Capstone experience Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Capstone experience - Coursework Example Moreover, the company had reserves of approximately 25.2 billion equivalent barrels of oil as of 2013 and, as of 2010, its production rates were expected to remain constant for at least fourteen more years (Coll, 2012). ExxonMobil operates in twenty-one countries with thirty-seven oil refineries across the world, which has seen the company achieve a combined refining capacity of 1 million m3 of oil every day making it the world’s largest oil refiner by capacity. Standard Oil, which was ExxonMobil’s precursor company, was also the world’s largest oil refiner between 1870 when it was incorporated and its change to ExxonMobil. As the largest of all super-majors in the oil industry, ExxonMobil has a daily production capacity of ~3.9 million equivalent barrels of oil, which makes up roughly 3% of the entire production of oil in the world (Coll, 2012). This means that, despite being the largest oil company in the world, it still lags behind various state-owned oil companies like ARAMCO and Rosneft. When ranking is done by gas and oil reserves combined, ExxonMobil ranks as the 14th biggest company in the world with less than 1% of all total reserves under its control (Coll, 2012). With regards to its marketing of oil and gas products, ExxonMobil uses the brands Esso, Mobil, and Exxon, while it also holds majority share in several smaller oil companies like SeaRiver Maritime that ships oil and gas and Canada’s Imperial Oil Limited. The company has more than 82,000 employees across the globe, of which 27,000 work in their upstream headquarters in Houston and a further 4,000 employees work in its downstre am headquarters in Fairfax (Coll, 2012). ExxonMobil’s global organizational structure is functional in nature. My career objective is to be a safety engineer at ExxonMobil upon my graduation later this year. One of the reasons why I am interested in this position is because it requires the engineer to work as part of a team that includes quality

The Construct Surrounding Earnings Management Research Paper

The Construct Surrounding Earnings Management - Research Paper Example There are two types of intentional misstatements which are significant in the auditor’s assessment of fraud. These are (1) misstatements that arise from fraudulent financial reporting, and (2) misstatements that arise from the misappropriation of assets. Classified under the first type are those intentionally false and misleading statements or the omissions of amounts or disclosures that should be included in financial statements. Included in the second type are acts that constitute theft of an entity’s assets which are attended with misrepresentation thereof in the financial statements. Misappropriation of assets includes such acts as ‘embezzling receipts, stealing assets, or causing an entity to pay for goods or services not received’.There are situations where a fine line may be drawn between earnings management motivated by a desire to mislead or misrepresent, and a legitimate resort to management prerogative is being made. As noted by the official docu ment from the Public Oversight Board (2002), in par. 3.10:â€Å"Many of the factors cited in SAS No. 82 are subjective and difficult to assess, and risk factors may exist in circumstances where fraud does not exist. Even when risk factors are present and the auditor’s response to them is not definitively prescribed by the standard, SAS No. 82 states that ‘the auditor’s judgment may be that audit procedures otherwise planned are sufficient to respond to the risk factors.†.... As noted by the official document from the Public Oversight Board (2002), in par. 3.10: â€Å"Many of the factors cited in SAS No. 82 are subjective and difficult to assess, and risk factors may exist in circumstances where fraud does not exist. Even when risk factors are present and the auditor’s response to them is not definitively prescribed by the standard, SAS No. 82 states that ‘the auditor’s judgment may be that audit procedures otherwise planned are sufficient to respond to the risk factors.† (p. 76). Thus it is important to assess whether the actions that may be attribute to earnings management are actually motivated by the intent to defraud, mislead or misrepresent. In this matter, the auditor is admonished to exercise professional skepticism as the general standard of due professional care. This means ‘having an attitude that includes a questioning mind and a critical assessment of audit evidence’ (par. 3.8, p. 76). The standard requ ires the auditor to take a position that does not assume the management is dishonest on the one extreme, nor that the management possesses unquestioned honesty on the other, but that the auditor should be persuaded by the evidence unearthed by his or her investigation (Public Oversight Board, 2002).. The Motivation behind Earnings Management The foregoing definition notwithstanding, some authors defend some of the actions of corporate management by distinguishing between ‘good earnings management’ from ‘bad earnings management’ (Farag & Elias, 2012, p. 187). Ostensibly, good earnings management implies legitimate business decisions, which effectively stabilized the financial performance of the company, while bad earnings management involves violations of the GAAP. Good

Television Is A Type Of Communication System Media Essay

Television Is A Type Of Communication System Media Essay A unbridgabale gap has come in human and TV . There are so many channels to enjoy.It has presented or telecasted of every door to door customs and traditional as well as international events .Television helps us get updates what happened around the world.we are able to see all small movement happened around us.It presents a small view of our society.On this we can watch live events like cricket ,functional etc.It has great deals now -a -days with mass and media .It has been proved through TV that mass need every update at every movement of their life.It has been a grand source of mass communication.TV what we think it has been a most common source of information and entertainment for people and it has knocked out every source of information. Moreover ,television is a great source of getting jobs, as a carrier maker,personality,enhanchment and much more.TV is known as an idiot box by some people but it not an idiot box .If we use it through a knowledge of science, discovery ,arts ,history and some related channel. It depends on the person how he use it and to what extent he is using it.Without TV we can not imagine our life because it provides us information at every moment of life and every a single movement of our society.TV is a great source of mass media .Media is a great powerful source of public and it can fulfill peoples needs .Now-a-days so many TV Channels are providing their expeditions to all,The socities or groups of society members .They try to catch videos of people and broadcast to all over the world to approach their demands to the governing bodies.As a result we see everday on television govt.come to take some implements on some matters through these sort of news or spicy matters. Without TV we are unable to get updates about what happening around the world.Through television companies are advertising their product .It avoids kids from doing social things they dont spend much time playing outdoor games rather they just spend time seeing them on TV .well and the most important ,if u sit in front of TV the whole day youll definitely get fat .its a fact.Today the kids are mostly interested in watching cartoons which involve so much actions and violence .It imprints a bad impact on childrens.If we see our present we think on programs that made for childrens .programs or serials that designed for childrens more often contain violence than adult TV. we always heard the thoughts of our parents ,neighbourhood ,many people that children are always infront of television watching game,cartoon,TV serials ,cricket match ,geographical channel etc. Childrens ,students they properly do not focus toward their studies .they always dis-obeying their parents.the problem is that t hey only watch cartoons ,movie ,songs and so on.The dont watch TV news which more useful for them to increase their general knowledge. Childrens spend max. time infront of television.Television can be a very useful academics.The television programmes are used to develop listening skills,learning skills.Now Lets talk about merits and de-merits of television TV HELPFUL TO PEOPLE: TV provides : Knowledge of outside world Good programs of science ,medicine arts Entertainment to the old Language practice for non-native speakers. SERIOUS DISADVANTAGES OF TV: People watch TV for 6hrs.a day Children watch TV more than studying sleeping TVs can influence negative sense TV CAUSES POOR CONCENTARTION : Childrens studies suffer Makes people dissatisfied ; Life becomes boring Becomes more real than reality. VIOLENCE ON SCREEN AFFECTS CHILDREN: Children watch: Murders on TV Violence fights People get excited PEOPLE GET ADDICTED TO TV: Most negative effect of TV- People get addicted Powerful need to watch TV TVs addication is like drug addiction. .so many people have have fallen into the trap of believing tv is the best entertainment there is, but for a little extra you get loads more out of books.And it all comes down to imagination.somedays books are so so much better than tv,you can really get engrossed in them and theres such as lot to gain from them.Before a child is fourteen years old,he or she views eleven thousand murders on the tube.He or she beings to belive that there is nothing strange about fights ,killings and other kinds of violence .Many studies show that people more violent after certain programmes.They may even do things that they saw in a violent show.The most negative effect of the boob-tube might be people addication to it .People often feel a strange and powerful need to watch television even when thy dont enjoy it .Addication to a television screen is similar to drug or alcohol addiction.People almost never belive they are addicted

US Foreign Policy Essay -- American History, The Cold War

The contemporary foreign policy of the United States represents an evolving continuum of principles, conceptions and strategies that in part, derived from the particularistic American Cold War experience. As such, United States foreign policy is neither a static entity, nor is its intentions or direction uncontested. This essay will examine the underlying issues of identity and how, beginning with the Truman Doctrine, a distinct articulation of the national interest was evinced that has defined America’s role in the world. In doing so, focus will be given to the development of alliance policy, containment and its effect on transforming the US posture in the post-Cold War international order. Firstly, it is pertinent to reconsider the traditional narratives that underpin American identity. Inherent in this is Manifest Destiny, which asserts that Anglo-Saxon American’s are God’s chosen people, with a superior culture and who are pre-ordained to spread civilisation to inferior peoples (Hollander 2009, 169). This tradition offers instructive themes for the formulation of American exceptionalism and its manifestation into a missionary foreign policy (Hoffmann 1968, 369). It also raises to the forefront the Manichean character of American policy, its solipsism and tendency to justify geopolitical objectives in moralistic terms (Lepgold 1995, 372). Thus, US foreign policy is a discourse for reproducing American identity, containing threats to its core principles and legitimating global actions (Campbell 1998, 70). The Cold War era ended America’s historic vacillation between isolationism and internationalism. The Truman Doctrine committed, in part to â€Å"support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minoriti... ... rapidly evolving international system, the US is at the forefront and yet is most threatened by the emerging multipolar order (Zakaria 2009, 43). The contemporary foreign policy of the US reflects an evolution of the policies pursued during the Cold War. Using a combination of ideology, alliances and containment, the US cultivated a global order that defeated the Soviet Union. Having achieved pre-eminence, the signatures of these same philosophies remains embedded in US policy and strategic thinking. Perhaps the best indication of this is the designation of a new ideological enemy in terrorism and its resulting revalidation of Cold War dogma into a modern raison d'État. Most critically, the US is utilising this new calling to consolidate its alliances and contain adversaries in light of the emergence of an increasingly decentralised, multipolar global order.

Scarlet Letter Analysis

Kelsey Federspill Scarlet Letter Literary Analysis R5 12. 2. 12 Over Coming Guilt Remorse is a feeling experienced after committing an act that produces a sense of guilt. A life lesson can be learned in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, about the theme of guilt. Everyone experiences guilt when they commit a sin or human frailty but the way one handles the feelings of guilt is different.Guilt is expressed in three main ways: ignoring or hiding the sin and letting the guilt build up on the inside, blaming others for the sin and wanting revenge for the way the person feels, and embracing the sin committed and not releasing the guilt. The different ways guilt is experienced determines the way it is punished: by others or no one at all. But punishment for the sin doesn't always affect the amount of guilt felt by one. Hawthorne uses symbolism and irony to demonstrate that guilt should not take over one’s life, rather it should be a lesson learned of embracement , forgiveness, and acceptance.In The Scarlet Letter, the character Hester Prynne is well known for the scarlet letter that she was forced to wear. Prynne embraced the punishment of the scarlet letter and used the punishment in a unique way, â€Å"On the breast of her gown in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A† (37). The letter ‘A’ represented the sin of adultery that Prynne had committed.The community choose this form of punishment for Prynne to make her feel guilty for the act of adultery she committed and used it as an example to the rest of the community. As Prynne egresses from prison Hawthorne describes the scene, â€Å"the scene was not without a mixture of awe, such as must always invest the spectacle of guilt and shame in a fellow-creature† (39). Prynne chooses to embrace the scarlet letter rather than let the feeling of guilt take over her life because she desired to set a good example for her daughter, Pearl.She was able to embrace her sin and the scarlet letter because she was working to set an example for her daughter. It was ironic how the community tried to force guilt on to Prynne, but in return she embraced the punishment in full stride and even used it to purify herself, â€Å"Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and her should be the scene of her punishment; and so, perchance, the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint-like, because the result of martyrdom† (55).When the town people saw Prynne as she exited the prison, people said, â€Å"thus she will be a living sermon against sin† (44). The town people would always be reminded of her sin. Prynne did not let the guilt of her sin produce a major impact on her life. Rather she accepted her transgression and learned the importance of not letting her past mistake s and guilt negatively affect her future. Rosebushes are full of beauty but pain can be inflicted on someone who tries to hold it due to the rosebush’s sharp thorns.When Hawthorne depicts the town he describes the rosebush on the side of the prison, â€Å"but, on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rosebush, covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of nature could pity and be kind to him† (33). The rosebush symbolizes forgiveness from guilt throughout The Scarlet Letter.Pearl, Prynne’s daughter, was visiting the governor’s hall with her mother one day to deliver a pair of embroider gloves Prynne had made. While at the governor’s house, Pearl saw a rosebush and reacted in an unusual way, â€Å"Pearl, seeing the ros ebushes, began to cry for a red rose, and would not be pacified,† (73). Pearl responded with this meltdown because she wanted forgiveness for her mother and for her father, Reverend Dimmesdale, to be accepted by the community. Pearl felt guilty but blamed it on others. She was seeking revenge on the townspeople for the way they made her mother feel.The irony of the rosebush is how it hurt Prynne, Pearl, and Dimmesdale, like the thorns on a rosebush when touched. In the end the family moved out of their community attempting to not let the mistakes of the past take over their present lives. Ultimately, they choose a fresh start. Pearl was a product of Prynne’s sin of adultery. Pearl’s birth was very humiliating for Prynne; nevertheless Pearl still meant the world to Prynne. Pearl’s name even has significance, â€Å"but she names the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price,– purchased with all she had,– her mother’s only tre asure† (61).The biblical allusion to the pearl is referred to in Matthew 13 about a parable of a man who gave up everything for a pearl of great price. Prynne gave up everything she had for her daughter. She even dresses Pearl in the best clothes, while she dresses very poorly. To Prynne, Pearl was a symbol of strength and overcoming obstacles. Prynne said, â€Å"I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this [the scarlet letter],† (76). Prynne is a great example and life lesson to Pearl of how to accept the mistakes made in the past and not let the shame define oneself. Prynne uses Pearl to show how tough a young child can be.On the other hand, the town viewed Pearl as the devil child: evil. The town discussed Pearl as, â€Å"an imp of evil, emblem and product of sin,† (64) and, â€Å"poor little Pearl was a demon offspring,† (68). Pearl herself is truly a symbol of ignorance and hope. Hawthorne described an occurrence of Pearl talking to Mr. W ilson, a pastor, â€Å"after putting her finger in her mouth, with many ungracious refusals to answer good Mr. Wilson’s question, the child finally announced that she had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the rosebush of wild roses, that grew by the prison,† (76).Pearl believed she was created for good and had an optimistic attitude on life. She did not let guilt become an emotion known in her. Pearl did not let the past effect her future. In conclusion, life lessons were learned about embracement, forgiveness, and acceptance from guilt with the use of symbolism and irony from Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter. The different ways guilt can be handled was demonstrated in The Scarlet Letter, but not letting guilt take over one’s life was key. Moving on and learning from a sin or human frailty is significant and something everyone can learn from.

A company, interested in the design Essay

Gabriel Oak’s character has developed a lot in ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’. He started off as ‘clumsy and foolish’ and he ended up as ‘heroic’. A hero is a man admired for achievements and noble qualities; In this case this word does not refer to someone with superhuman powers! The first description of Gabriel Oak: ‘on working days, he was a man of sound judgement, easy motions, proper dress and general good character’. Hardy’s description implies that there is nothing special about Farmer Oak; that he is just an average man. Hardy also states, that on a Sunday, a non-working day; Oak is a kind of pepper and salt mixture. This means that he is normal; he is a man with ‘balanced’ morals. Another thing that Hardy uses to bring across Oak’s personality is the way he dresses. This gives people more idea about Oak’s character and personality. His clothes were very practical but they made him look ‘clumsy and foolish’. Hardy also states that Gabriel was a source of some amusement; his watch was very difficult to get out, apart from being amusing, this also demonstrates that Oak doesn’t need to use modern conventions to tell the time. He can use the position of the sun and stars to tell the time. This is an example of how close he is to nature. This is also hinted in his name: Gabriel ‘oak’, the word oak is used to describe him as ‘natural and sturdy’ like the oak tree. In the 1st chapter, Bathsheba is in a carriage laden with goods, she is stopped at a toll gate and she refuses to pay the toll. When Farmer Oak sees this he steps in and pays the man at the gate the money needed to let Bathsheba pass. This shows that Oak is a generous and bold man. Generosity is one of Oaks many ‘noble qualities’. In chapter 5, Hardy demonstrates one of Gabriel’s first changes in character: one of Farmer Oak’s dogs rounded up and chased all of his flock over the cliff. This lost him a lot of money as the sheep were not insured and ruined his livelihood. His first thought was of pity, he felt pity for the sheep, after this Gabriel muttered: â€Å"Thank God I am not married: what would she have done in the poverty now coming upon me! † This proves Oak to be a very humble and kind man, he did not think of himself or the debts he now had. This demonstrates another noble quality that Farmer Oak has: selflessness. It also shows Oak’s true feelings about Bathsheba. In chapter 6, Hardy also demonstrates Oak’s heroism: there was a fire at the farm in weatherbury, a rick of straw had caught fire in a barn. There was a crowd of spectators all panicking, none of them new what to do. Gabriel immediately and calmly took charge of the panicking crowd. He called for a ladder and began putting out the fire himself with no concern of his own personal safety. This was a very heroic act by Gabriel. He was described as ‘bold’ by one of the bystanders. In chapter 21, there is another disaster at Bathsheba’s farm, one of her flocks of sheep managed to get into a clover field and they are all going to die. Bathsheba sends for Farmer Oak; he is the one who knows how to cure them, as Oak has just been sacked from the farm, he is reluctant to come back and help. Although, Gabriel swallows his pride and goes to the farm and began to cure the sheep very calmly and precisely: â€Å"Gabriel began to use it with a dexterity that would have graced a hospital surgeon. † This is a very heroic act, he swallows his own pride and helps someone else, he didn’t even think about receiving a reward, he did it out of his own kindness and his own concern for the animals. In chapter 36, Gabriel realises that there is lots of Bathsheba’s produce exposed to rain. He goes back inside to fetch help but everybody has passed out because they were drunk. Gabriel, rather than leaving it and hoping it would not rain, begins work atop the rick with no concern for his own safety. This is a very helpful and heroic thing to do. In chapter 37, Gabriel Oak is working on top of one of the ricks of straw in a powerful lightning storm. Bathsheba comes up to help Oak; they then begin to engage in an intimate conversation in which Bathsheba turns to Gabriel for guidance. Once again, Farmer Oak puts his own feelings aside and guides Bathsheba. Thomas Hardy made Gabriel Oak the hero in this novel, at the end of the novel, Gabriel’s noble qualities finally paid off and he managed to marry Bathsheba Everdene; he was always the one standing by her side, supporting and helping her in whatever she did. Hardy implied this by his name- he was a ‘rooted’ form of support. This shows Farmer Oak as a true hero, putting his feelings aside to help others.

Free sample - Cancer. translation missing

Cancer. CancerCancer can be defined as the abnormal growth of cells as they tend to grow rapidly in such a way that the growth cannot be controlled, in some cases this can spread throughout the body. Cancer is not a single disease but a group of many different and distinctive diseases. It has been found that cancer can involve any body tissue and in each area of the body it has many varied forms. Cancers are usually named according to the type of organ or cell in which they attack, such that even if it metastasizes, the evolving tumor assumes the same name as the primary tumor. Research has also shown that the frequency of a particular type of cancer may be determined by gender, for instance prostate cancer affects men while breast cancer affects women. Other cancers such as skin cancer and lung cancer are for both men and women. In the United States lung cancer has been found to be major cause of death for both men and women (Lasser, et al. 2006). It is of great significance for an individual to understand the causes of cancer, for instance, the risk behaviors and substances that can lead to acquisition of cancer. This is because most people indulge in behaviors that put them into vey high risk of developing cancer when they are not aware, such that if they are informed about the causes and dangers of cancer, there is a likelihood of quitting from the risk behaviors. Cancer can be caused by environmental exposure to mutagenic agents, geographical influences, particular lifestyle in a given population setup, and even the use of some drugs Crawshaw (2007). It has been found that certain occupations have been linked with higher risk of developing cancer. This is due to the exposure to mutagenic agents in the immediate environment. For instance, in the 18th century, there was an observation made in a British factory where bladder cancer affected all the men who were involved in distilling 2-napthylamine. In the chimney sweeps, the workers are exposed to coal and tar which brings about the development of scrotal cancer. Leather working, woodworking, and nickel refining have been associated with high risk of particular cancers due to persistent exposure to carcinogenic substances in the chemicals used. Mustard gas, which was used as a chemical warfare agent in the World War I, was found to be very dangerous as it was associated with increased risk of lung cancer and the various cancers along the respiratory tract. The mustard gas possesses mutagenic properties. Since the research showed that this gas was dangerous to the well being of huma n life, until today the gas is no longer in use as a chemical warfare agent. Therefore it is important to be aware of the substances that are associated with development of cancer and keep distance from the same (Pearlin, 1992).   Research carried out by Crawshaw (2007), has shown that particular cancers are common in different geographical regions around the world, for instance, among the Japanese men, the cancer of the stomach is 5 to 6 times higher due to the persistent consumption of foods which have undergone fermentation.   Among the American women, it has been found that breast cancer is about 20 times higher due to the American diet which contains high fat content, for example the pizza.   Among the Africans it has been found that liver cancer is about 10 times higher, and this is associated with increased frequency of Hepatitis B infection. Cancer of the may also develop due to aflatoxin compound which is a food contamination formed by fungi. The compound occurs mostly in grain stores within the tropical and subtropical areas due to high moisture content of grains.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most common example of cancer that is frequent and fatal is lung cancer. Lung cancer can be caused by benzo[a]-pyrene compound which is one the most powerful carcinogens in humans. This compound is found in tobacco smoke which also contains tar. The tar in cigarettes comprises of both initiators and promoters, making it peculiarly dangerous. Alcohol is also dangerous to human life since it acts as a promoter of carcinogenesis just like asbestos does (Calle Kaaks, 2004). References Calle, E. E. Kaaks, R. (2004). Overweight, obesity and cancer: epidemiological evidence  Ã‚   and proposed mechanisms. Nature Reviews Cancer, 4: 579-591. Crawshaw, P. (October 2007). â€Å"Governing the Healthy Male Citizen: Men, masculinity and   Popular Health in â€Å"Men's Health.† Magazine of Social Science Medicine, Vol. 65,  Ã‚  Ã‚   no. 8; p. 1606-18. Lasser, K. E., et. al. (July 2006). â€Å"Access to Care, Health Status, and Health Disparities in   the United States and Canada: Results of a Cross-National Population-Based Survey.†Ã‚   American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 96(7); p. 1300-7. Pearlin, L., I. (1992). â€Å"Structure and Meaning in Medical Sociology† Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Vol. 33(1), p. 1-9.

art with twist Essays

art with twist Essays art with twist Essay art with twist Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Date: Mona Lisa’s Salvador Dali Alteration In 1954, Salvador Dali painted the Mona Lisa as a self-portrait. The alternation associated the painter’s facial features to the Original Mona Lisa. For instance, the Salvador Lisa painting exhibits a moustache and no central hair division, uncharacteristic of the original Mona Lisa. Additionally, the soft feminine hands are replaced by callous masculine hands that are not folded but holding many coins. Salvador prefers restricted color shades using only black and white unlike Leonardo’s painting. The eyes in the later painting are conspicuous while disproportional to each other. However, the later painting retains most original details in reference to the burst hair and neck. I choose the paint because of the contrast in emotions it creates to a viewer familiar with the original art piece. Salvador Dali is Spanish in decent and was born in May 1904. He was made to believe by he was the incarnate form of his brother who had died nine months before Salvador’s birth. With his mother’s encouragement, he pursued art in Madrid’s fine art institute earning recognition for his cubanism art style (Bennett 16). He was later expelled on claiming none of the faculty members was competent enough to examine him (Dali? et al. 201). However, he excelled to the extent of having exhibitions with acclaimed artists such as Picasso and Miro. More ever, Salvador’s painting illustrates a level of outrageousness in its distinctive features such as the moustache or hands. The beautiful mystic inherent in the original painting is replaced by disbelief from the hideous stare in Salvador’s painting. An audience of the later painting can deduce a cultural transformation during the period between the two art pieces. Where artists in Leonardo’s era were resp ected beauty freedom and mystic in comparison to Salvador’s era where self-perception and money are of preeminence given the addition of personal facial features with a handful of coins replacing the liberty of Mona Lisa’s hands. Leonardo da Vinci is the artist behind the original Mona Lisa. He exhibited great ingenuity during the renaissance age through his music, physics, paintings and literary works. Born in Italy in 1452, Leonardo acquired informal education in languages, art, and mathematics and related engineering fields while as an apprentice. His Father was a rich and practiced polygamy. He was born out of wedlock to a peasant young girl in Vinci Italy. Leonardo’s recognition in the early ages was mostly through his scientific and industrial inventions. The Mona Lisa was a project he undertook between 1504 and 1519 to paint a smiling woman. The painting is characterized by enigma given the smile and the stare where Leonardo darkens the shade on the lip as well as the eyelids. The painting is arguably Leonardo’s’ most favorite given he kept it until his death (Witteman 20). The enigma in the painting inspired artists such as Walter Pater to express better female mystique via painting. The oil colors where combined and brushed to create a background uncommon at that age complementing the appeal already existing in the smooth neck and burst. Mona Lisa has no sign of overlaying thus indicating Leonardo’s expertise in spite of his habit of leaving paintings unfinished. His paintings like the Mona Lisa demonstrated an integration of knowledge in geology, anatomy and color traits learnt while as an apprentice (Witteman 4). Salvador, replaces the sense of freedom in the original background by painting a grey almost turbulent shade. This can be explained as an attempt to create a satirical twist on the original painting. Work cited Bennett, L. (2005). Salvador Dali. Chicago, Ill: Heinemann Library. Dali?, Salvador, and Haakon Chevalier. The Secret Life of Salvador Dali?. New York: Dover Publications, 1993. Print. Galli, Letizia, and Leonardo. Mona Lisa: The Secret of the Smile. New York: Doubleday Book for Young Readers, 1995. Print. Witteman, Barbara. Leonardo Da Vinci. Mankato, Minn: Capstone, 2008. Print.

How to get rid of depression

How to get rid of depression Learn the effective ways how to get rid of depression Very often it becomes harder for us to enjoy our lives and be satisfied with the current state of things and the things around us. The thoughts that that we are not satisfied with this or that come into our heads, bringing the feelings that everything is bad and there is no way to solve problem, if any. That is the state of depression and in such a situation it is very important not to let these feelings evolve and become stronger. Below you can find the ways and means how to get rid of depression and enjoy your life. Sports It has been proved a long time before that physical activity helps to keep mental and psychological condition of human’s body. Very often when you feel bad morally or mentally, it is a good means to improve your state by going in for sports. Doing physical exercises requires concentration and dedication, so you need to improve your thinking to do all this. And as a result you can clear up your head of bad thoughts or some irritation and develop your body at the same time. Sport can become your personal psychologist, who will take care of your wellbeing. Food Yes, this is right, food can help you improve your mental state and bring you joy. But at the same time it is very important to have the right approach to it. If you eat unhealthy food or a big amount of it – it will bring you no good. Though, eating something healthy, useful and, of course, tasteful can help you receive those pleasant feelings to conquer the depression and put it off. This can also help you develop new and right approach to nutrition as the means to support your health and physical shape. And this is an effective way to get rid of depression and to enjoy fine food. Travelling Finding out something new in one’s life is very useful to overcome the depression. And in such a situation why not discover some new places around and enjoy visiting them. Changing of surrounding is very effective for improving your mental condition. Also when travelling, you are able to meet new people or new cultures and by interacting with them, you can easily change your life and bring new positive emotions in it. New connections can make your life more interesting and absorbing. Self-education By learning something new we also get things to become better and to change our mindset. New information or skills can improve our thinking and moral condition. No matter if it is reading new books or studying some new disciplines or undergoing particular academic programs – it is very effective for you to become better and more sophisticated. When we conceive new information, we greatly improve our way of thinking and the ability to treat various things in a right manner. The learning process is a good means to obviate depression and make your life better. Right thinking No matter in what conditions we live, we can always be happy. Everything depends on the way we treat this or that thing. Some people have a lot of things in his or her life, or at least a lot more than others, though still thinking that it is not enough or all this is not so good. But pessimistic attitude will never result in anything good for you. The way how we treat everything around us greatly depends on the way of our thinking, so if you want to live a happy life, you should think in a positive way. Engaging in positive course of conduct will help in dealing your problems and bring you optimistic outcome. The above stated things can direct you in the right way to make your life more interesting and full of bright colors. When comprehending something new we evolve and improve ourselves. We hope that these clues will help you get rid of depressive thoughts once and for all.

Choose a current trend and explain your opinion about it. The trend Essay

Choose a current trend and explain your opinion about it. The trend can be of any category, and your opinion should be clearly - Essay Example The accessibility of online dating sites are masking more sensitive issues in the society, and thus, restrictions in the member's age, purpose of signing in, and advertisements posted through a reviewed dating site rules and possibly, government intervention. Audience of Internet Dating Dating sites could provoke more sensitive issues prevailing in the society. As more people are provided with easier access to the internet, the more chances there is that discrimination would happen, may it be racial or physical. Furthermore, sexual partners from the internet, with an emphasis to those who engage to casual sex, may be an accepted societal notion and thus will have more effects towards other sectors particularly reproductive health. It is much to the interest of the dating site users which this paper explores since it deliberates on impact of such activity in a broader sense. International Marriages Through Online Dating and Its Underlying Social Implications It must be exciting to thi nk that dating sites are expanding the user’s thoughts about racial identity. In the varied selection of potential mates, Caucasians, Black Americans, Asians and all others are not classified. In other words, the internet seems to have more room of racial acceptance than racial discrimination. However, what Warchaur found out could be intriguingly opposite to this notion. According to Turkle, â€Å"interracial marriages make racial identity more subjective and multiple; the anonymous, multi-channeled communication facilitated by the Internet deepens this trend toward multiple subjective identity† (qtd. in Warchaur). In other words, the anonymity of the dating sites members would reject possible personal differences and their attitudes would be completely relying on their race. Although the internet can be a good venue for true globalization to prosper, the dating site users are not spared from subjective generalization of their race. A member may have filled out their profile honestly, but this does not mean that members as such comprise 100% of the site. The truth is, there are members who lie, and this thought is so common that no matter how well-written the profile information is, the racial background still counts (e.g. Black Americans are stereotyped as violent). Because of existing racial stereotypes and the inaccessibility of face to face encounter, dating sites are prone to discrimination. Attractiveness is also a major issue internet dating rather than focusing on abstract qualities of a person. In a research conducted by Hitsch, Hortacsu, and Ariely with internet dating site users in the United States, the attractive mate prospects get the most number of replies and views than their less physically attractive counterparts. Electronic mail responses are more frequent to physically attractive members (16). As expected, physically attractive men and women are very selective in their potential partners in the dating sites. While 40% of aver age men gets responses from average women, the contrast is true for attractive men and women. It has been found out that least attractive members are â€Å"2-4 times more likely to send a first-contact e-mail to a man than the most attractive women† (17). Racial issues, sexual abuse, and self-esteem are at stake in the growing trend of e-dating. If the restrictions should be out of hand, then the users are in danger of suffering these consequences. The leniency of the government when it comes to internet control could have been the main culprit of this

Leadership Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership Plan - Case Study Example Leadership is the most crucial position in any organization. As a leader, one should be able to identify vision and goals of the organization and establish clear ways of accomplishing the goals. While in a leadership role one influences decisions and shows his relevance in the group. The leader should also be creative enough to solve arising problems in the organization. Joan with the leadership role as a manager of the firm is expected to lead the company in establishing ways of going green as the community expects. The leadership role is faced with a variety of challenges, as Joan is new in the position. In addition, there is much pressure on the company from the decision of going green, and the responsibility of the manager is to enforce the move. For these reasons, the incumbent should give results to convince management and employees that she is competent to office. If one in a leadership role gives results, they will get support from both management and employees. Due to this, any decisions made by the leader will enjoy the support from employees, therefore, establishing a better working relationship (Ciampa, & Watkins, 1999). In doing all the above, one in a leadership role should be able to understand and interpret the environment in which the business operates. Developing winning strategies is also a critical factor and executing them in a brilliant manner. Lastly, leadership role involves measuring of the impact of policies established and adjusting them accordingly. It is also the mandate of individuals in leadership positions to develop organizational, departmental, team and personal capabilities. As a leader, Joan should be able to understand and interpret the environment by identifying opportunities that should be the target of action. In addition, she should be in a position to identify threats to the company before they materialize (Bolden, 2011). As an individual leader, the

Ethical dilemmas teachers face Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical dilemmas teachers face - Essay Example He came from a financially well-off family. His parents were always very concerned about Joseph’s progress in studies and had left no stone unturned in the way of making Joseph take interest in studies, but all went in vain. One day, the school had arranged the parents-teachers’ meeting. Joseph’s parents approached me and asked me about Joseph. I wished there was some improvement in Joseph’s studies but there wasn’t any. Caught in distress, his father, Henry asked me to give Joseph extra time. I told Henry that Joseph to me was like my own child and that I was trying my best, but there were time constraints. I could not attend Joseph beyond a fixed duration, and there were other students that equally required my attention as well. Henry told me that he had arranged a number of tutors before, but nobody managed to do his job successfully. Henry also told me that Joseph had told him that he understood nobody’s lecture better than mine. I also k new that because whenever I told Joseph something, he seemed to have got that there and then. Henry asked me if I could give Joseph time after the classes. He also asked me if the school forbade me as a teacher to see some student after the school. I told Henry that although there was no such rule in the school, but it would be very difficult for me to do justice to my job as a teacher. However, I did not refuse him, though it was no less than an ethical dilemma for me. On one hand, I had the potential to save a child’s future from getting spoiled because Joseph understood what I taught him and just required a little more time from me. On the other hand, paying more attention towards Joseph alone might be an injustice to other students who were studying with him. â€Å"It is important to remember that your job entails keeping the entire class engaged† (Wood, 2009). But I decided to accept the offer because by giving Joseph tuition after the school, I would not have don e as much

Venice Biennale 2011 Giardini Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Venice Biennale 2011 Giardini Review - Essay Example The exhibitions themselves are featured at Gardini Park and currently contain thirty national countries; this figure is regularly growing (for instance, 2005 was the first year China was featured). The 2011 Venice Biennale featured selections from numerous countries and genres of cutting-edge art selections. While a comprehensive review of all the countries would be lengthy, it is possible to consider some of the most prominent exhibitions. This essay reviews the Egyptian, German, French, British, Korean, and Japanese pavilions. Egypt While the Egyptian Pavilion is one of the more sporadic of the national pavilions at the 2011 Venice Biennale, it is also one of the more intriguing. The pavilion is noted as being, â€Å"honored to present a project in the name of friend and brother, Ahmed Basiony (1978-2011)† ("Universes in Universe"). Basiony was a professor that was recently killed by a sniper during the Egyptian political upheaval. As such, the works contained at the pavilio n are a broad ranging selection of Basiony’s work. While a number of Basiony’s work is featured, perhaps the most prominent at the exhibition is his project 30 Days of Running in the Space. This exhibition is a highly abstract concept that is very visually appealing. The piece features an enclosed structure that is constructed with plastic sheets. The artist would then wear a sensory-based suit that would calculate levels of sweat he produced while inside of the enclosed structure that would then be transferred to the walls of the structure and produce a varying degree of corresponding colors. Considered alone, one can view a number of transcendental themes about the nature of the human and the universe and the singularity of existence. However, the Egyptian pavilion is noted to occur as an interaction with the other of Basiony’s pieces. In these regards, 30 Days of Running in the Space is juxtaposed against a number of other screens of material. One of the most prominent such juxtapositions are unedited film footage of individuals running during the revolts on the streets of Cairo. Within the context of the pavilion, Basiony’s original 30 Days of Running in the Space piece takes on newfound political connotations. For instance, the different colors produced by the individual running now represent fear and energy and the revolutionary spirit. In addition to these exhibits, a number of Basiony’s short film work is featured. The work was curated by Aida Eltoire and captures the recent tumultuous political and cultural occurrences of the region. German The German Pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennale was also of the most outstanding of the world participating cultures. Indeed, the country won the festival’s Golden Lion award for Best National Participation ("Christoph schlingensief. german," 2011). Among the exhibits that were featured at the German exhibition include Christoph Schliengensief’s theatrical production s and films. In briefly viewing these works one is struck by their intense power and focus. Curated by Susanne Gaensheimer, the selection of Schliengenseif’s work varies in nature from experimental video work, photographic stills, and abstract art constructions. Among these works include the Fluxus oratorio A Church of Fear vs. the Alien Within; while highly abstract in nature, it’

The Undead Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Undead - Research Paper Example hemselves are only moderate and somewhat ambiguous, and the emphasis is on those telling the stories and experiencing them being not really sure whether they encountered ghosts with dead certainty (Goldstein, Greider, and Thomas, 2007, pp. 29-31): The drama comes from the subject matter and the manner in which people tell the stories rather than from the extraordinary behavior of the supernatural beings. In the oral tradition, people commonly report merely feeling some type of â€Å"presence†, a cold feeling in the room, or strange noises and nothing more† (Goldstein, Greider and Thomas, 2007, p. 29). The same observation is made with regard to the subtle and ambiguous reality of ghosts as they are rendered in American culture. The take is that in American culture, the reality is something that cannot be fixed with the certainty of fact, but is embedded within the hazy and deliberately ambiguous stories that people tell each other when they relate their experiences about ghosts. This is the case, for instance, in observations of how ghosts are portrayed in American literature that represents the best of American culture through the ages (Lewis, 2005, pp. 33-34): James thus poses, in somewhat clumsy form, the sorts of questions that will bedevil interpreters of his later ghost stories. Was the fathers death a natural result of his anxiety over the fake haunting, or did the narrators tearing of the daughters veil somehow, supernaturally, cause it?... Jamess refusal to answer these questions provides an early example of the workings of what I shall call â€Å"shared fictions† in his later ghost stories (Lewis, 2005, p. 34). Apart from these American cultural artifacts there are also insights to be gleaned in cultural renderings of ghosts in America as they pertain to the conceptions of ghosts reflected in rituals involving the dead and involving ghosts in general, such as Halloween. In Halloween conceptions of ghosts, they are lumped together with witches who

Sould the Soviet Union Be Regarded As a Socialist, Communist or Essay

Sould the Soviet Union Be Regarded As a Socialist, Communist or Totalitarian State - Essay Example This paper will discuss whether the Soviet Union should be regarded as a socialist, communist or a totalitarian state. Socialist State A socialist state is a state that practices economics under which productive properties such as corporations are wholly owned by the state. It is the state that determines everything that takes place in these companies. In this regard, in a socialist state, the economic systems consist of well organized production which directly satisfies the economic requirements and needs of the people so that the products and services would then be produced for consumption instead of for individual profit. In a socialist state, the political system is composed of many arrays of political philosophies. These include revolutionary socialism and reformism (Gonner 2010). Communist state A communist state is one in which the government is in charge of the overall economy of the state. Under this system of government, a single party dominates the political system. It dif fers from the socialist state in that with the communist state, people in common have control over property. The communist state is based on a system that everybody irrespective of place, class or country has the power to own factories, tools and farms used in the production of goods and services. Therefore, there is no private ownership of property in the communist state. ... This is evident in counties like France, Italy and India (Pipes 1997). Totalitarian State A totalitarian state is that system of government under which the government recognizes no limit to its jurisdictions, and tends to dictate every aspect of private and public life. Totalitarian states maintain political control through propaganda campaigns which in most cases spread through the state controlled media (Adler and Pouwels 2011 p.576). It is a single party rule marked by control over the economy, political repression and personality cultism. This system of government restricts freedom of expression, practices mass surveillance, and usually unleashes terror to intimidate those who are opposed to the powers that be. This system has been seen in Italy, and Nazi German. Adler and Pouwels (2011 p.575) note that the ideology in totalitarian states is distinctive, mobilizing, and monolithic in nature. Another feature prominent in this kind of system is state control of the overall economy done through preponderance of government ownership of the means of production. The Form of Government in the Soviet Union Harding, Political Studies Association of the United Kingdom, and the Communist Politics Group (1984 p.63) note that in the Soviet Union, institutional rivalry was prevalent. In this case, state institutions and some political parties had common interests which, sometimes, differing from those of other parties and state institutions. Localism and departmentalism existed within the governance structure (Harding, Political studies association of the United Kingdom and the Communist Politics Group 1984 p.63). Convert competition for political office done on the basis of cabinet politics was also prominent in the system. Harding, Political Studies Association of

The Undead Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Undead - Research Paper Example hemselves are only moderate and somewhat ambiguous, and the emphasis is on those telling the stories and experiencing them being not really sure whether they encountered ghosts with dead certainty (Goldstein, Greider, and Thomas, 2007, pp. 29-31): The drama comes from the subject matter and the manner in which people tell the stories rather than from the extraordinary behavior of the supernatural beings. In the oral tradition, people commonly report merely feeling some type of â€Å"presence†, a cold feeling in the room, or strange noises and nothing more† (Goldstein, Greider and Thomas, 2007, p. 29). The same observation is made with regard to the subtle and ambiguous reality of ghosts as they are rendered in American culture. The take is that in American culture, the reality is something that cannot be fixed with the certainty of fact, but is embedded within the hazy and deliberately ambiguous stories that people tell each other when they relate their experiences about ghosts. This is the case, for instance, in observations of how ghosts are portrayed in American literature that represents the best of American culture through the ages (Lewis, 2005, pp. 33-34): James thus poses, in somewhat clumsy form, the sorts of questions that will bedevil interpreters of his later ghost stories. Was the fathers death a natural result of his anxiety over the fake haunting, or did the narrators tearing of the daughters veil somehow, supernaturally, cause it?... Jamess refusal to answer these questions provides an early example of the workings of what I shall call â€Å"shared fictions† in his later ghost stories (Lewis, 2005, p. 34). Apart from these American cultural artifacts there are also insights to be gleaned in cultural renderings of ghosts in America as they pertain to the conceptions of ghosts reflected in rituals involving the dead and involving ghosts in general, such as Halloween. In Halloween conceptions of ghosts, they are lumped together with witches who

History of Electronic Media Essay Example for Free

History of Electronic Media Essay The history of providing information has been shaped by innovations and innovators. This paper attempts to chronicle the different factors and events that led to the media landscape of today. 1) Congress and the FCC began deregulating broadcast and cable television in the late 1970s. Describe the ideologies which motivated these deregulations. What changes in the television industry occurred as a result of these deregulations? Include two of the following in your discussion: Financial Interest and Syndication Rules, Telecommunications Act of 1996, media ownership debates in the 2000s and intellectual property regulations in the 2000s. The Financial and Syndication Rules, or more popularly known as Fib-Syn, were implemented by the Federal Communications Commission in 1970 with the objective of increasing programming diversity thus breaking the monopoly of the three major TV networks in the United States: CBS, ABC and NBC. Its rationale was to democratize UHF airwaves making it easier for independent television producers to penetrate the television market. The rules primarily targeted two areas to disempower the big networks: freeing television programs from the ownership of the networks after its first run and the introduction of in-house syndication arms in the major networks. The idea was to discourage the networks monopoly on tv programs and restricting the networks part in syndication. These steps would substantially reduce production incentive and lead to the separation of production and distribution practices in the big networks. The FCC justified the implementation of Fin-Syn as beneficial for independent television producers since it gave them the larger part of production profits and allowing them a foothold in the business of syndication. The democratization of syndication would lead to a wider distribution of shows and prevented the networks from its exclusive use in their affiliated stations. Supporters of the rule envisioned a television industry where innovative and   much more diverse programs would be available to the viewers ( McAllister , www.museum.tv). The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was promulgated by the FCC to address issues regarding the rapid development of telecommunication technologies in the United States. It contained new rules and regulations regarding TV, Radio, Cable, Telephone and Internet services. President Clinton, when he signed it into legislation, proclaimed that the act would â€Å"stimulate investment, promote competition, provide open access for all citizens to the Information Superhighway† (Clinton, White House press release 1996). Upon closer inspection, the Telecommunication Act of 1996 was the final step in disassembling the provisions of Fin-Syn Rule. The act loosened rules on media ownership in traditional media forms such as TV and radio, thus empowering them to compete with emerging media technologies such as cable and the Internet allowing for the development of new and innovative services. However, the implementation of both the Financial and Syndication Rules of the FCC and the telecommunications Act of 1996 met harsh criticisms once they were fully implemented. The introduction of Fin-Syn bred more problems than solutions. Most critics pointed out that instead of empowering independent TV producers, it just shifted the competition from one Goliath to another. Instead of   competing with the big networks, the independent TV producers where now pitted against large production organization such as Disney/ABC and   Warner. In the end, it was these larger TV production companies that benefited financially from producing television shows with independent companies opting to produce cheaper productions such as talk shows and game shows. Thus, it produced more conventional shows rather than innovating the television industry. Eventually, television groups especially television distributors called for a change in the implementation of Fin-Syn which eventually led to FCC totally removing the rule in 1995. Studies showed that although there were periods of diversity on TV programs from 1970s to the 1990s, the general conclusion was that there was no significant changes in the programs in the implementation of the FCC rule (Einstein, p. 5). With the disappearance of the rule, productions and distribution companies started to merge especially in the big three networks. This culminated in the emergence of FOX Network and its merger with Paramount and Warner Bros., a step followed by Disney when they bought and merged with ABC Network. The deregulation that resulted from the implementation of the 1996 Telecommunications Act fueled much debate on media ownership and responsibility. Questions arose on whether the the Act did deliver its promise of innovative media services from increased competition and serve the public interest with increased diversity in media programs and information. Critics cite that the only ones who benefited from the Act were media moguls who were able to merge with other media corporations and in essence creating media monopolies that could have the power to control information. William Melody reveals that media entrepreneurs will always look for profit and economic efficiency leading to media monopolies which threaten freedom of speech (Melody, p. 32). Concerned groups have also reasoned that public interest have always been the core value of media regulation and not profit, and to diminish government control on ownership would mean violating public inters. Deregulating media ownership can only lead to a monopoly of information resulting in less diversity, Neumann noted that the creation of media conglomerates have led to the mass media having similar â€Å"content and world-view† (Neumann, p.130). On the other hand, those who were in favor of the Act identified it as a much needed move in revolutionizing media. By allowing media corporations to merge, it has led to a more comprehensive and cohesive delivery of information. Supporters also point out that instead of eliminating diversity, viewers have had much more program options with th emergence of 24 hours news channels such as CNN and FOX News and specialized channels such as Discovery and History (Compaine, www.reason.com). In fact, Adam Thierer revealed that instead of the lack of diversity of programs, audiences are actually experiencing â€Å"information overload† due to explosion of media options. He pointed out that todays media environment is â€Å"diverse and characterized by information abundance† (Thierer, p.2). The issue, as FCC concluded in revising the Telecommunication Act, â€Å"was whether media companies will be able to dominate the distribution of news and information in any market, but whet her they will be able to be heard at all among the cacophony of voices vying for the attention of the Americans (FCC proceedings, p.149) 2) The three broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC did not face a broadcast network competitor until Fox emerged in the 1980s and the WB, UPN and Univision grew in the 1990s. Why did these networks emerge when they did? What regulatory changes aided their growth? How did they differ from the other networks in terms of their relationships with their affiliates? What audiences did they target and what types of programs did they use to do so? How did they change as they grew? You may choose one or more network(s) to illustrate your points. From the 1950s to the 1980s, the big three networks dominated the American airwaves. Independent and local television networks would occasionally penetrate the national airwaves but most of these did not survive due to financial constraints. It was in 1986 however that the first rival to the big three emerged with the establishment of   FOX Network.It started out dabbling in TV business by producing and distributing shows for the three big networks. In 1985, Rupert Murdoch bought 50% shares in the 20th Century Fox   movie and television studios. When Murdoch finally achieved full ownership of the studios, he proceeded to buy television stations owned by Metromedia which gave Murdoch a foothold in the major U.S. cities such as New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Chicago (www.teletronic.co.uk). This move would spur Murdoch to create a â€Å"fourth network†. In a brilliant move, the new Fox network labeled their new venture as a â€Å"satellite-delivered programming service†(www.teletronic.co.uk). This enabled Murdoch, who was not a citizen, to bypass FCC rules such as foreign-ownership and the definition of FCC of a â€Å"network† as â€Å"airing more than 20 hours of programming per week†. These enabled Fox to operate unhindered by the FCC rules on networks, thus being able to still distribute its TV productions to other networks but only airing 2 hours of primetime shows as opposed to the 3 hours of the big Networks. When it was launched in October 1986, almost 96 stations were connected to Fox enabling it to reach 80% of American audiences. Before making it big, Fox had to start from scratch in expanding its audience share. The network first major release was the â€Å"Late Show† with Joan Rivers. They hoped to capture the 11:30pm late-night slot and targeting young audiences. This strategy however failed as ratings fell with viewers switching back to their previous stations. Despite these failures, Fox continued to lure the younger to middle -aged viewers with shows such as â€Å"Tracy Ulman† which won the station its first Emmy, â€Å"Marriedwith   Children† which would be its first biggest hit and â€Å"21 Jump Street† which was its first drama. These shows were some of the first forays of the network into the Sunday prime-time slot. Although they were received lukewarmly at first, these shows would gain momentum in the coming years. The success of Fox would lead to FCC relaxing the Fin-Syn rule and redefining their concept of â€Å"network†, which would finally result in the elim ination of the Fin-Syn Rule in 1995. (www.museum.tv) The success of its first primetime shows would lead to Fox introducing documentary-style shows such as â€Å"Americas Most Wanted† and â€Å"Cops†. But their biggest success would come in when Fox reintroduced animation to the primetime slot with â€Å"The Simpsons†. The animated show would penetrate the top 30 primetime ratings and would then become the longest running comedy show on television (www.teletronic.co.uk). Soon, Fox found its niche by veering away from conventional shows, like game shows and   talk shows, by introducing reality-based shows and shows that targeted the young viewers. Fox owner Rupert Murdoch would change the media landscape when it snatched exclusive rights to air the National Football League in 1993 (Kimmel, p.162). This move would cement Foxs role in the ratings game. As of today, Foxs main draw is its reality-based shows such as American Idol that have dominated airwaves since its release in 2002, capturing much of the 18-49 viewer demographic (tvbythenumbers.com). With success comes controversy. Such was the case of the Fox news network as critics accused it of being biased towards the U.S. Republican Party (Greenwald, p.4). Despite these, Fox shows and its affiliated cable channels still rake in much of the ratings with Fox News attracting 2.4 million viewers in the first quarter of 2009 (Gold, www.latimesblogs.latimes.com)

Positive Effects of Globalisation

Positive Effects of Globalisation Abraham Darby Academy 29105 Thomas Smith 3139 Is Globalisation affecting our lives for the better? Is Globalisation affecting our lives for the better? Globalisation is not a new concept; early explorers went off in to the unknown and came back with exotic foods, sports and fashions that were unheard of. People of the UK eat potatoes on a daily basis, but they aren’t even British! However, the advent of internet technology and low cost air travel have given globalisation prominence. Globalisation refers to the increased inter-connectedness of the world and how the world is getting smaller (well, metaphorically speaking). Globalisation is now reaching out and touching the lives of an increasing amount of people around the globe. Consider your own World for a moment – how is your lifestyle affected? The car in the garage, the food in the kitchen, the phone in your pocket, the clothes on your back or the computer you use? I myself have had my lifestyle greatly influenced by globalisation. My iPad, Xbox and video games all are either manufactured or created in another country and shipped to the UK. Indeed, many of the TV p rogrammes I enjoy are also produced overseas. This shows that our world has become increasing connected and interdependent in terms of culture cuisine, fashion and technology. But is it a change for the better? Causes The cause of globalisation can be linked back to a few main changes. Firstly the improvement in air-travel throughout the 20th century has resulted in a vast increase in the amount of movement of people and goods between countries. Graph 1 shows that between 2000-2008 the volume of exports in developing countries doubled, most likely due to the easier access and advancements of air-travel and transport. Everything from food to technology can be produced in a different country and then flown to us. This in turn has allowed a greater sharing of cultural ideas. Secondly, the development of communication such as the internet and mobile phone technology has meant that it is easier than ever for people to develop and share their ideas. It allows someone with a computer in Britain to access information published in another country or find out about other cultures without having to visit the country. This has allowed a larger spread of cultural information and ideas. Map 1 depicts the amount of internet users in the world, by country. From the map, I conclude that the internet has become a revolutionary tool in the spreading of culture and information. The main users appear to be Asian nations like India and China. As these are large developing nations with large populations, it is not surprising to see that a large percentage of the population use the internet. As you can see, there is also a positive correlation between population size and number of internet users. Another reason for globalisation is the creation and growth of Multi-National Companies. As of 2009, there were 889,416(3) globally, meaning there are a lot of companies with branch plants in multiple countries. The most famous examples of MNC’s are Coca-Cola, Apple and McDonalds. Each of these MNC’s has factories, offices or places of business in countries all around the world or they sell their products to millions around the world. The fact that so many exist, show how interconnected we all are and that many peoples’ lives and cultures are influenced by these expanding companies. Global trading blocs have further reduced national barriers, for example the EU as has the growth of a global media.4 Effects Globalisation results in positive and negative impacts (Table 1). Table 1: Globalisation – the good and the bad The sharing of information has meant that for example, an event occurring in south East Asia can be known about quickly or instantly in countries like the UK. Thus allowing NGO’s to get accurate information about what happened and be able to use facts when asking for donations. A good example of this is the recent Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Due to the internet and other communication technologies, news of the event was instantly available to other countries and this allowed them to act accordingly. This rapid sharing of information has led to problems like global warming and conflict in overseas nations being more well-known and for people to call for more action to be taken.5 Many critics claim that LEDC’s do not receive many benefits of globalisation and are only used for their cheap labour and resources. This therefore creates the effect of ‘the rich get richer and the poor get poorer’ in many peoples’ eyes. The most well-known examples of this are MNC’s like NIKE, Apple and Primark who mainly locate their manufacturing operations in newly industrialised countries. They often move to a country with cheaper labour if costs begin to rise or get too high for their liking. To add to this, some MNC’s take little care of the workers or areas they set up their operations in. The news is often filled with stories of sweat shops, terrible working conditions or other poor ways of treating the area. The case study of Coca-Cola in India shows how well known and respected MNC’s can ‘exploit/take advantage of the countries they operate in. Perspectives Anti-globalisation campaigners and those who oppose/disagree with globalisation believe that clothing, language, diet, tradition and other cultures are being destroyed and re-shaped into a more capitalist or westernised style. A prime example of this that American TV programmes or movies are more likely to be a worldwide success than those of other countries like India, which also have large media industries. This perhaps accounts for the term ‘Bollywood’, whereby Indian entertainment/film makers are using a globally renowned place name ‘Hollywood’ to raise awareness of Indian film. Many people have an opinion on globalisation, be it an MP in London, a business man in China or a villager in Kenya, Africa, probably because globalisation is wide reaching. These perspectives often differ depending on who you ask. Kofi Annan, views globalisation as a positive phenomenon. Kofi is a Ghanaian diplomat and part of the UN9, he has seen the world and dealt with many situations involving other countries. Therefore he clearly knows what he is In terms of culture, Mr Annan seems to believe that globalisation has benefited the different cultures of the world and now better from having had other cultures interact with theirs. For my local area, globalisation has had a very positive effect. Globalisation has led to an influx of culture such as film, food (Chinese, Indian and Thai) and the creation of hundreds of jobs and has brought several big Multi-national companies to Telford. MNC’s like RICOH employ about 900 people10 in Telford alone. Ricoh Company, Ltd is a multi-national imaging and Electronics Company based in Japan. It was founded in 193611 and opened its Telford branch in 1987.12 Its Telford branch manufactures cameras and projectors, all of which are sold either in the UK or shipped abroad to other countries for sale. And this isn’t the only MNC in Telford. Companies like ENTA (Taiwanese) and Johnson Controls (American) all have factories in Telford, providing products and employment for the local area. If globalisation hadn’t happened, the unemployment rate in Telford would be much higher. Therefore my local area has benefited quite a lot from globalisation, be it in emplo yment, products or services, and perspective on the subject is positive. Scenarios In terms of scenarios for globalisation and culture, there are but two; a scenario where globalisation extends its influence and a scenario where it recedes. If globalisation were to extend further, it will mean fewer areas of the world remain untouched. This could have massive implications for culture in both MEDC’s and LEDC’s. For MEDC’s it would mean greater access to products or ideas from other countries. This however, may not affect the culture of MEDC’s like the UK a lot; mainly due to MEDC’s being â€Å"multicultural† societies and the influx of more culture will simply expand the already dynamic range of culture in these countries. But in terms of work, shops and services it is a different story. By allowing more MNC’s from other countries to enter, the prospect of more jobs, services and products increases. Consequentially, it also increases the risk that local businesses will have to close or go out of business. In 2012, the UK saw almost 4,000 shops and 54 retailers close up and go online or go completely bust, affecting more than 48,000 employees15. This shows that even though globalisation brings lots of benefits it can destroy traditional or small local businesses. For LEDC’s an increase in globalisation could be either good or bad. An increase in globalisation could bring more MNC’s to a country or area and with it, benefits. But it could also bring negatives like exploitation or damage to the environment. The local areas culture could be seriously affected, as they replace traditional dress with MEDC style clothing or food, like McDonalds or Coca-Cola. This can be a good thing but it would destroy or significantly weaken local culture and could eventually disappear. The other scenario, where globalisation recedes, provides a very different picture. If fewer MNC’s exist in other countries surely countries would become a bit more ‘self-sufficient’ (being able to do it themselves). For an MEDC, this would mean many aspects of our lifestyle would go or more likely, be harder to come by. Books, movies, foods (Eg: bananas) and clothing would be harder to get as there may be fewer companies willing to ship them to the countries which want them. This could mean that MEDC culture changes, as the lack of foreign products or ideas means that a specific MEDC culture could develop. For local business, it means that more people may use them instead of bigger companies, essentially increasing their usage and profits. For LEDC’s, this scenario would seriously affect their culture. As the media shows us every time they are in LEDC’s like in Africa or the Philippines for example, every day people seem to wear t-shirts, shorts or other similar clothing branded with MEDC MNC logos. Now, without globalisation, this sort of clothing would most likely become harder to acquire. This can be both a good and a bad thing. It’s a good thing for the LEDC’s culture as it allows them to readopt traditional clothing or move away from MEDC influence. It can also be a bad thing as they may rely on these clothes and without them may not have any at all. Another way that LEDC’s would be affected is that with less MNC’s in their countries, fewer jobs may be available to the people living in LEDC’s. This could have a negative effect on the economy of LEDC’s which rely on MNC’s for financial income and jobs. Moreover, less MNC’s would mean workers and communities in LEDC’s would not suffer from poor working conditions or other MNC related problems. Conclusion In conclusion, I have been able to identify that globalisation is mostly affecting our lives for the better. It facilitates the sharing of ideas, knowledge and culture, which in turn has allowed the world to become more interconnected and shared. However, this is not always a good thing, as globalisation has been, and still is, responsible for exploiting workers, damaging environments and eroding cultures. From my evidence and research, I have found that globalisation causes more harm in LEDC’s than in MEDC’s. In MEDC’s, globalisation brings more positive effects than negatives and people in MEDC’s seem to have adopted it into their lives. In the future, it would be good if MEDC’s could ensure that the benefit they gain from globalisation in LEDC’s is fully and fairly reciprocated Bibliography: Gap minder map www.bit.ly/1gLW9Bm or http://www.gapminder.org/world/#$majorMode=map$is;shi=t;ly=2003;lb=f;il=t;fs=11;al=30;stl=f;st=f;nsl=t;se=t$wst;tts=C$ts;sp=5.59290322580644;ti=2010$zpv;v=0$inc_x;mmid=XCOORDS;iid=ti;by=const$inc_y;mmid=YCOORDS;iid=0AkBd6lyS3EmpdC1PcWJUZldDelFyQXdaOEtDUG9HSUE;by=const$inc_s;uniValue=8.21;iid=phAwcNAVuyj0XOoBL%5Fn5tAQ;by=ind$inc_c;uniValue=255;gid=CATID0;by=grp$map_s;sma=65;smi=2.65$cd;bd=0$inds Number of MNC’s http://www.numberof.net/number%c2%a0of%c2%a0mncs-in-the-world/ Causes of globalisation http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/401/trade/what-caused-globalization/ Positive effects of globalisation http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/globalisation/globalisation_rev4.shtml Volume of exports 1990-2009: http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/coher_e/mdg_e/development_e.htm Coca-Cola protest India – http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/CocaColaIndia.gif Kofi Annan quote – http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/__data/assets/image/0018/2628/study-globalisation-uk-brighton.jpg What is the UN – http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/ RICOH employment numbers- http://www.shropshirestar.com/shropshire-business/2013/05/28/telford-ricoh-factory-workers-face-uncertain-future/ RICOH founding – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricoh RICOH Telford founding – http://www.ricoh.co.uk/about-ricoh/ricoh-uk/history/index.aspx RICOH picture – http://www.therecycler.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ricohtelford.jpg Case study – India and coco cola – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Coca-Cola#India store closure numbers (2012) – http://www.retailresearch.org/whosegonebust.php 1909 words excluding tables and headings

A Tale Of Two Cities Notes :: essays research papers

A Tale of Two Cities - Book I (Chapters 1 - 4) Summary "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness . . ." Dickens begins A Tale of Two Cities with this famous sentence. It describes the spirit of the era in which this novel takes place. This era is the latter part of the 1700s - a time when relations between Britain and France were strained, America declared its independence, and the peasants of France began one of the bloodiest revolutions in history. In short, it was a time of liberation and a time of terrible violence. Dickens describes the two cities at the center of the novel: Paris, a city of extravagance, aristocratic abuses, and other evils that lead to revolution and London, a city rife with crime, capital punishment, and disorder. In both cities, the capabilities of an angry mob were a dangerous thing, to be feared by all. The tale begins on a road between London and Dover (in southern England) in 1775. Three strangers in a carriage are traveling along this dangerous road. The carriage encounters a messenger on a horse who asks for one of the passengers, Jarvis Lorry of Tellson's Bank. They are wary, because the messenger could be a highwayman, robber, or other undesirable. However, Mr. Lorry ventures out into the rain to receive the message. He recognizes the messenger as a man named Jerry, who works for Tellson's Bank, as well. Jerry tells him to wait at Dover for the young lady. Lorry tells Jerry to relay to the people at the Bank this message: Recalled to Life. Jerry has no idea what it means and rides off into the rain. Dickens then ponders how the heart of a person is a true mystery. Lorry can tell who or at least of what class the two other passengers are. Traveling on, Lorry dozes in and out of dreams. His dreams reveal to the reader that his mission is to metaphorically dig a man out of the grave. He dreams of imaginary conversations with this man he is to recall to life. "Buried how long?" Lorry always asks. "Almost eighteen years," replies the man. Lorry brings the man in his dreams to see a woman (the young woman of which Jerry the messenger spoke). But the man does not know if he still wishes to live or if he can bear to see the young lady after having been "buried" for eighteen long years.

Europeans And Aborigines In The 1700s Essay -- Australia Australian H

European ships chiefly began sailing into southern Australian waters in the 18th century. These left human cargoes behind and, unlike earlier visitors, had an immediate impact on the Aborigines, who suffered interference with their economy and lifestyle as the colonists sought and secured for themselves good sources of water, sheltered positions, and access to fish—all of which were also vital to Aboriginal people. The perception that Australia was quietly â€Å"settled† without conflict with the Aboriginal people, an idea that, it has been argued, enabled the concept of â€Å"terra nullius† to be maintained, has been substantially revised in recent years. It is now generally acknowledged that resistance took place right from the first tentative encroachments by European nations into Australian waters. The Dutch sailed into the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1606 and one Dutch sailor was killed by the Tjungundji (whose hero was the warrior Sivirri). Another Dutch ship visited the area in 1623, but in attempting to kidnap people was met by 200 warriors who drove the sailors away. James Cook, in spite of the popular misconception, also met with some resistance in Botany Bay. Two Tharawal men, after sending away the women and children, stood firm against Cook’s landing. According to Cook’s account of the incident: â€Å"We then threw them some nails, beads etc. ashore which th ey took up and seem’d not ill pleased in so much that I thought that they beckoned to us to come ashore, but in this we were much mistaken, for as soon as we put the boat in they again came to oppose us upon which I fired a musket between the two which had no other effect than to make them retire back where bundles of their darts lay, and one of them took up a stone and threw at us w... ..., and movement controls and restriction of ceremonies meant that Aboriginal people were much more isolated from each other than they had been before. This, together with the influences and impact of European culture, resulted in the development of new artistic styles. In some areas gospel music with a uniquely Aboriginal (or Torres Strait Islander) flavour was written and performed, in others country-and-western music or blues styles developed. More recently have come rock music and modern dance groups such as Bangarra. From the 1950s, new materials and styles came to be used in the visual arts, including watercolours, acrylic paints, pottery, photography, landscape, abstract art, and sculpture. These also reflected the radical changes in lifestyle and economy resulting from permanent European settlement, although the effect varied considerably across the continent.

The Case against ‘The Case against Perfection’

Michael Sandels essay The Case against Perfection (The Atlantic Monthly, April, 2004) is basically a stand that opposes the idea of genetic enhancement primarily via cloning. Sandels places forward his idea of what is wrong with genetic engineering. He admitted its benefits, but he also tried to show how bad it could be allow cloning and genetic engineering. Sandels starts with a thesis that states his stand over the subject matter. His choice of words even in the first sentence alone shows his opposition to the idea of using genetic engineering to enhance the next generation   offspring of a couple.. Throughout the text, the readers find Sandels pondering on perspetive of the advocates of genetic engineering, talking about the possibilities of the technology and then giving the possible good effects that the development of the technology might bring. He then talks about the how the different popular issues against genetic engineering may be invalid. He defends the stand of genetic engineers, but not to really defend it, but only to show why some reasons some parties are against it are not valid at all. Then, he would present the case which he believes is the more valid reason why genetic engineering should not be used to enhance the future generations. Sandels attacks the issue by presenting its different facets using analogies and logical reasoning. Even a s he ended the essay, he quoted what he must have believed to be the stronges and the most tempting reasons why genetic engineering should be given a chance to be used to enhance future generations – perfect muscles, right height,   intelligence, and freedom from diseases.   Yet, like in the other paragraphs, Sandels only refuted the idea of genetic engineering, however, his he failed to lay in details his counter against the satnd of the last author he quoted. In his attempt to show all the sides of the issue to avoid being biased, Sandels showed clearly how the idea of the advocates of genetic engineering works. But most of the time, he is unable to discuss clearly why the idea of the advocates he mention the different parts of the essay are wrong. In some cases, he had problems with reasoning. Let us start with the first issue he raised in the first paragraph. The last part of the paragraph sounds strong, but there are flaws in his reasoning: â€Å"In liberal societies they reach first for the language of autonomy, fairness, and individual rights. But this part of our moral vocabulary is ill equipped to address the hardest questions posed by genetic engineering.† This reasoning is like an ad hominem, only, it does not attack the speaker but the words which encompass the basis of the liberal societies in advocating genetic engineering. In ad hominem, the argument attacks the speaker rather than the reason, but here the words â€Å"autonomy†, â€Å"fairness†, and â€Å"individual rights† appear to be the sources f the argument and are the ones being attacked instead of the arguments that are according to Sandels, founded on these words. Instead of focusing on the reasons, he preempted the arguments of the believers of genetic engineering by claiming there is something wrong with how we define the â€Å"autonomy†, â€Å"fairness† and â€Å"equal rights†. It can further be noted that Sandels himself refuted the oppositions to genetic engineering that are based on autonomy. He did not define clearly what he meant by autonomy in his essay. Moreover, instead of strengthening the position of the opposing parties that base their arguments on autonomy. What he strengthened rather was the stand of genetic engineers when he made analogies between cloning and using botox and steroids. When he countered the argument about autonomy, the first reason he gave why the argument was not convincing is: â€Å"†¦it wrongly implies that absent a designing parent, children are free to choose their characteristics for themselves. But none of us chooses his genetic inheritance. The alternative to a cloned or genetically enhanced child is not one whose future is unbound by particular talents but one at the mercy of the genetic lottery.† (par. 5) His point seems rather ambiguous, for what is the sense of the second sentence of the excerpt? How can an enhanced child be at the mercy of the genetic lottery when the parents have already determined the child’s genes? Moreover, he mentioned that the argument has a wrong implication – that children whose parents did not choose their genes for them are free to choose their characteristics for themselves. The argument states that parents disallow the rights of the child to an open future by choosing a genetic structure of the kid in advance. His does not imply that children can choose their genes. It only wants to say that if their genes are not pre-selected by their parents, they can choose their career paths based on what pleases them and not based on the genes that their parents designed for them, and he even explained it this way. In paragraph 8, he drags the issue to theology, that claiming that it is a matter of moral. He makes it appear that the only way to resolve this issue is by consulting theological thoughts about the issue. He is pushing the idea that this issue can only be resolved if we look into the moral status of nature and proper stance of the human beings toward the given world. He may be right that this is a moral issue, but the grounds on which he based his arguments seem not well founded. This part of his paper appears more like a moralistic fallacy. He seems to be setting up the readers for something that would discuss how things should be and let that be the basis of the argument against genetic engineering or be the argument itself. In paragraph 9, he made a generalization, â€Å"Everyone would welcome a gene therapy to alleviate muscular dystrophy and to reverse the debilitating muscle loss that comes with old age.† This is perhaps a swift overview or an overgeneralization. How could he be sure that everyone would be open to the idea? He did not even present any survey to support his claim at least inductively. This is a sweeping statement that can be toppled any who would say that he does not welcome a gene therapy to alleviate muscular dystrophy or to reverse the debilitating muscle loss. In the same paragraph, he made weak analogy. The author claimed â€Å"The widespread use of steroids and other performance-improving drugs in professional sports suggests that many athletes will be eager to avail themselves of genetic enhancement.† Logically speaking, it does not follow that though A and B have similarities, what applies to A will apply to B. Though his claim may be true, he fails to make the necessary connections to establish a strong analogy between genetic engineering and performance enhancers. Again, as he had done in the earlier paragraphs, in paragraph 11, Sandels presents an argument against genetic engineering and refutes it: â€Å"It might be argued that a genetically enhanced athlete, like a drug-enhanced athlete, would have an unfair advantage over his unenhanced competitors. But the fairness argument against enhancement has a fatal flaw: it has always been the case that some athletes are better endowed genetically than others, and yet we do not consider this to undermine the fairness of competitive sports.† Here, mentions that the fatal flaw in the argument is that there have always been athletes who are disadvantaged because some athletes are better endowed. That some athletes are better endowed than others is true, but that this fact is a fatal flaw is the flawed idea. This is a case of fallacy of relevance. Being genetically or drug enhanced is very different from being genetically endowed by nature. A person endowed by nature with genes that make him competitive may have an advantage over those who are not endowed, but both have the equal chance to enhance their abilities through practice. However, it must be considered that an athlete is more likely genetically endowed than not. Hence, the biggest factor is not the natural abilities of the athlete, but perhaps the preparedness of the athlete for a contest. If an athlete is drug enhanced or genetically enhanced, he may not need to practice or train as hard to achieve the results he wants. Therefore, Sandels conclusion that â€Å"if genetic development in sports is ethically offensive, it should be for motives other than fairness† is invalid. In paragraph 14, Sandels proposes two reasons why we should worry about bioengineering – â€Å"Is the scenario troubling because the unenhanced poor would be denied the benefits of bioengineering, or because the enhanced affluent would somehow be dehumanized?† Above this is his belief that â€Å"worry about access ignores the moral status of enhancement itself.† In his argument, Sandels commits a fallacy of presumption, specifically, a fallacy of dilemmas. He limits the situation to two negative scenario – the poor cannot afford the cost of genetic enhancement and the rich who can afford become dehumanized. The question is, â€Å"what evidences point to the situations he is saying?† What he is saying may be plausible, but he is not able to develop it logically to make the premises strong and firm. Limiting his choices to only two scenarios makes it appear that there is nothing more to bioengineering than deprivation of the poor of it and the dehumanization of the rich. This reasoning also makes it appear that only the rich may be able to access genetic enhancement. Furthermore, he limited the tern dehumanization to the rich. This poses a sort of bias to those who can afford it, when earlier in the paper he was talking about athletes who might access genetic enhancement the way they do performance enhancement drugs. Towards the end of paragraph 14, Sandels had a firm claim that â€Å"the fundamental question is not how to ensure equal access to enhancement but whether we should aspire to it in the first place.† This is a misleading notion of presumption. He makes this assumption and lets the evidences suit it rather than conclude based on empirical data and logical analysis. It seems that only because â€Å"the fundamental question is not how to ensure equal access,† then the major concern is whether we should desire for it (bioengineering) in the first place. What he is saying may be true, but the way he develops it makes his reasoning invalid. It weakens his propositions. He repeats the same fallacy in paragraph 18 when he claimed that the real question about growth hormones is not its availability but whether we want to live in a society where the parents spend for genetic enhancement. In his discussion about the possible solutions to problems of unequal access to bioengineering, he made it sound all too simple for the government to subsidize the demands even of the poor. He did not realize that had the governments of different countries the money or funds, they would rather use that money to make sure nobody gets hungry, and not on expensive genetic enhancement that does not have any promise to save people from hunger based on any study. He created a scenario that seemed too easy to happen just to let his idea stand out. His proposition is perhaps a more important question, but the way he brings it out hurts the validity of his arguments. Another issue on his discussion of genetic enhancement is the ability of the parents to choose the sex of their child. In the previous paragraphs he would always state the case of something that is already prevalent and then compare it with genetic engineering. Here, he only mentioned that where folk remedies failed, genetic enhancement or bioengineering can be of help. Through bioengineering, a couple can choose the sex of the offspring. He pointed out in his discussion about this matter that choosing the sex of the offspring somehow removes the giftedness when the child comes. The child not longer comes as a gift, but more like a planned object. He did not criticize how folk remedies also tend create the same effect whether they are effective or not. It is clear ere how he leans toward a bias in attacking genetic engineering. Sandels also had reasons that are too far flung from reality. Consider his argument in paragraph 30. While it is true that effort is not everything, it would not have been possible that a basketball paler who trains harder than Michael Jordan would be a mediocre player. It would take a lot to be more than like Jordan and to earn more than he did, but one who trains harder he (Jordan) did would not remain mediocre. He is using an impossible scenario to create his point. And that does not make much sense at all. In paragraph 40, Sandels said that â€Å"Genetic manipulation seems somehow worse — more intrusive, more sinister — than other ways of enhancing performance and seeking success.† There is a grave error here suggesting that all efforts of parents in seeking to enhance the performance of their children so they may become successful are bad, intrusive, or sinister. What of parents who personally train their children? What of parents who lets their children attend to trainings that they want to attend, because they (the children) want to be successful in that endeavor? Would that be sinister? Maybe that is not what he means, but that is the message his paper seems to be putting across. It could have been better if he specified which ways of enhancing the child’s performance are sinister. In paragraph 53, Sandels wants to pint out that genetic engineering does not only violate religious morals, but also secular morals: â€Å"The moral stakes can also be described in secular terms. If bioengineering made the myth of the â€Å"self-made man† come true, it would be difficult to view our talents as gifts for which we are indebted, rather than as achievements for which we are responsible. This would transform three key features of our moral landscape: humility, responsibility, and solidarity.† He denies religion in this part, but he talks about gifts for which we are indebted. The question now, is, â€Å"to whom are we indebted?† Taking our talents as gifts inevitably leads us to a proposition that involves religion, for where will the gift come from? If the gifts were merely from nature, to whom do we owe humility, responsibility, and solidarity? He further argues that genetic engineering takes away these three. He forgets to consider that the characteristics of a person are but secondary. What a person, whether genetically endowed or not, savors most is life itself. With or without genetic enhancement, a person has reasonability to his fellowmen. In the same way, whether genetically enhanced or not, a person may be boastful or humble depending on how the parents reared him. Solidarity has nothing to do with genetic enhancement or endowment. People unite for a common cause, for love and for peace. His argument is presuming that genetically enhanced individuals are incapable of humility, responsibility, and solidarity, but he did not develop the issue logically. If his statements in paragraph 53 were factual, why did he have to mention, â€Å"The more we become masters of our genetic endowments, the greater the burden we bear for the talents we have and the way we perform†? Immediately following this, he mentioned about the future scenario in which a basketball player may be blamed now for missing rebound, but in the future for being short. Here is another reasoning error, for who would hire a small basketball player if not for his exceptional skill? Basketball payers are usually tall, hired for height and skill, so what is saying is another far flung argument. The last argument in favor f genetic engineering he mentioned pondered on the possibilities of enhancing IQ and physical abilities of children. All he said about this is, â€Å"But that promise of mastery is flawed. It threatens to banish our appreciation of life as a gift, and to leave us with nothing to affirm or behold outside our own will.† If it were indeed flawed, then how is it flawed? How can it banish our appreciation of life as a gift? How can he say hat it leaves us with nothing to behold and affirm with our free will when he himself talked about being endowed by nature? He may be right to think that cloning and other forms of genetic engineering have setbacks, but his essay provided arguments that are pro genetic engineering that he failed to counter effectively. References Sandel, M. J. (April 2004). The Case Against Perfection. Retrieved 9 April 2008, from http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/medical_ethics/me0056.html)