The AIDS Epidemic Outbreak

Who would have ever thought that a disease, possibly brought to America by infected African monkeys, would affect the country forever? This is exactly what happened in the late nineteenth century when the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was introduced to America. The unpredictable epidemic caused a huge outrage for years to come. The outbreak of the HIV virus, AIDS, in the early 1980†³s resulted in medical research, public misconceptions, and ultimately growing awareness. Appearing first only in homosexual men, AIDS was an unfamiliar virus to the entire United States. Reports of unknown and unexplainable symptoms caused much confusion among patients and even doctors. In 1981, the first reports explained that 41 homosexual men in the San Fransisco area had â€Å"†¦ a rare and often rapidly fatal form of cancer† (Altman n. p. ). After years of researching these cases and millions of others appearing later in the decade, scientists discovered that it was not cancer they were dealing with. They called it HIV (Human Immune Virus) which leads to AIDS (Acquired Immune deficiency Syndrome) that â€Å"†¦ rogressively destroys the body†s ability to fight infections and certain cancers† (ARIC n. p. ). With minimal research there was nothing to initially â€Å"combat† the virus; but, thanks to time and funding, there were some drugs that seemed to help stop the spread of the virus in ones body. These anti-retroviral drugs still don't constitute as cures ! for the virus, but have definitely helped and continue to help patients live longer (ARIC n. p. ). Since a vaccine to â€Å"†¦ evoke an immune system response that will prevent infection or disease development† still has not been found, other treatments have been tested. Accupuncture, stress management, hypnosis, exercise, good nutrition, and an overall positive attitude all seem to alleviate symptoms even if they are not proven cures of the virus (Packer 78-88). Although AIDS is a life threatening disease, there were many people living with it by keeping healthy and staying safe. Scott Fried had not tried any of the aniviral drugs; however, practices such as taking 80 herbs and vitamins a day, staying physically fit, visiting the doctor every three months, and being happy have kept him alive with the virus for thirteen years (Fried speach). Most victims have not lived as long as he which is why AIDS has lead to some extensive research. Investigators supported by private and public funds continued to search for a cure or even an explanation of HIV/AIDS for two decades because like the â€Å"b! lack plague†, AIDS has killed off millions of people in a short time. Also like the black plague did, AIDS carried with it a long string of misconceptions. In the Middle Ages anyone carrying the â€Å"black plague† was to be avoided. Similarly, the public would often avoid people with AIDS. There were fabrications that AIDS could be caught by another human being from sneezing, coughing, hugging, kissing or even any â€Å"casual contact† ; so, people stayed away from those who were infected by AIDS. Another lie was that AIDS was caused by something magical or mystical (Taylor 23-24). Though some were overly careful of â€Å"catching† the virus, others were not careful enough. Since the initial outbreak was among gay men it was simply assumed that only gay men could be affected. Then reports of IV drug users having the disease still seemed to eliminate the chance of the common person being infected. Next, hemophiliacs and people who had had blood transfusions were reported followed by blacks, Hispanics, lesbians, straight women and finally white, heterosexual, males. Still everyone said â€Å"It can†t happen to me,† until it did (Fried speech). This assumption that AIDS only affected few amounts of people and only minorities was the basis of all misconceptions about that virus. People did not believe the virus could have any impact on their lives; but, it did impact everyones lives directly and or indirectly. Now that â€Å"AIDS is the second leading cause of death in the United States among people aged 25 to 44†³ (ARIC n. p. ), the misconceptions have been proven to be false. Although it was statistically correct that 66% of people infected by AIDS were homosexual males, 24% were IV drug users, and only 4% were heterosexual males or females (Packer 17) it was still a fact that AIDS can affect anyone. After years of research and statistical reports there were finally people relaying these messages to the public. Motivational speakers, like Scott Fried, continue to reach out to teens and adults about AIDS and sex. Information about these subjects can also be found easily, not only at hospitals or doctors† offices; but in books, magazines, pamphlets, and even on the internet. Conducting a simple search on http://www. yahoo. com came up with 164 â€Å"category matches,† 1,206 â€Å"web site matches,† and 237,000 web page matches. This means that HIV/AIDS appears at least 238,370 times on th! e world wide web and it shows that AIDS in an important component of modern life. Not only are people becoming aware of the AIDS epidemic, but they are becoming aware of sexuality through learning about AIDS. Before the outbreak of this fatal virus sex was only spoken about discretely. Now even kids are being made aware of the dangers of sex and spreading HIV. In this way HIV/AIDS had a positive affect on the country. People are aware of the facts and probably make better decisions. Some experts have said that AIDS will remain the way it is now and others predict it growing into a â€Å"huge epidemic† (Taylor 28). Hopefully due to this expansion of knowledge and recognition, he AIDS virus will not spread as quickly and infect as many people as it has in the past. HIV positive, homosexual, male, Scott Fried, said, â€Å"Ironically one of the blessings that HIV/AIDS has brought me is the abundance of love. . . † and perhaps that is true. Pertaining to the eighties and the early onset of the virus, AIDS caused much more commotion than love. However, every cloud has a silver lining and the hysteria has finally cleared up some myths. It has opened up the public to not only HIV/AIDS awareness, but sexual cognizance as well.

The Little Rock Nine

The movie â€Å"The Little Rock Nine† is based on an event that happened in the 1950’s. The movie is based on the first time that a school allowed black students into an all white school. This event happened in Little Rock, Arkansas when a school allowed nine black teenagers into their school. In this essay you will read about the respect that the black students got at the beginning of the movie and the respect they got at the end, how society has changed today, how this relates to the Hebrews experience, how this relates to moral values, and my personal experience on this theme. In the movie the nine black students got no respected at all. The students were treated the same as every other black person at this point in time. The black students took abuse and bullying that no other person would be able to take. They got pushed, threatened, excluded from events and even spit on. This was the respect they got when they first came to the school. The guards stationed around the school didn't even do much at times. They were afraid at times, because if they tried to retaliate they knew things would only get worse. Even people outside the school tried to get the students out of the school. There were rallies and marches, mostly led by parents, to get rid of the nine black students. Then things got even worse when bomb threats started coming in. Finally on of the students named Minnijean Brown started to fight back. Minnijean Brown was the first of the students to be targeted to recieve the most abuse. It started one day when she was just heading to class and a group of girls blocked the door to her next class. She asked them politly to move and when they didn't she tried to move in between them, but she got pushed out of the way. That was the start of the incidents. Eventually Minnijean was expelled for dumping a bowl of chili on students head that was blocking her way and refused to move. Minnijean was upset by this because the white people of the community got exactly what they wanted. The next target was Ernest Green. Ernest was targeted next because he was a senior and, if he made it, would be the first black student to graduate from Central High School. The white students and parents did everything they could to prevent him from graduating. One female student even tried to get him to like her so she could say he â€Å"harassed† her,but Ernest graduated 1958. These two students are probably the most recognized two of the Little Rock Nine becausse of what happened to them. Society has changed alot since 1958 in many ways. The Central High School in Little Rock is now 50% black students. The story of the Little Rock Nine relates to the Hebrews when they are in Egypt because they are being treated just like the nine black students. They were forced into labor every day and were beaten and spat on as well. This relates to moral values because everybody should be treated equal. Alot of people back then were Catholic, but they treated people diffrently, when everyone was actually the same. This relates to my personal experience because me and a friend of mine went through a little bit of this last year. It wasn't as bad as the Little Rock Nine, but it hurt. My friend and I were excluded from games some games in P. E. , we took alot of hateful phrases, and other things. Then around graduation they stopped and things went back to normal. The Little Rock Nine is a good example of what black peolpe had to go through in that point in time. I think the Little Rock Nine was and still is a great example of how racism can destroys people and their self esteem. And It also shows how brave some people were during the Civil Rights Movement. I also think it is very important that three of the Little Rock Nine graduated from Central High School which I think this is a great accomplishment. It also proves that blacks were able to do the same school work as whites.

New Barbie Doll produced by Mattel

Who is our target ( give brief lifestyle/attitudinal descriptions. Include some demographics, but not as important for most products. Users, heavy users, nonusers, users of competitive brands? Relationship to other product/ service usage? Emarati girls and their parents are the primary market for the new Islamic Barbie doll.   The highly religious, orthodox group still follows the fundamental Islamic traditions, including the formal dress and head coverings for women.   The most likely to purchase these dolls would be Emarati living in the United States or Europe, or those that are more wealthy and indulgent in the Islamic nations.   Mattel hopes to reach these consumers in the UAE. Where are we now in the mind of the person? (They don’t know us. They know us but don’t use us. They prefer another brand because†¦ they don’t understand what we can do. They don’t use us for enough things. And so on.) The traditions of the Islamic culture differ greatly from American culture.   This could initially present as a source of mistrust on the part of the Islamic consumer.   However, Mattel’s willingness to offer Farah will go a long way to melting this distrust.   In addition, the wild popularity of Barbie will give Farah some brand association along with the wide variety of peripheral products. Where is our competition in the mind of this person?   (Use the same approach as above, but focus on the competing brands). With few Islamic dolls on the market, Mattel should be well positioned to be the leader in marketing its products to Emarati girls.   The only real competition should come from small, family stores in Islamic countries and in predominantly Islamic areas of the United States and Europe. What is the consumer promise, the â€Å"big idea†? ( State the major focus of your campaign. Not a slogan or tag line at this stage, but an idea in simple language that will serve as the basis for a tag line – a brief statement that sums up what the campaign is about.) Mattel hopes to use cultural identity and promotion as the key idea for the marketing of Farah.   Embracing culture means healthy young women. What is the supporting evidence? (Draw on consumer benefits to strengthen and elaborate on what you chose in item 5. build benefit after benefit in support of your big idea.) Diversity and acceptance are becoming important concepts for global marketing.   With the shrinking borders of the world due to technology, cultural practices and values are no longer hidden.   Young Emarati girls will benefit from the knowledge that an international company is focusing on their own culture by promoting it through the Farah doll. What is the tone of voice for the advertising? ( Decide on the appropriate tone – warm, family, values, startling, hi-tech, sobering fact, mild guilt, and so on†¦) The tone of the advertising should be a warm and inviting tone which focuses, as the Arab nations due, on family strength and traditional values.

A Comparison of Dance through Two Different Time Periods Essay

A Comparison of Dance through Two Different Time Periods - Essay Example Dance and all of the ideas that go with it has evolved, just like any other art form has evolved. The way in which people danced in the 1930s and 1940s is very different than how they expressed themselves through dance in the 1960s and 1970s. Dancing in the 1930s and 1940s was still considered a partnered experience, men and women pairing off to explore structured dances in social situations. By the 1960s and 1970s, however, the nature of social dancing had changed as men and women parted and began to express their emotions through dances that were more primitive in nature. The nature of dance became a more solo experience, even though couple dancing still existed. As the nature of music changed, so too did the nature of dance. The dance that was most popular during the early 1930s was the fox trot. This dance was done through medium tempo steps made by a couple (although some fox trots can be quite fast paced). However, swing dance had begun in the 1920s and had been made popular at the Savoy Club in New York City (Kassing 262). The form of dance had begun as an accompaniment to jazz music, the nature of the dance more freely expressed than had formerly been experienced. The East Coast Swing was the overall phrase used to describe the various versions of swing that were defined by their fast pace and their connection to big band music. The next evolution of dance that occurred was the ‘jitterbug’. The term ‘jitterbug’ was coined from the jitters that alcoholics get when they are withdrawing from drinking. The term was used to describe dancers who were not performing well on the dance floor (there bodies flopping about and not keeping time with the music), but eventually was trans formed to describe a specific set of swing dances. The popular mainstream was introduced to the term through Cab Calloway’s song from 1934 â€Å"Call of the Jitter bug† (Young and Young 273). The dance was a wild and fast paced, but it was structured for swing music with specific moves and expressions. There were many versions of swing music that followed the basic concepts of jazz and fast paced movement. The Dean Collins Style was created by a Savoy dancer who moved to Hollywood. His influence created a â€Å"smoother, more contained† version of swing, and while he denied it, the West Coast Swing appears to be an evolution of his moves (Pener 66). The way in which clothing played a part in the dance innovations of swing was through the looser fitted pants that were worn by men to allow for freedom of movement, coupled with women in fitted blouses with puff sleeves and A-line skirts. The ‘Savoy’ style was defined by this type of look as the ‘ lindy hop’, a version of the swing dance, came into popularity. Parties were held that were devoted to the style and the ‘lindy hop’ (Steele 194). Pener describes the lindy hop as a very social form of dance, providing for the interactions of men and women in a specific social setting. Etiquette was an important aspect of taking part in the dance, creating a defined amount of space that did not intrude on other dancers having the primary importance in the social experience. Dancing in the 1960s and 1970s went full swing from free form movement to clearly defined steps that were associated to a specific dance type. The Twist, a dance created by Chubby Checker to go with his song release, was designed so that dancers could dance with a partner or all alone (Kassing 235). This changed the nature of social dance. Where swing required a partner, ‘the twist’ allowed for one person to have fun without having to have someone along for the ride (although a pa rtner made it more fun). This revolutionized social dance where people began to become free of prescribed dance steps and able to express their physical responses to the music. However, there were still ‘fad dances’ that came and went, including ‘the mashed potato’

Environmental Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Environmental Economics - Essay Example To a great extent, this has impacted on the quality of life of the population. The market economy has various implications on the general wellbeing of the environment. Relative effects are both negative and positive. Although negative effects are apparent in the short run, positive effects are more pronounced. It is against this background that this paper reviews the impacts of the market economy on environmental protection. To enhance a harmonic view, it begins by reviewing the negative effects and then proceeds to evaluating the positive effects. The market decisions place emphasis on increased production. According to Morgen, Pizer and Shih (1998), increased economic production implies an increase in production of wastes. This contributes to environmental pollution and resource depletion. Although incomes are likely to rise, environmental protection remains at risk. Under-valuation of natural resources has made it difficult for the environmental damages to be addressed effectively . The profits that firms and producers enjoy are not reflective of the environmental damages that production processes impose on the environment. In this consideration, market decisions compromise the wellbeing of the environment. In his research, Kolstad (2010) indicates that the market economy has had significant negative effects on the holistic wellbeing of the environment. ... Ideally, the environmental and naturally resources are considered public property (Harrington, Morgenstern & Nelson, 1999). For this reason, nobody takes responsibility for the negative effects that they suffer. It is contented that waste of important natural resources and resultant environmental destruction dis-economises the society. From an economic point of view, this undesirable status has the ability to reduce the marginal cost of economic firms and instead increase the consumer’s marginal utility. Thus market economy does not have the ability to address the various concerns that are related to resource sustainability. While the environment places emphasis on the need for resources to benefit future generations, market economy considers the benefits of the environment to present populations only. In this respect, market decisions greatly harm environmental wellbeing and undermine its protection. Besides the preceding negative effects, market decisions also promote enviro nmental protection in different ways. Notably, the government has a stake in market decision making. Relative environmental departments push for formulation and implementation of environmental regulation. Its provisions require that individuals and firms who engage in environmental pollution and destruction be punished accordingly. Stringent laws can culminate in investment in environment protection by economic firms. In addition, respective firms assume environmentally sound practices in order to prevent the economic losses that are associated with violation of environmental protection laws (Lomborg, 2001). Seemingly, decision making under the market economy is done by the government in collaboration with

I will download directions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

I will download directions - Essay Example These are the ideals of Integrity thoroughly highlighted by Stephen L. Carter in his The Rules About The Rules. According to Carter, a person’s individual life does not bear the importance howsoever healthy, peaceful and happy it is. ‘Integrity’ demands to influence the lives of others by bringing them under the attributes of ‘right’. This is the principle which guides the United States of America in its hazardous efforts to bring tranquility and peace in the world. It means what it has been following since its very birth are the lights of ‘Integrity’. Thomas Jefferson, in his â€Å"Declaration of Independence† has worded that all men are created equal (p 13). I disagree because the equality as stated by Jefferson does not extend to all men. Some are superiors in terms of qualities, the others inferior. But this is not what Jefferson wants to communicate; he has his own philosophy of the statement having a certain background. What he wants to convey is that all men are created equal in terms of the rights of freedom, joy and aspiration for happiness. He complains against the ruthless approach of the British Government towards the inhabitants of the American Colony. He demands for the due rights all the humans deserve in common. Jefferson here satisfies the first condition of Carter’s explanation of the word â€Å"Integrity† (p 6). ... Surely he has done it with the resources available to him at that time. It means Jefferson is a man of Integrity by the definition of Carter. Jefferson satisfies me because he has grasped something wrong, figured it out loudly before the community and also fought for its stoppage. Jefferson is therefore a man of integrity to me as well. Apart from Thomas Jefferson, the United States of America feels proud of having the services of two other great names in its history; Thomas Jefferson known for his Declaration Of Independence and Martin Luther King for his Letter From Birmingham Jail. Both the documents bear extreme importance in the history of United States of America and England. Both voice the injustices of the Britain government. Both are similar in nature complaining against the cruel policies of the British government towards the minorities. Both claim that they deserve the right to raise voice against the brutalities of the government. Here, there is a call for justice. For in stance Jefferson cries out against the King of Britain to have obstructed the administration of justice by denying the Judiciary its powers (p 14) whereas Martin Luther King weeps over the fact that the orders of the Judiciary are not being obeyed in England as in the decision of Supreme Court in 1954 (p 167). If Jefferson terms the King guilty of ordering the officers for the harassment of their men (p 14), Martin Luther views the attitude of the Police towards the Negroes as brutal (p 172). The Declaration Of Independence tells that the people of America were deprived of their basic civil and social rights like carrying out trade with other nations of the world. Besides, the King looted their wealth over sea, coasts and towns and imposed unjust taxes on them (Jefferson, p 14). Letter

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 7

Business management - Essay Example The University of California (2008), states that bio-Analytical measurement offers measurement solutions for research and quality control applications to academic and government organisations. Electronic Measurement provides solutions, products and services to the leading customers in the communication and electronic industries. Their wide range of expertise enables them to provide quality services and products to their customers. The company has gained insight from this comprehensive and unique perspective and they are dedicated to helping their customers to make advancement in achieving business results. The main purpose of the business management system in the organisation is to maintain all the operations and groups. These include the Chemical analysis Group (LSG), Electronic Measurement Group (EMG) and Chemical Analysis Group (CAG). They also ensure that the products and services meet the regulatory requirements and customer expectations (The University of California, 2008). The business management system provides a framework whereby business operations and groups can make decisions appropriate to their organisations geographic and customer needs while ensuring that appropriate minimum standards are met. The company’s infrastructure is centrally managed and functions as internal service suppliers to the groups. The scope of the company involves development, procurement, manufacturing, distribution, sales and marketing of their products and services worldwide. Throughout business research, scholars have established that a relationship exists between organisational culture and performance. Organisational cultures are the values which determine how the entity operates according to Mullins (2010). Businesses in the past believed that organisational culture was too hard to manage and were not keen on its importance. Today, they acknowledge that it can be used for competitive

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY - Assignment Example PEC and shale oil producers, end of Quantitative Easing (QE) in the US economy which led to the rise in the dollar value and subsequent fall in the oil prices. Oil prices fall when the world produces more oil than it is able to consume in which case there is a production surplus. Vice versa, a production deficit comes about when the demand for oil is greater than the amount of oil that is being manufactured. However, oil prices have plummeted to half of what they used to be since June. Crude oil has now dipped below $50 a barrel for the first time since May 2009 and US crude has also fallen below $50 a barrel† (2015). In the last decade, oil prices were high because of the rising demand for oil in most of the world but this growing demand could not be met and supply remained low due to conflicts in the oil producing Middle Eastern region, for example Iraq. By 2014, oil production increased exponentially and due to surplus oil being produced, the price of oil fell dramatically. This was caused by a significant increase in US oil production. Because of soaring oil prices, multiple American and Canadian companies started drilling for â€Å"new, hard-to-extract crude in North Dakotas shale formations and Albertas oil sands† and advanced methods like fracking and horizontal drilling began to be used (Plumer, 2015. The introduction of American shale oil in the market has added â€Å"4 million new barrels of crude oil per day† (Plumer, 2015) to the oil market while the global production is â€Å"75 million barrels per day† (Plumer, 2015). Iraq emerged as one of the major contributors to the recent boom in oil production. After the US led invasion of Iraq, oil production was disrupted due to constant war, turmoil and sanctions. However, since 2008 due to efforts being made to bring about stability and curb violence, we have seen a boom in Iraqi oil production. â€Å"Over the next five to seven years, Iraq could be supplying nearly half of the incremental growth in world oil

Research Paper on Potential Career Paths Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Research Paper on Potential Career Paths - Essay Example One of the most significant impacts the ICT has had is on the world of business. The adoption of ICT methodologies in business has seen the conversion of small enterprises to large multinational corporations in a matter of years. The economic crises of 2008 brought with it new challenges not only for businesses around the globe but also for the ICT industry (Lanvin, Dutta, & Bilbao-Osorio, 2013). In these crucial times businesses are looking to gain competitive edge over their rivals and obtain as much of the market share as possible. To achieve these objectives they heavily rely on innovative techniques that can only be provided by the ICT industries. These factors have contributed to the growth of the industry and have accelerated the progress of the industry to great speeds (Lanvin, Dutta, & Bilbao-Osorio, 2013). Issues of ICT sector: One of the main issues that have plagued the industry is the integrity of personal and corporate data. Data that is converted into digital format is usually vulnerable to a number of threats from different sources. Even with different security measures implemented there is no guarantee that the data would not be accessed by unauthorized personnel (Mathieu & Woodard, 1993). Another issue that the industry faces is its bad reputation regarding satisfaction of customer needs. In a number of cases customers complain that large corporations fail to meet their demands and provide an end product that is of no use to them (Norton, 2011). This usually gives the sector and those working in it somewhat a bad name. Moreover IT professionals tend to communicate with the customer in an arrogant manner portraying as if customers are of less intelligence because they are unaware of the basic fundamentals of IT sector. The customers may be oblivious to these fundamental facts but treating them in such a manner increases their ill feelings towards the IT professional they are dealing with. This adds to the deteriorating image of the industry as a whole (Norton, 2011). Since the invention of internet, mainframe and personal computers one trend has been seen increasing within the ICT industry every year and that is the complexity of software and hardware produced. The complex nature of products that are developed increases each year. This causes a huge dilemma for professionals working within the industry (Norton, 2011). These professionals must have thorough knowledge of all these products in order to be efficient at their jobs. However due to the increased complexities of these products companies need to hire entire teams and teamwork with one’s peers have become a lot more vital than it ever was(Norton, 2011). Description of SAP AG SAP AG is one of the leading software development companies. The foundation of the company was laid in 1972 and since then it has been providing businesses all around the world with IT solutions. One of its most popular software products is the SAP enterprise resource planning applicatio n systems and management (PR Carbon, 2013). The company has its headquarters in Walldorf, Germany however the company offers its services to a number of companies across the globe. The company has divided its operations with respect to four geographic regions it has created EMEA, America, LAC and APJ. EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) as the name suggests, operates within the Middle Eastern and the African regions.

Intellectual Property paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Intellectual Property paper - Essay Example The main controversy of the current situation in realm of IPR can possibly be formulated as follows. On the one hand, IPR holders require that government should implement new laws ensuring absolute security of their intellectual property. This requirement seems logic and reasonable, especially if we take into consideration the growing number of intellectual property thefts that occur these days. Absence of effective legislation may lead to further growth of IPR infringements. Yet, on the other hand, in light of the recent developments in the realm of IPR protection, a number of experts express concern that requirements of IPR holders to fully protect their intellectual assets might potentially erode capabilities that have been previously permitted to the public by copyright law under the "fair use" doctrine or its cousins, such as 'first sale' or 'limited term' doctrine. This paper identifies the most controversial issues associated with intellectual property rights in contemporary environment and analyzes whether IPR are justified in the form they currently take. The traditional instrument, which regulates use of intellectual property, is intellectual property law. ... The statue protected British printers after the advent of the printing press, and also protected European book importers1. From legal perspective the IPR norms and regulations covering the digital environment are more complex and controversial than those applied for traditional media. As a result, many legal practices, which are highly effective for protection of the IPR in traditional environment, may not be applicable nowadays2. Despite recognition of the need to adjust traditional intellectual property laws in order to reflect the recent changes in this realm, the situation still leaves much to be desired, both domestically and internationally. As Boyle ironically noticed nearly ten years ago, ".modern international policy towards IPR much resembles previous 'freedom of the seas'3. Despite multiple declarations, the situation remains practically the same up to date. Notwithstanding efforts of the US and EU to unify national legislations, efforts of WTO, and in many cases outdated Acts regulate modern principles of digital data4. The issue of intellectual property in digital environment is covered by several Acts in the United Kingdom. UK legislation differentiates the IPR of physical materials (e.g. print data) and digital IPR. At the same time, British legislation does not cover as many aspects of digital IPR as, for example, American one. The old laws are still in use in many cases which hinders proper protection of IPR in digital domain5. According to British legislation, intellectual property rights are; "legal rights which result from intellectual activity in the industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields"6. As well as American and pan-European

Oil price Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oil price - Essay Example Since this rising prices is inevitable, the major countries will need to find alternative sources of energy to protect themselves from the impending doom of disaster. Oil is the ingredient that drives the planet; it is as essential as air and a key source for almost every product from construction material to transportation to clothing. But the hard fact is that the supply of oil is finite and eventually it will be depleted and demand will outstrip production capacity. Increasing demand along with diminishing supply has already begun to drive price upwards. As prices are rising, new supplies are emerging in an effort to reduce consumption. "The rate at which consumption levels are rising, it is predicted that the world's oil supply will be exhausted within the next 40 years". (Guinness Atkinson Funds, "Future of Energy"). As can be seen by the above graph, demand and supply both have been rising over the years, but the growth in supply has not been able to keep pace with the demand growth and hence an increase in prices. On the supply side, there are three factors that are responsible for the current situation. "Firstly, non-OPEC production capacity has been growing over the years. In recent years, the former Soviet Union supply has been growing annually at a rate of about 0.5 million barrels per day. However, this growth had mainly come from repairing tired infrastructure rather than new exploration and this sort of growth rate is and will be hard to sustain. In addition to that, West Africa, Canada and Brazil have seen another 0.5 million barrels per day annual growth in production capacity. But like the former Soviet Union, the future looks bleak regarding the maintenance of this growth. The output from the U.S. and North Sea is also shrinking. Secondly, the growth potential in OPEC production cap acity is becoming smaller. Currently, most of OPEC, with the exception of Saudi Arabia, is operating at near capacity. Thirdly, since 1998, OPEC has been quite effective in keeping supply and demand matched, in addition to keeping the world oil supply a little tight. It is this combination of strong demand, slow non-OPEC production growth and effective OPEC supply management that has been the major driver of recent increases in world oil prices. On the demand side, the surge in global economic activity has led to an explosion in demand for oil and hence the world is facing an oil demand growth shock"(Guinness Atkinson Funds, "Future of Energy"). The major demand is coming from the developed world particularly the US, China and other economies in Asia. "China is in a phase of rapid energy-intensive industrialization and will continue to be one of the key consumers of oil in the coming years"(Oil Market Report, International Energy Agency). Behavior of Oil prices: The Asian Financial Crisis hit the world in mid-1997 and had a devastating effect on the major economies of the world. Even in the face of this crisis,

Trust in the Press Essay Example for Free

Trust in the Press Essay Trust in the Press is essential in an ever changing society. Not only must the Press be trusted but it must be believed and must behave in an ethical manner. But what constitutes an ethical manner? Laws might be set to achieve certain outcomes and may not necessarily be ethical. What is legal and demanded by law may not be considered ethical from a journalistic point of view. With respect to your personal point of view of the above, discuss what you believe journalists have to do to maintain the trust and respect of the public. The historian Thomas Babington Macaulay introduced the notion of the media as the Fourth Estate; the role of a watchdog that checks on abuses of power by government and professionals.1 Lord Hutchinson, QC defence council for the ABC Case regarding the Official Secrets Act 1989, said it is the task of the press to examine, probe, question and find out if there are mistakes to embarrass the government.2 With such a role of responsibility, it is vital that the public trust what the press tell them. Codes and laws are in place to make sure journalists act as a collective conscience.3 In practice this is difficult as individual consciences come into play, along with the obstacles of time, money and competition that face journalists in their profession. One common rule among journalists is to never reveal your sources. If you do, your career will be tainted with mistrust. This journalistic ethical code secures a relationship with the public and provides protection. But there are laws that contravene this. Section 10 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 says courts have the right to demand that journalists reveal their source if disclosure is necessary in the interests of justice or national security or for the prevention of disorder or crime. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 says police investigating a serious offence can obtain an order requiring the journalist to submit evidence considered useful to the court. It is difficult to defy the law, especially when the consequence could be imprisonment or a fine. However, I would still try to keep my sources confidential; otherwise they could face a fine or imprisonment. I would find that difficult to live with because I am just as responsible for protecting my sources and for imparting the information. In these circumstances I would argue for freedom of expression under the Human Rights Act 1998. Trainee journalist Bill Goodwin appealed successfully with this argument after he was fined for refusing to hand over documents concerning engineering company Terra Ltd. In another case the Guardian exposed their source Sarah Tisdall in 1984 under pressure from the courts. She leaked information about the delivery of cruise missiles to RAF Greenham Common and was jailed as a consequence.4 Where a source has taken the initiative and given a story to the press, especially in matters relating to national security, they must have recognised the risk and it is not unreasonable for them to take the consequences. There are legal reporting restrictions that a journalist can overturn. Section 39 and 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 can be lifted if a juvenile has committed a serious crime and naming them would act as a deterrent to others. Journalists often cite public interest in their reasons for disagreeing with the law and this is an ethical way to maintain the trust and respect of the public. Yet the problem lies in defining public interest. The Press Complaints Commission states that public interest includes: 1. Detecting or exposing crime or a serious misdemeanour 2. Protecting public health and safety 3. Preventing the public being misled by some statement or action of an individual or organisation5 Reporter Ryan Perry went undercover in 2003 as a footman at Buckingham Palace in order to observe their security methods. His report in the Daily Mirror highlighted the need for tightened security and this was achieved. His behaviour, although deceitful, was for the publics safety and I agree with German journalist Gà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½nter Wallraff who said, you have to disguise yourself in order to unmask your society.6 The BBC reiterates this in their guidelines for public interest: when dealing with serious illegal or anti-social behaviour it may occasionally be acceptable for us not to reveal the full purpose of the programme to a contributor.7 This is when the ethical behaviour of a journalist starts to depart from the ethical code of the public and indeed the law. I would find it difficult to lie in order to get a story but if it was for the publics benefit, I could do it. I do not think behaving this way, if it revealed vital information, could lose the respect or trust of the public. If the person I was exposing was a family member or boyfriend, I could not report on the story. I would not cover up their crime but similarly, I would not offer them up for public scrutiny. Ethical manner as a journalist is different to ethical manner as a daughter or girlfriend and in this case the personal is stronger than the professional. I do not think Perrys report on Buckingham Palace should have included photographs of private bedrooms and details on the storage of breakfast cereals. This does not come under the Press Complaints Commission code of public interest and I do not think it can be justified as ethical behaviour. Undercover work cannot be held up as ethical when the outcome is less important than the act and Perrys inclusion of these private details undermine the ethical reasons for reporting undercover. When it becomes a matter of what the public are interested in, rather than what they need to know, ethical manners begin to vary between journalists and other factors come into the equation. The media is to a certain extent controlled by the people who own the newspapers, radio stations and television companies. They pay the journalists salary and they ultimately make the decisions. A senior executive of News International said: If an editor went to Murdoch and said that he had carefully examined the PCC code of conduct on chequebook journalism and had come to the conclusion that to pay to get a story would be a breach of the code and, therefore, he hadnt done it, he would be fired.8 This shows that a journalists so-called ethical behaviour is not always their own. However the journalist can decide who they work for. If I was asked to pay for stories that revealed matters that I did not consider of public interest, then I would refuse and work for a different organisation. This is, of course easier said than done and when one organisation is willing to pay for a story, others follow suit to keep up with competition. The public are aware of this and join in the game. Neighbours of Shannon Matthews have begun to charge for their stories, and they know the media will pay. It is difficult not to succumb to this method of journalism when competition is so fierce but then motivation for talking to the press becomes about money rather than truth. The competition and pressure to get a good story causes some journalists to fabricate, especially in the television industry. Regulators Ofcom demonstrated the penalty of misleading the public when they fined ITV à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5.675 million for phone vote scandals. Journalist Max Hastings said deceit is woven into the very nature of television. He described how some camera crews in war zones have encouraged soldiers to open fire so they can film dramatic footage that was missed when it actually happened.9 I understand the desire to produce a captivating documentary but asking soldiers to potentially put themselves and others in danger for dramatic effect, is not ethical behaviour. In television there is a fine line between deceiving the public and assuming they know about the editing tricks of the trade. Filming a sequence over a three-day period but presenting it as one day is not harmful deception but the reality of television production. The BBCs broadcast in 2007 of the Queen storming out of a portrait session was deceiving because editing gave a false representation of the actual events. Ofcom hold a similar view in regard to fairness. They say broadcasters should take reasonable care that material facts have not been presented, disregarded or omitted in a way that is unfair to an individual or organisation.10 When covering a story about parishioners protesting against their church being demolished, I was told by my editor to ask them to shout save our church for the camera. They did this and it brightened up the news package. It could be argued that this was unethical behaviour because it misled the public about the protest; as soon as I had gone, the shouting stopped. I did question my actions. However the desire to entertain the viewer, the opinion of my editor, the willingness of the protestors themselves and the low impact it would have on the public perception stopped me going against the decision. This is a minor case but it shows how potential deception in television is an ever-present reality. The need for impartiality is heavily stressed in journalism codes of conduct. Ofcom states that television and radio programmes must exclude all expressions of the views and opinions of the person providing the service on matters of political and industrial controversy and matters relating to current public policy (unless that person is speaking in a legislative forum or in a court of law).11 To be impartial as a journalist is not as simple as it seems; merely editing requires some personal judgement. As a reporter, it is not that easy to completely remove yourself from a story. Journalist Gill Swain said simply, dont get emotionally involved.12 Yet detach yourself too far and your reporting will get labelled as forensic.13 Sometimes the best journalism happens when you do engage emotionally and follow a story with passion. If Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein had not done that, the revelation of Watergate and eventual resignation of US President Richard Nixon in 1974 would have never come about. Personal interest and involvement can be a helpful motive in investigative journalism. A few years ago I wrote about my college boat club in a university magazine. I was told various stories about club money that had gone missing. As a member of that boat club, I felt obliged to find out what had happened and inform university students. After publication the head of the boat club asked me to her office to explain myself. She was unable to deny any of the facts. If I had not had personal involvement in this story, the financial difficulties of the boat club would have not been revealed. Yet the actual writing of the story should be impartial and not convey the opinion of the journalist. The public should trust that you are giving them a fair and accurate report on a matter of importance to them. However, sometimes personal belief and gut instinct that go against codes and ethical manners can benefit the public. During the time Senator Joseph McCarthy made charges that the United States government had been infiltrated by Soviet spies, American journalists had to abide by the strict codes of reporting without analysis or comment. They knew McCarthys claims were false but the journalistic laws meant they were unable to investigate his statements and tell the public the truth. More recently, the Washington Post, New York Times and New Republic all apologised to their readers for not being sceptical when reporting White House claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.14 Part of being a journalist is to face adversity and going against a law or code is sometimes the only way to tell the public the truth, but truth is what ultimately gains their trust and respect. Laws and codes are necessary to provide a benchmark for journalists to work from and maintain professionalism. Without them some journalists would lose sight of what fundamental principles they need to follow in order to behave responsibly. There are times when a journalists own instinct and ethical manner will maintain respect and trust of the public better than the codes. There are also instances when pressure, time and money prevent a journalist from maintaining those codes. Whatever the circumstances, the one rule that should be constant is that journalists are the eyes and ears of the public; their trust and respect should always take precedence. BIBLIOGRAPHY Frost, Chris. Media Ethics And Self-Regulation. Pearson Education Limited, 2000. Harcup, Tony. The Ethical Journalist. Sage Publications Ltd, 2007. Keeble, Richard. Ethics For Journalists. Routledge, 2001. Rosenstiel, Tom and Mitchell, Amy S., ed. Thinking Clearly: Cases in Journalistic Decision-Making. Columbia University Press, 2003. Welsh, Tom, Greenwood, Walter, Banks, David, eds. McNaes Essential Law For Journalists, 19th Edition. Oxford University Press, 2007. Wesbites: http://www.ofcom.org.uk 1 Richard Keeble, Ethics For Journalists (Routledge, 2001) 127. 2 Tom Welsh, Walter Greenwood, David Banks, eds. McNaes Essential Law For Journalists, 19th Edition (Oxford University Press, 2007) 415. 3 Keeble 131. 4 Keeble 29. 5 Tony Harcup, The Ethical Journalist (Sage Publications Ltd, 2007) 36. 6 Harcup 41. 7 Harcup 45. 8 Harcup 112. 9 Harcup 12 10 http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/codes/bcode/fairness/ 11 http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/codes/bcode/undue/ 12 Keeble 130. 13 Keeble 140. 14 Harcup 17.

Commercial Contracts in International Oil and Gas Industry

Commercial Contracts in International Oil and Gas Industry This paper aims to address the issues associated with long term petroleum contracts concluded between the state and international oil companies in terms of the political risks investors tend to face in such contracts as well as the risk of change of circumstances brought about not by the act of the parties but rather by the time. In doing so, the efficiency of both stabilization and renegotiation clauses, as means of mitigating these mentioned risks, are critically examined. It argues that stabilization clauses are highly problematic with regard to their validity and effect as they would normally conflict with the very well established principle of international law of state sovereignty, also these clauses are limited only to the change of regulatory framework and does not take into consideration the effect of change of other circumstances which may have a considerable impact on the parties obligations. Whereas, renegotiation clauses can be useful to reduce the impact of changes not only the legal framework of the host state but also other circumstances which are beyond the control of the parties should proper and clear mechanisms and criteria for implementing these clauses be provided for within the clause. It is widely recognized that regulatory stability of any given state is an essential element of promoting and encouraging investment in general and to attract and secure the confidence of potential foreign investors in particular.[1] This is certainly the case for energy projects where investors are vulnerable to wide variety of risks throughout the projects life, given the long duration and the capital intensive characters of these projects. In addition, the vurnablity of petroleum contracts to the change of circumstances, which may be beyond their control such as price fluctuation in the international energy market, can make the contractual arrangement that was once profitable becoming highly undesirable a few years later.[2] Not to mention the very fact that one of the parties of these contracts is state or its agency may well raise the investors concerns that the contractual arrangements once have been secured at the time of negotiating can be disregarded by unilateral states act later. Therefore, it has been the tendency of oil and gas investors to seek protection against these risks by providing for legal mechanism in the contract in order to mitigate their impact throughout the project period. These legal mechanisms tend to be in the form of stability guarantees offered by the state, either stabilization clauses or renegotiation clauses, as well as providing for arbitration to be the manner of dispute resolution. However, while the latter has become a stable and widely recognized clause aiming to ensure the netiaulty and fairness of resolving disputes arising between the states and IOCs, the former has generated much concern over their legal validity and effect, simply because of the fact that the main objective of these clauses is to fetter the states right to legislate and regulate for reasonably long period of time. It is the aim of the second chapter to critically analyze the different views given to stabilization clauses in scholars writing and the relevant arbitration awards in terms of their legal validity under both national and international law and the extent to which these clauses can prevent the state from exercising its sovereign power within its territory. Arguing that the sharp divide among scholars and arbitrators in this regard proves the insufficient and uncertain nature of these clauses, which in turns makes the capability of these clauses to provide absolute protection to oil and gas investor questionable. Chapter three goes on to further affirm the conclusion reached in the second chapter through using the example of the Russian petroleum experiment, where the existence of stabilization clauses led to decreasing cooperation between the state and the industry and resulted in disrupting the parties relationship as the petroleum activities went on, given the fact that the Russian Petroleum Law concerned only encouraging the exploration activities while lifting many essential aspects unregulated with the view that if the oil was to be found, new legislation would be enacted. It is from this chapter where this paper comes to the conclusion that not only does stabilization clauses conflict with the principle of state sovereignty and may well be held invalid as a result, but also these clauses have appeared to be inconsistent with the parties needs to flexible mechanism in order to mitigate the risk of changes of circumstances brought about by time rather than parties acts. Finally, chapter four aims to advocate the recent trend of inserting renegotiation clauses into oil and gas contracts as the proper manner to mitigate not only the political risk of state behavior but also other commercial risks associated with petroleum projects, which in the latter case even the host state can enjoy the protection offered by this device. On the other hand, this chapter also recognizes the fact that renegotiation clause may be too flexible, and thus run the risk of the contract being open-ending. Therefore, this chapter argues that the success of this clause depends, to very large extent, on the specific drafting agreed by the parties and whether a clear mechanism and guidance have been provided to address potential disputes. Thus, this paper argues that the states right to legislate and to regulate should not be subject to negotiation, nor to be used as an incentive for the purpose of attracting investment as such commitment is difficult to be fulfilled in the long term. Furthermore, stabilization clauses have proved to be inefficient and difficult to predict as well as inconsistent with the parties needs in such a long term contract. Whereas, renegotiation clauses can achieve the parties aims and objectives of sustaining the agreed contractual arrangements and encouraging cooperation needed in long term contracts through flexible legal mechanisms. 2. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Primary Sources 1.1 Judicial decisions PreussenElektra case (PreussenElektra AG vs Schleswag AG) ECJ C-379/98, European Court reports 2001, I-02099 Stardust Marine case (French Republic v Commission of the European Communities) ECJ C-482/99, European Court reports 2002, I-04397 1.2 European Union secondary legislation Regulation (EC) No 1228/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2003 on conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity, OJ L176/37, 15.07.2003 2. Secondary Sources 2.1 Books Cameron P. D., Legal Aspects of EU Energy Markets, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005). Helm D., Energy, the State, and the Market: British Energy Policy since 1979 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003). Hunt S., Making Competition Work in Electricity (New York: John Wiley Sons, Inc. 2002). 2.2 Articles Meier, G.M., Impact of the power-market liberalization on the operation of CHP-plants securing the competitiveness on the district heat market, 29(4) Euroheat and Power/Fernwarme International (2000). Klinge Jacobsen, H., Fristrup, P. and Munksgaard, J., Integrated energy markets and varying degrees of liberalisation: Price links, bundled sales and CHP production exemplified by Northern European experiences, 34(18) Energy Policy 3527-3537 (2006). 2.3 Other 2.3.1 Internet sources European Association for the Promotion of Cogeneration (GOGEN Europe), Financial and Regulatory Support for Cogeneration in EU (2007) http://www.cogeneurope.eu/publications/reports_and_studies.htm (last visited on 31 November 2008) Lowe, Ph., Applying EU Competition Law to the new liberalized energy markets, (13 May 2003) http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/speeches/text/sp2003_012_en.pdf (last visited on 1 December 2008) [1] L. Cotula, â€Å"Reconciling Regulatory Stability and Evolution of Environmental Standards in Investment Contracts: Towards a Rethink of Stabilization Clauses†, Journal of World Energy Law and Business, vol. 1 (2008), p164 [2] P. Thomas, â€Å"Evaluating Stabilisation Clause in Venezuelas Strategic Association Agreement for Heavy-Crude Extraction in the Orinoco Belt: The Return of a Forgotten Contractual Risk Reduction Mechanism for the Petroleum Industry† p.1

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America | Book Review

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America | Book Review A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, a novel by Bill Bryson takes you through the journey of a man looking to connect with more then just his local environment, but explore nature and go where many do not dare to go. Although Bryson does not touch every single mile he wishes to, at the end of his journey he fulfills more then ever imagined. Bryson creates a sense of place in a variety of different ways. Brysons feelings towards his preparations for the Appalachian Trail give us a better understanding of the sense of place. Are you saying, Dave, that I pay $250 for a pack and it doesnt have straps and it isnt water proof? Does it have a bottom in it? (Bryce, 10). Bryce heads to his local sporting goods store to talk with an expert on the trail. Dave Mengle tells Bryce he must purchase sleeping bags, boots, tents, thermal clothing, cook sets, and packs. We can infer that the trail is not simple and requires previous preparation in order to assure ones safety. Bryce begins to realize that this task may not be as easy as he thought and must prepare for any dangerous encounters he may face with nature. We get a more clear view of the sense of place and began to see the surroundings that Bryce encounters when they enter what seems to be his favorite part of the trip so far, the Shenandoah National Park. He enjoys the lively scenery which includes grouse, deer, owls, and turkeys. Not to mention the easier terrain, this being their favorite part. However, not every animal encounter is pleasant. Bryson remarks, I think I have a right to be a trifle alarmed, pardon me. Im in the woods, in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, staring at a bear, with a guy who has nothing to defend himself with but a pair of nail clippers. (Bryson, 142). Bryson becomes fearful when he hears an animal in their cam, but this quickly fades when he realizes that the bear only wishes to drink from a nearby stream. As Bryson says, It was a miracle, I swear to God. Just when I was about to lie down and give myself to the wolves and bobcats, I look up and theres a white blaze on a tree and I look down and Im standing on the AT. (Bryson, p. 266) We can conclude that towards the end of the novel a final connection was made between Bryson and Mother Nature. Although Bryson didnt complete every step of the 2,200-mile trail he realized that this is not necessary in order to get the fulfillment he desired before seen starting his journey through the Appalachian Trail. First, Bryson demonstrates human-environment interaction when he must quickly learn to adapt to his environment and knows that this is necessary in order for him to begin his hike down the Appalachian Trail. One of the more clear themes is location of the story which takes place on the Appalachian Trail. The AT is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States, extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. Brysons new location to Hanover, New Hampshire gives him the urge to begin traveling the trail after coming across part of the trail. There were many landmarks throughout Brysons journey to demonstrate place. Springer Mountain is the southern trailhead of the AT. Amicalola Falls Lodge is seven miles from their starting point at Springer Mountain in northern Georgia. While they are still in northern Georgia, the trail takes Bryson and Katz over a narrow ledge along Big Butt Mountain. Finally, Bishop Boarding House welcomes Bryson and Katz as they em erge from the Maine woods. Mrs. Bishop assures them that the woods will still be there if they decide to try again.

Todays Family :: essays research papers

Surviving in the Ross Sea   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emperor penguins and Weddell seals are the only marine predators that breath air and live year round in Antarctica Ross Sea. How these two animals are able to live among each other when there diets, hunting depths and area distribution are shared is the question. Ross Sea is called home by six emperor penguin colonies, approximately 180,000 birds, and about 50,000 Weddell seals. It is important, when considering competition between these two species to know that each share above and below water resources however it is below water prey where problems may occur. Several items can be considered to determine true competition overlap. These items include prey selection, using different hunting depths and habitat separation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fish account for most of the diet of both predators (99.3 % for seals and 89-95% for penguins). To take it one step further, Pleuragramma antarcticum, or Antarctica silverfish is the primary prey for each. Of the fish consumed, 88.6% of penguin’s fish diet and 99.3% of the seals diet consist of the Antarctic silverfish. This species of penguins and seals do not select fish of different classes despite body and mouth size difference. Seal prey is slightly larger, yet still considered juvenile as are penguin prey. Absence of larger prey in the penguin diet may be due to the fact that all samples were collected during chick rearing periods. It is possible that adult birds would capture larger fish for themselves and return with slightly smaller sizes for their young. Although seals and penguins hunt for the same size and species of fish, this does not restrict them from cohabitation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next we will consider the depth at which they hunt. Both, seal and penguins are excellent divers. In order to dive at great depths, these species move oxygen away from the lungs and into the muscles and blood. This allows them to store 3-4 times more oxygen than the average land mammal. In addition, seals and penguins use other techniques to reduce oxygen intake. Examples of this include the reduction of heart rates during long dives and an energy conserving swim pattern called burst and glide. It is known that penguins and seals have the ability to reach similar depths, however, the time below surface varies between the two animals.

Contents of the dead mans pocket :: essays research papers

In the story, â€Å"Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket,† the main character is Tom Benecke. As the story progresses, he is faced with many decisions. He is forced to act quickly and because of this, many things about him change. In the story, Tom is ambitious, self-centered, and impatient. These three traits change significantly throughout the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tom is a very ambitious person when it comes to his work. He is caught up in getting a promotion from work by doing a project. Tom just focuses on the â€Å"big picture,† which is his future, rather than the â€Å"small picture,† which is what his wife is doing. This trait changes at the end when he decides to go to the movies with his wife. When the paper flew out the window for the second time, he realized that he can do the paper over again but he can never take back that one specific night he could have spent with his wife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning, Tom is very self-centered and preoccupied with his work. He finds what he wants to do more important than what his wife wants to do that night. Once faced with the reality of death, he realizes how important his wife is to him. This forces him to be strong and stay alive, for her sake. The only reason he made it back into his house was because of how much he cared for her. Tom then decides to go find her at the movies, which shows that he has become less self-centered and more aware of his wife’s feelings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tom knows that his project can wait, but he has to have it done so his boss can read it over the weekend. The fact that his work couldn’t wait until he got back from the movies shows what an impatient person he is. When Tom is out on the ledge retrieving his paper, he is forced to be very patient and to take things one step at a time.

Russian Media as a conveyer ideology and a tool of hegemony

Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, news regarding Russia’s economic and political state has been spread abroad to other countries through the work of the media. The ideas represented in the Russian media have been responsible for the perception that the acquisition of material goods is not only desirable but indispensable to life and normality. The influence of the media might be considered hegemony, which is represented by the control of one group (the media) over a larger population (the Russians). This control manifests itself in the perceptions of prosperity that are held by many Russians, largely because of the glamorization of Western culture as presented in the media. Because of the influence that this perception has had over the lives of many Russians, it is often thought on the one hand that all Russians currently live their lives in abject poverty. Because many cannot currently afford the expensive things they see Westerners enjoying, they consider themselves as living at a low standard, and this perception is also passed on to the West. On the other hand, it is also believed in some circles that the pomp that can be seen in the major Russian cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg is an accurate measure of how all Russians live. This too has stemmed from the above-mentioned media hegemony and the perception of material wealth that is passed on to the public as â€Å"normal.† The media has, therefore, been responsible for bombarding consumers with such views that promote wealth and materialism as being indispensable to any successful economic society, and this has led to inaccurate perceptions of the Russian economic situation. During the Soviet Union era, Communist ideology acted as a barrier to the entrance of Western ideas and views into the minds of the Russian public. However, with the fall of Communism and the deregulation of the media, an ideological hegemony began to arise. This hegemony has been fueled by the media. As a result, Western ideas of capitalism and materialism began to mingle freely with Russian socio-economic ideology. This ideological change is evident in the attitude of Yegor Gaidar, Acting Prime Minister of Russia following the Soviet Union’s collapse. He said, â€Å"Our main goal [is] the construction in our country of a stable and, at the same time, dynamic and prosperous Western-type society† (Diligensky & Chugrov, 2000, p. 14). This opinion was made public to the Russians through the media. Gaidar continued to explain that the main difference between the Russian and the Western civilizations at the time was the development of a market economy and the right of citizens to own property. At such a crucial period of change, this ideology held by the leader also found its way into the minds of the Russians via the media. Because of this, more and more Russians began to strive for the material possessions characteristic of the typical Western society (Diligensky & Chugrov, 2000). It is by the hegemonic efforts of the media that these and other ideas have been placed in the minds of the Russians. The effectiveness of the media in effecting this change in the Russian perception of Western civilization has been demonstrated in public opinion polls taken by Russian citizens. The citizens of the West are generally considered by Russians to have such enviable qualities as wealth, inviolable rights to property, high compensation for labor, and talent for entrepreneurship (Diligensky & Chugrov, 2000). This can even more convincingly be attributed to the effect of the media as it has been noted by Russian thinkers that the order in which these qualities are valued by Russians does not represent the true hierarchy of value given to them by Westerners. Rather, it represents the extent to which these needs are perceived as unsatisfied within the lives of the Russians. The Russian media has played the role of portraying as indispensable those Western values that correspond with areas of Russian lack, and the media has made these values â€Å"especially visible against the background of impoverishment and economic hardships in Russia† (2000, p. 19-20). Because of the sheer visibility of the way Westerners live, which is made possible by the existence of the media in all its forms, Russians have perceived it as necessary to strive for these idealistic material values. In addition, their lack of material wealth has been perceived by those who look on as evidence that the Russians live in abject poverty. The media’s hegemonic control over the minds and perceptions of Russians and Westerners alike is evident in other ways. The ideas put forth to Russians via the press (as well as via media access to programming originating in the West) have led to what has been termed the capitalist revolution. With the West as its model, Russia has evolved into a society that contains a â€Å"business elite† (Lavelle, 2004). Within this society, the rise of the business elite has led to wealthy and propertied class that has become very visible in both the Russian and Western media. These persons, who are often celebrated by the media, are seen in such personalities as business tycoon Andrei Melnichenko. He has been publicized as the person who has had a large hand in the transformation of the Moscow MDM Group into a corporation that grosses three billion dollars a year (BusinessWeek, 2002). The media broadcasts the lifestyles of these extremely wealthy Russians who have a core of senior-level employees that also enjoy the fruits of capitalism. These persons live publicly in the very affluent and expensive areas—cities, such as Moscow and St. Petersburg. These cities now boast very high costs and standards of living in a country that had been widely perceived as being filled with persons who live below the poverty line, and this is shown to the world through the media. In fact, according to a worldwide cost of living survey, St. Petersburg ranks as having the 12th highest cost of living in the world. Moscow’s reputation is even more astounding as it ranks as the world’s most expensive city, (Mercer Consulting, 2006). Despite the general Western perception of Russia as having a struggling market economy, the media is now beginning to demonstrate that Russians have been able to afford the highest living standards and costs in the world. Two major implications derive from the fact that the two major Russian cities have been ranked among the most expensive in the world. One is that the perceptions of this country generally engendered by the media are to some extent quite erroneous. Many Russians are as able to afford material goods as their Western counterparts, and poverty is not the general state of all the persons who reside in the former Soviet Union. In fact, according to business reports, Russia’s general standard of living has been on the rise in recent years. This is demonstrated by the fact that its citizens have begun to feel a higher level of security in their economic situation (BusinessWeek, 2002). While in the early 1990’s inflation rates had been in triple digit numbers, by 2002 this had fallen to a mere 17 per cent. By that time too, the stock market index had risen by 27 per cent in the year, and Russians were being reported as â€Å"starting to trust Russia [because] money is coming back† (2002, p. 13). These views are now being over-represented in Western perceptions of Russia as a way of counteracting the previous media-created perception of the poverty of Russians. However, the fact that Moscow and St. Petersburg fall among the most expensive cities hides the fact that once one leaves these highly publicized cities, one is bombarded by a stark decrease in standard of living. What is not represented now in the Western media is this exaggeration of the capitalist gap (between the very rich and the very poor). The media largely demonstrates to the Westerners the wealthy side of Russia—perhaps as a means of de-emphasizing the prevalent idea of Russians as suffering in abject poverty. The media’s hegemonic influence urges Westerners to see the affluence of the large cities without giving a wider view of the whole country. This view would demonstrate the steep decline in living standards as one leaves these economic centers. The media represents a body that to a large extent controls Russians’ and Westerners’ perceptions of how Russia’s wealth compares to that of the rest of the world. This media hegemony carries out a two-fold deception, in which all Russians were once considered by Westerners as living in abject poverty, but that now is beginning to demonstrate all Russians as being wealthy. No balance appears to have been struck between the two views, as the media fails to present an accurately proportioned view of the situation. The media also demonstrates its hegemony in its ability to coerce Russians into viewing the property of Westerners the true measure of economic success. This fact is widely considered as a reason for the biased view of the Russian situation: Russians have been found to grasp for these material things, and these possessions often hide their true areas of lack. References BusinessWeek. (2002). â€Å"Russia’s new wealth.† Business Week Online. McGraw-Hill. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   on March 26, 2007 Diligensky, G. & S. Chugrov. (2000). â€Å"The West† in Russian mentality. North Atlantic Treaty   Ã‚   Organization. Retrieved on March 26, 2007 Lavelle, P. (2004). â€Å"Forbes’ Paul Klebnikov: a victim of political terrorism.† In the National   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interest. July. Retrieved on March 26, 2007 Mercer Consulting. (2006). â€Å"Moscow is the world’s most expensive city while Leipzig is the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cheapest one in Europe.† City Mayors Economics. Retrieved on March 26, 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.citymayors.com/features/cost_survey.html

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty in whatever form is a direct attack upon a prestigious educational institution particularly the faculty concerned. It humiliates the integrity of the University and further, it dehumanizes the personality of the teaching personnel by insulting and injuring his individuality.According to Miami Dade College Manual of Procedures, cheating during examinations, collaboration and misrepresentation of work, com/online-plagiarism-checker/">plagiarism as well as stealing examinations or course material and falsifying records constitute the subtle â€Å"criminal† act of academic dishonesty.As such Policy IV-5 on Student Rights and Responsibilities with Statutory Reference FLORIDA STATUTE 1006.50 has been implemented by said college.Dishonest activities as mentioned above will not only demean and depreciate the values of students but may disturb them psychologically and emotionally. Somehow students may feel a tinge of guilt and maybe tension resulting to stress which could further affect their school performance and may not facilitate learning.For whatever it is worth, the student performing acts of academic dishonesty will always be at the losing end especially when caught and penalized. Worse, it may destroy his future by committing an offensive record thus limiting his opportunities to more promising careers.Submitted requirements by students must stand for the efforts they exerted in completing such. Cheating is the unauthorized use of information or study guides in any academic exercise (UCSB, 1995). It may include copying answers from others taking the same examination. Using irrelevant notes written on any material is also prohibited.In take-home examinations, sharing of answers is also a form of cheating. Tampering of examination results and taking examinations for another person and asking someone else to take your examination are also taboo in colleges and universities.And among the latest innovations of cheating is utilizing the assi stance of essay-writing companies especially those found in the Internet. The so-called â€Å"Internet revolution† provides very accessible ways of helping students finish various types of paper work while earning.Many writing jobs are open in the Internet which caters this need for papers in different academic levels — high school, undergraduate, masters and Ph.D.   Any student may find this convenient and relaxing plus a guaranteed good grade, however, learning and money are sacrificed in this method. Writing is not enhanced and may hinder the development of this skill among future academicians and degree holders.Another huge misconduct related to academic dishonesty among students, professors and researchers is plagiarism. Plagiarism is academic theft (UCSB, 1995). It is stealing and claiming the words and thoughts of another person without acknowledging it through proper citations. Thus, giving the author due credit is denied.Proper citations and documentation mus t be given in quoted lines or messages, paraphrased or summarized lines, and unique ideas, facts and data given by a particular author. Plagiarism has expanded in the advent of Internet technology.The â€Å"cut and paste† method of making papers has become frequent though some Internet programs to check paper works for plagiarism are now advocated to minimize this unethical behavior. As a consequence, penalties for plagiarism are oftentimes harsh.High school students may fail on particular subjects where they plagiarized certain papers or projects. In colleges and universities, some policies allow for failure of the subject, suspension from attending classes and worst, expulsion from the institution.In Miami Dade College, sanctions for academic dishonesty are categorized as Level I and Level II. For serious offenses, there are preliminary meetings conducted between the faculty and the student.After which, a Notice of Charge is issued by the Dean upon the recommendation from t he Department Chairperson if the sanction belongs to Level II. The hearing process follows in the presence of the Academic Hearing Committee (AHC) together with the parties involved in the case. The AHC then renders the decision as to the fate of the guilty party.Collaboration and misrepresentation of work is also common among students especially the tardy ones and overly busy types and those involved in too many extracurricular activities.Academic dishonesty in this case is hard to determine though as some professors may assign papers and projects by partners or groups, nevertheless, the pair or members of the group must work independently and do their share in making the requirement successful. Inventing data and manipulating results are also huge immoral offenses. The collaborators should give full credit to those who contributed to the work done.Each writer should remember that one mistake of academic dishonesty may cost you your name and credibility in the academe which unfortu nately is binding and irrevocable. It is difficult to regain back the respect you have earned as a student, professor, author or researcher.Asking for assistance is not bad, however, it is but wise to use this other’s help only as a basis for our work. The best papers have always been our original ideas which can be appreciated more perhaps by our readers.ReferencesMiami Dade College. (2006). Miami Dade College Manual of Procedures. Retrieved November 3, 2007, from http://mdc.edu/procedures/University of California Santa Barbara. (1995). The Academic Dishonesty Question: A Guide to an Answer through Education, Prevention, Adjudication, and Obligation Academic Dishonesty Though a rapidly grown trend not only in our higher institutions of learning but also the lower levels, cheating in the course work in any form ranging from the class work to the main examinations is a terrible breach of the rules in most institutions and the education system as a whole.In an attempt to solve the suicidal issue to the academic lives of the students, many theories dealing with the sociology around the student’s life have been used as we shall examine in the proceeding chapters of our paper.Does Cheating Really Occur?From his book (Haaland, 2006, p. 67) informs us that a recent study conducted by The Rutgers University and The University of Guelph in a sample of 15,000 university students in five provinces admitted to several dishonesty behaviors in the examination which were sampled as: 53% of them admitting to having cheated on a written project, admitting to have cheated in an exam was in 18% of the students and many other testimonies from the students which showed how much the habit is rampant in schools.The same survey also indicated that 48% of teachers and lecturers admitted to having caught students cheating in exams though they had no tangible evidence to take the issue seriously (Haaland, 2006, p. 98) by punishing the student or reporting the matter to the concerned authorities within the school.What Methods Do the Students Employ in Cheating?From our sociology, it is common knowledge that the different structures in the society we live in go a great mileage in determining the shape that our behaviors conform to (Kutscher, 2008, p. 37). It is due to this basic reason that we are going to view the methods our students use to cheat in reference to the major social theories:The Conflict TheoryAs (Kutscher, 2008, p. 73) displays the aspect in the theory, we can deduce that the various units in the society are always involved in innovations as a way of outsmarting each other in the societal ranks. To a great extent, this has resulted to students collaborating with other students with an aim of outdoing a certain group in the classroom. This ends up with the learners liaising with each other to perfume the course work hence the personal assessment is not affected. Though it heavily leans on the culture and the intellectual phenomenon of the people, postmodernism results in to innovations that seek to improve the life standards of the people. In our current educational world, modernization has come a long way in impacting positively to the system though it is to a large extent creating big loopholes for our students to maximize on for cheating.The internet as (Kutscher, 2008, p. 57) tells us has created a healthy avenue for the lazy students as with the click of the mouse, they can call an assignment or research done. Superior papers.com just to mention but one of them is a website where the students easily and at very affordable fees purchase already written essay for presentation to the teacher.Quite a highly technical method that the students use to cheat in the course of their learning in the modern world unlike those methods that were traditionally used. Although traditional, some of the methods are still used by students today like writin g answers on body parts and on pieces of cloth or paper as (Kutscher, 2008, p. 98) puts it. In an attempt to eradicate the wide spread social evil of cheating in students, identification of the contributing factors to the trend is very important as it gives us a leeway to follow. Some of the most striking reasons are inclusive of:  Conformity Social Stigma(Kutscher, 2007, p. 121) partially lays the blame of the trend on the fact that the student culture is progressively transmitted to the students either knowingly or otherwise. Students are coiled in to viewing their work as more collaborative and not individual as it used to be in the traditional times. This smoothly leads even innocent students in to the poor practice and it therefore becomes a trend that almost has to be followed.Class systemUn due pressure on the students in terms of the expectations laid on them in the classroom can also be cited as a contributing factor to the increased rate of students insincerity in the institutions of learning (Kutscher, 2007, p. 71).The limited nature of time for students to per form their duties may be an explanation to some of the cheating as they are striving to beat the deadlines that are tightly placed. (Kutscher, 2007, p. 83) adds that compromising situations in the classroom may also push the student to cheating like punishment set in the classroom due to failure may force a poor student to cheat as away of running out of the punishment.RecommendationsFrom the well-built facts in the pages above, we are able to single out one problem in the whole scenario. Concerned authorities keep on repeating to the students not to cheat yet they do not sit down with them and seriously deliberate on the matter.By doing this, the teachers can be made aware of more reason why students cheat from the students themselves. On the other hand, the students will also be officially made aware of the harms of cheating not only to their chances in the school but also their intellectual lives.Work CitedHaaland, B (2006), Sociology: A Brief Introduction: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Hi gher   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education, CanadaKutscher, M (2007), Kids in the Syndrome Mix: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Boston Kutscher, M (2008), Living Without Breaks: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Boston

Exploring Gender Conventions in Film Essay

The American melodrama film, Mildred Pierce, directed by Todd Haynes, was based on the 1941 novel, written by James Cain. Mildred Pierce explores the roles of gender and class during the economic hardships of the stock market crash and the depression. This novel is a very effective representation of the 1930’s and 1940’s turmoil. An interview with Todd Haynes titled, â€Å"Something That is Dangerous and Arousing and Transgressive,† was done by Julia Leyda; and in that interview, Todd Haynes explains that women, â€Å"struggle with their embodiment, their identity, their social positions† (Leyda). James Cain created Mildred to be a woman who expressed many different attributes that women would not normally have during this time period and with the happening of the Great Depression. In his novel, Mildred represents a lower-middle-class woman who went through a divorce. Although she is a single parent in the beginning of the book, or as her friend Lucy calls it, a â€Å"grass widow,† she has the ambition to work and help Bert provide for their family. This book touches on a different aspect of gender expectations because during this time period many of the men did not have jobs and the women were the one’s working and earning money. This is evident through her ex-husband Bert, and her new husband (later in the film), Monty. Neither of them had jobs, she refers to them as loafs, and she does all that she can to provide for them. Mildred is embarrassed by some of the job offerings she got and does not want to disappoint her self-aggrandizing daughter. As mentioned in chapter five, it is obvious that Mildred fears Veda. The novel reads: She was afraid of Veda, of her snobbery, her contempt, her unbreakable spirit. And she was afraid of something that seemed always lurking under Veda’s bland, phony toniness: a cold, cruel, coarse desire to torture her mother, to humiliate her, above everything else, to hurt her. Mildred apparently yearned for warm affection from this child[†¦ ] but all she ever got was a stagy, affected counterfeit. (Cain 86) Mildred was constantly trying to impress Veda and her dreams of becoming rich, whereas in this family’s present state, it was almost impossible. Mildred even had to break down and beat Veda because she had been so vicious toward her when all Mildred ever did was bust her ass to earn enough money for her children. And for a while, Mildred even kept work a secret so that her own children would not have to worry about their family falling apart and finding out that they were lower middle class. One really important part of this book was when Mildred stood up to Veda and said, â€Å"You may not realize it, but everything you have costs money, from the maid that you ordered to go traipsing with you to the pool, to your food, and everything else that you have† (Cain 85). Mildred has a strong will to keep her family strong, but at the same time she faces two weaknesses: sleeping with men, and having a strong devotion to please her daughter Veda, who lives in a fantasy wishing she were upper-class. It is odd because she resorts to sex when she encounters stress and her sexual life is her sense of freedom; but when it comes to her work life, she is constantly on the edge and she does not indulge in it. Work is often what causes the stress in her life. In addition, Monty has the same fantasy as Veda and in the end of the film we see Mildred being pushed away from both of them, and eventually they end up together. Throughout the whole novel, Veda and Monty represent the upper-class and Mildred admires Veda so much because she is a reminder that there is hope to get to a better state during the depression. At one point in the novel Mildred even tells Veda that everything good happens on account of her. Haynes focuses on gender and class as huge themes in this film and he states that: what’s so fascinating about Mildred as a character is the way she has all of this potential for incredible productive and sexual success: a willfulness and a sense that she deserves it. Of course, there are all kinds of things she has to overcome initially, the sense of pride, before she can go out and get a job and work her way up the ladder and discover her innate talents[†¦ ] while at the same time being so thoroughly harnessed to a whole other set of terms that have everything to do with feminine identification and subjectivity, and mothering, and class. (Leyda) After Mildred accepts the fact that she must inherit a job, she becomes very good at what she does and she takes all of her domestic attributes and converts them into the work-field through taking up a job at a restaurant. Compared to the other women and families during the time of depression, many of them lost jobs, large amounts of money, homes, family, and many other things. With these important aspects on the line, Mildred remains strong and uses her willpower to overcome the obstacles thrown her way. This touches on class a lot and Mildred does a phenomenal job at keeping her family secure through this very tough time. As a lower middle class woman stuck in the depression, Mildred was very resilient and hard working toward recovering from the stock market crash and the depression which left her and her family with almost nothing. Another film that deals a lot with gender is the 2009 spine-chilling horror film Splice, directed by Vincenzo Natali. This film features two young genetic engineering scientists, Elsa and Clive, who are trying to discover a new protein for pharmaceutical purposes. The blog post on shaviro. com about this movie reads, â€Å"Splice never departs from being a genre film; but the way it twists genre conventions is powerful and original† (Shaviro). This movie reworks some of the themes and motifs that appeared in Frankenstein and Eraserhead. Throughout the entire film, Elsa seems to be the better educated of the two, but together they create a blob-like figure in each gender, and as they are developing they will soon be presented to their team to show them reproducing. While all of this was happening, Elsa and Clive decide that since they were successful with the first part of their experiment, they would like to make it more challenging and add human DNA to the specimen (although they were told not to because of the dangers) and see what the end result is. Once again, they are successful and they have now created a new creature with human DNA in it. Clive wants to kill it – which shows his aggressive and protective side, two qualities often found in males – but Elsa becomes very attached to it and obtains motherly qualities toward it – which is evidently linked to women gender expectations. Mentioned in the blog post, â€Å"Most of the movie is taken up with Elsa’s â€Å"mothering† of Dren, with Clive as the somewhat distant father figure. And this is where any prejudice that â€Å"mothering† might be â€Å"natural,† or inherently â€Å"feminine,† or inherently hardwired in Elsa’s, or any woman’s, genes, definitively breaks down† (Shaviro). Elsa convinces Clive to keep it alive so that they can â€Å"study it closely,† when all she really wants is to protect it like her own child – it does contain her own DNA after all. She has a horrific style of parenting in that she treats Dren with respect at one moment, and then flips the complete opposite the next. From the interview, the author says that, â€Å"There is clearly something narcissistic and self-obsessed here; all the more so when we learn that Clive wants to have a child, but Elsa is reluctant† (Shaviro). Elsa decides to play it safe and instead of bearing her own child, which would take her away from her work and give her less control, she genetically creates Dren a hybrid of animal DNA as well as her own. As it grows up, they must keep it a secret because they were never authorized to do so by their company. Clive grows very attached and attracted to Dren, but later finds out that Elsa put her own DNA into the creature and he is furious with her and realizes that this is why she had become so obsessive and protective over Dren. She even gets angry with Clive when he refers to Dren as a specimen and not a â€Å"she. † As Elsa and Clive are absentmindedly worrying about their own problems as a couple, the two creatures they created in the beginning, Fred and Ginger, undergo a weird switch. Ginger switches from a male to female while they are presenting their new specimen to their research team. In this part of the film Ginger and Fred (both males at this point) brutally murder each other instead of reproducing like intended, leaving the audience in shock with blood and guts flying freely. Because Elsa and Clive were so involved in Dren and had been neglecting their real experiment, everything went wrong. This goes to show just how restricted the gender expectations are among humans. It labels males as violent and aggressive, especially toward each other, which touches on the way society sees gay men and how unacceptable it appears to be. Another few actions that represent the expectations of gender are when Elsa treats Dren like her own child and forces a motherly figure, and when Clive has sex with Dren. This scene is really disturbing because one, the creature isn’t human, and two, Dren has some of his girlfriend’s DNA in her. Toward the end of the film things get even worse. Dren also switches from female to male and attacks a few people and then kills Clive with the retractable stinger in his tail, then he rapes Elsa and Elsa gets away and kills him before he does anymore destruction. This points out that men are very inclined to sex and are almost seen as uncontrollable. It also makes women seem more vulnerable, especially with Elsa being raped by Dren later in the film. In the very last scene of the film, Elsa is pregnant with Dren’s baby and is going to have the baby and give it to the company for more experimentation and does not seem to care, even though it is very crude. The interview reads, â€Å"Splice‘s focus upon a woman instead of a man as the â€Å"mad scientist† figure whose creations ultimately lead to catastrophe has been quite a point of contention† (Shaviro) and this is a different aspect to the movie Frankenstein, which was basically the same plot with a ale scientist and no technology. In conclusion the interview claimed, â€Å"Gender roles are oddly reinforced[†¦ ] The film entirely scrambles our sense of what is natural and what is artificial† (Shaviro). Splice is very twisted and touches on a lot of weird expectations that society has made out for men and women. It paints men to be very controlling, defiant, and drawn toward sex, and it paints women to be very motherly, protective of their c hildren, and caring toward others.

Fair Value Accounting Essay

This paper attempts to answer the question: â€Å"Is it reasonable to blame fair value accounting for any of the Wall Street mess? † This paper in effect settle whether the use of fair value accounting by listed companies in the major stock exchanges in the US, particularly those found in Wall Street, which the caused fall in prices of the stocks of these companies, was required of companies without justification; hence, it should be blamed for the mess. 2. Analysis and Discussion Any mess in the Wall Street is defined for this paper as one causing the stock prices of companies list in major stock exchanges of the US to fall and that it resulted to losses to investors. To have reasonable basis to blame fair value accounting for any Wall Street mess, does not simply mean that fair value accounting was the necessary cause of fall in the prices of corporate stocks but that the requirement of fair value accounting must not be fair. The question that must be decided therefore is whether fair value accounting is fair as basis of valuing corporate assets, liabilities and equity. A situation or condition is fair if it gives what is due to a person. If the concept of fair value is used in the context of an asset purchased or liability assumed in business, fair value implies that said asset or liability must neither be overpriced nor underpriced whether perceived or otherwise. The law of economics would have fair value as one representing that market price or that equilibrium price of a product or service (Samuelson and Nordhaus, 1992) which is also the value of something from a seller that is not forced to sell or from a buyer that is not forced to buy. Investors, creditors, and other persons expect to be treated fairly as they enter into transactions in terms of value that they will give in exchange to what they will receive. To illustrate, a person or company planning to invest in stocks will appreciate what is fair if the said person or company will earn sufficient return above cost of capital in exchange for the risks being faced by such person or company (Brigham, 2002). To have what is fair, the investors must know the accurate and reliable information about of the company to guide them about their chances of gaining or losing money. These users deserve to have the opportunity to have the true or accurate value of asset, liability or equity being dealt with in a business transaction as basis for valuing the stocks that they will invest with. Financial reports prepared companies, as guided by Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) accounting standard under fair value accounting, will provide these users the opportunity. Specifically, fair value accounting was made pursuant to FAS 157 as issued by US FASB for companies to reflect the accounting information on the real values of assets, liabilities and equity in the balance sheet as contrasted with presenting the information using the historical cost accounting (Meigs and Meigs, 1995). A group of analysts and portfolio managers actually formed part of those who influenced the passage of the fair value accounting for more relevant information in decision making (Chasan, 2008). Under FAS 157 defines fair value is defined as the price that would be received â€Å"to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants in a measurement date† (Sortur, 2007). If companies have restated their financial statements from historical cost accounting to fair value accounting, the purpose was laudable since in simple terms, the intention is to make the information more relevant, more accurate and more reliable for decision makers. If stockholders got affected in terms of lower price of stocks as a result of restatement of financial statements, the error was when they were made the purchase of their investments under the historical cost accounting. Since fair value accounting may also increase the value of the stocks if fair value is higher than cost, it could not be asserted that it should be blamed for the fall of prices but not praised for increased in price increase of stock prices. 3. Conclusion It can be concluded that it is not reasonable to blame fair value accounting for any of the Wall Street mess since fair value accounting is only bringing out what is fair to investors who deserved to know accurate and reliable information for making decisions. Fair value accounting is an accounting standard made by FASB that was made as a requirement from the corporation which must present truthful and reliable information for investors. As an alternative to historical value of accounting, fair value is expected to have present company more reliable information about their assets and liabilities in accordance with market prices. Its implementation may have caused companies to present their financial information and if the information presented were more truthful, the consequence of causing problems to companies should only be secondary to the purpose of providing objective and more reliable financial information. Any fall in stock prices from Wall Street may in fact have been caused by companies having to restate their financial statement pursuant to fair value accounting but the intention was to reflect to truer value of assets and liabilities of the corporations whose stocks got affected. Losers should not blame fair value accounting since the latter is just a guide to have more truthful information and they would have a change also of higher stock prices under fair value if warranted by market forces. If there was no basis for such more truthful information, then restatements of financial information using fair value would not have been made in the first place. If buyers and sellers are not being compelled to complete their transaction, fair value accounting must be held as fair and cannot be blamed for the mess. In fact, fair value accounting should have been introduced years ago for it could have saved some abuse and a lot of problems (Rees-Mogg, 2007). References: Brigham and Houston (2002), Introduction to Financial Management, Thomson-South Western, USA, 2002 Chasan, Emily (2008), Is fair value accounting really fair? {www document} URL, http://www. reuters. com/article/reutersEdge/idUSN1546484120080226, Accessed November 21, 2008 Meigs and Meigs (1995), Financial Accounting, McGraw-Hill, Inc, London, UK Rees-Mogg (2007), Why FAS 157 strikes dread into bankers, {www document} URL http://www. timesonline. co. uk/tol/comment/columnists/william_rees_mogg/article2852547. ece, Accessed November 21, 2008. Samuelson and Nordhaus (1992), Economics, McGraw-Hill, Inc, London, UK Sortur (2007) Fair Value Measurement, The Chartered Accountant {www document} URL, http://icai. org/resource_file/96471564-1574. pdf, Accessed November 21, 2008