Trayvon Martin Essays

Trayvon Martin Essays Trayvon Martin Essay Trayvon Martin Essay Essay Topic: Turtle Island On Friday, March 11, Japan was rocked by an earthquake. People were displaced, a nuclear reactor was in trouble, and the world watched as a tsunami flooded Japan, threatened the islands of the Pacific, and ultimately hit the western coasts of North and South America. Very little of the devastation resulting from this earthquake was from the initial shaking. But mainly because any damage from the seismic waves that was dwarfed by the impact of the 10 metre tsunami that hit the Japanese coast less than an hour later. Most of the reporting (both good and bad) that has been done on the earthquake, the tsunami, and the resulting fallout from both has focused on their effects on humans. But humans are just one species affected by these sorts of disasters. Slowly, a bit of information about various scaley, furry, or feathered critters has begun to trickle out of the affected areas. Kazutoshi Takami, a veterinarian at the Osaka Municipal Tennoji Zoological Gardens, reported last week that several zoos and aquariums were suffering shortages of gas, heater fuel, and food and drinkable water for humans as well as for animals.Also, according to Takami, the Fukushima Aquarium made plans to move their sea mammals and birds to Kamogawa Sea World. On Saturday, March 12, Pete Leary, a wildlife biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service who is stationed at Midway, blogged extensively on the tsunami and subsequent animal rescue operations: We had all 67 island employees/visitors up here watching the news on BBC and watching our tide gauge data over the internet. We saw that we had about a 5 foot rise in the tide gauge level, but were glad that we couldn’t see any water when we looked out the windows.After looking at a bit of the washover on Sand Island, and setting a crew to work on digging albatross chicks and petrels out of the debris, Greg and I took the boat over to Eastern Island. On the way, we passed thousands of albatross adults and petrels that had been washed into the water and lost their ability to stay dry. Their feathers weelfuelte re messed up by being tumbled over the island and through the vegetation. We pulled some into the boat, but needed to get to Eastern Island, so we had to hope that most of them would paddle to shore. Eastern Island was mostly washed over, so 10? s of thousands of chicks were washed away.I’ll have to look at our count numbers from Dec. to figure out how many chicks were in the affected areas. There were dead fish by the hundreds up in t he middle of the island. The short-tailed albatross chick must really be wondering what kind of place it lives in because it was washed away from the nest for the second time this year already. This time, it was about 40 yards away from the original nest. It was easy to spot because all the other chicks were washed away in a previous storm. I didn’t want to pick the chick up, because it was already stressed and upset, but the parents may not have found it that far from the nest.I put out a sheet of plastic and when it stepped onto it, I gave it a sled ride the 40 yards back to its nest. I hope that’s all the excitement that it has for the rest of the season. There were a lot of chicks and adults buried in debris (mostly dead vegetation). Greg and I were digging out stuck birds all day. We took our volunteers and some people from the visitors group over yesterday and dug out another hundred or so birds. We also found 2 turtles that were washed quite a way up onto the is land, which were then carried back to the beach and seemed glad to get back in the water.At least we didn’t find any injured Hawaiian monk seals or Laysan ducks. The seals were back resting on the beaches on Friday. What Can We Expect? While some of the reports are heartening, and many are devasting, more in-depth research into the short- and long-term effects of the tsunami on marine and coastal ecosystems will take much longer. But the 2004 magnitude 9. 15 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, and the resulting tsunami that rippled across the Indian Ocean have been extensively studied, and allow us to speculate regarding possible outcomes of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.The Wildlife Trust of India, along with the International Fund for Animal Welfare initiated several investigations[-gt;0] following the earthquake and tsunami to assess their impact on wildlife. Overall, they found that damage to wildlife populations was generally limited on the mainland, and slightly worse on the islands. Particularly hard-hit, however, were coral reef systems. Several beaches were washed away, and freshwater habitats were inundated with saltwater. While most of these ecosystems were eventually able to rebound, problems did occur.For example, one mainland wildlife sanctuary became flooded with saltwater and covered with sand, making is impossible for the various plant-eating ungulates (hoofed animals) to graze. Even worse, with seawater comes toxic pollution. According to the Wildlife Trust report: Other grave problems stem from the onslaught of seawater laden with sediments and toxins. Aquifers, the primary source of drinking water, have been contaminated by saltwater, raw sewage, oil, and other pollutants. On the coasts of Indonesia and Sri Lanka, paddies and farm fields are smothered under a crust of salt and silt.Some areas may never recover, for others irrigation and one or more rainy seasons may be enough to flush out the soil. For now farmers are being en couraged to plant salt-tolerant crops, like pumpkins and kale. In other areas, rather than covering plants with saltwater, the tsunami simply washed all plants away, making it possible for invasive species to take root, quite literally. The change in plant life wasn’t problematic for some species, such as the fan-throated lizard (Sitana ponticeriana), which were able to survive in the new ecosystem.Other species, surely, were not so lucky, but little information is available. And there were probably other invaders, as well. Furry ones. Large dead trees from distant islands were found washed up on mainland beaches. While there was no danger to beach ecosystems from the trees themselves, since they were dead, they may have carried some critters with them that would eventually colonize mainland coasts. It is well-known that rodents, reptiles, and insects are quite capable of setting up camp in new environments after rafting across the sea. [-gt;0] wildlifetrustofindia. org/pub lications/reports. htm

John Grisham - His Most Recent Releases

John Grisham - His Most Recent Releases Although  John Grisham gained popularity through legal thrillers, he has successfully branched out these past few  years. For a more up-to-date taste of his work, here is a short list of John Grishams most recent releases.   Gray Mountain Published on October 21, 2014, Gray Mountain  is about a Manhattan lawyer who spends a year in Appalachia after losing her job during the 2008 financial crisis. In the process, she learns a lot about small town culture. Eventually, she enters the courtroom for the first time in her legal career and has a  run in  with big coal that becomes dangerous. The Whistler Grishams most recent book, The Whistler was published on October 25, 2016. While judges are expected to be models of intelligence, honor, and impartiality, The Whistler tells the story of a corrupt judge who bends the law. With a plot that involves the mafia, whistleblowers, hidden identities, and danger, this book has all the ingredients to make a page-turning thriller.   Camino Island The prolific John Grisham will publish his 30th book in 2017, titled Camino Island. The story revolves around a set of handwritten F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts that get stolen and sold into the black market. The FBI, a secret agency, and a young writer all get involved in the investigation of these missing documents.   Fans will be excited to hear that Camino Island will be released on June 6, 2017. Dont want to wait? Check out this complete list of Grisham books  and see if you missed one of his earlier novels.

Global Enterprise and Innovation (in China) Essay

Global Enterprise and Innovation (in China) - Essay Example The legal condition of the country is extremely crucial factor which decides the foreign investment. For making a good investment situation there must be a reliable and efficient legal system and the system must be transparent. This will help the investors to perform their business activity without any concern. Despite the above factor several legal problems have been encountered in China which affects the foreign investment and business enterprises (Bulcke & Beule, 2010). The Legal Environment Affecting Business of China China has a good and established legal condition that encourages the foreign investment of different companies and protects their interest to invest in their country. By various rules, regulation, legislation and joint agreement the country has strengthened their legal systems. In order to spread their business in the whole world China is taking part in many global trade activities. For maintaining a good legal environment condition for business, China has repeatedl y modified the existing law and conducted new laws. Moreover, 30 government departments have changed their regulation towards law in approximately 2300 files. By these changes in law and policies on foreign investment activities China has steadily developed a legal environment which is convenient for foreign business interests. For implementing the law there has been a series of actions and procedures regarding the management, establishment, purchase, investment, reinvestment, liquidation, reform and termination of foreign company. By the help of those policies and guidelines, China seeks to attempt the foreign capital entry. In the year 2002 China established ‘Directory of Guidelines for Foreign – Capital Investment’ for motivating foreign company to invest in their construction industry, agriculture industry and technology industry and resource development sector. China also provided permit to the telecommunication industry, insurance industry, financial indust ry, service industry and foreign trade sectors. ‘The General Agreement of Science and Trade’ showed 142 services and business enterprises which are grouped under 11 activities. Foreign investors always want a sound legal condition because it allows high return on investment and they want a system which allows them to withdraw their investment capital according to their strategic plan. There are various methods by which the investor can withdraw their capital investment which are: initial public offer, equity transfer, management takeover, liquidation and purchase share back (Feng, 2010). The Political Environment Affecting Business of China Any country’s political condition has a significant impact on business. There are several factors which a country must consider if it wants to expand the business and investment of foreign companies because a political environment of a country is unstable and can change rapidly. The power of political party and government repr esent the opinion of the country’s citizen. The rules and regulations created by politician have great impact on business. Political condition creates advantages and also disadvantages for certain companies. For example, the policies of Chinese government drove out few U.S. technology

Esterline Technologies and Lean Manufacturing Case Study

Esterline Technologies and Lean Manufacturing - Case Study Example Tier-1 supplier status puts the business organization into a more advantageous situation, which gives it a higher bargaining leverage. On the other hand, it also highlights the company's current performance. Cremin notes that, Tier-1 status "means that you can handle the next biggest thing; you can be trusted, you're reliable, and you have financial strength." Lean manufacturing has been instrumental in the deployment and success of the strategy. Esterline recognizes that lean manufacturing is a system which helps it achieve its manufacturing goals of "lower cost, improve quality, and build competitive barriers to entry." 3. What are the key components of a lean system and how do they compare with components of traditional systems As you prepare your answers consider dimensions such as: supply chain management, process architecture (layout), metrics, material flow discipline, inventory management, key performance metrics, use of IT, employee involvement, quality systems, equipment maintenance, scheduling, links between product design and manufacturing, and other factors that come to mind. Lean system is a quest in maximizing the efficiency through the elimination of wastage in the manufacturing process in a business organization. ... supply chain management, process architecture (layout), metrics, material flow discipline, inventory management, key performance metrics, use of IT, employee involvement, quality systems, equipment maintenance, scheduling, links between product design and manufacturing, and other factors that come to mind. Lean system is a quest in maximizing the efficiency through the elimination of wastage in the manufacturing process in a business organization. The key components of a lean system are often in contrast in a lean manufacturing system. In a lean system, supply chain management is very much important as the flow of goods within the organization is highly organized. Close collaboration with suppliers through the use of IT is emphasized in a lean system. In a traditional system, this is not practiced. In a lean system, plant and equipment layout is by product flow using cels or lines for product families. In traditional system, plant and equipment layout is by department function. Inventory levels and turnaround are closely monitored in a lean system where inventory levels are kept as low as possible while turnaround is high. The contrast is applicable to traditional system. In a traditional system, employee input into how operation is performed is low. In a lean system, employee empowerment is high as they are given the responsibility for identifying and implementing improvements. In the traditional system, there is no flexibility in the manufacturing schedule as manufacturing is difficult to handle and hard to adjust. Traditionally, production schedules are based on forecast. In the lean system, production is scheduled by customer orders which mean that product is pulled through the facility. In a traditional manufacturing system, quality is assured through lot

Learning Community Essay Example for Free

Learning Community Essay Nowadays the popularity of online learning is swiftly increasing and more students prefer distance learning to traditional as it offers certain benefits. Walden University offers students opportunities to receive highly-qualified education and to save time on other important things as job, families, etc. What is Walden University? Walden University is an accredited institution which provides engaging learning experience both for professionals and non-professionals. The mission of the University learning community is to attract extraordinary students and to make positive social impact. Learning Community is represented by diverse and vibrant faculty and dedicated students. Faculty members are able to enrich online learning community offering wide range of experiential and educational backgrounds. All members are gifted mentors and highly-talented teachers who are fully committed to University’s core values and mission – to provide educational accesses, social change and professional excellence. Moreover, members of learning community teach the values of integrity and quality. Students of learning community are mid-career professionals who are willing to gain professional achievement and to remain dedicated to lifelong learning. All students are allowed to exchange their ideas and to share diverse perspectives with other faculty members, as well as with fellow students nationwide. It becomes apparent that relationships within community are professional and, at the same time, friendly-oriented. Further, faculty and staff at Walden University will help to balance education with professional and personal commitments. Essential resources are available for mastering skills: Writing Center, world-class library, tutoring, etc. Scholar-practitioners develop all degree programs and they continually visit courses to make sure they possess all modern updates relevant to profession chosen. Learning community offers also international perspective. Every student becomes a member of international community with more than 270,000 members online. More than 50 campuses are in 16 countries. Every student may enter the Laureate International Network and to be provided with excellent opportunity to expand international viewpoint and to apply obtained knowledge to professional life. The most important moment to admit is that Walden University learning community strongly believes that knowledge is the most valuable as it is the most effective way work for greater good. In other words, Walden University calls for social changes. Students and faculty members are willing to improve social and human conditions. They create ideas how to promote individual development, as well as development of organizations, communities and society as a whole. The goal of learning community is to help students to become scholar-practitioners and to conduct scholarly researches in the chosen field. The mission is to provide diverse learning community with friendly-oriented relations and with the opportunity to become scholar-practitioners. It is necessary to underline that learning community of Walden University has influenced both my professional life and the life of the whole society as Walden University promotes the values of knowledge, integrity, quality, honesty and fairness which are the most important in contemporary world. I can apply knowledge not only to critical societal challenges, but also to advance the greater good and social relations. I really appreciate the Walden University offers entirely online courses as it offers certain benefits for me. To be a member of society means being concerned with everyday human relations, emotions and interpersonal skills and Walden learning community gives such a chance. Financial benefits of online courses are ability to save money spent on housing, transportation and food and ability to keep part-time as well as full-time job at the same time. Walden University gives and excellent opportunity to be involved into interactive teamwork between students’ groups i. e. ability to correspond with other students from different parts of the world. Walden University offers modern way of learning which gives an opportunity to master skills and to save time on family, friends and job. References Online Degree: About Walden University. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from http://info. waldenu. edu/aboutwalden. php Walden University: Official Website. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from http://www. waldenu. edu/ Walden University: Online Degree Programs. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from http://www. worldwidelearn. com/waldenu/index. php

Vagueness and Identity :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Vagueness and Identity ABSTRACT: The view that identity can be vague holds that there are statements of identity which are neither true nor false. The view that composition can be vague holds that unities can have borderline constituents — that is, elements that are neither parts nor non-parts of some larger unity. The case for vague identity is typically made by way of an argument for the vagueness of composition. In this paper, however, I argue that the thesis that composition can be vague is actually incompatible with the thesis of vague identity. The argument for the incompatibility of these two views arises out of a demonstration of the way in which constituency facts (even vague constituency facts) are grounded in the other facts about how a larger unity is configured. Thus, I show that composites that are allegedly vaguely identical are actually different configurations. Hence, the alliance of vague composition with vague identity is taken to be all that is needed in order to show that compos itional vagueness is indefensible. I It is sometimes held that, like other things, identity can be vague.But care should be taken about what this means. The claim that identity can be vague is best understood as the claim that there can be statements of identity which are indeterminate in truth value. This view gains in attractiveness when the precision of the concept of identity is contrasted with the lack of precision endemic to various criteria of identity. As Sainsbury notes, diachronic artifact identity must surely be governed by principles such as this: "Replacing some, but not too many, parts of an artifact does not destroy it, but leaves the very same artifact". Such principles are vague. How could the identity relation, which they determine, be precise? Considerations like these extend to members of natural kinds like mountains and cows as well. What's consistent throughout these views is that identity requires enough of the appropriate sort of continuity. This reliance on continuity goes for not only the way w e re-identify things over time, but for the way we individuate objects at a time as well. So for example, spatio-temporal continuity at least partially explains how it is that at Broadway and 42nd I am standing on the same road I stood on when I was at Broadway and 41st. Since identity deciding conditions like continuity and contiguousness can be weak or strong or more or less, it appears the vagueness of those concepts has a limiting effect on how precise identity claims can be.

Acct 542 Audit Proposal

Audit Proposal Audit Proposal Kudler Fine Foods has many different types of audit to consider that could be used for each functional areas of AP, AR, inventory management and payroll. This brief has the purpose to distinguish among the types of audits that could be used for each process; to recommend the audit most appropriate for each process; to explain how the audits will be conducted; and to identify events that could prevent reliance on auditing through the computer. Types of AuditDue to increasing economic and financial growth, many types of audit have been incorporated throughout the development process of internal activities. Audits can be performed manually or they can incorporate technology. According to Hunton and Bagranoff (2004), there are four main types of audit: 1) Attestation; 2) Findings and Recommendations; 3) SAS 70; and 4) SAS 94. Each type brings something unique to the table and can be used in different situations. Attestation. The Attestation audit present rep orts on examinations reviews or agreed-upon procedures.The auditor provides assurance on something for which the client is responsible. Findings and Recommendations. Findings and Recommendations is an audit that summarizes the audit work for each of the systems, which does not include an opinion. It could be considered â€Å"consulting† services. SAS 70 Audit. The SAS 70 is an auditing standard created by the AICPA and has two report types – Type I, which the auditor reports an opinion about the operating controls and Type II, that meets the objectives of the Type I additionally includes a detailed test of the effectiveness of the controls.SAS 94 Audit. SAS 94 audit deals with electronic records and have the purpose to guide and extend the auditor responsibilities in reference to internal controls knowledge as a part of a regular financial audit. Appropriate Audit Recommendations and Steps for each Process Accounts Payable. The appropriate IT audit for accounts payable (A/P) is the SAS 94 Audit. The steps that are taken for the SAS 94 Audit and ones that Kudler will use is the application software review. The steps are to do a limit, range, validity and completeness check. Accounts Receivable.The appropriate IT audit for accounts receivable (A/R) is also the SAS 94 Audit. This is for the same reasons. Kudler will check different areas to see how to handle different errors as they arise and to be sure that the system is checking for the errors within a timely manner by using software review. Inventory. The appropriate IT audit for inventory is also SAS 94 audit. SAS 94 audit uses administration review to determine how accurate the inventory is and how accurate the transactions for inventory are. The steps that are taken for this is to identify any areas that may have fraudulent information.According to COSO (2010), Inventory is the most misstated asset in an IT audit, pg 18. Para 14. Payroll. The appropriate IT audit for payroll is also SAS 94 aud it. SAS 94 audit software review uses the steps to test payroll in the same ways that it will test A/R and A/P. Kudler will have the ability to test payroll, A/R, and A/P in the same audit test and possibly at the same time. Events that could Prevent Reliance on Auditing through the Computer Since we have discussed what types of audits we recommended for each accounting process.We would now like to focus on certain events that can assist Kudler’s Fine Foods on the events that could prevent the reliance on auditing through a computer. The events that must happen involve testing the data, validate computer programs, review the system software, validate user accounts and access privileges, and embed modules to achieve continuous auditing. Testing the data. The first event that has to happen is gathering data that can be tested and see how the data is processed . In more complex systems the data have to be put through an integrated test facility in order to audit the operational settings.Data sometimes will go through a parallel simulation which is time consuming but will audit the processes to see if they are functioning according to company policies. Validate Computer Programs. The Next event deals with using audit techniques to validate new computer programs that upgrade or enhance the software by installing the internal controls to protect against unauthorized changes and it will also help develop better company software. This event also compare the new or enhanced program with the old software to see what processes or improved or useless. Review of System Software.The third event actually reviews the systems software controls of the operating system and its utility programs that perform the housekeeping. It also reviews the program library controls, monitors storage programs, and accesses control software. The event is do in order make sure all the controls are in place and functioning and to ensure all controls we approved the documentation or by usin g the software tools. Validate User Accounts and Access Privileges. The fourth event that is validating user accounts and access privileges that will ensure who has access to what data and what account have to be set up to ensure security and accuracy.The auditor needs to verify that the software parameters are there but make sure that the IT staff is using them correctly in or for this event to happen. Continuous Auditing. The last event is continuous auditing in which all the data will be audited as it is processed to ensure real time assurance and to provide faster financial reporting that is accurate. This process is done by embedded audit modules which capture the audit data, exception reporting that reject data that fall outside the predetermined specifications, transaction logging tag certain transaction so they can be reviewed to see f the controls in place are working, snapshot techniques examine the way special transactions are processed, and continuous simulation is invol ved in collecting data and comparing it to data in a database management system to look for discrepancies. These tools are designed to audit controls and procedures when no auditor is present. Conclusion In conclusion we feel that this audit proposal will effectively help the Kudler’s Fine Foods organization determine what type of audit to use for each accounting process. The recommendations will help this organization achieve the structural controls needed in order to function in the modern world.We will be pleased the help this organization in achieve continuous auditing which will help with getting away from auditing through a computer. By going through the various processes of auditing Kudler's Fine Foods will have success and continues to gain market share in its industry. References Bagranoff, N. A. , Simkin, M. G. , & Strand Norman (2008). Core Concepts of Accounting Information Systems (10th ed. ). New York: NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Galvenston (2012). How to Create Flowcharts for an Accounting Information System, eHow, Demand Media, Inc. , retrieved online July 8, 2012 from http://www. how. com/how_6827920_create-flowcharts-accounting-information-system. html. Grocery Store POS Software Solutions. (2010). Retrieved online July 8, 2012 from http://comcash. com/grocery. php Hunton, J. A. , Bryant, S. M. , & Bagranoff, N. A. (2004). Core Concepts of Information Technology Auditing. New York, New York: Wiley & Sons. O’Brien, J. A. , & Marakas, G. M. (2008). Management Information Systems (8th ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. COSO. (2010). Fraudulent Financial Reporting  . Retrieved from http://www. coso. org/documents/COSOFRAUDSTUDY2010_001. pdf

How to Find an Earth Fault on Board Ships? Essay

Earth fault is considered very critical on board a ship. Some ships which operate at 440 V do not have any trip devices attached for a single earth fault. However when the operating voltage exceeds 3000V, it is mandatory to have a protection system which isolates when a machinery suffers an earth fault. How to find out an Earth Fault? The seriousness of the action to be taken on an Earth Fault depends on the part of the electrical system it affects. Conventional ships which operate on 3 Phase, 440V, have earth fault indicators installed on all three phases. Any earth fault on a 440V system is considered to be a serious trouble and immediate action is required to identify the faulty circuit. Any earth fault on 220V or any low voltage lighting circuit can be considered as important but need not require immediate attention. However, attention should be paid at the next earliest opportunity. Finding Earth Fault on 440V circuit Whenever there is an earth fault alarm, immediately inform to electrical officer (if he is on board). First action is to check the trueness of the alarm. Usually there will be a test button which when pressed, resets the alarm and rechecks the condition of the earth fault. If the ship is having IAS (Integrated Automation System), check on the computer in the list of events after which the alarm has activated. If IAS facility is not available, there is only one option of isolating each and every machinery in the 440 V circuit and check whether the earth fault indication returns back to normal. Isolation of all machinery, which operates on 440V, is not always possible. Certain critical equipment like steering gear and lubricating oil pumps cannot be isolated for when the ship is underway. However changeover can be done from running machinery to the standby one and thus the earth fault can be found. Finding Earth Fault on 220V Circuit Finding an Earth Fault on a 220V circuit is comparatively difficult than a 440V circuit. The main reason being the lighting circuits found all round the vessel. However, any earth fault alarm with respect to a 220V circuit is usually treated as important but not an emergency. When a 220V earth fault alarm sounds, as said earlier, the trueness of the alarm is checked by pressing the test button and then investigation can be started on each and every 220V circuit. Example: Earth Fault alarm sounds on a 220V panel 1. Check the trueness of the alarm. 2. Isolate the complete Group start panel for a lighting division one by one. 3. Check the Earth Fault indicator for status (still faulty or normal). 4. If faulty, then put on the breaker which is put off earlier and isolate other group start panel for lighting circuit. 5. Once the group start panel is identified, then individual lighting switches are turned off one by one and checked for the alarm condition. 6. When any switch when turned off and thus the condition becomes normal, then this lighting circuit is marked and then inspection is done on the particular light for abnormalities. Ingress of moisture is most common reason for an earth fault. Alternate Idea: Instead of turning off breakers one by one for the lighting circuit, I followed a method where I turned off all lighting circuit of a particular doubted area. This method helps usually when there are two or more earth faults in 220V lighting circuit. By turning off all the breakers of a particular area, then switching on the breaker one by one will eliminate multiple earth faults. When I turned off lighting switches one by one, it was difficult for me to identify multiple earth faults. Once the particular faulty circuit is spotted, then we have to further break them into individual dividable pieces and check them for earth faults. For this as usual, we use megger against earth. By removing fuse of the two phase lines, each line can be tested and the fault pinned down

Age of innocence close reading essays

Age of innocence close reading essays Hypothesis: Scorceses selection of artwork serves to not only act as a separate narrative that mirrors the development of the themes and characters but also, in some instances, actually foreshadows the fate of the characters. As a Martin Scorsese film, The Age of Innocence, stands apart from the mobster movies typically associated with this acclaimed director. Scorsese uses deliberate camera techniques and subtle mise-en-scene to tell the story visually. These elements all working together assist in the development of the narrative as well as the characters, themes, and ideas, particularly his use of artwork that not only assists the narrative, but occasionally forshadows the fate of the characters. This use of artwork can be found in the extract which involves some of the first scenes of this film. It takes place at the Beauforts ball as the camera tracks Newland Archer through the various drawing rooms pausing occasionally to notice various works of art. The camera movement of this scene is crucial to unlocking the meaning behind the artwork of the Beauforts home. The camera glides to the non-diegetic classical music following Archer from room to room. The camera movement pulls the audience in making them feel like another guest at the party. The perpetual motion of the camera is only broken in a few key areas, pausing and focusing on various pieces of art. By slowing down the camera and pausing, Scorsese is telling the audience to pay close attention to what is in that particular frame before being swept away again with Archer. The first painting the camera stops to admire is a disturbing scene that foreshadows Archers impending emotional death. The colors in the piece, like the film, are very bleak except for Ellen who is represented in the painting by the lady dressed in red. The lady in red is kneeling next to a man dressed in white who moments before was slain in a sword fight. It is logical to ...

The Difference Between a Commonwealth and a State

The Difference Between a Commonwealth and a State Have you ever wondered why some states have the word commonwealth in their name? Some people believe there is a distinction between states and states that are also commonwealths but this is a misconception. When used in reference to one of the fifty states there is no difference between a commonwealth and a state. There are four states which are officially known as commonwealths: Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Massachusetts. The word appears in their full state name and in documents like the state constitution. Some places, like Puerto Rico, are also referred to as a Commonwealth, where the term means a location that is voluntarily united with the U.S. Why Are Some States Commonwealths? To Locke, Hobbes, and other 17th-century writers, the term commonwealth meant an organized political community, what we today call a state. Officially Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Massachusetts are all commonwealths. This means that their full state names are actually The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and so on. When Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, and Massachusetts became part of the United States, they merely took the old form of state in their title. Each of these states was also a former British Colony. After the Revolutionary War, having Commonwealth in the state name was a sign that the former colony was now ruled by a collection of its citizens. Vermont and Delaware both use the term commonwealth and state interchangeably in their constitutions. The Commonwealth of Virginia will also sometimes use the term State in an official capacity. This is why there is both a Virginia State University and a Virginia Commonwealth University. Much of the confusion surrounding the term commonwealth probably comes from the fact that a commonwealth has a different meaning when its not applied to a state. Today, Commonwealth also means a political unit having local autonomy but voluntarily united with the United States. While the US has many territories there are only two commonwealths;  Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, a group of 22 islands in the Western Pacific ocean. Americans who travel between the continental U.S. and its commonwealths do not need a passport. However, if you have a layover that stops in any other nation, you will be asked for a passport even if you do not leave the airport. Differences Between Puerto Rico and the States While residents of Puerto Rico are  American citizens they have no voting representatives in Congress or the Senate. They are also not allowed to vote in the Presidential elections. While Puerto Ricans do not have to pay income tax they do pay many other taxes. Which means that, like the residents of Washington D.C., many Puerto Ricans feel they suffer from taxation without representation because while they do send representatives to both Houses, their reps cannot vote. Puerto Rico is also not eligible for federal budget money allocated to the States. There is much debate around whether  Puerto Rico should become a state or not.

Simply questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Simply questions - Essay Example On the other hand, ‘tragic flaw’ describes an error that occurs due to human frailty. 3. The attitude taken by Euripides towards women was sympathetic and considerate in that they were depicted as powerful and capable of doing anything irrespective of whether bad or good. Their course of action was directed by the society’s antagonism and whether they had clean conscience. This attitude was not a misogynist one because it was due to the depicted nature of women during that time. 4. Banaustic stereotype prescribed to artists in classical Greece is quite instrumental in that it forms an awkward subversive engagement which is unsettling with regards to issues related to gender and power. While it was favourable to men in epics, it was discriminating against women in the same genre. 5. St. Augustine’s chief complaint against the classical pagan world was the inability of Christians converted from the pagan world to embrace the concept of reality. This concept according to him was the ability to become incorporeal from corporeal. With regards to time, St. Augustine was of the view that ideals that differ in the past usually become historical realities after a passage of

Religions Life of Planet Earth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religions Life of Planet Earth - Essay Example For instance, if an individual considers himself of the Jewish faith, then that individual must abstain from pork, perform ablution before prayer, and strive to follow the religion as much as possible. One can argue that having the basic creed that God exists can be the basic starting point. Thus, a person can be considered if they believe in a supreme being, worship supreme being, and trying to make others also believe in that supreme being. In today’s era, it is clear that atheism dominates because of the lack of miracles that occur. For instance, during the Abrahamic era, many prophets were notorious for conducting miracles. Jesus had an amazing ability to heal people. Moses was known to split the river with his staff and lead his people to promise land (â€Å"The Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants†). However, these miracles do not occur because faith itself has been relinquished from the heart of a true believer. Religion has become a sacred myth in which practice and i mplementation are almost invisible. Even though the channel for gaining religious knowledge is abundant, it does not interest. The younger generation especially acknowledges sin but is not afraid of any type of punishment from a higher being. Needless to say, most people are not afraid of the wrath of a superior being. The three examples of behaviors or beliefs that must meet the criteria can consist of three crucial factors. For example, if a Muslim boy has the fundamental belief that â€Å"God is one, and Muhammad is the prophet,† then he is only considered a Muslim (Armstrong7). However, if that same body prays 5 times a day, abstains from lust, does not drink alcohol, gives charity, performs hajj, reads the Quran; then clearly he is considered a pious Muslim being. There is a huge difference between a believer and being a good believer. Another example is perfectly depicted through this scenario. If a priest, who is extremely pious as he never misses a service can be deem ed as a religious person. However, if that same priest is engaged in lust and adultery, then he is clearly not religious. Although he might be perfect in every aspect of his piety, if he lacks a certain piece or is indulging in a sin that is considered to be heinous, then clearly he lacks piety (Eliade 15). The third example of piety can be illustrated perfectly through the story of Joseph. However, here his exceptional faith is a final testament towards his piety. Joseph was not only abandoned by his brothers, but he was also tried in court for committing adultery. Scholars say that Joseph as a pious human being never did that as his charm and masculinity was super appealing to the King’s wife, who tried to seduce him. At the end, Joseph’s patience was the hallmark of his prophecy. The moral is the fact that piety is within an individual granted he or she is steadfast and passes through all trials and tribulations (Farid 32). The function of religion is to guide human ity from ignorance towards truth and give them a better understanding of what life is. Religion is supposed to give individuals hope that there is more to life than just existence. It