Miguel de Cervantes

Purple is known to be the hue which is between crimson and violet. We have heard people associating it with royalty, power and wealth for centuries. ‘Queen Elizabeth I forbade commoners, except only a few close relatives of the royal family, to wear the colour’. So why is this elite and sophisticated status given to this colour? The reason is actually associated with the limited availability of the colour. This rarity, lead to the colour being outrageously expensive, so much so that only the…

Blood diamonds is film, produced by Edward Zwick, released in 2006 that shows the perspective and a first person view on the war in Sierra Leone. The war consist of the rebels and the government, the rebels own diamond camps that force slaves to pan any jewels in rivers. The rebels will invade villages and kill thousands to show their dominance, they will also kidnap young children to turn them into young soldiers. Big diamond corporations will secretly buy these diamonds for a lower price than…

Blood Diamonds Conflict diamonds are a great concern in Africa especially with the bloodshed they cause. Blood diamonds, or conflict diamonds, are jewels mined in Africa and sold by rebels to gain military force. This has been a tremendous problem during the different civil wars in some countries in Africa. However, they are now being used in Liberia at rates never seen before. These diamonds are usually mined in northern and western regions of Africa. In some areas, diamonds would be placed on…

Monopolies of the Past and Present The United States has had its fair share of history with businesses that are considered to be anticompetitive. These types of businesses are known as monopolies and their common characteristic boils down to creating a lack of competition in a market. This lack of competition is known for stifling innovation and usually results in high prices of the product or service. In an attempt to foster competition in the United States economy, The Sherman Anti-Trust Act…

The old saying is “Two months’ salary for an engagement ring.” Obviously with the divorce rate rising above 50-percent for marriage in the United States calling this an “old” saying is almost old itself. However, it still goes on, the buying of expensive diamonds without recognizing who may have been killed, exploited or maimed just to get you that diamond…Blood Diamonds uses violence, labour, environment and many more. It is mostly a process using labour. Menes in Africa and especially Congo…

Diamonds Are Forever. Or so the De Beers mining company would like to remind us. For a century, if you purchased a diamond, there was a 90% or higher chance that The De Beer mining company brought it to market—a true monopoly. The last three and a half decades have not been so kind to the firm, with market share crashing to a “mere” 35%. This company was founded by none other than Cecil Rhodes. Rhodes was archetypically imperialist. We are given a small glimpse of Mr. Rhodes’ brand of…

Mexico became free in 1821. The culture of Mexico reflects the complexity of their history through the blending of pre-Hispanic civilizations and the culture of Spain, imparted during Spain's 300-year colonization of Mexico. Mexico City is one of the biggest cities in the world. Millions of people live and work there. Like other large cities, Mexico City has air pollution from traffic and businesses. People in Mexico City are working to clean their environment. They made rules about how many…

The most popular dancers in Morelos, Mexico are Los Chinelos. Their movements and costumes have captivated their audiences for many years. The live brass band that usually follows them during their performance, like the chinelos, is also a staple of Mexican pride and culture. The image and dance of Los Chinelos has spread to other states in Morelos and has even crossed the borders of Mexico into the United States. Los Chinelos have come to represent the national and regional identity of the…

independently, decide autonomously and take personal initiatives, the concept of individualism has acquired a positive connotation. However, individualism is also linked with the tendency to withdraw from social life and turn in towards oneself. Alexis de Tocqueville described individualism as the cool and considered attitude which drives people to withdraw into a small, enclosed world consisting of their family and a few select friends, leaving the rest of society to its own devices. The most…

Christmas, and Independence Day are celebrated. However, they are celebrated differently cultural wise as well as the day the holiday is celebrated. Catholic celebrations, such as Three Kings Day and Day of our Lady of Guadalupe are also celebrated. Dia de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead is celebrated all across Mexico. It’s the day where all Mexicans pay their respect to the dead. They pray and remember family members and friends who have died. It is believed that on the nights of…