War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast Causes Panic

On Sunday, October 30, 1938, millions of radio listeners were shocked when radio news alerts announced the arrival of Martians. They panicked when they learned of the Martians ferocious and seemingly unstoppable attack on Earth. Many ran out of their homes screaming while others packed up their cars and fled. Though what the radio listeners heard was a portion of Orson Welles adaptation of the well-known book, War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, many of the listeners believed what they heard on the radio was real. The Idea Before the era of T.V., people sat in front of their radios and listened to music, news reports, plays and various other programs for entertainment. In 1938, the most popular radio program was the ​Chase and Sanborn Hour, which aired on Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. The star of the show was ventriloquist ​Edgar Bergen and his dummy, Charlie McCarthy. Unfortunately for the Mercury group, headed by dramatist Orson Welles, their show, Mercury Theatre on the Air, aired on another station at the very same time as the popular Chase and Sanborn Hour. Welles, of course, tried to think of ways to increase his audience, hoping to take away listeners from the Chase and Sanborn Hour. For the Mercury groups Halloween show that was to air on October 30, 1938, Welles decided to adapt H. G. Wellss well-known novel, War of the Worlds, to radio. Radio adaptations and plays up to this point had often seemed rudimentary and awkward. Instead of lots of pages as in a book or through visual and auditory presentations as in a play, radio programs could only be heard (not seen) and were limited to a short period of time (often an hour, including commercials). Thus, Orson Welles had one of his writers, Howard Koch, rewrite the story of War of the Worlds. With multiple revisions by Welles, the script transformed the novel into a radio play. Besides shortening the story, they also updated it by changing the location and time from Victorian England to present day New England. These changes reinvigorated the story, making it more personal for the listeners. The Broadcast Begins On Sunday, October 30, 1938, at 8 p.m., the broadcast began when an announcer came on the air and said, The Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations present Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air in The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Orson Welles then went on air as himself, setting the scene of the play: We know now that in the early years of the twentieth century this world was being watched closely by intelligences greater than mans and yet as mortal as his own... As Orson Welles finished his introduction, a weather report faded in, stating that it came from the Government Weather Bureau. The official-sounding weather report was quickly followed by the music of Ramon Raquello and his orchestra from the Meridian Room in the Hotel Park Plaza in downtown New York. The broadcast was all done from the studio, but the script led people to believe that there were announcers, orchestras, newscasters and scientists on the air from a variety of locations. Interview With an Astronomer The dance music was soon interrupted by a special bulletin announcing that a professor at the Mount Jennings Observatory in Chicago, Illinois reported seeing explosions on Mars. The dance music resumed until it was interrupted again, this time by a news update in the form of an interview with an astronomer, Professor Richard Pierson at the Princeton Observatory in Princeton, New Jersey. The script specifically attempts to make the interview sound real and occurring right at that moment. Near the beginning of the interview, the newsman, Carl Phillips, tells the listeners that Professor Pierson may be interrupted by telephone or other communications. During this period he is in constant touch with the astronomical centers of the world . . . Professor, may I begin your questions? During the interview, Phillips tells the audience that Professor Pierson had just been handed a note, which was then shared with the audience. The note stated that a huge shock of almost earthquake intensity occurred near Princeton. Professor Pierson believes it might be a meteorite. A Meteorite Hits Grovers Mill Another news bulletin announces, It is reported that at 8:50 p.m. a huge, flaming object, believed to be a meteorite, fell on a farm in the neighborhood of Grovers Mill, New Jersey, twenty-two miles from Trenton. Carl Phillips begins reporting from the scene at Grovers Mill. (No one listening to the program questions the very short time that it took Phillips to reach Grovers Mill from the observatory. The music interludes seem longer than they are and confuse the audience as to how much time has passed.) The meteor turns out to be a 30-yard wide metal cylinder that is making a hissing sound. Then the top began to rotate like a screw. Then Carl Phillips reported what he witnessed: Ladies and gentlemen, this is the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed. . . . Wait a minute! Someones crawling. Someone or . . . something. I can see peering out of that black hole two luminous disks . . . are they eyes? It might be a face. It might be . . . good heavens, somethings wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now its another one, and another one, and another one. They look like tentacles to me. There, I can see the things body. Its large as a bear and it glistens like wet leather. But that face, it . . . ladies and gentlemen, its indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it, its so awful. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is kind of V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate. The Invaders Attack Carl Phillips continued to describe what he saw. Then, the invaders took out a weapon. A humped shape is rising out of the pit. I can make out a small beam of light against a mirror. Whats that? Theres a jet of flame springing from the mirror, and it leaps right at the advancing men. It strikes them head on! Good Lord, theyre turning into flame! Now the whole fields caught fire. The woods . . . the barns . . . the gas tanks of automobiles . . its spreading everywhere. Its coming this way. About twenty yards to my right... Then silence. A few minutes later, an announcer interrupts, Ladies and gentlemen, I have just been handed a message that came in from Grovers Mill by telephone. Just one moment please. At least forty people, including six state troopers, lie dead in a field east of the village of Grovers Mill, their bodies burned and distorted beyond all possible recognition. The audience is stunned by this news. But the situation soon gets worse. They are told that the state militia is mobilizing, with seven thousand men, and surrounding the metal object. They, too, are soon obliterated by the heat ray. The President Speaks The Secretary of the Interior, who sounds like President Franklin Roosevelt (purposely), addresses the nation. Citizens of the nation: I shall not try to conceal the gravity of the situation that confronts the country, nor the concern of your government in protecting the lives and property of its people. . . . we must continue the performance of our duties each and every one of us, so that we may confront this destructive adversary with a nation united, courageous, and consecrated to the preservation of human supremacy on this earth. The radio reports that the U.S. Army is engaged. The announcer declared that New York City is being evacuated. The program continues, but many radio listeners are already panicked. The Panic Though the program began with the announcement that it was a story based on a novel and there were several announcements during the program that reiterated that this was just a story, many listeners didnt tune in long enough to hear them. A lot of the radio listeners had been intently listening to their favorite program the Chase and Sanborn Hour and turned the dial, like they did every Sunday, during the musical section of the Chase and Sanborn Hour around 8:12. Usually, listeners turned back to the Chase and Sanborn Hour when they thought the musical section of the program was over. However, on this particular evening, they were shocked to hear another station carrying news alerts warning of an invasion of Martians attacking Earth. Not hearing the introduction of the play and listening to the authoritative and real sounding commentary and interviews, many believed it to be real. All across the United States, listeners reacted. Thousands of people called radio stations, police and newspapers.  Many in the New England  area loaded up their cars and fled their homes. In other areas, people went to churches to pray. People improvised gas masks. Miscarriages and early births were reported. Deaths, too, were reported but never confirmed. Many people were hysterical. They thought the end was near. People Are Angry That It Was Fake Hours after the program had ended and listeners had realized that the Martian invasion was not real, the public was outraged that Orson Welles had tried to fool them. Many people sued. Others wondered if Welles had caused the panic on purpose. The power of radio had fooled the listeners. They had become accustomed to believing everything they heard on the radio, without questioning it. Now they had learned - the hard way.

Essay on Aftermath of Wwi Leads to Wwii - 1131 Words

Aftermath of WWI Leads to WWII Prior to the First World War, Europe was the world center of industry and capital. Massive death, destruction, and resentment after World War I left most countries unable to recover to a normal existence and damaged the world economy. The economic collapse and the political instability caused by World War I eventually led to the rise of fascism in Europe. Forceful dictators in Italy, Germany, and Japan took advantage of these problems to seize power by territorial expansion. These events caused a major repositioning of world power and influence. This paper traces a variety of significant factors and forces that contributed to the outbreak of World War II. The Treaty of Versailles aided in the outbreak of†¦show more content†¦This was the longest and most severe slump ever to hit the industrialized world, which lasted through most of the 1930s. The Great Depression caused mass unemployment, wide spread poverty and despair. The German economy was especially vulnerable since it was built out of foreign capital, owing mostly to debts to the United States and was very dependent on foreign trade. Adolf Hitler knew his opportunity had arrived to strengthen extreme political movements that promised to end the economic problems. Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party used nationalism to great effect in Germany that spured the Second World World. After WWI, many Germans blamed the new government for accepting the unfair treaty as conditions became miserable. People who could not find jobs began to drift into the Communist and National Socialist parties established by Hitler. They decided that it was the necessary solution. In 1933, Hitler came to power as dictator of Germany and preached a racist brand of fascism. He promised to end the humiliating conditions caused by the German defeat in WWI. He knew how to win peoples obedience and trust, through their fears and insecurities. 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Discipline Versus Child Abuse Free Essays

Discipline versus Child Abuse Tiara Loving February 2, 2011 Criminal Justice 100 Homework Assignment #1 Is there such a thing as too much discipline? How far can a person go with discipline before it turns into child abuse? How do a person know if they are performing child abuse? These are the three main questions that raise a debate when the subjects discipline and child abuse are put in one sentence. What some people might call discipline others may say is child abuse. Gaining the knowledge and education of what is right and what is wrong is the key to preventing discipline from becoming child abuse. We will write a custom essay sample on Discipline Versus Child Abuse or any similar topic only for you Order Now As stated in the American Heritage College Dictionary, discipline is defined as â€Å"training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior. † Child abuse is defined as â€Å"mistreatment of a child by a parent or guardian, including neglect, beating, and sexual molestation† on dictionary. com. Unfortunately, a parent or guardian training a child to produce a specific character or pattern behavior may lead to mistreating or neglecting a child unintentionally. It is legal to spank a child but it is also illegal to beat them. Spanking a child may be considered as light licks on the legs or bottom. Beating a child may consist of bruising or drawing blood. But what works for one child might not be any good for the other. One child can learn a lesson from a spanking but if a parent spank’s the other child, it might not have an effect on him at all. That is when alternatives come in. Either way a parent decides to punish that child, that parent’s point will be made or that child will have learned a lesson. There is nothing wrong with disciplining a child for doing something he was not supposed to have done. Punishing a child will serve as a warning to let that child know that if he ever did something bad again, there will be a consequence. There are many ways to discipline a child without performing child abuse. For example, if a child is at school and acts inappropriate towards his peers or the teacher, he can be giving a spanking, a timeout or some of his privileges can be taken away from him. That child might think the parent is being mean or obnoxious, but that entire time that parent is really showing how much they love and care for that child. As a kid, I would get into trouble a lot. Of course there would be a consequence, and a few words that came along with it. I will never forget the words my mother said to me as I received my spanking: â€Å"I am only doing this because I love you and I want you to do what is right no matter what the situation is. If I do not whip you, you will continue to do the same thing, so I have to teach you a lesson. † As I got older, I realized that she really cared. I felt that I did not want to embarrass her or myself any longer and that is when I decided that I was going to do what was expected of me. Parents have the right to lead their kids by example but they must do it the right way. On the other hand, damaging a child’s self-esteem, self confidence and making him feel unloved or wanted is considered to be child abuse. Why would a parent want to see their child suffer, especially without any cause? If a parent does not want another person or child harming their child intentionally, then why would that parent commit abuse? There are many examples of child abuse but I decided to press the issue on one example. A woman just found out that she has gotten pregnant. The pregnancy was unplanned and the baby’s father does not want to be a part of that new life, but she decides to keep the child. When the baby arrives, the woman is frustrated because she realizes she cannot take care of herself and the baby mentally, physically, emotionally or financially. The woman now decides to take her anger and frustrations out on the child and that is where the abuse comes in because she does not know what else to do. Sometimes not disciplining a child can be considered child abuse as well. Everyone knows that a parent has to let a child be child. But when a parent lets the child get away with things a little too much, it is time to let that child know that enough is enough. Since that child feels that he has not been stopped before, he has the right to continue to do what he pleases. The parent needs to tell the child that they are the adult and he is the child will definitely set the boundaries. The parent is going to ruin that child if they let him into the world thinking that he can do what he please. That is the first step to abusing that child and others are going to do the same if do not step in to guide him. The parent has to learn to say ‘NO’ every once in a while so the child can get used to hearing that word. The parent has to know that they cannot be their child’s best friend and the child has to abide by their rules. If a parent does not start at home by forcing the rules upon the child, then they are giving the world permission to keep the abuse up. Again, the three main questions come to mind. Is there such a thing as too much discipline? How far can you go with discipline before it turns into child abuse? How do you know if you are performing child abuse? A parent might feel that no one can tell them how to raise their child. So they may feel the need to punish the child however they want. The parent says it is discipline. The outside world might say it is child abuse if they see a child is being mistreated in a way that they feel that is not right. A parent might have their own personal reasons to why they punish their child the way they do. Maybe it is discipline—then again it may be child abuse. There are people out in the world that feel that they can care for a child better than that child’s parent. Sometimes those people are eager to take that child that they feel are being abused away from that parent. I would tell those parents to choose a more logical way of what they do to their child and how they do it. However a parent decides to punish their child is on them. The parent just need be careful of how they do it because they might not have their child any longer–or even worse, thrown in jail! How to cite Discipline Versus Child Abuse, Essay examples

Its Better late Than Never free essay sample

â€Å"Boy, this is all so confusing,† said Ryan as he stared at the papers on his desk. If only I had taken the advice of my finance instructor, I would not be in such a predicament today.† Ryan Daniels, aged 27, graduated five years ago with a degree in food marketing and is currently employed as a middle-level manager for a fairly successful grocery chain. His current annual salary of $70,000 has increased at an average rate of 5 percent per year and is projected to increase at least at that rate for the foreseeable future. The firm has had a voluntary retirement savings program in place, whereby employees are allowed to contribute up to 11% of their gross annual salary (up to a maximum of $12,000 per year) and the company matches every dollar that the employee contributes. Unfortunately, like many other young people who start out in their first â€Å"real† job, Ryan has not yet taken advantage of the retirement savings program. We will write a custom essay sample on Its Better late Than Never or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He opted instead to buy a fancy car, rent an expensive apartment, and consume most of his income. However, with wedding plans on the horizon, Ryan has finally come to the realization that he had better start putting away some money for the future. His fiancà ©e, Amber, of course, had a lot to do with giving him this reality check. Amber reminded Ryan that besides retirement, there were various other large expenses that would be forthcoming and that it would be wise for him to design a comprehensive savings plan, keeping in mind the various cost estimates and timelines involved. Ryan figures that the two largest expenses down the road would be those related to the wedding and down payment on a house. He estimates that the wedding, which will take place in twelve months, should cost about $15,000 in today’s dollars. Furthermore, he plans to move into a $250,000 house (in  today’s terms) after 5 years, and would need 20% for a down payment. Ryan is aware that his cost estimates are in current terms and would need to be adjusted for inflation. Moreover, he knows that an automatic payroll deduction is probably the best way to go since he is not a very disciplined investor. Ryan is really not sure how much money he should put away each month, given the inflation effects, the differences in timelines, and the salary increases that would be forthcoming. All this number crunching seems overwhelming and the objectives seem insurmountable. If only he had started planning and saving five years ago, his financial situation would have been so much better. But, as the saying goes, â€Å"It’s better late than NEVER!† Questions: 1. What was Ryan’s starting salary? How much could he have contributed to the voluntary savings plan in his first year of employment? 2. Had Ryan taken advantage of the company’s voluntary retirement plan up to the maximum, every year for the past five years, how much money would he currently have accumulated in his retirement account, assuming a nominal rate of return of 7%? How much more would his investment value have been worth had he opted for a higher risk alternative (i.e. 100% in common stocks), which was expected to yield an average compound rate of return of 12% (A.P.R.)? 3. If Ryan starts his retirement savings plan from January of next year by contributing the maximum allowable amount into the firm’s voluntary retirement savings program, how much money will he have accumulated for retirement, assuming he retires at age 65? Assume that the rate of return on the account is 7% per year, compounded monthly and that the maximum allowable contribution does not change.. 4. How much would Ryan have to save each month, starting from the end of the next month, in order to accumulate enough money for his wedding expenses, assuming that his investment fund is expected to yield a rate of return of 7% per year? 5. If Ryan starts saving immediately for the 20% down payment on his house, how much additional money will he have to save each month? Assume an investment rate of return of 7% per year. 6. If Ryan wants to have a million dollars (in terms of today’s dollars) when he retires at age 65, how much should he save in equal monthly deposits from the end of the next month? Ignore the cost of the wedding and the down payment on the house. Assume his savings earn a rate of 7% per year (A.P.R.). 7. If Ryan saves up the million dollars (in terms of today’s dollars) by the time of his retirement at age 65, how much can he withdraw each month (beginning one month after his retirement) in equal dollar amounts, if he figures he will live up to the age of 85 years? Assume that his investment fund yields a nominal rate of return of 7% per year. 8. After preparing a detailed budget, Ryan estimates that the maximum he will be able to save for retirement is $300 per month, for the first five years. After that he is confident that he will be able to increase the monthly saving to $500 per month until retirement. If the account provides a nominal annual return of 7%, how much money will Ryan be able to withdraw per month during his retirement phase? 9. What is the lesson to be learned from this case? Explain.