Cosmos: The word is generally used as a synonym of the word Universe

Corona:  A type of plasma atmosphere of the celestial bodies, most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but also observable in a coronagraph.

Coitus: Sexual intercourse.

Cocoon: The protective case spun by the larvae of some insects and other creepy beings out there… in which they metamorphose the pupa or any protective case.

Coccyx: The tailbone

Chutzpah: Nearly arrogant courage

Chit-Chat: Mostly unimportant conversation

Catarrh: A disorder of inflammation of the mucous membranes in one of the airways or cavities of the body.

Cheese: Food made out of dairy product.

For interesting “A” words click here

For interesting “B” words click here

For interesting “D” words click here

If you got more interesting “C” words of your own write some in the comments.

He and his wife Alexandra, four daughters, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia and his hemophiliac son the Tsarevich Alexei were awakened in the middle of the night to be moved to another location by their Bolshevik captors.

The White Russians were coming and the Bolsheviks told the family and servants to pose for a photo in the small basement as proof that they

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are still alive for some future parley.

Instead of a photographer, a firing line formed with orders to shoot for the hearts. The order was given and the first volley of shots ricocheted from the women as if protected by divine providence.

The firing squad were thunderstruck that their own bullets turned against them. The women survived the first volley while the firing squad left the room to reload and reenter the gun smoke filled room to shoot again. The astonishment turned into a frenzied blood lust as forensic evidence showed the women died from bludgeons to the head.

Before being buried in an unmarked grave, all the clothes from the corpses were removed. It was discovered that 18 pounds of diamonds were embedded into the corsets of the murdered women.

            The Czar was able to foresee the potential that merchant ships and a Russian Navy would have if he could get ships built. He knew that wealth and prosperity would reach Russia, improving the economy of the country, and with a Russian Navy not only would they be able to take territory to prosper, they would also be able to gain respect for showing that they could learn and the Russian people weren’t stubborn. Peter the Great went to European countries to gain technology and information to bring back to Russia to help with this goal and he brought back Europeans to teach the Russians about controlling the seas. Using his charisma and intellect on the Europeans, Russia had a strong Navy built that commanded the seas and he was able to improve the trade throughout Russia. The only thing missing was a port that was not frozen and could have better access to other countries, such as the Baltic Sea.

            Realizing that there must be a port for his new ships to bring wealth to Russia, Peter the Great sought to acquire a foothold on the Baltic Sea from the Swedish. His first attack with the new Russian Navy did not work, however, he was able to make a come back with new Russian Navy that decimated the Swedish Navy. By doing so, this allowed Peter the Great to finally gain the territory around the Baltic Sea, giving him the foothold that he desired to improve the economy in Dark Aged Russia. With his new found area, he built the magnificent city of St. Petersburg, possibly named after Saint Peter or Peter the Great himself, which provided a place for Russian merchants to live and for incoming merchants from other European countries to stay. Finally having a port for his merchant ships to start trading, money from surrounding European countries began to flow into Russia.

            Having the Russian Navy and the Baltic Sea under his control, Peter helped Russia excel, however, his half sister Sophia did not want Peter to be in charge of Russia and wanted Ivan, Peter’s mentally retarded brother, to be the Czar so that she, as Regent, could rule over Russia. Regent Sophia attempted numerous times to assassinate Peter using the Streltsy as her weapon of choice. This started when Peter was young and did not know of such treachery. He survived however, and Sophia attempted time and time again to assassinate Peter so that Ivan would be the Czar. Peter the Great was able to survive long enough to finally get rid his half sister Regent Sophia, banishing her to the coldest part of Russia to be part of a convent.

            Peter the Great managed time and time again to put down revolutions in his country by surviving assassination attempt and by not simply killing off his older brother Ivan, was able to bring Russia from the Dark Ages and modernizing it, and finally was able to build a Russian Navy that was to be feared during that time even though the first attempt was unsuccessful. Using his power as Czar, Peter was able to help Russia from being ignorant by defying the Russian Orthodox Church. He helped the country unlike many other autocrats and enjoyed himself at the same time. By helping Russia during his reign, he managed to achieve something that many other leaders have a hard time doing: helping the people.

The Russian Revolution

-       19th Century Reforms

o   Attempts by Tsar at land reform at giving peasants more right

o   Serfs were free

o   Feudal system abolished

-       1905 Revolution

o   Constitution resulting from revolution gave Tsar power over bureaucracy and army

-       1917 Revolution

o   Background Causes

§  Russian in war 1914, swore to never make peace as long as enemy was on Russian soil

§  War took heavy toll on Russia, shortage of arms, Germans better equipped

§  Leadership In Russia was poor on the homefront

·            Nicholas II was poor tsar, Duma favored wealthy people and conservatives

·            Tsar refused to share power and connect with his people

§  Progressive block was formed in response to Tsar’s poor leadership, called for entirely new leadership headed by the Duma

·            Nicholas II responded by adjourning Tsar, leaving Russia to go to warfront, and left Tsarina Alexandra in charge

§  Tsarina tried to rule absolutely, most trusted advisor was Rasputin, dislike by the people

·            Rasputin murdered 1916

-       The February Revolution

o   Started when women calling for bread in Petrograd began rioting, soldiers failed to restore order and joined riots, Tsar abdicated and Duma declares provisional government March 12 1917

-       The Provisional Government

o   Quickly established equality, freedom of religion, speech, and assembly and granted many other rights as well

§  Social revolution was not embraced by all

o   Reorganization gov’t in May 1917, eventually Kerensky becomes prime minister of Russia

§  Didn’t satisfy large peasant population

o   Petrograd Soviet

§  Opponent of Provisional government, works council, issued decrees and laws that weakened provisional government

·            Army Order No. 1

o   Stripped officers of power, empowered groups of soldiers

o   Total collapse of army discipline

-       Lenin and Bolshevik Revolution

o   Lenin’s Beliefs

§  Marxist socialist

§  Believed socialist revolution was possible in Russia

§  Necessity of highly disciplined workers party 

o   Russian socialist party split into Lenin’s Bolsheviks and minority Mensheviks

o   Lenin tried to come onto power after war with Germany, plans were foiled and he went into hiding

o   Bolsheviks gained support throughout summer 1917 and Trotsky executed seizure of power

§  Trotsky’s committee joined with Bolshevik soldiers and seized gov’t buildings

§  Named Lenin head of new government

§  Power was there for the taking, Lenin, Trotsky and Bolsheviks were very determined to lead, and also appealed to workers who were struggling and poorly represented

-       Civil War and why the Bolsheviks won

o   Lenin had appealed to Peasants and approved of their seizure of land

o   Also appealed to workers

o   Lenin realized he would need to make peace with Germany at a price and gave territory to Russians

§  Ended the long war and was able to focus on revolutionary rule

o   The Old Army, or the whites, rose up in opposition to Lenin and “the reds” who they thought was forming one party government

§  White’s began attacking in 1918 but lost because Bolsheviks had majority, equipment, and positional advantages

From Lenin to Stalin

-       NEP

o   Russia was in ruins after war and revolution, peasant revolts sweeping country and Lenin issued New Economic Policy March 1921

o   Limited economic freedom

o   Small businesses, peasants, private traders began selling for profit

o   Compromised with Peasant majority, rapid economic recovery because of NEP

-       Stalin’s Rise to Power

o   Lenin died 1924, left no successor

§  Power struggle among Communist party

§  Stalin vs. Trotsky

o   Stalin wins power struggle and succeeds Lenin

§  Gained important support in party

§  Used moderates to crush Trotsky, then crushed the moderate party

§  Party congress December 1927 condemned all deviation from the party line

-       Stalin’s USSR

o   Economy: Five Year Plans, Collectivization

§  1927 marked end of NEP, beginning of socialist five year plans

§  Had staggering economic goals- first plan goal was to rapidly increase peasant and industrial production

§  1/5 of peasants gave up property and joined socialist collective farms

§  Stalin started “second revolution”

·            Stalin and supporters were deeply committed to their socialism

·            Were very determined to catch up with advanced capitalist nations of the west

§  Stalin issued war/collectivization of peasants

·            Feared peasants would become capitalist in response to new government

·            Grouped peasants into large socialist farms and liquidated party of better-off peasants, Kulaks

o   Caused for nearly 10 million Russian casualties as well as horrible famine in Ukraine

o   Life in the USSR

§  No improvement in living standard when Stalin came to power

·            Black bread, shabby clothing

·            Housing was crowded and insanitary

§  Unemployment was almost unknown, people were educated, cared for, all equal, personal advancement was possible

§  People struggled for education, which led to upper class membership

§  Mobilization of women in many positions men worked in

·            Doctors, factory workers

o   The Great Terror

§  1930s saw ruthless secret police and party purges

·            Stalin’s right hand man “mysteriously” murdered

§  Old Bolsheviks, ordinary citizens, intellectuals, managers, all sent to labor camps, imprisoned, or executed

§  New party members brought in who were loyal to Stalin, ruled until Gorbachev

The bill would lead to the creation of a brand new government agency, the National Center for Cyber-security and Communications (NCCC), within the Department of Homeland Security. The bill will face opposition for the fact that there are very few restrictions to the emergency powers granted to the president.

The intuitively offensive part of the bill, for the true libertarian at least, is the power granted to the president to shut down private sector internet use. One can accept that the government areas of the internet presumably should be under governmental control, and subject to operate however the government sees fit (as long as such operations are lawful). There is, however, no clear reason why the government should have control over private sections of the internet and therefore control over content owned and operated by private citizens.

As usual, the government says the justification for the extraordinary powers granted to the president is a threat to our national security. According to Senator Lieberman, due to the imminent threat to our national security that could come in the form of some kind of digital online attack, it is reasonable to give the president the power to seize control or shut down portions of the internet (this is what the bill allows, according to CNET).

There are several ethical issues involved in such granting the executive such a huge power. The emergency powers given to the president in the bill are a de facto means to shut down free speech should the president choose to do so. Senator Lieberman, talking on CNN about the bill, implicitly acknowledges the danger of the power handed to the president by giving us the fickle assurance that “it’s not like the president would do this [shut down the internet] every day.”

What must be balanced here is the nature of the threat, the ways to contain the threat, and the size of governmental response. We must also look at the powers given to the president and frame them as the actual power that the Obama administration would have over the internet and not simply accept the administration’s stated intentions behind the expansion in governmental power as a means to combat cyber terrorism. Government stated intentions behind an incremental increase in state power rarely hold true once the government is actually given the power it originally sought.

Senator Lieberman went on, rather alarmingly, to suggest that the Chinese government has the kind of power that will be granted to Obama from this bill, and that such state power is desirable here in the United States. The other states that have the kind of state power akin to the Chinese government are Burma, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Tunisia and others. These countries have autocratic or semi-autocratic governments in power: do we want to be a part of this select group of countries?

Nobody is arguing that we shouldn’t take cyber-security seriously. The government, however, cannot attempt to slip this by the people, create government agencies as they wish, and give the president extraordinary powers without even making the case for their actions. Furthermore, with regard to the private sector of the internet, there are companies that can effectively perform the task that the government needs done at a fair market price; this would mean the administration need not be given the de facto power to shut down free speech.

Alexander I became the first Czar of the 19th Century in 1801.  Reformation ideas flowed around him, but the invasion of Napoleon in 1812 caused him to draw away from the ideas.  The ideas moved from Alexander I to conspirators who saw these flaws.  In 1825, Alexander I dies and the Decembrist Revolt begins and eventually thrown down by Nicolas I.
   

Nicolas I, son of Alexander I decides that harsh means will show the conspirators whose in control.  Nicolas I shows ferocity in his ruling stature.  Unlike his father, Nicolas I did not even think about the Reformation Ideas.  Due to his ruling power, Nicolas I caused the Crimean War which evidently ended in his death.
   

Alexander II came to the throne after Nicolas I.  With the Crimean War over he had some major reforms to make due to the loss during the war.  First he freed the serfs, or slaves.  This did not work well because the serfs had to pay for their land which caused some major problems.  The serfs were poorer than ever.  Looking back at what happened with the French Revolution, Alexander II decided to set up a legislative government.  Just two days before he would pass the law, he was assassinated in his carriage.
   

Alexander III came to the throne with his fathers death.  He disagreed with his father’s idea about the legislature.  Disregarding his father, Alexander III followed the ways of Nicolas I and first hanged all the conspirators against his father.  One of the conspirators brother was Vladimir Lenin who was sent into exile to Switzerland where his ideas of Revolution flourished.  Alexander III came down with a sickness and died.
   

Nicolas II came in with a very lavish festival, though his father just died.  He brought Russia into the Industrial Age by building the Russian Railroad Superhighway.  Spreading across all of Russia, Nicolas II thought it would be a good idea to expand.  A good idea but it failed due to the Japanese Empire.  In 1904, Russia declared war on Japan.  Without the superior technology, Russia was crushed by the Japanese.  The flaws of Russia were clearly evident.  Rioters came to the palace on a day known as Bloody Sunday.  This day they failed to accomplish any reason with Nicolas II.  Nicolas II decided to set up the first legislature of Russia in 1906.  The Prime Minister at the time was assassinated in 1911.
   

Russia was very unorganized.  The Czars did not see the flaws until too late.  This would cause Russia to head into a state of turmoil and revolution.  Russia will never be under guidance of the Czars again.

The Obama administration recently announced the appointment of a Pay Czar in the near future.  Kenneth Feinberg will soon join the list of Czar’s this administration has appointed in the last 6 months.  To date the Obama administration has appointed 14 Czars; 14 individuals that by definition are now Monarchs or Emperors: Having great power.

Steven Rattner our Car Czar found himself under investigation for a kickback scam that presumably benefited the company Quadrangle Group, a company he co-founded. This investigation came to light shortly after he fired GM CEO Rick Wagner.

Tom Dascle was the Obama Administrations first choice for our Health Czar. The administration praised Dascled and his ties to both the Congress and Senate believing his political connection would insure the success of universal health care. Shortly after announcing Dascle would become our new Health Czar, Tom Dascle found himself under investigation for tax evasion and fraud.  He quickly resigned and was replace by our current Health Czar Nancy-Ann DeParle.

Paul Krugan a Nobel Prize winning economist was appointed Economic Czar.  One reason the Obama Administration gave when selecting him was; He was untainted.

Our Newest Czar will soon be Kenneth Feinberg a Washington D.C. attorney who specialized in medication and alternative disputes.  It has been noted that he often worked pro-bono.  I take this information as: He gives to the poor what he takes from the rich.  Kenneth Feinberg was also appointed “Special Master of Victim Compensation Fund” after the 911 attacks.  Although there are a limited number of critiques of the work he did during this time we need to remember lawsuits were filed against his task force.  Numerous suits were filed accusing Kenneth Feinberg and the Victim Compensation organization of unfairly limiting the amount awarded to surviving dependants of higher earning victims.  Once again an indication that our new Pay Czar tends to favor: Give to the poor what you take from the rich.

The Pay Czar or “Special Master for Compensation” role will be to focus on pay restrictions given to firms that fall under the TARP bailout. The Pay Czar will report to Treasury Secretary (investigated for tax fraud) Tim Geithner, however, it is being made very clear that the Pay Czar will have wide discretion on all rulings. With so much power given to these two men can we even begin to expect that the companies without “political clout” will be given the same consideration as those who do?

The word Czar is just a word, however, by definition the Obama administration is elevating these individuals to a level of power the citizens of this country should not be tolerating. We are allowing citizens who are appointed to work for us the “People of the United States” to much power by definition.

Before the events of the 1905 revolution Russia was a very turbulent place. The peasants who formed over 80% of the population were the victims of a famine on a biblical scale and wanted to own the land and not have to pay redemption payments. The Liberals who wanted to have a constitutional government to share and limit the Tsar’s power. The workers who wanted to reduce the working day and have better working conditions. So with these three main groups all wanted reform, something was going to have to change.

There were short term and long term effects that triggered the 1905 revolution. The long-term effects were the terrible famine that had struck the peasants, which made them unable to pay the redemption payments, this caused a lot of ill feeling towards the Tsar because the peasants felt that he should help them.

Another long-term effect was the industrial recession that happened after the “The Great Spurt”, the upper classes were furious because Russia was almost wholly dependant on foreign loans, especially from France, which the upper classes hated even more because it was a republic. This crippled the Russian economy, inflation rose by 40% and there was mass over crowding in the cities because of the people flocking to the cities during “The Great Spurt”, this meant that there was mass unemployment.

The short-term effects were slightly different catalysts. One important one was the Russo-Japanese war. This was a great humiliation to the Tsar because he thought that by starting a war with the weak nation of Japan and winning, he could divert attention from the problems in Russia. Unfortunately the Russian navy was comprehensively crushed by the Japanese in a series of quick decisive battles. This created outrage in Russia that such a weak nation could beat them. On top of this the army started to desert and mutiny because of the incompetence of the Tsar.

The other short-term effect was Bloody Sunday. This was the incident where industrial workers, led by Father Gapon, marched unarmed and singing patriotic songs to the Tsar’s palace in the hope of presenting a petition to use his powers to alleviate the working conditions and shorten the working day. However their intentions were misunderstood by the police force who began firing on the crown inducing mass panic. This massacre of innocent protesters led to a very negative attitude of the Tsar being formed who should have been protecting them.

All these effects combined caused the 1905 revolution. The long term effects are like petrol and the short term are like the match.

Ural Mountains

In the early days, rivers were extensively used as transportation networks. Because of the great distances between regions and the unequal geographic features of this vast land, development was fairly uneven. Agriculture was much more developed in the western part, compared to the rest of the country.

The lack of an adequate transport system has harmpered the development of the country’s domestic and international trade. Because it is basically a landlocked country, there is a need to develop Russia’s limited harbors and seaports to complement its industrialization. The ports found in the Arctic and Baltic seas, for example, are always covered with ice; while those found in the Pacific are too far away from the centers of industry.

Ivan the Great (1462-1505). The birth of the Russian Kingdom is attributed to two Ivans – Ivan the Great and Ivan the Terrible. From his noble origins as a duke in Moscow, Ivan the Great slowly strengthened his kingdom by subjugating smaller tribes. He also stopped paying tribute to the Mongols, who had been occupying Russia since 13th century.

In 1480, the Mongols sent an army to force Ivan to submit to their rule. By this time, however, Moscow was powerful enough to convince the Mongols to back off without a fight. This incident greatly enhanced Ivan’s reputation. It ended more then 200 years of Mongol domination in Russia.

After successfully defusing the Mongolian threat, Ivan turned his attention to the Polish-Lithuanian kingdom. in two successful military campaigns, he was able to enlarge his kingdom further, defeating the Polisgh-Lithuanian forces in the east and the remnants of the Mongolian army in the central and eastern regions.

Ivan the Terrible(1533-1584). Ivan the Terrible started his expansion campaign in the eastern steppes, where he defeated the roving tribes that occupied the area. Moscow has extended its rule to cover Kazan, once a Mongol-controlled city.

The two Ivans had successfully brought the kingdom under one centralized authority. THey adopted the title CZAR, from the name “Caesar”, once the mighty emperor of Rome. They also considered themselves defenders and propagators of the Orthodox version of Christianity, as practiced in Byzantium – because they were much impressed by the magnificent church rituals of this religion.

The Czars exercised absolute authority. Those who resisted were summarily executed. The serfs and peasants bore to brunt of the Czars’ oppressive policies. Ivan the Terrible earned his reputation and name from the feudal lords. However, he rewarded those who readily obeyed his orders.

The tyranny of Ivan the Terrible brought fear and demoralization to many Russians. When he died in 1584, restlessness and discontent had spread over the whole kingdom. Civil war erupted after only a few years.