Reno v. ACLU Essay examples - 2054 Words

Reno v. ACLU The conflict began on February 8, 1996, when President Clinton signed the CDA law and ACLU, along with EPIC and eighteen other plaintiffs, immediately filed its legal challenge. ACLU v. Reno represents the first legal challenge to censorship provisions of the Communications Decency Act (CDA). The CDA makes it a crime, punishable by up to two years in jail and/or a $250,000 fine, for anyone to engage in speech that is â€Å"indecent† or â€Å"patently offensive† on computer networks if the speech can be viewed by a minor. The ACLU is a nationwide, non-partisan organization dedicated to defending and preserving the Bill of Rights for all individuals through litigation, legislation and public education. EPIC is a non-profit,†¦show more content†¦The ACLU argued in the lower court that the censorship provisions are unconstitutional because they would criminalize expression that is protected by the First Amendment and because the terms â€Å"indecency† an d â€Å"patently offensive† are unconstitutionally overbroad and vague. ACLU plaintiffs Particia Nell Warren of Wild Cat Press and Kiyoshi Kuromiya of the Critical Path AIDS Project told judges they fear censorship under the new law. Ann Duvall, president of Surf Watch, took judges on a first-ever live tour of the Internet, including a demonstration of how her company’s software blocks access to sites deemed unsuitable for children. Dr. Donna Hoffman, an expert witness on marketing in cyberspace, tells the court that the censorship law would destroy the democratic nature of cyberspace, causing many â€Å"mom pop† websites to close up shop for fear of civil and criminal penalties under the vague â€Å"indecency† ban. Government witness Howard Schmidt conceded under cross-examination that it is â€Å"highly unlikely† for anyone to come across sexually explicit information on the Internet by accident. Plaintiff witness Dr. Albert Vezza told the court about PICS (Platform for Internet Content Selection), a new rating system designed to allow parents to control children’s access to the Internet without censorship. DanShow MoreRelatedReno V. Aclu1029 Words   |  5 Pageswere Janet Reno, attorney general (1993-2001) of the United States, which also makes her the head of the U.S. Department of Justice, she is the first woman in this position#, and the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU). The ACLU is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserve and extend the basic rights of the U.S. constitution.# b. The problem began when President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Reform Bill into law on February 8,1996. A group of people, led by the ACLU went to courtRead MoreIn Order To Measure The Legal Realm Of Social Media, It1616 Words   |  7 Pagesin terms of legality. The following section will cover precedent cases that deal with the topic of Social Media and if it is protected by the First Amendment. The first case to be covered is Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which entails several litigants behind Attorney General Janet Reno challenging the constitutionality of provisions of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. This act was intended to protect minors from content on the internet that is found unsuitable for their viewingRead More Internet Censorship Essay2832 Words   |  12 Pageswas a part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (ACLU v. Reno II). Due to the CDA, â€Å"speech which is quite legal in a book or magazine should be banned from the Internet† (Wallace). This part of Telecommunications Act of 1996 criminalizes what the Government thinks is â€Å"indecent† speech on the Internet (Wallace). The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, stated in the Supreme Court brief before the ensuing lawsuit â€Å"The CDA is unconstitutional† (ACLU in the Courts). According to the Citizens InternetRead MoreThe United States Constitution Vs. American Civil Liberties Union798 Words   |  4 Pagesstipulations with these laws. Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) did shed some insight on the laws and how they can be interpreted. This paper will discuss the criminal statute issues, issues with the provisions of the Constitution, and the status of criminal prosecution for transmission of pornography over the internet. With the hopes of having a clearer understanding of Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union. The First Amendment was a key component in Reno v. ACLU. It states that CongressRead MoreEssay on The First Amendment and its Impact on Media1134 Words   |  5 Pagesdefamation has adapted to the advent of the telegraph, telephone, radio, motion pictures, television, and is quickly adapting to the computer. The most famous defamation case, which still sets precedent in todays cases, is New York Times v. Sullivan (1964). New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) is the leading case on the question of defamation liability for media defendants. The case, heard before the Supreme Court, declared that public officials and figures could not recover for an alleged defamation unlessRead More Free Speech on the Internet v. United States Constitution Essay1681 Words   |  7 Pagesorganization filed a lawsuit against the CDA and the court also ruled in their favor. (Lewis) More and more cases began popping up in federal courts until December of 96 when it was finally brought before the Supreme Co urt in Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union.(ACLU v Janet Reno) nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The problem with the CDA was the fact that it didn’t clearly define indecent material. Many thought the broadness of the terminology used in the bill made it impossible for this law ever to lastRead MoreEssay on Cyberspace and Internet Censorship2282 Words   |  10 Pagescountries (ACLU v. Reno: Plaintiffs Findings of Fact. http://www.aclu.org/issues/cyber/trial/finding.htm). Through the Internet, information, graphics, music, and computer programs relating to every topic imaginable is available, from rocket science to bomb making, from computer games to hacking programs, from famous works of art to hard-core pornography. It is to this, the most participatory form of mass speech yet developed, that censorship is proposed (ACLU Press Release - 06/12/96: ACLU LAUDSRead MoreAnalysis Of The Stimulus Material Given I Saw A Relationship Between Mexico And The United States Essay2124 Words   |  9 Pagesfor the sake of the people. The amendment has been defined based on different court cases, showing the limits of the right. Obscenity was defined from the case of Miller vs. California. The Cornell University Law School, declared that after the Miller v. California case obscenity would be defined as: whether ‘the average person, applying contemporary community standards’ would find that the work, ‘taken as a whole,’ appeals to ‘prurient [lustful] interest’ whether the work depicts or describes, inRead MoreThe Legal Model Of Judicial Decision Making That The Supreme Court Uses Essay1023 Words   |  5 Pages Included are the legal model, in which the decisions are based solely on the provided facts on the case. (Mitchel) It can also choose to let previous case hearings and decisions influence the decision for the case at hand. An example would be Reno v. ACLU where the court ruled that the anti-obscenity law was to broadly written that it violated the first amendment right. (Mitchel) Another methodology used is the attitudinal model, where the justices can make any decision they wish without fear ofRead More Understanding Online Sexual Harassment Essay3822 Words   |  16 PagesFederalist Papers. Past judicial rulings show a tendency of the courts to favor anonymity. The court in A.C.L.U v. Miller 977 F. Supp.1228 (N.D, Ga. 1997) overruled a state law prohibiting anonymous Internet communications. The holding of the court in McIntyr e v Ohio Elections Commission 514 U.S. 334 (1995) was that the distribution of anonymous leaflets was protected by the First Amendment. In NAACP v Alabama, 357 U.S. 449 (1958), the Court upheld the right of an organization to refuse to surrender its membership

U.s. Government And Privacy Issues - 1366 Words

Shawn Lusk CCR 092 Wanda Weldon 11 Nov 2014 The U.S Government Privacy Issues The American government exploits privacy for the purpose of looking for clandestine terrorists. This affects all the citizens that log in, and post updates on a daily basis, when in actuality a piece of their privacy is being sent to the United States Government. The US government has a very powerful and watchful eye, within the borders of the nation and the rest of the world. Privacy issues are no obstacle for Big Brother (U.S. Govt.). Privacy affects many facets of our daily lives; lesser things have sparked revolutions in the past. Privacy should be the central focusing topic for the public in this data age for all citizens of the world. Whenever citizens of America, or the world for that matter, log in to their computers, they do not realize the U.S. Government is compromising their very privacy. Prior to the September 11th terrorist attacks of 2001 there was not a lot of surveillance being conducted on citizens of the world or to the magnitude of which we now see these days. Homeland Security, an entity of the U.S. Government, has been given vast and broad powers from the white house, congress, and the senate, as well as the National Security Agency (NSA). The NSA’s primary mission after 9/11 is to defend the United States of America, so their main mission is to intercept and thwart attacks from enemy’s bent upon causing mass destruction to the infrastructure of America, andShow MoreRelatedEthics Of Electronic Search And Seizure Essay1521 Words   |  7 Pagesbe demonstrated that the amendment to to Rule 41 pertaining to electronic remote search and seizure of computer data is morally and ethically unjustified. Firstly, the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. constitution is violated by the amendment to rule 41 which would eliminate the â€Å"Reasonable Expectatio n of Privacy† of citizens. Additionally, the amendment to rule 41 of the federal rules of criminal procedure can act as a double edged sword, since personal information can leak out to the public. FinallyRead MoreEthical Issue In Information Systems Essay898 Words   |  4 PagesSo the question is the privacy of individuals trusted online? Can people snoop around and see personal information? Of course people can if guidelines are not set in place to protect them. Public and private information can be complex when some individual(s) do not expect their communication to be read outside of their online community. What will be discussed are some ethical responsibilities that need to take place in the United States. Respecting the individual privacy and honor confidentialityRead MorePosition On The Relationship Of U. S. Technology Companies With China Case Study1171 Words   |  5 PagesPosition on the Relationship of U.S. Tech Companies with China The future of America’s dominance in the international technology sector is no longer secure. The emergence of countries such as China, whose economy functions under different operating framework than the United States, gives China a competitive advantage over the U.S. that poses a legitimate and imminent threat to the success of U.S. tech companies (Fallows). Not only does this unfair dynamic affect the U.S. tech market, it also threatensRead MoreOur Privacy Today : Rights Against Progress1689 Words   |  7 PagesOur Privacy Today: Rights Against Progress In the modern age it is almost unheard of to hear of someone without a telephone or computer in their home. One no longer even needs to be in their home to use said commodities with the increasing accessibility to cell phones. The result of such available technology is that we have now unloaded large amounts of our personal information over digital mediums. Our telephone conversations, our home addresses, and even our banking credentials are all common thingsRead MoreThe Importance of the Telephone for Communicating1668 Words   |  7 PagesIn short public phones are not such a nuisance, but private phones often tend to become a nuisance. Thats the big problem in having a telephone because sometimes they are invading our privacy especially those private telephones. This case study talks and explain the invading of some telephone company in the privacy of their client. IMPORTANCE OF TELEPHONE The use of the telephone is very important to all the people now a days, especially to the company. Telephones make the distance reduced theRead MoreSocial Media s Eroding Our Privacy Essay1312 Words   |  6 Pages2016 Social Media and U.S Surveillances Eroding our Privacy The emerge of our privacy invasion has mount with government surveillance by the U.S national security system (Baumer, Roth, Epstein, 2014). Government surveillance and social website such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, and YouTube are source of privacy invasion (Cole, 2015). Connecting to social website to communication with friends, family, and co-worker; sharing, updating news, and information which overcast privacy according to Cole, 2015Read MoreHIPAA: Privacy and Security Rules The Computer, the Nurse and You1436 Words   |  6 PagesHIPAA: Privacy and Security Rules The Computer, the Nurse and You Introduction How would you like to keep track of your personal health information record in your computer at home? The electronic data exchange was one of the goals of the government to improve the delivery and competence of the U.S. healthcare system. To achieve this plan, the U.S. Congress passed a regulation that will direct its implementation. The Department of Health and Human Services is the branch of the government that wasRead MoreThe Case Between The Company Apple And The Fbi1077 Words   |  5 Pagesradical group he was associated with or any other attacks. After many failed attempts to unlock the phone the FBI sought technical assistance from Apple in order to unlock the phone. Apple on the other saw the request as an intrusion of people s privacy and law enforcement over stepping there boundaries. Instead of just breaking into Farook’s phone, the FBI wanted Apple to develop a new software were there is a master key to unlock every phone. The FBI later withdrew their case again st Apple dueRead MoreWhy Snowden Is A Hero Or A Traitor?1691 Words   |  7 Pagescomprehensive news in recent history. It has incited a ferocious debate over national security and information privacy. As the U.S government deliberates various reform proposals, arguments continue on whether Snowden is a hero or a traitor (Simcox, 2015). No place to hide, is a 2014 non-fiction book by the former constitutional lawyer and author Glenn Greenwald. He argues in favour of U.S government accountability for the National Security Agency illegal domestic spying program that allegedly aims to defendRead MoreEssay about The NSA, Privacy and the War or Terrorism1555 Words   |  7 Pagesif he is their hero or traitor. Nevertheless, his leaks on the U.S. government surveillance program, PRISM, demand an explanation. Many American citizens have been enraged by the thought of the government tracing their telecommunication systems. According to factbrowser.com 54% of internet users would rather have more online privacy, even at the risk of security (Facts Tagged with Privacy). They say it is an infringement on their privacy rights of the constitution. However, some of them don’t mind;

Couture Fashion’s Chinese Connection Free Essays

Executive summary In this case, there are two major problems that I can analyzed. Firstly, Kaki and Houdini which are two of major loyal customers of Couture Fashions Bad (HCI)’s were writing to Jeffrey to inform him that they may looking to China to â€Å"contract manufacture† for them as the prices there were very competitive. Second, the previous adverse perception of â€Å"Made in China† labels had slowly changed as China now manufactured clothes that are higher quality at substantially lower operating costs. We will write a custom essay sample on Couture Fashion’s Chinese Connection or any similar topic only for you Order Now There were some recommendation that are going to implemented which are raptors to expand to China, proposal to close down Hess factories in Malaysia and Thailand or manufacturing its own label for Malaysian and Sean market. Statement of Problems HCI may lose their big major loyal customers which is Kaki and Houdini as they may looking to China to â€Å"contract manufacture† for them as the prices there is cheaper. Apart from that, nowadays China was produce high quality product with cheaper price so then makes the perception of people about the â€Å"made in China† goods changed to a good view. This is because of the labor cost in China is cheaper rather Han Malaysia. HCI now is very confusing to make decision but based on the problems they have to make accurate decision. According to these problems they have to deeply make consideration of their short term and long terms decision. As far as I am concerned, the short term problem is HCI may lose their big major loyal customers which is Kaki and Houdini. For long term, they may face a very big loss and no wonder if their company will go for bankruptcy as Kaki and Houdini may become the benchmark for other customers that are rely on Hess company. Other customers may assume that HCI does not maintain its reputation and that is why Kaki and Houdini are quit from keep doing â€Å"contract manufacture† with HCI. As it shows a bad benchmark to other customer, it may cause other customers quit from HCI. As a decision, I agree if HCI still operate it existing company but doing Joint venture in China. Causes of problems There is some cause or problems that cause Kaki and Houdini may switch doing â€Å"contract manufacture† from HCI to China which is they can save their financial sources a lot as they will get cheaper supply from China rather than what was offered by HCI. Apart from that, in 1997 Malaysia had face economic downturn and fluctuation or currency exchange. Rather than buying with higher price, Kaki and Houdini may get some more loses in currency exchange. To make an accurate decision, I prefer HCI to use PESTLE theory. PESTLE is divided into six categories which are political, economic, social, technology, ecological, and legal. Based on political and legal, to build new factory in China is not an easy way as HCI have to get he permission from the government and also have to fully understand and follow the rules and regulation to incept new factory in China. So it may take a very long period to face all the procedures. In term of economic, HCI may get lack of financial resources to build new factory as not confirm can sell both of their existing companies. Even they can sell both it is still not enough to incur all the cost to build new factory in China. Based on social view, HCI may lose their specialist once they move to China as some of them may not want to leave Malaysia which is their country. To find new specialist in China is not easy and may incur a big cost as HCI have to train them well to become professional enough. Their current workers also may lose Job as they will be layoff if HCI close their current company and move to China. In term of ecological, by building new factory it may cause pollution to the environment, so it relates to the government policy, rules and regulations. HCI may build a factory but in rural area that may cause the shipping cost to send all the goods to its customer become higher. In addition, from technological view, I can see hat in China the technology is different from Malaysia, so HCI once again have to incur a big cost to train all the workers with new technology. Decision Criteria and Alternative Solutions Based on the problems and alternative solution, I am totally agree if HCI still continue its operation in Malaysia but in the same time doing Joint venture with any other strong and well known company in China. This is because by doing Joint venture HCI will not incur a lot of cost rather than doing Greenfield which is building a new factory there. Apart from that, by doing Joint venture OVA) with well-known company, it is easy for HCI to find new prospect of customers from China thus in the same time HCI can increase their customers. If HCI want to build new factory, it may incur a lot of cost and if HCI want to manufacture its own label for Malaysian and Sean market, it is hard to brand new label and incur a lot of cost too as they have to advertise it new label. Recommended Solution, Implementation and Justification As a conclusion, I am totally agree if Jeffery Echoing continue it operation in Malaysia UT in the same time doing Joint venture with strong and well known company in China. To ensure that HCI not lose their current big major loyal customers which is Kaki and Houdini, HCI have to as soon as possible doing Joint venture with China. By doing Joint venture, HCI can directly continue operation in China without need to comply with government policy, legal restriction and tax if they are build new factory. They Just continue follow the regulation of its Joint venture partner. Once again I am totally agree if HCI doing Joint venture and still continue its existing operation. How to cite Couture Fashion’s Chinese Connection, Essays

Analysis of Ainsworth Game Technology Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Analysis of Ainsworth Game Technology. Answer: Analytical Procedures An Understanding Of Entitys Performance Analytical review has been conducted by following the ratio analysis of the company financial statements for the last three years and then of the competitor Ainsworth Game Technology. In order to facilitate the more comparability, the ratios of industry have also been identified. The ratios under the major four heads have been calculated and mentioned Liquidity ratio, profitability ratio, long term solvency ratio and market strength ratio. In order to start with the companys ratio analysis, the debtors turnover ratio has been increasing on year on year basis from 2.54 in the year 2014 to 4.92 in the year of 2016. It indicates that the company has either started making the sales in cash to the customers or has increased the efficiency in collection of the revenue from the customers of the company. The competitor has earned 2.40 as debtors turnover ratio which means that the company is more efficient in doing the business and when the same is compared to the industry where 8.50 is the benchmark, the efficiency of the company is lower (Drake, 2010, Delen, 2013). The second ratio is the net profit margin. The company has earned the net profit margin of negative 1.96 in the year of 2014, 11.78 in the year of 2015 and 16.47 in the year of 2016. It depicts that the company has increased its growth significantly. The competitor of the company has earned 19.51 as net profit margin which indicates that although the competitor is not efficiently managing its debtors but has been able to earn the high net profit margins at the end of the year. When the ratio of net profit margin of the company and competitor is compared with the industry then it is observed that both the companies have exceeded the level of the industry and is generating higher net profit margins (Delen, 2013, PCAOB, 2017). The third measure that has been considered is the earnings per share. The company has disclosed and earned the 20.6 per share in the year of 2014, 24.8 in the year of 2015 and 55.10 in the year of 2016. The company has been able to perform very well in the three years and have been able to achieve the higher earnings per share almost more than double of previous year. The competitor has earned the 16 per share. When these figures are compared with the industry then it is shown that the company under consideration has performed very well in relation to the providing the maximum return to the shareholder of the company (Company Official Website, 2016; Company Official Website,2015; Company Official Website2014) STATEMENT SHOWING THE RATIO ANALYSIS ($ millions) S. No. PARTICULARS 2016 2015 2014 Competitor Industry ( Ainsworth Game technology 2016) (As per Investing .com) 1 Liquidity Ratios a Current Assets 875.1 898.5 701.5 208.1 Less Current Liabilities 549.2 442.4 371.7 47.8 Working Capital 325.9 456.1 329.8 160.3 b Current Ratio 1.59 2.03 1.89 4.35 1.59 c Debtors 432.9 441.9 328.4 118.8 Revenue 2128.7 1582.4 833.7 285.5 Debtors Turnover Ratio 4.92 3.58 2.54 2.40 8.5 d Assets 2987.7 3218.7 1112.7 435.9 Revenue 2128.7 1582.4 833.7 285.5 Assets Turnover Ratio 0.71 0.49 0.75 0.65 0.53 e Stock 124.3 102.2 75.8 55.7 Revenue 2128.7 1582.4 833.7 285.5 Stock Turnover Ratio 17.13 15.48 11.00 5.13 76.25 2 Profitability Ratios a Net Profit 350.5 186.4 -16.3 55.7 Revenue 2128.7 1582.4 833.7 285.5 Net Profit Margin 16.47 11.78 -1.96 19.51 11.07 b Gross Profit 1256.0 903.3 457.8 171.7 Revenue 2128.7 1582.4 833.7 285.5 Gross Profit Margin 59.00 57.08 54.91 60.14 51.19 3 Long Term Solvency Ratios a Total Debt 1912.2 2301.3 406.6 120.1 Equity 1075.5 917.4 706.1 315.9 Total Debt to Equity 177.80 250.85 57.58 38.02 92.53 b Long Term Debt 1363.0 1858.9 34.9 72.4 Equity 1075.5 917.4 706.1 315.9 Long Term Debt to Equity 126.73 202.63 4.94 22.92 91.5 c Debt 1912.2 2301.3 406.6 120.1 Total Assets 2987.7 3218.7 1112.7 435.9 Debt Ratio 64.00 71.50 36.54 27.55 4 Market Strength Ratios a Earnings Per Share (cents) $ 55.1 $ 24.8 $ 20.6 $ 17 $ 35 Understanding Of Management And Governance The management plays the important role in the functioning of the company. Without proper management, the company will not be able to perform and achieve its objectives. Under this heading, the companys working and the functions of the management of the company and those charged with governance will be discussed. Integrity and Ethical Values As per the report of the chairman of the company embedded in the annual report of the company, the company has established the objectives and the strategies which led company to have the effectiveness in the operations of the company along with the good administration across all level of the company. Secondly the management of the company wherever required has been able to make the estimates and judgments and the assumptions which further led to ensure that the company has designed the accounting framework lawfully and efficiently (Claessens and Fan, 2012). Competence- Under the part of the Operational and financial review of the annual report of the company, it is mentioned that the company is continuously facing the severe competition from the market and the industry and in order to be more competitive, company have planned to make investment in acquiring the key skills and the talent which is required to perform the particular type of task. To make it the strategy, the company has included the retention incentive for the managers who will retain in job for consecutive period of five years and is the part of remuneration. Participation As per the annual report for the year ending 2016, the company has nine directors and each of them has the requisite experience and skills. All the directors of the company are totally independent and is not related in any manner with each other. Each of the directors has requisite experience. For instance, ID Blackburn has been appointed in the year or 2010 and has been the managing director of Caltex Australia Limited, Teekay Corporation, Recall Holdings and Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization. Currently he is acting as the member of each board committee and is also non executive chairman. Managements Style and Philosophy DCP bank is the chairperson of audit and risk committee of the company and also is the director of the company. The company has mentioned in the annual report of the company the areas where the risks have been identified and for which the management of the company is required to identify the risks concerned and manage it accordingly. The approach that has been adopted by the company is to assess the risk on regular basis then monitoring the same and reporting it to the management of the company so as to increase the progress of the company and delivering the strategic opportunities. Structure of the organization- The Company has established the well defined structure within the organization. There is no chance of having any irregularity in the functioning of the company. It is because the company has followed all the provisions of corporations act 2001 and the listing guidelines and has accordingly formulated the various committees like remuneration, audit and risk, shareholders grievance and etc. Secondly the company has mentioned all the accounting policies and procedures which h further states that the structure of accounting function is also very well defined (Shleifer and Vishny, 2011). Authority and Responsibility The authority and the responsibility of various works are made through the passing of the resolution at the meeting of the company. It may be monthly board meeting or the annual general meeting depending upon the facts and circumstances of the matter under discussion. Secondly, authority responsibility and reporting are well established through the employment contract entered into with the employee at the time of recruiting. It describes the roles and responsibilities and other activities required under the job. Human Resource The Company has the policy of recruiting the employees by way of posting the vacancy at the website of the company or by posting the vacancy in the daily newspaper of the company. The recruitment is done after having the screenings and the interviews and the verification checks. References Company Official Website, (2015), Annual Report 2015, available at https://www.aristocrat.com/au accessed on 18/09/2017. Company Official Website, (2016), Annual Report 2016, available at https://www.aristocrat.com/au accessed on 14/09/2017. Company Official Website, (2014), Annual Report 2014, available at https://www.aristocrat.com/au accessed on 14/09/2017. Claessens, S. and Fan, J.P., (2012).Corporate governance in Asia: A survey.International Review of finance,3(2), pp.71-103. Delen, D., (2013), Measuring firm performance using financial ratios: A decision tree approach.Expert Systems with Applications,40(10), pp.3970-3983. PCAOB, (2017), Analytical Procedures available at https://pcaobus.org/Standards/Archived/Pages/AU329A.aspx accessed on 17/09/2017. Shleifer, A. and Vishny, R.W., (2011), A survey of corporate governance.The journal of finance,52(2), pp.737-783.

The Technology Of Plasma Display Panels, Or PDPs, Is A Very New One. T

The technology of Plasma display Panels, or PDPs, is a very new one. The release of these flat paneled televisions began around 1996. There isn't yet a company who has come out with a display panel with the contrast and/or color quality of the regular CRT displays. PDPs are hoped to obtain this quality through more advanced research, to allow them to lower prices and have them hang on the walls of all homes. This would eliminate the need for TV stands and the extremely heavy, large screen CRT TV's, thus also cutting down on shipping charges for mail order. PDPs have a somewhat similar function to that of the CRT with the process of exciting Phosphors, to glow and produce an image. Plasma Displays are very unique machines. They combine the large screen of a retro projection monitor, the pixel structure of an LCD panel, and the color-generation system of a conventional, CRT-equipped television. Each individual pixel in a plasma display contains red, green, and blue phosphors, along with a series of electrodes. The structure somewhat resembles that of a light-emitting diode (LED). (Putman ) When voltage is applied to one of the three terminals in an individual pixel, it discharges through the pixel to a second electrode, ionizing a rare gas (plasma) in the process. This ionization creates ultraviolet light, which in turn strikes a red, green, or blue phosphor and causes it to glow. Depending on the level of voltage applied and the duration of the charge/discharge cycle, the phosphor will either glow dimly or brightly. (Putman ) In theory, each color has 256 levels that can be expressed this way, resulting in a 24-bit (16.7 million) color palette. The use of a third electrode provides faster and more accurate control of the charge/discharge cycle, which in turn allows for faster picture refresh rates. (Putman ) As a result, moving images from video can be displayed with picture refresh rates up to 75Hz. For the future of computer monitors, this will be helpful for producing ones that are less painful to the eyes when stared at for long periods of time. The plasma displays do show off bright colors due to this excited-phosphor system which is basically the same way a CRT monitor produces color. But PDPs do not produce the radiation or high voltage produced by the electron beam. They just have a small pixel structure which is why they can be manufactured so thin. Because of the thin profile, Plasma Display Panels are manufactured with a considerably lighter weight than regular CRT monitors. Although, they are often heavier than they look. A 40 inch plasma display typically weighs about 60-70 pounds. Still, this is a good improvement from the CRT's where a 40inch monitor could weigh up to three hundred. At this point, there is a big misconception about PDP's resolution. All PDPs currently being marketed in the 33 inch to 42 inch range have a vertical resolution of 480 pixels and no more. For 4:3 panels that translates to a resolution of 640x480; for 16:9 panels the pixel count is 852x480. Some models have been demonstrated with a higher resolution (768 vertical pixels), but they are considerably larger - typically weighing well over 100 pounds with screens as large as 50 inches diagonal. (Putman ) The current 480-pixel limit means that any signal you connect to a PDP with a resolution exceeding 640x480 will be scaled or remapped down in size, resulting in pixel decimation and plenty of dithering. (Zenger) These remapped images will make the quality of small text and fine image details, reduce somewhat dramatically. NTSC and VGA computer graphics are the only types of signal that all PDPs are compatible and work well with. They will be read line for line and pixel for pixel. This opens plenty of doors in the commercial, industrial, corporate, and consumer retail markets. The PDPs do have many advantages though. Often many big screen TV's have a problem with the viewing angle. When one walks to a side of the screen, it usually blacks out and they can no longer see a clear picture. Plasma display panels can produce a very large image and still maintain a 160 degree viewing angle. PDPs also are capable of displaying more than 16 million different colors, where as CRTs can only display about 1 million. Being that PDPs are still a very new technology, the price of them has yet to come down. PDPs once packaged into a monitor start at

Pompeii - Archaeology of the Famous Roman Tragedy

Pompeii - Archaeology of the Famous Roman Tragedy Pompeii is arguably the most famous archaeological site in the world. There has never been a site as well preserved, as evocative, or as memorable as that of Pompeii, the luxurious resort for the Roman Empire, which was buried along with its sister cities of Stabiae and Herculaneum under the ash and lava erupted from Mount Vesuvius during the fall of 79 AD. Pompeii is located in the area of Italy known, then as now, as Campania. The vicinity of Pompeii was first occupied during the Middle Neolithic, and by the 6th century BC, it came under the rule of the Etruscans. The citys origins and the original name are unknown, nor are we clear on the sequence of settlers there, but it seems clear that Etruscans, Greeks, Oscans, and Samnites competed to occupy the land prior to the Roman conquest. The Roman occupation began in the 4th century BC, and the town reached its heyday when the Romans turned it into a seaside resort, beginning 81 BC. Pompeii as a Thriving Community At the time of its destruction, Pompeii was a thriving commercial port at the mouth of the Sarno River in southwestern Italy, on the southern flank of Mount Vesuvius. Pompeiis known buildingsand there are many that were preserved under the mud and ashfallinclude a Roman basilica, built ca 130-120 BC, and an amphitheater built circa 80 BC. The forum contained several temples; the streets included hotels, food vendors and other eating places, a purpose-built lupanar, and other brothels, and gardens within the city walls. But probably of most fascination  to us today are the look into private homes, and the eerie negative images of human bodies caught in the eruption: the utter humanness of the tragedy seen at Pompeii. Dating the Eruption and an Eyewitness Romans watched the spectacular eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, many from a safe distance, but one early naturalist named Pliny (the Elder) watched while he helped evacuate refugees on the Roman warships under his charge. Pliny was killed during the eruption, but his nephew (called  Pliny the Younger), watching the eruption from Misenum about 30 kilometers (18 miles) away, survived and wrote about the events in letters that form the basis of our eye-witness knowledge about it. The traditional date of the eruption is August 24th, supposed to have been the date reported in Pliny the Youngers letters, but as early as 1797, the archaeologist Carlo Maria Rosini questioned the date on the basis of the remains of fall fruits he found preserved at the site, such as chestnuts, pomegranates, figs, raisins, and pine cones. A recent study of the distribution of the wind-blown ash at Pompeii (Rolandi and colleagues) also supports a fall date: the patterns shows that prevailing winds blew from a direction most prevalent in the fall. Further, a silver coin found with a victim in Pompeii was struck after September 8th, AD 79. If only Plinys manuscript had survived! Unfortunately, we only have copies. Its possible that a scribal error crept in regarding the date: compiling all the data together, Rolandi and colleagues (2008) propose a date of October 24th for the eruption of the volcano. Archaeology The excavations at Pompeii are an important watershed in the history of archaeology, as it was among the earliest of archaeological excavations, tunneled into by the  Bourbon rulers of Naples and Palermo beginning in the fall of 1738. The Bourbons undertook full-scale excavations in 1748much to the belated distress of modern archaeologists who would have preferred they wait until better techniques were available. Of the many archaeologists associated with Pompeii and Herculaneum are pioneers of the field Karl Weber, Johann-Joachim Winckelmann, and Guiseppe Fiorelli; a team was sent to Pompeii by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who had a  fascination with archaeology and was responsible for the  Rosetta stone  ending up in the British Museum.   Modern research at the site and others affected by the 79 Vesuvian eruption was conducted by the Anglo-American Project in Pompeii, led by Rick Jones at the University of Bradford, with colleagues at Stanford and the University of Oxford. Several field schools were conducted at Pompeii between 1995 and 2006, mostly targeting the section known as Regio VI. Many more sections of the city remain unexcavated, left for future scholars with improved techniques. Pottery at Pompeii Pottery was always an important element of Roman society and it has figured in many of the modern studies of Pompeii. According to recent research (Peà ±a and McCallum 2009), thin-walled pottery tableware and lamps were manufactured elsewhere and brought into the city to sell. Amphorae were used to pack goods such as garum and wine and they too were brought in to Pompeii. That makes Pompeii somewhat anomalous among Roman cities, in that the largest portion of their pottery was produced outside its city walls. A ceramics works called the Via Lepanto was located just outside the walls on the Nuceria-Pompeii road. Grifa and colleagues (2013) report that the workshop was rebuilt after the AD 79 eruption, and continued to produce red-painted and burnished tablewares up until the Vesuvius eruption of 472. The red-slipped tableware called terra sigillata was found in numerous locations in and around Pompeii and using petrographic and elemental trace analysis of 1,089 sherds, McKenzie-Clark (2011) concluded that all but 23 were manufactured in Italy, accounting for 97% of the total investigated. Scarpelli et al. (2014) found that black slips on Vesuvian pottery were made of ferrous materials, consisting of one or more of magnetite, hercynite and/or hematite. Since the closure of the excavations at Pompeii in 2006, researchers have been busy publishing their results. Here are a few of the most recent ones, but there are many others: In Benefiels (2010) study of graffiti on the walls of the House of Maius Castricius is documented several pieces of incised romantic graffiti in different areas of the house. A conversation of 11 graffiti inscribed in a stairwell appears to be a literary and romantic conversation between two individuals. Most of the lines are original romantic poetry or plays on known texts, arranged vertically in two columns. Benefiel says the Latin lines hint at a kind of one-up-man-ship between two or more people.Piovesan and colleagues studied paints and pigments at Pompeiis Temple of Venus, identifying a range of mural colors made from the natural earth, minerals, and a few rare artificial pigmentsblack, yellow, red and brown ochre, cinnabar, Egyptian blue, green earth (mostly celadonite or glauconite) and white calcite.Cova (2015) reports on the alaearchitectural wingsin many houses in the section of Pompeii known as Regio VI, and how the size and shape of the alae may reflect socioeconomic cha nges in the Late Republic/Early Empire period. Miiello et al (2010) investigated construction phases in Regio VI by the variations of mortar. Astrid Lundgren at the University of Oslo published her dissertation on Pompeii in 2014, focusing on male sexuality and prostitution; Severy-Hoven is another scholar investigating the incredible wealth of erotica discovered at Pompeii.Murphy et al. (2013) looked at middens (garbage dumps) and was able to identify evidence that the waste is primarily kitchen food preparation of olives, grapes, figs, cereals, and pulses. However, they found little evidence for crop-processing, suggesting that the food was processed outside of the city before being brought to market. Sources This article is part of the About.com Dictionary of Archaeology: Ball LF, and Dobbins JJ. 2013. Pompeii Forum Project: Current Thinking on the Pompeii Forum. American Journal of Archaeology 117(3):461-492.Benefiel RR. 2010. Dialogues of Ancient Graffiti in the House of Maius Castricius in Pompeii. American Journal of Archaeology 114(1):59-101.Cova E. 2015. Stasis and Change in Roman Domestic Space: The Alae of Pompeiis Regio VI. American Journal of Archaeology 119(1):69-102.Grifa C, De Bonis A, Langella A, Mercurio M, Soricelli G, and Morra V. 2013. A Late Roman ceramic production from Pompeii. Journal of Archaeological Science 40(2):810-826.Lundgren AK. 2014. The Pastime of Venus: An archaeological investigation of male sexuality and protitution in Pompeii. Oslo, Norway: University of Oslo.McKenzie-Clark J. 2012. The supply of Campanian-made sigillata to the city of Pompeii. Archaeometry 54(5):796-820.Miriello D, Barca D, Bloise A, Ciarallo A, Crisci GM, De Rose T, Gattuso C, Gazineo F, and La Russa MF. 2010. Characterisation of archaeological mo rtars from Pompeii (Campania, Italy) and identification of construction phases by compositional data analysis. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(9):2207-2223. Murphy C, Thompson G, and Fuller D. 2013. Roman food refuse: urban archaeobotany in Pompeii, Regio VI, Insula 1. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 22(5):409-419.Peà ±a JT, and McCallum M. 2009. The Production and Distribution of Pottery at Pompeii: A Review of the Evidence; Part 2, The Material Basis for Production and Distribution. American Journal of Archaeology 113(2):165-201.Piovesan R, Siddall R, Mazzoli C, and Nodari L. 2011. The Temple of Venus (Pompeii): a study of the pigments and painting techniques. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(10):2633-2643.Rolandi G, Paone A, Di Lascio M, and Stefani G. 2008. The 79 AD eruption of Somma: The relationship between the date of the eruption and the southeast tephra dispersion. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 169(1–2):87-98.Scarpelli R, Clark RJH, and De Francesco AM. 2014. Archaeometric study of black-coated pottery from Pompeii by different analytical techniques. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Bi omolecular Spectroscopy 120(0):60-66. Senatore MR, Ciarallo A, and Stanley J-D. 2014. Pompeii Damaged by Volcaniclastic Debris Flows Triggered Centuries Prior to the 79 A.D. Vesuvius Eruption. Geoarchaeology 29(1):1-15.Severy-Hoven B. 2012. Master Narratives and the Wall Painting of the House of the Vettii, Pompeii. Gender History 24(3):540-580.Sheldon N. 2014. Dating the 79AD Eruption of Vesuvius: Is 24th August Really the Date? Decoded Past: Accessed 30 July 2016.

Law and Contract Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law and Contract Strategy - Essay Example However, for a valid contract to be valid, the elements must be: a) capacity, b) mutual assent (which includes offer, acceptance, and meeting of minds), c) consideration, d) lawful purpose, e) certainty of terms, and f) form provided by law (Essential 2006). On the other hand, Wikipedia (2007) cited the three key elements of a contract under common law jurisdictions as: a) offer and acceptance, b) consideration, and c) intent to create a legal relation. In sum, while the law considers three essential elements (consent, consideration and object), a valid contract requires other elements (e.g. capacity of parties, lawfulness of object, etc.). A contract is an agreement of parties (two or more) arrived at after adequately considering to do or refrain from doing an action (Contract Law. n.d.). It is also defined as a promise(s) which provide(s) a remedy for its breach or which the law recognises its performance as a duty (Contract Formation n.d.) (Essential 2006). It covers a wide array of subjects and transactions from sale of real or personal property, or terms of employment (Larson 2003). It defines the rights and obligations of a party, provides the means to enforce the rights, and allocates risks between the parties (Lewis-Elements n.d.). Contracts vary according to its usage. A construction contract is complex because it involves numerous parties (e.g. engineer, quantity surveyor, etc.), long period of execution, and a series of subcontracts (Lewis-Elements n.d.). In the construction sector, all details necessary to reflect the intents, timetable, insurance, or dispute settlements are considered essential elements. T o ease this complexity, industry professional and organisations created forms that will cover every detail of their particular needs, such as: building contracts (JCT series), engineering contracts (ICE series), government contracts (GC Works series), etc.

Film Glory Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film Glory - Movie Review Example Rawlins revised his style to transformational leadership, which was effective in producing the necessary attainment of the group's mission and goals. There had been a slew of films about the American Civil War but the movie "Glory" stood out because it was unique and because it not only focused its energies on bombings, hand to hand combats and killings but it featured the African American people's aspirations to prove its self-worth, courage and dignity under fire and under pressures of racial prejudice and honor amidst the backdrop of a bitter divisive war between the northern Union states and the southern Confederate states. Moreover, the film illustrates the anatomy of leadership as a young colonel was given the daunting task of recruiting, training and leading an all-black regiment, which was the first such black regiment to fight under the American flag, many of whom were older than he was and most of whom were embittered by the demeaning experiences they had under the white men. This film showed that heroism knows no color and its significance was that after the 54th Massachusetts regiment showed to all and sundry their he art-wrenching guts and heroism, President Lincoln conscripted more of such black regiments, assigning them challenging roles in a number of major battles. The 54th regiment was the start of black power in military warfare. It explained why blacks were worthy of being endowed with citizenships to the United States. The Relationships Among the Dramatis Personae Bonding within an infantry led by young white officers and composed of colored men,Glory 3 majority of whom had experienced indignities, brutalities and acts of inhumanity as former slaves from white men, was almost an unattainable situation. Leadership was even an impossible dream. But the regiment had to be formed as ordered by abolitionist Massachusetts governor John Andrew (Blatt et al,2000,p.19) and in its formation, everything had to start with an effective leadership or else the infantry will only be in a state of disarray and disintegration. It was incumbent upon Col.Robert Gould Shaw portrayed by Matthew Broderick to alter the relationship which started from distrust, aversion, contempt, bigotry and even hatred. He had to turn things around to make the regiment functional. This had to be accomplished without the needed boost and support from the command force and worse, from a flip-flopping stance of the command higher-ups who even issued absurd orders designed to make the regiment a nonentity. This was due to the belief that blacks had no capacity to fight and th at they would merely incite the border States to defect from the Union. There

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Statistics - Assignment Example Another significance of random sampling is that it plays as a representative of population of the study. The unbiased rule in simple random sampling makes it a vital method of drawing a conclusion from the study results, which is usually the main goal of a research. Moreover, this sampling technique helps to make generalization of a particular population from the results obtained. While using random sampling technique, it is always imperative to have a complete list of the study participants so that the researcher can make a sample from. However, this is often difficult to perform while dealing with a large population since the list must be complete and up to date, a condition that is difficult to meet. Random sample is not an appropriate technique to use while dealing with a very small sample size because the margin of error is usually wide, leading to a wrong conclusion (Medhi 2012).The above problems can be overcome through using an average sample size of the population since it will limit the margin error incurred during random

Impacts of Volcanic Eruptions on Urban Communities

Impacts of Volcanic Eruptions on Urban Communities Volcanoes, Environment and People Degree Assessment Compare and contrast the impacts of volcanic eruptions on urban communities in pre industrial and post – industrial evolution societies. Introduction The industrial revolution refers to a period in history that roughly occurred between 1760 and 1840, which saw the transition from old to newer manufacturing processes. It is regarded as a major turning point in history, influencing most aspects of daily life, even today. The revolution saw a change from traditional hand production to the use of more modern tools, machines and new technologies. Technology became more advanced and its use became more significant. Gaillard (2007) suggests that pre industrial revolution societies, like those discussed in this essay had a more intimate relationship with the natural environment, which plays a key role when assessing the impacts of a volcanic eruption. In this essay I will firstly compare the impacts of a pre and post industrial revolution eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Their impacts on urban communities will then be discussed in comparison with the more recent eruptions of Eldfell in Iceland and the Soufriere Hills volcano in Montserrat. For the purposes of this essay urban communities will be defined as a substantial group of buildings or people in one area. To assess the impacts of a volcanic eruption on an urban community, the nature of the community will need to be considered. Impacts of the eruption will vary between communities depending on a number of factors including closeness to the eruption, infrastructure, transport links, predication and preparation and the overall development of the community (Marzocchi et al., 2004). Different types of volcanic events will also produce different types of hazard (pyroclastic flows, tephra fallout, and gas emissions) which also need be considered in the assessment of a volcanic eruption. Pre Industrial Revolution Vesuvius, AD79 Mount Vesuvius is located in a densely populated area, with thousands of people living on its flanks and in the immediate vicinity of the volcano (Marzocchi et al., 2004). In the past Vesuvius has produced several large eruptions, including the most well known eruption which destroyed the town of Pompeii in AD79. This was a VEI5, Plinian eruption that consisted of two stages. Usually Plinian eruptions are classified by three stages; an initial eruption phase with a sustained eruptive column of gas and pyroclastic material; a second phase in which the eruption column collapses and generates pyroclastic flows which could reach speeds of up to 100km/h and finally the generation of dense, rapid mudflows generated by water on steep slopes (Barberi Zuccaro, 2006). In the case of the Vesuvius eruption in AD79 only stage one and two occurred. There were no mudflows, only pyroclastic flows. (Lirer et al., 1973). The eruption produced a 32km high eruption column and extensive tephra all out south of the eruption resulting in accumulation of tephra 2.8m thick over Pompeii and other regions (Sigurdsson et al., 1982). Sigurdsson et al (1982) presents evidence to support the collapse of roofs under the weight of pumice that fell and consequently the destruction of infrastructure throughout the town. The tephra fall would also have made it very difficult for people to be outdoors around that time. The town would have been in total darkness and they would have had to wade through several metres of tephra on the ground. Despite this, this first stage of eruption was non lethal. It alarmed people but gave the majority of the population time to flee. 2000 deaths were accounted for out of the 20,000 people living in Pompeii and neighbouring towns (Luke, 2013). The second stage of the eruption consisted of six pyroclastic flows, during which most death and destruction to property occurred. Figure 1 details that between them, six pyroclastic flows travelled from the volcano, covering the towns of Herculaneum, Oplontis and Pompeii. The flows travelled 32km west across the Bay of Naples to Misenum and south east of Stabiae (Siggurdsson et al., 1982). Figure 1. Map of Vesuvius and surrounding towns showing pyroclastic flow deposits and the extent of the pyroclastic flows during the AD79 eruption (Source: Siggurdsson et al., 1982). The AD79 eruption of Vesuvius is an example of how communities with the most insecurity are the most vulnerable to hazards and have the capability of turning them from hazard to disaster (Gaillard, 2007). Through studies carried out on the settlement of Palma Campania a commune in Naples, Grattan (2006) showed that although most of the population was killed by tephra fall and pyroclastic flows there was reluctance to permanently build a settlement on the volcano plains, suggesting that instead of mitigating the effects of a volcanic eruption the communities instead chose to deal with them. They derived a method of coping and learning to live with the sudden environmental change. Compare this with the smaller VEI3 eruption of Vesuvius in 1944 and the impacts are very different. Although the eruption was smaller, there was more of an impact on nearby towns because of the nature of the community (Barnes, 2011). Important buildings such as schools and hospitals were built very close to fracture zones on the volcano flanks where open vents had previously been recorded. Under these conditions, living and having important amenities in such close proximity, events smaller than the 1944 eruption could be catastrophic from an economical and social point of view (Marzocchi et al., 2004). From a comparison of the two Vesuvius eruptions it is evident that the hazards each volcanic eruption produced were similar, however the way the communities chose to deal with them and therefore the impacts of each eruption are different for pre and post industrial communities. With a simpler way of life, post industrial revolution communities towns were able to easily change aspects of their daily life and adapt to living with a volcano. In a way, modern technology could be considered a downfall. If a super eruption were to happen it would apply stress to all aspects of modern day life. Air travel would be practically impossible because of airborne tephra, climate change would be severe and affect crop production across the globe, telecommunications would be restricted and huge areas would be affected by tephra fall and toxic gases (Grattan, 2006). Although that is a worst case scenario it highlights how post industrial revolution or modern communities may not always be better off. Post Industrial Revolution According to Marzocchi et al (2004) the hazards a volcanic eruption presents are hard to quantify because of the complexity of the eruptive processes and the unreliability of past data. However, it is thought that the advancement of communities means that a volcanic eruption poses a greater threat as there is more at risk. The eruption of Eldfell, a volcanic cone on the Icelandic island of Heimaey does however show how technologies of the industrial revolution could work towards reducing the hazards a volcanic eruption presents. Eldfell, 1973 The eruption of Eldfell began, without any warning, on the 23rd of January 1973, as a fissure crossing the island (Morgan, 2000). It caused a major crisis for the island, almost causing permanent evacuation. Volcanic ash fell on most of the island and more than 400 homes were destroyed as roofs were not constructed to deal with the weight from ashfall. Tractors were used to remove ash from the roofs and save some of the buildings (Morgan, 2000). Figure 2 shows the town of Vestmannaeyjar during and after the eruption and gives an idea of the scale of damaged caused by the eruption. It was most at risk because of its close location to the volcanic fissure. It was threatened by tephra fall and lava flows (Thorarinsson et al., 1973). The lava flows that threatened the towns also threatened the harbour, the islands main source of income. The response to the lava flows was to spray them with sea water, which cooled them down and stopped further advance, saving the harbour (Morgan, 2000). Figure 2. Houses nearest the fissure were destoryed by volcanic bombs thrown from the volcano during thr eruption (Left). The right image shows the town of Vestmannaeyjar after lava had advanced onto it. Cooling hoses used to cool the lava are highlighted in red. (Source: Morgan, 2000) Although the scale of the Eldfell eruption was relatively small, the town of Vestmannaeyjar was put at risk because of its location of the fissure. The fissure opened up at the edge of the town with the lava destroying 200 buildings, and more being damaged by tephra fall (Dugmore Và ©steinsson, 2012). Despite this the death toll for the Eldfell eruption was low as there were resources and space to evacuate those in immediate danger. Boats transported people off the island to Reyjavic where schools and other larger buildings acted as receptions for the evacuees. Compare this with the Pompeii eruption where the resources were unavailable and lack of knowledge made evacuating people not an option. Even if the resources were available, it would have been physically impossible to relocate such a large population. In Iceland, volcanism is considered to be one of the principal causes for lack of development (Dugmore Và ©steinsson, 2012). In most cases, the negative impacts of a volcanic eruption have been kept to a minimum both by environmental and cultural factors. There is little to encourage people to settle in immediate volcanic zones; high elevations are unfavourable in terms of climate and the steep slopes of the volcano flanks are difficult to build on. Social systems within Iceland are well suited to coping with volcanic hazards so when an event does occur it will not have such a great impact as if it were to occur in Britain for example (Dugmore Và ©steinsson, 2012). Soufriere Hills, 1995 Montserrat is a small island in the Caribbean that consists of 4 volcanic centres: Silver hill, Centre hills, Soufriere hills and South Soufriere hills. The map in figure 3 shows the location of the 4 volcanic centres on the island (Wadge Isaacs, 1988). Figure 3. Map of Montserrat showing the 4 volcanic domes. Chances Peak, responsible for the 1995 eruption is highlighted in red. (Source: Wadge Isaascs 1988) Chances peak was responsible for the eruptions from 1995 onwards (Figure 3). The eruption began in 1995 after a period of seismic activity and small warning signs of an eruption (Robertson et al., 2000). The most intense eruptions occurred in 1997 and consisted of pyroclastic flows, lahars and tephra fall. The advancement of tephra and pyroclastic flows and the settlements around the volcano that were destroyed throughout the eruption is shown in Figure 4. Figure 4. Chances Peak and the location of nearby settlements. Shows the progression of the eruption during 1997 to 1998 and depicts the settlements that were destroyed by pyroclastic flows, lahars and tephra fall. (Source: BBC Bitesize) Through recognition of distinctive patterns in seismic activity and monitoring signals, short term forecasts of volcanic activity were able to be made so those most in danger could be evacuated at the most appropriate time (Robertson et al., 2000). The islanders in close proximity to the volcano were evacuated to the north of the island, to neighbouring countries and to the UK as Montserrat is a British dependant territory (Young et al., 1998). In total, only 19 people who chose to stay behind were killed by the eruption. The Soufriere Hills volcano provided an opportunity for modern technology and volcanological thinking to be fully utilised in the thorough documentation and the provision of accurate and timely disaster mitigation advice (Young et al., 1998). Conclusion To conclude, the nature of a volcanic hazard, the social status of the population exposed to the hazard, geographic setting and the rehabilitation policy set up by authorities vary between time and place (Gaillard, 2007). In the cases discussed above, all the eruptions produced similar hazards (tephra, lahars, pyroclastic flows) but the nature of the community and the way the population responded made the impacts different. Post industrial revolution communities use technology to their advantage in aiding after the eruption but also before the eruption, in the prediction and preparation stages. From the case studies, it is evident that forecasting plays a fundamental role in volcanic hazard mitigation (Sparks, 2003). It is vital for predicting when/where eruptions will occur, the kinds of hazards associated with the eruption, how long the eruption is likely to last and if populations in close proximity to the volcano are at risk. Plans can then be put in place to reduce the risks related to an eruption on a community. References Barberi, F. and Zuccaro, G. (2006) Somma Vesuvio Mesimex: the final technical implimentation report Barnes, K. (2011). Volcanology: Europes ticking time bomb. Nature, 473(7346), pp.140-141. Dugmore AJ, and Và ©steinsson O (2012) Black sun, high flame and flood; volcanic hazards in Iceland. In Cooper J, Sheets P (eds) Surviving Sudden Environmental Change: Answers from Archaeology (University Press of Colorado: Boulder) p 67 -90. Gaillard, J.-C. (2006), â€Å"Traditional societies in the face of natural hazards: the 1991 Mt Pinatubo eruption and the Aetas of the Philippines†, International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 24(1), pp. 5-43 Gaillard, J. (2007). Resilience of traditional societies in facing natural hazards. Disaster Prevention and Management, 16(4), pp.522-544. Grattan, J. (2006). Aspects of Armageddon: An exploration of the role of volcanic eruptions in human history and civilization. Quaternary International, 151(1), pp.10-18. Lirer, L., Pescatore, T., Booth, B. and Walker, G. (1973). Two Plinian Pumice-Fall Deposits from Somma-Vesuvius, Italy. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 84(3), p.759. Luke, BT. (2013). Roman Pompeii, Geography of Death and Escape: The deaths of Vesuvius, PhD Theses, Kent State University Marzocchi, W., Sandri, L., Gasparini, P., Newhall, C. and Boschi, E. (2004). Quantifying probabilities of volcanic events: The example of volcanic hazard at Mount Vesuvius. J. Geophys. Res., 109(B11) Morgan, A. (2000). The Eldfell Eruption, Heimaey, Iceland: A 25-Year Retrospective. Geoscience Canada, 27(1). Robertson, R., Aspinall, W., Herd, R., Norton, G., Sparks, R. and Young, S. (2000). The 1995-1998 eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano, Montserrat, WI. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 358(1770), pp.1619-1637. Sigurdsson, H. et al. (1982) The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79: reconstruction from historical and volcanological evidence. American Journal of Archaeology 86, pp. 39–51 Sparks, R. (2003). Forecasting volcanic eruptions. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 210(1-2), pp.1-15. Thorarinsson, S., Steinthorsson, S., Einarsson, T., Kristmannsdottir, H. and Oskarsson, N. (1973). The Eruption on Heimaey, Iceland. Nature, 241(5389), pp.372-375. Wadge, G. and Isaacs, M. (1988). Mapping the volcanic hazards from Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, West Indies using an image processor. Journal of the Geological Society, 145(4), pp.541-551. Young, S., Sparks, R., Aspinall, W., Lynch, L., Miller, A., Robertson, R. and Shepherd, J. (1998). Overview of the eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, 18 July 1995 to December 1997. Geophysical Research Letters, 25(18), pp.3389-3392. 1

John Paul Stevens: Biography :: essays research papers

John Paul Stevens: Biography John Paul Stevens, the 101st Justice to serve on the supreme court of the United States, and the first appointed by President Gerald R. Ford. John Paul Stevens became a member of the high court in December of 1975. Stevens, a middle aged man, with a reputation as a sharp-minded, hardworking lawyer, and first rate judge was given the highest evaluation from the American Bar Association committee that examined his record.  ³A superb judicial craftsman ² and a Judge ¹s judge, ² are two of the praises that Stevens has received from the United States Court of Appeals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stevens was voted into the supreme court with a vote of 98-0. In that time, Stevens was considered by the press, to be a moderate or moderate conservative in his legal thinking, and would take sides with other justices Powell, Stewart, and White. John Paul was born on Apr. 20, 1920. Stevens, the youngest out of 4 sons, Stevens was also considered to be the smartest of the 4 . At the age of six, his brother Ernest Stevens noted to a New York Post reporter,  ³I guess we always knew he was going to make something of himself. He was always awfully smart....When John was six, he could play better bridge then most adults today> ²   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stevens attended the University of Chicago High School, and then later went to the University its self. In 1941, he left the University with a Phi Betta Kappa key, and a B.A. degree. He joined the navy, after the U.S entered World War 2. Stevens was stationed in Washington D.C, as a intelligence officer on the staff of admiral Chester W. Nimitz. He worked with a group assigned to break Japanese codes. for doing this, he was awarded the Bronze Star. After he returned to Chicago, (at the end of the war) he enrolled himself into Northwestern University School of Law to earn his J.D. degree, where he graduated first in his class. Not long after that, he was admitted into the Order of the Coif and the Phi Delta Phi law society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From 1947 to 48, Stevens spent the year as a clerk to supreme court justice Wiley Rutledge. After that, he joined his first law firm, Poppenhausen, Johnston, Thompson & Raymond. A Chicago based firm, that he was inducted to as an Associate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This was in 1948. With expert guidance from a Senior in the firm,

Technology Influence

TECHNOLOGY INFLUENCE At every stage of the production process there is the potential for technology to be applied to improve efficiency and quality, such as using machines to make manufacturing more accurate. Some form of technology is used in operations to make every good, so changes in technology have a big impact on transformation processes, affecting the mix of inputs, as well as creating new opportunities for outputs. Technology also has an important impact on operations management because electronic systems can be used to better plan, monitor, control, and manage the operations process.For example, technology can be used to design products and sequence production tasks more efficiently. Technological impacts on inputs Many forms of technology are used as inputs in the production process, such as microchips, synthetic materials, and machinery. These technologies can often be substituted for other resources. For example, synthetic products can replace raw materials, and machines can do the work of humans. As technology advances and becomes cheaper, more reliable, and easier to use, these kinds of substitutions become more likely.The replacement of humans by machines (called ‘automation') is a particularly big issue as labour accounts for about 60% of all production costs. Machines can often be much cheaper than people. New technology can often be expensive to adopt, so a business might feel pressured by the market to make the change (for instance, because new technology is perceived as fashionable or higher quality), but be reluctant to do so because of cash f low problems or doubt about long-term benefits.Also, there can sometimes be initial problems and bugs with new technology, and workers may have to learn new skills to be able to use technology properly. Technological impacts on the types of outputs New technology presents wonderful opportunities for businesses to make new kinds of products and old products with new features. Improvements in elec tronic and computing technology, for example, allowed the development of smartphones and mp3 players. It also allows innovations that were previously unheard of (such as white bread fortified with calcium).These opportunities affect business strategies, which affects operations management, which may have to adapt to produce new products. If businesses are behind the technological curve, operations management may need to play a game of ‘catch up' to keep up with technological innovations. For example, as technological change allowed mp3 players to flourish, operations managers in companies stuck making old-fashioned CD players had to learn to make the new kind of music player. ? Technological impact on the quantity of outputsTechnological change may allow the business to increase its efficiency, allowing it to make more products than it could previously. For example, a human might be able to make three handbags each hour. A new machine might be able to make 30 or 300 in an hour , and could potentially operate around the clock, whereas humans can only work limited hours. Similarly, electronic records mean doctors can access patients' medical histories more quickly and therefore allow potentially faster diagnoses, so they can see more patients in a day.

augustine medical essays

augustine medical essays Jones-Blair Company sells paint and related products throughout select states in the southern United States. Alexander Barrett, president of JBC, is trying to identify the companys best marketing strategy in an environment of declining paint demand. Not only is demand declining, but the company is also faced with increased competition from national companies, such as Kmart, Wal-Mart and Home Depot, who have the ability to mass merchandize their paint products. The paint industry is divided into three segments: architectural, OEM coatings and special-purpose coatings. Currently, Mr. Barrett is faced with maximizing his marketing efforts to best serve the architectural coating segments. A few of the issues that face Mr. Barrett are: Ø Segmentation The company needs to identify its target markets by deciding if their market is urban or rural, household or professional. Each market needs to be evaluated based on size, growth potential and influences of possible buying behavior. Using this information, JBC will be better informed as to which segments will provide the best opportunities to increase sales and therefore increase profits. Ø Opportunities and Threats The current environment possesses many opportunities and threats which will need to be considered when formulating marketing plan. For instance, the competitive pressures as a result of the increased presence of private and store brands sold by national companies could be viewed as a threat or an opportunity depending on the companys decision as to product positioning and which markets they try to capture. Ø Conflicting recommendations from Company officers Mr. Barrett and his officers have been unable to reach a decision in their discussions over marketing strategy. Conflicting proposals from the companys key officers are to add more sales representatives, increase advertising, r ...

20 Essay Topics on Crime Prevention Based on Social Science

20 Essay Topics on Crime Prevention Based on Social Science Social science is the scientific study of human society and relationships among the individuals that make up a society. In the context of crime prevention, social science studies attempts to study what pushes criminal activities and how the society we live in can be structured to prevent crimes by eliminating the triggers that leads to criminal intent or reactions. This is indeed possible and has facts backing the importance of social science in preventing crimes. This subject matter can be quite difficult to write about if one does not have good research skills or the patience to learn.   Therefore, an assignment on this could be difficult but we are here to show that this should not be so. In this article- which is a follow up on the 10 facts on social science and crime prevention - 20 social science essay topics will be provided for your choosing pleasure. One of these topics will also be written on to provide you with some direction on how to go about writing on the topic you choose. So below are the 20 topics you can choose from to kick-start your own project. 20 Social Science Topics on Preventing Crime: The Importance of Stable Family Structures in Preventing Crime Reducing Teenage Delinquency Rates and Crime in Today’s Society The Fallacy of Incarceration as an Effective Crime Prevention Technique Integrating Risk Prevention Techniques to Combat Adolescent Criminal Behavior Identifying and Understanding the Key Risk Factors Prevalent in Human Beings Parental Education and its Effects on Reducing Criminal Activities Women Education and Its Role in Crime Prevention Early Child Education and Its Role in Reducing Adolescent Crime How Integrating Civil Laws in Society Prevents Crime Crime Prevention and the Role of Structural Growth The Effects of Local Watches in Preventing Crime Encouraging Social Awareness to Reduce Criminal Activities Mental Health and Its Correlation with Criminal Activity Managing Societys Mental Health Problems Key to Reducing Violent Crimes Tackling Unemployment an Effective Tool to Preventing Crime Creating Economic Opportunities, Preventing Criminal Activities The Implementation of Intervention Techniques in Preventing Criminal Activity Pursuing Equality Reforms as a Crime Prevention Technique Perusing Societys Role in Preventing Criminal Activities The Science of Youth Violence Prevention: Progressing from Developmental Epidemiology to Efficacy Sample Essay: The Importance of Stable Family Structures in Preventing Crime The 17th century saying that the family is the building block of society still rings true to date and consequently, the foundation of every Nation both developed and underdeveloped rests squarely on the strength of its families. Therefore, there is much to learn from the stability of family structures and the effect they have in preventing crimes. My essay is written to provide information on what is known and how stable families prevent criminal activities. The role of the family in the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency has been studied for decades by social scientists and the office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). These studies culminated in findings that showed the effects of both a good family structure and a non-existent structure drives delinquent behavior and criminal activities. The home is the first school for children and it serves as a classroom where manners, etiquettes, society’s rules and behavioral patterns are ingrained in a child. Therefore, children end up becoming by-products of the home they grew up in. Studies from the OJJDP has shown that kids who have been exposed to negative influences in childhood tend to act out these influence in their later years which makes it imperative to create an enabling environment that allows each family fulfill its potential. The study went further to state that kids from at risk homes- unstable families, single parent homes, drug abusers etc.- are three times more likely to be involved in criminal behavior later in life. These negative behaviors which affect governance in the long run can be forestalled by creating conducive familial environment which means the government has a role to play in propagating stable family units. The first step to be taking is creating employment opportunities for adults who intend to create families. This productivity helps both the government and family unit by developing productive citizens and family heads with the finances needed to cater to family needs. Educating parents is also a technique that can be used in building stable family units. It is important to start the educative process from the postnatal period right down to the first two years after childbirth. A study conducted by the Nurse-Family Partnership Program showed that expecting families who took part in such programs were less likely to be involved with any forms of child abuse when compared to others who did not. While on the children’s side, a stable family unit where parental supervision and involvement help kids grow-up to become functioning members of society. This is because parents notice negative factors and influences in their kids’ life and take the necessary steps to check those behavioral patterns before they spiral out of control. Getting parenting and the family unit right is definitely the first step to preventing crimes and grooming responsible citizens in a society. Achieving this requires the education of parents and creating an environment where parents can raise their kids to be responsible and understand that they are accountable for their actions. Here we come to the end of the second article providing you with essay topics on crime prevention. To learn more about writing and reviewing literature on crime prevention, check out this follow-up article on how to write a perfect article review on social science and crime prevention. References: Brandon, W. (2012). The Future of Crime Prevention: Developmental and Situational Strategies. crim.cam.ac.uk/people/academic_research/david_farrington/nijprev.pdf Jeffery, R. (1977).Crime Prevention through Environmental Design 50, 60. Farrington, D. Sherman, W. (2001). Costs and Benefits of Preventing Crime. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Wilson, D., Gottfredson, C., Najaka, S. (2001). School-based Prevention of Problem Behaviours: A Meta-analysis. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 17, 247-272. Canepple, S. (2008). Organized Crime, Corruption and Crime Prevention. Fisher, B. (2010). Encyclopaedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention. Henze, S. (2006). Crime science: New Approaches to Preventing and Detecting Crime.

Intercultural studies Finding Nouf Research Paper

Intercultural studies Finding Nouf - Research Paper Example The basis for major events in the story is when Nouf, a sixteen-year-old girl goes missing thereby triggering her family to organize a search. The family seeks for a lead from Nayir Sharqi, regarded as a desert guide, to help the search party. After 10 days of search, anonymous desert pilgrims discover her body just when Nayir was to give up. The test carried by coroner’s office indicates that the cause of death was drowning. The family’s dissatisfaction by the coroner’s investigation triggers Nayir to sacrifice on a journey of finding out what transpired at the time of death. The journey to determining the cause of death makes Nayir to seek for help from Katya Hijazi, who is one of the workers at the coroner’s office. Katya Hijazi is courageous enough to carry her own investigation even though her partnership with Nayir was at stake because of the cultural beliefs. Nayir has to antagonize the cultural limitation and his desire for a partnership with a fem ale character. The writer presents a society which enshrines discrimination by its cultural patterns. Intuitively, the presented society is deeply rooted in their Muslim culture which serves as the influence of the themes presented in the novel. The writer presents the culture as having different forms of patterns which serves in modeling the relationship between the people. Generally, one of the major cultural patterns presented is the need to shun any partnership between men and women. This is evident when Nayir goes to work in partnership with Katya to realize the cause of death (Ferraris, 23).

My Leadership experiences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My Leadership experiences - Essay Example As a student in a graduate school, I have maintained my position as a group leader. As a result, I have learnt to appreciate and deal with individuals who have different cultural backgrounds and ethnicity. There were also times when conflicts of interests are present within the group that I handle. By establishing an open communication line with the team members, I was able to successfully resolve the misunderstandings and arguments within the group. In the process of calming down the increasing tension, I have taught my group mates the importance of Tai Chi as a relaxation technique wherein the group members have decided to individually write down their frustrations, anger and discouragement in a piece of paper and place them in the ‘garbage basket.’ As a result, I was able to successfully reduce the negative pressure that exists among the team members. In general, the practice of a weak leadership is likely to contribute to the organizational failure and inefficient operations within the Navy. In line with the inefficiency in the Navy’s operational system, there is a higher chance of having a decreased working attitude and morale of the leaders as well as his or her subordinates. In the end, it becomes more difficult to create and maintain a healthy and peaceful working environment for the team members. Based on my previous leadership experiences when implementing an important organizational change, ‘resistance to change’ among the team members is one of the most common loop-hole or bottleneck that could impede the planning of developmental stage in the Navy. Basically, the three major factors that could promote resistance to change include: (1) the fact that people may feel that they have no control over the sudden changes; (2) the workers may see change as a threat to their current positions of

Sports and society in ancient world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sports and society in ancient world - Essay Example The athletes were usually covered completely in oil in order to magnify their physical attributes and at the same time keep off from gathering dust during competitions. The opinion of the Greek was that athletics differentiated them from those that were not of Greek origin. The aim of this paper is to analyze various athletic sculptures in a bid to determine conclusively the relationship between ancient Greece and sports. The figure depicts an athlete that is in the process of offering a sacrifice. The athlete has one hand outstretched and the other is held in a fist. The structure is made of bronze and has a shiny outlook to it. The outstretched hand is open as though to depict the process of offering something to a deity. The use of bronze in depicting the athlete is because bronze in itself is easy to mold. The use of Bronze includes making a sculpture that requires a lot of molding and curving (Hawhee, 93). It bends easily just as marble. Its use concerning the question is because athletes were to be flexible and the use of Bronze made this apparent. Ancient Greek was very religious, the sculpture, acted as an illustration of blessings for sports. The sculpture illustrates the desire of the athletics to attain divine blessings in their pursuit. The sculpture illustrates that ancient Greek athletes were expected to be religious in tune with their beliefs. They were prayerful and embodied the spiri tual morality that the rest of Greece did. Athletes were meant to embody humility and not to believe wholly in their own capabilities, but for those of the deities. The second figure illustrates an athlete that is leaning against a tree trunk. His stance is somewhat different from the ordinary human pose. On his head, something looks like either a crown or a ribbon. From the direction that his right hand is in, he placed the ribbon/crown on his head himself. Although there may be faint traces of

My Teacher, My Hero Essay Example for Free

My Teacher, My Hero Essay When talking about our own teachers and mentors, anyone would be glad to thank them, especially those who are successful and those who learned a great lesson from them. But, are teachers really that great? Aren’t they just a bunch of people teaching everyday? The people who are always giving a lot of homeworks and projects, making our life hard? Teachers are great. They teach us in all ways they could. They guide us through different challenges. They act as light when we’re on darkness. They’re affection strengthens students. They’re patience are unbelievable. For even though, we, students are acting childishly, they forgive us. They’re like a second mom to us. And especially, they love us like a true mother. Once, when I was still young, I had a very kind and loving teacher. And for me, she was the reason why I am here in my spot today. She was the building block of my knowledge. She’s my teacher on kindergarten. She’s strict, yes, but still very affectionate. She was the one who discovered I’m myopic. After discovering this, she told it to my mom and I was able to see the world clearly. She was also the one who always guides me through everything. She taught me how to read, write, count, and how to be strong in every circumstance I face. She taught me how to meet friends. I learned many lessons from her. She always taps my head whenever I learned something new. And in that small gesture, I know how much her affection is for me. She’s a person whom I can ask help from anytime I want. She’s a person willing to help a lost child to make her a successful one. And I’m very thankful to her. She was like my hero once and I know she’ll forever be one. Thanks to her, my parents discovered I’m myopic. Thanks to her, I learned how to make new friends. Thanks to her, I’ve been a good girl. Thanks to her, I learned how to eat veggies. And especially thanks to her, for being my hero, who saves me from any circumstance that surrounds me. I owe her so much yet all I can do is to thank her, to study hard, and to become a successful person someday, for her to be proud of me. If not because of you, I won’t be here where I am today. Thank you My Teacher, My Hero! I salute you, and I will always do.

Civil War and The Souths Loss Essay -- American History, Historical C

Civil War and The South's Loss â€Å"In all history, no nation of mere agriculturists ever made successful war against a nation of mechanics†¦You are bound to fail.† Union officer William Tecumseh Sherman to a Southern friend. â€Å"Why did the North win the Civil War?† is only half of a question by itself, for the other half is â€Å"Why did the South lose the Civil War?† To this day historians have tried to put their finger on the exact reason for the South losing the war. Some historians blame the head of the confederacy Jefferson Davis; however others believe that it was the shear numbers of the Union (North). The advantages and disadvantages are abundant on either sides of the argument, but the most dominate arguments on why the South lost the war would be the fact that state’s rights prevented unification of the South, Jefferson Davis' poor leadership and his failure to work together with his generals, the South failed to gain the recognition of the European nations, North's superior resources made the outcome inevitable, and moral of the South towards the end of the war. First, the South couldn’t have won the civil war because state’s rights prevented unification of the South. The very issue that created the Confederacy helped to destroy it. In waging war, the South faced problems of politics and government that greatly complicated its problem of economic mobilization. No one would deny the troublesome effect of the conflict generated by differing ideas of how best to protect liberty and to organize southern society for the war effort. Southern people insisted upon retaining their democratic liberties in wartime, which proved fatal for the South. They had to struggle with a â€Å"confederacy formed by particularistic politicians [that] could hardly be expected to adopt promptly those centralists polices which victory demanded† (Donald, p. 26). Individual state governors fought bitterly with Jefferson Davis to prevent him from consolidating power to fight the war. They withheld troops and supplies while the Confederate Congress sp ent its time arguing over the rights of the states instead of prosecuting a war of national survival. Many internal conflicts within the South were acquiring and weakening the South’s unity. Internal conflicts caused confederate officials to choose between moving troops from the coasts and strengthening their armies, or leaving the... ...iled to gain the recognition of the European nations, North's superior resources made the outcome inevitable, and moral of the South towards the end of the war. The Civil War was a trying time for both the North and the South alike, but the question of its outcome was obvious from the start. The North was guaranteed a decisive victory over the ill-equipped South. Northerners, prepared to endure the deficit of war, were startled to find that they were experiencing an enormous industrial boom even after the first year of war. To the South, however, the war was a draining and debilitating leech, sucking the land dry of any appearance of economical formidability. The debate continues whether or not the South could have won the Civil war. It’s always going to be a bunch of â€Å"what ifs?† Works Cited Beringer, Richard. et al. Why the South Lost the Civil War. Athens: University of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Georgia Press, 1986. Boritt, Gabor S. Why the Confederacy Lost. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992 Donald, David. et al. Why the North Won the Civil War. London: Collier Macmillan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Publishers, 1960. Gallagher, Gary. The Confederate War. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1997.

Media Texts, Brands, and Identity: For Him Magazine (FHM Magazine) Essa

Media Texts, Brands, and Identity: â€Å"For Him Magazine† (FHM Magazine) In this essay I will firstly introduce the magazine I am discussing, and talk about ideas of representations and gender in their issues, and also how it in effect they market themselves as a brand that articulates identity. FHM magazine stands for â€Å"For Him Magazine†; its core target audience is males 25-35. The magazine is produced monthly at the cost of  £3.40 per issue. FHM is now on global release as it publishes 27 different editions around the world in every continent, each with its own unique content. The UK version sells approximately 600,000 copies per month making it one of the most popular magazines in the country. For their company Emap under an umbrella of 58 magazines it is the most popular. Its content varies inside as it is essentially seen as a lifestyle magazine. Every month it has recurring themes of reviews and articles centrally focused around the opposite sex and hobbies the magazine assumes the audience has. A way we can look at the notion of identity is through representations given through the magazine. Since the magazines are aimed at men, we can assume that the magazine has underlying issues about gender. Therefore FHM would like to express itself through masculinity to create a meaningful link to its audience. In the following I will show how different men and women magazines are completely different in content and identity. Contemporary ideas of masculinity and femininity will be different to those of previous generations. Current themes may be stereotypical but to study it using binary oppositions gives it greater meaning; men are seen as masculine, dominant, strong, aggressive, intelligent, rational, and active. Whilst women are the opposed, they are feminine, submissive, weak, intuitive, emotional and communicative. As well as theses factors men and women are also seen to like different things, men like cars, technology, getting drunk and having casual sex with strangers whilst women like shopping, make-up, social drinking with friends, and having committed relationships. However, it is also clear that these lists are not truly representative of what men and women are really like. You all probably know a woman who likes cars and can be aggressive or a man who doesn’t drink and cries at weepy romantic comedies. These stereotypes exist, to ... ...romotional day where FHM itself confirmed their brand status. Since Topman is Europe’s biggest men’s retail store, they hired it out for the duration of a whole day. They had many attractions as well as the clothes feature. They also had new technology testing, massaging, tasting of alcohol and everything else they magazine stands for. By doing this it influences people’s choices and decisions regarding their lifestyle, by doing so it alters people’s identity. So was this just an identity building process or did it happen because there was demand? I finish with a quote from Hermann Bausinger who talks about how the new media sphere has evolved, â€Å"Technology has long since been integrated into the everyday. Tools themselves are distinguished by the fact that they rapidly take on the character of artificial limbs† (1995: 537). Brands are now extensions of our bodies. Sources used: Bausinger, H. (1995) â€Å"Media, Technology and Daily Life†. London: Edward Arnold. Hall, S. (1997) â€Å"Cultural Representaions and Signifying Practices†. London: Sage Hermes, J. (1995) â€Å"Reading Women’s Magazines†. Cambridge: Polity Press FHM - January 2008 FHM – March 2008 Marie Claire - January 2008

The Betrayal and Loyalty in Macbeth and Kite Runner

â€Å"A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything. † Baba says these words to Rahim Khan while he is talking about Amir at the end of Chapter 3, and the quotation reveals important traits in both Amir and Baba. With these words, Baba sums up one of Amir’s major character flaws—his cowardice—and Baba shows how much value he places in standing up for what is right. Baba is reluctant to praise Amir, largely because he feels Amir lacks the courage to even stand up for himself, leaving Amir constantly craving Baba’s approval.Amir’s desire for this approval as well as his cowardice later cause him to let Assef rape Hassan. The quotation also foreshadows the major test of Amir’s character that occurs when he must decide whether to return to Kabul to save Sohrab. As Amir searches for redemption, the question he struggles with is precisely what concerned Baba: does he have the courage and stre ngth to stand up for what is right? â€Å"I actually aspired to cowardice, because the alternative, the real reason I was running, was that Assef was right: Nothing was free in this world.Maybe Hassan was the price I had to pay, the lamb I had to slay, to win Baba. † When Amir says this, toward the end of Chapter 7, he has just watched Assef rape Hassan,and rather than intervene, he ran away. Amir says he aspired to cowardice because, in his estimation, what he did was worse than cowardice. If fear of being hurt by Assef were the main reason he ran, Amir suggests that at least would have been more justified. Instead, he allowed the rape to happen because he wanted the blue kite, which he thought would prove to Baba that he was a winner like him, earning him Baba’s love and approval.The price of the kite, as Amir says, was Hassan, and this is why Amir calls Hassan the lamb he had to slay. He draws a comparison between Hassan and the lamb sacrificed during the Muslim hol iday of Eid Al-Adha to commemorate Abraham’s near sacrifice of his son to God. In this context, Hassan was the sacrifice Amir had to make to get the kite and ultimately to gain Baba’s affection. â€Å"That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for he last twenty-six years. † At the outset of Chapter 1, just as the book begins, Amir writes these words. With them, he hints at the central drama of the story and the reason he is telling it. To the reader, the quotation functions as a teaser. It piques the reader’s interest without revealing exactly what Amir is talking about, and from the time period Amir mentions, twenty-six years, the reader gets an idea of just how important this moment was. As the story unfolds, we realize that the deserted alley Amir refers to is wh ere Hassan was raped, and that this event has largely defined the course of Amir’s life since.This is what Amir means when he says that the past continues to claw its way out. Try as he might to bury it, he was unable to because his feelings of guilt kept arising. As a result, he figuratively continues peeking into the alley where Assef raped Hassan, literally meaning that he keeps going over the event in his mind. â€Å"There is a way to be good again. † (pg. 2) Rahim Khan said this to Amir to encourage him to help Hassan’s son escape Afghanistan. †And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You can’t love a person who lives that way without fearing him too.Maybe even hating him a little. † (pg 15) This is Amir’s assessment of his father. It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb. † (pg. 76) Here Amir describes the look on Hassan’s face as Assef and two others rape him. The look reminds Amir of a sacrifical lamb. I envied her. Her secret was out. Spoken. Dealt with. † (pg 165) Amir makes this comment to the reader after Soraya tells him the whole story of how she ran away with a man and shamed her family. He wishes he could tell what secrets he carries around, too. Baba had wrestled bears his whole life . . In the end, a bear had come that he couldn’t best. But even then, he had lost on his own terms. † (pg 174) Baba has died and Amir sums up his life with these words. The Search For Redemption Amir’s quest to redeem himself makes up the heart of the novel. Early on, Amir strives to redeem himself in Baba’s eyes, primarily because his mother died giving birth to him, and he feels responsible. To redeem himself to Baba, Amir thinks he must win the kite-tournament and bring Baba the losing kite, both of which are inciting incidents that set the rest of the novel in motion.The more substantial part of Amir’s search for redemption, ho wever, stems from his guilt regarding Hassan. That guilt drives the climactic events of the story, including Amir’s journey to Kabul to find Sohrab and his confrontation with Assef. The moral standard Amir must meet to earn his redemption is set early in the book, when Baba says that a boy who doesn’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything. As a boy, Amir fails to stand up for himself. As an adult, he can only redeem himself by proving he has the courage to stand up for what is right.The Love and Tension Between Fathers and Sons Amir has a very complex relationship with Baba, and as much as Amir loves Baba, he rarely feels Baba fully loves him back. Amir’s desire to win Baba’s love consequently motivates him not to stop Hassan’s rape. Baba has his own difficulty connecting with Amir. He feels guilty treating Amir well when he can’t acknowledge Hassan as his son. As a result, he is hard on Amir, and he can on ly show his love for Hassan indirectly, by bringing Hassan along when he takes Amir out, for instance, or paying for Hassan’s lip surgery.In contrast with this, the most loving relationship between father and son we see is that of Hassan and Sohrab. Hassan, however, is killed, and toward the end of the novel we watch Amir trying to become a substitute father to Sohrab. Their relationship experiences its own strains as Sohrab, who is recovering from the loss of his parents and the abuse he suffered, has trouble opening up to Amir. When we got to Kabul, I [Rahim Khan] discovered that Hassan had no intention of moving into the house. â€Å"But all these rooms are empty, Hassan jan. No one is going to live in them,† I said. But he would not.He said it was a matter of ihtiram, a matter of respect. He and Farzana moved their things into the hut in the backyard, where he was born. I pleaded for them to move into one of the guest bedrooms upstairs, but Hassan would hear nothin g of it. â€Å"What will Amir agha think? † he said to me. â€Å"What will he think when he comes back to Kabul after the war and finds that I have assumed his place in the house? † Then, in mourning for your father, Hassan wore black for the next forty days. (16. 24-25) You may be confused by the voice here. It's actually not Amir – Rahim Khan gets one chapter in the book.Rahim Khan recounts his trip to Hazarajat to find Hassan and bring him back to the house in Kabul. When Hassan does move back to the house with Rahim Khan, he refuses to live where Baba and Amir lived. Does Hassan's refusal suggest that Hassan is only Amir's servant and the two never achieved an equal friendship? (Side question: Does Hassan sense – on some unconscious level – Baba's true relationship to him? Is that why he mourns Baba for forty days? ) I felt like a man sliding down a steep cliff, clutching at shrubs and tangles of brambles and coming up empty-handed. The room wa s swooping up and down, swaying side to side. Did Hassan know? † I said through lips that didn't feel like my own. Rahim Khan closed his eyes. Shook his head. [†¦ ] â€Å"Please think, Amir Jan. It was a shameful situation. People would talk. All that a man had back then, all that he was, was his honor, his name, and if people talked†¦ We couldn't tell anyone, surely you can see that. † He reached for me, but I shed his hand. Headed for the door. [†¦ ] I opened the door and turned to him. â€Å"Why? What can you possibly say to me? I'm thirty-eight years old and I've just found out my whole life is one big fucking lie!What can you possibly say to make things better? Nothing. Not a goddamn thing! † (17. 57-63) Rahim Khan tells Amir about Baba's betrayal of him, Hassan, and Ali. Here's the story: Baba slept with Sanaubar, Ali's wife, and fathered Hassan. But Baba never told Amir or Hassan about it. We wonder if Rahim Khan's revelation makes life easi er or harder for Amir. On the one hand, Amir sees, for the first time, the similarities between himself and his father. Now he knows he wasn't the only one walking around with a ton of bricks (a. k. a. secret guilt). But does this really help Amir?Is it comforting at all to know his father made similar mistakes? Amir's betrayal of Hassan brings him closer to Baba in ways he couldn't have predicted. Although the two don't share the same secrets, they do share the secrecy of guilt. â€Å"You know,† Rahim Khan said, â€Å"one time, when you weren't around, your father and I were talking. And you know how he always worried about you in those days. I remember he said to me, ‘Rahim, a boy who won't stand up for himself becomes a man who can't stand up to anything. ‘ I wonder, is that what you've become? † (17. 4) Rahim Khan has just asked Amir to rescue Sohrab from Kabul. Amir is initially resistant, so Rahim Khan tries three times to convince Amir to undertake t he task. (The task is obviously a redemptive quest because there's no reason Amir has to rescue Sohrab. Rahim Khan tells Amir he has enough money to get Sohrab, so it seems like anyone could have performed this task. ) Anyway, Rahim Khan gives Amir three reasons why he should rescue Sohrab. One, because your father thought you couldn't stand up for anything and here's your chance to prove him wrong. Second, it's my dying wish that you rescue Sohrab.And third, Hassan was actually your half-brother, so you owe it to him. We think all these reasons add up and Amir agrees to rescue Sohrab. Of course, the third reason seals the deal, but they're all important and end up motivating Amir. How could he have lied to me all those years? To Hassan? He had sat me on his lap when I was little, looked me straight in the eyes, and said, There is only one sin. And that is theft†¦ When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. Hadn't he said those words to me? And now, fifteen yea rs after I'd buried him, I was learning that Baba had been a thief.And a thief of the worst kind, because the things he'd stolen had been sacred: from me the right to know I had a brother, from Hassan his identity, and from Ali his honor. His nang. His namoos. (18. 5) This is a central moment in the novel because it revises our picture of Baba, and thus our picture of Amir. Amir's guilt, all these years, has partly resulted from Baba's very strict adherence to a personal code. Baba's set of principles include honor (nang), pride (namoos), and loyalty. Now Amir finds out the following: not only did Baba â€Å"steal† Ali's honor and pride, but he stole a sense of self from Hassan, and a brother from Amir.What are you supposed to do when you find out the single most important figure of authority and morality in your life strayed from his principles? That's right, go on a personal quest of redemption to rescue your half-nephew from a sadistic, Mein Kampf-toting member of the Tali ban. I unfolded the letter. It was written in Farsi. No dots were omitted, no crosses forgotten, no words blurred together – the handwriting was almost childlike in its neatness. (17. 7)| First, it's amazing that Hassan learns how to read and write as an adult. But even more amazing is the aura of innocence still surrounding Hassan.Hassan lives through a tragic attack at a young age. His best friend, Amir, betrays him. He and his father leave their home. War comes to Afghanistan. But through all this, Hassan holds onto something like innocence. Chapter 16 – 17 Going to Kabul becomes a test of Amir’s honor, loyalty, and manhood. Amir is clearly afraid to go. He knows the city is extremely dangerous, and in returning there he would risk everything he has, including his life and the welfare of his family. Kabul will also undoubtedly recall memories of Hassan and his past that Amir would rather not confront.Rahim Khan recognizes that the decision is a difficult one for Amir. To convince him, he brings up the conversation he once had with Baba, when Baba said he feared that Amir would not be able to stand up to anything as a man if he could not stand up for himself as a boy. Amir concedes that Baba may have been right. Then Rahim Khan reveals that Ali was not Hassan’s father, and implies that Hassan was, in fact, Baba’s child. Hassan and Amir, then, would be half-brothers, and Sohrab would be Amir’s nephew, obligating Amir further to find the boy. The dilemma brings together the tensions Amir has struggled with in the novel.By rescuing Sohrab, Amir can become the man that Baba always wanted him to be, and he can finally atone for the ways he failed Hassan as a friend. â€Å"Do you know what I will tell Daoud Khan the next time he comes to our house for dinner? † Assef said. â€Å"I’m going to have a little chat with him, man to man, mard to mard. Tell him what I told my mother. About Hitler. Now, there was a leader. A great leader. A man with vision. I’ll tell Daoud Khan to remember that if they had let Hitler finish what he had started, the world be a better place now. † (Hosseini 43) Assef claims that Hitler was his role model.He has a same point of view as Hitler has. He wants the country to be one race, one religion and one belief. This is also related to the holocaust in WWII. We all know that Hitler’s actions fund the worst actions in human society because he started the WWII. He was also racist against people who have different beliefs and race. Similarly, Assef copied Hitler and isolated the Hazaras from the rest of the country. This prove that his attitude toward the country and those Hazaras end him up with suffering the serious consequences. Assef and Hitler‘s actions are the worst actions in human. His blue eyes flicked to Hassan. Afghanistan is the land of Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. We are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this Flat-Nose here. His people pollute our homeland, our watan. They dirty our blood. † He made a sweeping, grandiose gesture with his hands. â€Å"Afghanistan for Pashtuns, I say. That’s my vision. † This is a significant because this quote does a good job in terms of portraying Assef’s attitude toward those Hazaras. Assef said this when he is harassing Hassan. We all know that Amir was put in a situation where he has to decide whether he has to stand up for himself or following the belief of Pashtun bully.Assef harassed Hassan and Amir for not following their beliefs and he eventually joined Taliban and killed tons of Hazaras. This harassment due to different religion lead to the worst action the Taliban has done and this lead to the disunity of the country. Assef slipped on the brass knuckles. Gave me an icy look. â€Å"You’re part of the problem, Amir. If idiots like you and your father didn’t take these people in, we’d be rid of them by now. They’d all just go rot in Hazarajat where they belong. You’re a disgrace to Afghanistan. †This quote indirectly tells us that Assef’s attitude will lead Afghanistan to downfall and his point of view will drive him forward to join the Taliban to kill those Hazaras. He thinks Pashtun who spend time with the people with a different religion are disgrace to Afghanistan. His point of view is the same as Hitlers. He think those Hazaras should be always oppressed and Afghanistan is the land only for Pashtun. This is an unfair way of differentiating people. Afghanistan will have the potential to become more united without Taliban’s prejudice and the attitudes toward people with different religion.