The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
     The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were authored in secret by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in response to the repressive Alien and Sedition Acts passed in 1798. In the opinion of Jefferson and Madison, the Acts were unjust. They also represented a major victory for the Federalists. By writing the Resolutions, Jefferson and Madison spearheaded the protests of those against the Alien and Sedition Acts and those in support of stronger states rights. Although the Resolutions were successful in the two originating states, they did not have much success in the other states. Still, the new ideas presented in the Resolutions were almost revolutionary. Although the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 and 1799 were not very successful, they were important because they provided necessary arguments for the supporters of greater states rights against the proponents of a stronger central government.
     The Alien and Sedition Acts played major roles in the coming about of the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. Passed in early 1798, the Acts laid down a number of harsh restrictions on foreigners.






The Alien Act stretched the minimum years for eligibility for naturalization from five years to fourteen years. It also gave the President the power to expel any alien from the country. The Sedition Act was even harsher; it gave the government the right to arrest anyone accused of seditious activities. The Sedition Act thus cracked down on many Jeffersonian newspapers which criticized the government. Of course, Jefferson criticized these Acts; he even called them worthy of the 8th and 9th century (2 / p.174). With these laws the Federalists were thought to be stifling the power of the Jeffersonian.
     Through the Alien and Sedition Acts, those in support of a stronger federal government achieved a major victory. The Acts gave new powers which were not dictated in the Constitution to both the executive and legislative branches. The Federalists were able to pass these acts with their logic based upon loose translations of the Constitution, especially the elastic clause.” In peacetime, these Acts would not have had a chance in being passed, but the undeclared war with France had riled up Congress enough to accept these loose translations.
     The opponents of the Alien and Sedition Acts were led by Jefferson and Madison; in response to the Acts the Republicans launched an attack on what they believed were breaches of the Constitution. The attack on the Alien and Sedition Acts was based upon the strict construction theory of the Republicans.

In my first years of life

In my first years of life, I was the diva. I was the star. I was the only one that my mother ever paid any attention to. I was the bomb. Although my father worked very long days to provide my mother and me with a means of sustenance, there was plenty of love from my mom to nurture me as I grew into a bubbly young girl. Entering kindergarten at 4 years of age, I was similar to every other little kid. I was rambunctious, playful, naughty, and unstoppable. If I did not fall sleep in class, I would play with my dolls as the teacher lectured. Sure enough, I was reprimanded and given time out every time. But it was all right. My grades were average but I scored high enough to please my parents.
I lived in a wonderland of games, toys and friends until a certain examination came my way. It was my first real math exam that changed everything. My father, recently returned from New York City, did all he possibly could to train me in the ways of addition and multiplication but to no success. I failed that exam. I added instead of multiplying. I got a grade of 74 in math so I missed my shot at becoming one of the Top Ten. I finished 14th in my class.
At first, failure was none of my business: I did not really care how high or low my grades were. But when I suddenly experienced what failure was like, I did not like it one bit. In fact, a fear started to grow within me. It was like a hideous, abracadabra-like alien had landed on my territory and I felt I had to do everything to get rid of it. I studied mathematics very hard: harder than I ever had before. I studied how to divide 9 by 3 and 8 by 4, even if I so despised numbers to my very core. I did not like them because they made things abstract to me. Things which I knew became unknown w...









that hated math. It was the me that did not care about anything, not even my parents happiness and expectations. It was the old me. Of course, I could not get rid of something that was essentially me. That was utterly impossible. So I put her to sleep, that spoiled carefree little girl. We were one, yet we were different. The alien was not failure itself, but the self that accepted defeat without trying. I do not like that self but I am grateful to her for teaching me the meaning of hard work and perseverance. Now, I know that to taste the sweetness of a corn cob, you must first toil in the planting of the corn seed. I thank my parents, my teachers, my friends, and everyone who defined me as person. Thank you for teaching me why trying is important, to me and to the ones I love.

My end turned out to be my beginning. My failure lead to my success.

Why Modern Monsters Have Become Alien to Us

Why Modern Monsters Have Become Alien to Us


Late autumn has arrived and with it comes the dark magic of Halloween--and, of course, the
murky thrill of monsters. Yet our appetite for a good monster knows no season. Ever since ancient
times we have been fascinated with all sorts of tales about monsters and intrigued by myths and
legends about those wild half-human beasts who haunt the edges of our forests and lurk in the
recesses of our oceans. The sphinxes, Minotaur, and sirens of early mythology gave way to Beowulf's
Grendel and Saint George's dragon, then to the mermaids, trolls, and one-eyed giants of our fairy and
folk tales, and finally to those 19th-century Gothic classics. Nor are these stories on the wane, for the
monster tales that made Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff, and Bela Lugosi stars of the silver screen
continue to draw mega crowds six and seven decades later.
In 1994 Kenneth Branch and Robert Denier brought us the latest reincarnation of Shelley's
story of Frankenstein's tortured creature, and Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt starred in "Interview with a
Vampire," the first installment of Ann Rice's homage to Stoker's Dracula. Meanwhile, Andrew Lloyd
Weber's musical production of Gaston Leroy's "Phantom of the Opera" continues to pack in
audiences from London to L.A.







Much of the initial appeal of monster stories comes from the fact that they, like their twisted
siblings, "creature features" and "slashers," both terrify and fascinate us with their ghoulish brand of
horror. It's the rattling-the-tiger's-cage kind of thrill that Scout and Jim Finch got from sneaking onto
Boo Rawley's porch under a pale moon. Reading or watching great monster stories, we get to
accompany the frightened heroes or heroines as they descend into the dragon's lair; crane our necks
over the tops of books or movie seats and peek into the dank recesses of the giant cyclops' cave;
stretch out our trembling hands and actually touch the monster's reptilian scales, hairy paws, or cloven
hoofs; and then run screaming like a banshee the instant it wakes from its slumber. What a rush!
As frightening as these creatures are, in monster stories it is always the beast that ends up taking
the fall, which means that this is a place where we not only get to tangle with evil's most daunting and
dangerous minions but to vanquish them with regularity. Pretty heady stuff.

The Representation of Women in Some Like It Hot and Alien 3

The Representation of Women in Some Like It Hot and Alien 3

This essay will be about how women are and have been represented in
films in the past and how they are represented nowadays. I will be
looking at the roles and representations of women in 'Some Like It
Hot' and 'Alien 3'.

'Some Like It Hot' was made in 1958. Marilyn Monroe starts in the
comedy as Sugar Cane who is a very feminine musician. 'Alien 3' on the
other hand was made 40 years after and is a sci-fi horror. Sigourney
Weaver is the star of the film and plays the character Lt. Ripley.
Unlike Sugar Cane, Lt. Ripley is a very tough and manly character.

'Some Like It Hot' is about two musicians. They witness a massacre and
try to find a way out of the city before they are found and killed by
the mob. The only job they can find is an all girl band so the two
dress up as women. In addition to hiding, they both have their own
problems. One falls for another band member but can't tell her his
gender, and the other has a rich admirer.

'Alien 3' is about Lt. Ripley. She escapes from an alien planet but
the ship then crashes onto a remote and inhabited ore refinery. She
must stay there until she is rescued by her employers. While she is
there, she discovers that her chip crashed because of an alien
stowaway. As the alien kills off the men at the refinery, she begins
to see the true enemy.









'Some Like It Hot' stars Marilyn Monroe as Sugar Cane. Sugar Cane is a
very typical blonde and is the stereotypical image of a blonde woman.
She is represented to be very weak and helpless. It makes her seem
almost as though she has the mind of a child. She is represented as
being...

arless and is not squeamish in the slightest. Sugar Cane on the
other hand is a very vulnerable character. She is very dependent on
everyone else and has a mind of a child.

The fact that both these characters are very different physically and
mentally doesn't change that they are both women. It is because they
are women that makes them less of a person in both films. Sugar Cane
because she is a replica of the stereotypical image of a 'dumb
blonde', and Ellen Ripley because of the fact she is able to be a
mother.

I think that the roles of women in films have changed over the past.
The representation of them also changed over the years. However, I
believe that they are still discriminated; just in different ways. The
fact that a person is a woman is still shown to be a disadvantage when
comparing these two films.

The question of extraterrestrial life

The question of extraterrestrial life has perplexed scholars for many years. With so many reports of UFO and abductions, what is the truth of the matter? I have read many of Zecharia Sitchinbooks about extraterrestrials visiting Earth in the distant past. He collects his information from ancient clay tablets written in cuneiform, the bible, and many archeological sites from all over the world. In his series of books called, The Earth Chronicles, Mr. Sitchin has concluded that aliens came to earth hundreds of thousands of years ago. Also, that these aliens created man, gave them the knowledge of farming, and civilization. I believe that he makes a very good case for the Ancient Alien Theory that has been talked about publicly ever since Eric Van Danikien wrote a book in 1968 called Chariots of the Gods.

It is my belief that aliens do exist and the evidence is overwhelming. The first example of evidence that aliens exist is the valuable information written on clay tablets from the ancient civilization of Sumer, in what is now modern day Iraq. Also, the massive pyramids all over the globe that archeologists and scientists cannot explain how they were built. With all the engineering knowledge and machinery that modern man has today, we cannot duplicate the Great Pyramid in Egypt. Also, I came across a surprisingly different point of view while researching this topic, which is, the response of possible alien life that has visited Earth, from a Christian point of view. This I found very interesting, and educating, because of the fact that I am an Atheist. Most of my family and all of my friends are Christian, so the topic of aliens from their point of view was enlightening. This is another reason why I chose the topic: I belie...

ave uncovered is truly amazing. The fact that mankind today, cannot duplicate the structures built by ancient civilizations is something to consider when discussing the existence of extraterrestrials. These are the reasons why I believe in aliens, and they have visited Earth in the past.

Bibliography









Genesis 6:4 New International Version. (n.d.).
Joshua J. Marks. (2001, April 28). Cuneiform Definition. Retrieved from Ancient History Encyclopedia: http://www.ancient.eu.com/cuneiform/
Largest Pyramid. (2014). Retrieved from Guinness World Records: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/3000/largest-pyramid
Matthew 24:37 New International Version. (n.d.).
New English Version of The Holy Bible. (n.d.).
Pye, L. (2010). Everything We Know is Wrong. Marshall Cavendish Corporation.
Sitchin, Z. (1976). The 12th Planet. New York: Harper-Collins.

Society captivation with extraterrestrials stems back

Society captivation with extraterrestrials stems back to when the first humans looked up into the night sky and gazed upon the stars. From simple navigation, to telling stories, that very human fascination helped to build the great civilization that we are all a part of. One of the first recorded stories of flying crafts was found in Egyptian tombs, written in hieroglyphs, depicted flying chariots piloted by the gods. Ever since, civilizations, such as the Romans and Greeks have been intent with flying among st the gods. Hundreds of years later came the modern American alien craze, which spurred shortly after the Roswell incident. This happened on a weekend night during the July Fourth holiday, when an unidentified flying object made a crash landing onto a ranch owned by William Mac Brazil. Since that event, the enigma behind the American UFO obsession has yet to be stifled. Many television shows and movies have portrayed their version of Roswell; there was even an infamous Indiana Jones movie based off of the crash. Currently, the Roswell Incident is a hot subject that surrounds conspiracy theorists. Most experts on the Roswell conspiracy theory claim that the incident was a giant government cover up to hide the answer of are we really alone? Since the fiftieth anniversary of the Roswell incident, many papers have been declassified about the event. For some theorists, having papers declassified about a cover up, is, in a sense, a cover up. Although the Roswell incident may be trivial among st conspiracy theorists, there is solid proof to debunk their crazy accusations, including photographic, scientific, and testimonial evidence. The only way to stop conspiracy is when it starts. Doing this can be difficult, so information abo...










Beliefs: The Role Of Perceived Motive." Psychological Reports 113.1 (2013): 118-128. Business Source Complete. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
Korff, Kal K. "What Really Happened At Roswell." Skeptical Inquirer 21.4 (1997): 24. Master File Premier. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
Neil1 Dagnall, and Andrew Parker. "Reality Testing, Conspiracy Theories, And Paranormal Beliefs." Journal Of Parapsychology 76.1 (2012): 57-77. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
Nickell, J, & McGaha, J 2012, 'THE ROSWELLIAN SYNDROME', Skeptical Inquirer, 36, 3, pp. 30-36, OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson), EBSCOhost, viewed 9 April 2014.
"President Bill Clinton on Jimmy Kimmel Live PART 3." YouTube. YouTube, 3 Apr. 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
Sheaffer, Robert. "Commie Nazi Saucer Crashed At Roswell." Skeptical Inquirer 35.5 (2011): 31. Biography Reference Bank (H.W. Wilson). Web. 8 Apr. 2014.

Blade Runner

Blade Runner, which is directed by Riley Scott and is based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, is a Sci-fi Noir film about a policeman named Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford) in 2019 Los Angeles who was contracted to retire four genetically engineered replicates. The four fugitives, Pris (played by Daryl Hannah), Zhora (played by Joanna Cassidy), Leon (played by Brion James), where led by Roy Batty (played by Rutger Hauer) and have escaped from an off-world colony in order to find their creator and oblige him into expanding their per-determined four year life span. A part of the success that this feature has received can be attributed to the film ability to operate on many different levels.
In this essay I will discuss the way in which the generic marker The visual surface of Science Fiction presents us with a confrontation between those images to which we respond as alien and those we know to be familiar can be applied to Blade Runner and to what end.
Following the release of Blade Runner in 1982, film critics gave high remarks to the beautiful visual images of the city. Director Ridley Scott crafted the future vision of Los Angeles starting with a couple of buildings which were left in their original place. From that starting point, he built a towering, restricted Los Angeles set in 2019. Los Angeles presents itself in the opening sequence as a widespread industrial landscape with stacks of chemical plants, refineries throwing flames halfway to the sky and huge mega-structures that dominate the city center. Hidden behind the city mega-structures, a technological world lights up the city through glittering neons and huge advertising screens and upon closer inspection, is an overwhelming...









olitical repression might bring in the future. Although most dystopias express fears of technology and depersonalisation, Blade Runner attempts to describe the mediation point between technology and human values. Deckard says "Replicants are like any other machine. They can be a benefit or a hazard.
As a conclusion, it must be said that the generic marker The visual surface of Science Fiction presents us with a confrontation between those images to which we respond as alien and those we know to be familiar can be applied to Blade Runner when judging the movie from an aesthetic point of view as well as from an ideological point of view. As it was mentioned earlier in the essay, the film is constructed from images which society nowadays find as alien (such as images of the city, interiors and social interactions) and also from more familiar images