My Family Is Game Night Essay - 1279 Words

Some of the best memories I have with my family is game night. Shockingly, my family will sit down and play board games together every now and again. These aren’t just a regular store bought board game like Monopoly or Sorry, we have a collection of grand master board games. Large, extensive and expensive adventures to array on a table. There has been a whole array of people to play at our table, from siblings, and other family members, to random strangers, I had only met for the first time sitting at the table. It seems like some days, the best bonds are made playing at The Game Table. Typically, there are a few regulars at our antique, 8 person wooden table. Myself, my twin brother, and my older brother. Occasionally my mother, younger brothers, or other friends that tag along join in on board games. We would amass our small platoon of players, pull up our beaten up chairs, and start to define how the day would proceed. Our time on the table was not short lived, it could go on for long hours, missing entire parts of the day succumbed to board games. We were professionals, and dedicated to envelop all of our time into playing games together. The nearly 20 year old table still held up surprisingly well, due to the fact that it has been my dining room table all my life. My group of friends and family all refer to ourselves as something my mom calls us, â€Å"nerds†. None of us can necessarily disagree, we were the ones playing fantasy board games that cost us too much for 6Show MoreRelatedThe Game Table - Original Writing Essay1286 Words   |  6 PagesThe Game Table Some of the best memories I have with my family is game night. Shockingly, my family will sit down and play board games together every now and again. These aren’t just a regular store bought board game like Monopoly or Sorry, we have a collection of grand master board games. Large, extensive and expensive adventures to array on a table. There has been a whole array of people to play at our table, from siblings, and other family members, to random strangers, I had only met for the firstRead MoreMy Day In My Life1067 Words   |  5 Pagesjust walked home from school. My brother, Ethan, was already there when I opened the door and walked into my house. He always got out of school early on Friday. My mom came around the corner and said â€Å"Hi Alex! How was school?† I told her it was ok. I went through the normal routine of throwing my backpack next to my desk to do any work after I ate. I sat down at the table and my mother gave me some tomato pasta to eat for lunch. Aft er I finished eating I went back to my desk. I found that for onceRead MoreMy Family Essay871 Words   |  4 PagesFamily We all have grandparents, but mine is an especially are a big part of my family. Our grandparents do not live close to us, so it’s great when we get to see them. Its especially tough since our family is so far apart. Family is the most important thing in our family. This time was an especially important to our family for a number of reasons. We had just left our home in Rockwell City, Iowa to head to Des Moines to board a plane to Phoenix. My brother had never flown before. He said, â€Å"IRead MoreDescribe My Day1048 Words   |  5 Pagesto start my day. I get up, grab a cup of hot coffee and watch the world around me from my front porch breathing in the fresh ocean air. I am home. Ever since I can remember I have spent my summers at the shore with everyone I love around me. As I get older the summers keep getting shorter and I just wish I could be young again for one more summer. After I finish my cup of coffee I get dressed and throw on a pair of sneakers. Down the shore I like to wake up early so that I can ride my bike alongRead MoreMy Most Memorable Event Essay535 Words   |  3 Pages My most memorable childhood event was when I was 15 years old. It was the Fourth of July. A big family vacation a barbeque, over night stay and out of town trip to six flags, and I had a blast the night before me, my mom, sisters and brother packed our bags to stay the night over my cousin house in Goodlettsville ,Tennessee. She had the biggest house ever I thought it was a mansion; six bedrooms two an half bath, a swimming pool, a game/movie room with a nice big kitchen. It was something thatRead MoreStory About True Sacrifice And Heroism819 Words   |  4 PagesHi, my name is Jonas. I’m writing to tell you a story about true sacrifice and and heroism. There I was, standing onstage in front of the whole community all by myself. I always thought that when this day came, the ceremony of 12’s, that I would be happy. On that day I was the complete opposite of happy. I was scared, anxious, and nervous. I was even more scared when my name was skipped over and left to wait the whole ceremony to be chosen for a job. As it turns out I wasn t chosen at all, I wasRead MoreThe Day I Can Not And Will Not Forget930 Words   |  4 PagesIt was a Sunday night just when I could barely see anything but heard all the commotion of wild animals outside. As I walked inside, I heard the telephone ring. My grandmother answered the continuous ringing of the phone. I could hear my great grandma through the phone. That night after the phone call I suffered a traumatic loss. This made me question everything about my life. In the summer of 2009, I felt the slight breeze blowing through my wavy hair as take an adventure to my great grandfather’sRead MorePersonal Essay : Running In Circles914 Words   |  4 PagesRunning in Circles The Place Right next to my school is a small, quiet, part of town. Only at night would it ever grow loud with fans and bright with lights. People gather and cheer their hearts out for their home team. The field was an outlet for the players. Yet no one ever noticed what surrounded the field; the track, a small, quiet part of the town where people go to think, train, or simply run. What I Notice Going to a track meet for the first time and watching runners pour their heartsRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Volleyball1352 Words   |  6 PagesAll or Nothing â€Å"Beep! Beep! Beep!† My alarm clock going off at 5:45 AM. I immediately get out of bed thinking this was the day, the final day my friends, family, and school community will watch me play volleyball. That day was my senior night, the night that every freshmen volleyball players anxiously awaits to. As I get ready and go to school, I get text messages from my friends and family wishing me luck in my big game. My heart begins to race and I immediately become nervous for tonight. I amRead MoreAn Interview With A Nice Librarian Woman935 Words   |  4 PagesI did an interview with a nice librarian woman to gathering information about my literacy night event. It was on 2-19-2016, in the public liabrary.I learned a lot of things from this interview. We discussed the components of a perfect literacy night which are: books, storytelling, and activities to engage both parents and chilled together. She suggested from her experience that if you want to have a good literacy night it should be fun, so it doesn t feel like school but still educational. She said

Socrates On The Nature Of Death Before His Execution

In Phaedo Socrates elaborates on the nature of death before his execution. In The Apology, Socrates was sentenced to death by poison by a jury of his peer for committing atheism and corrupting the Athenian youth (Mallik). The story is told from one of Socrates’ students, Phaedo. Engaging in a dialogue with his students, Socrates argues the various ways the immortal soul can continue in the afterlife. Phaedo relates this dialogue to many other students of Socrates as well as the general public. The third argument Socrates posits is his his theory of anamnesis, also known as the theory of Recollection. Socrates remarks that we all contain fragments of non-empirical knowledge before we are born and that implies that our soul existed before then as well. It stands to reason that it will be there after our physical bodies perish and fade away. He say that the body and its senses are easily fooled (Cohen 280). We should not trust them wholeheartedly because we can be deceived. Only through reason and contemplation can we come to understand knowledge. Socrates distinguishes authentic knowledge from opinion, or doxa, by what the belief consists of. Only one can know what an eternal truth’s effects will be because that truth has sustained them for the whole existence of time (Mallik). While it relevent to have an opinion about an actionable consequence, that particular idea does not apply to the pool of authentic knowledge. Socrates divulges by asking how a soul could know suchShow MoreRelatedThe Common Theme Of Martyrdom Within The Death Of Socrates And The Execution Of Saint Barbara1032 Words   |  5 PagesTheme of Martyrdom within The Death of Socrates and The Execution of Saint Barbara When walking through a museum, one notices the immense variation within every piece. Each work contains one or a few specific themes, and its own unique interpretation of said theme. Common themes may include, but are of course not limited to that of life, birth, beauty, power and strength, heroism, death, and beliefs. In this paper, I wish to focus on the themes of both belief and death within two separate pieces.Read MoreThe Trial And Death Of Socrates : The Trial And Death Of Socrates972 Words   |  4 Pages The Trial and Death of Socrates, depicts the different stages of Socrates’s life, from his prosecution until his execution. During the narratives, Socrates gives us, as readers, insight towards his beliefs and philosophy, which are viewed as reasons for his imprisonment. Phaedo’s recollection of Socrates’s last few hours alive, reveals Socrates’s most important belief, that the soul is an entity which is immortal and is valuable during and after life. All perceived lusts, greed, and fear are causedRead MoreAn Examination of Socrates Attitude Towards Death and Dying Essay1123 Words   |  5 PagesExamination of Socrates Attitude Towards Death and Dying When presented with a problem or argument Socrates, the philosopher, attacked most issues with a relatively disingenuous attitude. A question or idea would be presented and he would automatically respond with either another question or a new philosophy for his opposite party to ponder. These were the ways of Socrates, an intelligent yet humble man who knew the limits of his knowledge. And through his passion forRead MoreAristotle and Plato: Death Action and Justice1284 Words   |  5 PagesAristotle and Plato: Death, Action and Justice Ancient philosophers wrestled considerably with the questions of right and wrong, good and evil, just and unjust. The struggle to understand and define these various dynamics was cast into constant debate, especially in the context of the pagan and imperial Athenian state. Here, thinkers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle would continually advance the discussion on how best to define man, both practically and ethically. In the two prompting statementsRead MoreComparison Between Crito and Apology1661 Words   |  7 Pagesthese two articles that we read in Crito and Apology by Plato, we could know Socrates is an enduring person with imagination, because he presents us with a mass of contradictions: Most eloquent men, yet he never wrote a word; ugliest yet most profoundly attractive; ignorant yet wise; wrongfully convicted, yet unwilling to avoid his unjust execution. Behind these conundrums is a contradiction less often explored: Socrates is at once the most Athenian, most local, c itizenly, and patriotic of philosophers;Read MorePlato s Life And Accomplishments874 Words   |  4 Pagesphilosopher, was born in Athens, in 428 B.C. under the name Aristoles. In his youth, he was a wrestler, that’s how he got the name ‘Plato’, that was his ring name. Plato means broad or flat, his shoulder were broad and his forehead was flat. He won a few trophies for wrestling but never made it to the Olympics at Olympia. He later change more toward the arts, and he wrote plays, and poetry, but in never won in any of his writing competitions. â€Å"Having failed to win an Olympic gold, or carry offRead MoreEssay about Socrates’ Trial Defense in Terms of His Values1414 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates’ Trial Defense in Terms of His Values In his Apology, Plato recounted the trial that led to the execution of his friend and mentor, Socrates. The account revealed that values of Socrates’ accusers and his own fundamentally differed, and that they had been angered because he tried to prove that they had misplaced theirs. Those differences created conflict between the two parties that culminated in his trial. With the understanding that a jury condemned Socrates to deathRead MoreSocrates, Plato, And Aristotle900 Words   |  4 Pagesformalized systematic presentations of thoughts on the nature of being or existence. It’s a profound study of beliefs and the grounds for them. It’s the study that seeks to understand the mystery of existence. Because the subject is so controversial, the term cannot exactly be defined. There are many philosophers that have many different views and opinions on philosophy. In this essay, I will be talking about the three great philosophers: Socrates, Plato, an d Aristotle and how they help to define whatRead MoreThe Apology And Interpretation Of The Trial Of Socrates1183 Words   |  5 Pagesinterpretation of the trial of Socrates (399 BC). When the Thirty Tyrants were ruling Athens, Socrates was asked by them to help capture Leon of Salamis, a wealthy man. This arrest was to be made simply because Leon was a just Democrat and the Tyrants wanted to take his huge estate for themselves. Socrates disobeyed these orders hence why he was later executed as a traitor of Athens. Meletus was the man who then brought Socrates before a jury for prosecution. Socrates pleaded innocent in his trial. Similarly,Read MoreA Life Sketch of Plato and His Works905 Words   |  4 Pagesaristocrat was Aristiclis, but in his school days he received the nickname Platon (meaning broad) because of his broad shoulders. Plato was born in Athens, Greece to one of the oldest and most distinguished families in the city. He lived with his mother, Perictione, and his father, Ariston (Until Ariston died.) Born in an aristocratic and rich family, Plato s childhood was indulged within luxury. But his life changed when he came across Socrates. Socrates, a Greek philosopher who lived from

Coyote Blue Chapter 18~19 Free Essays

CHAPTER 18 Shadowphobia Saturday morning Josh Spagnola was sleeping in and dreaming of putting shampoo into bunnies’ eyes when the Harley-Davidson crashed through his front door carrying a 270-pound, pissed-off, speed-crazed biker named Tinker. With the crash and thunder of the bike in his living room, Spagnola sat up in his nest of satin sheets thinking earthquake, listening for the sounds of his burglar alarms, which did not come. Spagnola’s house was wired six ways to stop an elegant picklock or spry cutpurse from entering by stealth, sneak, or cat’s-paw; he had, in fact, protected himself against someone exactly like himself. We will write a custom essay sample on Coyote Blue Chapter 18~19 or any similar topic only for you Order Now That anyone would break in on a battering ram of Milwaukee iron, in broad daylight, had never occurred to him. Tinker, on the other hand, took the words breaking and entering quite literally, and found entering a rather empty experience without substantial breaking. He carried on his belt a policeman’s riot baton, a blackjack, two hunting knives, and a set of brass knuckles. In a rare moment of sanity he had left his guns at home. His lawyer had advised against guns while on probation. Tinker had received an early-morning call from Lonnie Ray, one of his brothers in the Guild. â€Å"You want him dead?† Tinker had asked Lonnie. â€Å"No, just fuck him up. And don’t wear your colors. I don’t want any connection to me.† â€Å"Is he big?† Tinker had a deep-seated fear of someday meeting someone as large and violent as himself. â€Å"I don’t know. Just wait until I call. You’ll see the black Mercedes.† â€Å"You got it, bro,† Tinker said, and hung up. Tinker tried to wait for Lonnie’s call, but he’d been up all night cooking up a batch of methedrine in the Guild’s lab, and had lost his patience after sampling the product in order to take the edge off the case of beer he’d drunk. At daybreak his bloodlust got the better of him and he left. In the bedroom, hearing a Harley do burnouts on his Berber carpet, Spagnola finally realized that something was seriously wrong. He leapt from bed and began searching through a trail of clothes he had left last night on the way to bed with the Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday masseuse from the Cliffs. He remembered kicking his gun belt away from the bedroom door when he sent her home at midnight and scrambled to the door. He was bending to unholster the gun when Tinker kicked the door open, catching Spagnola square in the forehead, knocking him cold. Tinker looked down at the naked, unconscious little man and let out a sigh. The absence of terror was wildly unsatisfying for him. As a gesture of brotherhood to Lonnie he pulled the baton from his belt and with two vicious blows broke both of Spagnola’s legs, then he sulked out of the bedroom, mounted his bike, and rode to the Guild’s clubhouse to watch Saturday-morning cartoons. -=*=- Sam awoke to Yiffer yelling, â€Å"Get down! Don’t let them see you!† Sam looked around the room. Calliope and Grubb were gone. He got up and reached for his watch on the dresser while shouts and whispers continued from the living room. Six in the morning. It must have gone on all night: the shouting, the pounding, the babies crying. He was lucky to have slept at all. He dressed and walked into the living room. â€Å"Get down,† Yiffer said. â€Å"Don’t let them see you.† Sam dropped to a crouch in the doorway. Nina and Calliope were huddled under the front windows holding the babies. Yiffer was crouched by the door that led to the balcony. He rose up to peek out the window, then instantly dropped to cover. â€Å"What is it?† Sam said. â€Å"Is someone shooting?† Nina said, â€Å"No, it’s the garage sale people. Stay down.† â€Å"Good morning,† Calliope said. â€Å"Did you sleep well?† â€Å"Fine. Who are the garage sale people?† â€Å"They’re fucking predators,† Yiffer said. â€Å"They keep circling like sharks. Look.† Yiffer gestured to the window. Sam duck-walked to the window and peeked over the edge. Dodge Darts and Ford Escorts were cruising slowly by, stopping in front of the house, then moving slowly on. Nina said, â€Å"Yiffer put the ad in the paper for our yard sale with the wrong date. They’re all looking for us.† â€Å"Five of them have been to the door already,† Yiffer said. â€Å"Whatever you do, don’t answer it. They’ll tear us apart.† â€Å"Probably ten of them went to Lonnie’s door and left when he didn’t answer,† Calliope said. â€Å"What happened with Lonnie?† Sam said. Yiffer rose up and peeked out the window. â€Å"Christ! There’s a whole van full of them outside.† He dropped to a sitting position, his back to the door. To Sam he said, â€Å"Lonnie didn’t answer when I went down there last night. As soon as he heard me come back upstairs he got on his bike and left.† Nina said, â€Å"How long are they going to circle? I have to go to work today.† â€Å"They’re never going to leave,† Yiffer wailed hopelessly. â€Å"They’re going to just wait and pick us off one by one. We’re doomed. We’re doomed.† Nina slapped Yiffer across the face. â€Å"Get a grip.† Sam could think of only one thing, the cigarettes on the seat of his car. He had gone sixteen hours without a smoke and was feeling as if he would snap like Yiffer in a few minutes if he didn’t get some nicotine into his system. â€Å"I’m going out there,† he said. He felt like John Wayne – before the lung cancer. â€Å"No, dude. Don’t do it,† Yiffer pleaded. â€Å"I’m going.† Sam stood up and Yiffer covered his head as if expecting an explosion. Sam picked up Grubb’s plastic donut on wheels. â€Å"Can I borrow this?† â€Å"Sure,† Calliope said. â€Å"Are you coming back?† Sam paused for a minute, then smiled and took her hand. â€Å"Definitely,† he said. â€Å"I just need to take a shower and handle a few things. I’ll call you, okay?† Calliope nodded. â€Å"You’ll never see him alive again,† Yiffer whined. Nina looked up apologetically. â€Å"He had a lot to drink last night. I’m sorry if our fighting disturbed you.† â€Å"No problem,† Sam said. â€Å"Nice meeting you both.† He turned and walked through the kitchen and out the door. As he went down the steps, the van that Yiffer had spotted screeched to a halt in front of the duplex and a dozen gray-haired ladies piled out and rushed him. They met at the bottom of the steps. â€Å"Where’s the sale?† one said. â€Å"This is the right address. We checked it twice.† â€Å"Where’s the bargains? The ad said bargains.† Sam held the plastic donut up before them. â€Å"This is it, ladies. I’m sorry, but everything was gone but this when I got here. We were all too late. The quick and the dead, you know.† A collective moan came from the mob, then one shouted, â€Å"I’ll give you ten bucks for it!† â€Å"Twelve!† another shouted. â€Å"Twelve fifty.† Sam gestured for them to be quiet. â€Å"No, I need this,† he said solemnly. He hugged the donut to his chest. Their purpose gone, they milled around for a moment, then gradually wandered back to the van. Sam stood for a moment watching them. The other garage sale people who had been circling the block saw them leaving, and Sam could almost feel the disappointment settling into their collective consciousness as they broke pattern and drove off. â€Å"Great night,† Coyote said. Sam’s nerves had been so worn from the night and morning that he didn’t even jump at the voice by his ear. He looked over his shoulder to see Coyote in his black buckskins and a huge, white ten-gallon cowboy hat. â€Å"Nice hat,† Sam said. â€Å"I’m in disguise.† â€Å"Swell,† Sam said. â€Å"I can’t get rid of you, can I?† â€Å"Can you wipe off your shadow?† â€Å"That’s what I thought,†. Sam said. â€Å"Let’s go.† -=*=- The shogun of the Big Sky Samurai Golf Course and Hot Springs was worried. His name was Kiro Yashamoto. He was driving his wife and two children in a rented Jeep station wagon up a winding mountain road to look at an ancient Indian medicine wheel. The day before, Kiro had purchased two thousand acres of land (with hot springs and trout stream) near Livingston, Montana, for roughly the price he would have paid for a studio apartment in Tokyo. The deal did not worry him; after the golf course and health club were built he would recoup his investment in a year from the droves of Japanese tourists who would come there. His children worried him. During this trip Kiro’s son, Tommy, who was fourteen, and his daughter, Michiko, who was twelve, had both decided that they wanted to attend American universities and live in the United States. Tommy wanted to run General Motors and Michiko wanted to be a patent attorney. As he drove, Kiro listened to his children discussing their plans in English; they paused only when Kiro pointed out some natural wonder, at which time they would dutifully acknowledge the interruption before returning to their conversation. It had been the same at the Custer Battlefield, the Grand Canyon, and even Disneyland, where the children marveled at the machinations of commerce and missed those of magic. My children are monsters, Kiro thought. And I am responsible. Perhaps if I had read them the haikus of Basho when they were little instead of that American manifesto of high-pressure sales, Green Eggs and Ham†¦ Kiro steered the jeep around a long gradual curve that rounded the peak of the mountain and the medicine wheel came into view: huge stones formed spokes almost two hundred feet long. In the center of the wheel a tattered figure lay prostrate in the dirt. â€Å"Look, father,† Michiko said. â€Å"They have hired an Indian to take tickets and he has fallen asleep on the job.† Kiro got out of the Jeep and walked cautiously toward the center of the wheel. He’d learned a lesson in caution when Tommy had nearly been trampled in Yellowstone National Park while trying to videotape a herd of buffalo. Tommy and Michiko ran to their father’s side while Mrs. Yashamoto stayed in the car and checked off the medicine wheel on the itinerary and maps. Tommy panned the camcorder as he walked. â€Å"It’s just rocks, Father.† â€Å"So is the Zen garden at Kyoto just rocks.† â€Å"But you could make a wheel of rocks at your golf course and people wouldn’t have to drive up here to see them. You could hire a Japanese to take tickets so you wouldn’t lose revenue.† They reached the Indian and Tommy put the camcorder on the macro setting for a close-up. â€Å"Look, he has fallen asleep with his face on the ground.† Kiro bent and felt the Indian’s neck for a pulse. â€Å"Michiko, bring water from the Jeep. Tommy, put down that camera and help me turn this man over. He is sick.† They turned the Indian over and cradled his head on Kiro’s rolled-up jacket. He found a beaded wallet in the Indian’s overalls and handed it to Tommy. â€Å"Look for medical information.† Michiko returned with a bottle of Evian water and handed it to her father. â€Å"Mother says that we should leave him here and go get help. She is worried about a lawsuit for improper care.† Kiro waved his daughter away and held the water to the Indian’s lips. â€Å"This man will not live if we leave him now.† Tommy pulled a square of paper from the beaded wallet. He unfolded it and his face lit up. â€Å"Father, this Indian has a personal letter from Lee Iacocca, the president of Chrysler.† â€Å"Tommy, please look for medical information.† â€Å"His name is Pokey Medicine Wing. Listen: ‘Dear Mr. Medicine Wing: ‘Thank you for your recent suggestion for the naming of our new line of light trucks. It is true that we have had great success with our Dakota line of trucks, as well as the Cherokee, Comanche, and Apache lines of our Jeep/Eagle division, but after investigation by our marketing department we have found that the word Crow has a negative connotation with the car-buying public. We also found that the word Absarokee was too difficult to pronounce and Children of the Large-Beaked Bird was too long and somewhat inappropriate for the name of a truck. ‘In answer to your question, we are not aware of any royalties paid to the Navaho tribe by the Mazda Corporation for the use of their name, and we do not pay royalties to the Comanche, Cherokee, or Apache tribes, as these words are registered trademarks of the Jeep Corporation. ‘While your proposed boycott of Chrysler products by the Crow tribe and other Native Americans saddens us deeply, research has determined that they do not represent a large enough demographic to affect our profits. ‘Please accept the enclosed blanket in thanks for bringing this matter to our attention. ‘Sincerely, Lee Iacocca ‘CEO, Chrysler Corporation. â€Å" Kiro said, â€Å"Tommy, put down the letter and help me sit him up so he can drink.† Tommy said, â€Å"If he knows Lee Iacocca he will be good to have as a contact, Father.† â€Å"Not if he dies.† â€Å"Oh, right.† Tommy dropped to his knees and helped Kiro lift Pokey to a sitting position. Kiro held the bottle to Pokey’s lips and the old man’s eyes opened as he drank. After a few swallows he pushed the bottle away and looked up at Tommy. â€Å"I burned the blanket,† he said. â€Å"Smallpox.† Then he passed out. CHAPTER 19 Five Faces of Coyote Blue Ever since the morning Adeline Eats had found the frost-covered liar in the grass behind Wiley’s Food and Gas there had been a screech owl sitting atop the power pole in front of her house, sitting there like feathered trouble. In addition, Black Cloud Follows had blown a water pump, all of her kids were coming down with the flu, her husband, Milo, had gone off to a peyote ceremony, and she was trying desperately to stay out of Hell. It was unfair, she thought, that her new faith was being tested before the paint was even dry. She wanted the owl to go away and take her bad luck with it. But to a good Christian, an owl was just an owl. Only a traditional Crow believed in the bad luck of owls. A good Christian would just go out there and shoo that old owl away. Of course, it wouldn’t bother a good Christian. Adeline had come to Christianity the same way she had come to sex and smoking: through peer pressure. Thinking about her six kids and her smoker’s hack, she wondered if perhaps peer pressure didn’t always lead to the best habits. Her sisters had all converted and they had referred to her as the heathen of the family until she caved in and accepted Christ. Now, only three weeks after being washed in the blood of the Lamb, she was already backsliding like a dog surprised down a skunk hole. The owl. Adeline looked out the front window to check on the owl; he was still there. Had he winked at her? She had pinned up her hair and was wearing sunglasses and a pair of Milo’s overalls, hoping the owl wouldn’t recognize her until she figured out what to do. She was tempted to pray to Jesus to make the owl go away, but if she did that, she would be admitting that she believed in the old ways and she’d go to Hell. There was no Hell in the old ways. Then again, she could load up Milo’s shotgun, walk out in the yard, and turn that old owl into pink mist. She couldn’t see herself doing that either – no telling what kind of trouble that would unleash. And she couldn’t wait for Milo and ask him for help: not after weeks of working on him to leave the Native American church and trade in his peyote buttons for wafers and wine. She ducked away from the window. One of the kids coughed in the other room. Eventually she was going to have to take them down to the clinic for treatment. But she was afraid to pass by the owl. According to the priest, God knew everything. The sunglasses and hairdo wouldn’t fool God. God knew she was afraid, so He knew she still had faith in the old ways, so she was going to Hell as sure as if she’d been out all morning worshiping golden calves and graven images. â€Å"I got bad medicine from being Crow,† she thought. â€Å"And I’m going to Hell for being Christian. I should have let that old liar Pokey freeze to death.† She slapped herself on the forehead. â€Å"Damn! Another Hell thought.† -=*=- A nun with an Uzi popped up on the parapet of Notre Dame like a ninja penguin. Coyote shot from the hip, winging her before she could fire. She tumbled over the side, bounced off a gargoyle, and splattered on the sidewalk below. A synthesized Gregorian chant began to play as her spirit rose to heaven, a steel ruler in hand. Coyote strafed a stained-glass window and took out a bazooka-wielding bishop for two thousand penance points. Sam walked into the bedroom, hair wet, a towel wrapped around his hips. â€Å"Nice shot,† Sam said. Coyote glanced up from the video game. â€Å"The red ones have killed me three times.† â€Å"Those are cardinals. You have to hit them twice to kill them. Wait until you get to the Vatican level. The pope has guilt-beam vision.† Before Coyote could look back to the screen the cathedral doors flew open and St. Patrick fired a wiggling salvo of heat-seeking vipers. â€Å"Hit your smart bomb,† Sam said. Coyote fumbled with the control, but was too late. A snake latched onto his leg and exploded. The screen flashed GAME OVER, and a synthesized voice instructed Coyote to â€Å"go to confession.† Coyote dropped the control onto the bed with a sigh. Sam said, â€Å"You did good. Gunning for Nuns is a hard game for beginners.† â€Å"I should have brought some cheating medicine. My cheating medicine never fails.† â€Å"This isn’t like the hand game. This is a game of skill.† â€Å"Who needs skill when you can have luck?† Sam shook his head and turned to go back to the bathroom. During the night something inside him had changed. Each time he thought things had reached a plateau of weirdness, something even weirder had happened. The result, he realized, was that he was now accepting anything that happened, no matter how weird, without resistance. Chaos was the new order in his life. The phone rang and Sam, hoping it was Calliope, grabbed the receiver off the vanity. â€Å"Samuel Hunter,† he said. â€Å"You low-life, scum-sucking shithead!† â€Å"Good morning to you too, Josh.† â€Å"You win, dickhead. There’ll be a meeting of the co-op association tonight. They’ll vote you back in. You can keep your apartment, but I want your guarantee that this is over.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"I hope you know I’ve lost all respect for you as a professional, Sam. The doctor says I’m going to walk with a limp for the rest of my life.† â€Å"There was a crooked man who had a crooked-â€Å" â€Å"You broke my legs! My house is destroyed.† Sam peeked into the bedroom where Coyote was attacking the Sistine Chapel with a helicopter gunship. â€Å"Josh, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m glad you came to your senses.† â€Å"Fuck you. I’m using up years of collected dirt to get your apartment back.† â€Å"Townhouse,† Sam corrected. â€Å"Not apartment.† â€Å"Don’t fuck with me, Sam. I’m in a cast up to my nipples and a sadistic nurse has been force-feeding me green Jell-O for an hour. Just tell me it’s over.† â€Å"It’s over,† Sam said. The phone clicked. Sam walked back into the bedroom. â€Å"What did you do to Spagnola?† Coyote was rolling on the bed in exaggerated body English to tilt the gunship. â€Å"These birds are eating my tail rotor. I can’t control it.† â€Å"Uh-oh, St. Francis released the doves of death. You’re dead meat.† Sam took a cigarette from the pack on the dresser and offered one to Coyote. â€Å"What did you do to Spagnola?† â€Å"You said you wanted your old life back.† â€Å"So you broke Spagnola’s legs?† â€Å"It was a trick.† â€Å"You can’t just go around breaking people’s legs like some Mafioso fairy godmother.† The gunship spun out of control and crashed on the mezzanine. Coyote threw the joystick at the screen and turned to Sam. â€Å"How can I win if you keep talking to me? You whine like an old woman. I got you your house back!† â€Å"I wouldn’t have lost it if you had left me alone. Be logical.† â€Å"What gods do you know that are logical? Name two.† â€Å"Never mind,† Sam said. He went to the closet and pulled his clothing out for the day. Coyote said, â€Å"Do you have a light?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"No? After I stole fire from the sun and gave it to your people?† â€Å"Why, Coyote? Why did you do that?† Sam turned to point out the lighter on the dresser, but the trickster was gone. -=*=- Calliope’s upbringing in the Eastern religions, with their emphasis on living in the now – of acting, not thinking – had left her totally unprepared to do battle with the future. She’d tried to ignore it, even after Grubb was born, but it had become more and more difficult to function on karmic autopilot. Now, Sam had entered her life and she felt like she had something to lose. The future had a name. She wondered what she had done to manifest the curse of a nice guy. â€Å"It feels wonderful, but I want more,† Calliope said. â€Å"I don’t get it,† Nina said. They were cleaning up the kitchen. Grubb was scooting around on the linoleum at their feet, tasting the baseboards, a table leg, a slow-moving bug. â€Å"I’ve always felt separate from men, even during sex. It’s like there’s this part of me that watches them and I’m not really involved. But it wasn’t that way with Sam. It was like we were really together, no barriers. I wasn’t watching him, I was with him. When we were finished I lay there watching the pulse on his neck, and it was like we had gone to some other world together. I wanted more.† â€Å"So you’re saying you’re a hosebeast.† â€Å"Not like that. It was just that I want to feel that way all the time. I want my whole life to feel – complete.† â€Å"I’m sorry, Calliope, I don’t get it. I’m happy if Yiffer doesn’t pass out before we finish.† â€Å"I guess it’s not a sexual thing. It’s a spiritual thing. Like there’s a part of life that I can touch but I can’t live in.† â€Å"Maybe we just need to find a house where your ex doesn’t live downstairs.† â€Å"That was pretty awful. I couldn’t believe Sam didn’t just leave.† Nina threw a dish towel at Calliope and missed. â€Å"You had a little good luck for a change, accept it. Not every guy has to be a creep like Lonnie.† â€Å"I’m a little afraid to leave Grubb with him when I go to work today.† â€Å"Lonnie won’t hurt Grubb. He was just pissed that you were with someone else. Men are like that. Even when they don’t want you, they don’t want anyone else to have you.† â€Å"Nina, do you think there’s something wrong with me?† â€Å"No, you’re just not very good at worrying. You’ll get the hang of it.† -=*=- â€Å"I’ve got to get back to the house,† Lonnie said to Cheryl, who was pouring peroxide on his damaged chest. She wiped away the foam with a tissue, then poked the wound with a broken black fingernail. â€Å"Ouch! What are you doing, bitch?† Cheryl got up from the bed and pulled on a pair of leather pants. Lonnie could see her hipbones and shoulder blades pushing against her pale skin as if they would poke through any second. â€Å"You’re always thinking of her. Never me. What the hell is wrong with me?† She turned to face him and he stared at her breasts lying like flaps against her ribs. She pulled back her lips in a snarl and Lonnie knew his face had betrayed him. â€Å"Fucking asshole,† she said, pulling on a black Harley-Davidson T-shirt. â€Å"It’s not her, it’s the kid. He’s my kid. I have to watch him when she goes to work.† â€Å"Bullshit. Then why won’t you fuck me?† She tossed her head and her long black hair fell into her face like seaweed on the drowned. Because you look like you just escaped from fucking Auschwitz, Lonnie thought. He’d been with Cheryl for three months and had never seen her eat. As far as he could figure she lived on speed, come, and Pepsi. He said, â€Å"I worry about the kid.† â€Å"Then get custody. I can take care of him. I’d make a good mother.† â€Å"Right.† â€Å"You don’t think so? You think that vegetarian bitch is a better mother than me?† â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You start treating me right or I’m gone.† Cheryl took a purse from the floor and began digging in it. â€Å"Where the fuck is my stash?† She threw the purse aside and stormed out of the room. Lonnie followed her, carrying the denim vest sporting the Guild’s colors. â€Å"I’ve got to go,† he said. Cheryl was dumping a bindle of white powder into a can of Pepsi. â€Å"Bring back some crank,† she said. As Lonnie walked out she added, â€Å"Tink called while you were sleeping. He said to tell you he took care of things.† Outside Lonnie fired up his Harley and pulled out into the street. Tinker’s news should have cheered him up, but it didn’t. He felt empty, like he needed to get fucked up. He always felt that way lately. At one time being a brother in the Guild, being accepted for who he was, had been enough. Having all the women and drugs and money and power he needed had been enough. But since Grubb was born he felt like he was supposed to be doing something, and he didn’t know what it was. Maybe the bitch is right, he thought. As long as the kid tied him to Calliope he was going to feel shitty. It was time to feel good again. -=*=- Frank Cochran, the cofounder of Motion Marine, Inc., had spent most of the morning in his office milling over the bane of his existence: the human factor. Frank loved organization, routine, and predictability. He liked his life to be linear, moving forward from event to event without the nasty backtracking caused by surprises. The human factor was his name for the variable of unpredictability that was added to the equation of life by human beings. Today, the human factor was represented by his partner, Jim Cable, who was in the hospital after being attacked by an Indian. Frank’s thinking went thus: If Jim dies there’ll be insurance hassles, legal battles with the family, and someone will have to comfort Jim’s mistress. But if Jim lives – maybe Jim’s mistress should be comforted anyway†¦. His train of thought was broken by the buzz of the intercom on his desk. â€Å"Mr. Cochran,† his secretary said, â€Å"there’s a man from NARC here to see you.† â€Å"I don’t have any appointments until after lunch, do I?† The office door burst open and Cochran looked up to see an Indian in black buckskins striding toward him. His secretary was shouting protests from her desk. Cochran spoke into the intercom, â€Å"Stella, do I have an appointment with this man?† â€Å"Native American Reform Coalition,† Coyote said. â€Å"I understand that some insurance agent is taking credit for what happened to your partner.† Cochran had a very bad feeling about this. â€Å"Look, I don’t know who you are, but I don’t like surprises.† â€Å"Then this is going to be a very bad day for you.† Coyote slammed the door behind him. â€Å"A very bad day.† The trickster extended his right hand. â€Å"Nice to meet you.† Cochran watched in horror as the Indian’s hand began to sprout fur and claws. How to cite Coyote Blue Chapter 18~19, Essay examples

Securities and Investments Commission System †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Securities and Investments Commission System. Answer: Introduction The High Court of Australias Full Bench gave a landmark decision in the year of 2012 through ASIC v Hellicar Ors [2012] HCA17, which is amongst the famous Jamie Hardie cases. In this case, the decision given by the Court of Appeal of NSW in Shafron v Australian Securities and Investments Commission [2012] 286 ALR 612 and Morley v Australian Securities and Investments Commission [2010] NSWCA 331, were overturned (Czoch and Whalebelly, 2012). Through the case of ASIC v Hellicar, the seven non-executive directors of JHIL, i.e., James Hardie Industries Ltd, along with the general counsel/ company secretary of the company, were held to have contravened the duties they owed by being the officer or the directors of the company (Gunning and Heller, 2013). This particular breach was held with regards to the release of the misleading announcement to the ASX, i.e., the Australian Stock Exchange (Floro and Meikle, 2012). This decision provides a better understanding towards the duties of the ASIC, i.e., Australian Securities Investments Commission, towards initiating proceedings as per the governing legislation of the Corporations Act, 2001. These are also significant with regards to the duties which are held by the executive and non executive directors, along with the management below the board level and also provide clarity to the definition of an officer as per this act (Australasian Legal Information Institute, 2012). ASIC v Hellicar (2012) The ASIC, in 2007 initiated civil proceedings against seven of the ex non-executive directors, the general counsel/ company secretary and three ex executive directors of JHIL, for the contravention of section 180(1) of this act. A contention was made by the ASIC that each of these individuals had failed in exercising the due diligence and care, which was necessary, regarding the release of information to the share market. And undertaking these activities resulted in the contravention of provisions of this act, and an ultimate breach of the duties which they owed (Czoch and Whalebelly, 2012). It was held by the SC of NSW that there was a breach on part of the seven directors as they approved the announcement to ASX, which conveyed in a misleading manner, that a trust had been formed for funding the claims regarding the asbestos-related disease and that there would be a sufficiency in funds, for meeting the current, as well as, the future claims (Time Base, 2012). It was held afterwards that this fund was not adequately funded and the value of such shortage was $1.5 billion. JHILs general counsel, along with the post of company secretary was held by Shafron. It was claimed that even he had contravened the Corporations Act, as he did not advice the board in an adequate manner with regards to the announcements, as these were expresses in vague terms. Furthermore, there was also possible shortcoming with the economic advice, as well as the modeling advice which Shafron gave to the board of the company (Czoch and Whalebelly, 2012). Fines, along with disqualification orders were passed by the judges in the year of 2009 for breaching various provisions of the governing act by the officers and the directors. An appeal was made by some of the directors to the Court of Appeal of NSW and they submitted that the primary judge should have refrained from holding the draft ASX announcement, which had been contested by the ASIC, to be tabled, along with being approved at the board meeting which took place in February, which in reality had been both tabled and approved (Hill and Thomas, 2015). It was held by the Court of Appeal of NSW that the ASIC had not fulfilled the burden of proof, provided that the board minutes of this February meeting where the resolution was recorded regarding the ASX announcement, which comprised of a range of imprecision regarding the other matter, which required the answering on their precision in general, and also specifically with regards to such announcement. This was along with the failure in providing the burden of proof regarding the witnesses which the ASIC called, as they were unable to recall the events in an accurate manner, regarding the tabling of resolution (Czoch and Whalebelly, 2012). A duty of fairness was held to have been owed by the ASIC as per Court of Appeal and this was analogous to the one owed by a Crown Prosecutor, which was breached by not calling Robb, who was the lawyer of JHIL, who was also an attendant to the held meeting and preparer of the board minutes. The cogency of the evidence of ASIC was diminished by failing to call Robb. Against this decision of the Court of Appeal, an appeal was made by ASIC to the High Court (Jacobson, 2012). The Court of Appeal of NSW held that Shafron had acted in the capacity he had, i.e., the capacity of an officer, either under section 9(a) of this act as a company secretary, or as an individual who participated in decision making at the relevant times, which affected either whole or a substantial part of JHILs business as per section 9(b)(i) of this act, and he had also contravened the duties as being an officer. The Court of Appeal specifically held that Shafron had breached sections pertaining to the directors and officers duties, as they failed in giving the advice to the board and to the CEO by failing to discharge their duties and exercising their powers with diligence and a degree of care, which would be exercised by a reasonable individual in a similar position (Czoch and Whalebelly, 2012). An appeal was made by Shafron to the High Court, where he argued that the ASIC alleged omissions were the omissions in the performance in his role as a general counsel, and not as the JHIL s company secretary. And he claimed that he was not an officer of the company so the provisions of the act did not apply to him (Bradman and Less, 2012). Duties Breached A civil obligation has been imposed through section 180 of the Corporations Act, 2001 (Cth). This obligation has been put over the officers and the directors of an organization. The provisions of this section relates to the duty to act in a diligent way and with care (Australasian Legal Information Institute, 2017). As per subsection 1 of this section, the directors, along with the other officers of a company, have a responsibility of discharging their duties, in addition to the exercise of the authority given to them, in a way, which depicts diligence and care (WIPO, 2015). This has to be done in a manner, as would have been done by a reasonable individual, if such reasonable individual was the officer or the director of the company in the given circumstances, and this reasonable individual occupied the office which was held by such officer or director and also had the same responsibilities (Federal Register of Legislation, 2017). A contravention of section 180(1) of this act gives the power to the court to make a declaration of contravention (Cassidy, 2006). In this particular case, i.e., the case of ASIC v Hellicar, when an appeal was made by ASIC to the High Court, the judgment given by the Court of Appeal of the NSW was overturned, regarding the failure of ASIC in satisfying the burden of proof regarding the tabling and approving of the draft ASX announcements at the board meeting held in February. It was held by the High Court that the board minutes had to be always considered as a formal record of the occurrences at the board meeting. Hence, they are evidence to the truth of all the issues which have been recorded in it. This was with particular reference to the ASX announcement being both tabled, as well as, approved (Garnaut, 2015). The submission of the respondent regarding the inherent unreliability of the board minutes, due to these being prepared before the board meeting held in February and these containing certain inaccuracies, were out rightly rejected by the High Court. It was also held by the High Court that it was far too great a coincidence for none of the individuals who were present in the Board meeting which held in April, where the board minutes were adopted by the board, to notice that there was a resolution contained in the minutes of February and stating that they had no knowledge regarding such a resolution being passed. On the case of respondent, the High Court was of the view that this was a glaring blunder, and it was even worse than something which can be termed as a blunder as the recording of a significant resolution took place, which in actuality, never occurred (Czoch and Whalebelly, 2012). This was coupled by the evidence to prove the fact that the draft ASX announcement had been circulated at the meeting, in as much as the discovery on part of Robb, along with the files of a large shareholder in JIHL, i.e., BIL Australia Pty Ltd, in which there was a close association of the two of the non-executive directors, who were there at the board meeting (Czoch and Whalebelly, 2012). A similar view was taken by the High Court of the ASX announcement in itself, whereby it was noted that even though there had been certain differentiations amongst the draft which was held to have been tabled at the meeting, the draft announcement was described properly as being textual, instead of being substantive, and that these contained misrepresentations. It was stated by the High Court that whether an announcement which was published later or the deed which was executed later, is the document which had to be approved by the board, needs to be determined by more than just literal comparisons amid the text. The errors and slips can easily be corrected. And that in some of the cases at least different and better wordings could be adopted. In this case, the fact that mere small changes were made, would could at the worst establish that no more than the ones who created them, had the authority of doing so, and in this particular case, did not show that this draft announcement had n ot been approved (Czoch and Whalebelly, 2012). It was also noted by the High Court that the announcement which was circulated later on, where not at all protested or demurred by the individuals in questions, regarding the terms of this announcement. The same were held to have been consistent with the fact that the draft announcement had been approved, as was held in the findings. With regards to the findings of the Court of Appeal of NSW regarding the failure in calling Robert resulted in the diminishing of cogency of the evidence of the ASIC, while ASIC admitting that there had been a general duty to act in a fair manner, it was held by the High Court that There was a failure on part of the Court of Appeal in identifying the source of any duty to call out specific evidence, along with the lack of ascertaining the source of rule, which was stated to be applicable in case of breach of the duty; Even if it is deemed that there was an existence of such a duty, it could be fairly expected that the remedy would be in the ASIC being directed by the primary judge to call a witness or to stay the proceedings, till the time the same was done by ASIC; or in case the trial went to the judgment stage in the appellate court, o consider if the miscarriage of justice required a retrial; and A solution regarding the unfairness could not be found in needing the cogency of the evidence which was brought forward and which was somehow discounted (High Court of Australia, 2012). The reliance of the Court of Appeal on Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] HCA 8, regarding the unexplained failure in calling the evidence giving the court the right to draw an inference to the opposing party in a comfortable manner, where the inference was present on evidence, and the approach taken in Blatch v Archer (1774) 1 Cowp 63 at 65 [98 ER 969 at 970], regarding the evidence to be weight as per the proof which it was in the power of to have produced by one side, were rejected by the High Court. The case of ASIC was not dependent upon inference, and instead on the direct evidence which was found in the minutes to the board meeting held in February (Scott, 2012). Hence, the decision of the primary judge that the general counsel/ the company secretary, along with the non-executive directors had breached section 181(1) of the Corporations Act, 2001 was restored by the High Court of Australia (Austin, Standen and Reynolds, 2012). References Austin, R., Standen, M., and Reynolds, C. (2012) The High Court decides the James Hardie case. [Online] Minter Ellison. Available from: https://www.minterellison.com/files/Uploads/Documents/Publications/Alerts/NA_20120509_JamesHardieDecision.pdf [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] Australasian Legal Information Institute. (2012) Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Meredith Hellicar Ors ([2012] HCA 17) Case Summary [2012] HCASum 17 (3 May 2012). [Online] Australasian Legal Information Institute. Available from: https://www3.austlii.edu.au/au/other/HCASum/2012/17.html [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] Australasian Legal Information Institute. (2017) Corporations Act 2001. [Online] Australasian Legal Information Institute. Available from: https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca2001172/ [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] Bradman, P., and Less, J. (2012) James Hardie Directors Approved Misleading ASX Release. [Online] Wotton + Kearney. Available from: https://www.wottonkearney.com.au/downloads/case%20note%20-%20james%20hardie%20directors%20approved%20for%20misleading%20asx%20release.pdf [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] Cassidy, J. (2006) Concise Corporations Law. 5th ed. NSW: The Federation Press. Czoch, K., and Whalebelly, R. (2012) Australia: The James Hardie Decisions: ASIC v Hellicar Ors [2012] HCA17; Shafron v ASIC [2012] HCA 18. [Online] Mondaq. Available from: https://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/176336/Directors+Officers+Executives+Shareholders/The+James+Hardie+Decisions+ASIC+v+Hellicar+Ors+2012+HCA17+Shafron+v+ASIC+2012+HCA+18 [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] Federal Register of Legislation. (2017) Corporations Act 2001. [Online] Federal Register of Legislation. Available from: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2013C00605 [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] Floro, A., and Meikle, K. (2012) The decision: ASIC v Hellicar Ors. [Online] Lexology. Available from: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=c02498f5-ec3a-4514-af79-0d8982db328a [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] Garnaut, B. (2013) ASIC V Hellicar and the Meaning of Acting as the Model Litigant: Thursday 14 February 2013. Adelaide SA: Law Society of South Australia. Gunning, P., and Heller, N. (2013) High Court cases from 2012 what do you need to know?. [Online] King Wood Mallesons. Available from: https://www.kwm.com/en/au/knowledge/insights/high-court-cases-from-2012-what-do-you-need-to-know-20130401 [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] High Court of Australia. (2012) Australian Securities and Investments Commission. [Online] High Court of Australia. Available from: https://eresources.hcourt.gov.au/downloadPdf/2012/HCA/17 [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] Hill, J.G., and Thomas, R.S. (2015) Research Handbook on Shareholder Power. Northampton, MA, USA: Edward Elgar Publishing. Jacobson, D. (2012) ASIC v Hellicar: Liability Of Company Directors (James Hardie). [Online] Bright Law. Available from: https://www.brightlaw.com.au/asic-v-hellicar-liability-of-company-directors-james-hardie/ [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] Scott, D.P. (2012) Shafron v Australian Securities and Investments Commission (2012) 286 ALR 612. University of Tasmania Law Review, 31(2). Time Base. (2012) ASIC v Hellicar Others James Hardie directors lose to ASIC in High Court. [Online] Time Base. Available from: https://www.timebase.com.au/news/2012/AT169-article.html [Accessed on: 06/05/2017] WIPO. (2015) Corporations Act 2001. [Online] WIPO. Available from: https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/text.jsp?file_id=370817 [Accessed on: 06/05/2017]

The Price For Death Penalty Essays - Capital Punishment, Penology

The Price For Death Penalty Costs of the Death Penalty. James Wheeler 3/6/00 Government 400.3 The Costs of the Death Penalty in the United States Capital punishment has existed in the US since colonial times. Since then, more than 13,000 people have been legally executed. Today, there are only twelve states which do not have the death penalty: Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as Washington D.C. The locations of these states are important because they illustrate the lack of ideological homogeneity usually associated with geographical regions of the US. The methods of execution are as varied as their locations. The word capital in capital punishment refers to a persons head, as, historically, execution was performed by cutting off the head. Today, there are generally five methods of execution used in the US. Hanging, the gas chamber, lethal injection, the electric chair and the firing squad are all used, some notably less than others. I n 1930, the Bureau of Justice Statistics began keeping stats on capital punishment nationwide. From 1930 until 1967, 3859 people were executed in the US, 3334 for murder (www. uaa). Thats an average of almost 105 people per year, three out of five of which were executed in the South. By 1967, all but ten states had laws for capital punishment. Nationally, strong pressure was steadily placed on the federal government by those opposed to capital punishment which resulted in an unofficial moratorium on executions until 1976. Officially, the Supreme Court ruled capital punishment unconstitutional in 1972. In Furman v. Georgia,408 U.S. 238 (1972), a 5-4 Supreme Court decision ruled that CP laws in their present form were arbitrary and capricious and constituted cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment as well as due process of the Fourteenth Amendment (www.aclu). In its decision, the Court voted that the death penalty statutes were vague and ambiguous, providing little guidance to juries in deciding whether to apply the death penalty. This caused states which still wanted the death penalty to revise their legislation to satisfy the Supreme Courts objection to the arbitrary nature of execution. State governments tried two new strategies to be more specific and direct in death penalty trials: guided discretion and the mandatory death penalty. In Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 (1976) among others, the Supreme Court gave sentencing courts the right to impose sentences of death for specific crimes and allowed a two-stage (bifurcated) trial (www.cpa). In the first stage, the guilt or innocence of the defendant is established, while in the second stage, the jury or the judge (depending on the state) determines the sentence. Mandatory death penalty for specific crimes, on the other hand, was deemed unconstitutional because of cases such as Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280 (1976). These rulings lead to the modification of each states statutes regarding the death penalty (www.uaa). The moratorium ended and executions resumed in January 1977. Capital punishment remains, as it ahs always been, controversial and heavily debated on both philosophical (moral) grounds as well as on a strictly financial basis. Both sides, however, seem to be able to crunch the numbers and make their arguments in a way which supports their claims. Today, one of the major points of debate about the death penalty is that of cost. Some of those who support the death penalty defend it as a cost-effective alternative to life in prison. Those who oppose capital punishment conversely say that it costs a significant amount more to kill someone than to incarcerate them for life. What tends to occur is that advocates of the death penalty focus the debate on post trial costs, particularly incarceration, while opponents focus on the trial cost itself. Time Magazine (as of 12/95) found that, nationwide, the average cell cost is $24,000 per year and the avera ge maximum-security cell cost is $75,000 per year (www.prodeathpenalty). Illustrating how statistics are made to fit the agendas, the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), a leading anti- death penalty organization, claims that, in Texas, a state known for its liberal use of the death penalty, it would cost three times as much to execute

The Oedipus Rex by Sophocles Essay Example

The Oedipus Rex by Sophocles Essay Example The Oedipus Rex by Sophocles Paper The Oedipus Rex by Sophocles Paper Oedipus’ pride in how he became king induces him to commit blasphemy against the gods, so they become angry at his mockery and punish him heavily. Although he may have gotten to such a high position through luck, he should still thank the gods for providing him with good fortune in order to follow Greek culture. Evidence of his blasphemy occurs when Oedipus self righteously mocks Teiresias, â€Å"When that hellcat the Sphinx was performing here†¦Your birds- / What good were they? or the gods, for that matter / of that? † (22). Oedipus does not think highly of the gods since he believes he achieved everything himself. He is egotistical because he puts himself on a pedestal by showing off how he achieved his position with his own power and claims all the credit for defeating the Sphinx when the gods were probably just throwing good fortune his way. In Greek culture, all of the natural phenomena and good or bad fortune were explained through how the gods behaved, and Oedipus is basically scorning the roots that hold Thebes together. This blasphemy obviously horrifies the Chorus because they grieve, â€Å"Haughtiness and the high hand of disdain / Tempt and outrage God’s holy law† (46). The gods are infuriated by the king’s belief that he is inferior to one. Because of this, when he reaches his fulminant anagnorisis, he is put through much suffering: he is separated from the people he loves most, he is forever blinded, and he is forced to leave Thebes, the land that he once ruled. Maybe if he had not mocked the gods, his peripeteia would not have been as extreme, and he might have had a chance of dying without any regrets. Unfortunately, his one tragic flaw prevents from living the happy life at the top of society that he could have had. Hubris is the main reason for Oedipus’ peripeteia because it is the reason why he killed King Laius in the first place, it prevents him from discovering the truth sooner, and it causes him to commit blasphemy and anger the gods. In the end, the major sin he committed all began with his mistake of letting his hubris run wild and allowing himself to be angered by the trivial matter of respecting his own father. Also, his stubbornness in not listening to other people’s reason before his own makes him the last person to realize that the prophecies were all true. The gods are not happy with the excessive pride he protects and how he refuses to bow down to their superiority, so they make him suffer for the rest of his life. In conclusion, all of the suffering and change in fortune that Oedipus goes through is ultimately the result of his hubris: his excessive pride, arrogance, insolence, and pomposity. Therefore, the lesson taught by Sophocles in this beautiful tragedy is that no matter who you are or where you come from, do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

Business Unit

This means it could include information about current employees and includes their address, bank details and date of birth. This can only be stored with the consent from the person or if it is necessary for the performance of the person’s job. This Act seeks to provide balance between the interests of an organisation that hold data and the personnel. This person has rights under the Act to access the information, stop information being held about them, prevent the information being passed on for marketing purposes and to have compensation made and to ask the data controller to rectify errors. This Act covers all people. Colleges have had to comply with this Act in several ways and here I have listed three of them. Obtaining permission to use data, Set up data protection policies before starting the business up and training all members of staff. Members have to process data confidentially and accurately to ensure it was seen by nobody outside the business. If someone on the outside of the business found some very personal information about a employee or student this could then deeply upset them and the business could get into a lot of trouble. What is the Freedom of Information Act 2000? The Freedom of Information Act 2000 is an act which defines the ways in which the public may acquire access to government-held information. The objective is to allow individuals and corporations reasonable access to information while minimising the danger of damage to anybody. The idea for this act was first put forward in 1997 and was passed in 2000 and came into full effect in 2005. In order for Colleges to comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 they have to regularly publish information whenever possible to a deep enough level. Another way in how Public and government run businesses comply with this information is by allowing the customers of the business to request information from the business which gives them access to their own individual personal information. When a business receives a request, they have a legal responsibility to identify a request which has been made and to handle it accordingly. Staffs who receive customer messages should be particularly aware to identifying potential requests. What is the Computer Misuse Act 1990? The Computer Misuse Act 1990 was designed to enclose legislation and controls over computer crime and Internet fraud. The legislation was created to: -Criminalise unauthorised access to computer systems. -Discourage serious criminals from using a computer in the commission of a criminal offence or seek to get in the way or impair access to data stored within a computer. The Computer Misuse Act 1990 has raised concerns among privacy supporters and those who believe in limiting government authority on daily life and behaviour. However, the Computer Misuse Act has served as a model for computer crime legislation in other Commonwealth countries. How businesses comply with this Act In order for College to comply with this Act they must not: -Display any information which enables others to gain unauthorised access to computer material including instructions for gaining access, computer codes or other devices which assist hacking. -Display any information that may lead to any unauthorised modification of computer materials. -Display any material which may provoke or encourage others to carry out unauthorised access to or modification of computer materials. Ethical issues What are the ethical issues? Codes of practice exist in organisations to maintain business ethics on: -Use of email -Internet -Whistle-blowing -Organisational policies -Information ownership What are Codes of practice? Code of practice is a set of rules which are written which are used to explain how people working in a particular profession should behave. Use of email Most organisations have a code of practice for the correct use of email. Although it is not illegal to perform these, they business tend not to allow this. Tesco tend to state in their code of practice to not use emailing for: -Material which violates copyright restrictions -Personal data about a third party in contravention of the Data Protection Act -Messages likely to cause offence -Material which could be used to breach computer security or facilitate unauthorised access The correct use of emailing in a business such as Tesco is: -To give standard information to a large group of employees -To distribute urgent information quickly -As a memo, but only when the text is short and to the point -To gather views quickly Internet A lot of businesses also have codes of practice on the use of internet and what their employees are able to use their internet for. Things employees aren’t allowed to use the internet for at Tesco are: -Do not access the Internet unless for authorised / supervised activities. -Do not use the Internet to obtain, download, send, print, display or otherwise transmit or gain access to materials which are unlawful, obscene or abusive. -Respect the work and ownership rights of people, as well as other employees or staff. This includes abiding by copyright laws. Do not engage in ‘chat’ activities over the Internet. This takes up valuable resources which could be used by others to benefit their studies. -No pornography Whistle-blowing A whistle-blower is an employee or member of staff who raises a concern about a business practice either to management or to the press. The concerns raised could be: -Fraud -Crime -Danger Whistle-blowers may receive legal protection through the Public Interest Disclosure Act, but the offence being reported must make up an intentional attempt to break the law. Organisational policies Organisations could have many policies to make sure that their business practices with regards to information can be done more ethically. Tesco have to manage their information and also make sure their marketing is fair in order to stay within these policies. Information ownership If a business creates information in the day to day work, then they should be responsible for it. If a business such as Tesco owns information, they then have to protect it to an appropriate degree and this includes the information’s confidentiality and no changed have been done to the information.

Hugh Hefner Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hugh Hefner - Essay Example Launched in 1953, the magazine's objective was centered on explicit sexuality. Playboy Enterprises (2000) Hefner has been known as the vanguard power behind this prolific company. However it is also evident that his lifestyle has been marred by marital scandals, which have resulted into various separations that have led to impeccable divorces. His innovative strategies have witnessed an incredible achievement of the Play boy Magazine and their fabulous life at large. Hefner is perhaps the first magazine to become rise and led a celebrity lifestyle. He was once arrested in Chicago in 1963, Illinois for being in possession of indecent photos of one of the movie actress Jayne Mansfield. By 1971 he developed a famous Playboy castle in Los Angeles. He also served in the U.S Army in WW11 after graduating Steinmetz. Peter Gregory (2005). Heffner was coupled with the indecisions for identifying the brand name; he was torn between Stag Party and Play boy. But through a collective reflected that hinged on the fabulous lifestyle and the exorbitant celebrity kind of a culture, Play boy had to outrun every suggestive brand name. Hefner's vision was centered on elevating the Play boy magazine to enjoy and champion the popular rule as the people's favorite series in America and even on global dimensions. Most of his competitors include esquire a magazine company that he worked with before, Merrion D.S (1997). Hefner is trying to create his Company had to contemplate about the trademark symbol, at first he thought a smoking jacket would do, but unfortunately he received an objection from the Stag Magazine lawyer that warned his against infringement. Playboy Enterprises (2000) while relaxing with his wife and colleagues, his wife suggested the Playboy thing; the rabbit drawing was likewise introduced on the second cover of th e page that reflected the beauty and glory of chic eyes if not a bikini knot. Jennifer White (2003) Although Hefner's wife at first thought that this Playboy acronym wouldn't hit the markets, the incorporation of the Rabbit symbol and the name blended to become a world famous. But owing to the financial constraints during his first experiences with the company, Hefner had to look out for a state of the deceptive art to promote his magazine. But since the 3-D and comic books were so myriad and popular at the same time, Hefner did a nude pictorial in a 3-D, inscribing those little glasses in every issue although expensive it was, at that time. I discovered that the Marilyn Monroe calendar-which everyone had heard about but nobody had seen-was owned by the John Baumgarth Calendar Co. out on the West Side of Chicago, very close to where I had grown up. But he thought of Marilyn Monroe, a Hollywood celebrity, and immediate conceived the potential of Monroe's nude photograph on his first issue. Playboy Enterprises (2000) Marilyn Monroe was the centerfold in the first issue of his playboy Magazine n December 1953. This issue featured as the only one to name its playmate 'Sweetheart of the Month'. In 1965 issue, playboy Magazine featured the first African-American centerfold. Peter Gregory (2005). Genesis to Opulence Playboy's sensational hit on the market was evident that time Hefner imported a nude photograph of actress Marilyn Monroe that he purchased. Since at this time Monroe was a star with the Hollywood moviemakers, so Hefner employed strategy of using his photography to

Internet Governance Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 16750 words

Internet Governance - Dissertation Example The Internet's expansiveness and socio-economic importance has created challenging global policy issues. A co-ordinated attack on key infrastructure components or a major security breach could now have significant economic and social repercussions. Even mundane responsibilities like IP number system and DNS administration or technical standards setting have been controversial, including questions about their global inclusiveness. Globally, the digital divide not only captures access impurity but also nationally imposed content restrictions for those already connected. The Internet is not defined by the geographic boundaries that govern nations and laws of the non-virtual world. Without a clear jurisdictional framework for the Internet, scholars, businessmen, and laypersons have been left to decipher in a piecemeal fashion what set of laws and norms, if any, shall govern this forum. The United Nations recognises 189 sovereign countries throughout the world, each with its own system of governance and legal framework. This leaves a vexing international question of who should exercise power over Internet activity and what standards shall be upheld. 1.1 Internet Governance The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a private Unites States of America not-for-profit corporation that has taken responsibility for allocating Domain Name System (DNS) and IP addresses. ICANN co-ordinates the DNS system: it delegates the management of top level domains and ensures the global database is coherent. The Internet root is a file, whose maintenance is delegated by the Department of Commerce of the American government and ICANN to a technical service provider.... The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a private Unites States of America not-for-profit corporation that has taken responsibility for allocating Domain Name System (DNS) and IP addresses. ICANN coordinates the DNS system: it delegates the management of top-level domains and ensures the global database is coherent. The Internet root is a file, whose maintenance is delegated by the Department of Commerce of the American government and ICANN to a technical service provider. This file is then replicated to the other root servers. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a technical coordination body for the Internet, which are specifically coordinating Internet domain names, IP address numbers, and Protocol parameter and port numbers. In addition, ICANN coordinates the stable operation of the Internet's root server system. ICANN's mission is to coordinate technical and policy functions of the DNS in order to promote a safe, stable and commercially viable domain name system, promote competition, and achieve broad representation of global Internet communities. These co-ordinated functions stand in stark contrast to the ad hoc basis on which U.S. government contractors and grantees, and a wide network of volunteers handled many of these key issues. While this informal structure represented the spirit and culture of the research community in which the Internet was developed, the growing international and commercial importance of the Internet necessitated the creation of a technical management.

Effects of Bio fuels on the Environment Essay Example for Free

Effects of Bio fuels on the Environment Essay Bio fuel is a type of fuel that is made out of both living or lifeless biological material and specifically, the plants as per the definition given by Shepardson, (2009). According to Shepardson, most bio fuels are in the form of esters, alcohols among others and a good example of this type of fuel is bio ethanol and bio diesel. This fuel is mostly used in vehicles and for it to be considered as a bio fuel according to Connor Steve (2008), it must consist of about 80% of renewable materials. The production of this kind of fuel has been said to be impacting negatively on the environment however though this is the case, the benefits of bio fuels cannot be dismissed altogether. As a result of this disagreement, a lot of discussions have been held over this issue something that has polarized the society between those who argue that it does not impact negatively on the environment and those that maintain that it does. This becomes the basis of this essay where the paper will take a stand and support the claims that indeed bio fuels impact negatively on the environment. According to Mongobay. com (2008), there are various types of bio fuels and one of these is E10 which over time has been greatly improved in terms of quality in that initially it contained about 90 percent of petroleum and 10 percent of ethanol but of late it is called E100 because it is almost made up of ethanol alone and about 4 percent of water. The invention of this type of fuel according to Shepardson (2009) is something that has greatly revolutionised the transport industry. These fuels have particularly been cited as one of the best ways to reduce green house gas emissions unlike it is the case with other types of fuel especially fossil fuels. Even though they are praised for this, the negative environmental consequences they have are innumerable. One of these effects according to a scientific study that was conducted in 2008 contradicts the alleged potential of this fuel to reduce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide among others; this is as per the Mongobay. com (2008). As per this study, Mongobay. com (2008) argues that growing crops with an aim of producing bio fuel leads to an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This claim according to the Green Website. co. uk is given weight by reports that were published in a science journal known as Journal Science that showed that plants that are specifically grown for the production of this fuel produce more carbon dioxide than what these plants can naturally absorb. According to these scientists Mongobay (2008), it would take decades to reverse the trend or to balance what they termed as ‘carbon debt’. Or in other words the amount of oxygen released to the atmosphere in the course of growing these crops and is yet to be absorbed. The US and the European Union have particularly been on the forefront in propagating the idea for the production of biomass as the surest way of controlling global warming (Shepardson, 2009). According to Shepardson this has forced researchers from all over the world who aims at protecting the environment to conduct researches in their bid to understand better how this would impact on the environment. One of the researches that were conducted as per the report compiled by Connor, (2008) shown that clearing Amazon’s forested land to grow soybeans would create a carbon debt that would take 319 years to be restored not mentioning the magnitude in which forests and bushes would be destroyed to grow these crops Production of biomass is labour intensive and requires a big land according to Sawahei (2009), what this means is that a lot of bushes and forests are cleared to produce raw materials for bio fuel thereby leaving the ground with no cover thereby increasing the possibility of soil erosion taking place. To Sawahei, the world requires large tracts of land for it to feed its population now amounting over six billions. By growing biomass as an alternative source of fuel would require more land that what is needed for growing crops as per the Action for Global Health (2008) and eventually there will be no natural vegetations as all land will either have been cultivated for crop production or biomass production or both. According to the Action for Global Health (2008), this greatly destroys the environment considering that vegetation cover protects soil erosion and again it is a habitat to millions of animal species (Sawahei, 2009). Apart from this, the risk of polluting water sources with phosphates and nitrates from fertilizers that are applied to boost crop production are very high (Biofuel, 2003). Water is also polluted by chemicals that are used in the production of biomass such as pesticides sprayed to get rid of pests that attack and destroy these plants. These chemicals not only pollute water but they also kill micro organisms present in the soil that in one way or the other keep the eco system working (Action for Global Health. 2008). Rogercopenh (2008) contends that by the United States embarking on campaigns to push for the use of bio fuels might mislead many third world countries into substituting land meant for growing food crops for biomass production because of the money this business would bring. According to Rogercopenh (2008) this might in turn lead to the encroachment of forests and other natural habitats which are home to millions of wild animals. It should also not be forgotten that when this green matter is harvested, there are chances that some will rot thereby producing a very bad smell and apart from rotting, some of these plants produce bad odour naturally and thus they are an environmental hazard in that they pollute the air. As per the evidence given by Franke and Reinherdt (1998), Bio fuel also kills biodiversity in terms of the variety of plants growing in a field. For biomass to be produced in large quantity, enough to keep the world going, then its production must be professionally done. What this means according to Franke and Reinherdt (1998) is that a whole field is filled with only one type of plants leading to what is known as monoculture and by doing this, other types of plants are not given a chance to grow something that indirectly leads to their extinction (Franke and Reinherdt, 1998). In doing this according to Randooke (2009), animal are also not spared in that deforestation must take place, grasslands must be cleared and wetlands are destroyed. The truth is that these areas are habitat to many species of animals and thus what this means is that these species will be killed while others are displaced. Trees naturally preserve water catchments areas and thus when land is prepared for the cultivation these reserves are destroyed (Randooke, 2009). According to the Action for Global Health, (2008) the whole bio fuel production process requires a lot of energy and basically the type of energy that is used is fossil fuel. The argument raised by the Action for Global Health (2008) is that the amount of carbon that is emitted by burning bio fuels is absorbed by crops that are grown purposely for bio fuels production but the problem is that the amount of carbon that is emitted during their production considering that carbon emitted during planting, spraying, treating and harvesting season where machines that uses fossil fuels is not cleared from the air. This claim is supported by Sawahei, (2009) who argues that even after these crops are harvested, more carbon is emitted to the atmosphere in that coal or other forms of fossil fuels such as gas are used to heat the raw materials that are used in the production of bio fuels. Though bio fuels are heavily criticised in that they cause serious negative environmental ramifications according to Connor (2008), there are other various researches that have been done which prove otherwise. Researches show that production of other forms of fuel such as fossil fuel leads to the release of more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than it is the case with bio fuels (Science for environmental policy, 2008). One research that strongly supports this claim is the one that was done in the United Kingdom. According to the same source, what they call first generation process Life Cycle Analysis, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by over sixty percent unlike other forms. As per Biofuels (2003), the second generation process carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by over 80 percent. Generally according to this report, carbon dioxide emissions can be saved by an average of about 50 to 60 percent. Another advantage of using this kind of fuel according to the Greencar website (2009) is that bio fuel does not contain sulphur which is one of the main components that causes acid rains. Also considering that it is made by bio degradable materials, its chances of destroying the soil are low unlike other fuels such as fossil fuels which contaminate water sources and destroy soil when they leak into them (Science for environmental policy, 2008). In consideration of the massive evidence that is provided here above, one is justified to say that biofuels are an environmental hazard. There are a lot of researches that have been done by different researchers and most of them point to the fact that the production of bio fuels produces many effects that in one way or the other destroys the eco system for example, fertilizers that are applied on crops meant to produce biomass releases phosphates and nitrates thereby destroying soil and water. Another way through which biofuels destroys the environment is that despite the fact that a lot of forests and bushes have already been cleared for crop production, more land is snow needed for biomass production something that leads to soil erosion due clearance of bushes and the destruction of habitats that are home to many species. This indirectly leads to the extinction of these species whether plant or animals. Bibliography: Action for Global Health. 2008. New study demonstrates bio fuels negative impact on poverty, hunger and environment. Available at http://docs. google. com/gview? a=vq=cache:elry2KJk0UgJ:ec. europa. eu/environ ment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/1si4. pdf+biofuels+,+negative+impacts+,e nvironmenthl=engl=ke Biofuel, 2003. Bio diesel Impacts on the environment. http://www. biofuelus. com/biofuel/biodiesel/biodiesel-impact-on-the- environment. php Connor Steve, 2008. Biofuels make climate change worse, Scientific Study concludes. Available at http://www. independent. co. uk/environment/climate-change/biofuels- make-climate-change-worse-scientific-study-concludes-779811. html

Gangs Essay -- Gang Essays

Gangs Since the beginning of the decade, teenage homicides increased by one hundred and fifty percent (Strout, Brian 1996). This sharp increase is largely due to the rapid formation of gang activity throughout the United States (Strout, Brian, 1996). In today's larger cities, gang violence is a reality that people have to deal with every day. As gang related crimes increase, officials are trying to find out why people join and remain loyal to gangs. Unfortunately, experts can only hypothesize explanations for gang involvement. However, by studying societys influence on humans, there is evidence to blame several forces. These speculations include the forces of peer pressure, broken families, gang loyalty, protection, and the media. First of all, most teens become attracted to gangs by peer pressure and greed. Estimamates show that forty percent of all gang members joined because their friends influenced them (Solution for a new year 1996). Teen gangsters will pressure peers into becoming part of a gang by making it sound glamorous. Recruiters will often promise popularity in exchange for their loyalty. Although most gang members find popularity, it often means losing close friends to rival gangs. Another crucial factor is the need for money. A 6 year old kid, who is not yet a member, receives impressions that he or she could make $200 to $400 for a small gang job. In August of 1996, an eleven year old Compton child received $400 for killing a rival classmate (Wesbrach, 1996). Although money and popularity are important factors, they are not strong enough to persuade kids to do things that are strongly against their morals. Other stronger force such as broken families and the media, along with peer pressure, works together to persuade young kids to join a gang. Second of all, the formation of gangs in cities, and most recently in suburbs, is facilitated by the lack of community upbringing among parents. In a fully developed community, a network of relations can be found among several parents. The relationship could be a parent, teacher, and minister, depending on the child's circumstances. In South Central Los Angeles, this communication can not be found, so students turn to gangs for companionship. In a classroom with no security, students could be distracted from learning, and thus distraced from the network. Furthermore, in poor families with many child... ... a stronger propensity to becoming a violent gang member or 'violent-acceptant' person. So, as anyone can see, if TV leads a child to believe that violence is the norm this will manifest itself in the actions of a child in a gang situation. This is especially the case when parents do not spend much time with their kids explaining what is right and what is wrong in front of a TV. Quite often newer books and some types of music will enforce this type of thought and ideas. In order to curve violence, the system must change. So, as stated, gangs are a product of the environment the world has created for ourselves. Some of these factors include peer pressure, broken families, gang loyalty, protection, and the media. There seems to be no way to end the problem of gangs without totally restructuring the modern media and value system. Since the chance of this happening is minimal, we must learn to cope with gangs and try to keep their following to a minimum. Unfortunately, there is no organized force to effectively help fight gangs. As a community, people must bond, talk to children, enforce positive peer pressure, and censor the media in order to prevent gang growth in America's cities.

Fantasy V Reality †Streetcar Named Desire Essay

Fantasy v reality Remember: AO1 communicate clearly the knowledge, understanding and insight appropriate to literary study, using appropriate terminology and accurate and coherent written expression. DuBois World * â€Å"old south† mindset * Aging Southern belle who lives in a state of perpetual panic about her fading beauty * Beginning she was half sane, then contributing people drive her to insanity. * Loss of reality, represents fantasy * â€Å"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your mindset.† * â€Å"It wouldn’t be make believe if you believed in me† – Scene 7 * Story of a changing South containing characters struggling with the loss of aristocracy to the new American immigrant, the fallout of chivalry to a new mind-set of sex and desire, and a woman grasping desperately at the last bit of fantasy she can muster. DuBois World * â€Å"old south† mindset * Aging Southern belle who lives in a state of perpetual panic about her fading beauty * Beginning she was half sane, then contributing people drive her to insanity. * Loss of reality, represents fantasy * â€Å"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your mindset.† * â€Å"It wouldn’t be make believe if you believed in me† – Scene 7 * Story of a changing South containing characters struggling with the loss of aristocracy to the new American immigrant, the fallout of chivalry to a new mind-set of sex and desire, and a woman grasping desperately at the last bit of fantasy she can muster. The structure of A Streetcar Named Desire is best seen through a series of confrontations between Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski. In the first scene the confrontation is not so severe, but it increases in severity until one of the two must be destroyed. To understand fully the scenes of confrontations, the reader should have a good understanding of what is at stake in each encounter. That is, he should understand some of the differences between the DuBois world and the Kowalski world. Kowalski World * â€Å"new south† mindset * Beastly, Stanley possesses an animalistic physical vigor that is evident in his love of work, of fighting, and of sex * Represents reality * â€Å"He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one! There’s even something sub-human — something not quite to the stage of humanity yet! Yes, something — ape-like about him, like one of those pictures I’ve seen in — anthropological studies.With his Polish ancestry, he represents the new, heterogeneous America† – Scene 4 (Blanche) * Destroys Blanche’s fantasy Kowalski World * â€Å"new south† mindset * Beastly, Stanley possesses an animalistic physical vigor that is evident in his love of work, of fighting, and of sex * Represents reality * â€Å"He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one! There’s even something sub-human — something not quite to the stage of humanity yet! Yes, something — ape-like about him, like one of those pictures I’ve seen in — anthropological studies.With his Polish ancestry, he represents the new, heterogeneous America† – Scene 4 (Blanche) * Destroys Blanche’s fantasy Exploration of boundary between exterior and interior sets. Two room Kowalski apartment reflects surrounding streets. Scene 10: grotesque menacing shapes, jungle noises and distorted music are employed to reflect Blanche’s terror. Scenes 10 and 11: The use of distorted shapes and jungle cries as symbols of human cruelty. Scene 9: We hear the vendor’s cry of the Mexican Woman, â€Å"Flores, flores para los muertos† (flowers, flowers for the dead). It follows the moment when Mitch denounces Blanche as a liar and thereupon refuses to marry her. Blanche and Stella have huge dependence on male companions as it is their only way to achieve happiness (their sustenance and self image are reflected through men) Scene 4 Blanche recognises that Stella could be happier without the abusive husband for support, but this is hypocritical as she calls Shep Huntleigh for financial support. Stella chooses Stanley for love – Williams does not criticize but makes it clear that there is a FUTURE with him. A Streetcar Named Desire Plot Analysis Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice. Initial Situation â€Å"Meat!† Yes, that’s right – the early interactions between Stella and her husband constitute the initial situation of A Streetcar Named Desire. It’s important for us as the reader/audience to see the status quo of the Kowalski’s relationship before Blanche shows up and alters it for the duration of the play. Conflict Blanche arrives; something is up The immediate physical incongruity of Blanche and her surroundings lets us know that she isn’t going to fit in well here in New Orleans. Her first conversation with Stella hints at secrets she’s trying to hide. And her first encounter with Stanley is wrought with tension, sexual and otherwise. All the news of the loss of Belle Reve doesn’t help, either. Complication Blanche’s relationship with Stanley grows more and more antagonistic, especially as Stanley learns more about Blanche’s past in Laurel. Blanche and Stanley’s relationship grows more and more difficult, with Blanche constantly insulting him, and Stanley becoming more angry and aggressive. Stanley also learns about Blanche’s secret past, which he informs Stella and Mitch of. These multiple, small complications are what modern writer and essayist John Barth calls â€Å"incremental perturbations† – the water gets muddier bit by bit as the play progresses, and every new complication adds a layer of intensity and emotional weight to the story. Climax Scene Ten – the rape Did you notice that Stanley says to Blanche, â€Å"We’ve had this date with each other from the beginning!†? We know that 1) Stanley doesn’t like Blanche, 2) he takes out his anger physically, and 3) he’s practically defined by his sexual aggression. This scene seems the inevitable result of their increasingly antagonistic relationship. Suspense Already happened In this play, the suspense stage can be found in Scene Ten with the Climax. The suspense builds as we watch Blanche interact with Stanley, make a frantic phone call, declare repeatedly that she’s â€Å"caught in a trap,† and try to run away. Once the rape is over, we enter Scene Eleven without further suspense. Denouement Scene Eleven With the rape and the birth of Stella and Stanley’s child over and done with, the play’s final scene has â€Å"falling action† written all over it. Blanche’s descent into madness is complete, and we’re now looking at the aftermath to the destruction that took place at the earlier climax. Conclusion Stanley and Stella on the porch together Stella’s reaction to Blanche’s condition and story regarding her husband, and her decision to carry on her marriage in spite of it, constitute the play’s conclusion. This is summed up nicely in the image of her sitting on the porch with her baby in her arms, accepting comfort from her husband after her sister’s just been carted off to an institution. Dialogue Scene 9: â€Å"when I die, I’m going to die on the Sea.† – showing how after everything Blanche is accused of and put through, her fantasy is to be by the sea, washed clean and tranquil. Scene 9: â€Å"die..hand in hand of some nice- looking ship’s doctor, a very young one..† – Again, Blanche has always fantasized over young men, there are many references to Blanche and young men throughout the play. Scene 9: â€Å"I don’t want realism, I want magic. Magic.† – Throughout the play Blanche is the symbol of Fantasy. She dislikes the way things are in reality, and so let’s herself live in her own dream world. Scene 4: â€Å"He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits! Eats like one, moves like one, talks like one!† – Blanche likes to think of people in a more outworldy way. She tries to justify the way Stanley is by saying he’s just not human. Stage directions Scene 7: Contrapuntal staging – irony with Blanches singing and Stanley’s gossiping. â€Å"it wouldn’t be make believe, unless you believe in me† – Blanches fairy like songs , bringing her back to her dream world, wanting to escape from reality. The music of the ‘Blue Piano’. – every now and then Blanche breaks through her fantasy world and into reality again, this is shown when the ‘blue piano’ plays. It is a memory of her dead husband, and the way that he died. From Blanche’s reaction towards the music playing, we can tell it is a memory she wishes to forget: ‘she sways and covers her face’, ‘the polka tune fades out. Her breath is drawn and released in long, grateful sobs.’ Bibliography: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/streetcar/themes.html Blue piano, magic AO3 perspectives and viewpoints: * Marxist viewpoint: Looking at the play ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, it can be analysed through a Marxist perspective, reading into how the class struggle throughout the play is prominent in establishing Blanche’s role. Blanche and Stella are from a well off background, a plantation called â€Å"belle reve†. Stella has lived in New Orleans and has adapted well to the unfair male structure of the world she lives in, however the arrival of Blanche attempts to undo this with her intellect. However, even Blanche herself unable to break free from the convention of being second class citizen due to her status as a female, despite being intellectually superior to the males. The class struggle between Blanche and Stanley is a key focus point throughout the play, with Blanche looking down on Stanley, constantly referring to him as a â€Å"polack†, a derogatory term she uses to set her superiority amongst him. This however backfire massively as it causes huge tensions between Stanley and Blanche, ending once the rape of Blanche has been successfully attempted. This can show in William’s point of view how despite room for change, the American 1940s is not ready for equality and change, with the class perspective overruling equality. Ironically in the Marxist viewpoint, equality should be achieved by all in a socialist society; A Streetcar Named Desire elaborates on how the ideas of class equality is nothing more than a pipedream which cannot be attempted nor achieved in the dense capitalist America the play is set in. It can be further extrapolated to assume that Williams’ play is one to show the bitter struggle between fantasy and reality, with Marxism being the fantasy which cannot be achieved. * Queer theory viewpoint: Links can be established with William’s own gay perspective of his personal life, uses the play a streetcar named desire to show the oppression he himself faces through being a gay man in the American 1940s; it was considered an illegal immoral activity, and so he could not openly state his personal life. Through using blanche he portrays his own fractured psyche, linking his oppression as a homosexual to the oppression she faces in the misogynistic structure of America at that time. Whilst a time of change many things were still suppressed, with homosexuals and females being considered to be lower class than men, even males with a lower class background than the females. This can link well with how Blanche is treated during the play, despite coming from a higher class than the men of the play, she herself is supressed in her activities, and is considered mentally incapable and weak by the male characters as the play progresses. It can be inferred that Williams uses the female characters of the play to convey his own sense of inferiority during the American 1940s. Williams’ ideas of fantasy versus reality feature prominently though the ‘queer’ perspective; he clearly shows Blanche’s own broken mind, elaborating by the end how she sees â€Å"lurid reflections appear on the walls in odd, sinuous shapes†. This can be seen as Blanche’s own struggle with fantasy versus reality, unable to distinguish the two. AO4 Other work: The themes of Streetcar are typical of Williams work. The idea of feeling trapped in a fantasy world, much like in ‘The Glass Menagerie’. The contrast in gender, woman feeling much more insecure about the reality of the outside work than the men of the plays was a common idea for many of Williams’ plays. The themes of fantasy in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ are also similar to those of ‘Summer and Smoke.’ The sexual and spiritual characteristics of Blanche are much like that of the character Alma in ‘Summer and Smoke’ Williams’ personal life: Williams sister was diagnosed with Schizophrenia and he remained close with her throughout his life. It can be inferred that this greatly influenced the ideas of mental illness’s being basis for fantastical elements within his plays. In the late 1930s Williams accepted he was homosexual, this was a crime during his period in which he lived in. this mean that Williams arguably included the idea of homosexuality in many of his plays as a way of escaping the troubles of his personal life. For example it is suggested that Blanche’s young lover who ended his life in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ was homosexual. Historical background: ‘The American Dream’ was a key idea in the US during the 1940’s as it was soon after ‘The Great Depression’ This dream is often mentioned throughout the play, the name of Blache and Stellas old house being ‘Belle Reve’ translating to ‘beautiful dream’