Monday, September 30, 2019

Exploitation in Nigeria

â€Å"Nigeria’s oil production reached 2. 1 million barrels per day in 2010. † Nigeria is currently the sixth largest crude oil producer and it is the top oil producer in Africa. Similar to Bougainville Island, Nigeria is being exploited by many western countries and their multinational corporations because of their rich natural resource. Oil wasn’t the first thing that was exploited in Nigeria; in 1471 Portuguese traders landed near the Niger Delta, the southern tip of Nigeria, and started trading with the local king. The Portuguese travellers traded â€Å"coral beads; textile imports from India; European-manufactured articles, including tools and weapons; and manillas (brass and bronze bracelets that were used as currency and also were melted down for objects d'art)† for slaves. Slavery was extremely abundant and the one the best source of income for many Nigerians. Back wealth was measure by the size of your estate and the number of slaves. Because of the large number of slaves going through the ports of Nigeria, namely Badagry, many slaves were bought by many wealthy local Nigerians. Many slaves were also sold to America in the transatlantic slave trade where slaves were captured in Africa and sent to America to work on plantations and as servants in return for manufactured goods from developed European countries. Western countries exploited many countries in Africa, including Nigeria, for the abundant supply of slaves. These slaves were extremely useful for slave labor and as servants because of the low cost and the inhumane living conditions they could put them in. For hundreds of years, the people of Africa, including Nigeria, were exploited for slaves. In 1938 the Nigerian government at that time granted Shell, a multinational oil company, a concession to explore and drill for oil in Nigeria. For almost two decades, Shell didn’t take any action in Nigeria but in 1938, Shell surveyed the area near the Niger Delta and eventually found lots of extremely rich and abundant crude oil deposits.

Choose one case study and evaluate it from the perspective of the Behaviourist Approach. Provide strategies for intervention based only on this theory

Abstract This essay evaluates case study 3B through the perspective of behaviourism as identified by Skinner et al (1948). The subject in 3B is named Jethro, who is exhibiting signs of disruptive behaviour in school. His actions are analysed from the view of the Behaviourists, using such theories as classical and operant conditioning. Methods for guidance and improvement based on this analysis are then offered. Introduction Behaviourism is a theory which analyses human behaviour in terms of observable cause and effect, rather than mental processes. It advocates that humans react to positive and negative reinforcement of such behaviour throughout their lives – most notably during childhood and adolescence (Mah, 2007). A behaviourist psychologist named Pavlov (1902) developed the theory of ‘classical conditioning’ through an experiment with using his dogs. The theory then went on to become one of the most vital mechanisms of Behaviourism. This is where un-conditioned responses such as salivation at the sight of food can be associated with the ringing of a bell that accompanies the smell of food; thereby giving the dog a learned conditioned response. Skinner (1948) added to this by developing ‘operant conditioning’; which suggests that positive reinforcement and negative punishment are able to create similar conditioned responses too. It has also been argued by Behaviourist s that humans share this same basic psychology as animals on a fundamental level, and can learn associations between reward and consequence (operant conditioning) and learn conditioned responses to stimuli (classical conditioning) (Costello & Angold, 2000). Because of this how concrete and empirically-based the approach is, it is the most commonly applied theory to basic classroom dynamics; as good behaviours are rewarded with positive reinforcement (i.e. good grades, a ‘gold sticker’) and bad, maladaptive behaviours are rewarded with negative reinforcement (i.e. bad grades, detention or ‘naughty step’). It is the simplest way to discipline a class. Shirley (2009) has argued that no lesson plan can work if there is no behaviourism present. In light of this, the analysis will look at how Jethro’s ‘good’ and ‘bad’ behaviours have been reinforced by both his teachers and his parents, and then how his current actions have developed because of this. Any possible suggestions for intervention will then be given in order to re-balance his previous conditioning. Jethro’s Behaviourist Assessment At first glance, Jethro’s behaviour seems to be a product of a lack of reinforcement from his parents and teachers in both a positive and negative respect (Wheldall & Glynn, 1989). He lacks the balance that operant conditioning offers and classical conditioning can be used to explain the way he has associated subjects he does not enjoy with frustration and even aggression. It seems that neither parent nor teacher has attempted to positively associate a subject Jethro doesn’t enjoy with a reward or method that he does enjoy (Porter, 2006). This can be seen from the â€Å"challenge† that is posed by adults that spark â€Å"angry outbursts† from Jethro. From a behaviourist view, this â€Å"challenge† would be seen as another negative reinforcement for his actions, as opposed to engagement on another level that may interest the boy. For example, he enjoys music and is evidently a creative person – perhaps more creative lesson plans would put an e nd to his aggressive behaviour, as he would then learn a positive conditioned response to that lesson. A large-scale survey of teachers and pupils entitled ‘The Elton Report’ (1989) suggested that schools’ biggest concern was that of low-level but high-frequency disruptions such as talking during lessons, not waiting, running in corridors and fidgeting. These are called â€Å"TooTs† (talking out of turn) by the DFE, and seem to be a very common occurrence in adolescents. Jethro’s behaviours are mostly TooTs such as rudeness, only doing the minimum required and lateness, and could easily be seen as avoidance of activities that he does not gain any sort of positive reinforcement from i.e. truanting classes when he does not like the teacher. Jethro does not gain any reward from these classes, and therefore does not seek to even attempt to participate because he has been conditioned to act out of turn in them and not pay due attention. It is also evident that musical stimulus gives Jethro pleasure. Akin to how the smell of food gave Pavlov’s dogs a ‘hard-wired’ un-conditioned response (McLeod, 2007), it seems that Jethro did not need to learn his response to music; that it was always present. We can infer that his parents did not aid this response, as they are â€Å"too busy† to have even kept any appointments with his head-teacher. This neglect seems to have created these maladaptive behaviours, as children thrive on a token economy with a reward/punishment scheme (Cooper & Upton, 1991). It could be argued that Jethro’s parents’ neglect of his interests and behaviours acts as its own positive reinforcement of his maladaptive behaviours such as truancy, lateness and being confrontational. This would make Jethro believe that these bad behaviours are in fact good or merely neutral. Without punishment from the primary caregiver, the subject will learn to persist in these behaviours as they go without consequence or even reason (Chung & Nolan, 1998). Jethro fits into the first group of unruly children as stated by the DFE – the â€Å"naughty and disruptive, but responsive† group (DFE, 1994). This can be seen in his sometimes aggressive behaviour, but also in his enjoyment of music. His participation in his town’s Community Action Week makes a good example of how Jethro does indeed respond to positive rewards and stimuli i.e. the act of playing guitar at the old people’s home made him feel elated, or ‘good’; whereas other subjects make him unruly (Premack, 1959). Strategies for Intervention The â€Å"chill-outs† that Jethro receives from teachers shed light on his previous conditioning. Although they could be seen as punishments, they are not the correct punishment to give, as they fail to make a negative association with acting ‘out-of-turn’. Especially given the fact that Jethro is sixteen years old, in the midst of adolescence. It should be noted that adolescents require extra stimulation in their field of interest, as they are beginning to progress up the ‘pyramid of learning’ of Bloom’s taxonomy (1956) and start to create more complex associations and responses as well as being more autonomous (White & Renk, 2011). In light of this, perhaps a harsher punishment is necessary to re-balance the boy’s conditioning, for example – a detention. Arguably this could take place during music class, so as to heighten the negative reinforcement of his behaviour. However, a strategy such as this may serve to severely harm the boy if carried out repeatedly, as it is clear that he is passionate about music, and music is one lesson that he has â€Å"no reported problems† in. Care should be taken so as not to permanently damage Jethro’s positive talents and create an even more negative association with every other aspect of school life. Although, if this punishment is reserved for instances of intense aggression, the strategy may prove fruitful. Another intervention strategy may be to actively encourage Jethro with more rewards for trying harder in lessons he currently does not enjoy. Presently, there are no signs of any attempt to condition the student into doing more than the very minimum required. Although he is working at his National Curriculum age appropriate levels, the teachers are seen to only â€Å"complain†; thereby further reinforcing his response of ‘not trying’. If teachers offered some sort of reward as compensation i.e. being able to complete ‘homework’ in class rather than having to take it home, then maybe Jethro would comply more as he would then have more time to pursue his music, for instance. After a while, Jethro would begin to associate going to class with positive responses and rewards through a teaching style based upon classical and operant conditioning. Similar to the DFE’s circular 8/94 entitled â€Å"Pupil Behaviour and Discipline† (1994); strategies should be implemented that promote respect between students and staff. There should be a token economy with formal rewards that focusses mainly on positive reinforcement for successes, rather than purely negative reinforcements and punishments for acting ‘out of turn’. Clear boundaries of acceptable behaviour are required in order to successfully intervene with Jethro and condition him to be a more respectful, academically-minded student. A liaison between home and school should also be encouraged to ensure Jethro adapts thoroughly as a person, not just a pupil (Ayers et al, 2000). Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear that Jethro’s conditioning needs to be re-balanced through a succession of positive and negative reinforcements, coupled with a reward scheme that congratulates ‘good’ behaviour to encourage the student to try harder. At present, his behaviour is un-disciplined because he has not learnt the correct responses to stimuli such as adults’ challenges, work that he does not like and arriving to lessons promptly. With the suggestions offered here, these behaviours will change and make Jethro a more ‘co-operative’ student; to the point of altering his responses to neutral stimuli into positive ones – allowing him to associate the aspects of school life that currently trouble him, with happiness and rewards. References Ayers, H., Clarke, D. & Murray, A. (2000). Perspectives on Behaviour: A Practical Guide to Effective Interventions for Teachers. David Fulton Publishers. ISBN-10: 1853466727. Chung, C. M. & Nolan, P. (1998). Children with Challenging Behaviour: Past and Present in the United Kingdom. Children and Society. Vol. 12. Cooper, P. & Upton, G. (1991). Controlling the Urge to Control: An Eco-systemic Approach to Problem Behaviour in Schools. Problem Behaviour. Support for Learning. Vol. 6 No. 1. Costello, J. & Angold, A. (2000). Bad Behaviour: An Historical Perspective on Disorders of Conduct. Conduct Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence. Cambridge University Press. ISBN-10: 0521786398. DES. (1989). Discipline in Schools. The Elton Report. London. HMSO. DFE. (1994). Discipline in Schools, Circular 8/94. London. Department for Education. Mah, R. (2007). Difficult Behaviour in Early Childhood. Positive Discipline for Pre K-3 Classroom & Beyond. Corwin. ISBN-10: 1412937159. McLeod, S. (2007). Pavlov’s Dogs. Simply Psychology. Accessed: http://www.simplypsychology.org/pavlov.html. Last Accessed 04/07/2014. Porter, L. (2006). Behaviour in Schools: Theory and Practice for Teachers. Open University Press. ISBN-10: 0335220010. Premack, D. (1959). Empirical Behaviour Laws: Positive Reinforcement. Psychological Review. Vol. 66. Shirley, R. (2009). The Behaviourist Approach to Teaching in Class. Accessed: https://suite.io/rachel-shirley/1qz5268. Last Accessed 04/07/2014. Wheldall, K. & Glynn, T. (1989). Effective Classroom Learning. Blackwell. Oxford. White, R. & Renk, K. (2011). Externalizing Behaviour Problems during Adolescence: An Ecological Perspective. Springer Science and Business Media.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

King Kong Remake Analysis Essay

Movies have shown throughout our time that there is a strong underlying theme or message that can be unseen to most. It can be a minuscule significance to some, who focus on the violence and special effects, but once you start looking back at the big picture of certain films, there is so much more. A lot of people tend to focus on what is being filmed instead of how it’s being filmed. The difference is remarkable between the two films King Kong (1933) and the remake of King Kong produced in 2005. The perspective of how the story played out is very different between the two films. On one end, in the original, Kong is portrayed as a violent beast similar to a Godzilla type figure that is a huge threat to civilization. In the remake, it brings a deeper relationship to Kong to humanize his character. The audience can feel his emotions and reactions in a much bigger way to show he might be a powerful beast, but has a big heart too. The difference of how scenes are depicted by each director seems to be complete opposite visions of how the story plays out in each film. It’s interesting to see overtime how the outlook on how man deals with nature has dramatically shifted. Both films underlying messages can be very unnoticed with all the action, adventuring, and amazing special effects going on in the film. This ultimately makes it harder to pick out how power obsessed America was in the original, and how destructive we really are with nature today. It’s very apparent that both movies follow the same story line and plot, but how it is seen through the director’s eyes is very different. In both movies, the humans seem to be very destructive and disrespectful to nature. This is seen a lot more in the remake. Throughout original King Kong you never get that close to Kong to see how he feels and why he feels certain ways. A lot of the scenes with him in it displays very destructive behavior of him killing and tearing things apart. It sets him up as a monstrous figure similar to Godzilla, whereas the other movie personifies Kong as more of a humanized beast that is just looking for love and understanding. The newer film shows this by longer drawn out scenes between Ann and Kong that are almost intimate. Even though Kong cannot talk, the audience can tell how he’s thinking by facial expressions, along with his grunts and roars. It’s understandable the older film wasn’t able to show these certain sides of Kong due to technology and outdated special effects, but they still repeatedly display Kong’s actions and intentions strictly out of violence. In the original Kong, he is captured and put on display in New York City; he breaks out and is immediately enraged by the situation. He begins to run around the city damaging buildings, killing innocent civilians, and causing complete chaos. This again shows how Kong is a problem with society and a huge threat to anyone near him. Putting his image as this out of control beast brings the element that we have to conquer nature to express our true power with weapons and technology. This scene dramatically differs in the new film. Once Kong breaks free of captivity while being put on display on the stage, his focus is not on destroying and causing harm. His motivation is fully on being reunited with his love Ann. When he finally gets back together with her, they show just the two of them playing together in the snow at central park. They are laughing and enjoying themselves in a peaceful setting, showing that Kong means no harm at all. Until all of the sudden police and military forces interrupt the two with bombings, which puts a sense of how we are the evil force in the movie. Putting Kong on display like he was shows how we really do not respect nature. Its seen so much today that we start to treat animals as objects or material things to be used for our pleasure. Whether animals are used for food, or put in an exhibit at a zoo, it’s very apparent the respect for them is fading. A lot can argue that we need these things to survive or for our entertainment but we definitely go overboard. Our country does not think twice to slaughter millions of animals each day just for our benefit. It also wouldn’t be uncommon to see an animal’s head put up on display on a wall similar to a trophy or family picture. This develops a huge consequence because we don’t ever stop to think from the animal’s point of view. It seems to result in a lot of selfish acts by humans who don’t think twice about treating animals this way, which ultimately destroys their true worth of living beings. In the remake of King Kong, Kong is seen as a protector to Ann. He does not let anyone else harm her and never takes his eye off of her. No matter what the situation seems to be, his full focus is on Ann. In the original she doesn’t seem to be his top priority, and seems like he’s more about showing off how strong and powerful he can really be throughout the film. It’s very apparent in the scene where Kong battles two Tyrannosaurus Rex in the jungle on Skull Island. In the original, Ann is sitting off to the side watching from a distance very frightened. Kong continues to battle and barely acknowledges Ann and seems to worry more about his own well-being. There was even a point where she is pinned under a tree during the battle, and Kong doesn’t seem to notice her presence or screams until he’s finished with his fight. It is completely different in the new film. During the whole scene while fighting the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Kong has Ann wrapped up in his hand, and never lets go. He keeps her close to him at all times and makes sure she doesn’t get harmed. It really shows how Kong means well and looks out for her, almost as her guardian as they go around Skull Island. By doing this, the film really shows how Kong ultimately has good intentions with Ann. Seeing how he will defend Ann by any cost, shows that she has a place in Kong’s heart and he really does mean well. Even though Kong shows his loyalty out of violent acts, it’s still very obvious he does this strictly to protect the ones he cares about, bringing the viewers on Kong’s side. It shows how she is a true priority to Kong and his intentions are for the best, making him a more respectable character that doesn’t deserved to be captured. Building Kong’s character up as a protector and intelligent beast really puts the spotlight on us that we are the destructive force. This seems problematic today with all of the poaching and extinctions of our beloved animals, which we are the main contributors to. There are many cases where laws have been established because of people killing animals for clothing or cosmetic purposes. It shows we don’t believe these animals’ lives are worth much. It’s almost every day where you can see a commercial about donating money to help save or adopt some type of animal in need. When in reality, we probably wouldn’t need to do that if we made sacrifices ourselves to help protect our animals and environment. The last scene where Kong is shot down climbing the Empire State building makes arguably the biggest impression on how destructive we really can be to nature. As seen in the original, Kong is a huge problem in society and an untamable beast. This is a big reason why when the military and police forces are called in, they are portrayed as the hero type image saving the day. It shows it in a big way that we won’t be conquered by something like this, and humans can over power nature at the end of the day. However in the remake, it seems to be the complete opposite. Throughout the film the audience grows closer to Kong, and the last thing that is wanted is for him to be harmed. He has shown that he is loyal to Ann and just wants to be loved. That’s why when the airplanes are called in to destroy Kong; it’s almost hard to watch. It’s apparent that Kong did not want to be captured, and we now have to use violent force against him just because us humans can’t respect nature. It really shows how hypocritical we are and selfish the society can be. When captured he was praised and displayed as â€Å"The Eighth Wonder of the World†, but after breaking free, he needs to be killed. Humans never really look back and see how he might be feeling about ripping him out of his home, thinking he is just some type of ignorant animal that is to be put on display for everyone to look at. It definitely symbolizes how power hungry our country is. We are always trying to fix other countries problems and colonize the world when we have enough issues of our own to work out. In the end the military forces and planes bring Kong to his death, which presents another problem of how we use our technology available to take control and overpower situations. A lot of people view Kong as a problem and a threat to society because you see how violent and powerful he can really be. This is true, but that’s the exact reason we do not need to be capturing and taking Kong out of his environment. If we would have just let him be in peace in his own environment where he belonged, there would be no reason for having to kill him, But America’s greed for fame and money overpowers that in this film. It really goes to show how we are the destructive ones that have no respect for nature and it’s ultimately our fault this happened. It’s very vital to the viewers watching to see the significant themes shown throughout the films. It’s surprising how the same story can be displayed but with completely different underlying messages. The newer and drawn out film really enables the audience on how Kong is feeling throughout the film. It makes a huge impact on how you view everything else. Protecting and conserving nature seems to be the least of our priorities and degrades the worth of animal’s lives. Many viewers always look at it as â€Å"Beauty killed the Beast†, when really I believe we killed the beast with our destructive and selfish plans regarding nature’s finest things.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Essay

The novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Kesey, 1962) is narrated from the point of view of a character called â€Å"The Chief† who is an inmate of the mental asylum in which the story takes place. The book opens with a scene where the Chief is sweeping the floor and ends with the Chief escaping from the asylum, and so the changing perceptions of the Chief are a key to the main messages of the book. The character who occupies most of the action in the book is a rebellious newcomer called McMurphy. It is McMurphy who is the catalyst for the change in the Chief, showing him a both a different way to see the asylum and a number of strategies of resistance which ultimately allow the Chief to break free. This paper will analyse how the Chief perceives the asylum in the early stages of the book, focusing especially on the concept of â€Å"the Combine†. After that Murphy’s view of the world will be presented, along with his various resistance strategies. In conclusion the Chief’s revised view of â€Å"the Combine† will be analysed, showing what has changed in his understanding of the world of the asylum, and of the world in general. At the start of the book it is not immediately evident that the Chief is mentally ill. He explains that he is half Indian and chooses to be deaf and dumb: â€Å"I’m cagey enough to fool them that much† (Kesey, p. 9) His separation from the world of sound is presented as a deliberate defence against oppression, but the reader may suspect that it is a symptom of a mental illness like paranoia or schizophrenia. It is a feature of the book that medical descriptions are avoided, and the reader is left to figure out for him or herself whether or not, or to what extent the characters are ill or mad. The Chief imagines the Big Nurse having powers that extend via wires which only he can see: â€Å"I see her sit in the centre of this web of wires like a watchful robot, tend her network with mechanical insect skill†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kesey, p. 27). He imagines that she is working to control the world outside the institution also, suggesting that there is a huge conspiracy against him and the other inmates called â€Å"the Combine† which he defines as â€Å"a huge organization that aims to adjust the Outside as well as the Inside† (Kesey, p. 27). This analogy works both as a description of a delusion, with no basis in reality, and as an artistic representation of an institution (the asylum) and a wider authoritarian society (conservative American society in the early 1960s) which operates on a rigid and inhuman basis. At the start of the book the Chief, and through him the reader, feel this cold, hard, oppressive force and see the inmates as victims of its power. One way of making this chilling force constantly present in the narrative is the Chief’s use of vocabulary relating to machinery to describe all of the asylum personnel. The three â€Å"black boys† who are orderlies working for the Big Nurse speak with the â€Å"hum of black machinery† (Kesey, p. 9) and the most frightening of all is Nurse Ratched herself: â€Å"She works the hinges of her elbows and fingers †¦ She starts moving,†¦when she rumbles past she’s already as big as a truck, trailing that wicker bag behind her in her exhaust like a semi behind a Jimmy Diesel†¦ and her smile’s going out before her like a radiator grill. † (Kesey, p 79). These are inhuman images used to describe the leaders of an inhuman regime. The arrival of McMurphy into the story makes a huge impression on the Chief who, despite his huge size, is cowering and fearful of the cold and all-controlling power of the Combine. The first impression is of McMurphy’s â€Å"loud brassy voice† (Kesey, p. 14) Chief significantly makes a connection between this voice and the voice of his Indian father: â€Å"He talks a little the way Papa used to, voice loud and full of hell†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Shortly after this the ward is stunned by the sound of McMurphy’s laughter, which is strange to them because no one ever laughs in this oppressive place. So much of McMurphy’s verbal behaviour is a surprise to the ward: his laughing, singing and ironic banter are all examples of a language the inmates have forgotten the meaning of. This is one of the most important aspects of McMurphy’s influence. He reminds the inmates of a different kind of communication with authority and with each other that is free and spontaneous, unconcerned about the hierarchies of the asylum context, and taking everything less seriously than the authorities intend things to be taken. McMurphy mocks people, including his friends, in order to show that there is more than just one way of seeing things, and that the asylum’s regime is ridiculous when viewed from outside perspectives. He argues with the Big Nurse, and he laughs at her rants and rages. This is a subversive attitude, and it sparks new thoughts in all the inmates, setting off a chain reaction of awareness that cannot be stopped. The first meeting of McMurphy and the Chief is also an important moment in the book, and this time the Chief is struck by the touch of McMurphy’s hand: â€Å"It rang with blood and power† (Kesey, p. 25). Later, when sweeping out the sleeping area, the Chief notices a smell that he has never encountered before in all this time on the ward; â€Å"the man smell of dust and dirt from the open fields, and sweat, and work. † (Kesey, p. 83). It is as if the Chief is rediscovering through the presence of McMurphy, all the natural human senses which had been dulled or switched out of commission by the Combine. Just by being himself McMurphy reawakens the warm, human qualities of the inmates and shows them how to use these qualities against the hard, cold machinery of power. The world that McMurphy represents is offered as a contrast to the regimented, controlled environment of the ward. There is nothing particularly radical about what he represents, for example setting up a voting process to determine the television viewing schedule for the inmates, but in the upside-down regime of the Combine this appears to be a shocking suggestion. Drinking, smoking marijuana and sex with prostitutes are, in the world outside the asylum, quite ordinary and natural expressions of normal masculine behaviour in large sections of the community. It is the abuse of power by the Big Nurse in talking to Billy Bibbit’s mother that turns the antics of the inmates from a prank into a tragedy. In every society it is common for young males to push boundaries and experiment with things that are forbidden by teachers, parents and authority figures. It is part of normal growing up. The irony of the asylum is, that it takes an oppressed youngster like Billy and then just when he catches a glimpse of sexual and other kinds of freedom via McMurphy, crushes his spirit so completely that he takes his own life. The book depicts a struggle for power over the inmates: â€Å"As the many symbols and images indicate, the central theme of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is the restoration of the inmates’ individual and collective potency. (Lupack, 1995, p. 94). Whether as group, or as separate individuals, McMurphy encourages the inmates to take back the power that has been unjustly stolen from them by the institution. Some critics have seen McMurphy in religious terms, as a character who sacrifices himself in order to save his brothers: â€Å"The fishing scene is an extended figure of Christ and his disciples, and instance of McMurphy as fisher of men. † (Hicks, 1981, p. 174). Hicks points out that there are images of the cross and the crown of thorns in descriptions of the electric shock table, and that McMurphy’s men are â€Å"physically cannibalizing him† (1981, p. 5) by wearing him out more and more as he transfers his power and energy over to them. It is true that as McMurphy’s influence grows, more and more of the inmates rebel or discharge themselves, or in the case of the Chief, make a spectacular escape but this is a book that does not come with a happy ending and salvation in a heavenly future. McMurph y is turned into a lobotomized shell of his old self which the Chief kills out of mercy, as an Indian would kill an injured animal. The future of the other characters is not known. The freedom that the Chief gains is a freedom from the real and imagined â€Å"wires and connections† (Kesey, p. 254) that he rips up when he throws the control box out of the window. In conclusion, then, it appears that the Chief has changed his view of the Combine. He leaves the delusions and the asylum behind but he still must navigate his way in the outside world. It remains to be seen how he will tackle the Combine-like injustices and oppressive forces in the wider world. He does not have his mentor McMurphy with him, and must only go back to where he started and try to reintegrate into a community that has been oppressed and exploited by the building of a great dam. The great difference at the end of the book is that that he wants to go back to his old haunts â€Å"just to bring some of it clear in my mind again† (Kesey, p. 254) and thanks to the example shown by McMurphy, he can now do this with courage and clarity, seeing possibilities of collective resistance rather than just being isolated and crushed by overwhelming institutional power.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Animal Rights vs. Human Health – Comparative Essay

Jackie Dansky English 1A – 69 David Banuelos March 10, 2011 Animal Rights vs. Human Health Developments of cures, vaccines and treatments for human illnesses have been done through animal testing. Over 25 million animals are tested each year in the United States (Stephanie Ernst, 2008): â€Å"It's impossible to know exactly how many animals are being used in research because U. S. laws do not require scientists to report how many mice, rats, or birds they use† (ASPCA). Animals are used to interpret what medicine effects will do to the human body; they will give the closest results. The real question when it comes to animal experimentation is not if it is wrong or right, but if it is for the better. Kristina Cook poses that animal testing has benefited medicine, while Natasha Bantwal presents that more harm is done than helped. Kristina Cook is an Oxford student in the department of chemistry, and wrote â€Å"Pro-Test: supporting animal testing,† arguments sustaining animal testing for medical uses. Natasha Bantwal is a basic writer and wrote â€Å"Arguments Against Animal Testing,† arguments opposing the usage of animals for experimentation. A very common argument is that animals are being ‘tortured’ when they are being tested on. Cook approaches the issue quickly stating that â€Å"animal rights activists often demonise scientists, pretending that they are sadists who enjoy torturing animals just for the sake of it. There are countless examples of the lengths to which scientists go to minimize the suffering of animals. But the simple point is that scientists are not sadists: they act in the way that they see fit. † (Cook, 2006) However, the arguments are beyond that. They share two common grounds: animal testing has helped scientifically and medically, and that animal testing has been erroneous. Although Cook and Bantwal agree that animal testing has been helpful, they have different approaches and viewpoints on how helpful it really has been. Cook declares that â€Å"vaccines, antibiotics, transplant surgeries, medical devices†¦ and other developments would not be here today if animal testing ad not been used. † (Cook, 2006) As a counterargument, Bantwal asserts â€Å"the most commonly help perception (or rather misconception) of animal testing is that it is necessary for the development of cures, vaccines, and other treatments for human illness. † (Bantwal) Animal rights activists are attempting to discontinue all animal testings. There have been alternatives reported, bu t none can match as much accuracy and precision as animals would. Bantwal uses cancer as an example of ridding animal testing: â€Å"with countless innocent animals, billions of dollars and more than 30 to 40 years being spent on the war against cancer, one would expect concrete results show up if animal experimentation was actually as effective as it is made out to be†¦ Many cancer funds and organizations have claimed that we are now losing the war against cancer because this animal-based cancer research is failing, and it just downright stinks. † (Bantwal) She implies that animals don’t need to be tested on if they can’t even help to find the cure of big illnesses. Cook, unlike Bantwal, looks at the glass half full. She considers all the drugs that have been animal tested in the past that have been successful, and looks forward to the more cures that will be discovered through this type of experimentation. All cures and vaccines are tested on animals, but are animals a reliable source when it comes to vaccines? Bantwal discusses about the undependable basis of animals’ effect on a particular drug compared to a human’s effect. For example, she pronounces that there has been no progress in the cure for AIDS because animals are incapable of getting the AIDS disease. Cook affirms that testing drugs in animal help researchers find the potential dangers and faults it will achieve, and to understand â€Å"the metabolism of drug compounds and consequent effects seen throughout the body. † (Cook, 2006) She states that the alternatives of animal testing, such as a computer generator, won’t be as sufficient. Bantwal states â€Å"[Pro-Animal Testing] believe that if animal experimentation is stopped, then it will be at the expense of life and the human health. (Bantwal) She tries to compensate that obliterating any and all animal testing will not have a big changed impact in the medical field. She then argues that â€Å"it is dangerous and fraudulent to apply data retrieved from one species to another entirely different species. † (Bantwal) Cook does admit that there have been errors in the field. Both Cook and Bantwal use the Thalidomide as an example of rebuttal. It came out in 1956 as a sedative for pregnant mothers to overcome m orning sickness. It was successful in animal testing, and spread around the world in a few years. Unfortunately, it caused birth defects in the womb. Bantwal quotes ‘safety testing’ and states, â€Å"tens of thousands of children who’s mothers had used this drug were born with severe deformities. † (Bantwal) Cook argues that if they had done more testings on animals, that the birth defect would have been detected. She understands that the scientists messed up because they forgot to test prenatal animals. She attacks the animal rights group with: â€Å"animal rights groups confuse an error resulting from an absence of testing with one resulting from conducting tests on animals. (Cook, 2006) Cook believes that they don’t understand what they are arguing. Their example of the Thalidomide is really suggesting to do more animal testing so then it will be more accurate and precise: â€Å"a few more animals, and countless human lives would have been saved. † (Cook, 2006) Overall, animals are continued being used as experiments for all humansâ₠¬â„¢ health. Whether for or against animal testing, everybody has to be appreciative and acknowledge the benefits scientists and animals have brought. It’s like a competition between animals and humans: which race should be protected more? Both Kristina Cook and Natasha Bantwal share their perspectives and only agree upon one thing: animal testing has helped scientists and the medical field. Now, which is more important to you: animal rights or human health? Work Cited: Bantwal, Natasha. â€Å"Arguments Against Animal Testing. † Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. ;http://www. buzzle. com/articles/argument-against-animal-testing. html;. Cook, Kristina. â€Å"Spiked-science | Article | Pro-Test: Supporting Animal Testing. † Spiked: Humanity Is Underrated. 23 Feb. 2006. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. ;http://www. spiked-online. om/articles/0000000CAF94. htm;. Ernst, Stephanie. â€Å"Animal Use and Abuse Statistics: The Shocking Numbers. † Change. org News. 5 Oct. 2008. Web. 05 Mar. 2011. ;http://news. change. org/stories/animal-use-and-abuse-statistics-the-shocking-numbers;. â€Å"11 Facts about Animal Testing | Do Something. † Volunteer | Do Something. ASPCA. Web. 05 Mar. 2 011. ;http://www. dosomething. org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-animal-testing;. Long, Tony. â€Å"Oct. 1, 1957: Thalidomide Cures Morning Sickness, But †¦ † Wired. com. 01 Oct. 2008. Web. 06 Mar. 2011. ;http://www. wired. com/science/discoveries/news/2008/09/dayintech_1001;.

Bomb Threat and Explosion Investigation

In addition, other law enforcement agencies may have specific information value. The Intelligence Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), Police Intelligence Group (PIG) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) maintains files on individuals who make threats against political leaders.The Bureau of Customs (BOC) may provide information of imported goods; the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) can provide information on individuals entering or leaving the country; the Firearms and Explosive Division, Civil Security Group, Philippine National Police (FED, CSG, PNP) maintains records on firearms and explosives; the Bureau of Corrections (BUCOR) maintains records on fugitives; the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHILPOST) may assist in matters related to the mails; the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) may, have files of information and intelligence because they have primary jurisdiction in kidnap-for-ransom cases. On the local level, the local pol ice authorities frequently maintain individual photo or â€Å"mug† files, alias files, business indexes, modus operandi (MO) files, victimization records and crime patterns. In addition, court records, probation and parole files, and other municipal records such as utilities, may prove valuable. Records of businesses, such as the telephone, electric and water companies, may also be helpful.Surveillance and stakeouts are important components of kidnap-for-ransom investigations. These activities may require various forms of electronic surveillance, including wiretapping, eavesdropping, automobile locator systems, videotaping and photography. Such efforts may require assistance from other agencies. The investigator should be familiar, not only with the use of such equipment, but also with the laws surrounding their application. The investigator must know when a court order is necessary for the use of electronic surveillance. In no case should an investigator use extralegal means to secure information. CHAPTER 7 BOMB THREAT AND EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION INTRODUCTIONThe use of explosives, by certain criminals and criminal organizations, has increased since the mid – 1980’s. Statistics also show that homes, vehicles and businesses were the primary targets of bombings and, in eight out of ten incidents, the motive was vandalism and revenge. Bombs are often made out common household items regularly found in the kitchen, garage or under the sink. The pipe bomb, the easiest bomb to construct, is often packed with screws and nails which act as projectiles, similar to hand grenades. These are materials that the bomber relies on, in part, to help conceal their identity. Because they are usually home-made, they are limited in their design only by the imagination of the bomber.When searching for a bomb, the investigator should simply look for anything that appears unusual. The bomb technician decides what is and is not a bomb. The bombing crime scene must be linked to the bomber and, if found intact, the bombs themselves can sometimes reveal the identity of the bomber. Bombs can be constructed to look like almost anything and can be placed or delivered in a variety of ways. The chance of locating a bomb that looks like the stereotypical bomb is almost non-existent. INVESTIGATING THE BOMB THREAT Bomb threats are delivered in a variety of ways. Most are telephoned in to the target. Occasionally, these calls are made through a third party. Sometimes, a threat is communicated through in writing or via a recording.There are two (2) general explanations as to why the bombers communicate a bomb threat: 1. The caller has definite knowledge or believes that an explosive or incendiary bomb has been or will be placed, and that he or she wants to minimize personal injury or property damage. The caller may be the person who placed the device or someone else who has become aware of such information. 2. The caller wants to create an atmosphere of a nxiety and panic that will, in turn, results in disruption of normal activities at the facility where the device is supposedly placed. Whatever the reason, there will certainly be a reaction to it. However, through proper planning, the wide variety of uncontrollable reactions can be minimized.The bomb threat caller is the best source of information about a bomb. When bomb threat is called in, the following steps should be implemented: 1. Keep the caller on the line as long as possible. 2. Ask him or her to repeat the message and record every word spoken by the person. 3. Ask the caller about the location of the bomb and the time of detonation of the device. 4. Inform the caller that the building is occupied and the detonation of a bomb could kill or injure innocent people. 5. Pay particular attention to background noise such as motor running, music playing or any other noise. This may give a clue as to the location of the caller. 6.Listen closely to he voice (male or female), voice quality (calm or excited), accent and speech impediments. 7. Interview the person who received the call for the preceding information. RESPONDING TO A BOMB THREAT In response to a bomb threat, the following reminders must be strictly observed by the first responders: 1. Refrain from broadcasting while at the location. Radio transmissions might trigger the explosive device. 2. Anyone involved in the search must not touch any suspected items. Under any circumstances, if a suspicious object is located, it should not be touched or disturbed. 3. Maintain a safe distance from the explosive device. 4. Call the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team (EODT) to handle the explosive device. SAFETY PRECAUTIONSIn a raid or search situation in which explosive devices are expected to be encountered, investigations should be accompanied by an explosives expert. This person can be used to inform other police officers of what type of device is at hand and how best to proceed safely with the raid. Other pr ecautions include the following: 1. Only one officer at a time should approach the suspected booby trap. 2. When trip wires are located, both ends of the wire should be checked. 3. Wires that appear to be electric should not be cut. 4. No containers should be opened without thorough examination. ELEMENTS OF BOMB INCIDENT PLANNING To counter bomb incidents, a physical security plan and bomb incident plan should be made.The elements of these plans are as follows: 1. Control 1) Who will be in charge of the incident? 2) Where will the control center be located? 3) How will critical decisions be made? 4) Who will man the control center? 5) What primary and alternate communication system will be employed during the incident? 2. Initiation What procedures will be followed upon receipt of a bomb threat or notice that a device has been found? 3. Evacuation If evacuation is ordered, what procedure will be followed? 4. Search 1) What will be searched? 2) What search technique will be employed? 3) Who will search? 5. Damage Control 1) What damage control measures will be taken? ) Who will take the damage control measure? 6. Detonation 1) What procedure will be followed if a bomb detonates without warning? BOMB – SEARCHING TECHNIQUES A two-person search item is recommended when looking for bombs. When the search team enters the room, they should first move to various parts of the room and stand quietly, with their eyes closed, and listen for clockwork device. Often, a clockwork device can easily be detected without the use of specialized equipment. Even if no clockwork mechanism can be detected, the search team is now aware of the background noise level within the room itself. Background noise is always disturbing during a building search.If a ticking sound is heard but cannot be located, one might become unnerved. The ticking sound might come from an unbalanced air conditioner fan, several floors away, or from a dripping sink down the hall. Sound can transfer throu gh air conditioning ducts, along water pipes and through walls. One of the more difficult buildings to search is one that has steam of hot water heat. This type of building will constantly thump, crack, chatter and tick because of the movement of the steam of hot water through the pipes and the expansion and contraction of the pipes. The room should be divided into two virtually equal parts. An imaginary line is then drawn between two objects in the room.The first searching height will usually cover items in the room up to hip height. The searchers then position themselves on opposite sides of the room and begin searching their way around the room, working toward each other. During the search, all items resting on the floor and positioned around or on the wall area are inspected. Although many minor variations are possible in searching a room, the following are the summary of the basic searching steps: 1. Divide the area and select a search height. 2. Start from the bottom and work yourself up. 3. Start back-to-back and work toward each other. 4. Go around the walls and proceed toward the center of the room.

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Glass Menagerie and the two different worlds (reality and fiction) Research Paper

The Glass Menagerie and the two different worlds (reality and fiction) - Research Paper Example Laura is enrolled in a business school in order to start establishing her own life, but due to shyness, she drops out of school and secretly spends her time wandering in the city (Oliveira 1).Tom, who dislikes his shoe warehouse jobs, finds solace in alcohol, movies and literature. This surprised his mother (Oliveira 1).Amanda and Tom plot to get Laura a suitor at the warehouse, and Tom chooses Jim O’Connor who is his casual friend. A dinner is organized for Laura to meet Jim (Oliveira 1). Just before the dinner, Laura discovers that Jim, whom she had a crash on while in high school, is the suitor. Laura however refuses to eat dinner with the family and Jim and pretends she is ill (Kolin 66). Amanda, who was dressed in her youthful dress, ends up talking with Jim throughout the meal. Later after the dinner though, Laura opens up and confesses to Jim that she had a crash on him in high school(Oliveira 1).Jim reproaches her for being shy and having low self-esteem but also prais es her for being unique. Jim mentions that he has to leave and see his fiancà ©e (Kolin 34). It is therefore discovered that he is engaged. This leaves Amanda and Laura sad, and they blame Tom for not being attentive and for being selfish dreamer, because he is the one who brought Jim (Oliveira 2).Not long after Jim had visited, Tom gets fired from his shoe ware house job and leaves his home. As he travels, years later, he finds it very hard to forget and leave behind guilt memories of Laura (Kolin 23). Tennessee Williams, author of the play struggled with homosexuality which made him feel like an outsider in his society. This and other experiences made him feel empathetic to vulnerable people of the society (Oliveira 2).This play presents similarities between the dysfunctional Williams family and the play’s family, the Wingfield family. There are similarities between the fictional Wingfield family and Tennessee Williams’s own family (Kolin 23). The Glass

The 2008 Tibetan Unrest Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The 2008 Tibetan Unrest - Research Paper Example In 2008 during the eve of the Olympics, there was a series of unrest in Tibet (Merkel-Hess, Kate, Kenneth and Jeffrey54-55). During the same period, there was so much focus on Beijing. Tibet is a part of Beijing’s claimed territory (Goldstein 450). In March 14th, there were a succession of demonstrations, protests and riots ain the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. The unrest commenced on the 10th of March during the 49th commemoration of the abortive uprising in Tibet in 1959 in opposition of Beijing rule. The demonstrations spread over to several areas and various monasteries outside of Tibet. The unrest commenced with numerous monks from Drepung monastery staging peaceful protests. The monks were demanding the release of their fellow counterparts arrested in the previous autumn. The participants of the unrest direct their anguish to two civilians named Han and Wei. In the break of one weak, serious protests began marred with violence. There was widespread looting, killing, burning and rioting. Media reports found that this unrest was due to the socio-economic issues in Lhasa (Losada 340). The people of Tibet were infuriated by the high rates of inflation that resulted in the increase in prices of consumer goods and food (Goldstein 454-500). The youth were also complaining of inequality in access to jobs and education. James miles, a reporter of â€Å"The Economist†, termed the 3.14 riot as an eruption of tribal hatred. The rest of this paper will focus on Tibet’s struggle for sovereignty, the religious power and politics of the Tibet territory and the underlying causes of the event. Truth about the riots; the facts At the core of the conflict is a conflicting perspective on who is the rightful owner Tibet. In the early 1800s, China viewed Tibet as a vassal state that paid tribute to the emperor through a priest-patron relationship. In recent times, the relationship has become ambiguous. China suffered in the hands of the British during the same period when the British conquered Lhasa in 1904 (Merkel-Hess, Kate, Kenneth and Jeffrey 59). China has since struggled for the full claim of Tibet hence the delicate relationship between the two. The question of who ought to take blame for the 2008 unrest is therefore relative given both parties legitimise their clemency to Tibet. What really transpired during the killings? There has been little if any condemnation of the killings in Tibet by the western countries. Statements were made about the infringement of human rights by the People’s Republic of China overshadowing the real tribulations of the victims of the violence. The reality of the issue is that there were killings and destruction of property even from some of the reports by western media only that there was no attention paid to the magnitude of the killings. The unrest had a series of serious criminal activities including looting, beating, destruction of property and arson. The rioters set fire on more than three hundred places that include hospitals, schools, shops, houses of civilians and government offices. In addition, about 214 rooms burned down and another 56 vehicles torched. There were very brutal killings with an estimated 31 innocent people slashed or burnt to death (Merkel-Hess, Kate, Kenneth and Jeffrey 63). Another 51 police officers were injured with 12 of them suffering serious injuries. As such, the riot was

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Why the Media Coverage of African American Children are less then the Essay

Why the Media Coverage of African American Children are less then the Coverage of Caucasian Children - Essay Example Calvert et.al (14-16) claims that African American children are believed to have been raised by single parents and come from a poor background, but Caucasian children are from the wealthiest society. Additionally, African-Americans have a black race, while Caucasians are white in color, which dominates in America. Such factors lead to more media focus in Caucasian kids than African American children. In this regard, this paper aims at explaining why media focus is more on Caucasian children than children of the minority African-Americans. Media has become one of the most powerful institutional forces in the society. It is responsible for shaping and directing attention cultural values and attitudes. Additionally, most of the aspects in life are impact on the media as well as influenced by the media. The way the media represent a certain social group gives us important clues on its norms, attitudes, and social values towards the particular group. In this case, media focus is more on C aucasian children than African-American. Some of the reasons that explain why media choose to present Caucasian kids and African-Americans in different ways are; to start with the African-Americans are exploited and marginalized (Tolleson et al, 23-25). The society views African-Americans children as inferior because of their color as well as background. Most of their parents struggle to make ends meet in the world economy. To add to this, Caucasian children are over-represented among the advantaged segment of child population, while the other group is disproportionately disadvantaged. As a result, the media focuses more on the group that is over-represented in the society, forgetting about the minority group (Franklin, 32-33). Moreover, the media naturalizes and perpetuates Caucasian kids more naturally superior than Afro-American kids. It tends to reward those who have physical appearance of whites than blacks, with more coverage and exposure on commercial advertisements than Afro -Americans kids who have black appearance. The message it tries to pass to the society is that, black and white color is contradictory and therefore, Africans-Americans kids should try balance their color in order to be accepted in the society (Franklin 32-33). According to, Calvert et.al (14-16) media plays an important role in reconstruction and construction of hegemonic ideologies like racism by naturalizing and creating social realty. For example, it re-presents and re-dramatizes white and black kids within a certain framework of interpretation, which facilitates the passing of messages and preferred ways in both colors. It is argued that Caucasian kids enter the media world in terms of cultural, sports, economic powers and institutional than Afro-American kids. These factors reinforce the color differences through media oppression and subordination of African-Americans kids. The media also fails to cover the achievements of African-Americans focusing on Caucasian children achie vement. They are also under-represented in the society, despite their growth in many areas for the last decades. Niven and Zilber (34-36), claim that African-Americans only receive 10% of media coverage. In case they receive coverage, Afro-Americans are not perceived as the other dominant group but as a stereotype group with reference to something else. To add to this, the Caucasian children dominate the media in most programs and events because of their physical appearance and color attractiveness. For example, in sporting activities they are seen to win in most activities like swimming, tennis diving, and others, thus dominating in most of them. The African-Americans are associated with school-sponsored games while Caucasian childre

Evil, its symbols and the environment Essay 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evil, its symbols and the environment 1 - Essay Example Symbols representing the Canadian Water crisis 2. Canadian water crisis as an experience B. Different symbols of idea associated with the environment 1. Canadian Water Crisis 2. The Danger of Bottled Water C. Questions about Evil and Environment as symbols evil in study of religion and culture 1. How do people believe in these symbols of evil? 2. How is evil and environment explained in terms of religion and culture? 3. What are the most consistent evidence of evil and environment as symbols of evil? III. Conclusion A. Current research revealed relationship between evil and environment and the study of religion and culture. B. The most radical paradigm is the Christian cosmological approach which sees the issues of the Canadian water crisis as a spiritual crisis. 1. The world's spiritual and religious traditions which presupposes that universe and all life processes are spiritually meaningful and material. 2. Dialogue with several cultures and science which presupposes that water sym bolizes evil and environment as it has its own subjective and intrinsic values in the world. The Evil and the Environment Shattered World Evil is a threat to human reason as it challenges the perception that the world makes sense. For instance, the Lisbon earthquake which occurred in the eighteenth century was manifest evil. In the study of religion and culture, Suzuki views evil as a matter concerning human cruelty and Maude Barlow as an extreme incarnation. Whether expressed in secular or theological terms, evil denotes a challenge about the world's intelligibility and it confronts religion with fundamental questions. According to Suzuki et al (23), water is essential in the today's world as it sustains the life of human beings on earth. Water is usually a natural resource which to some peoples it is given free to the world. However, the situation has changed with World Bank reporting water shortages in 80 countries around the world. Groundwater depletion and population growth are the two primary challenges resulting to global water crisis. According to the environmental advocates, Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke as well as David Suzuki views water crisis as an experience of evil and environment as they describes it as the tragedy of the time. They ask individuals to consider the consequences of what they are practicing in the present day environment. For centuries, people had knowledge that they were embedded in the environment and they promised and prayed to always do the right thing. Suzuki finally concludes that people live in a shattered world where they do not see themselves as part of the larger problem. Clarke and Barlow draw attention of the society to the exponential growth of the global water crisis and provide a world perspective on it. They posit that the development of a crisis does not happen in a systematic or incremental manner but, rather appear out of nowhere and suddenly, despite developing for years or months without being noticed prior to their surfacing. Species are also dramatically lost concurrently with the world's looming water crisis. Barlow and Clarke examine the key issues concerned with the global water crisis. They examine water pollutants such as chemicals and sewage that wash of the environment poisoning the world's waterways. They give the example of American and Canadian waterways which are heavily polluted prescription drugs and synthetic chemicals that pass the water recycling plants without being filtered. In addition,

Friendship and companionship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Friendship and companionship - Essay Example It clearly shows how close two friends can be. The author was attracted to Queequeg because of his traits and unexpected behavior which is child like and got attracted and started observing his funny behavior by staring at him. His mental ability was so less that he can count only up to fifty. Then he starts counting from one again. By the understanding of the story it is clearly evident the kind of friendship between an innocent friend and a person with good presence of mind. Friends can be so close that they can share literally any thing between them from money to clothes. The story can be a lesson to the friends who regularly argue and fight every now and then. An eye opener, an ideal character, goodness and loyalty at heart. In today's age where gay couples are expressing their love openly, friends like Queequeg and the author are so intimate with each other but with out creating situations like Gay couples. The story idolizes that even money cannot part two friends. For example: when Queequeg took his thirty cents of silver from his pocket and mechanically divides then into half and puts in the pocket author. The author was actually spell bound with the gratitude of the Queequeg. Friends can be so close at times that they share the same bed together. A friendship like this can make an atheist to pray to god.

PABLO PICASSO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PABLO PICASSO - Essay Example Born in 1881, he lived for 91 years, and devoted himself to artistic production. Picasso is most renowned for co-founding the Cubism movement along with Brasque. The 1800’s were marked with astounding impressionist paintings, but enter twentieth century, and the artwork is completely different with more focus on adding great depth to objects by breaking them up and rejoining in an abstract form. The whole concept of Cubism is analyzing objects from every angle, giving a holistic view, and being able to penetrate every reality and then depicting the entire thought in a very artistic abstract way. â€Å"Ambiguous Spacing† (Mallory, 2011) is the main characteristic of Cubist paintings, where the background blends with the object. Picasso went through some different phases in his life, and experimented with different kinds of styles which is reflected in his artwork and they are divided into different stages. The first period was identified as the Blue period which lasted f rom 1901 to 1904, and was highlighted with subdued colors. Next was the Rose Period from 1904 to 1906 which has a cheery style with red, pink and orange colors seen in his paintings. Following this was Analytical Cubism from 1910 to 1912 where he used monochrome brown and more of neutral colors. Synthetic Cubism followed which was reflected in his paintings from 1912 to 1919, and was symbolized by fragmented paper cut style paintings. Classicism and surrealism was also later reflected in his paintings, however it wasn’t a period of his life. Pablo Picasso is known to have produced around 13500 paintings in his entire lifetime, and even more drawings. In 1903, when Picasso was only 21 years of age, he painted â€Å"The Old Guitarist† in Madrid, when his very close and dear friend, Casagemas committed suicide. Picasso’s outpour of emotions is reflected in his painting, so much so that this led to the beginning of the Blue Period which was highlighted by hopelessne ss and melancholy is his paintings which were usually in shades of blue and green. This particular painting of Picasso haunts the onlookers with its gloominess; the subject of the painting is a very old, weak man, who somehow resembles a beggar sitting on the street begging for pennies while glued to his guitar. The painting has a lot of emphasis on the contours of the body of the old man giving a very dramatic look. This painting speaks for the lower-class people and emphasizes on the hardships they have to face in real-life, and is a masterpiece created by Picasso. Another painting of Picasso which later became a masterpiece is Les Demoiselles d' Avignon ((The Young Ladies of Avignon, and originally titled The Brothel of Avignon) and is known to have launched Cubism in the twentieth century. Picasso painted it in 1907, however it wasn’t displayed till 1916. This painting has also been voted as the most influential painting in a hundred years by Newsweek. It is a very artful painting which was also controversial, however it depicts Cubism in essence that different people have different perspectives regarding the same artwork. The painting illustrates five nude women in angular and disorderly shapes, with not very feminine bodies, and two wearing primitive African masks. The concept behind this painting was to depict a brothel, where the women were shown without any expressions, charm or personality. The disjointed figures were to represent the aggression and hostility of the such women, who had Iberian features. This

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

East Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

East Asia - Essay Example Based on such a perspective, this paper makes a comparison of the Neo- Confucianism in China and Korea by establishing discussions on the different perspectives and circumstances that both nations experienced during the different eras. Indeed, the main area of discussion for this paper involves the benefits of Neo-Confucianism to both China and Korea and the various ways through which Neo-Confucianism influenced the lives of citizens in the two nations. Ideally, in the study of the numerous dynasties that played roles in China, the Song dynasty made a significant impact, despite the fact that it was less known for its power and stability, during a period in which Tang had previously imposed great suffering among the people. The Song dynasty, therefore, developed mechanisms for ensuring that the oppressive nature of the Tang came to an end and that all the oppressive activities reversed. Indeed, during the period, the Chinese society showed significant improvements in the various aspects including economy and cities’ expansions, contrary to the occurrences during the Tang regime in which oppression was high, resulting in the fall of the economy with success of few individuals and great suffering for the majority. The Song dynasty indeed influenced a state of significant development in all the different sectors of the economy. Such a perspective has an accurate view that through Neo-Confucianism a rationalist and worldlier Con fucianisms form was established, which involved the rejection of the previous superstitious and mystical elements of Daoism and Buddhism, which had substantive influence on Confucianism, most especially during and after the Han Dynasty (De Bary 314). Neo-Confucianism that had its origins in the Tang Dynasty, ideally, sort to create the existence of a peaceful coexistence between an individual and the universe. As such, in the Korean perspective through its scholars, classics were

Sample Cyber Security Profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sample Cyber Security Profile - Essay Example According to many publications, NIST is very proactive in this element as one of the main is attacks on User Domain. There are several types of attacks on the User Domain that are prevalent, as they can be quite successful against an uninformed or untrained employee. By implementing good company policies and ensuring that best practices against these attacks are used, an organization should be able to mitigate the risks found in the User Domain. Within the realm of User Domain, NIST is also very comprehensive in its understanding spoofing and DDoS. One of the worst vulnerabilities for user domains is insider attacks. Insider attacks occur. For instance, denial of service and spoofing are one the most common themes that occur. The problem is the fact that intercepting authentication or other sensitive information can be executed with the current WAN technology since it utilizes the traditional TCP/IP in user domains. (Best Practices for the Security 2013)Moreover, spoofing can also be conducted since an intruder can deceive the network that it recognizes a possible unauthorized access. The problem with installing firewalls in a user domain is the fact that they are fully feasible. Insider attacks occur when one user domain gains more privilege than the other user and shares that information. Tipton (2005) This becomes extremely dangerous because it allows the hacker to have one central location to exploit information. (Best P ractices for the Security 2013) Inside attacks can be vast and potent depending on the type of attack. For instance, an executing script can copy sensitive information and can make one central machine a master. This can be detrimental to a data breach. This master to slave configuration can be used with full throttle for malicious attacks.  

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Payment for Ecological Services Lijiang, China Essay

Payment for Ecological Services Lijiang, China - Essay Example The major upper hand with the PES is hinged on its ability to offer short-term benefits that encourages conservation behavior. This prompts and facilitates collaborative participation of the residents in the management of the ecosystem and not being its worst enemy. In the region of Lijiang China, fundamental changes have been effected that include banishment on the inspection of fishing, poaching, hunting and a reduced potential threat upon the well being of the ecosystem. Pagiola, S. & Platais, G. (2003). To enhance sustainable Ecological and Environmental services, the PES scheme in Lijiang China has put more emphasis on comprehending the interlocks between human activities; mainly farming around the Lashihai Lake and the management of the biodiversity in terms of migratory bird's population and the preservation or improvement of water quality for landscape use in Lijiang old town. Rosales, M., & Ruis, J. P. (2004). Since Agriculture is the main activity dependent upon by inhabitants who live around Lashishi Nature reserve. Agriculture and livestock therefore constitutes for more than 70% of the entire economic system around this region. This has also been viewed as a major detriment that has greatly hampered and deteriorated the water flows into the lake. Rosales, M., & Ruis, J. P. (2004). ... (2003). Intercropping A mixed system of crops and fruits is already practiced in some areas around the Lashihai Nature Reserve, and thus can be further encouraged. To increase farmers' profits, one could also encourage the introduction of livestock husbandry, which should reduce the dependence on chemical fertilizers. Rosales, M., & Ruis, J. P. (2004). Furthermore, in the last scenario, fodder crops intercropped under fruits may help reduce cost of feedstuff used, thus further increasing the attractiveness of this development scenario for individual farmers. One limitation of the model is that it assumes stable prices for the crops, even though, as shown in the figure below, there are some variations. Furthermore, in near the future prices of grain will slightly increase due to the limited cultivated land. Pagiola, S. & Platais, G. (2003). Changing farming Techniques around the lake The chief reason of changing the agricultural practices of farmers around the lake, however, is not to increase their profits, but rather to decrease the impacts that their activities have on the water quality of the lake - and, in turn, on the tourist city of Lijiang. It is thus obligatory to comprehend the stalemate in terms of agricultural production, application of chemical inputs, and water quality in the lake. Pagiola, S. & Platais, G. (2003). Evaluating of the current production data for the region, it appears that current agricultural sector in the Lashihai Nature Reserve is operating underneath competent levels. Pagiola, S. & Platais, G. (2003). Above all, the production of crops are low, even compared to the run of the mill for China, which compares aggregate production per hectare in the Lashihai Nature Reserve to the average for China for selected crops. The

Chemistry of preservative used in food industry Assignment

Chemistry of preservative used in food industry - Assignment Example The natural type occurs with its individual natural neutralizers different from the one prepared in laboratories. The natural form does not have preservative action since it have no toxicity. Sodium benzoate produced in chemical laboratories is cheap and toxic which kills living organisms (McKinney 358). Also benzoic acid is an element additive used in food industries, its low cost, ease of absorption in products, lack of color and low rate of toxic form made benzoic acid to be become one of the widely used preservatives word wide. It occurs in pure form as colorless; it’s soluble to a limited extent in water (Taormina 114). In conclusion, chemical preservatives are widely used to put off or slow down both chemical and organic corrosion of food for future use. Chemical deterioration includes oxidation and food browning, while organic corrosion involves dilapidation of food by

Monday, September 23, 2019

Principles of learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Principles of learning - Essay Example Constructivist theorist belongs to the third category, which believes that the learning abilities of students are influenced by prior knowledge and information on the same topic (Brauer & Tittle, 2012). In this paper, learning theories will be discussed in relation to Petra, a polish child living and studying in the United Kingdom with his parents. The paper will discuss the relevance of the learning theories according to her concerns and the strategies that the family and the school can adopt to support her learning process. A number of learning theories have been developed that enhance the process of educating children from different family background like Petra in this situation. According to the sensory stimulation theory, the process of learning can only be effectively achieved if all the senses of the student are stimulated. Laird who noted that the information held by adults has been learnt through seeing first developed this theory. As seeing accounts for 75% of all the information held by an individual, hearing accounts for 13% while smelling accounts for the remaining ratio (Sammut, 2014). This highlights the essence of stimulating the senses during the process of learning before actual information about facts that have been recognized by the sensory nerves can be discussed. As a student undergoing a challenging moment because he is in a non-familiar country and setting, the sensory organs of Petra are less involved in the learning process and this affects her information absorption and retention. As the learning process continues, Petra is absorbed in thoughts about her family and her mother country and this affects her cognitive ability to grasp the information being discussed by the teachers in class (Brauer & Tittle, 2012). By using the sensory simulation theory, the teachers of Petra will engage all his senses in the discussion and enable him to forget the memories of his country and family and focus on

Judicial Assistance In Arbitration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Judicial Assistance In Arbitration - Essay Example This module provides an overview of the agreement by which the parties who decide to submit their disputes to arbitration. This module also discusses the issue known as "separability of the arbitration agreement" and the related principle known as "Kompetenz-Kompetenz". In general, the arbitration agreement provides the basis for arbitration. It is defined as an agreement to submit present or future disputes to arbitration. This concept comprises two basic types: a) A clause in a contract, by which the parties to a contract undertake to submit to arbitration the disputes that may arise in relation to that contract (arbitration clause); or b) An agreement by which the parties to a dispute that has already arisen submit the dispute to arbitration (submission agreement). The arbitration clause therefore refers to disputes not existing when the agreement is executed. Such disputes, it must be noted, might never arise. That is why the parties may define the subject matter of the arbitration by reference to the relationship out of which it derives. The submission agreement refers to conflicts that have already arisen. Hence, it can include an accurate description of the subject matters to be arbitrated.(1)Arbitration is today most commonly used for the re solution of commercial disputes, particularly in the context of international commercial transactions and sometimes used to enforce credit obligations. It is also used in some countries to resolve other types of disputes, such as labour disputes, consumer disputes or family disputes, and for the resolution of certain disputes between states and between investors and states. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Dispute settlement, International commercial settlement, Geneva, New York Convention 2005 2 Under English law, the first law on arbitration was the Arbitration Act 1697. The first recorded judicial decision relating to arbitration was in England in 1610(2). The noted Elizabethan English legal scholar Sir Edward Coke refers to an earlier decision dating from the reign of Edward IV (which ended in 1483). The English courts have wide connection with the arbitration. It is true that that the arbitration proceedings are conducted outside the court. Obviously one can say that there can not be any relationship with the proceedings between the court and arbitration tribunal. An arbitration agreement precludes judges from resolving the conflicts that the parties have agreed to submit to arbitration. If one of the parties files a lawsuit in relation to those matters, the other may challenge the court's jurisdiction on the grounds that the jurisdiction of the courts has been waived. Once a conflict has arisen over any of the subjects included in the arbitration agreement, the courts will have no jurisdiction to resolve it unless both parties expressly or tacitly agree to waive the arbitration agreement. But this is always not true. In certain circumstances, a person can seek any sort of judicial assistance in connection with the arbitration not only in civil matters like, labour disputes, consumer disputes, family matters etc. but also in the dispute in international nature, particularly in commercial disputes. Thereby the court enjoys unlimited powers on such proceedings. Now we shall discuss when and where the party can seek the assistance of the Judiciary. Role of Courts in

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Osama Bin Laden Essay Example for Free

Osama Bin Laden Essay When the United States experienced the simultaneous terror attacks on September 11, 2001, our country launched a manhunt for the person whom all data pointed to as the mastermind of the attack, Osama Bin Laden. It began as a manhunt for the most wanted terrorist in the world with the mission of getting him dead or alive and ending the threat of international terrorism. As time went on though, the facts and figures, as well as the slant of the military objectives got derailed and Osama Though not forgotten, is no longer the focal point of the war on terror. There is enough evidence in the president’s interviews to prove that the country is has bungled every aspect of the manhunt and our leaders have lost sight of their original mission objectives and perhaps hope that the reports of Bin laden’s medical condition are true and that it will kill him. Or maybe they are hoping against hope that one of the bombs dropped in the caves of Afghanistan actually killed him. Reports have surfaced saying that Osama is as dead as he can ever be. Although some say he is still hiding out in Pakistan or Afghanistan. Which is which? If he is alive, why has he not released a video recently to the news media? Is it true that he limits his exposure only to the internet these days? Or, is this a sign that he is indeed dead? This is what bothers me the most. The fact that our countries leaders are more concentrated on Iraq, a country that seems hell-bent on imploding instead of insuring the protection of our own country against the threats of Osama and his cohorts. Nobody is bothering to confirm the real status of Bin Laden right now it seems. I guess nobody will and the hunt for him will remain a 2nd priority until the next time American lives are sacrificed in an even larger terror attack. Is Osama alive or dead? I believe that because of the way things are going now in the hunt for this terrorist, nobody will ever find the real answer. America has too many tongs in the fire and cannot really complete any of the war goals that have been set. Bin Laden’s cohorts will continue to try propagate the idea that Bin Laden is alive even if he is dead by any means possible for them. Maybe he is dead, but the world will never really know the truth because there is no real evidence to point to his being alive or dead. America‘s indifference to proving the status of Bin laden will mean that at present, and even in the future, the threat of world terrorism will continue to exist and be felt throughout the free world and Bin Laden will continue to be the terrorism poster boy.

Learning Communities Essay Example for Free

Learning Communities Essay Concorde Career Institute Orlando has been an educational institution for over 25 years. This organization provides fast-track, health-related programs in various fields. As with any educational institution, proprietary or not, there are many employees-all part of many different departments. Concorde Orlando has developed of a learning community to some extent, but the findings presented in Assignment Two support a need for further development in many areas. Concorde has committed itself to providing online and in-person training in order to continue to connect members of its current learning community. This training usually covers a variety of different objectives and the training is usually provided by outside companies. By utilizing outside agencies to provide training materials, the needs of the organization and its employees are not being evaluated nor met. A more personalized training, tailored to specific and immediate needs is a must. Stronger leadership and a more cohesive working milieu are also imperative. Concorde’s major concerns should be focused upon its communication and teamwork approach but, there are many more areas of that require attention. A cohesive, functional learning environment takes dedication and time. Once those areas are better executed, it can begin to build upon the foundation it has begun to lay. Concorde Career Institution, as a corporation, makes statements that it supports a mature learning environment. The mission statement seems to promote an idealistic working atmosphere that fosters independent thinking, creativity, and a teamwork approach to education. Reality has proven to be different. A motivated and strong team leader should be put into place-one that can appreciate the benefits of a well-built and maturely developed learning community. Concorde Orlando provides a yearly employee evaluation. This valuation is meant to appraise employee performance, acknowledge strengths and identify weaknesses. The employee evaluates himself, and then subsequently, so does his/her immediate supervisor. Depending on the evaluation’s results, it may produce an action plan. This action plan recognizes areas that need to be improved on, provides a strategy by which to improve them and a date in which a reevaluation should take place. Concorde does not necessarily discuss findings in employee performance evaluations with the employees; therefore organizational expectations are not known. This causes confusion and ambiguity. Many organizations have begun to favor consultants when evaluating employee performance. This can assure independent and neutral employee performance feedback. There is research that supports consulting as a strategy for improving teachers implementation of classroom interventions. † Results have supported that internal consultants are able to assess and briefly increase teachers treatment integrity with performance feedback† (Sanetti, et. al, 2013). There is a call, however, for organizations to realize that being proactive instead of reactive is a more logical approach when it comes to employee performance. According to a 2012 Global Workforce Study,† a survey of 32,000 employees across 30 countries, calls for employers to focus on engagement. The report defines such engagement as the intensity of employees connection to their organization based on three factors: the extent of their discretionary effort committed to achieving work goals, an environment that supports productivity in multiple ways, and a work experience that promotes well-being† (TD, 2013). This of course will improve overall employee performance and benefits the organization as a whole. The â€Å"group think† theory suggests that people from similar areas of work and backgrounds have ideas that are familiar are accepted without examination, while those that are unfamiliar are rejected without open consideration (Martin, 2006). Groups affected by group think do not tolerate opinions that do not coincide with their own. A learning community can be especially susceptible to group think when its community members are similar in background, shielded from outside opinions, and when there are no clear rules for decision making. At Concorde, group thinking does not habitually exist. Concorde does consider the input of the community, holding biannual meetings in which area affiliates give their input on school progress, its students and offers suggestions for change. This organization seems to value the input and opinions of others. Community members can feel included when they participate in creating the future direction of their learning community. They will make better decisions when they respect social, environmental and economic needs. When a shared vision is used to devise goals that guide local leadership, the community is well on its way to creating a better, sustainable place for the community (Grunkemeyer and Moss, 2010). Shared visions are an important characteristic of any successful learning community. Concorde Orlando is no exception to this fact. This organization has a clear set of goals to accomplish, and department leaders do communicate these company visions with employees. There does not seem to be a comprehensible plan in place, however, as to how to achieve them. Often times, multiple meetings are held in order to impart the company vision community members. Because we live in a world that is constantly changing and moving, organizations are challenged with conditions that seem to change at the speed of light. Often times, initiatives are poorly planned and executed. These errors can cause crippling effects within an organization. More and more, organizations have come to depend on teamwork. According to Ofoegbu, O. , et. l (2012) â€Å"Teamwork may be an appropriate managerial approach to reducing politics by increasing employees understanding and control, particularly in organizations whose strategic objectives call for employees to work in teams. † Most modern organizations have realized the value and benefits of teamwork and Concorde Orlando is no exception. Most projects are completed by teams. Most issues are resolved through the input of various community members. Many community outreach activities are also organized and carried out by teams. With enrollments being the number one company goal, Concorde Orlando heavily relies on teamwork in order to achieve this. Unfortunately, inappropriate team leaders are often chosen, resulting in poorly executed plans. This can cause major project delays and â€Å"do-over’s†. Dennis J. Elrod (2012), states that â€Å"Great leaders are always learning, whether its from those above them in the hierarchy, their peers, or those they lead. They also dont let opportunities to improve pass them by, so it pays to always be on the lookout for things that may improve your leadership style. There are many different types of leaders and many different types of leadership styles. Leaders not only concern themselves with the organizational goals, but also about the people who are involved in the process. Autocratic and hierarchical models of leadership dominated many businesses and organizations for years. The workplace environment changes from generation to generation. Today, community members are no longer content to go to work in complete obscurity. Employees want to feel significant, stimulated and challenged. Being an effective leader builds a sense of belonging within its learning community. Effective leaders not only increase employee retention, but also improve employee efficiency. Employees are more willing to follow efficient leaders than non-effective individuals. Choosing the right leader is the difference between success and failure. A great team leader needs to understand the organization’s goals and be able to understand what drivers are needed in order to motivate the team members. It is the leader’s job to ensure that great ideas are smartly implemented. The team leader must be able to sell his vision, the organization’s goals and the rewards reaped from the fruits of their labor. He must be able determine which team member could execute what parts of the project, resolve conflicts, and encourage each team member’s creativity and input. Concorde Orlando has a long standing history of ineffective leadership and a very high turn-over rate. During the last year, there have been several personnel changes in the Campus President, Academic Dean and program director positions. This instability and low employee retention ratio in its leadership roles have compromised Concorde Orlando’s credibility with the student body, its employees and the community. Concorde Career Institute has not been a pioneer in the field of communication. Issues are slow to be resolved, meetings are full of redundant material and there is a general fear of communicating with administrators for fear of retaliation. Great communication starts with listening and observing, and this organization has not trained its leaders to do that. Training is requisite in order to learn how to effectively communicate with others in a work environment. Currently, there is no communication training available at Concorde. The same communication methods that have been in place for years are still practiced today. Reevaluation of these methods is needed in order to have more successful communication within its learning community. Internet access provides opportunities for classrooms throughout the world to communicate and collaborate in real time. In the same way, members of the learning community can experience these open new ways of thinking. â€Å"A compendium of organizations and businesses is dedicated to encouraging an emphasis on skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, computer and technology skills, communication, and self-direction skills in US schools and schools worldwide. The educational challenges of the 21st century open up possibilities that, until now, have been beyond imagination† (Roth, 2010). Concorde does utilize different methods of training its employees in order to maximize learning potential. What seems to have been most successful within this learning community is peer leadership. â€Å"Peer leadership contributes to the success of collaborative group learning† (Popejoy and Asala, 2013). Group learning allows all members to be actively involved. When community members are involved in learning processes with their peers, they are more likely to feel comfortable. Concorde Orlando supports and encourages all types of learning models, therefore increases the chance of successful outcomes. Concorde Career Institute-Orlando could be classified as being well on its way to developing a mature learning community. Though this learning community is fraught with quite a few weaknesses, it also has an impressive set of strengths. As long as someone has the initiative and fortitude to move this community forward, Concorde Orlando can prove to be a great success.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The different types of Terrorism Research Methods

The different types of Terrorism Research Methods Terrorism is a subject matter, not a discipline. It has been approached by scholars from various academic perspectives with political scientists in the lead. In an effort to get a firm hold on a slippery subject, those studying the phenomenon of terrorism were obliged to define it more precisely. Terrorism could be described simply as the use or threat of violence to create an atmosphere of fear and alarm and thus bring about a political result. But making this definition operative in political debate, rules of war, or criminal codes was anything but easy. Is all politically motivated violence terrorism? How does terrorism differ from ordinary crime? Should terrorism be considered a crime at all, or should it be seen as simply another form of armed conflict that is no less legitimate than any other form of war? Is the term properly reserved for those trying to overthrow governments, or can governments also be terrorists? Definition was crucial because it ultimately determined the way in which terrorism has been studied. A major problem was that terrorism almost always has a pejorative connotation and thus falls in the same category of words as tyranny and genocide, unlike such relatively neutral terms such as war and revolution. One can aspire to objective and dispassionate research, but one cannot be neutral about terrorism any more than one can be neutral about torture. Thus, defining terrorism became an effort not only to delineate a subject area but also to maintain its illegitimacy. Even the most clinical inquiry was laden with values and therefore political issues. The very study of terrorism implied to some a political decision. Terrorism can be defined objectively by the quality of the act, not by the identity of the perpetrators or the nature of their cause. All terrorist acts are crimes, and many also would be war crimes or grave breaches of the rules of war if one accepted the terrorists assertion that they wage war. All terrorist acts involve violence or the threat of violence, sometimes coupled with explicit demands. The violence is directed against noncombatants (Lesser, 1999). The purposes are political. The actions often are carried out in a way that will achieve maximum publicity, and the perpetrators are usually members of an organized group. Terrorist organizations are by necessity clandestine, but unlike other criminals, terrorists often but not always claim credit for their acts. Finally the hallmark of terrorism the acts are intended to produce psychological effects. This introduces a distinction between the actual victims of terrorist violence and the target audience. The connection between the victim and the target of terrorism can be remote. The identity of the victims may be secondary or even irrelevant to the terrorist cause. Pure terrorism is entirely indiscriminate violence. Terrorism differs from ordinary crime in its political purpose and its primary objective. However, not all politically motivated violence is terrorism, nor is terrorism synonymous with guerilla war or any other kind of war. Terrorist techniques can be used by governments or those fighting against governments: however, scholars generally use the term terror when discussing fear-producing tactics employed by governments and terrorism when referring to tactics used by those fighting against governments. The distinction is primarily semantic. Both groups may use threats, assassinations, or abductions, but government terror also may include arbitrary imprisonment, concentration camps, torture, mind-affecting techniques, and the use of drugs for political purposes. Antigovernment terrorists generally lack the infrastructure for such tactics. Government terror produces more victims than terrorism does. Terrorists tend to seek more publicity than do governments (Lesser, 1999). Although a prerequisite to empirical research, the attempt to define terrorism inevitably lent greater coherence to disparate acts of violence than did any analysis offered by the terrorists themselves, few of whom thought of assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, and airline hijackings as elements of a unified tactical repertoire, let alone the basis of a strategy. Ironically, in an effort to understand a phenomenon, researchers ran the risk of attributing to terrorists a level of strategic thinking they may not have possessed. Qualitative, case-study research method has dominated the terrorism topic for many years. Since the number of observations in the greater part of this work is really small, researchers have been cautious to delineate terrorism to fit the cases under examination. The undersized quantity of observations, regrettably, often disallows unreliable dubious parts of the definition. In one country, for instance, hostility against the military might take place, but in the second country it might not. In an assessment of the first country, one could diverge the definition beyond civilian targets to military targets. In an assessment of the second country, one could not diverge the definition to investigate the implications of unreliable degrees from minimal to maximal definitions (Lesser, 1999). In current research on terrorism in the science writing, there is plenty of room to diverge the definition of terrorism to identify with its consequences. Specifically, there is no need to decide on one particular definition of terrorism; multiple definitions can be allowed and then the effects can be empirically sorted out. Empirical analysis might generate two measures of terrorism: one with civilians as the target and the second with both civilians and the military at peace time as the target. Moreover, empirical analysis may demonstrate whether results are alike or diverse dependent on the measure. And any results would have implications for future theoretical and empirical research (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2004). As science research on terrorism is turning out to be more and more quantitative, enough deviation is present within most databases on terrorism to investigate variations on definitions. Researchers should make lucid conceptual and conjectural arguments, but on main points of contention, empirical analysis can clarify what significant role the contention plays when implemented in a large quantity of cases. Research on terrorism has been very prolific in some fields, but carries on to spin its wheels in other ones. In general, the primary requirement is that units of scrutiny should be chosen to fit the theoretical argument, which often does not take place. Carrying attention away from definitional subject might result in great progress in the research of terrorism (Lesser, 1999). Among the latest applications of agent-based modeling to terrorism is Leweling and Nissen (2007). They apply ABMs to assess how various counterterrorism choices influence horizontally versus vertically organized terrorist groups. Here goes one impending frontier for terrorism research: applying dynamic agent-based models to create predictions about which policies by governments can efficiently trim down terrorism. Akin to many of the formal models in the records of terrorism articles, there is no empirical analysis of the predictions of this exacting model. Combining event data on terrorist attacks with agent-based models is a would-be promising way to the fore. Much research on terrorism has focused more narrowly on the topic. In part, this reflects the desire of researchers to avoid the murky, politically loaded area of underlying causes, where any discussion might be seen as condemnation or rationalization of terrorist violence. Nonetheless, there have been excellent case studies of individual groups and their tactics. Defining terrorism in terms of the act has enabled researchers to maintain a theoretically objective approach and conduct at least some primitive quantitative analysis. Event-based analysis has enabled them to discern broad patterns and trends and chart the growth of terrorism and its diffusion around the globe. They have been able to demonstrate statistically that as terrorism has increased in volume, it has also become bloodier. Researchers were able to illustrate a clear trend toward incidents of large-scale indiscriminate violence in the 1980s and infer that terrorists tend to be more imitative than innovative in their tactics. Event-based analysis also has permitted researchers to distinguish the operational profiles of specific terrorist groups, and these profiles have been useful in identifying changes in a groups modus operandi. At the same time, event-based analysis has led the analysts into some methodological traps. An exclusive focus on terrorist actions, for example, resulted in terrorists being viewed first as if they were all part of a single entity and second as if they were almost extraterrestrial. While there are connections and alliances among some terrorist groups, the only thing the terrorists of the world have in common is a propensity for violence and certain tactics. Moreover, each group is rooted in its own social, political, and cultural soil, and cross-national comparisons are difficult. This has led to the question of whether there is such a thing as a terrorist-prone society. It is, however, dangerous to attribute the actions of a few to perceived political defects or cultural flaws of a society as a whole, and researchers attempts to discern deeper causes or conditions that lead to high levels of terrorism in certain societies have produced meager results. Terrorism is not demonstrably a response to poverty or political oppression. The liberal democracies of Western Europe have suffered high levels of terrorist violence, while totalitarian states are virtually free of terrorism. Overall, countries with perceived terrorist problems tend to be comparatively advanced politically and economically. They are more highly urbanized and have higher per capita incomes, larger middle classes, more university students, and higher rates of literacy. One may ask whether political and economic advancement simply brings a more modern form of political violence. One obstacle to linking high levels of terrorism with environmental factors is the problem of measuring terrorism. For the most part, this has been done by counting terrorist incidents, but international terrorism was narrowly and, more important, artificially defined to include only incidents that cause international concern, a distinction that has meant very little to the terrorists. Counting all terrorist incidents, both local and international, is better but still inadequate. Terrorist tactics, narrowly defined, represent most of what some groups, particularly those in Western Europe, do but for other groups, terrorism represents only one facet of a broader armed conflict. In civil war situations, such as that in Lebanon in the 1970s, separating incidents of terrorism from the background of violence and bloodshed was futile and meaningless. And what about the extensive unquantified political and communal violence in the rural backlands of numerous third world countries? Broad sta tements about terrorist-prone or violence-prone societies simply cannot be made by measuring only a thin terrorist crust of that violence, if at all. The problem, however, is not merely one of counting. Although terrorists arise from the peculiarities of local situations, they may become isolated in a tiny universe of beliefs and discourse that is alien to the surrounding society. German terrorists were German, but were they Germany? In the final analysis, one is forced to dismiss the notion of a terrorist-prone society. If terrorism cannot be explained by environmental factors, one must look into the mind of the individual terrorist for an explanation. Are there individuals who are prone to becoming terrorists a preterrorist personality? Encouraged by superficial similarities in the demographic profiles of terrorists many of them have been urban middle and upper class (not economically deprived) males in their early twenties with university or at least secondary school educations researchers searched for common psychological features. Behavioral analysts painted an unappealing portrait: The composite terrorist appeared to be a person who was narcissistic, emotionally flat, easily disillusioned, incapable of enjoyment, rigid, and a true believer who was action-oriented and risk seeking. Psychiatrists could label terrorists as neurotic and possibly sociopathic, but they found that most of them were not clinically insane. Some behavioral analysts looked for deeper connections between terrorists attitude toward parents and their attitudes toward authority. A few went further in claiming a physiological explanation for terrorism based on inner ear disorders, but these assertions were not given wide credence in the scientific community. The growing number of terrorists apprehended and imprisoned in the 1980s permitted more thorough studies, but while these studies occasionally unearthed tantalizing similarities, they also showed terrorists to be a diverse lot. Much research on terrorism has been government-sponsored and therefore oriented toward the practical goal of understanding terrorism in order to defeat it. While social scientists looked for environmental or behavioral explanations for terrorism, other researchers attempted to identify terrorist vulnerabilities and successful countermeasures. They achieved a measure of success in several areas. Studies of the human dynamics of hostage situations led to the development of psychological tactics that increased the hostages chances of survival and a better understanding (and therefore more effective treatment) of those who had been held hostage. In some cases, specific psychological vulnerabilities were identified and exploited. With somewhat less success, researchers also examined the effects of broader policies, such as not making concessions to terrorists holding hostages and using military retaliation. The conclusion in this area were less clear-cut. Another area of research concerned the effects of terrorism on society. Here, researchers viewed terrorism as consisting of not only the sum of terrorist actions but also the fear and alarm produced by those actions. Public opinion polls, along with measurable decisions such as not flying and avoiding certain countries, provided the measure of effect. Some critics who are skeptical of the entire field of terrorism analysis assert that the state and its accomplice scholars have invented terrorism as a political issue to further state agendas through manipulation of fear, the setting of public discourse, preemptive constructions of good and evil, and the creation of deliberate distractions from more serious issues. Terrorism, a pejorative term that is useful in condemning foes, has generated a lot of fear mongering, and the issue of terrorism has been harnessed to serve other agendas, but one would have to set aside the reality of terrorist campaigns to see terrorism solely as an invention of the hegemonic state. While such deconstructions reveal the ideological prejudices of their authors, they nonetheless have value in reminding other analysts to be aware of the lenses through which they view terrorism. Over the years, research on terrorism has become more sophisticated, but in the end, terrorism confronts people with fundamental philosophical questions: Do ends justify means? How far does one go on behalf of a cause? What is the value of an individual human life? What obligations do governments have toward their own citizens if, for example, they are held hostage? Should governments or corporations ever bargain for human life? What limits can be imposed on individual liberties to ensure public safety? Is the use of military force, as a matter of choice, ever appropriate? Can assassination ever be justified? These are not matters of research. They are issues that have been dictated through the ages. The free creation and exchange of knowledge by scientists can present dangerous, unintended consequences for society. A paper by Ronald Jackson and other researchers found that the insertion of IL-4 genes into mousepox viruses resulted in near total immunosuppression (Jackson, Ramsay, Christensen, et al. 2001). This advanced valuable knowledge about immune system functioning, but it also evoked fears that terrorists could use such knowledge to engineer hyper-virulent viruses. Similarly, the journal Science published a paper in 2002 that showed how to assemble a poliovirus from readily available chemicals (Cello, Aniko, Eckerd 2002). The threat of terrorist acts has caused political leaders and members of the scientific community to question whether such knowledge should be created, and if so, how its publication and exchange should be regulated. The twentieth century provided several examples of tradeoffs between security and openness in the pursuit of knowledge. The Manhattan Project that produced the first atomic bomb cultivated a culture of secrecy. A similar culture developed among researchers studying microwaves during World War II. During the Cold War, the U.S. government attempted to constrain information exchange in some areas of mathematics and the physical sciences that may have aided Soviet nuclear weapons development (Monastersky 2002). In 1975, an international group of scientists held the Asilomar conference to debate the proper use and regulatory oversight of recombinant DNA research. During the late 1970s, the National Security Agency (NSA) regulated cryptographers developing new algorithms, but the two groups eventually agreed to a system of voluntary submission of papers for review. In 2002, the U.S. government began to withdraw from public release more than 6,600 technical documents dealing mainly with the production of germ and chemical weapons. In a controversial move, the U.S. national policy for the restriction of information that may threaten national security was altered in the wake of the September 11 attacks to include restrictions on publication of federally-financed research deemed to be sensitive but not classified (Greenberg 2002). As these examples illustrate, limitations on research and the availability of technical knowledge can come in the form of self-imposed screening mechanisms by the scientific community or government regulation. The Asilomar conference, for example, led to a suite of self-policing mechanisms within the scientific community, including the decentralized system of Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs). This same mechanism has been proposed by the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) as a way to prevent the misuse of biological research by terrorists. The NSABB also works to develop codes of conduct for researchers and laboratory workers, which underscores the importance of ethical conduct by individuals, especially where no rules exist or where the precise meaning of rules is unclear. Some professional associations and journals, including Science and Nature, have instituted procedures to give special scrutiny to papers that raise security concerns (Malakoff 2003). P utting such control in the hands of journal editors has caused some to argue that an advisory group like the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) would be a better mechanism. Mitchel Wallerstein (2002) points out that the dangers posed by terrorists acquiring sensitive science and technology information differ from the state-related threats that were of primary concern during World War II and the Cold War. Terrorists generally do not seek out and would not be able to use the results of most basic research, but states may possess the intellectual and financial capital necessary to turn basic research into weapons. Daniel Greenberg (2002) contends that terrorists do not rely on new science. Rather, readily accessible information that has long been available suffices to fulfill most of the goals of terrorist organizations. Restricting the publication of information deemed sensitive and controlling access to technologies and research materials can help achieve security goals, but not without costs (Knezo 2002a). Some impacts are relatively minor, such as new standards for the construction and management of laboratories. Other impacts are more severe, including the impact of national security policy measures on the research process. Tightened laboratory access policies, publication rules, and visa restrictions may reduce the number of applications by foreign students to U.S. universities and colleges. This could hamper cross-cultural understanding. According to State Department rules, consular officials may deny visas for study in the United States in sixteen categories specified on the Technology Alert List to students from countries listed as state sponsors of terrorism. Additional exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the withdrawal of information from federal agency websites have al so sparked concerns about constraints on legitimate scientific work and academic freedoms. Scientific research and technological innovations can improve performance of all phases, from threat analyses and vulnerability assessments to post-attack investigations and restoration of services. For example, the Bush administration established BioWatch, a nationwide system of sensors to detect the presence of certain pathogens, and a public-health surveillance system that monitors the databases of eight major cities for signs of disease outbreaks. Early warning systems can detect the presence of certain pathogens by utilizing computer chips and antibodies or pieces of DNA (Casagranda 2002). Explosives-detection technologies have also been spurred since September 11, 2001 in order to bolster airline security. Other examples include the use of biometrics (e.g., fingerprints and retinal signatures) to develop national security identity cards. The shipping industry is slowly adopting new security measures such as sophisticated seals and chemical sensors. Other researchers are developing strategies for securing information systems. Military infrared countermeasures for surface-to-air missiles may be used on civilian aircraft. Technologies for decontamination, blast-resistant walls, and protective gear for first responders are other components of research programs. Increasing flexibility and innovating measures to isolate failing elements could increase security of more complex technical systems such as transportation and communication infrastructures. Researching and developing broader applications of renewable energy can harden the energy infrastructure. Social scientists and psychologists also provide research for understanding causes and motivations of terrorists as well as the dynamics of terrorist group formation. Some (e.g., Susser, Herman, Aaron 2002) have demonstrated that, because terrorists choose targets to maximize psychological impact, mental health must be considered a top response priority. With all of these potential applications of science and technology, decision makers need to address questions about how to coordinate, organize, prioritize, and evaluate investments to serve the goals of security and public health. Genevieve Knezo (2002b) reported that prior to September 11, 2001, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and other authorities had questioned whether the U.S. government was adequately prepared to conduct and use RD to prevent and combat terrorism. Partially in response to the need to better coordinate counterterrorism efforts (including RD), the cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created by legislative act in 2002. This incorporated half of all homeland security funding within a single agency. In addition to legislative activity, new advisory bodies such as the NSABB have been formed to guide the creation of new rules and development of new institutions to maximize the benefits of science and technology while minimizing unintende d negative impacts. Increased scientific research on counterterror measures will create new knowledge and opportunities for terrorist exploitation, which will create new challenges for securing that knowledge. Given that security, health, and civil liberties are at stake in decisions about science and terrorism, it is important that measures be taken to involve and inform citizens. This entry has focused on actions by the U.S. government because it plays a leading role in matters of science and terrorism. But other countries and international coalitions face similar ethical dilemmas and policy choices. Private companies own many of the infrastructures that are targets for terrorist attacks, so regulations may be required to induce the private sector to invest in counterterrorism technologies that may not have commercial markets. Some scientific research, however, may have viable market applications, meaning that some of the RD burden can be privatized, which raises other ethical issues that partially mi rror those involved in the privatization of war.