Case 8-13 Mohamed Salem El-Hadad, Internal Auditor

Case 8-13 Mohamed Salem El-Hadad, Internal Auditor 1. Identify and briefly describe the legal protections that â€Å"whistleblowers† have in the United States. Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 806: Whistleblower Protection â€Å"SEC. 806. PROTECTION FOR EMPLOYEES OF PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES WHO PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF FRAUD. † â€Å"Sec. 1514A.Civil action to protect against retaliation in fraud cases (a) WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION FOR EMPLOYEES OF PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES- No company with a class of securities registered under section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U. S. C. 78l), or that is required to file reports under section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U. S. C. 8o(d)), or any officer, employee, contractor, subcontractor, or agent of such company, may discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, or in any other manner discriminate against an employee in the terms and conditions of employment because of any lawful act done by the employeeà ¢â‚¬â€ (1) to provide information, cause information to be provided, or otherwise assist in an investigation regarding any conduct which the employee reasonably believes constitutes a violation of section 1341, 1343, 1344, or 1348, any rule or regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any provision of Federal law relating to fraud against shareholders, when the information or assistance is provided to or the investigation is conducted by– (A) a Federal regulatory or law enforcement agency; (B) any Member of Congress or any committee of Congress; or (C) a person with supervisory authority over the employee (or such other person working for the employer who has the authority to investigate, discover, or terminate misconduct) (sox-online. com/act). As stated above employees are protected against any retaliation from employers concerning their job position. 2. Should U. S. companies integrate legal protections for internal whistleblowers into their internal contro l systems? Defend your answer. I think that U. S companies should integrate legal protections for internal whistleblowers into their internal control systems. Doing so will give employees the confidence to expose fraudulent and illegal activity. Otherwise an individual will not step forward with information regarding illegal matters because of the penalties they will have to pay. Some employers have the power to prevent individuals from obtaining jobs in the same field by giving bad references. 3.Suppose that during your career you discover a fraud similar to that uncovered by Mohamed Salem El-Hadad. List specific measure that you could take to protect yourself from recriminations by your employer or other parties. A few steps one could take to protect themselves from recriminations by their employer or other parties are: Document any suspicions, take pictures, record phone conversations. Keep records of all items that might cause problems in the future. 4. Did El-Hadad face an ethi cal or moral dilemma when he discovered the fraud being perpetrated by his superior and friend? Before responding, define ethical dilemma and moral dilemma.An ethical dilemma is a circumstance that a person faces concerning a decision about proper behavior. It usually involves a situation in which the wellbeing of one or more other individuals is affected by the outcome of the decision. A moral dilemma is a situation that an individual faces involving a decision about whether an act is ethical. El-Hadad faced an ethical dilemma when he discovered the fraud being committed by his superior and friend. Cites http://www. sox-online. com/act_section_806. html Knapp, M. C. (2013). Madoff Securities. In M. C. Knapp, Contemporary AuditingReal Issues And Cases Mason: South-Western. Whittington, R. (2012). Principles of Auditing & Other Assurance Services. New York: McGraw- Hill/Irwin.

Epistemology and Knowledge Essay

For centuries philosophers have questioned whether knowledge exists and if we know anything at all. This discipline is known as epistemology. Epistemology, or the theory of knowledge, is a branch of philosophy related to the scope and nature of knowing. The subject focuses on examining the nature of knowledge and how it relates to beliefs, justification and truth. It is actually quite hard to define knowledge. The dictionary defines it as a general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles, but philosophers on the other hand define it as a belief which is in agreement with the facts. So what are the facts, and what do we know exactly? Christopher Norris, the author of Epistemology: Key Concepts in Philosophy, states that whatever we believe now, is only an approximation of reality and that every new observation brings us closer to an understanding. Therefore, knowledge is forever changing/evolving and not pertaining to one’s beliefs. â€Å"†¦ ‘water’ was once defined vaguely as the kind of stuff that fell as rain, filled up lakes, was liquid under normal ambient conditions, boiled or froze at certain temperatures, †¦ etc† (Norris 44). Due to evolution, we now know  that liquid; water, is made up of the molecular structure H20. We no longer believe that the liquid once vaguely defined is anything other than water (H20); now we are knowledgeable. Norris believes science must be integrated with the natural world and the social world to truly understand knowledge. â€Å"When we try to explain all our knowledge of the world as Descartes does we try to understand how the things we believe in science and in everyday life are connected with and warranted by the bases or grounds on which we come to believe them† (Stroud 209). Beliefs are things people have. They aren’t things that can be picked up along the side of the road. Just because a person believes they can fly doesn’t make it true. For many philosophers, this is important. It implies that what someone thinks, could be wrong. In other words, it implies that what one thinks about the world may not match up with the way the world really is. â€Å"†¦ truth occurs when ideas in the mind agree with external conditions or objects †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Soccio 322). Therefore, there is a distinction between belief and truth. Truth is not in your head. Truth is out there. Truth is factual. The molecular structure H2O is factual; therefore it is truth. Knowledge is a kind of interaction. It involves asking questions and inference. One can’t merely know because they believe. Although a person can believe that they know something, that isn’t legitimate knowledge. Knowledge is a belief which is in agreement with the facts. Works Cited Norris, Christopher. Epistemology: Key Concepts in Philosophy. New York: Continuum, 2005. Print. Soccio, Douglas J. Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy 8th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2013. Print. Stroud, Barry. The Significance of Philosophical Scepticism. New York: Oxford, 1984. Print.

A Short Overview of the Zika Virus

A Short Overview of the Zika Virus Zika is a virus transmitted through mosquito bites. The Zika virus was first detected in Brazil in May of 2015, the virus has traveled to Africa and parts of Asia. Zika has is new to the western hemisphere, spreading through out Latin America and the Caribbean. Since then 1.5 million people have been reported infected in Brazil. In the U.S. there has been many travel related cases 625 cases in the New York, 510 in Florida, and 152 cases in California. Zika doesn’t just have effects now but also has health effects in the long-term. The virus causes a disease in unborn and born infants called Microcephaly. The disease causes children to be born with abnormally small heads and often deformed brains. The U.S is advising pregnant women to not travel anywhere the virus is prevalent. In El Salvador women were asked to wait until 2018 to become pregnant. Sexual transmission has also been reported in 10 countries, including the United States, France, Germany, Italy and New Zealand. In all known cases, transmission has been from a man to a woman or to another man, not from a woman to anyone else. In at least one case, a man who never had Zika symptoms transmitted it sexually. Health authorities recommend that men who have had no symptoms should wait eight weeks. Zika is almost never fatal, but its been known to kill people. The virus has killed a man in Puerto Rico. The man, in his 70s, is the first reported U.S. death from the virus, which is spreading faster across America. The patient who died in Puerto Rico had a very rare complication called immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura. Another patient, who died in Utah, had a Zika virus infection that contributed to her death. There is no vaccine against the Zika virus. Efforts to make one have just begun, and creating and testing a vaccine normally takes years and costs hundreds of millions of dollars. The C.D.C. does not recommend a particular antiviral medication for people infected with the Zika virus. The symptoms are mild – when they appear at all – and usually require only rest, nourishment and other supportive care. Travelers to these countries are advised to avoid or minimize mosquito bites by staying in screened or air-conditioned rooms or sleeping under mosquito nets; wearing insect repellent at all times; and wearing long pants, long sleeves, shoes and hats.

Various Religious Restrictions in Many Forms of Art Assignment

Various Religious Restrictions in Many Forms of Art - Assignment Example It does not add anything foreign to its shape because the religion believes that the work of man is never equal to God’s art. To add to this, focus on the Quran brought about illustration and calligraphy. The Quran also makes explicit and various prohibitions on figurative imagery like bowing to gods as well as prohibit iconography. Unlike in Islamic art, Christian art is extraordinary because it does not illustrate the particular style of art, region, or period, but rather a specific choice of purpose, which entails extensive styles and forms. Getlein (378) also explains that Christian art touches on subjects like theology, politics, history, and philosophy. Having started with the minority groups, who had singled out their beliefs, it started having a universal occurrence in both private and public buildings to what was referred to as Christendom. Christian art was seen in great churches, abbeys, royal palaces, and cathedrals. It was also seen parishes, small churches, and private residential. The imagery of Christian was also evident in mosaic and wall-paintings in the walls of churches. What impacted the nature and creation of Christian was the decision of Paul to spread the gospel and when Constantine embraced Christianity. Christian art can also be traced towards the beginning and end of both second and t hird century. In the Old Testament, there are prohibitions of images, which are graven, families would be buried in tombs that were carved with marble and outside the walls of Rome, and the Romans would dig catacombs to bury their family members (Getlein 15). In chapter 21 of The Living Art, different works of arts have been exhibited from writers and artists who found it thrilling and overwhelming because they recognized art as modern. Getlein (506) argues that modernity is said to have developed a new type of society in the wake of revolution from diverse art movements like an American, Industrial, and  the French revolution.

Drug Trafficking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Drug Trafficking - Research Paper Example Drug addicts are usually morally corrupt people and so are the drug traffickers. This paper discusses the potential means and ways by which drugs reach US and how it impacts the American society. According to the statistics noted by UNODC (2011), about 340 tons of heroin is currently consumed all over the world every year while an annual discharge into the global market of heroin ranges from 430 tons to 450 tons as represented by the seizures. 50 tons of this quantity are yielded by the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the opium retrieved from Myanmar whereas the Afghan opium produces about 380 tons of morphine and heroin. Of the 380 tons, only 5 tons of heroin are consumed by the Afghanis and the rest is supplied to countries far and wide all over the world via routes in the neighboring countries. UNODC (2011) also shares information regarding the routes through which heroin is smuggled to the world from Afghanistan. Heroin is primarily trafficked through the northern and Balkan routes which connect Afghanistan with the large markets belonging to the Western Europe and the Russian Federation. The Balkan route links Afghanistan with Iran via Pakistan from where, the heroin is passed over to Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece in the South-East Europe. Its market value upon reaching the European market in the West is about $20 billion. Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia exist on the northern route. That market’s size is worth $13 billion annually. Every year, US has to bear a cost of $70 billion as a result of the illegal trade of drugs (Finckenauer, Fuentes, and Ward, 2007). The chief smugglers of narcotics into US are the drug traffickers of Mexico. Most of the drugs are transferred from Mexico to US through the 2000 mile long border that the two share. Mexico, today is the main transporter of marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine to the US and also plays a cardinal role in the sale of

Discussion borad 3.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion borad 3.2 - Essay Example FAA: A structured observation was performed three times during the different days of the week and different times of the day to obtain a picture of his disruptive and aggressive behavior. The frequency count of hitting, kicking, biting, pinching, poking, grabbing eyeglasses and jewelry, and screaming was done to establish a baseline. Additionally, Jon’s teacher was interviewed to get her perspective and develop a working relationship in order to develop successful interventions. Setting Event (Ecological) Strategies: During transitions, Jon can be assigned to a peer partner who could model being calm and explain what was going on and what was expected; and the new teacher can be given more training in behavior management. Antecedent Strategies: Jon might benefit from more opportunities to choose which activities he would do first (e.g., allowed to continue working on puzzle if asks appropriately); Easy and preferred tasks may be combined with difficult, less preferred tasks; Activities should be made more appealing (e.g., reduce length, assistance offered). Consequence Strategies: The teacher should listen to and honor Jons new alternative requests (i.e., he was given assistance, or a break, or allowed to choose a different activity if he made the requests appropriately); The teacher will remain emotionally supportive when confronted with problem behaviors. Measures: (a) Number of incidents of aggression, noncompliance, and disruption per week, (b) percent of class activities in which Jon participated, (c) general indicators of quality of educational experience (e.g., type of activities, need for one-to-one assistance). From the information collected during FAA is seems that the function of Brandon’s behavior was actually seeking attention. That’s why when his grandmother moved away, the frequency of negative behaviors at school has increased. It seems that Brandon is lacking some social skills, which is typical among children

Global Warming on Forests Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Warming on Forests - Essay Example This paper talks that the collective rainforests of the world act as a climatic sponge storing much of the world’s rainwater, of which the Amazon rainforest accounts for more than half. Trees in the rainforest recycle water drawn from the forest ground. This, combined with the moisture that evaporates from the leaves is released into the atmosphere from whence it came. This paper approves that deforestation is the leading reason that soils in the forested areas lose their sustainability. Farming techniques and overgrazing increase soil degradation and erosion. The solution begins with severing the root cause. The voracious consumerism of industrialized nations is depleting the forests but if the people of these nations could come to understand the implications of deforestation and learn the specific companies within their country contributing to it. For example, Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds have recently been reported on the national news as major purchasers of soybeans grown in former rainforest lands. This paper gives a solution automobile emissions may lie in alternative fuels. Promising future alternatives to crude oil, vegetable oil can be substituted for diesel fuel while ethanol is an effective petrol additive. Given the fact that fossil fuels are finite and its emissions are threatening every living thing on earth, why have most nations been slow in efforts to reduce the use of oil in favor of more viable energy sources? The economic consequence of doing nothing is far greater than solving the problem through legislation.

Oflactory and Gustative Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Oflactory and Gustative Marketing - Assignment Example Most marketing activities in hotels adopt a visual marketing since there is a deep connection between brands and customer involvement. Due to the increase in competition in businesses today, many marketers have employed the olfactory stimuli to capture the attention of buyers. Olfactory marketing makes the customers linger longer in retail surrounding, and this lures them to making impulse purchases. Scent marketing has become a fast emerging trend in marketing. The trend recognizes the need for companies to strive and reach their target customers through sight and sound. As Kimmel (2010) noted, difficulties faced by marketers in trying to reach the audience makes scent-related marketing understandable. The principle behind the olfactory branding is uniqueness and consistency (Dooley, 2012). Controlling the olfactory environment is there necessary since people tend to associate smells with products or the store. To support the olfactory marketing, companies should consider using olfactory packaging on their products. Olfactory packaging is way of packing products in a manner that appeal to the sense of smell (Kimme l, 2012). Many researchers have been trying to investigate the effect that the olfactory sign exert on clients and the approach behaviors they were exhibiting. The researchers observed that products in the scented store remained for a short period as compared to those in unscented store. Merchandise evaluations showed that the intention to purchase a backpack while no scent was present was only 2.29 while after the application of the scent the scale rose to 2.97. The researcher findings proved that odors and their many features have the capability of affecting a customer’s perception of services and products (Cherish & Oktavian, 2012). One can conclude by saying that adequate scent exploitation is of great importance in marketing and other business activities. Gustative

Challenger Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Challenger Disaster - Essay Example Initially asked is what could the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) management have done differently, was there anything the subordinates could have done differently? Additionally what could Joe Kilminster an engineer and the Vice President of Space Booster programs at Morton Thiokol (Aerospace Company in charge of the solid fuel rocket motors) have done differently and what could fellow co-worker Roger Boisjoly an engineer with Morton Thiokol have done differently and were there any additional detrimental factors? Is there a difference in the professional responsibilities of the engineers involved in relation to being employees and the need to protect the public? Additionally, we will identify other potential extenuating factors that may have had an effect on the decisions of those in charge to go ahead with the launch; additionally did the President or the Vice President of the United States have prior knowledge. Lastly, after examining the various contributing f actors and problems as well as persons involved the decision will be made regarding NASA management’s decision making ability at this time. Challenger Accident case study Brief history of the Challenger disaster The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded over the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday, January 28 1986; with its demise the lives of seven crew members were lost. The explosion which occurred 73 seconds after liftoff claimed the lives of the crew and destroyed the vehicle. The cause of the explosion was later determined to be an O-ring failure in the right solid rocket booster. Outside of human influences cold weather was also determined to be a contributing factor. (STS-51L, 2011 Para. 15) The Presidential Commission on the Challenger Accident was completed with recommendations on July 14, 1986 six short months after the accident occurred. On board the STS-51L shuttle designated, Challenger was Commander Francis R. Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Mission Specialists Judith A. Res nik, Ellison S. Onizuka, Ronald E. McNair and Payload Specialists Gregory B. Jarvis and Sharon Christa McAuliffe. McAuliffe was a High School teacher for the 10th-12th grades at Concord High School, Concord, New Hampshire. (Biographical Data, 2011) Her role was as a participant in the teachers in space program that President Reagan had initiated. The program was canceled as a result of her death and the Challenger accident; she was the first active participant and the last. She was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor posthumously. The others on the mission were also awarded medals or promoted posthumously as a result of the mission’s abrupt and deadly failure. Examining NASA’s liability Understanding the ethical responsibilities inherent with the NASA administration is important. In the ensuing media blackout directly following the event from NASA and the global frenzy of speculation in the media it became apparent that previously accepted approach of absolu te secrecy regarding accidents with space going craft would need to be revised. Along with the media blackout that was standard operating procedure the events leading to the launch would need to be revised. According to NASA requirements any flight with technological problems was to be grounded. In July of 1985 Marshall Engineers had filed a formal constraint effectively grounding all future missions including 51-L (Challenger) based on problems with the motor nozzle joint. Apparently however, Marshall had failed to report the formal constraint to Level

On the Sino-Japanese Relationship Essay Example for Free

On the Sino-Japanese Relationship Essay Bibliography: 1. Jacques Gernet. A history of Chinese civilization. Cambridge University Press. 1996. 2. Asakawa, K.. The Early Institutional Life of Japan: A Study in Reform of 645, Japan. 1963. 3. B. , Barbara; Changgen, Yu. Chinese Foreign Policy during the Cultural Revolution. New York: Columbia University Press. 1998. 4. Hagstrà ¶m, Linus. Japan’s China Policy: A Relational Power Analysis, London and New York, 2005. 5. Hagstrà ¶m, Linus. Sino-Japanese Relations: The Ice That Won’t Melt, International Journal, 2008. 6. Sansom, George . A History of Japan to 1334. Stanford University Press. 1958. China and Japan are geographically separated by East China Sea. China has strongly influenced Japan with its writing system, architecture, culture, religion, philosophy, and law. The relationship between China and Japan is very complex, in different times, the relationship changes. At very beginning, when China was ruled by Qin Shi Huang, he â€Å"sent several hundred people to Japan to search for medicines of immortality†.(1996) Other records at the time show that Japan already had the same customs recognized today. These include clapping during prayers, eating from wooden trays and eating raw fish. During the Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, Japan sent many students on a limited number of Imperial embassies to China, to help establish its own footing as a sovereign nation in northeast Asia. â€Å"After the fall of the Korean confederated kingdom of Baekje to combined Tang and Silla forces, Japan was forced to seek out the Chinese state on its own, which in those times was a treacherous undertaking, thus limiting the successes of Japanese overseas contacts during this time.†(1963) In AD 663 the Battle of Baekgang took place, the first China-Japanese conflict in recorded history. â€Å"The battle was part of the ancient relationships between the Korean Three Kingdoms (Samguk or Samhan), the Japanese Yamato, and Chinese dynasties.†(1996) The battle itself came near the conclusion of this period with the fall of Baekje, one of the Samguk or three Korean kingdoms, coming on the heels of this battle. From AD 600-1600, marine trades between China and Japan are well recorded, and many Chinese artifacts could be excavated. Baekje and Silla sometimes played the role of middleman, while direct commercial links between China and Japan flourished. â€Å"The ports of Ningbo and Hangzhou had the most direct trading links to Japan and had Japanese residents doing business. The Ming dynasty decreed that Ningbo was the only place where Japanese-Chinese relations could take place.†(1996) After 663, Japan had no choice but to directly trade with the Chinese dynasties. At first the Japanese had little long-range seafaring expertise of their own but eventually the Japanese improved their naval prowess as well as the construction of their ships. Then, it was 1890s. After the arrival of Commodore Perry and the forced opening of Japan to western trading, Japan realized it needed to modernize to avoid the humiliation of China during the Opium Wars. Friction between China and Japan arose from Japans control over the Ryukyu Islands from 1870, annexation of Taiwan after the First Sino-Japanese war of 1894. China was almost forced to cede more territory in Manchuria but was saved by Russian intervention. Despite this, China still paid a huge indemnity and relinquished Taiwan. The next stage was the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. In 1931, â€Å"Japan fully occupied Manchuria and created a new state called Manchukoku (Manchukuo), after a series of incidents culminating in the Mukden Incident and came to full scale invasion of China in July 1937.†(2008) Japan was soon able to gain control over all Chinese outlying territories. The Japanese invaded Beijing after accusing the Chinese Second United Front troops of shooting at Marco Polo Bridge. This marked the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Chinese nationalist aircraft then bombed Japanese positions in Shanghai and marked the beginning of the Battle of Shanghai. Afterwards, the Japanese advanced and faced little resistance as the best Chinese troops were sacrificed in Shanghai. â€Å"Japanese troops massacred Chinese prisoners of war (considered shameful by Japanese Bushido) and civilians over the course of two months during the Rape of Nanking.†(2008) Actual numbers of killed vary according to Chinese or Japanese sources. Chinese sources accept 300,000 or more killed. In 1945, Japan’s unconditional surrender shows the Chinese victory of the war. After the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, relations with Japan changed from hostility and an absence of contact to cordiality and extremely close cooperation in many fields. But some Japanese fear that the economic and military power of the China has been increasing. In December 1971, the Chinese and Japanese trade liaison offices began to discuss the possibility of restoring diplomatic trade relations, and â€Å"in July 1972, Kakuei Tanaka succeeded Eisaku SatÃ…  as a new Japanese Prime Minister. Tanaka assumed a normalization of the Sino-Japanese relations. Furthermore, the 1972 Nixon visit to China encouraged the normalization process. His visit to Beijing culminated in the signing a joint statement on September 29, 1972.†(2005) The Japanese agreed to most of the PRC’s demands, including the political status of Taiwan. Subsequently, the bilateral economic relationships grew rapidly: 28 Japanese and 30 Chinese economic and trade missions visited their partner country. In 2001, Japans Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visits the Yasukuni Shrine, a dedication to the countrys fallen soldiers. His visit is seen by many Chinese as symbolizing a denial of Japans World Word II war crimes, specifically the Rape of Nanjing. In 2005, Sino-Japanese â€Å"relations deteriorate after Japanese textbooks understate Rape of Nanjing atrocities. Violent anti-Japanese protests erupt throughout China, North Korea, South Korea and other Asian nations.†(2008) Now, a series of chess moves by China and Japan over the Diaoyu islands frays already fragile relations. On Aug. 15, Japanese police arrested China activists who had sailed to the islands. This enrages Chinese all over the world, people boycott Japanese goods and anti-Japanese one after another. From my point of view, Japan has crossed the line. We want a good relationship and a peaceful world, but we cannot accept someone warp the history and grab territory. As a Chinese student, I have special feelings toward Japan from childhood, what all I hope is Japan could be less agressive.

Sylvia Plath And Her Poem Daddy

Sylvia Plath And Her Poem Daddy Sylvia Plath was an American poet and novelist, but also a mother, teacher and wife (Plath, p.2). She was born in Boston Massachusetts on October 27, 1932 (Ibid, p.2). Her mother Aurelia Schober Plath was a first generation American of Austrian descent. Her father Otto Emile Plath was an immigrant from Grabow, Germany (Ibid.). Sylvia Plaths father died of complications of diabetes on November 1940 a month after her eighth birthday (Wikipedia.org/Sylvia Plath). Sylvia Plaths father was not a German Nazi, as readers of the poem Daddy are made to believe. Otto Plath was a distinguished professor of biology and German language at Boston University (Plath, p.3). He was known throughout the world as an authority on bees as well (Ibid.). In Sylvia Plaths poem titled Daddy, a theory exists the poet speaker is addressing both her dead father, but for the most part her husband and father figure, English poet Ted Hughes. To understand this theory, one must recall the meaning of the Oedipus complex as well as the Electra complex. The Oedipus complex is defined as a transition in a male childs life, where the child has a psychological desire to sleep with the mother and kill the father (From Sigmund Freud). The Electra complex, on the other hand, states that a female child has a romantic desire toward the father and rejection of the mother. Psychologically, as an adult, the female looks for a husband that provides the father figure for her; that is, a man that will takes over all the roles of the real father (From Sigmund Freud). The poem Daddy by Sylvia Plath is a fantasy poem rebuking not her dead father but the father figure in her husband Ted Hughes. The poem, Daddy, was written on October 12, 1962 before Sylvia Plath committed suicide (Wikipedia). Almost all of Sylvia Plaths poems were written during the second part of the feminist struggle of the 60s and 70s (Wikipedia.org/Feminism). The poem was posthumously published in a collection of poems under the heading of Ariel, which was submitted with a Forward by her daughter Frieda Hughes Plath (Plath, p. 16). That collection of poems contained in the Ariel collection made Sylvia Plath a household name (Ibid.). In her poem Daddy, Plath uses the Holocaust as a pivot point to rebuke her husband and father figure, and laments her father who died when she was eight years old. Listening to Sylvia Plath read her own poem Daddy, the listener detects a childs tone filled with considerate, unselfish love and affection when she reads and pronounces the word Daddy. The listener also detects the difference in tone when she recites the rest of the lines in the poem. The tone is more harsh and filled with hate, rage and anger (YouTube, http://www.youtube.com). The form of the poem is Free Verse with sixteen Cinquain stanzas. The poem also contains intermittent iambic verse throughout with no continuous pattern. The use of metaphors, symbolism and similes, throughout the stanzas gives the poem a semblance of balance. The entire poem in itself, however, is a metaphor. The speaker uses the first person descriptive voice. The theme of the poem is feminist in nature; that is, a female persona climbing to freedom from dominance of the father figure. She desires to be free from male domination, authority and control in order to be able to have the right to be her own persona. The mood of the poem is conversational (Aird, p. 82). The poem does not follow a rhyming scheme, but it does follow a nursery rhyming type of sound throughout the poem. In addition, a rhyme oo sound is predominant on the first Cinquain stanza as well as on the last stanza of the poem (Strand and Boland, pp. 274-276, Lines 1-5 and 76-80). Examples of internal rhyme are in lines, 1, 23, 49 and 50. An example of alliteration exists in line 49. There are various repetitions in this poem as follows: You do not do, you do not do (Ibid. Line 1), Of wars, wars, wars. (Line 18), Ich, ich, ich, ich, (Ibid. Line 27 which means I want to, I want to). In addition, An engine, an engine (Ibid. Line 31), And my Taroc pack and my Taroc pack (Ibid. Line 39), Panzer-man, panzer-man, O Youà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ (Ibid. Line 45) And get back, back, back to you, (Ibid. Line 59). Also Daddy, daddy, you bastard, Im through. (Ibid. Line 80) The speaker used figurative language throughout the poem. In addition, there are several similes in (Ibid. Lines 3, 32, and 34). The speaker uses hyperbole in lines 6, 11, 12, 49, 62, 69, 72, 73 and 76. Figurative language as an apostrophe is included in lines, 8, 9, 10, 46, 70, and 72. In addition, personification is included in lines 8, 10, 11, 36, 37, 46, 54, 62, 70, and 72. The imagery used by the speaker is relevant to sight, sound and touch, and it is void of smell and taste. The imagery of sound is present in lines 5, 16, 28, 34, 67, and 70. The imagery of sight is present in lines 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 32, 36, 43, 44, 52, 57, 61, and 76. The touch imagery is present in lines 25, 26, 62, and 78. In the first stanza of the poem Daddy, Plath opens the poem with the affirmation that she no longer accepts the hurtful marriage by saying, You do not do, you do not do (Strand and Boland, pp. 274-276, Line 1). She further claims that she will no longer be bound to the darkness and forlornness of her father figure husband by saying, Any more, black shoe / In which I have lived like a foot (Ibid. Lines 2-3). She feels she has been held captive in a marriage that has gone sour and she has had enough. She agrees to divorce her husband and as a result, she is not restricted to the confines of a bad marriage. Even though she faces economic difficulties, it does not matter since she had been under those circumstances before as she says, For thirty years, poor and white. (Ibid. Line 4) In the second stanza, Sylvia Plath decides to accept her fathers death. She claims he had died before she had a chance to show her love for him (Ibid. Line 7). Her fathers dead body was placed, perhaps, in a body bag as she remembers; was heavy and filled with kindness, goodness and love as she says, Marble-heavy, a bag full of God. (Ibid. Line 8) In the third stanza, she remembers the place where her father was placed after his death. She had hopes her father would come back to her as she proclaims, I used to pray to recover you. (Ibid. Line 14), and she cries aloud, Ach, du. (Ibid. Line 15) hoping for her wish to come true. In the fifth stanza, Sylvia Plath refers to the many extramarital affairs her husband and father figure had. She is not sure who he loves, but she does not confront him since the thought of it was perhaps more hurtful than the action itself. In the sixth stanza, she makes a vivid portrayal of her suffering from her painful marriage and father figure by fantasizing of being à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦stuck in a barb wire snare. (Ibid. Line 26) In the seventh stanza, Sylvia Plath feels her father figure pushed her away as if an engine that has drove her to the brim of her fantasy of being a Jew persecuted by the German Nazis. An engine, an engine // Chuffing me off like a Jew. (Ibid. Lines 31 and 32) The circumstance surrounding her unhappy marriage makes her compare herself to a Jew being sent to the first Nazi concentration camp (Wikipedia.org/ Dachau concentration camp), or to the extermination camp in Auschwitz (http://en.wikipedia.org /Auschwitz concentration camp). The least she could expect from her father figure, was to be sent to the Nazi Belsen concentration camp to be exchanged for German prisoners of war held (http://en.wikipedia.org /Bergen-Belsen concentration camp) overseas. In the eighth stanza, Sylvia Plath considers herself an Aryan Gypsy which in à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦the Nazi minds there were contradictions between what they regarded as the superiority of the Aryan race and their image of the Gypsies Like the Jews, Gypsies were singled out by the Nazis for racial persecution and annihilation. (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org). Sylvia Plath enhances her belief of bad luck and the fantasy of being an Aryan Gypsy by mentioning the Taroc game cards as she says, And my Taroc pack and my Taroc pack / I may be a bit of a Jew. (Strand and Boland, pp. 274-276, Lines 39 and 40) She mentions the Taroc pack twice, once to reference her destiny of her bad luck with her husband and the second to reference the destiny of bad luck with her father figure. Regardless, she still considers herself à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦a bit of a Jew. (Ibid. Line 40) In stanza nine and ten, she compares her husband and father figure to Adolf Hitler, With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygook. / And your neat mustache / And your Aryan eye, bright blue. // Not God but a swastika / So black no sky could squeak through. / Every woman adores a Fascist, / The boot in the face, the brute / Brute heart of a brute like you. // (Ibid. Lines 42-50) There is a correlation between the figure of Adolf Hitler and her husband and father figure whom also had extramarital dealings with other women. In addition, Ted Hughes was over six feet tall and always dressed himself from head to toe in black (Ted Hughes: An Introduction, Ann Skea). In stanza eleven, the symbolism for blackboard stands for dualism. On the one hand, Sylvia Plath sees her loving and missed father and on the other, she sees her father figure and husband. She sees her father as having a cleft in his chin instead of his foot. On the other hand, the dual figure she sees is that of her husband and father figure having a cleft in his foot much as a devil has. The eleventh stanza states, You stand at the blackboard, daddy, / In the picture I have of you, / A cleft in your chin instead of your foot / But no less a devil for that, no not / Any less the black man who // (Strand and Boland, pp. 274-276, Lines 51-55). She continues addressing her husband and father figure in stanza twelfth by saying, Bit my pretty red heart in two. / (Ibid. Line 56). Also in the twelfth stanza, Sylvia Plath claims she was ten years old when her father died. Several years later, she tried to commit suicide but was unsuccessful. She had hoped to be back with him and would have been satisfied even if there were no flesh left in his bones. She says in part, I was ten when they buried you. / At twenty I tried to die / And get back, back, back to you. / I thought even the bones would do. // (Ibid. Lines 57-60) In stanza thirteen Sylvia Plath refers to the failed attempt at suicide. She claims they were able to save her and thereafter she decides to make a model of her father; her father figure as she says, But they pulled me out of the sack, / And they stuck me together with glue. / And then I knew what to do. / I made a model of you, / A man in black with a Meinkapmf look // (Ibid. Lines 61-65) In stanza fourteenth, she refers to the rack as the wedding bed and having sex with her father figure after she accepted the marriage vows. Later she realizes the marriage is not working and agrees to dissolve the marriage. She decides not to agree to any calls for reconciliation, and refuses to listen to any communications coming from her father figure. She confesses to her father that her life is over with her father figure as she says in the fourteenth stanza, And a love of the rack and the screw. / And I said I do, I do. / So daddy, Im finally through. / The black telephone off the root, / The voices just cant worm through. // (Ibid. Lines 66-70) Stanza fifteenth is an affirmation that Sylvia Plath has accepted the departure from her marriage from her father figure much as she has accepted the death of her father. Sylvia Plath says, If Ive killed one man, Ive killed two (Ibid. Line 71). She refers to the father figure as a vampire whom has drained her lifes happiness for the seven years she was married to her husband and father figure. She says, The vampire who said he was you / And drank my blood for a year, / Seven years, if you want to know. / (Ibid. Lines72-74) In the last line of the fifteenth stanza, she tells her father he can now rest in peace, Daddy, you can lie back now. (Ibid. Line 75) In the sixteenth and last stanza, Sylvia Plath continues with her fantasy and is able to get rid of the vampire father figure, Theres a stake in your fat black heart (Ibid. Line 76). Sylvia Plath comes to a certain end in her life and tells her father people did not like her father figure. People knew the father figure was to blame for her failures by saying, And the villagers never liked you. / They always knew it was you. / Daddy, daddy, you bastard, Im through. // (Ibid. Lines 77-80) It is important to notice the uppercase D when she addresses her father and the lowercase d when she addresses her father figure. (Ibid. Line 80) Sylvia Plath continued her fantasy of being persecuted as a Jew by the German Nazis, and in particular by her father figure, to the end of her life. In her poem Lady Lazarus, she mentions the many times she tried to commit suicide, but was not successful. Before the first publication of the novel The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath carried with her to the end of her life, a correlation of being a persecuted Jew by her father figure. She committed suicide by turning the gas on in the oven of the house and symbolically placed her head inside the oven. She succeeds in killing herself on the 11th day of February 1963 (Aird, p. 13). Sylvia Plath was thirty years old (Ibid). Before carrying out her suicide, she placed a large bottle of milk in each of her childrens cribs and covered the bottom of the door leading to the childrens room with wet towels. The wet towel would prevent the gas from seeping into their room and keeping them from dying as well (wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia Plath). The next day an inquiry ruled her death was a suicide (Ibid). In her novel, The Bell Jar, which was first published under the pseudonym of Victoria Lucas, Sylvia Plath tells in a semiautobiographical story about her unhappiness. The novel enumerates the various conflicts in her life including her complex mental illness. Even today, Sylvia Plath has many fans. The gravestone, which bears her name, is found in Heptonstall churchyard in England (Wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia Plath # cite note). Some of Plaths supporters who have chiseled the name Hughes off it have repeatedly vandalized it. This practice intensified following the suicide in 1969 of Assia Wevill, the woman for whom Ted Hughes left Plath, which led to claims Hughes had been abusive toward Plath (Ibid). Ted Hughes died October 28, 1998 (Skea, Ann); it seems to be ironic, and perhaps symbolic that Ted Hughes died sixty-six years later and a day before Sylvia Plath birthday of October 27. According to [The] Dictionary of Literary Symbols, the number 666 is considered an imperfect number an d the famous number of the beast; that is, the devil (Ferber, p.141).

Ghost Story of Haunted Row House: Philadelphia Essay -- Ghost Stories

Haunted Row House: Philadelphia The particular story I collected takes place in Philadelphia, where ghost stories are plentiful. Philadelphia is an old city with a rich cultural heritage, and our founding fathers made history in the place that was once our nation’s capital (Eidmann). Many believe that their spirits and spirits of those from colonial times still lurk around. It is easy to feel like spirits are around when in a place where many people have lived and died before, and in a place that is filled with old buildings and landmarks. All of these factors make this city a perfect place for a ghost story. This story was told to me by a close friend, in my dorm room on a cold rainy day in April. My friend is a female of Columbian descent, 20 years old, who lives off campus in Silver Spring, Maryland. She is a sophomore and is currently studying journalism at Maryland. She heard this story about a year ago while she was with her mom, and it was told to them by a co-worker of her mother’s at a national magazine. This story was collected by tape recorder, which was held by the teller. So this past year I heard a ghost story from my mom’s coworker and friend. Her daughter recently purchased an old row house in Philadelphia. She lives there with her husband and they have a daughter, who was about two years old. They started to notice REALLY [eyes get large] weird things happening around the house, it was really eerie and started to make them nervous. Their daughter has a playroom in the attic, and she used to say, actually, she still says that there is somebody up there. She describes him as an African American male--well she says it’s a â€Å"Black man†--and she says he sits there and watches her play. When she told her parents... ...just another person who wants to be friends and not think the ghost will hurt them or that there is anything scary about it. The tale capitalizes on the fact that an adult would be uneasy thinking that a child can play with a ghost without thinking twice, and even more uneasy that a child can see what they cannot, since adults are supposed to be wiser and more able to explain things. The imagination of a child, which can create some astonishing things, is a scary entity. Works Cited Bouldin, Paula. â€Å"An Investigation of the Fantasy Predisposition and Fantasy Style of Children With Imaginary Companions†. Journal of Genetic Psychology. 2006. 167(1): 17-29. Eidmann, Frank. â€Å"Philadelphia: The Capital City† National Park Services. 7 Apr. 2006. http://www.nps.gov/inde/phila.html. Juliano, David. â€Å"The Shadowlands† 7 Apr. 2006. http://www.theshadowlands.net/.

Mixed Feminine Message in Wife of Baths Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer Essay

Mixed Feminine Message in Wife of Bath's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer In the Wife of Bath’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer, various women, such as the Queen and the old hag, stake their claim to authority over men. Yet, they do so in a very covert manner. The knight has clearly abused his male power. He is a rapist. With the help of women, however, he is rehabilitated and seems to achieve the ultimate happiness. When these women support the feminist viewpoint that women should have mastery over their husbands, they are also echoing the sentiments the Wife of Bath presents in her prologue. Yet, these women abandon mastery the moment they attain it. The old hag relinquishes mastery back to her husband immediately after he grants it to her, from that point on she obeys his every command. This ending could be a type of female servitude or it could be a mutually beneficial, blissful marriage and partnership. For this reason, the Wife of Bath’s Tale sends a mixed message about feminism. The tale begins with a violent act of male aggression and dominance. The knight rapes a young virgin. This rape is about more than his being a â€Å"lusty bacheler† (Chaucer l. 889). It is about power. â€Å"He sawgh a maide walking him biforn; / Of which maide anoon, maugree hir heed, / By verray force he rafte hir maidenheed† (Chaucer l. 892). The knight is not merely carried away by his sexual instincts. He sees a woman he covets and takes her by force because he has the power and she does not. This violent rape demonstrates the knight’s initial attitude towards women and his need for rehabilitation. Queen takes over the knight’s punishment for raping the young girl. Instead of death she provides the potential for rehabilitatio... ...re for the most part consistent with her tale. All this suggests a feminist interpretation of the tale. And yet there is the matter of the ending. In every sense of the word the hag submits. She feels she has gained her mastery and then she relinquish it. Does she do so in favor of a mutually blissful marriage or to conform to patriarchal ideals? Perhaps Chaucer and the Wife of Bath are suggesting that male rehabilitation and female dominance are only necessary up to a point. Once the knight and the hag achieve a shared understanding they are able to coexist. Or perhaps in the very end both Chaucer and the Wife of Bath acknowledge that this kind of understanding is sheer fantasy and the Wife cruses the couple for good luck and protection. With both these valid possibilities, the tale presents a mixed message about the place of feminism and female authority.

Harvard Admissions Essay: Enough Talk about God :: College Admissions Essays

Enough Talk about God I believe the Church has been talking about God for long enough now. We're due for a change. People know enough about God. They know what God likes and what God doesn't and how God would generally want them to live their lives. It seems, to us and to them, that we just keep repeating ourselves. As I said, we've been talking about God for long enough now. It's time to stop talking about God, and start getting our kids and neighbors and friends in touch with God. It's time to help them taste and see that the Lord is good. Not "sit and think," But taste and see! If we're pretty excited about introducing a friend of ours to someone, we might talk about it for awhile, telling our friend all about this new person and how great they are. But if we never got around to actually introducing them, our friend would get pretty tired of the same old stories. It's the relationship that is important, not the knowledge. Sure, this makes sense, but it gets pretty tricky when you start talking about God. How do you actually introduce someone to the Spirit of Christ?! The most significant way, I believe, is to model the relationship. The first question, if you are serious about moving your circle of influence past the "intellectualization" of Christianity, is to ask yourself if you feel you are experiencing intimacy with Christ. Christian mysticism is about spirit meeting spirit, and a bond being formed. The most important task you can do as an ambassador for Christ, is to spend time hanging out with God yourself. Even if it cuts into time that you wanted to spend in "ministry." Spending some time enjoying God's presence, aware that God is enjoying yours at the same time, will do more for those around you, than any words you could work up. If you have a sense of intimacy with Christ, you will be able to do more than just talk about God. Creating some guidelines for personal "sabbath time" with the Lover of your life will be a significant ministry to those in your circle of influence. Six years ago I made a commitment to spend one morning a week out at a retreat center for reading and meditation.

Just How Bad Can Living Under a Totalitarian Government Be Essay

Does the government control everything? Maybe not as much in Canada, however in other societies like Nazi Germany and even in Panem from the book â€Å"The Hunger Games† written by â€Å"Suzanne Collins†, they definitely do. This could also be known as a totalitarian government. These places take to extreme the punishment, violence and unfairness. Although, the government in the Hunger Games is set in a futuristic theme it is still alike to that of Nazi Germany. However, no one has any power to vote in a totalitarian government and they have to obey cretin guidelines and rules such as behaviors, restrictions, education, and lifestyles. If even one of these guidelines were broken you would face severe discipline. â€Å"When I was younger, I scared my mother to death, the things I would blurt out about District 12, about the people who rule our country, Panem, from the far-off city called the Capitol. Eventually I understood this would only lead us to more trouble. So I learned to hold my tongue and to turn my features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read my thoughts. † Free speech, we learn, is not a given in Panem. Katniss censors herself because of the fear her mother has of the government. Notice how she has to hide her thoughts and her emotions in District 12 to avoid being a problem to the Capitol. This is very close to the people that lived in Nazi Germany at the time. I’m sure that both Panem’s and Nazi Germany’s people would have to endure life threaten consequences if there government heard of any faulty accusations about them. The Hunger Games is a gladiator type sport, which is punishment for the uprising against the Capitol that happened long ago in the novel â€Å"The Hunger Games†. Why are the Hunger Games so effective, do you think, this is to keep the districts from rebelling again, because just like Nazi Germany, Hitler made sure that no one would stand up against him? He would either through them in jail, put them in a concentration camp, or even kill them on the spot. A great example from this time is when, â€Å"Hitler made all students attend the â€Å"Hitler Youth† Organization until 6:00 pm. Any parents that tried to prevent their kids from attending would no doubt be thrown in jail,† said a grade 10 student living in Germany at the time. â€Å"All I can think is how unjust the whole thing is, the Hunger Games. Why am I hopping around like some trained dog trying to please people I hate? The longer the interview goes on, the more my fury seems to rise to the surface, until I’m literally spitting out answers at him. † As we can see here Katniss (The main character) is being asked questions that she has to lie about to keep herself and her family alive. So Katniss has to hide what she knows: that the Hunger Games are unjust and terrible. Just like many of Germany’s people they could not speak against Hitler or the Nazis in the fear of being hurt or killed, everyone had to keep these dark times to themselves. No doubt this meant that the German Newspaper did not write any opinions against the government. Even on the radios all the advertisements were focused on supporting Hitler and his regime. What’s an Avox? † I ask stupidly. â€Å"Someone who committed a crime. They cut her tongue so she can’t speak,† says Haymitch. She’s probably a traitor of some sort. Not likely you’d know her. † As we see again people that would have rebelled or spoken against their government would face consequences. Hitler moreover would do the same to a traitor or throw them in jail. Surely when Nazis controlled Germany, anyone if not everyone wanted to die as themselves not a product of Hitler. Another excellent quote from Peeta that supports this point, just before Katniss and Peeta enter The Hunger Games, â€Å"I don’t know how to say it exactly. Only†¦I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense? † he asks. I shake my head. How could he die as anyone but himself? â€Å"I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not. † Just like Nazi Germany no one wanted to change to fit Hitler’s label, what the people wanted to do was try to live a normal life. However in The Hunger Games the people had to kill each other to survive, which brings out another useful quote from â€Å"The Hunger Games†, â€Å"No, when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll kill just like everybody else. I can’t go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to†¦to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games,† says Peeta. Like Peeta, the people in Nazi Germany wanted to make a stand against Hitler and the Nazi army but most could not due to the intimidating threats of the Nazi army. Not to forget how did Germany’s people that were not in war have to do instead of serving full time in the military service? They had to build weapons, tanks, guns, planes, and even create deathly rockets; even kids had to help out. Just like Panem and other districts, they had to gather resources from their area to give to the Capitol, this to affected the learning of Panem. Furthermore the kids in Germany not only helped with resources and build weapons; they also trained in what would be there future, warfare. Certainly this made Hitler look outstandingly powerful. We can find out that in The Hunger Games that the Capitol has enough power to make kids do what they want them to do, another example from the novel, â€Å"Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch – this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion. Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. â€Å"Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen. † Katniss is talking about the punishment of the rebellion it was The Hunger Games and the destruction of district 13. To Hitler, succeeding in the role of leading the people in a totalitarian government he suspects absolutely no failures. Threatens to family, life, and friends would require the person to put out there best work efforts to not fail their leader. Yet again we can see another quote from â€Å"The Hunger Games†, â€Å"We both know they have to have a victor. Yes, they have to have a victor. Without a victor, the whole thing would blow up in the Gamemakers’ faces. They’d have failed the Capitol. Might possibly even be executed, slowly and painfully while the cameras broadcast it to every screen in the country. If Peeta and I were both to die, or they thought we were†¦ My fingers fumble with the pouch on my belt, freeing it. Peeta sees it and his hand clamps on my wrist. â€Å"No, I won’t let you. † â€Å"Trust me,† I whisper.  He holds my gaze for a long moment then lets me go. † The Gamemakers are supposed to have at least winner to survive. Katniss figures out how finally to defeat the Gamemakers. To put the blame on the Gamemakers both Katniss and Peeta decide to commit suicide – or at least act like they are committing suicide. At these actions the Gamemakers were forced to declare both of them the winners. The made a fool of the Gamakers because it really showed that they did not have complete control over them. The Capitol is very disappointed in seeing this happen as it also makes them look weak. Furthermore Hitler was not the only person that took the power of leadership, there were many others. People who even date back to the late 1700’s controlled their own government without any say from the people. Leaders like Simon Bolivar in Spain during 1783 – 1830, Joseph Stalin with Stalinism, Corneliu Codreanu a Romania leader which helped Hitler’s government take place, Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini the leader of Italy who took sides with Hitler in World War II, Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera leader of the â€Å"Spanish Phalanx† just before the time of World War II, and the list can go on and on, because this world is not perfect. In conclusion, we can see that any government like that of Hitler’s or Stalinism are cruel. These types governments are supposed to help out there people but, in the end it causes pain to the people, their families, friends, and even their country and community. People do not get what they deserve in these places such as freedom of speech, religion, and so much more. In the end we are very fortunate to live in a democratic society.

Youth Today

Delivered by Barbara Streibl and Fatih Oezcan, Ban All Nukes generation Ambassador Cabactulan, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen Today at this historic NPT conference more youth are present than ever before. We came from all over the world to this year's Review Conference with a great notion of hope. This is a message we want to spread and gain momentum. We believe it is crucial that this positive and enthusiastic atmosphere will be maintained and transformed into a positive outcome. At this Conference we discuss disarmament, defence, deterrence, non-proliferation, sovereignty, security doctrines, technical issues and more. The main reason we pursue these negotiations is our common objective of security. At the heart of this security, which our governments work so hard to protect, is something even more important: life. We must ask ourselves: How can we best preserve and protect all life on this planet? What do we need to ensure the true fulfilment of the human rights our governments have committed themselves to? We would like to give you an impression of what we are talking about when we talk about life. Life is what matters. Our families and friends should be our motivation to abolish a weapon that could destroy their lives. We asked young people from around the world what they love in their lives. Today we have the pleasure to present you some of their answers. I love going to my football academy and scoring goals, I love my family and having dinner with them, and many more things – Ishaan Jha, 15 years from India I love my family. No matter what happens, they love me for nothing and I feel a special bond between us. I love them as well as I thank them. – Sumi Iyo, 25 years from Japan I love to cut, to glue and to draw. I love making things for my mum. – Gianna Sauer, 4 years from Germany What type of security do we need, to ensure the ultimate aim: preserving life? We know the question of security is difficult, there is a multitude of factors to consider; however, one thing is clear: nuclear weapons are not the answer to our problems. Their indiscriminate nature goes against the progress that has been made in the implementation of international human rights over the course of the previous century. All people are entitled to the right to life, and no nation can define others as unworthy of this right. By maintaining nuclear weapons, states have the ability to indiscriminately kill whole populations of peoples and render the environment uninhabitable for generations to come. In signing the UN Charter, states committed themselves â€Å"to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world's human and economic resources†. Nuclear weapons provide none of this. Today, the money, technology and human intelligence that is being devoted to these instruments of death, could instead be devoted to the preservation of life. With other, more viable alternatives we don't see any need for any country in this world to maintain nuclear arsenals, to stick to nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants, to invest in arms and create toxic, radioactive waste, targets for terrorists and increase the risk of proliferation. A safer world and one without nuclear weapons must Civil Society Presentations—2010 NPT Review Conference—Youth eflect the principles of â€Å"our common future† and â€Å"our shared security†, a security that benefits every human being. Governments need to invest in human security by ensuring enough clean drinking water, sufficient food and access to necessary medical care. The world I want to live in is a world in which the countries of the global north will look at those of the global south as friends and partners who are deserving help. We need to gain mutual benefit and work together removing all that threats future generations. In the very least it is the kind of world I want my children to inherit. – Agyeno Ehase, 27 years from Nigeria As human beings we have the ability to be creative, so let’s not use our ability to destroy the world. Suzy Elwakeel, 26 years from Sudan â€Å"Save the earth, it’s our only source of chocolate! † It's a quote which can seem trivial, but it's true! We always speak about petrol which is running out, but we don't mind about what will be of us when many little things which seem insignificant will disappear†¦ flowers, insects, chocolate†¦ Let's think about it! Marie Orset, 20 years from France Our generation was born after the Cold War. We had nothing to do with the creation and proliferation of these weapons. The Cold war is over and humanity is facing new problems. These 21st century problems cannot be solved by 20th century weapons. We are young and we have new ideas. We are growing up in a globalized world, where modern communication and technology connects so many of us. Today young people have friends all around the world. People in other countries are no longer distant and strange enemies o us. We speak to them every day. Therefore we are able to build trust. We do not have to fear foreign cultures and religions. Weapons are not protecting us from potential enemies – they are creating them. But communication gives us the ability to bring down borders. Nuclear weapons are now 65 years old. Don't you think it's time for compulsory retirement? I love that the Dutch youth and a lot of European youth have the privilege not to have experienced war. Wouldn’t it be great if that remains that way and will be established for everybody? Franka, 26 years and Welmoed, 27 years from the Netherlands More than anything in my life I love those brief encounters with strangers that make me feel we are all in this together. – Kirsten Stromme, 23 years from Norway For me it is important that my family and I have a save future in a secure country. – Elena Sipachova, 21 years from Belarus The stability and security promised us by nuclear weapons is simply a facade behind which the awful truth resides. We, the young generation, have the courage to speak and act on the truth. The truth about the terrible effects of nuclear weapons, about the unacceptable and incalculable consequences of the future use of nuclear weapons, and the huge waste of human and financial resources, the harm to human beings, plants, animals and habitats, their contribution to the problem of climate change; and their potential to cause irreversible damage to all of us and future generations. We ask diplomats, experts, members of armed forces, public officials, and civil society, to have courage and to act on the truth. U. S. President Obama has pointed to the desired goal at the horizon: a world free of nuclear weapons. Civil Society Presentations—2010 NPT Review Conference—Youth Now is the time to make concrete steps. We call on all nuclear capable states to commit themselves to the goal of Global Zero. We have to abolish the threat of causing a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe in less than half an hour. The time to start serious negotiations on a framework of agreements banning nuclear-weapons must be taken these weeks here in New York. The ultimate goal must be a world where nuclear weapons are illegal and no longer exist. The way to reach this goal is a Nuclear Weapons Convention. Each year since 2005 we have stood here in front of you, asking and pleading for you to be reasonable and to think about our future, and not to leave us the legacy of fear, threats and death. We have seen no real actions or courageous leadership. So today, we ask once more for all states to begin real, honest and fruitful negotiations leading to a nuclear weapons free world. We do not want our governments to be in constantly hostile postures. We, the youth and we, the people want you to take us into account when you plan our future. We must remember that the decisions taken this month do not only have an impact on us, but on the future of your children, the future of our children and grandchildren. Now this is what counts and why it is up to all of us, to change hope into reality. We thank you for your attention. And we and all future generations will thank you for abolishing nuclear weapons.

Feasibility FINAL

The Gaining Mall of Torsi has started the trend and we're just going to be counting a few years more to finally see Torsi become one of the busiest business districts in the county. Torsi is a big district. It is rich in manpower and natural resources. Getting businessmen to invest in Torsi, Dave City is not going to be hard. Because the demand is high, commercial establishments will be built in the district. These commercial establishments cannot just attract customers because of the products and services that they offer. In this digital era, many people always look for picture perfect spots to do their daily activities.Aside from that, the biggest industry where the demand for landscaping is the housing industry. Subdivisions, especially high end villages are in dire need of landscape services in order to keep their tenants comfortable and happy, to attract more tenants and buyers for these real estate properties. This is where the need for landscaping comes in. Netscape services w ill help buss nesses attract customers who will later on post their pictures with the landscapes as their background. They will post these photos in social media and it will automatically become a free advertisement for the business.In addition, it will also attract real estate buyers who are looking for high end properties. Who would not want picture perfect backgrounds at the comfort of your home, nowadays? LOGO The logo of the business includes a vector image of a blooming flower in pink and a cursive letter B. This design came up in order for it to become very recognizable as it is simple. Complex designs may just be difficult to remember for people who saw it just once. Simple logos are utilized by many gig household brands such as Milliner and Procter and Gamble.This can also help the business to become recognizable just with its logo. NAME OF THE BUSINESS The name of the business is BLOOMS Landscaping Services. BLOOMS is made up of the first letters of the surnames of the com pany shareholders. The surname initials of the shareholders were arranged in such a way wherein it sounds like the word ‘BLOOMS'. It is closely related to the main business of the company which are the flowers that bloom. In this case, people who get to know about the existence of this company will closely elate it to the business of flowers and landscaping itself.This makes us a recognizable brand in the first years of operation and a household brand after many years of being established. The challenge of being recognized by prospect customers is very crucial In starting a business. There are already many competitions around and many of them have been established for years. The challenge for them only includes innovations and improvements in their companies. They already have years of proven excellence and have passed the phase of introducing their businesses. Meanwhile, we are only beginning to show the people what we can do for them.We don't have concrete and finished maste rpieces yet because we are just new. Thus, we should be able to convince them to trust us in making masterpieces for them. The first step for that will not be about the quality of our work nor the price that they will pay for us. Instead, it is the name of our business that we will tell primarily. It is BLOOMS Landscaping Services that they will hear and with a catchy name, they will be willing to hear our propositions about their needs. They will allow us to listen to them and in the ND, work for them.

Skeever

By the nine divines! What did you just say about me, you little skeeverbutt? I'll have you know I graduated top of my class in the College of Winterhold, and I've been know to cast one hell of a fireball, and I have over 300 confirmed summons. I am trained in daedric warfare and I'm the swords master of the entire Imperial forces. You are nothing to me but just another target. I will make you beg to Akatosh as I bend you over like a common whelp, mark my words, on my oath as the Dovakin. You think you can come into my mind though this magic device and insult me? Think again,scum.As we speak I have every assassin and thief across all of Tamriel looking for your initial position so you better prepare for the storm atronach,you drauger. The storm atronach that wipes out the pathetic little husk you call your life. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill you in over seven hundred ways, and that's just with my dragon shouts! Not only am I extensively trained in archery and horseback ri ding, but I have access to the entire congregation of the thieves guild, dark brotherhood, Mages college, and untold hordes of deadric warriors, and I will use every one of them to banish you to the plane of oblivion..If only you could have had the clairvoyance to see what divine retribution your little â€Å"clever† runes were about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your tongue you dark skin. But you couldn't, you didn't, and now you're paying the price, you goddamn idiot. I will become the embodiment of Mehrunes Dagon, and open a portal to oblivion the likes of which you have never seen. You're fucking dead, milk-drinker.

Just what is that makes America culture so wrong-yet so appealing How Essay

Just what is that makes America culture so wrong-yet so appealing How have cultural theorists viewed America mass culture and why, for so many people, is America culture still a 'promblem' - Essay Example From a historical standpoint, what made this possible and is this a positive thing for the rest of the world? Just what is it that makes the American culture so wrong yet so appealing? Why for many people is American culture still a problem? Seeking to address these questions and many more with respect to American cultural hegemony and the world today, this essay will provide an in-depth exploration of American culture today. Addressing charges of cultural imperialism and the role of the United States in cultivating a mass market â€Å"world culture†, the following will begin with a concise overview of the history of American cultural imperialism looking at its roots in the social revolution of the 1960s. We then turn to an analysis of the commercialization and later globalization of the world through the spread of American economic culture. Finally, we turn to American military might and the unilateralist turn in US foreign relations. This is an important cultural component of the United States of America as its military is both emulated, envied and feared the world over. By looking at American cultural imperialism through a social, economic and political/military lens, this essay aims to provide a three-pronged approach to exploring an issue which remains incredibly timely and topical. The globalization of American values began in the post-World War II period following the near universal physical, economic and social devastation of the European continent. A social revolution paved the way for the export of American values and ideas across the world. For the United States, the social revolution of the 1960s was also a cultural revolution. In fact, the â€Å"rise of a specific, and extraordinarily powerful youth culture indicated a profound change in the relation between generations† (Hobsbawm 1994). Leading this Cultural Revolution were the young: teenagers started wearing jeans – prior to that

What are 3 reasons why ''college'' is important to you What are your Essay

What are 3 reasons why ''college'' is important to you What are your expectations Give details and examples - Essay Example If one is ambitious and wants to fulfill their increasing needs and better living throughout their life, they need to get equipped with college education. College education provides not only higher income but also imparts more opportunity to go up the ladder in hierarchy. Higher post in an organization imparts better recognition in the society and status. The person gets better sense of achievement and satisfaction in the life. Currently, the world has become a global village where in a lot of exchange of goods and services take place. International trade has reached to the level of $1600 billion from a small sum in pre World War II era. Currently, the US does not manufacture several consumer goods for the simple reason that they can be procured at much lesser cost from the other countries such as Mexico, China, Korea and other countries. It is the comparative advantage that drives the global production system. This has caused the displacement of workers in the US in the traditional industries such as apparel, textile, leather, steel, fabrication and many such kinds. The US has an edge in high-tech industries and new emerging technologies because it leads the world in innovation and new researches. That is why college education is all the same more important and essential for anyone in the US, if one has to protect themselves from the risk of getting jobless. The statistics reveal that unemployment rate de creases as the education level goes up as presented in the following graphics. It is true that education helps earn more and protects one’s employability but that is not all. If one decides to start own small business, college education helps in taking many business decisions where one has to weigh pros and cons of the various actions and their outcomes. A business person needs proficiency in math where in they need to find true cost of the product or services so that neither they are in loss nor they are out priced by competition. While

Discuss the various ways in which modern investors manage the risk in Essay

Discuss the various ways in which modern investors manage the risk in their portfolios - Essay Example Many of the participants in risk trading take particular points of view, and suffer losses when their points of view are not realized. It may also be that the risks in some of the more complex positions currently being taken are not always well understood by the institutions arranging the deals. In addition, risk control systems in some institutions are so weak that management cannot determine when institutional survival is being jeopardized. There are also aggregate problems, because the failure of one institution can bring about failure of others. Finally, there are presently few sources of aggregate statistics that would permit informed observers to assess exactly what the potential dangers in individual institutions’ positions might be. On the positive side, the percentage of capital at risk in derivatives trading has been estimated at some 10 percent of the total capital of the world’s banks. In addition, individual companies have sustained large losses from derivatives trading without creating serious externalities. For example, when Barings Bank failed in 1995, many of the other banks trading with Barings had become aware of the unusual risks it was taking and had reduced their positions with Barings (J. Rosenhead, J. Mingers, 2001). Basically, the perception of risk is the result of an investors thought processes. Let us say that the investor speculates that a new factory will be able to produce V volume of goods that can be sold for P price. The question is: Where do V and P come from? Some say that V and P spring from the imagination while others maintain that V and P are a result of a deliberate cognitive process of logic and dispassionate judgment. Perhaps these, and other conjectures concerning the thought process of the human mind, are all part of a businessmans assessments of the projected values of price and volume. These values, when properly manipulated with costs,

Comparison between a mythical story and a short story Essay

Comparison between a mythical story and a short story - Essay Example He challenges any knight to hit him once if he could return the blow with in a year. Gawain takes up the challenge. He chops off the head of the Green Knight, but the Green Knight picks up his head and rides away. Gawain has one year and one day to make it to the Green Chapel in order to fulfill his agreement. The trip was treacherous and far. Finally, he comes to a castle, where the Lord is Bertilak de Hautdesert. Gawain and Bertilak make a deal. Everything Gawain earns in a day he will exchange with Bertilak for everything he captured hunting. In three days, Gawain gains kisses and a girdle from Lady Bertilak. He gives Lord Bertilak the kisses, but keeps the girdle due to its magical powers. Gawain goes and meets the Green Knight. He only gets nicked on the neck due to the girdle. After the blow, the Green Knight reveals he is Lord Bertilak. The whole quest was set up by Arthur’s sister. Gawain felt that he failed in his mission for not keeping his word and keeping the girdl e. In â€Å"A Worn Path†, Phoenix starts out on a day’s journey. She is an lder black woman. Phoenix is described as small, frail, and almost blind. Her troubles are the wooded area that she is traveling. Thorn bushes grab her dress, but she patiently frees herself without ripping her dress. A scarecrow frightens her, but she keeps going.

Political Scenarios in World War II Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Scenarios in World War II Japan - Essay Example For the first six months the Japanese advance was virtually invincible: Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, Java and the Indies, the Philippines, Burma and the Andaman Islands, New Britain and the Solomons all fell to Japanese arms. However, a grave miscalculation of the spirit and resources of the nation's principal enemies had been committed by the Japanese leaders. Allied submarines, US island-hopping strategy and superior fire-power led to a reversal of Japan's position. From mid-1944 the fate turned against Japan. By mid-1945 military collapse was about to happen. When the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the summer of 1945, a complete collapse of the empire and surrender ensued. A military occupation, chiefly by US forces, lasted from 1945 to 1952. In 1947, Japan adopted a new constitution under US direction, renouncing war, granting basic human rights, and declaring Japan a democracy (O'Brien, 2000). US General Douglas MacArthur represented all the Allies in Japan after its defeat, but the occupation was nevertheless an almost exclusively US undertaking and to a very great extent MacArthur took his own decisions, without direct reference to Washington. He rejected the view that the Japanese would be better off without the age-old institution of the monarchy.

Statistics on the Incidence of AIDS in the US Research Paper - 1

Statistics on the Incidence of AIDS in the US - Research Paper Example In 2007, it has been reported that HIV was the third leading cause of mortality for black men and women aged 35-44. HIV also became the ninth leading cause of mortality for all blacks. In fact, about 233,624 Blacks who were diagnosed with AIDS had died in the United States. Moreover, African American women were known to be 22 times more likely to die from HIV/AIDS compared to women from other ethnicities. In 2008, African Americans had the highest rate of death from AIDS, which amounted to 27.5 per 100,000 population. According to Maryland Statistics, Black females incurred higher rates of AIDS mortality compared to women from other races. Table 1 below also supports these statistics. The peak of mortality observed from all races was seen in 1995. Â   In 1995, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was introduced to the public. Before 1995, the use of protease inhibitors in the United States was not allowed. The United States Food and Drug Administration approved the drugs in December of 1995 and on March of 1996. HAART is associated with decreased mortality and morbidity of patients with HIV/AIDS. Although it is not a cure, it is used for the purpose of improving a patient’s symptoms or even their quality of life. As a result, the patient’s survival rate is also prolonged. HAART is just one of the other lifesaving innovations that have been discovered. Thus, after the year 1995, the mortality rate started to decline slowly. The decline is quite evident and steady on White females. However, with regards to Black females, the mortality rate decreased post-HAART but would increase again after 1998. Afterwards, the rate intermittently increased and decreased. The trends in the mortality rates of Black women with AIDS as compared with White patients is truly intriguing. The disparity is profound. Certain factors can be attributed with such disparities in mortality and morbidity rates observed between ethnicities of women - most especially Blacks and Whites - with HIV/AIDS. It is relevant to identify such factors in order to come up with solutions that could help ease this disparity.

Caffeine Abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Caffeine Abuse - Essay Example Caffeine abuse is becoming increasingly common among college students and could have damaging impacts on their health. For many of us it is hard to function without caffeine. Whether it be writing your research paper late last night or waking up early this morning in order to make it to class on time, caffeine can often be a college student's best friend. Actually, caffeine is a stimulant found in seeds, fruits and leaves of more than sixty plants. It is found in most parts of the world. Go in Arabia and you will find caffeine in the coffee bean. Visit China and caffeine will be there in tea leaf. In West Africa and Mexico, caffeine exists in the kola nut and the cocoa bean, respectively. Although the aforementioned figures are quite old but things today are not quite different. But, the point is that lots of foods and beverages are the source of caffeine and that's the reason why it is hard for people to stay away from using it. In fact, it is the easy availability of caffeine that most people never become able to quit using this substance. Here, it can easily be noticed that tea and coffee remain to be the premier source of caffeine, which are used all over the world because of the "wake-up" effect. Since the available caffeine gets absorbed by your body without much ado and creates a direct impact on cardiovascular and nervous systems, the usual result is increased attentiveness and decreased fatigue. This is the foremost reason why college students don't become able to stay away from developing a bad habit of drinking tea or coffee. But, the range of symptoms caffeine intoxication or caffeine abuse can show up with an ingestion of 100mg of caffeine but 250mg or higher Over the course of my college career I myself have become quite dependent on caffeine in order to keep up with the high demands of school, work and a social life. Like many of you I have become so accustomed to caffeine that I often disregard its potential for abuse. According to the US News & World Report, caffeine is the world's most popular habit forming drug and its abuse among young people is a growing concern for many doctors. "In the past three years alone, the number of 18 to 24 year olds who

Creative Treatment of Actuality Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Creative Treatment of Actuality - Term Paper Example The traditional cinema gained hold around the world at the turn of the 20th Century. Many communities around the world built different niches within which motion picture was developed and enhanced in order to promote this art form  (Benson, 2013). Primarily, the main role of the motion picture was to entertain viewers  (Benson, 2013). However, with time, the use of television and other forms of the motion picture to educate people was enhanced and promoted throughout communities around the world. One of the earliest views of documentaries was the concept of creative treatment of actuality. This was presented by John Grierson who viewed it as a system of using some degree of creativity to present factual and non-fictional storylines in a way and manner that maintained the originality of the cinema and also educated viewers of the matter that needed to be discussed. The concept of the creative treatment of actuality is about observing life in an art form that brings out the natural aspects of society and this is done through factual films presented in a dramatic form (De Jong, 2013). The creative treatment of actuality was first propounded by John Grierson who viewed it as a form of journalism, presented through the media process. Later on, this concept played a role in defining the actual role and processes of documentaries. â€Å"Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt in one fashion or the other to ‘document’ real ity† (Killborn & Izod, 2013, p. 29). In John Grierson's pioneering work, he sought to document the life of a Polynesian girl and her family in 1926. This was done through the use of words, music, images and sound effects that were meant to create an aesthetic and factual appeal (Killborn & Izod, 2013). This is meant to present a lively view of a given situation in order to present a message in a strong way and manner and bring about a high degree of realism to the documentary. However, this includes some creative components that will work together to attain specific objectives and end.  

Modern Technology Essay Example for Free

Modern Technology Essay Information technology is playing an increasingly important role in the work and personal lives of citizens. Computers, communications, digital information, software – the constituents of the information age – are everywhere. There is though, a considerable number of people that are really concerned about the changes that modern technology implies, stating that it embodies potential risks to social values, freedoms, and relationships and this is what Sherri Turkle also states in her Forbes magazine article ‘Can You Hear Me Now? . I must agree with Turkle’s point of view that technology, along with all the positive aspects it brought into people’s lives, it also brought loneliness and sameness of lifestyle because of this abusive way people got to use technology nowadays. But as opposed to Turkle’s and millions of other people’s fearful thinking that mankind is developing too intimate relationships with machinery; I would say that this can be absolutely controllable. While it is true that the future of technology is only limited by our imagination, people have to learn that no matter how developed technology might get, the basics of a better life are self-esteem, respect for the others and willingness to self-educate and build up a strong character. According to Dictionnary. com,’ technology is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science’. Commonly, technology can be defined as the science applied to practical purposes. It can be argued that modern technology makes life easier and more dignified for most of people. The first and the major advantage is that medical science is very progressive and vastly available. Without the needed technology a lot of people would struggle with their health. In addition it saves many innocent lives. The point is to spread it and reach with medicine help to the poor nations of the Third World. Secondly, the advanced technology improves industry by making it more effective and, what is vital today, safer for environment. Moreover when we look at TV, personal computer, mobile phone or internet for instance, it is quite obvious that all these inventions have been made in the last 20 years. Thus the speed of improvement is huge and unpredictable. We can get the fastest ways of communication through modern technology which ties humanity together like a nervous system ties the parts of an organism together. Today we are connected with every other human being on the planet in a way people never have been before this leading to globalization through diversity, a very powerful current which is really to consider nowadays. On the minus side there is weaponry which is the inseparable issue of the new technologies. Hence the main problem is the proper use of this knowledge. Nevertheless, weapon engineering propels and provides a huge advance. Also, the industry despite highly developed machinery pollutes the globe. On the other hand while many people live in horrible conditions and famine governments spend a lot of money on developing weapon industry. Is it the right way? Modern technology should prevent social disproportions and not add up even more. Technology entered our lives over a relatively brief period of time with little warning and essentially no preparation. Many who currently use information technology have only a limited understanding of the tools they use and a probably correct belief that they are underutilizing them. This is why most of the people pay more attention first to their interlocutors coming through the modern gadgetry considered a more elevated audience; the ‘real’ ones have come to fill just a second position. This is where Turkle’s fair point comes when she describes these people’s feelings – ‘Being put on pause’ this is the impression we get when the one we are engaged with in a conversation answers his cell phone or replies to an e-mail or a text message. Another example of the modern technology taking over the unprepared people is the virtual lives they build and end up becoming addicted on that up to a certain point where it can even become dangerous for themselves and the ones close to them. Millions become someone else every day, lying about their age, gender, occupation or appearance. If you can be anything, you might as well be who you wish you were rather than what limits you in the real life. So if someone decides they like their online persona better, and decides to spend as much time in that persona as possible, living virtually – are they crazy? These games are addictive by design, and a lot of people get sucked into a virtual world existence, at the expense of their real life happiness. And surely a large part of the attraction is this ability to live an alternate, and in many ways, happier existence. But this can get really dangerous when it comes to children and adolescents as they may discover ‘world in the Second Life’ as Turkle puts it in might be much easier and funnier and they can develop serious issues n forming their character and personalities. And the negative effects technology can have on children are numerous: less physical movement, lack of attraction towards reading, no sense of responsibility. With parents buying their children cell phones and expecting them to call as often as possible showing them actually how little they trust them, this only adds up to children’s developing a lack of responsibility and a sense of dependence, as Turkle puts in and I agree. The time of self-reflection at adolescence is taken over by ‘quickly communicating a state over the cell phone or through an instant message and emoticons’ (Turkle) leading to a new dependence in their early emotional lives. Another point that Turkle makes is that technology leaves less or no time at all to sit and reflect of ourselves uninterrupted and I agree with that. Unless we are really strong as to put away or turn off all the technology around us we cannot get a moment with ourselves as all this machinery can be very distracting. Nowadays, when the rapidness of development and research is so impressive, it is easy to think about the advantages of modern technology. It is obvious that we are close on an era where technology is limited only by our imagination. Therefore the most frequently asked question is: Does technology go the right way and will it save or ruin our civilization? I believe that we can just let ourselves carried along with it or we could impose on ourselves in being more aware of the disadvantages also and try to control it.

Health Effects of Hazardous Chemicals from Old Electronics

Health Effects of Hazardous Chemicals from Old Electronics What are the effects on human health of hazardous chemicals from obsolete electronic products? With the rapid advancements in technology and engineering of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the ‘waste mountain’ of obsolete electrical products appears to be growing at an alarming rate. This essay evaluates five Internet-available resources which directly address the title in an attempt to assess the level of evidence available on the subject. The first resource to be considered is the Greenpeace webpage ‘Eliminate Toxic Chemicals’ (Greenpeace, 2007), which highlights the negative impact that electronic equipment has on the environment, particularly in relation to toxic chemicals involved in the manufacturing process. It gives companies a ‘green ranking’ which one can assume is to allow the individual consumer to make informed choice about their buying options. It also highlights the fact that there are two environmental dangers from the rapid obsolescence of today’s products – the damage caused by manufacturing, and the damage to the environment of the large amounts of waste products being disposed of. As a resource, it directly informs the topic and provides plenty of information about the issue. In terms of reliability, Greenpeace has a mixed reputation of activism and credibility, and given that many of the electronics companies themselves are listed on the site, this may add cre dibility. It may, however, simply be another marketing ploy, given that environmental issues have become the latest commercially manipulated topic to fall victim to the capitalist bandwagon. The resource seems up to date, with reports filed in June 2007. There are no authors cited, and little reference to scientific evidence in these pages themselves. However, the website is highly accessible, easy to read and easy to navigate. In criticism, the notion of the environmental impact of this issue is presented as a given, a fait accompli, with little or no critical debate on the issue. The second resource is the article by Hischier et al (2005) on waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling. The authority of the authors is established on two fronts. The first is that this is published in a peer reviewed journal, and the second is that the authors’ affiliations to a Technology institute are given. The approach is scientifically credible, but the article remains readable, giving a good literature review, and a clear discussion of two Swiss take back and recycling systems with scientific analyses (Hischier et al, 2005). However, it does require a degree of technological and scientific knowledge to read the tables and results. It is reasonably up to date, having been written and published in 2004-2005. It highlights the issues related to recycling of these products, and concludes that the proposed systems would have clear environmental advantages (Hischier et al, 2005). It also notes some of the limitations and the need for ongoing assessment of such sys tems. The third resource is an article by Poole and Simon (1997) on technological trends, product design and the environment. It is readable, accessible and easy to follow, but it’s greatest drawback is its age. However, it does demonstrate that the environmental impact of these technologies has been anticipated in the scientific literature. The authors are from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University, which suggests a degree of authority in addressing the subject. They demonstrate means by which products can undergo lifecycle analysis, and suggest that reducing environmental impact may come in the guise of smaller, mobile technologies (Poole and Simon, 1997). This would indeed perhaps reduce the waste volume of obsolete computational electronics, but not necessarily the environmental impact associated with the manufacturing processes of up to date products, or the challenges of recycling the materials used in original manufacture. Focusing on design trends, however, seems a positive approach in terms of longer term management of environmental insult. The fourth resource is an article by Tanskanen and Takala (2006) which looks at a simplified model for an end of life process for mobile terminals. The authority of the authors may be questionable, given that they work for Nokia. On the one hand, this may suggest considerable knowledge and acumen of the subject; on the other, a degree of bias is inevitable given their affiliation. The publication of this in a reputable journal however does offset some of the possible bias, and it is up to date. It is accessible, but considerable specialist terminology is used which affects readability. The focus on efficacy and effectiveness in recycling processes and the need for further development is clear, showing that there is a potential to reduce environmental impact but the necessity for appropriate processes to achieve this (Tanskanen and Takala, 2006). The fifth resource is by Macauley et al (2003), which is a little more dated but still within the last four years. The authors are affiliated to an environmentally focused company, and so their authority in terms of scientific or technological acumen is harder to establish. Again, the article is published in a reputable journal, is readable and in this case, easy to follow with logical discussions and some use of relevant literature. They examine the cost of computer monitor waste management in terms of environmental and health impacts of components, and cost of recycling or waste management policies (Macauley et al, 2003). There are considerable costs here, and this article demonstrates some elements of the economic minefield which characterises this debate. The authors clearly highlight the need to target research in the areas described, perhaps to lend further weight to environmentally-conscious policies of recycling and waste management (Macauley et al, 2003). These resources have demonstrated some of the dimensions of the debate on this subject. All the resources assume and demonstrate that there is an environmental (and a general health) impact of electrical and electronics waste in the light of rapid obsolescence and increasing demand for these products. While ways in which to address this are suggested, no clear resolutions are apparent, and economic and practical concerns remain a barrier to implementation of environmentally sensitive recycling policies. References Greenpeace (2007) Eliminate Toxic Chemicals http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toxics Accessed 508-07. Hischier, R., Wager, P. and Gauglhofer, J. (2005) Does WEEE recycling make sense from an environmental perspective? The environmental impacts of the Swiss take-back and recycling systems for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Environmental Impact Assessment Review 25 525-539. Macauley, M., Palmer, K. and Shih, J-S. (2003) Dealing with electronic waste: modelling the costs and environmental benefits of computer monitor disposal. Journal of Environmental Management 68 13-22. Poole, S. and Simon, M. (1997) Technological trends, product design and the environment. Design Studies 18 237-248. Tanskanen, P. and Takala, R. (2006) A decomposition of the end of life process. Journal of Cleaner Production 14 1326-1332.