.
pyramidpendulum secret dj-set yields world premiere sneak preview of upcoming releases!
11.11.11 - Plattsburgh, NY.
pyramidpendulum played a secret dj set after an exclusive request of only 10 hours prior. This was the second session of the semester.
T Hats Meson was unavailible, so guest DJ "ADD" filled in for the c.e.o of pyramidpendulum.
The set featured over 2 hours of deep meditational dubstep tracks, one of which was the vocal Club Mix of pyramidpendulum's own "girls gone wild live at the rapey nightclub".
After the set ended (1:30 am) the patrons demanded more music.
Contrary to DJ ADD's general hatred for the crowd (and requests), 4 unreleased pyramidpendulum tracks were suddenly showcased, in addition to a live look at a "work in progress" selection.
There were naked boobs and penis at the event, as a result of "strip beer pong".
There are no future pyramidpendulum events scheduled, prior to Earth Dub 2012 (April 20, 2012).
Burnt Popcorn Causes a Ruckus!
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| This is the actual bag of popcorn. |
Burnt popcorn set off the fire alarm causing a full evacuation of Adirondak Hall on Sunday November 06, 2011.
Poppa Bear aka. The Spunky Misunderstood Genius aka. Black Sugarwall Stanley was present during the evacuation. He had to stand outside for "10 to 15 minutes." Specialexperienceblog experieced an exclusive interview with the witness/victim:
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| Poppa Bear aka. The Spunky Misunderstood Genius aka. Black Sugarwall Stanley |
"I don't know it was whatever. I'm kind of tryin' to do this s*it right now I could really care less about what happened yesterday. I gotta go ask Jae about this assignment tomorrow..."
It still smells like burnt popcorn in the dorm.
Seriously it's popcorn people, you're in college.
It's not that hard to make popcorn without burning it.
"Fuckboy D" Disgraces pyramidpendulum in Adirondak Hall's Super Smash Brothers Tournament
Adirondak Hall hosted a Super Smash Brothers tournament on Sunday November 06 at 7:30 pm.
It was the Nintendo 64 version; it was the best version.
The rules were simple; 4 lives, no items, 1-on-1.
There were lots of contestants. It was a serious bout.
Fuckboy D was representing the 100's section, and pyramidpendulum.
Poppa Bear aka. The Spunky Misunderstood Genius aka. Black Sugarwall Stanley was granted exclusive photography permission.
Fuckboy D was called to battle, and chose Pikachu. His opponent chose Ness.
This is what it would have looked like in real life:
Ness beat Pikachu's ass in a whopping 4-1 victory. This can partially be attributed to Ness' absorption ability (in contrast with Pikachu's lightning bolt strategy) and Fuckboy D's opponent's awesome skills. Fuckboy D was sick, but his opponent was sicker. Fuckboy D shamefully left the facility immediately.
Neil Jung and Crazy Hoss become possessed by "the Long Cat"
Wednesday October 12........... well technically it was early in the morning of Thursday October 13.
Neil Jung and Crazy Hoss (Plattsburgh NY's premiere cover band) took the stage to: "rip faces and rip ass all night long"(-Neil Jung and Crazy Hoss' facebook page).
The band has become a staple of the Monopole's weekly "Open Mike Night". Mike is the guy with the gear, so he gets to put/squeeze/pound his name into the event title, as well as dictate who get's to play and how long/often.
As the band's theme song played over the house sound system, Sean G. Fell to the stage. Matthew H. proclaimed that his bandmate was in the midst of a heart attack. The audience appeared to find humor in the serious situation.
FOOLED AGAIN!
Before medical assistance could even be considered, the band became possessed by "the Long Cat", as deceased drummer "Joey Thunda" made his way to the drum kit.
*[You can learn more about Joey Thunda's earth day sacrafice at http://www.facebook.com/groups/197843983584691/]
Aggressive dancing accompanied the music. Moshing, stage-diving, pretty much anything was fair game.
There were two cats at the show... who brings their cat to a show, seriously. At one point, a cat crawled on stage and started scratching the band's equipment. Seriously who brings cats to a show?!1121@!3!
The band received a standing ovation upon completion.
You can catch Neil Jung and Crazy Hoss every Wednesday Night at Monopole's "Open Mike". Wednesday is also "Wing Night". You can get some boney wings at a discounted price, although the boneless wings are still regularly priced. Monopole is a 21+ venue.
If you want to get laid, go to a Crazy Hoss show at the Monopole;
It's your best bet on a Wednesday Night.
Here's the Neil Jung and Crazy Hoss theme song:
Occupy Plattsburgh
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| Trinity Park - Plattsburgh New York |
On Saturday October 15 from 11:00am-2:00pm, Trinity Park in downtown Plattsburgh was filled with occupants. These demonstrators are calling themselves "The 99%".
Americans like these are seeking a revolution through solidarity and strength.
The 99% intend to show 'elite ruling-class citizens' that 'working-class citizens' are the foundation of The United States.
Occupy Plattsburgh was inspired by the Occupy Wall Street demonstration in Liberty Plaza NYC.
October 15 marks the date of similar rallies across the nation. Occupytogether.org is an unofficial hub for these events. The site currently lists over 1,390 participating cities.
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| Members of the group "Anonymous" were in attendance at the occupancy. |
What do you think about the occupy-demonstrations, and the economic crisis?
SUNY Janitorial Employee Identifies Smelly Brown Matter
It was early on the morning [or "mañana"(in spanish)] of September 30, 2011, when a janitorial employee cleaning the Adirondack residence hall at SUNY Plattsburgh stumbled across a mysterious brown piece of matter on the floor of a first floor bathroom. She revealed to specialexperienceblog that she didn't know what it was initially.
The employee continued down the hall to the janitor's closet to retrieve cleaning suplies, when she noticed more brown matter in the stairway. As she swept it up, she caught a whiff of the material in question, and at this point she was able to confirm it as feces of some sort. The resident assistant added that he had "never seen anything like this".
It is typical for freshman dorms such as Whiteface to have trash and unwanted food thrown about, but a situation like this is surprising. It is unknown if the hair stuck to the turd in the photo belongs to the rouge-pooper. It is worth mentioning that the incident did not occur in the substance-free area of Adirondack Hall.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: "It is my hope that the publication of this article deters any further disregard to the janitorial staff and residents of SUNY Plattsburgh."
SUNY Professor Alternates Java Styles!
On September 12, 2011; SUNY Plattsburgh's Professor J. Jeong was seen drinking an ICED coffee. This is highly out of character for Professor Jeong, as he is usually observed consuming a piping hot brew. In a brief interview, Professor Jeong admitted that his coffee consumption was as necessary as breathing.
On September 13th, Professor Jeong was once again seen drinking a hot cup of joe. It appears that all is well.
In addition to his return to hot coffee, Professor Jeong set an exciting new fashion trend by sporting not one, but TWO ties!
September 29th is National Coffee Day.
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