Boot Legger Version 2.0 (Legalize Drugs) Essays - Drug Control Law

Boot Legger Version 2.0 (Legalize Drugs) I go to Tulane and received an A+ on this paper. You can't tell if a boy or girl wrote it either. Good Luck Bootlegger: Version 2.0 ?Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance? for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and make a crime out of things that are not a crime. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principle upon which our government was founded? Abraham Lincoln On January 16, 1920 the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified by thirty-six states and became part of the Constitution. The intention of this new amendment was to lower alcohol consumption by Americans. At the time each American consumed on average thirty gallons of alcohol a year.[1] This new amendment took away the license to do business from the brewers, distillers, and the wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol consumption did taper off somewhat at the beginning of prohibition only to slowly rise back to pre-prohibition levels shortly before the end of the movement which took place on December 5,1933. Not only was the goal of prohibition never achieved, but it raised organized crime to levels of power unimaginable before and seriously disrupted both the legitimacy and revenue of the government. Just as Prohibition incited many unsavory activities, so has the War on Drugs. The easiest way to show the connection between these to movements is an excerpt from an article pertaining to Prohibition in America during the 1920's: Bootleggers ran wild. Professional robberies began as soon as Prohibition did. Territories were divided by groups of organized crime that became the scum known as the Mafia. The territories were decided by violence and death, both against each other, as well as those in the public who may/may not have been innocent.[2] Extract a few words from the excerpt and replace them with the words drug dealers, War on Drugs, and gangs and there is a description of America's current situation. The War on Drugs intends to rid America of drugs, hard and soft, just as prohibition attempted to rid America of drink. The arguments against the War on Drugs are the same arguments that persuaded politicians sixty years ago to end Prohibition. Just as the movement to rid America of alcohol failed, so will the War on Drugs because social engineering works no better today than it did then. The War on Drugs has given birth to many of the modern day evils. The most widespread repercussion of the War on Drugs is the crime rate. ? In 1990, the number of people sent to state and federal prisons for drug offenses exceeded the number of offenders sent to prison for violent crimes?. Drug offenders currently make up 62 percent of the federal inmate population, up from 22 percent in 1980.?[3] Add to this the fact that most of these prisoners are nonviolent offenders put there under mandatory minimum sentencing laws and the explanation for why this country is running out of prison space should be readily apparent. The second most prevalent, as well as disheartening, result of this movement is the death of innocent victims. The support for this result can be found in the obituary section of the daily newspaper or on the five o'clock news. Even the smallest of towns have been afflicted with death due to drugs. Back-alley heroin and basement-lab manufactured amphetamines present the same problem as moonshine alcohol; it might be the real thing but it might also kill anyone who takes it because the manufacturer didn't know what they were doing. The huge profits from drugs are also the major motivation for ?turf wars? between gangs, many of whom seem to have fairly bad aim and hit innocent bystanders as often as each other. To add insult to injury, the greatest backlash of the War on Drugs is the economic and financial damage. In the Cato Policy Analysis No.121 it states: A common estimate of annual black market drug sales would be about $80 billion.[55] Because the black market price of drugs is inflated at the very least 10-fold over what the legal price would be , 90 percent of this

Human Resources Management Final Exam Study Guide Essays

Human Resources Management Final Exam Study Guide Essays Human Resources Management Final Exam Study Guide Essay Human Resources Management Final Exam Study Guide Essay 1. )Affinity Process- 1. ) Tell me something about you That I don’t know. 2. ) Tell me something you Like about me. 3. ) Tell me something WE Have in common. ***Purpose- I think the purpose of the affinity process is to both bring people together that would normally not speak to each other, and help put your mind where it should be if it’s not already there. 2. )Intrinsic Rewards- Self initiated rewards for â€Å"A job well done† on the job; Job Enrichment for instance could offer employees intrinsic rewards by making work seem worthwhile and more meaningful. ***according to Maslow’s motivation theoriesintrinsic rewards go best with the â€Å"upper level needs. † Extrinsic Rewards- Rewards that are awarded from outside the job, (Mainly management) like money, promotions, benefits, company-wide recognition, etc. ***according to Maslow’s motivation theoriesextrinsic rewards go best with â€Å"lower level needs. † ? (((Maslow’s Hie rarchy of Needs))) Physiological Motivation: Provide ample breaks for lunch and recuperation and pay salaries that allow workers to buy lifes essentials. Safety Needs: Provide a working environment which is safe, relative job security, and freedom from threats. Social Needs: Generate a feeling of acceptance, belonging, and community by reinforcing team dynamics. Esteem Motivators: Recognize achievements, assign important projects, and provide status to make employees feel valued and appreciated. Self-Actualization: Offer challenging and meaningful work assignments which enable innovation, creativity, and progress according to long-term goals. 3. )2 types of Sexual Harassment Quid Pro Quo- When some type of sexual behavior is expected as a condition of employment. this usually is between management an employee. Hostile Environment- When offensive unreasonable situations @ work place interfere with the ability to work. (comments / conversations / photos) *this could affect anyone in the work place. 4. )OSHA**(Occupational Safety Health Administration (Act))- (ACT)- legislation that established specific health safety standards, it al so requires businesses must keep records of illnesses injuries ; calculate accident ratios. ADMINISTRATION- Organization created to police businesses ensure they are in compliance with the standards. **there are 5 priorities*** #1-imminent danger (a condition where an accident is about 2 happen), #2-serious accidents resulting in death or hospitalization of 3+ employees (it’s mandatory to report serious accidents w/in 8hrs (afterward OSHA goes reviews tries to figure out why it happened) ), #3-an employee complaint (employees have the right to refuse to work-report/request an investigation), #4-inspections of target industries w/a high injury ratio (effects mainly construction, chemical, transpo, warehouse, meat processing), #5-random inspections (OSHA can get search warrant inspect a business w/out notifying the business). 5. Health Safety Issues NIOSH-Nat. Institute 4 Occupational Safety Health- a gov. agency that researches sets OSHA standards. Basically businesse s have to establish safe work guidelines/procedures train employees (if necessary) so they can work w/in the guidelines/procedures. They also have to maintain equipment on a regular basis to prevent it 4rm breaking down or causing a hazardous situation. Stress- is caused by â€Å" major stressors†- that are sources in an employees life that come from either their job or their personal life. No matter the source of stress it tends to effect performance in both sides. ;;;5 categories

Public Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Public Law - Essay Example She places a notification about the forthcoming meeting (to be held on  April 7th) in the Jesmond Times newspaper on  April 4th. At the meeting, Joanna is told about the Wilton rabbit that lives in the forest, and so she decides to designate it as a protected area.   (a) The Access to the Countryside Association (ACA), who claim that they should have been consulted and were not; that the consultation process was, more generally, inadequate; and that the Wilton rabbit is found throughout the North East and is not rare. Pursuant to the Protection of Rare Animals Act, the Secretary of State is under no obligation to consult any particular group of people when it comes to decision making. The Act gives her discretionary powers regarding who to consult with prior. However, it is important that ACA looks at the provisions of the Act and consider what it says with regard to the required period of notice and if the proceedings are governed by strict rules of presentation of evidence. If the legislation is silent on those matters, the rules of natural justice require that adequate notice be given and person(s) with special interest in the decision be given an opportunity to be heard. According to American Iron & Steel Institute v. Environmental Protection Agency1, adequacy of notice can be determined by the fact that it fairly notifies any interested parties so that they can have an opportunity to air their views. However, inadequacy of the notice given does not automatically invalidate the final rule on grounds that the final rule adopted is different from the original proposal. This was as held in the above mentioned American Iron and Steel case. If it happens that the decision maker adopts a final rule that substantially differs from the original proposal, the courts will take it upon itself to analyze the adequacy of the original notice in a two part test. The first is whether the final rule can be considered a logical outgrowth

On Commercial Photography's Impact on Modern Visual Culture Essay

On Commercial Photography's Impact on Modern Visual Culture - Essay Example The cultural influence which has altered the way in which photography is viewed the most is the commercial photographs. There are also public photographs which have intertwined with various ideologies for different level of influence. However, the movements within photography intertwine together to take a specific approach to creating and capturing the perfect image for a given subject matter. Impact of Different Types of Photography The impact of commercial photography is one which has grown since the early 1900s, specifically with the focus from corporations. The first concept of the photography which was used was based on the corporate image and the approaches which were required for those working in this specific field. The corporations were known for having difficult work pressures, specifically with the growth of the industrial age. Work stations, factory style lines in the various places and the need to reproduce mass amounts continued to be a main component with the corporati ons. To alter this, photography and advertisements were added into the mix, specifically which was able to present a different image to the consumer and change the focus of the internal environment. The image presented was then one which was based on value of the product as well as the overall environment of the corporation (Brown, 2008). The initial impact of commercial photography then led to the idealization of cultural production. The images which were taken became significant in creating a sense of identity of the product, image of the corporation and the response which was associated with society. The concept of cultural production was based on the outlets which were presented with the photography as well as how this was associated with the idealization of individuals. Fashion, food, sports items, cars and other high – end products used commercial photography to create a sense of identity in culture. From this, many began to respond with imitating the photography and be ing a part of the cultural production. The photography then not only painted an image about a specific corporation, but also related to and communicated with groups in society which may have been interested in the brand product (Frosh, 2001). The second concept associated with photography is the public photograph. This particular image is one which is similar to the commercial image, specifically because it captures groups, individuals and different components which make up society. Usually, the images are associated with making a statement about what is occurring within the public and is based on creating a level of accountability or recognition through the picture. The impact of this is based on the needed communication for a given situation while bringing awareness to the public arena. When the photographs are displayed, an individual is able to see the reality of the situation and becomes engaged with the public issues. Within this particular photograph, there is the ability to create an icon with a specific aspect of society. The importance of this comes from creating public judgment while responding to situations based on the level of communication that is a part of society (Hariman, Lucaites, 2003). The concept of public photography is important in terms of creating a set of private images that would be seen in a given segment of society and making them into a public spectatorship. The impact which this has is based on the sociological response which is created from the image and

Macroeconomics and Microeconomics,Government spending and Fiscal Essay

Macroeconomics and Microeconomics,Government spending and Fiscal Policy, Taxation, - Essay Example Problem with this measure is that it does not include the goods and services that are not made public. 3. The US does not use tariffs and foreign exchange rates to control or influence its economy because they have signed a policy with the WTO which has barred them for conducting such activities in order to promote international trade. The monetary policy tool is used to decrease or increase the amount of capital within an economy. The government adopts an expansionary monetary policy in order to increase money supply within the country and adopts a contraction one to make the opposite possible. The government uses the tool of taxes to in order to increase and decrease a certain economic activity from taking place. Taxes are levied on individual goods and services. Government may influence the employment side of the economy when it uses the job training and education tool to influence economy. Monetary policy has a major impact on the economy of a country as it does not impacts a certain portion of the economy, rather it effects the entire population and the their spending and saving patterns. 4. President Obama plans to decrease the budget deficit by decreasing government spending by a considerable amount, similar are the plans of Romney, but along this plan he even plans to decrease taxes in order to increase spending which will ultimately increase revenue and GDP. 5. Market is a place where buyers and sellers interact with each other to conduct transactions, regulations are rules and guidelines set to control the activities of buyers and sellers to make sure that both groups do not cheat each other. 6. Demand is the number of goods and services that a person is willing, able and has the money to buy and supply is the amount of goods and services manufacturers are, willing and able to sell at a particular price. Demand and supply

Comparing UK Environment Law and Malaysia Environment Law

Comparing UK Environment Law and Malaysia Environment Law Introduction For centuries, we have been focused on industrialisation. We focus on how to make our life more comfortable and convenient, focus on economic development and have become addicted to the competition among ourselves. This dissertations primary focus is the contrast that exists between environment law operating in England and Malaysia. Similar to the other areas of law, environment law is a mix of primary legislation, secondary legislation, with a number of reports and policies. However, it is different in the sense that the aim is not always to punish or compensate the parties involved. The law is used to achieve the statutory objective which is to protect the environment as a whole to achieve sustainable development.[1] Most of us would think that environmental law is used to eliminate the pollution discharged into air, land and water. This, however, is not an accurate statement, since the key function of law is to act as a bridge between the polluting emission generated by economic activity and the publics tolerance of a healthy environment. There are 6 chapters in this dissertation. This chapter focuses on the historical background of Environmental Law in England and Malaysia. The evolution and the sources of Environmental Law will be discussed. Regarding the Environmental Law in England, the law evolved faster than the law in Malaysia. The other discussions will focus on the organisation of the enforcement agency in both jurisdictions, with external dependency relationships such as European Union (EU) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with sanctions available if the regulators decide to prosecute and the existence of a specialised Environmental Court or tribunal. The dissertation aims to provide a framework of how the Environment Law in England and Malaysia are being enforced. By comparing both the enforcement of Environmental Law in England and Malaysia, whether either the regulation in England or the regulation in Malaysia is more effective in regulating polluting discharges can be shown. More impor tantly, this analysis can show which parts of the law they can learn from each other. Comparative law research increases the lawyers ability both to understand and to indirectly manage the legal system.[2] Historical Background of Environmental Law in England The earliest environmental legislation did not focus on environmental problems. Rather, it concentrated on public health aspects of pollution and housing.[3]An example is R v Secretary of State ex parte Duffridge which relates to a risk of illness due to radiation from high voltage electricity.[4]One of the landmark legislations is the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. The act itself was not specifically designed to deal with environmental matters. Rather, it provides a legal framework for the discretionary power of control which can be used for any purpose relating to land use. It was confirmed in Stringer v Minister of Housing[5]. Indeed, at that time, the concern of the legislators was with the economic development. It was only in the mid-1950s that legislators displayed any interest in the environment, by establishing the green belt policy. Silent Spring which was published by Rachel Carson, a biologist, in 1962, brought public attention to environmental matters.[6] She attacked the single-minded technological process with high economic value and warned that pesticides would endanger many species, especially birds. She argued that nature has irreplaceable value irrespective of human interests. During the 1970s, fears of technology getting out of control and overpopulation were finally being spoken about. Irvine and Ponton argued that the earths natural resources would be used up if the industrial and population growth continued. Pollution would lead to serious climate change[7]. Therefore, changes had to be made. Before April 1991, the pollution in the United Kingdom was regulated in three distinct control regimes, which are classified by the environmental media as air, land and water. At that time, the legislations fell into two categories. The first category concentrated on specific problems. The examples are The Clean Air Acts 1956, the Litter Act 1983 and the Water Act 1989. The second category originated from the Control of Pollution Act 1974 which dealt with waste, water pollution and atmosphere pollution separately. It recognised that there was a need to control the environmental matter as a whole and improve environmental awareness. However, this lacked the ability to harmonise pollution control mechanisms. A new statute, the Environmental protection Act 1990 (EPA 1990), was created. It was concerned exclusively with pollution regulation and attempts to control pollution that was released by industry into all media through Integrated Pollution Control (IPC). IPC regulates most of the heavy industrial processes. Besides, at that time, the Government also showed their intention to create a new regulatory authority which would have the responsibility to consider environmental matters as a whole bringing, together all the regulatory documents. In order to achieve this aim, the government enacted the Environment Act 1995 (EA 1995) which is still effective now, to establish the Environment Agency (EA). Before the Environment Agency was created, the obligations of environmental protection and controlling pollution was split across a number of bodies, namely Her Majestys Inspectorate of Pollution (HMIP), the National Rivers Authority (NRA), the Waste Regulation Authorities (WRAs) and the local authorities. Each of these exercised control under different statutory provisions. HMIP was created in 1987 to replace the Industrial Air Pollution Inspectorate and the Radiochemical, the Hazardous Waste and Water Inspectorates of the Department of Environment (DoE). Its principal roles were to provide a centralised system to regulate the pollutions through IPC which was established under EPA 1990. It was part of the DoE and operated on a regional basis. Unlike HMIP, NRA was created in 1989 under the Water Act 1989 as an independent public body. It was responsible for regulating water pollution, water resources, flood defence and fisheries. The NRA was regarded by many as a strong regulator, wi lling to prosecute if necessary.[8] Under EPA 1990, local authorities were appointed as WRAs to enforce the provisions relating to waste management and waste licensing systems. However, there was always a conflict of power between these three agencies.[9] The most obvious example is the conflict between HMIP and NRA. As HMIP was responsible for the regulation of pollution through IPC, it was responsible for air, land and water pollution. However, NRA was responsible for regulating water pollution. Therefore, there was a need to create a unified regulation body to control the discharges of pollution into the environment as a whole. Another reason was that the system of control was too complex because there were three agencies and overlapping controls. There was a need to simplify that. Therefore, the government created the EA to regulate the environmental matters. The role of this agency will be discussed in the next chapter. Historical Background of Environmental Law in Malaysia As in most of the countries, the early form of law related to the environment in Malaysia was not designed to address environmental problems. The general quoted legislation which impeded environmental problems was the Water Enactments in 1920. Other examples of the law which related to environmental control included the F.M.S. Forest Enactment 1934, the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, the Land Conservation Act 1960 and the Fisheries Act 1963. Nevertheless, during the period of Strait Settlements[10], some ordinaries related to environment regulations have been designed. One of the examples is the Settlement Ordinance No.3 of 1894 which was drafted to protect certain species of wild birds. It was considered that these laws were enacted to solve certain problems which were prominent during that period. They were not designed to address the environmental problems. Instead, the focus was on nature, and its preservation, with a key interest in this particular area alone. Therefore, we c an see that during that time, not much focus was put on environmental protections, and there was a clear lack of foresight. Developing countries such as Malaysia started to pay more attention to environmental problems during the 1970s, especially after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment which took place in 1972. Following the Conference, Malaysia introduced the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (EQA 1974) which forms the basis for environmental law and environmental policies. Also this established the first important policy directive as is now implemented through the Third Malaysia Plan[11]. Since then, a lot of mechanisms (administrative and executive) such as the National Water Services Commission and Solid Waste Management Corporation have been established to implement the environmental laws and policies. Apart from that, different statutes such as the Fisheries Act 1985 and National Forestry Act 1984 have been enacted to manage and conserve the environment. The distribution of legislative power results in both the federal and state governments competency to deal with environmental matters. This coincidence is also the reason why there are several agencies which deal with environmental matters at all levels of government. Therefore, environmental legislation in Malaysia is said to take a piecemeal approach.[12] This is one of the problems that has been introduced by Kylie. Another two main factors which characterise the environmental legislation in Malaysia are the desire of ex-Prime Minister Mahathir to champion the interests of the non-western nation in an internati onal forum and the need to balance environmental protection with the national imperatives of economic development. In the late 1980s, Mahathir became known as he suggested linking the considerations of environmental issues with development issues. He particularly blames western nations trying to shift the blame of the environment for the state onto developing countries and at the same time, slowing down the development of developing countries. Under his leadership, Malaysia played a main role in environmental diplomacy.[13] In April 1992, 55 ministers of developing countries signed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Environment and Development to pledge a common position at the Earth Summit which was held during the following month.[14] Nowadays, the Kuala Lumpur declaration is a critical element involved in the discussion of environmental problems by governments. Section 4 of the declaration states that economic development is a fundamental right of all peoples and countries. One of the main points of this Declaration is that forest ecosystems have been declared to be national patrimony[15] which is managed by national policies within the exercise of sovereignty powers[16]. In addition, under s.14 of the Declaration, technology should be transferred to developing countries as preferential and concessional. New and additional funding should also be made available by developed countries to developing countries. One thing that should be noticed is although Mahathirs thought on linking the consideration of environmental issues and development issues has an important impact on Malaysias foreign policies, in general, international agencies and western nations disagree with it.[17] Regarding the conflict between environmental protection and developmental issues, logging is a good example. In the Sixth Malaysian Plan, the government broadened the concept of sustainable development[18] and therefore the licensing of the wholesale of logging is consistent with the concept of environmental protection which is stated in the Kuala Lumpur Declaration. It is thought that logging offers thousands of jobs to the country, but western environmentalists criticise Malaysia regarding deforestation practises. For example, Swiss rainforest activist Bruno Manser helped to organise the Penan, who are the indigenous peoples live in the jungles. Mahathir has written a letter to Manser and condemned them, stating that he had no rights to harm the Penan and to decide the fate of the others[19]. Last but not least, the environmental administration is rather complex as the power is distributed between federal and state governments. The Federal Constitution is the supreme law in the country and any law which is inconsistent with it is void. The division of power of federal and state government is listed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution which is known as the Federal List, the State List and the Concurrent List. The State List lists the areas where state governments have the power to make law, while the Federal List lists the area where the federal government can make laws. On the one hand, the Concurrent List describes the areas where the state or the federal governments can create new laws. On the other hand, although land is a state matter, Parliament is allowed to make laws. The reason given is that matters relating to law and policies of land need to uniform the law and policies between states and the federals. The constitutional legislation therefore gives both fe deral and state governments power to deal with environmental matters and this results in the existence of various agencies. The example here is the Department of Fisheries, a federal department, which has the power to administrate Marine Park. Although the federal government has control of the water, the island is under the control of the state government. This leads to examples where land is used for a purpose which is incompatible with the use of the surrounded Marine Park. [1] S.1(1) Environmental Act 1995 [2]Jan Darpo and Annika Nilsson, On the Comparison of Environmental Law [2010] 3(1) Journal of Court Innovation 315 [3]John Alder and David Wilkinson, Environmental Law Ethics (Macmillan Press Ltd 1999) 14 [4] R v Secretary of State ex parte Duddridge [1995] Env LR 151 [5] Stringer v Minister of Housing [1971] WLR 1281 [6]Rachel Carson, Silent Spring (1st edn, Houghton Mifflin 1962) [7]Irvine Sandy and Ponton Alex, Green Manifesto: Policies for a Green Future (Macdonald Optima 1989) [8]Irvine Sandy and Ponton Alex, Green Manifesto: Policies for a Green Future (Macdonald Optima 1989) [9]Neil Stanley and Susan Wolf, Wolf and Stanley on Environmental Law (6th edn, Routledge 2014) 31 [10] Group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. [11]JabatanPerdanaMenteri,UnitPemodenanTadbirandanPerancanganPengurusan, Malaysia, Third Malaysia Plan 1976-1980 (Jabatan Percetakan Negara 1976) [12]Kylie Elston and Greg Bankoff, Environmental Regulation in Malaysia and Singapore (University of Western Australia Press 1994) [13]Mahathir Mohammad, Statement to the UN Conference on Environment and Development [1992] 22(4) Environment Policy and Law [14]David Humphreys, Forest Politics: The Evolution of International Cooperation (Routledge 2013) 101 [15] A national with non-monetary wealth or reserves such as its national monuments, cuisine, and artistic heritage [16]S. 15 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Environment and Development [17]Kylie Elston and Greg Bankoff, Environmental Regulation in Malaysia and Singapore (University of Western Australia Press 1994) [18] Organising principle for meeting human development goals while at the same time sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services upon which the economy and society depends [19]Doug Tsuruoka, The Pen and the Saw [1992] Far Eastern Economic Review

The Yellow Wallpaper -- English Literature

The yellow wallpaper The Yellow Wall-Paper,† by Charlotte Gilman Perkins, can be read as a simple story of a young woman suffering from postpartum depression. Her husband is unsympathetic to her needs, her doctor refuses to acknowledge her serious illness, and her emotional state declines as a result of being forced to stay inside her room in the middle of her vacation with no company except the yellow wallpaper. But, on a deeper level, it is this room and the wallpaper that is pasted all over it that is symbolic and allows the narrator to materialize her depression and slowly decline into insanity. In the beginning of the story, the narrator describes herself as having â€Å"temporary nervous depression -- a slight hysterical tendency.† (169) The narrator is well aware of her condition, and it is apparent that she is also aware of what her condition may lead to. But, if it weren’t for certain imprisoning aspects of her environment, her condition might have never progressed to complete insanity. For example, the windows of the narrator’s room become a materialization of the world that squeezes her into the tiny jail of her own mind, and the wallpaper represents this state of that mind. The room was once used as a nursery, and thus its environment makes the narrator feel like a child, like a being who is taken less seriously than she should be. She is in a room where â€Å"the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls.† (170) The protective bars on the windows are symbolic of the protectiveness of her husband, John, and his well-meaning but ultimately unhelpful suggestions. The narrator is a prisoner in her place of rest, and her husband is but the jailer, watching over ... ...per as I did?† (180) She believes that by locking herself in her symbolic physical prison and tearing off the wall-paper that is symbolic of her mental state, she is releasing herself from all of the expectations of her husband and all the depression she felt throughout the story. The narrator’s physical environment and the symbolism it contained allowed her to materialize her depression and descend into insanity. It is clear that it is possible to view the wallpaper as a reflection of the narrators state of mind and the fact that she took on the character of the woman in the wallpaper to allow herself to break free of the ties that bound her. The confinement of the barred room and the disturbingly vivid wallpaper proved not only to be complimentary to the story, but also to foreshadow the narrator’s escape from depression into a new sphere of insanity.

Characteristics of the Postmodern Horror Film

Characteristics of the Postmodern Horror Film In our world today, box offices are flooded with giddy teenagers seeking a thrill from horror movies. Horror movies date back all the way to the 1890’s so what is it exactly that keeps viewers wanting more? According to Isabel Cristina Pinedo, there are four key elements to the success of the contemporary horror film. Today’s successful films constitute a violent disruption of the everyday world, transgress and violate boundaries, throw into question the validity of rationality, and repudiate narrative closure.The movie Final Destination (2000) is a more recent horror film that consists of three out of four of Pinedo’s elements. While the movie does not apply to all four elements, the characteristics of the three present are strong enough to allow the film to still be considered a horror film. Final Destination is loaded with scare tactics that closely resemble the characteristics described by Pinedo. The film is base d off of a series of deaths that are unexplainable and unpredictable, matching the first element of characteristics of the postmodern horror, â€Å"horror constitutes a violent disruption of the everyday world† (Pinedo 17).More specifically relating to this element are the mysterious tragedies that take place throughout Final Destination. In this film death comes at random times violating â€Å"our assumption that we live in a predictable, routinized world by demonstrating that we live in a minefield† (18). Death is just that, a minefield. The characters feel they have no control over their lives because while Alex, the main character, figures out that there is an order to these deaths, nobody is certain exactly when their time will come. Also contributing to the students’ constant fear is the way the deaths are occurring.One boy, Todd slips in the bathroom and is accidentally hung from the shower clothesline, another girl, Terry, is hit in the middle of town by a speeding bus, and a teacher is killed from an unlikely house explosion. All three deaths treat â€Å"violence as a constituent element of everyday life† (18). The incidents occur in ordinary settings involving items typically used on a daily basis, creating fear that one cannot escape. Not only are the deaths strange, they are extremely violent and gory. Pinedo states, â€Å"the disruption takes the form of physical violence against the body† (18).Blood is prominent in the death scenes as well as mutilation of the bodies with the use of sharp objects, knives, electrocution, and hanging. Pinedo’s idea that death can happen anywhere does not lack in this movie and the realistic gore provides more evidence to support the idea that this film is without a doubt, a horror film. In horror films, confusion is a great way to create even more fear. The deaths in Final Destination are dramatic and in our world unheard of and fall right into place when exploring Pinedoâ €™s characteristics of recreational terror.The way these deaths happen â€Å"[throw] into question the validity of rationality† (17). The concept of irrationality is Pinedo’s third element and is huge in her eyes. She claims â€Å"characters who survive must come to terms not only with the irrationality of the situation but also with their own ability to be as single-mindedly destructive as the monster† (24). Final Destination begins with Alex and his classmates boarding a plane for a school trip however, that trip is short-lived due to a fatal explosion that oddly enough, Alex had already seen in a terrifying premonition.Alex’s premonition makes little to no sense but he chooses to believe it and is able to cheat death. This is just as Pinedo explains. The rationality of Alex’s world is gone and his premonition leaves him to wonder what is true in his life. The other characters throughout the movie continue to think Alex is crazy for having th ese ideas that death is following them. They â€Å"insist upon rational explanations in the face of evidence that does not lend itself to rationality [and] are destined to become victims of the monster† (24).Throughout the movie Alex makes it very clear that he believes there is a specific time and place for each character’s death. Alex does not doubt himself or his premonition once and is able to remain alive until the end of the film. This is just what Pinedo means when she claims â€Å"the ones that survive necessarily suspend their rational presuppositions and trust their gut instinct† (24). There may be a more realistic explanation for these deaths or, there may be no explanation at all but one thing is for sure: the characters who choose to not believe anything at all is happening, are dead by the end of the movie.In this film Alex would be considered the protagonist or the hero. When discussing the hero, Pinedo claims, â€Å"postmodern horror compels its hero†¦to rely on intuition; it requires [the protagonist and the monster] to be both violent and to trust their gut instincts† (25). Alex fights hard to get the others to believe in his original premonition as he tries to stop the order in which it will come. He figures out who is next on the list and uses all power to save the remaining students. Generally speaking, the most important part of a horror film is the ending.Viewers wait on the edge of their seats in fear that the protagonist will not prevail. However according to Pinedo’s fourth element of postmodern horror, it â€Å"repudiates narrative closure† meaning that â€Å"the film may come to an end, but it is open ending† (29). Throughout Final Destination viewers watch Alex try to solve the mystery of death. At one point in the movie, Alex and his friend visit their late classmate Todd where a mortician tells them â€Å"in death there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps, and no es capes†¦we’re all just a mouse that a cat has by the tail. Alex is certain that now that he knows death has a plan, he will be able to solve the pattern within his high school. Although, by the end of the movie, there is still no resolution. Death continues to seek prey and â€Å"we are left with this open ending, unable to determine where the nightmare begins or ends, or whether it ends at all† (33). Alex cheats death one more time and the remaining students are finally able to take their trip to Paris but in the final scene of the movie a hotel sign swings down and comes right for Alex’s head. The audience never does find out whether or not Alex survived or if death is stopped.Pinedo is right on target with this element and this horror film almost identically matches her characteristics. Violence is a concept easily recognizable in this film, however, does not seem to directly follow what Pinedo describes as â€Å"horror transgresses and violates boundari es† (17) where she goes into depth about the importance of a specific monster. Pinedo states â€Å"the monster violates the boundaries of the body in a two-fold manner: through the use of violence against other bodies†¦and through the disruptive qualities of its own body† (21).In Final Destination the monster is unexplainable. The â€Å"monster†, death, does use violence against other bodies by murdering the students in very violent manners although it does not disrupt through the use of its own body. The feared â€Å"monster† in Final Destination does not come in a physical form thus creating a more complex mystery for the characters without harming itself. Another point Pinedo makes is that â€Å"it is only when the monster is truly dead and subject to decay that it ceases to threaten the social order† (22).Because death is the monster in this movie and is not an animate object, it is unable to be subject to decay. Alex discovers that if the order of death is disturbed, the pattern will be rearranged and he who cheated death is placed at the end of the list instead. He seems to have accomplished total destruction of the â€Å"monster† by solving its mysterious death pattern however, alive or dead, it is impossible to avoid threat to the social order thus proving Pinedo’s point incorrect in this case.In classical horror films an audience got a little scare yet left the theater with the comfort of a closed ending. As discussed in Pinedo’s fourth element of postmodern horror, movies today leave their viewers wondering what will happen next. Perhaps the fourth element is the most important because it is what follows the audience into their everyday lives. A successful horror film gives the viewer a chilling fright and then leaves an impact on their life after the final scene.It is those movies that leave us afraid to look under the bed, afraid to walk alone at night, or afraid of certain sounds and imag es. Pinedo does an excellent job of going into detail about well-done modern horror films. Although, Final Destination does follow Pinedo’s characteristics and leaves viewers with one agonizing question: Can you cheat death? Works Cited Final Destination. James Wong. New Line Cinema, 2000. Film. Pinedo, Isabel Cristina. Recreational Terror. Albany: State U of New York P, 1997. Print.

6 Skills and Traits Employers Want in a Receptionist

6 Skills and Traits Employers Want in a Receptionist Over one million receptionist jobs exist in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Demand for administrative professionals extends across most industries, from general practical medical clinics to Realtor offices. If youre looking for a job as a receptionist, sharpen these seven skills to give yourself a competitive advantage.1. OrganizationWhether theyre booking travel arrangements for executives, populating spreadsheets with data, greeting visitors, or answering phones, receptionists must stay on top of their to-do lists. Sometimes this means moving from one task to another at a moments notice.Exhibit your organizational skills by arriving for interviews on time. Take notes when you meet with employers to show that you value organization in your work life.2. FriendlinessReceptionists serve as the public faces of the companies that employ them. They welcome visitors through the front door, offer guests refreshments, and connect callers to the appropriate par ty.When interviewing for a job, show prospective employers your ability to put others at ease. A smile, a firm handshake, and a friendly personality help grease the wheels of employment.3. Active ListeningAccording to Psychology Today, social media and other influences have shortened attention spans to as few as 20 seconds. A receptionist needs active listening skills to quickly process requests from visitors and superiors.To improve your active listening skills, maintain eye contact with correspondents and ask clarifying questions. Remember the names of people with whom you speak and refer to them by name every so often to demonstrate your attentiveness.4. Technology AdaptabilitySeveral years ago, a receptionist who could create spreadsheets and respond to email could hold his or her own in this position. Now, however, receptionists use dozens of different software applications. They might manage their employers social media accounts or access web-based accounting programs.With the wide variety of computer solutions available to employers, you cant easily anticipate which program youll need to use on the job. Focus instead on familiarizing yourself with technology in general. Use the computer frequently and increase your comfort level with the user interfaces of different programs.5. MemoryHave you ever walked into a business, such as your bank or supermarket, and responded with a smile when an employee greeted you by name? Memory skills serve receptionists well because a good memory allows them to respond to and even anticipate others needs.If you suffer from frequent forgetfulness, start carrying a pad of paper and a pen wherever you go. Jot down notes to help you remember key details. Not only can you refer to your notes later, but actively writing down key information makes it more likely to stick in your mind. The U.S. Air Force reports that people remember 90 percent of the things they do (versus 75 percent of what they see and 20 percent of what they hear).6. CommunicationReceptionists write emails, answer phone calls, dictate memos, and meet with customers. They articulate messages between colleagues and correspond with business associates. All of these activities require advanced communication skills.If you struggle with communication, develop a familiar script for communicating with others. For example, when you greet visitors, use similar language to welcome them, ask them what they need, and invite them to sit down.

enemy at the gates essays

enemy at the gates essays The film begins in 1942. It records the following 180 days. Days on which the fate of the civilized world hangs. It is the epic contest between the Red Army of Russia and the Nazi forces of Germany for Stalingrad. Joseph Fines plays Political Officer 2nd Class Danilov. In a scene, he becomes the man who is permanently charged with inspiring the Russian forces with stories of Vassili Jude Law plays Vassili Zaitsev. Vassili is a simple shepherd from the Urals. An excellent marksmen who, with 5 well-aimed rounds from a rifle, becomes a Russian Ed Harris plays Major Koenig. Koenig becomes the redeemer of German pride, the symbol of Nazi supremacy. The sharpshooter is assigned to locate and eliminate Rachel Weisz plays Tania. Her parents fled on a refugee train. She is orphaned when the Germans massacre those onboard. She becomes a soldier to seek vengeance Garbriel Thomson plays Sasha. Sasha is the youngster caught in world of total war. He soon becomes the human thread that tells Danilov of where and when Major Koenig is, so he can tell Vassili the location to take him down. In this movie, a group of Soviet soldiers are being transported across a river to take up arms in the defense of Stalingrad. Their boats are attacked by Nazi aircrafts. Ships are blown out of the water and unarmed men, who are packed in like sardines, are machine gunned. Those who jump overboard to escape are shot down by their own Things get worse once the troops land. They are rushed into battle, but only every other man gets a rifle. Facing overpowering German odds, many of those who survive the onslaught attempt to retreat and are again shot down by their own officers for being The main focus of this drama is the war-within-a-war fought by Vassilli and a German sharpshooter, Major Koenig (Ed Harris), sent from Berlin for the express ...

Why television is bad for society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why television is bad for society - Essay Example Obesity has also been attributed to television. In most households, the TV is on all the time. The only time that it is turned off is when the family goes to sleep. Therefore, children lack physical exercise from staying indoors. However, parents are also to blame as they at times use television as a babysitter. This creates an opportunity for children to watch any program they wish to regardless of its content (Evans 15). Parents tend not to monitor what their children are watching as they are too busy with work. Nevertheless, parents should take advantage of the parental control button and use it so as to shield their children from the negative influences in the adult rated programs. Children who watch more television end up being aggressive and violent. They are seen to act out what they see in television (Beretta & Smith 48). These has caused some teenagers to take drastic measures as carrying guns to school and end up shooting classmates that they did not like, or one they had a disagreement with. Violence is the biggest vice that has been picked up from watching too much television. The languages picked up from the programs aired are also very vulgar and rude. The solution to this is for parents to reduce the amount of time spent watching television in a day to two hours, preferably in the evening when parents are home from work.

Embryo Gene Activation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Embryo Gene Activation - Essay Example Embryonic genes, which are active prior to the 4-cell stage, are small in number and they code for proteins used in controlling and stabilizing maternal mRNA and proteins. Parental proteins regulated at the post-translational glassy by adjusting the proteins phosphorylation form. Alternatively, these protein states created by the embryonic kinases can stimulate the activities of proteins and change their cell location. For embryo development, change and degradation of maternal mRNA proteins are crucial just before the embryo gene activation. This paper discusses embryo gene activation, DNA repair and the pathways involved in the processes (Lauritzen 240). During the 4-cell phase of embryo gene activation, remodeling of chromatin, which allows transcription of the embryo, and hence synthesizing the translation machinery. The genome of embryos becomes active and starts transcription of metabolic, apoptosis and cell cycle protein regulation (Khanna &Yosef 119). The proteins for maternal mRNAs continuously reduce in the early phases of the 4-cell phase. Signaling pathways for embryonic gene activation example is the hedgehog signaling. The signaling pathway that transfers information to embryonic cells helps for right development. Each part of the embryo can contain different concentrations of these signaling proteins. Not only in embryonic cell development, this kind of pathway has a bigger role in adults and malfunction can cause diseases like, basal cell carcinoma. This signaling pathway is a focus regulator in most animals’ growth (Song & Lee 48). In some other animals, lack of this pathway can lead to poor development of the brain, lungs, and the skeleton. Hedgehog signaling is crucial in regulating the maintenance and regeneration of most adult cells and tissues. Pharmaceutical companies have associated this pathway as a cause of cancer and developed drugs to cure the signaling causing diseases (Polin, William, & Steven 58). Breast cancer susceptibilit y gene 1 (BRCA1) and BRCA2 are genes which suppress tumor and the mutant phenotypes that predispose to both ovarian and breast cancers. These proteins are involved in most cellular processes and contribute DNA repair and regulation in response to the damage of DNA (Ensley 113). BRCA proteins protect the genome from damage by providing maintenance of the stability of chromosomes. The big number of cellular proteins, which interact with the BCRA, propels most functions of the BRCA proteins and their functions linked to different phosphorylation events. Reasons why these proteins cause both ovarian and breast cancer are unknown today (Knobil, Jimmy & Neill 69). These proteins are present in breast cells where they help repair the damaged DNA or destroy the cells in cases where the DNA is unrepaired body (Alpi, Pasierbek, Gartner & Loidl 16). Damaging the BRCA1 by any chance causes the damaged DNA not repaired and this may increase the chances of cancer. Most mammals have complex mechan isms to monitor damage of DNA and the required responses to maintain their integrity and repair. Some of the mechanisms for detection, repair, and cell cycle arrest to prevent damage from gametes or embryo cells (Gordon 670). The repair of the DNA in these newly formed embryos relies on the mRNA proteins from prior ovulation. These repair genes developed in the early stages of the animal development need to be enough to equip the embryo with the maternal products for the gene expression to start at the right