Analysis of American Psycho Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysis of American Psycho - Essay Example However, competition is inevitable when many men are together. It can occur over simple matter or it can also occur over more important aspects such as leadership. In Bateman’s world, the worth of a man is defined by the quality and prestige of a business card. This makes a lot of sense: since representatives of this group can through money into each other, figuratively speaking, they agreed on the idea that a business card should become a representative of its holder. That is why every man around Bateman is concerned with making his card better than others. This is what gives the plot the initial development: the main character is outraged when he learns that one of his friends has a better card than he does. What is more important is that the above mentioned closely connected world of successful men is reinforced with a handful of notions that are widely promoted. One of them is homophobia (Sedgwick 51). For example, Luis Carruthers misinterprets one of the actions of Batema n and declares his love for him, but the latter rejects him in disgust. This scene is extremely important since it puts emphasis on two aspects. First of all, Carruthers who is supposedly gay had to conceal his true identity because of the fear that others would condemn him which is the metaphorical closet (Sedgwick 50). In addition to that, when he speaks out his true feelings Bateman, being an average representative of this high-end part of the population, rejects him, suggesting that homophobia is a norm in this environment.

Summative assessment Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Summative assessment Case Study - Essay Example ntifies the biological, psychological and sociological perspectives on social interventions in the child development in relation to Connor in the case study. Some of the resilience traits and behaviours exhibited by children can be linked to the family set-up. The early childhood experiences are crucial in the determination childhood behaviour. Bowlbys Attachment Theory explains that the mental health and the challenges facing a person’s behaviour can be attributed to their early childhood behaviour (London, 2011; Heard, Lake and McCluskey, 2009). The theory stipulates that children are born biologically-configured to establish attachments with other people. The attachment behaviours are exemplified as fixed action patterns that share the same pattern. The angry outbursts that Connor exhibits could be biologically linked to his mother, Julie, who has a criminal record. Sarah, the relative who is supposed to take care of the boy, also has a criminal record. Connor’s inefficient speech skills and motor coordination can also be linked to Sarah, who has mild learning difficulties and performed dismally in school. Being placed u nder care of his aunt at the age of three years means that Connor should be made aware of maternal status i.e. should be informed that Sarah is not his biological mother. This may affect him emotionally leading to a negative influence on the motor coordination. The Community can also contribute in the determination of the behaviour of a child (Pereira, 2011). In the early childhood, Connor may emulate some of the behaviours from those around him. This is supported by Bowbly’s theory that asserts that a child behaves in a way that elicits contact to the care giver (Cortina and Marrone, 2004). The causes of resilient can also emanate from the child factors. The factors are primarily concerned with the physical development of the body, including the brain and the body. According to Aldgate (2006), every body development occurs according to a

Assessing the decline of the pub industry

Assessing the decline of the pub industry The Leisure Industry is one of the major part of UK economy and has many branches. The key components of UK leisure industry includes pubs, bars, restaurants, cinemas, sport and physical recreation, arts and entertainment, countryside recreation, home based leisure and activity based leisure. Pub industry plays a vital role in community cohesion and social life in Britain and attracts millions of tourists every year. Pubs are frequently remaining few places where communities come together to socialize. Mintel Report states that in 2008 the pub sector experienced some of the toughest trading conditions because of the reasons like smoking ban, licensing laws, credit crunch, changing dining habits and cheap supermarket booze. Despite facing the tough conditions it is still on top of the UK leisure industry holding maximum share. The following report will show changing trends in UK Pub industry along with analyses articles written on Pub industry and showing data taken from Mintel UK lei sure industry review report and then exploring the Pub industry information to possible events to be included within the portfolio. Smoking Ban Since the smoking ban was introduced there has been a marked decline in number of pubs in UK. There was an expectation that smoking ban would become more appealing to a wider consumer base such as women and families. The ban has shown the rise in the food business, however the loss of frustrates smokers has not been matched by the influx of new pub goers. Between 2004 and 2007 all of the four United Kingdom legislatures voted to introduce a ban on smoking in most enclosed public places and workplaces. The bans came after considerable debate centered around the risks of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and especially on the likely impact of a ban on the hospitality industry and particularly Britains pubs. (Paraphrase It and give PUB Visiting Mintel referencing -According to an Office for National Statistics report (2008/09) on visiting pubs since smoking restrictions were introduced, by smoking status; one in four smokers went to the pub more often before the smoking ban, compa red to one in five non-smokers who go more often nowadays. Mintel Pub Visiting Report (2010) shows that while a third of consumers (32%) agree drinking outside the home is more enjoyable since the smoking ban, there are mixed reports as to whether the smoke-free laws have achieved the health benefits expected. A report by NHS Information in September 2009 stated that men over the age of 35 smoke fewer cigarettes than before the ban, but younger men have started smoking more since it was introduced. Positive findings from the report were that a third of smokers now stay at home to smoke instead of going out, resulting in adults being exposed to less second-hand smoke than before the ban. Credit Crunch, Changing Dining Habits, Higher Taxes and Cheap alcohol selling by supermarkets White (2009) states that the UK Pub industry is facing perfect storm and finding it hard to compete with cheap alcohol sold at supermarkets, a trend increasing amid the credit crunch. Mintel Report shows that pub sales declined after the increase in taxes with their new licensing laws done by government and recession which led in increase of alcohol sold at supermarkets resulting in people changing dining habits. In 2007 Pub industry earned 26000 million pounds however in 2009 UK Pub industry earning has been gone down to 24000 million pounds resulting in loss of 2000 million pounds. According to Pratten (2003) the reason for falling trade is the major changes in pattern of leisure. Home entertainment became increasingly popular with an increase in rented videos and television. When combining the greater varieties of take away food and the lower prices of alcohol at the off licenses and supermarkets, a night at home become more attractive to people and the use of licensed retail prem ises fell. Moreover people are more willing to save for foreign holidays. As shown in Figure 2.2, the value of market was showing an increase until 2007; however it dropped by 3.08 percent in 2008 and 4.76 percent in 2009. Muir (2009) states that the changing consumer taste in alcoholic beverages in one of the factor of long term decline. Beer is the mainstay of pub incomes and yet beer consumption has fallen significantly in the last thirty years as show in Figure 2. 3. The Pub Industry is also facing tough competition from alternative leisure pursuits. The relative affluence of the last decade saw a significant rise in the number of people eating out in restaurants and there was a threefold increase in the rate of new restaurant openings between 1992 and 2007. (BBC News Online 2007). According to Mintel Report (2009) there has been a sharp increase in number of live sports event attendees from 2004 to 2009. In Addition, there has also been a significant rise in cinema attendees in recent years, which reached a 38 year high in the summer of 2007(The Independent 2007). According to the figures published in BBPA Statistical handbook 2010, there was a sharp, 6% decline in total alcohol consumption in 2009, making it the fourth annual decline in five years. UK drinkers are now consuming 13% less alcohol than in 2004. UK consumption remains below the average for the EU The UK Pub licensees are also facing rising cost. Increased materials and utilities prices have been passed on by the brewers in the higher wholesale price of beer. A shortage of malting barley and rising demand for bio-fuels has seen barley prices increase faster than inflation. Packaging costs have also been driven up by rising energy prices (BBPA 2008b). Licensees have seen their own operating costs increase. For example licensees have had to spend increasing amounts on entertainment to stay competitive. A recent survey by the ALMR found that their members third largest cost was entertainment. The 2003 Licensing Act abolished the two in a bar rule which had meant that no licence was r equired for putting on two live performers. In addition many pubs rely on live football to bring people through the door and Sky television fees have continued to increase. These are calculated on the rateable value of the pub and this can be disproportionately expensive for small pubs in higher rated rural areas.(APPBG 2008). Why Pubs matter The UK Pubs act as hubs for the development of social network between local people. As per data shown in figure 3.1 by CAMRA Omnibus survey (January 2009) 36 percent of the people said that pubs were important for get together compared with local cafes and restaurants showing 20 percent and 15 percent for local shops. According to APPBG (2008) the pub industry amounts to 2 percent of national GDP and community pubs provide 350,000 full or part time jobs. Mintel (2010) latest report on Pub visiting shows that 34 pubs were closed per week which were drink led and 5 pubs were closed which were food-led between July to December 2009. According to CGA, the pub closure rate has slowed to 29 per week for the first six months of 2010. At it worse, the pub closure rate was 52 pubs per week.( Morning Advertiser 2010). In addition, government has unveiled measures to protect british pubs which include 3.3 million pounds to be spent on business support to make pubs more successful and to help communities buy into struggling premises to keep them open. Pubs will be allowed to extend into ventures including restaurants, gift shops and book shops without planning permission. (BBC News) In addition to this benefit, pubs add a great deal to UK economy and hold a highest share in UK leisure industry. As per data shown in graph below, Pub industry holds 35 % share of total leisure industry by earning 24000 million pounds in 2009 According to news published in Guardian the government would be consulting on the introduction of banning low cost alcohol sales. Report suggested that supermarkets will be banned from selling wine, beer and spirits below a national minimum price. Conclusion The UK Pub industry is more than retail business which act as a local institution for encouraging people to mix with others from different background. In recent years the pub industry has been hit hard with thousands of pubs closed due to recession, smoking ban, high rents. But in any downturn there are opportunities which are investing in an independent or managed Pub located in central place offering good variety of food and drinks along with warm and friendly environment. While the pubs remain biased towards men, pub needs to sell wine and ciders to attract women market. In addition, the steps taken by government to save pubs are a good option to invest in pub industry.

Suffering Patients Need Medical Marijuana Essay -- Argumentative Persu

Suffering Patients Need Medical Marijuana If a doctor told you that you could either go blind in three years from glaucoma or break the law by smoking pot, which would you choose? If marijuana could prolong your life by allowing you to continue cancer chemotherapy without the unending vomiting and nausea, would you consider it? If cannabis could stop epileptic seizures that had plagued you since childhood, would you use it? This medicine can benefit patients suffering from these and many other afflictions, but it is being withheld; they are being denied a right granted to all living things—that of self-preservation. â€Å"It’s not about drugs, it’s about letting men fight,† George McMahon told me when I was fortunate enough to speak with him about cannabis prohibition. McMahon is one of the last eight people in the United States currently receiving medical marijuana from the federal government. George was born with the need for drugs to help his condition—Nail Patella Syndrome (a rare neurological disorder). By the age of one he was being given beer, opiates before the age three, and had two forced addictions, to codeine and morphine, by the age of fourteen. He’s had every drug in the book, but marijuana is the one that helps: â€Å"This is damn good medicine, and it works the same every time.† George was able to obtain marijuana through the federally regulated Investigational New Drug (IND) program, but it took him over two years to get past the repetitious paperwork. Few individuals were lucky enough to enter the program, and many didn’t last through the application period: â€Å"A lot of people tried to get in, and most of them have died,† says George. Later, 34 patients were approved for the program but were de... ...eting and Interviews (CBC). San Francisco, June 7, 1996. Gorman, Peter. â€Å"Marijuana and AIDS.† High Times Dec. 1994: 26+. Grinspoon, Lester, M.D., and James B. Bakalar. Marihuana: The Forbidden Medicine. New Haven: Yale UP, 1993. Leveritt, Mara. â€Å"Reefer Madness: Pot’s Tab in the War On Drugs.† The Arkansas Times. 16 September, 1993: 11-12. Available: http://www.calyx.net/~olsen/MEDICAL â€Å"Medical Marijuana in Australia.† Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics News. Spring 1995. Available: http://www.calyx.net/~olsen/MEDICAL McMahon, George. Telephone Interview, May 30, 1996. National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Marijuana Prohibition: A Colossal Failure. Washington D.C., 1995. Young, Francis L. â€Å"In The Matter of MDMA Scheduling.† Docket No. 84-48. May 22, 1986. Available: http://www.damicon.fi/drugs/mdma.scheduling.html

Why Was Stormont Dissolved in 1972?

Why was Stormont Dissolved in 1972? Eighty- seven years have passed and partition within Ireland still remains the island’s defining feature. Since the six county country of Northern Ireland was formed under the umbrella organisation of the United Kingdom in 1921, Northern Ireland has experienced two periods of its history that are so extreme in their differences. For the first fifty or so years of Northern Ireland’s existence the situation between both sides of the community, the Protestants and the Catholics was peaceful and there was very little hostility or violence between them. Northern Ireland was essentially governed by peaceful co- existence as the government at Stormont ruled with relative ease. However, towards the late 1960s, the history of Northern Ireland changed, as what was to become the darkest period in the country’s short history, ‘the Troubles’, ensued between the Protestant and Catholic sides of the community and threatened to destroy Northern Ireland. In a period that lasted around thirty years, Northern Ireland became a war zone, characterised by bombings, shootings and sectarian violence as the two communities fought to defend their beliefs and protect one another from the so- called ‘other side’. However it is the first three years of ‘the Troubles’, from 1969- 1972 and the dissolution off Stormont that will be the focus of this essay. The dissolution off Stormont in 1972 ended fifty years of Home Rule in the province and led to over two decades of Direct Rule from Westminster. But why was Stormont dissolved in 1972? In this essay I will answer this question but it is important to note that there is no single reason why. The dissolution off Stormont was a multi- causal event brought about, by what I see, as five key causes; the failures of the Unionist Government to reform and control security; the formation of the Provisional IRA (PIRA) and its escalation of violence; Internment and the subsequent PIRA backlash; the formation of the UDA and its systematic killing programme and finally Bloody Sunday and its aftermath. The failures of the unionist government’s to provide sufficient reform, satisfying to both sides and their failure to control the security situation within Northern Ireland from 1969- 1972 was an important factor in the eventual dissolution of Stormont in 1972. During the latter part of Terence O’Neill’s premiership the failure of unionism was on the cards, even then, as his attempted ‘five oint programme’ of reforms was greeted with scepticism by both unionists and nationalists â€Å"and the Paisleyites were fired by what was seen as a concession to militant pressure†¦while others- as events demonstrated- saw only a mixture of weakness and begrudgery. [1] In February 1969, O’Neill’s failure to secure an indisputable mandate showed that the collapse of unionism was beginning to develop because as he suggested, â€Å"old prejudices were too strong for people to break out of the mould of sectarian politics once and for all,†[ 2] His successor James Chichester- Clark inherited what was a difficult situation, that became worse during the marching season of 1969. The failure of the unionist government to successfully control security and the devastating riots, which spread to Belfast following the annual Apprentice Boy’s demonstration in Derry in August, showed just how incapable they were of protecting the people of Northern Ireland and forced Chichester- Clark to request the support of the British army. This was a humiliation, and it underlined the failure of the Stormont administration to deal with either the political or the policing challenges of the popular uprising that was occurring: the decision added a military dimension to the complete financial dependence of the regime on London, and thus paved the way for direct rule. [3]The army was a last desperate measure and although welcomed by Catholics at the beginning, the GOC Lieutenant- general Sir Ian Freeland warned that â€Å"the Honeymoon period between troops and local people is likely to be short lived†. [4] Indeed it was as Catholics lost faith in the army’s ability to protect them, due to â€Å"the failure to ban the 1970 Orange parades, and the massive arms search and curfew of the Lower Falls Road† and directed their support towards the increasingly more militant PIRA. 5] By bringing in the British army, the Unionist Government aroused â€Å"great fear and passion†¦and many Catholics believed that the Unionists had neither the will nor the capacity to make the changes the British Government proposed†, therefore alienating the Nationalist community and gave fuel to the PIRA’s rise because of its inability to bring in reforms that would have a positive affect on them. 6] Together with an inability of the unionist party to rule itself, as a â€Å"vote of no confidence by the Unionist Party executive in the Government’s law and order policies† illustrated in 1970, these factors showed the weak and futile nature of the unionist Government. Further more, alongside later factors which will be discusse d later in the essay, such as Internment, these unionist failures helped to pave the way for Stormont to be dissolved in 1972. The formation of PIRA in 1970 proved to be a major downfall of Stormont. The nationalist community left alienated and feeling unsafe under the Stormont administration increasingly turned their support to Sean MacStiofain and the PIRA and its military policies allowing it to gain momentum in its aims, â€Å"to provide all possible assistance to’ or people’ in the North, left defenceless against the violence of ‘sectarian bigots† and free the Irish people from British rule. [7] The strategy of PIRA was in three phases, designed to eventually bring about the eventual overthrow of British rule in Northern Ireland. Phase one was of a purely defensive nature, avoiding confrontation with the army and â€Å"providing material, financial and training assistance for Northern PIRA units. †[8] â€Å"As soon as it became feasible and practical, the Provisional IRA would move from a purely defensive position to a phase of ‘combined defence and retaliation. †[9] The final phase, therefore, was â€Å"launching an all- out offensive action against the ‘British occupation system’. †[10] The PIRA came into action after Orange Order parades in June 1970, which Catholics saw as a â€Å"demonstration of Protestant power†. 11] The riots which followed saw the killing of five Protestants by the PIRA. Unfortunately for the people of Northern Ireland, the Falls Road curfew imposed by the Chichester- Clark government following this PIRA involvement only served to increase the paramilitary movement’s support base and lose support for the British army and it led to the escalation of violence within the province. The PIRA’s â€Å"campaign was stepped up from the bombing of economic targets to attacks on British army personnel† and on February 6th 1971 the first member of the regular British army was killed. 12] The violence only escalated further during 1971, as the Stormont administration struggled to cope with the unprecedented ferocity of the PIRA’s violence. â€Å"By July 55 people had died violently; In the first seven months of 1971 there were over 300 explosions and 320 shooting incidents†, which heaped an enormous amount of pressure upon Stormont, that it ultimately was not able to cope with and as we will see later in the essay this led brain Faulkner to undertake what became one of the defining nails in the coffin of Stormont, the introduction of ’Internment’. 13] The aspect that strikes you the most about Internment is the scale on which it was a failure, not to mention just how bias it was. It was a major blunder by the Unionist Government under Brian Faulkner â€Å"because it failed to bring about the seizure of the leading members of the Provisional IRA† simply because it lacked the necessary and relevant intelligence that was needed. â€Å"Internment was entirely one- sided. No attempt was made to arrest loyalist suspects despite the UVF’s record of violence†¦There was not a single person on the army’s list of 452 names who was not an anti- partionist. [14] The result of Internment â€Å"was massive alienation among the minority, and mounting enthusiasm for the PIRA. It exacerbated the levels of political violence within the region as â€Å"from 1 January to 8 August 1971, thirty- four people had been killed†¦but from the introduction of Internment until the end of the year139 people died as a result of political violence. †[15] Internment also underpinned the SDLP’s boycott of Stormont, and therefore destroyed Faulkne r’s very tentative move towards power- sharing. 16] It was a world- wide disaster for unionism. It portrayed unionism as being sectarian and bias and brought the collapse of Stormont into its home straight as PIRA lashed out against it with a ruthless offensive. â€Å"During August 1971 there were 131 bomb attacks, 196 in September and 117 in October. It seemed that the PIRA was making a concerted attempt to destroy Northern Ireland’s economy, with the short- term aim of drawing the security forces away from Catholic enclaves and the long- term objective of forcing Britain to abandon the region. [17] It seemed to be working as the economy was only rising by one percent in 1971 and British opinion was that it was willing to ditch Northern Ireland. The PIRA were it seemed successfully bringing about the British withdrawal from the region. The protestant reaction to this enormous offensive being carried out by the PIRA was to fight fire with fire, as they formed their ow n paramilitary group, the ‘Ulster Defence Association’ (UDA). The formation of the UDA in September 1971 was the crystallisation of the fears of working- class Protestants, who believed that the threat which the PIRA posed was too great and was not being dealt with by Stormont or Westminster. Instead they saw both governments as giving in to Nationalist pressure and giving them too many concessions. Just like Republican paramilitarism, â€Å"the growth of loyalist paramilitarism was related to the increasing levels of violence and the perception that the security forces could not contain violent republicanism. [18] The Unionist community did not feel safe or protected by the Unionist Government under Faulkner, and like Nationalists sought protection from a paramilitary organisation that could fight the PIRA. At the same time, however, the UDA’s formation served to add to the already hostile situation that was raging within Northern Ireland and as a result put another nail into the coffin of the Stormont administration. By now Direct Rul e was inevitable, and it was a question of when not if it would be introduced. The UDA’s formation and systematic outbreak of violence did nothing but heighten the tension between the Protestant and Catholic sides of the religious divide. â€Å"The UDA’s long- term aim was the ‘DEFENCE of ULSTER against ALL who would destroy her’; its short- term aims were the ‘restoration of law and order to every street in N. Ireland,’ to ‘prevent further disintegration of our society,’ and to ‘begin rebuilding our Community both materially and spiritually. †[19]Throughout late 1971 and 1972, when it killed over one hundred Catholics, who were seen as being disloyal to Northern Ireland, the UDA, along with around another forty loyalist paramilitary groups carried out unplanned and usually spontaneous and unjustified attacks upon Catholics in a response to the IRA’s campaign of violence. As a result the violence within the province reached an all time high heading into 1972, widely considered to be the wo rst year of ‘the Troubles’. This violence came to a head on the 30th January 1972, or ‘Bloody Sunday’ as it is known. It was this day and its aftermath that would become the final nail in the coffin of the Stormont administration. By the end of 1971 Northern Ireland was in danger of disintegrating into a state of anarchy due to the failures and â€Å"break- up of the traditional unionist party, the alienation of the SDLP, and the growth of the PIRA and the Protestant paramilitaries. [20] With Northern Ireland entirely reliant upon the security forces of the British Government in 1972, the reality of just how committed it was in the province was beginning to hit Britain. â€Å"The events of Bloody Sunday brought home both the extent of this involvement and the price being paid. †[21] After thirteen people were shot dead by the army in the Bogside area, Nationalist and Catholic Ireland exploded with anger. For the first time, the South ecame emotionally involved in the crisis occurring in the North and indeed it became occasionally violent (the British embassy in Dublin was burnt down on 5th February 1972). The PIRA and the Official IRA (OIRA) began a violent and bloody bombing campaign in both Northern Ireland and mainland Britain, as it bombed â€Å"the officers’ mess of the 16th Parachute Brigade at Aldershot on 23rd February 1972† as well as the crowded Abercorn restaurant in Belfast on 4th March 1972, one of the cruellest of many violent incidents that took place in the country. 22] Such incidents, proved to be the final straw for the British Government, after what had been a disastrous three years for both Stormont and Westminster. Northern Ireland was a war zone, incapable of ruling itself and Britain recognised this, declaring an end to Home Rule on 24th March 1972. Alvin Jackson asks the question, ‘Why did Stormont fail? and although the question might seem irrelevant given what precedes it, it is still important to sum up just why it happen ed and what the main causes were. In his book ‘Ireland 1798- 1998: Politics and War’, Jackson concludes that â€Å"in terms of proximate causes, Stormont failed because it was no longer compatible with the exigencies of British policy , and because it showed no signs of being able to cope with the street violence and organized terror. In the longer term, it had been unable to represent any other than Unionist opinion, and had been at best grudging towards Catholic aspirations. †[23] The Stormont administration under Unionism was quite simply incapable of organising its own security, as its decision to request the support of the British army in 1969 showed, and it was entirely one –sided, as policies such as Internment showed (a policy that had a massive part to play in the failure of torment. Along with these causes, the rise of the UDA and other loyalist paramilitaries and the events of ‘Bloody Sunday’ contributed largely to its failing, by creating more political violence and alienating the Nationalist community further. However, perhaps, â€Å"the underlying cause†¦was Irish Nationalism. †[24] Thomas Hennessey writes that â€Å"the single most disastrous decision that produced the next two and a half decades of conflict was the decision of the PIRA’s Army Council in January 1970 to begin a war- their war- against the British state. [25] In many ways, Hennessey is totally correct, for had it not been for the bombings and killings of the PIRA within Northern Ireland, then Stormont may well have survived because it would not have had to rule a country that was virtually in a civil war, a country that was in effect untenable. ———————– [1] Alvin Jackson, ‘Ireland 1798-1998:Politics and War’ (Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 1999) p373 [2] Diarmaid Ferriter, ‘The Transformation of Ireland 1900-2000’ (Profile Books Ltd. Great Britain, 2004) p620 [3] Alvin Jackson, ‘Ireland 1798-1998: Politics and War’ (Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 1999) p374 [4] Jonathan Bardon, ‘A History of Ulster’ (The Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1992) p672 [5] Thomas Hennessey, ‘A History of Northern Ireland 1920-1996’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1997) p174 [6] Hen ry Kelly, ‘How Stormont Fell’ in John Magee, ‘Northern Ireland: Crisis and Conflict’ (Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd, London, 1974 ) p121 [7] Thomas Hennessey, ‘A History of Northern Ireland 1920-1996’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1997) p173 [8] Ibid p173 9] Ibid p173 [10] Ibidp173 [11] John Whyte, ‘Interpreting Northern Ireland’ (Oxford University Press, New York, 1990) p31 [12] Thomas Hennessey, ‘A History of Northern Ireland 1920-1996’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1997) p175 [13] Ibid p193 14] Jonathan Bardon, ‘A History of Ulster’ (The Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1992) p682 [15] Patrick Buckland, ‘A History of Northern Ireland’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1981) p156 [16] Alvin Jackson, ‘Ireland 1798-1998: Politics and War’ (Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 1999) p376 [17] Jonathan Bardon, ‘A History of Ulster’ (The Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1992) p685 [18] Thomas Hennessey, à ¢â‚¬ËœA History of Northern Ireland 1920-1996’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1997) p201 [19] Ibid p201 20] Patrick Buckland, ‘A History of Northern Ireland’ (Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 1981) p156 [21] Ibid p156 [22] Ibid p157 [23] Alvin Jackson, ‘Ireland 1798-1998: Politics and War’ (Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 1999) p376 [24] Thomas Hennessey, ‘Northern Ireland: The Origins of the Troubles’ (Gill and Macmillan Ltd, Dublin, 2005) p385 [25] Ibid p394

Rich Brother – Loyal to a Fault

Pete: Loyal to a Fault â€Å"The Rich Brother,† by Tobias Wolff is the story of two brothers that from all accounts couldn’t be more different. Pete, the elder brother, is the epitome of the American Dream. He has worked hard and become an entrepreneur, has a wife and kids, and even brags about an ocean view from his home. Donald is completely opposite. He is for the most part unemployed, and although he is a spiritual person, he has been unable to find the right fit for his spirituality and bounced from religion to religion. The Rich Brother,† begins at the end of Donald’s most recent search for spirituality when he must call his brother, Pete, knowing that Pete cannot deny his brother’s need for help yet again, and asks to be picked up from the communal farm where he had been living. Throughout the story the reader sees numerous examples of Pete’s sense of responsibility toward his brother, his love and his dedication for family; however, Pe te’s dominant characteristic is that he is loyal to a fault, making him an enabler of his brother’s childish ways at the same time allowing himself to be taken advantage of.The first evidence the reader has of Pete’s loyalty to his family and Donald occurs within the first few paragraphs when the reader finds out that after Donald fails to find his way living in an Ashram as a Hindu, Pete paid his extensive medical bills from an undiagnosed case of hepatitis. As adults in the â€Å"real world,† we are expect to take responsibility for our own actions by both learning from a less than ideal life experience and paying back a debt, whether through finances or with a change in future behavior.Donald doesn’t see it that way though, and appears to have no sense of the value of money and how tough it was for Pete to earn it. He also lacks the physical capability to pay his brother back because before Pete is even finished paying off Donald’s bills he has found Christianity and joined a pentecostal community and begun to speak his new truth in tongues. Donald knows that Pete will again bail him out the next time as he had done before.It is just a bit further into the story that we see Pete allow his loyalty to open himself up again to be taken advantage of when Donald demonstrates his lack of life skills, affecting the quality of life for others on the farm. This results in his being asked to leave the farm. Rather than work things out for himself, Donald calls Pete, knowing he can count on his brother for assistance to out of Paso Robles. It is no surprise that Pete’s immediate response is to state that his brother will come live with his wife and family while Donald gets on his feet.Additionally, Pete ends up driving a number of hours from Santa Cruz to physically pick his brother up because past experiences in loaning money to Donald and that of the Ashram in Berkeley, have taught Pete that simply giving Donald money is a no win situation. Donald’s non-existent life skills combined with Pete’s inability to create boundaries with his brother by saying, â€Å"no† is just another occurrence of Pete believing he is helping even though, it may not be the right thing to do for Donald in the long term.Again and again Pete’s unrelenting loyalty removes any need for Donald to fully act like an adult. Upon arriving at the gas station, Donald immediately requests money for food he has purchased, food he has consumed knowing he is unable to pay for it. Without a second thought Pete opens his wallet and produces $100, far more money than is actually owed. When Donald tries to give some of it back to his brother, Pete says, â€Å"I can’t keep track of all these nickels and dimes. Just pay me back when your ship comes in.Go on – take it! † (615). These are perhaps words parents might use with their college age child to ensure their child has enough to get them through a tough time, maybe a week during school exams or something. A parent knows that the money is not going to be paid back, just as Pete knows Donald will never pay the money back to him. This situation reinforces the idea that Pete enables Donald to take advantage of him. Just as history repeats itself, so does the cycle that is Pete and Donald.Donald once again takes advantage of his brother’s loyalty when on the drive home from the farm the brothers pick up Webster, a hitchhiker and conman. Webster spins a tale too good to be true but Donald can’t see anything other than dollar signs when Webster offers him a share in his gold mine in Peru. Pete, as most adults would have, can see the scam through Webster’s tale immediately and tries to help Donald see the truth by offering up multiple snarky comments and direct questions for Webster to answer. It’s just not enough though as Donald gives away Pete’s $100 to Webster in good faith for a share in the mine.This is a much larger issue than the fact that Donald just gave away Pete’s money and feels justified and blameless. The other issue is Pete’s – past experience should have taught Pete that Donald is incapable of understanding the value of other people’s money or material items, which is part of the reason he was asked to leave the farm. Throughout â€Å"The Rich Brother† there are so many examples of Pete being loyal to a fault, but none are as telling as when Pete and Donald argue over the money Donald has given away.The brothers fight until they can’t come to any option other than that Donald needs to get out of the car immediately at night in the middle of no where, effectively ending their co-dependent sibling relationship. By this point in life Pete should have realized that leaving Donald figure things out for himself may be the better alternative, but he just can’t. He is too loyal. Pete can’t even bear the idea of telling his wife that he left his brother along the side of the road with no where to turn.He can’t even kid himself – Pete knows that he is going to turn around and once again pick up the pieces of Donald’s mess, which will enable the cycle to repeat endlessly. All of these events lead one to wonder if Pete is a man driven by guilt. Is there any other reason that Pete, a reasonably successful man would allow himself to be taken advantage of and manipulated so often by Donald? The reader sees this manipulation when Donald questions Pete about why he has a new Mercedes, and why he chooses to skydive, all very expensive things, leaving Pete guiltily defending his choices to enjoy his success.Pete may also suffer from guilt for mistreating Donald after he underwent some sort of surgery as a child, a story that Donald adamantly recounts to Pete even though many years have passed and Pete isn’t even sure the events ever happened. Additionally, Pete av oids incurring any additional guilt on behalf of Donald by taking care of all of his needs as their mother did before she passed; a similar thought process for Pete as he doesn’t want to imagine the shame he will feel when he tells his wife why Donald is not with him.By the end of the story the reader can confidently assume that not only will Pete pick up Donald’s pieces but that he will once again put them back together for Donald, even though the best thing Pete could do for Donald would be to step back and allow Donald to take adult responsibility and find a way to put his own pieces back together, but, because absolute loyalty it is part of Pete’s nature it is also his biggest fault when dealing with his brother.

Courage in One against the wind essays

Courage in One against the wind essays In the movie One Against the Wind Mary Lindell presented many examples of courage. Everyone at some point during his or her lifetime will have at least one moment of true courage. The dictionary definition of courage is; lack of fear, bravery, and valor. There are many ways you can define courage. This paper will show different example of courage in the movie One Against the Wind. However the beginning of the movie Mary Lindell saved an English pilot, James Leggatt, from being caught by the army. She not only put herself into danger of being caught but also her son. She helped this man recover from his injuries by nursing him back to health. He escaped from the country with her help. This kind of risk could have gotten her and her family killed. After Mary saved James, others came to her for help. She could have turned them away but she helped them because of her compassionate nature. Mary was taking an even bigger risk with these men because she helped so many. She knew the risks that were involved and took them anyway. Mary was finally caught and sentenced to nine months in prison. While she was away her son, Maurice, took over the operation that his mother had started. He went against his mothers wishes to help these men. He was young and learned from his mother quickly. He was arrested and questioned about his mothers whereabouts. Through all the torture he held out and never told them were his mother was hiding. This kind of bravery was something that came from a sons love. Marys daughter, Barbet, was in love with a German Officer. Mary sort of disowned her. She didnt want anything to do with her daughter. While Maurice was in jail, Barbet went to the prison guards to get him released. She went against everything she believed in to get her brother released. She risked her citizenship and her relationship with the German Officer. ...

Abigail Williams of the Salem Witch Trials

Abigail Williams of the Salem Witch Trials Abigail Williams (estimated to be age 11 or 12 at the time), along with  Elizabeth (Betty) Parris, daughter of Rev. Parris and his wife Elizabeth, were the first two girls in Salem Village to be accused of witchcraft during the infamous ​Salem Witch Trials. They began exhibiting odd behaviors in mid-January of 1692, which were soon identified as being caused by witchcraft by a local doctor (presumably William Griggs) called in by Rev. Parris. Family Background Abigail Williams, who lived in the home of the Rev. Samuel Parris, has often been called a niece or kinfolk of Rev. Parris. At the time, niece may have been a general term for a younger female relative. Who her parents were, and what her relationship was to Rev. Parris, is unknown, but she may have been a household servant. Abigail and Betty were joined by Ann Putnam Jr. (daughter of a neighbor) and Elizabeth Hubbard (a niece of William Griggs who lived in the Griggs home with the doctor and his wife) in their afflictions and, then, in accusations against individuals identified as causing the afflictions. The Rev. Parris called in Rev. John Hale of Beverley and Rev. Nicholas Noyes of Salem, and several neighbors, to observe the behavior of Abigail and the others, and to question Tituba, a household slave. Abigail was a key witness against many of the early accused witches, including the first ones identified, Tituba, Sarah Osborne, and Sarah Good, and later Bridget Bishop, George Burroughs, Sarah Cloyce, Martha Corey, Mary Easty, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Proctor,  John Proctor, John Willard and Mary Witheridge. Abigails and Bettys accusations, especially those on February 26 after the making of a witchs cake  the day before, resulted in the arrest on February 29 of Tituba, Sarah Good, and Sarah Osborne. Thomas Putnam, Ann Putnam Jr.s father, signed the complaints as the girls were minors. On March 19, with the Rev. Deodat Lawson visiting, Abigail accused the respected Rebecca Nurse of trying to force her to sign the devils book. The next day, in the middle of the service at Salem Village Church, Abigail interrupted Rev. Lawson, claiming she saw Martha Coreys spirit separate from her body. Martha Corey was arrested and examined the next day. A warrant for the arrest of  Rebecca Nurse  was issued March 23. On March 29, Abigail Williams and Mercy Lewis accused Elizabeth Proctor of afflicting them through her specter; Abigail claimed to see John Proctors specter as well. Abigail testified that she had seen some 40 witches outside the Parris house in a ritual of drinking blood. She named Elizabeth Proctors specter as being present and named Sarah Good and Sarah Cloyce as being deacons at the ceremony. Of the legal complaints filed, Abigail Williams made 41 of them. She testified in seven of the cases. Her last testimony was June 3, a week before the first execution. Joseph Hutchinson, in trying to discredit her testimony, testified that she had said to him that she could converse with the devil as easily as she could converse with him. Abigail Williams After the Trials After her last testimony in the court records on June 3, 1692, the day that John Willard and Rebecca Nurse were indicted for witchcraft by a grand jury, Abigail Williams disappears from the historical record. Motives Speculation about Abigail Williams motives in testifying usually suggest that she wanted some attention: that as a poor relation with no real prospects in marriage (as she would have no dowry), she gained much more influence and power through her accusations of witchcraft that she would be able to do any other way. Linda R. Caporael suggested in 1976 that fungus-infected rye may have caused ergotism and hallucinations in Abigail Williams and the others. Abigail Williams in The Crucible In Arthur Millers play, The Crucible, Miller depicts Williams as a 17-year-old servant in the Proctor house who tried to save John Proctor even while denouncing her mistress, Elizabeth. At the end of the play, she steals her uncles money (money which the real Rev. Parris probably did not have). Arthur Miller relied on a source that claimed that Abigail Williams became a prostitute after the period of the trials.

Analysis Of Ralph Ellison s Invisible Man Essay -- White people, Bl

In Battle Royal, the first chapter of Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison parallels the struggles of the protagonist to that of minorities in a post-slavery America. Ellison 's character is invited to deliver his graduation speech to a gathering high society white men and finds himself participating in a Battle Royal. Through deeply rooted, almost allegorical symbolism Ellison illustrates the protagonists journey toward self discovery and the â€Å"American dream† in a predominantly white powered society. Throughout this work the narrator/protagonist remains nameless. This namelessness serves to highlight the denial for a significant identity experienced by those who have suffered from the follies of racism. In Ellison 's Battle Royal the protagonist is blind to this racism, which defines him, and portrays himself, as the â€Å"black exception,† by asserting the standards and convictions imposed upon him as a means of achieving success. It is clear that the protagonist is affected by the convictions of those around him when he states that his grandfather 's words of wisdom â€Å"had a tremendous effect upon† him. His blatant naivety and gullibility are foreshadowed as he feels â€Å"guilty and uncomfortable... whenever things [go] well for† him, as if he â€Å"[is] carrying out his [grandfather 's] advice in spite of [himself].† In this particular passage Ellison shows the reader that by being affected by his grandfather 's curse the protagonist subconsciously accepts his grandfathers challenge of achieving success through playing the part of a â€Å"traitor† and a â€Å"spy in enemy territory.† The grandfather 's last words imply that what the protagonist is doing is treacherous and hs act, his speech. With the"thunderous applause" received from the oration of his speech, the protagonist is willingly mislead "in the right direction... of the the destiny of [his] people." Th is allows for the protagonist to maintain the mindset of false superiority. The protagonist mistakingly views himself as a privileged black man causing the hinderance of his journey to self-discovery. The characters surrounding the protagonist are constant reminders of the narrator 's lack of authority on the path of his future. Ellison illustrates this point to highlight that blacks who strive to achieve success or the American Dream through their own terms will only propel themselves farther into the follies of invisibility. In order for the veil to be lifted from the eyes of the blind, men must band together and the fight the powers that may be instead of each other.

Global warmming Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global warmming - Term Paper Example The concerns surrounding global warming revolve around human activities in all productive sectors that are aimed at enhancing the livelihood of the people and the global economies. In the process, the environment has suffered immense damage, and the situation seems to worsen every single day. Dating back to the 19th Century when global warming debates began hitting global headlines, the magnitude and extent of global warming and climate change has persistently moved from bad to worse. The average global temperatures have kept rising, amid interests, campaigns and efforts to reduce climate change in order to contain global warming. Contributing factors to the persistence of global warming are diverse and dynamic. This means that the already existing drivers of global warming continue to worsen the situation, as more emerging factors are realized in the same line. Global warming is seemingly the worst case factor in the climate change context. Global warming and climate change in general is triggered by a number of factors, both existing and newly emerging. As a matter of fact, global warming did not start today, nor did it start few years ago. Global warming has become a realized outcome from a long-lived process, significantly dating back to the 19th Century. The causes of global warming vary from one country to another, but all these causes summed up influence global warming as a whole across the globe. One of the most critical causes of global warming is the greenhouse effect (Filter & Ringward 32). Horticultural agriculture has essentially become a global undertaking due to the ever rising global demand for agricultural produce. Greenhouse effects have resulted in the depletion of the ozone layer, causing persistent increase in global average temperatures over time. Although the extent of greenhouse effects varies from one country to another, the effects are spread across the globe.

James Joyce Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

James Joyce - Research Paper Example This paper will discuss this author by giving a brief autobiography of him, as well as a brief description of his works. Ulysses Unbound: A Reader's Companion to James Joyce's Ulysses (pp. 3-4) Autobiography Joyce was born on 2nd February, 1882, in Dublin, Ireland, into a middle class household, where he succeeded as a scholar at the Jesuit schools Belvedere and Clongowes, then at the University College of Dublin. During his early 20’s, Joyce moved permanently to Europe, living in Zurich, Trieste and Paris (Fennell 8). Though he spent a majority of his adult life abroad, Joyce's fictional world does not go far away from Dublin, and is occupied mainly by individuals who strongly look like his family members, friends and enemies from his time in the city (Fennell 8). Ulysses, particularly, is set with accuracy in the alleyways and streets of the city. Soon after the mass publication of Ulysses, Joyce explained this concern rather stating that for himself, he always writes about Dublin, since, if he can get to the spirit of Dublin, then he can get to the spirit of all other cities of the world (Fennell 8). This means that, according to Joyce, Dublin contained the universe. A Little Circle of Kindred Minds: Joyce in Paris (p. 8) Joyce’s family was rather big. He was the firstborn son in a family of 10 (Doherty 5). His father, while Joyce used to sing as a child, said that Joyce had one of the finest tenor vocals in Ireland. However, he drunk a lot, and therefore, all his funds were channeled to alcohol, which meant that Joyce did not have any funds to support his signing talent (Doherty 5). From his childhood days, Joyce showed not just exceeding skills, but also an endowment for writing, as well as a passion for literature. He trained himself how to read, write and talk in Norwegian so that he could interpret Henrik Ibsen’s plays in Norwegian. He also used a majority of his time going through Dante’s Aquinas’ and Aristotleâ€℠¢s writings (Doherty 6). Owing to his knowledge, his family persuaded him to study, and from his attendance of university is where he earned a degree in modern languages, Bachelor of Arts. Joyce's affiliation with his home country was a multifaceted one and soon after completing his university education, he left Dublin for a fresh life in France where he wished to study medicine (Doherty 7). However, he returned to Dublin soon after being informed that his mother had become seriously sick. She ended up dying in 1903. Joyce lived in Ireland for a short period, where he met Nora Barnacle, a lodge chambermaid who was from Galway and soon became his spouse. Joyce later died on 13th January, 1941 (Doherty7). Pathologies of Desire: The Vicissitudes of the Self in James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (pp. 5-7) Works Some of the leading works of this author include Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Exiles and Poetry, Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. Dubliners D ubliners, first published in 1914, refer to a set of 15 short narratives by James Joyce (Bulson 53). They shape a naturalistic description of Irish middle class living in, as well as around Dublin, in the in the late and premature years of the 19th and 20th century, respectively. The stories were developed when Irish patriotism was at its climax and a look for a national recognition

Victim Advocacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Victim Advocacy - Essay Example Victim Advocacy involves the arguing or pleading in favour of a case. It is giving active support and promoting the victims’ interests, defend and uphold them as right or valid. Victim advocates focus on promoting victims’ rights and needs, and making sure that their opinions are considered during the drafting of policy and legislation affecting them (Ido Foundation, 2012). Being United States’ leading advocacy and resource organization for crime victims, the National Center for Victims of Crime helps many victims: understand their options and legal rights; overcome trauma caused by crime; access victim emergency and compensation assistance; device safety plans; and locate appropriate services locally (The National Centre for Victims of Crime, 2012). ‘The National Center for Victims of Crime’ advocates for the rights of victims, serves as an information source on issues of victims, and gives professional training to people who interact with the victi ms (Womens health.gov, nd). Its vision was inspired by a family tragedy: Alexander Auersperg and Ala Isham started the Center in 1985, originally as the Sunny Von Bulow National Victim Advocacy Center. They were motivated by the victimization of their mother and the traumatic experience the family endured with the justice system. ... It secures resources for crime victims by committing to the increase of crime victims’ federal funding and ensuring that state sources of funding are protected.  It has expanded and strengthened the rights of crime victims in the juvenile, criminal, administrative, and civil justice systems.  It promotes discussions about underserved and emerging crime victims’ issues. The Center values training and education as mechanisms for improving the treatment and understanding of crime victims. Programs and training activities have been developed by the center to act as a resource for professionals who represent the perspectives of the victims, develop services, foster for change, and raise awareness (The National Centre for Victims of Crime, 2012). The National Center for Victims of Crime holds topic-specific and general conferences to emphasize on the multidisciplinary idea of current research sharing practices, and the effective policies and programs which are research-in formed, evidence-based, and victim-centered. These conferences act as victim service forums for policymakers, professionals in criminal justice, researchers, and allied practitioners to build collaborations and share developments. The center also has a DNA Resource Center which acts as a source for information, technical assistance, and training about DNA use in the justice system. Its mandate is to help professionals of criminal justice and victim service to understand DNA databases, forensic DNA, and nurse examiners’ roles in helping DNA exonerations survivors. This project has a role of ensuring that allied professionals and victim service have up-to-date and accurate information in order to

Public Enemy' Film Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Enemy' Film Review - Essay Example The playwright portrays Joan, Mae Clarke and Jean as persons who can fight in order to achieve high lifestyle through prostitution (Greatest Films n.d.). Tom has an intense desire for wealth. The urge pushes him to steal items and sell them to raise money. By comparison, Putty-Nose buys things from the boys in order to settle his bills. The acts are aimed at acquiring wealth and fitting into a lucrative class in the society. Mike is conscious of his future. He works throughout the day and attends school at night in pursuit of his career objectives for a better future. He goes to war as an army man to earn a living and reputation in the society. Wealth pushes Tom and Matt to accept Putty Nose’s offer to rob a fur warehouse (Aquila 26). Initially, Tom and Mike are seen seeking other opportunities in life. They become truck drivers with the aim of making money. The owner of a liquor store decides to sell all his liquor before midnight following the prohibition of the product. All vessels get filled with bottles of beer. The prohibition is perceived by many as an avenue into multi-billion dollar profits arising from illegal bootleggers. Paddy lures Tom and Matt into the lucrative liquor business. Paddy uses Tom and Matt to loot liquor and buys it from them. They sell the looted beer making huge profits. The film glorifies wealth to the extent that people steal in order to acquire money and positions in the society. The two boys on acquiring wealth change their lifestyle. They change their clothes to smart looking tailor made clothes and as well as enjoy the pleasures of life. They become conscious of their class as they acquire flashy roadster cars and make merry at profligate nightclub. In the club, they dance with the most attractive women. Tom and Matt continue with their criminal escapades and become even more conscious of their class. They acquire a new boss, who not only sell

Soybean Industry 5 Forces Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Soybean Industry 5 Forces Evaluation - Essay Example Monsanto is the leading producer of soybeans which controls a large portion of the marketplace due to their strategy of producing genetically engineer seeds. They have an advantage over another competitor because their seeds produce higher yield and the company has implemented strategies such as creating seeds that can be used for crops that will not generate new seeds, thus the buyer has to come back to Monsanto to purchase seeds for future crops. The strategy gives the company higher supplier power. Another opportunity for this leader soybean producer is the fact their seeds need a special pesticide which forces buyers to purchase the seeds and the pesticide from them. The soybean production takes place in China, India, the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. In South American particularly in Brazil, the soybean production poses a major threat to the natural habitat due to deforestation. The United States has several competitive advantages due to the subsidies offered to soybean farmers and the $1.00 per gallon incentive when soybean is used in the production of biodiesel or ethanol. Newer entrants into this industry outside the United States are not likely. An issue that poses a threat to new entrants is the rising prices of soybean are making this product less profitable than before. In a matter of a few years, the price of soybeans has gone from 22 cents a pound to the current price of 56.4 cents a pounds (Chapman, 2008). The final price of a biodiesel gallon utilizing soybeans is about a dollar and a half.

Victim Advocacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Victim Advocacy - Essay Example Victim Advocacy involves the arguing or pleading in favour of a case. It is giving active support and promoting the victims’ interests, defend and uphold them as right or valid. Victim advocates focus on promoting victims’ rights and needs, and making sure that their opinions are considered during the drafting of policy and legislation affecting them (Ido Foundation, 2012). Being United States’ leading advocacy and resource organization for crime victims, the National Center for Victims of Crime helps many victims: understand their options and legal rights; overcome trauma caused by crime; access victim emergency and compensation assistance; device safety plans; and locate appropriate services locally (The National Centre for Victims of Crime, 2012). ‘The National Center for Victims of Crime’ advocates for the rights of victims, serves as an information source on issues of victims, and gives professional training to people who interact with the victi ms (Womens health.gov, nd). Its vision was inspired by a family tragedy: Alexander Auersperg and Ala Isham started the Center in 1985, originally as the Sunny Von Bulow National Victim Advocacy Center. They were motivated by the victimization of their mother and the traumatic experience the family endured with the justice system. ... It secures resources for crime victims by committing to the increase of crime victims’ federal funding and ensuring that state sources of funding are protected.  It has expanded and strengthened the rights of crime victims in the juvenile, criminal, administrative, and civil justice systems.  It promotes discussions about underserved and emerging crime victims’ issues. The Center values training and education as mechanisms for improving the treatment and understanding of crime victims. Programs and training activities have been developed by the center to act as a resource for professionals who represent the perspectives of the victims, develop services, foster for change, and raise awareness (The National Centre for Victims of Crime, 2012). The National Center for Victims of Crime holds topic-specific and general conferences to emphasize on the multidisciplinary idea of current research sharing practices, and the effective policies and programs which are research-in formed, evidence-based, and victim-centered. These conferences act as victim service forums for policymakers, professionals in criminal justice, researchers, and allied practitioners to build collaborations and share developments. The center also has a DNA Resource Center which acts as a source for information, technical assistance, and training about DNA use in the justice system. Its mandate is to help professionals of criminal justice and victim service to understand DNA databases, forensic DNA, and nurse examiners’ roles in helping DNA exonerations survivors. This project has a role of ensuring that allied professionals and victim service have up-to-date and accurate information in order to

Soybean Industry 5 Forces Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Soybean Industry 5 Forces Evaluation - Essay Example Monsanto is the leading producer of soybeans which controls a large portion of the marketplace due to their strategy of producing genetically engineer seeds. They have an advantage over another competitor because their seeds produce higher yield and the company has implemented strategies such as creating seeds that can be used for crops that will not generate new seeds, thus the buyer has to come back to Monsanto to purchase seeds for future crops. The strategy gives the company higher supplier power. Another opportunity for this leader soybean producer is the fact their seeds need a special pesticide which forces buyers to purchase the seeds and the pesticide from them. The soybean production takes place in China, India, the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. In South American particularly in Brazil, the soybean production poses a major threat to the natural habitat due to deforestation. The United States has several competitive advantages due to the subsidies offered to soybean farmers and the $1.00 per gallon incentive when soybean is used in the production of biodiesel or ethanol. Newer entrants into this industry outside the United States are not likely. An issue that poses a threat to new entrants is the rising prices of soybean are making this product less profitable than before. In a matter of a few years, the price of soybeans has gone from 22 cents a pound to the current price of 56.4 cents a pounds (Chapman, 2008). The final price of a biodiesel gallon utilizing soybeans is about a dollar and a half.

Australian education trends Essay Example for Free

Australian education trends Essay It is often known that education forms the backbone of economic development and growth in any nation. The investment in pre-school, primary and secondary education as well as community college education ensures availability of human capital endowed with relevant skills and knowledge for enhanced productivity. This has proven to be a necessity for sustained economic development in any country in the world. Educated people are in no doubt different from the uneducated or less educated in a variety ways (Tiffen, Gittins, 2004). At the outset, the difference is eminent in attitudes and behavior, in their well being and health status, income as well as values regarding morals, religion, politics and employment among others. By instilling these positive characteristics to individuals in the community, education has therefore transformed the world people live in from the old ignorance-ridden era to the technologically-advanced modern life (Tiffen, Gittins, 2004). Australia has experienced a steady increase in education levels in the last century. The government has in the past centralized funding of education and imposed high taxes on high income earners in an attempt to finance education. Students are not spared either in this plan and have been included in the â€Å"user pays† principle where they reimburse for the education services received. However, this scheme has affected education in many countries and how the government plans to implement the principle together with high taxation is a matter of concern. In Australia, the Government provides public funding for non-government schools as well as substantial assistance to government academic institution. Funding of state government schools is the primary responsibility of States and territories (Laporte, Ringold, 1997). These organs can also provide assistance to non-governmental institutions of learning. It is estimated that more than two thirds of the students in non-government academic institutions are affiliated to Catholic as a religion. Australian education system is a three tier model where children enroll in Kindergarten at the age of about five years, then graduate to primary followed by secondary levels from year one to twelfth year and finally tertiary education (Harrison, 2002). Education is mandatory for the children aged between five to about sixteen years but the federal government caters for the university education. This system has ensured a reduced school life expectancy thereby enhancing educational development in the country (Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, 2008). This however draws a sharp contrast to the old system. Australian education system was highly stratified and that only infants and primary education were provided for the children. Additionally, Selection for high school education was very competitive, and favored the siblings of specific people who used to be prominent in the society (Henry, 1990). These individuals included industrialists, agriculturalists as well as businessmen among other professionals. Teaching profession was undermined since the government offered low wages to the teachers in addition to subjecting them to strict laws that restricted their personal as well as professional conduct. These factors reduced the productivity of the teaching staff thereby suppressing students’ performance in schools (Henry, 1990). The tremendous increase in level of education in Australia has been largely attributed to changes in a variety of factors including social and institutional framework as well as economic changes and student financing much else besides (Evans Kelley, 2002). To start with, changes in educational levels have been associated with urbanization. The rural-urban migration brought about by the inadequacy of farmland as well as search for skilled jobs in the cities has enhanced the development of cities in Australia. This has therefore called for the provision of educational services in these highly populated regions hence increasing the educational levels. Evans Kelley (2002) estimates the changes brought about by urbanization to about six percent over the last century. Economic growth on the other hand has been articulated with the steady increase in the educational levels in Australia. This country has witnessed a considerable economic growth in the recent past. Australian GDP for instance is currently valued at 1050 billion dollars which is slightly above 1.6 percent of the world economy (Laporte, Ringold, 1997).   Australia has so far recorded steady economic growth and unlike other OECD nations it did not fall to the economic recession witnessed in the recent past (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2007). Moreover, the country has recorded a growth rate of about 3.6% annually for the last fifteen years. This has empowered the government hence its ability to fund education as well as other sectors (UNESCO/OECD World Education Indicators Program, 2005). It therefore implies that most of the Australians are able to access education compared to the past where parents used to dropout of school after compulsory education level. The current parents have therefore acquired high social status in addition to pursuing the available high skilled and well-paying professional jobs. The Australian children who hail from well educated families can now access proper education thereby increasing the levels of education in the country (Ruitenberg, 2010). Economic growth has therefore contributed to about twenty six percent education growths in Australia. This change has mainly improved education levels in both the primary education which is compulsory as well as secondary education which the educated and socially as well as economically-empowered parents can now afford (Evans Kelley, 2002).The duo however admit that the aforementioned factors only contribute to a little percentage of the sources of educational transformation so far witnessed in Australia and that the real sources of change in education trend in this century are still unclear. Youth participation in education including vocational education and training has also improved in Australia. According to Sue et al (2009) a variety of factors have influenced this upsurge in the education trends in Australia. Factors such as how the young people’s families as well as community value education, the socioeconomic status of the general population, available education and training and the school curriculum, existing policies on education and youth employment, financial incentives and obstacles, economic structure in regard to industry and occupation have changed hence improvement of youth participation in education and vocational training in Australia (Kilpatrick, Sue,  Baynes, Chapman Hazel An indexing term that provides specific identifying information in a category: geographic names, laws and legislation, or tests and testing., ()), 2009). Australia just like other developed States has recorded a steady decline in fertility rate which has brought about the ratio of two children per couple (Tiffen, Gittins, 2004). It is always presumed that the higher the number of children in a family the reduced ability of the parents to provide quality education to an individual child. This is because the available resources such as finance, energy and time are shared among the many children thereby reducing the amount received by an individual child (Evans Kelley, 2002). The reduced fertility rate in Australia has ensured reduced number of children in a family which the parents can afford to provide quality education for thus contributing to increased level of education in the country. These changes in education levels brought about by changes in family size are only noticeable in secondary schools and tertiary levels and not in primary level where the government funds education (Harrison, 2002). The government’s commitment to provide quality education has also influenced to a greater extent the steady growth in education levels so far witnessed in Australia. The Australian government has increased its spending on education of both males and females compared to the last century. There have been issues of gender inequality in education and females have been stereotyped as underperformers in the past (Evans Kelley, 2002). It is note worthy that in all countries except New Zealand; there have been lower performance by females than their male counterparts especially in mathematics literacy (Marginson, 1993). This traditional stereotype is being overcome by the Australian government through equal provision of educational services to both the sexes. Philosophers such as Martin Roland have also contributed to this issue of gender equality and education of the girl child. Roland argues that the old tradition was a barrier to the equal distribution of resources to both the sexes in the society since it discriminated against the females and favored the males. She reiterates that gender issues should be embedded in the curriculum as well as in teaching and schooling activities to ensure that the product of such a system is an ideal educated person. John Dewey is another renowned philosopher whose contribution to education, politics as well as philosophy has been globally recognized. According to Dewey, education was the cornerstone to intellectual development and progress of the society. He stressed on the improvement of moral and social nature of schools as an attempt to fostering democracy and community prosperity (Paringer, 1990). Dewey asserts that provision of education service to a single child in the society empowers the child towards self- effectiveness which consequently provides a guarantee to a lovely, worthy and harmonious society. Democracy never used to prevail in the ancient society as a result of lack of knowledge by then. According to Dewey, the nature of things should be viewed from a perspective of change and growth and therefore the continuous transformation in education is inevitable (Dewey, 2007). Nel Noddings is an additional prominent philosopher whose argument revolves around the moral reasoning, beliefs and values in education. She states that the current education trends encourages moral development hence the need to adopt educational structures that incorporates ethics and the use of motherly interest to inform moral learning. She however blames politics that fulfills the interests of particular groups for threatening the establishment of strong ethical foundation of learning as well as teaching in the academic institution (Palmer, Bresler, Cooper, 2001). Conclusion Education in Australia has undergone commendable changes since the first half of the last century. The Australian government as well as other stakeholders in the educational sector has contributed towards the social progress which is primarily dependent on the enhanced education standards in the country. Education has so far transformed from the old system characterized by repugnant traditions and values to the modern technologically- advanced era where education is the basic requirement for community sustainability. The progress in science and technology in the current era has created the knowledge and skills necessary for the developed industrial economy, while growth of education has provided workforce that is needed to utilize these new opportunities. Australia currently enjoys a socially-friendly environment with high paying professional jobs as well as improved living standards courtesy of development witnessed in the education sector. Reference List: Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (2008). Trends shaping education. OECD   Publishing. Dewey, J. (2007). Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education.   NuVision Publications, LLC.   Evans, M. Kelley, J. (2002). Australian economy and society, 2001: education, work, an   welfare. Federation Press. Harrison, J. (2002). Excel senior high school: community and family studies. Pascal Press. Henry, M. (1990). Understanding schooling: an introductory sociology of Australian education.

Synthesis of IBT Scaffolds Experiment

Synthesis of IBT Scaffolds Experiment Chapter III: Section A Present work PRESENT WORK Over the years, multi component reactions (MCRs) or three component coupling reactions have gained much attention in synthetic as well as medicinal chemistry to generate structural diversity for drug discovery programs.31 MCR is a process in which at least three simple building blocks are combined together in one pot to provide diversity oriented product with minimum of synthetic time and effort. The imidazo [2,1-b] benzothiazole (IBT) motif is an important pharmacophore and is known to exhibit significant biological activities such as antimicrobial, antitumor, antituberculosis, and anti-inflammatory etc.,13-30 Consequently, different methods23-26 have been developed for the synthesis of IBT scaffolds. Of these, the MCR of 2-aminobenzothiazole, aldehyde, and alkyne is one of the most attractive methods for the synthesis of 2-aryl imidazo[1,2-a]benzothiazoles. To the best of our cognition, there is only one report14c for synthesis of the title compounds till date which is a multi step procedure. In prolongation of our involvement in exploring the synthesis32 of biologically active scaffolds, we herein describe a three-component, one-pot synthesis of IBTs using a catalytic amount of La(OTf)3 and CuI in acetonitrile. Accordingly, we first treated 2-aminobenzothiazole (1a) and benzaldehyde (31a) with ethylpropiolate (32) in acetonitrile in the presence of 10 mol % La(OTf)3 and CuI. The reaction proceeded well at r. t. and made the desired IBT 33a in 86% yield (Scheme 10). Scheme 10 Formation of 33a confirmed by its spectral analysis, 1H NMR of IBT 33a shows a characteristic methylene protons at ÃŽ ´ 4.16 (s, 2H) as a singlet, doublets at ÃŽ ´ 7.78 (d, J = 7.9 Hz, 1H) and 7.70 (d, J = 8.3 Hz, 1H) belongs to benzothiazole ring (ortho-hydrogens w.r.t sulphur and nitrogen) in the fused system. Another doublet at ÃŽ ´ 7.68 (d, J = 7.9 Hz, 2H) belongs to ortho-hydrogens of phenyl ring at C-2 position and peaks for remaining aromatic protons observed at ÃŽ ´ 7.42 (t, J = 7.5 Hz, 1H), 7.33 (t, J = 7.5 Hz, 2H) and 7.01 (t, J = 7.9 Hz, 2H). Ethyl ester protons resonated at ÃŽ ´ 4.26 (q, J = 6.8 Hz, 2H) and 1.27 (t, J = 8.1 Hz, 3H) belongs to OCH2CH3 and OCH2CH3 respectively. In 13C NMR, presence of a peak at ÃŽ ´ 171.1 resembling ester (-C=O) functionality, a peak at ÃŽ ´ 61.1 belongs to CH3–CH2-O-COAr, and remaining aromatic carbons resonated at their expected chemical shift values. The new absorption maximum at 1735 cm-1 in IR spectrum also supports the presence of ester (-C=O). Finally, ESI-MS also supports the IBT 33a showing a peak with m/z 337 for its molecular ion. Plausible mechanism Scheme 11 Plausible mechanism for CuI-La(OTf)3 catalyzed multi-component reaction In accordance with the mechanism described by Mishra et al.33 The reaction may proceed in one of the two paths mentioned above. In path-I, benzaldehyde was first reacted with 2-aminobenzothiazole in the presence of La(OTf)3, and the resulting imine further reacted with ethyl propiolate to form desired imidzobenzothiazole 33a via initial formation of propargylamine I. Tautomerization of propargylamine I followed by 5-exo-dig cyclization formed intermediate III, which finally isomerized to product 33a. Optimization study Table 1 Screening of the catalyst for three component reaction Entry Catalyst Additive Solvent Yield [%] 1 CuCl CH3CN 39 2 CuBr CH3CN 42 3 CuI CH3CN 65 4 FeCl3 CH3CN 5 InCl3 CH3CN 48 6 InBr3 CH3CN 51 7 CuI Cu(OAc)2 CH3CN 66 8 CuI Cu(OTf)2 CH3CN 69 9 CuI Sc(OTf)3 CH3CN 59 10 CuI La(OTf)3 CH3CN 86 11 CuI Yb(OTf)3 CH3CN 63 12 CuI TMEDA CH3CN 54 13 La(OTf)3 CH3CN 55 14 CH3CN Initially, we screened the reaction between 2-aminobenzothiazole 1a benzaldehyde 31a and ethylpropiolate 32 as starting materials using different catalysts to optimize the reaction conditions (Table 1). The desired product yielded in 65% when 10 mol % of CuI used in CH3CN. Further optimization was performed to improve the yield of the product. The best result was obtained when La(OTf)3 was used with high yield, low reaction time and optimal temperature. However, in the absence of the catalyst the reaction proceeds with low yield even after longer reaction time (24 h). Our attempts to optimize the conditions for the synthesis of the 2-aryl imidazo[2,1-b]benzothiazoles 33a-o are summarized in Table 1. To check the generality and scope of the present protocol (Table 1), variety of benzaldehydes containing electron withdrawing or electron donating substituents were reacted under these conditions with 2-aminobenzothiazole, which affords corresponding IBT (Scheme 12). Scheme 12 To explore the limitations of this reaction, we extended it to various para-substituted benzaldehydes with 6-methyl-2-aminobenzothiazole. As can be seen in Table 2, the yield of products seems to be affected by the nature of substituents and their positions on the benzothiazole as well as benzaldehydes. The yields decreased when electron-withdrawing substituents were present on reactants (scheme 13). Scheme 13 The compounds 33f-j were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and ESI-MS, the results are shown in the experimental section. For an instance, spectral analysis of 33h explained here. 1H NMR of IBT 33h shows a characteristic methylene protons at ÃŽ ´ 4.27 (s, 2H), and methyl protons at 2.35 (s, 3H), methoxy protons at 3.86 (s, 3H), and hydrogen adjacent to sulphur attached carbon resonated at 7.71 (s, 1H) as a singlets, doublets at ÃŽ ´ 7.64 (d, J = 7.9 Hz, 1H), and 7.35 (d, J = 7.1 Hz, 1H) belongs to benzothiazole ring (ortho- and meta- hydrogens w.r.t nitrogen) in the fused system. Another two doublets appeared at ÃŽ ´ 7.55 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 2H), and 7.01 (d, J = 7.6 Hz, 2H) belongs to methoxy substituted phenyl ring, whereas ethyl ester protons resonated at ÃŽ ´ 4.15 (q, J = 8.1 Hz, 2H), and 1.27 (t, J = 8.2 Hz, 3H) belongs to OCH2CH3 and OCH2CH3 respectively. In 13C NMR, the presence of a peak at ÃŽ ´ 169.1 resembling ester (-C=O) functionality, a peak resonated at 160.8ppm belongs to –Ome attached carbon on phenyl ring, where as a peak at ÃŽ ´ 61.2 belongs to CH3–CH2-O-COAr, and remaining aromatic carbons resonated at their expected chemical shift values. The new absorption maximum of 1738 and 1210 cm-1 in IR spectrum also supports the presence of ester (-C=O). Finally, ESI-MS also supports the IBT 33h showing a peak with m/z 381 for its molecular ion. Furthermore, a variety of aromatic aldehydes such as p-methyl-, p-methoxy-, p-nitro and p-cyano benzaldehyde participated well in this MCR with 6-nitro-2-aminobenzothiazole and gave excellent yields. The synthesized compounds 33k-o were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and ESI-MS, the results are shown in the experimental section. For example, the spectral analysis of IBT 33n was explained here. 1H NMR of IBT 33n shows a characteristic methylene protons at ÃŽ ´ 4.19 (s, 2H), and hydrogen adjacent to sulphur attached carbon and –NO2 group resonated at 8.55 (s, 1H) as a singlets, doublet at ÃŽ ´ 8.01 (d, J = 7.7 Hz, 2H) belongs to meta-hydrogens of nitro-substituted phenyl ring and a multiplet appeared between 8.40-8.50 (m, 3H) belongs to a hydrogen of benzothiazole ring merged with ortho-hydrogens of nitro-substituted phenyl ring, whereas ethyl ester protons resonated at ÃŽ ´ 4.11 (q, J = 8.0 Hz, 2H), and 1.21 (t, J = 8.2 Hz, 3H) belongs to OCH2CH3 and OCH2CH3 respectively. In 13C NMR, the presence of a peak at ÃŽ ´ 169.1 resembling ester (-C=O) functionality, peaks resonated at 147.8, 144.7 ppm belongs to –NO2 attached carbons, where as a peak at ÃŽ ´ 61.5 belon gs to CH3–CH2-O-COAr, and remaining aromatic carbons resonated at their expected chemical shift values. The new absorption maximum of 1735 cm-1 in IR spectrum also supports the presence of ester (-C=O), bands at 1536 and 1365 cm-1 resemble the –NO2 group. Finally, ESI-MS also supports the IBT 33a showing a peak with m/z 427 for its molecular ion. The imidazobenzothiazole derivatives was synthesized by La(OTf)3-CuI catalytic combination in good to excellent yields as shown in Table 2. Table 2 The new ethyl 2-(2-arylimidazo[2,1-b][1,3]-benzothiazol-1-yl)acetates 33a-o Entry Benzothiazole Aldehyde Product Yield (%) a 86 b 89 c 91 d 81 e 79 f 92 g 91 h 95 i 85 j 88 k 82 l 84 m 85 n 78 o 79 Conclusion In summary, a novel method for the synthesis of ethyl 2-(2-arylimidazo[2,1-b][1,3]-benzothiazol-1-yl) acetates was demonstrated from bezaldehyde, ethylpropiolate, and 2-aminobenzothiazole in the presence of La(OTf)3-CuI catalyst in good to excellent yields. This reaction took place under mild conditions and it tolerates a wider range of functionalities. Therefore this methodology offers an alternative to multi step reactions.

Essay --

Angelica Cienega Professor R. Dickerson ENG 232-1024 17 November, 2013 Textual Analysis For Leo Tolstoy’s character Ivan Ilych, death is an end to an empty life. It is not until after he gets a vague diagnosis of disease that he realizes his mortality. In this epiphany, he realizes that his relationships with his family, friends, and colleagues are all artificial, if not at least superficial. Because of this, he becomes depressed and wonders whether he really lived his live the right way. Ilych always treated his relationships in a very formal manner and, when he died, his so-called friends barely managed to pay their respects. Through Ilych, Tolstoy shows that life is not simply a play or a business deal. Tolstoy’s story sends a warning to his readers that if they do not have genuineness or passion or individuality in their lives, then they will not experience a truly fulfilling life. In chapter two the readers first learns the story of Ilych’s early life. Ilych is described as a man who had always been drawn to people of high status in society, so that is the type of life he pursued for himself. He was the second and most amicable of three brothers, a law school graduate, and was the most successful in earning the good favor of the people he met. The people he tried hardest to make the good favor of were merely â€Å"of good position,† not truly â€Å"good† people, and the things he did to earn their favor, â€Å"made him feel disgusted with himself when he did them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Tolstoy 746). Tolstoy goes on to tell that it does not bother Ilych too deeply because once he realized that the people didn’t think those â€Å"disgusting† things were â€Å"wrong†, he was able â€Å"to forget them entirely or not be at all troubled at remembering them† (747). Not only was ... ...lych endures the final days of his life, he spends his time reflecting on his actions and relationships with people. He realizes that the concern for his outward life was the flaw of his inward personality. He spent all of his time trying to make his life seem successful, which he accomplished in the eyes of the shallow high-society people. Unfortunately though, he sacrificed his personal needs and ruined his relationships in the process. Or rather, he did not build any true relationships to ruin, just hung on to empty ones that led to resentment and sorrow. Tolstoy’s story of Ilych’s life warns readers that their opinion of themselves is more important than a rotten opinion of anyone else’s, honesty and romance are important in marriage, that friendships are not won in competition, and that children will be any better than their parents if they are not taught to be.

Ozone :: essays research papers fc

Ozone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Triatomic oxygen, O3, is most commonly known as ozone. It has a resonance structure, and can be drawn in two different ways:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  O=O-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  O-O=O It is a bluish, explosive gas at room temperature, and has a boiling point of -119 °C. It has a melting point of -193 °C, and is a blue liquid. It's critical temperature and pressure are -12.1 °C and 53.8 atm, respectively. It has a pleasant odor in concentrations of less than 2 ppm, and is irritating and injurious in higher concentrations. The density of ozone gas is 2.144 g/L, and the density of ozone as a liquid is 1.614 g/mL. It is extremely unstable, and solutions containing ozone explode upon warming. It is found in varying proportions on Earth, but it is about 0.05 ppm at sea level.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation in the upper atmosphere, and protects humans from skin cancer. But ozone is also the main ingredient of smog, and causes serious health effects and forest and crop damage in the lower atmosphere. Ozone is formed through the chemical reaction of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen dioxide, in the atmosphere, in the presence of sunlight. This reaction is called a photochemical reaction, because sunlight is required. The product is known as smog. The notorious brownish color of smog is due to nitrogen dioxide of the mixture. Increased temperature stimulate the reaction, which is why ozone conditions are worse in the summer. It is an oxidant, meaning it takes electrons away from other molecules, and disrupts key structures in cells by starting chain reactions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ozone is a serious national problem. Half of the largest urban areas in the United States exceed the ozone standards. The worst regions in the US include California and the Texas Gulf coast, and the northeast and the Chicago- Milwaukee area during the summer. The ozone condition varies from year to year, as the temperature and weather fluctuate. This fluctuation also occurs throughout the day, as emissions from morning traffic builds up, the levels rise. Ozone emissions come from many things, such as automobiles, gas stations, power plants, dry cleaners, paint shops, chemical manufacturing pants, oil refineries, and other business that release volatile organic compounds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The health effects of ozone are chest pain, coughing, wheezing, lung and nasal congestion, labored breathing, sore throat, nausea, rapid breathing, and eye and nose irritation. The symptoms occur when the levels of ozone are only slightly higher than the legal standard. Living in San Diego during my elementary school year, I personally felt the effects of ozone; the tightness of the chest, wheezing, and labored breathing on certain hot, humid days.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea: A better version of The Little Mermaid Essay

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, written, directed and animated by Hayao Miyazaki, in the year 2009 was an animated movie aimed at young audiences and their parents. He took Hans Christian Andersen’s short story The Little Mermaid as a blueprint for portraying this poetic, fantastic work using adorable pictures with interesting and impressive storyline to attract audiences. I would personally consider the movie Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea as an improved version of Andersen’s The Little Mermaid because Miyazaki had introduced a lot of new elements to make the story look more realistic and interesting by considering the current preferences of children’s. In this movie, Miyazaki has not only described the love between people and people, but he has also highlighted the relationship between creatures and people using a simple story line. Generally, I would perceive Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea as a great animated movie because it contains various outstanding features such as simple but attractive story, visually appealing animated pictures which are far better compared to other animated movies released recently and the music in the movie is quite pleasant touching people’s soul. In the following part of the essay, I am going to describe how Miyazaki successfully captivated the audiences’ likenesses through his new movie: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. There is a huge difference between the Hans Christian Andersen’s story The Little Mermaid and the Miyazaki’s movie Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. In the Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, there were so many children who got upset on her demise and her infatuation towards the prince. While suffering with great pain, she drank the potion and the Little Mermaid lost her tongue in exchange for her tongue, which was considered as the most beautiful part of the story, but still her sacrifice could not get the prince’s love. At last, her body turned into foam and it never existed again. According to Robinson, â€Å"the story’s agony and tragedy [actually loses] the people’s heart† (Robinson). Such a pathetic story used to break the children’s dreams. However, I would consider Hayao Miyazaki’s movie Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea as an ameliorated story of The Little Mermaid because he slightly modified the ending of the story and introduced a lot of exciting elements to make the story more closely related with children’s preferences. Miyazaki has drawn several cute scenes about the main character girl Ponyo, such as eating noodles with her lover Sosuke and playing around with her pinky sisters. These scenes attracted the current generation of young audiences and made them fall in love into this adorable character and hence got them emotionally attached towards the movie. In addition to that, the climax of the movie was slightly changed that the Ponyo gets transformed into a little girl from a fish, so that she can be with Sosuke forever and it can be considered as one of the major difference when compared to the climax of The Little Mermaid’s. Therefore, I would personally consider the happy ending, the way of presentation and depicting characters as major elements making Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea better than The Little Mermaid. People regard Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, not only as a better version of The Little Mermaid, but also consider it as a great animation movie due to its simple and attractive storyline. Although there are people who criticize that the story sounds weird, and like many of Miyazaki’s previous films, Ponyo is also written from a child’s perspective and with a child’s sense of logic (Rodriguez). Miyazaki has raised the complexity of the movie’s theme to a higher level, enabling both children and adults to think and enjoy. The audiences are provided with three ways to observe the main theme of the story, which is the love between people, families, and creatures. First the audiences could feel the love and the relationship between Ponyo and her father Fujimoto. In the story, their relationship is not so well due to the busy schedule of Fujimoto, which reduced the time spent by him to understand his daughters and vice-versa. As her mother was also busy and hardly available at home, Ponyo had very less time for interacting with her parents. Even though Fujimoto tried his best to take care of Ponyo, such as providing clean food and taking them out for sightseeing at the sea, she didn’t care much about her father’s feelings. The only thing that she wanted to do was to get away from her father. What Ponyo did was immature and completely understandable, because she was just a 5 year-old girl at that time. But I believe that Miyazaki wanted to stress the issue that there does exist children who are bound do the same thing with their parents as well, and he wanted the young audiences to understand that whatever their parents are doing is only for the love they have towards their children. Secondly, the audiences may notice how Sosuke loved his mother. Although his father used to leave him and his mother at home while going for fishing, he realized how to take good care of his mother and carry the responsibilities of the family as a whole. I do remember a scene, when Sosuke’s father called to apologize for not coming back for dinner which left Sosuke’s mother crying about that. At that time, Sosuke’s passes her a napkin, consoling her not to get sad about that. Sosuke doesn’t know the reason for her mother being upset, but his actions represent the second type of love, which indicates how the younger generation shows their love towards their parents. Finally Miyazaki wanted to express the pure love between the main characters, Ponyo and Sosuke to the audiences as the third kind of love. One of the scenes comprised of a test that Nereus had given to Sosuke. Without anybody’s help, any ship to drive, and any lights to walk in the tunnel, Sosuke builds his courage to take care of Ponyo, the one whom he loves a lot and he overcomes all the hurdles that come in his way. These scenes inspired me to think about the children of this era. It is common that children would cry and call for their parents when they encounter difficult situations; however, despite the worry about his mother’s disappearance at that moment, Sosuke tactfully handled all these challenges physically and mentally encouraging Ponyo too to be strong. Therefore, I personally think that the act of the 5 year-old boy, Sosuke should be highly appreciated because it is really not an easy task for a normal child to either handle or accomplish it. The only reason why Sosuke could do it is all because of the love he had towards Ponyo, which gave him the power to raise his courage to get through all the challenges. The factors that decide whether an animated movie was successful or not doesn’t purely depend on the storyline or content that the director wants to emphasize, but it also depends on the way the movie was filmed that embellishes the movie with eye-catchy and enthralling features. When compared with the Disney film The Little Mermaid, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea didn’t involve any Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) work, which meant that the whole film was drawn by animators, and this further heightens the film’s natural characteristics. â€Å"In Miyazaki’s fertile imagination, the ordinary and magical worlds blend into each other; both are full of marvels† (Young). Young adds that Miyazaki’s movie provided softer and more realistic pictures to the audiences as all the things were hand-made. For example, I would personally consider the sea to be the most imaginative part of the movie. Miyazaki used his abundant imaginations in transforming the sea into a living character that can represent the mind of Ponyo’s father Fujimoto. One of the scenes is that, Fujimoto uses his magic to transform the sea into a living creature to chase Ponyo, but the sea couldn’t catch her and it fiercely outbursted onto the land. In addition to the much hyped imaginative scenes, Miyazaki had asked Joe Hisaishi to compose the background music for the movie. The movie became additionally attractive, as Hisaishi had used children to sing all the songs. Hence, these specialties made Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea so special that it induced people to come and enjoy. In summary, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea possesses nice elements for being considered as a great animated movie. First of all, being structured similar to the traditional tale The Little Mermaid, Miyazaki’s movie is more appreciated by the audiences of this era as it had a better climax than the story and the more updated elements are provided to meet the expectations and interests of children. Secondly, the complexity of the movie initiates audiences to deeply think about how people should interpret love and relationship between people, families, or even lovers. Thirdly, with the inclusion of more animated pictures and intoxicated music, audiences felt emotionally attached to the movie, trying to feel the happiness and sadness of the characters in the movie. Even though there are people criticizing the movie, but I believe that it has already qualified as a good animation movie because Miyazaki has designed it to become approachable by both adults and children. I personally feel that people can get inspired by the love of the story, trying to practice it in the real world, and very soon the society will become more harmonious. People would become friendlier to each other, making the world a better place to live on. Works Cited Robinson, Tasha. â€Å"Ponyo. † 13 Aug. 2009. The Onion Inc. A. V. Club. 2 May 2010 . Rodriguez, Rene. â€Å"Review : Ponyo. † 14 Aug 2009. The Miami Herald. Miami Herald Media Co. 02 May 2010 . Young, Deborah. â€Å"Film Review: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. † 30 Aug. 2008. The Hollywood Reporter. 2 May 2010. .