Hercules and Theseus in the Greek Mythology Essay Example

Hercules and Theseus in the Greek Mythology Essay Example Hercules and Theseus in the Greek Mythology Paper Hercules and Theseus in the Greek Mythology Paper Essay Topic: History Hercules and Theseus, the two great heros of the Greek Mythology In the Greek Mythology two characters played a main role in defeating the monsters and all evil enemies. The two great heroes of Greece were Hercules and Theseus. It is true that they were uncles, but they were preferred by different part of Greece. Athens liked Theseus while Sparta or the rest of Greece preferred Hercules. Both heroes had some characteristics in common, like both of them had supernatural powers and when they realized their abilities, they wanted to help mankind and to save the world. In the same time they were totally different from each other in mental way. Their intelligence level and the life experience that they had through their journey, made them two separate characters. Theseus was a good thinker, which is the reason why Athens liked him best, while Hercules used his enormous power; he was preferred by Sparta. If somebody asks the question what is the ability that is in common in Hercules and Theseus, the answer is: strength. With this ability, they decided to help innocent people and to become heroes of Greece. Hercules was the strongest man on earth and he had the supreme self-confidence magnificent physical strength gives. He excelled from the others at a very young age, when he killed two snakes with his own, bare hands. Hera, Zeuss jealous wife, sent the snakes to kill Hercules while he was sleeping. He proved that he is strong and he can defeat anybody and anything. Theseus was a strong child, too. His father placed in a hallow a sword and a pair of shoes and he covered them with a great stone. The reason why he did that, was that he wanted to see, if his son Theseus can move that stone. If yes, then he is able to take over the kingdom. The child was a boy and he grew up strong far beyond others, so that when his mother finally took him to the stone he lifted it with no trouble at all. At a very young age both characters became heroes by killing monsters and doing good to mankind. Theseuss idea was to become a great hero as quickly as possible On his way to Athens he killed many bandits and he also killed the Minotaur. It can be imagined how Greece rang with the praises of the young man who cleared the land of these banes to travelers. Hercules was renamed after his strength and he was called a hero when he defeated the Minyans. Of course they had some different characteristics as every people do. But these differences were important. Their intelligence level was like sky and ground, and their life experience differed, too. Herculess Intelligence did not figure largely i n anything he did and was often conspicuously absent. Theseus was at a higher level of his mental capabilities, because he wanted a peoples government where all would be equal. About Hercules we get a clear picture from the story, that what kind a man was he: His intellect was not strong. His emotions were. Even if his feelings were strong, he always blamed himself for the way he acted. He usually acted first and then thought about the consequences. This characteristic is proven by the scene from the funeral, where Hercules gets drunk and then he realized his fault and to make a recompense he bring back Admetuss wife from the underworld. During their long journey, both heroes, Hercules as well as Theseus, had different life experiences. The strongest man on earth engaged three times (in order: Megara, Deinanira and Hebe), while Theseus married only two women (in order: Hippolyta and Phedra). Theseus decided to dedicate his life for saving innocents and helping mankind. He knew how to treat people and how to understand himself with the peoples that supported him. Another difference between them was that Hercules always had to make up his fault. He gets twelfth labors (bringing back the lion for Nemea, to kill the nine headed creature, Hydra, to bring back alive a stag with hums of gold, to capture a great boar, to clean the Augean stables in a single day, to drive away the Stymphalian birds, to go to Crete and fetch from there the savage bull, to get the man-eating mares of King Diomedes, to bring back a the girdle of Hippolyta, to bring back the cattle of Geryon, to bring back the Golden Apples of the Hespiredes, and to bring up Cerberus from the Underworld) for killing his family, but he also killed innocent people by accident. The water-boy, and the musician were the victims of his angriness. Even if they were uncles why were they supported by different part of Greece? Athens supported Theseus while Hercules was the Spartans favorite. Athens was the home of the thinkers, doctors and scientists. As Theseus acted after his mind, he was considered as one of them. Another reason why Athenians like him best, because he never had to make labors like Hercules did many-many times. Athenians didnt liked Hercules, because he was wild. The rest of Greece preferred wildness and the strength. But Hercules embodied what the rest of Greece most valued. His qualities were those the Greeks in general honored and admired. In Greek tradition, the boys are taken at very young age for military practices and they are educated to kill. As Hercules was strong and able to kill, Spartans considered him as one of them. In my opinion Theseus was a better hero than Hercules. I admire Hercules for his enormous powers, but sometimes he was out of control of his strength and killed people that he shouldnt have killed. I think that if we didnt think ahead before we act something always going to end with a disaster. Thats why I like Theseus. He is a carefully thought out person, he never had to make up labors, and he also treated people equally and cared about their feelings.

Plea Bargaining essays

Plea Bargaining essays Plea Bargaining a Vastly Used Concept It all starts with backed up courtrooms. A man is charged with killing another man. There is no evidence to convict this man of these charges. This leads the prosecutors to work out a plea-bargain. The pressure of other cases and the need for a guilty charge is what leads plea-bargaining to happen more every year. As a result many criminals get off easy and in return prosecutors look good for winning the case. The practice of plea-bargaining is a controversial issue that both benefit the court and the criminal. Plea-bargaining was not always wide spread throughout the court system. Today it is a main practice for prosecutors to put away criminals, even if it is for lesser charges. Plea-bargains happen for many reasons and are beneficiary and negative to everyone involved the process. The reasons why plea-bargaining is used so much range from the accused to the prosecutors. This practice is usually used because courts these days are over run with cases and cannot provide trials. More the 90% of convictions come from negotiated pleas, which means less then 10% of criminal cases result in a trial,(Plea Bargain 1). This happens frequently because prosecutors want to get the guilty verdict. Most criminals want to plea-bargain knowing they will receive an easier sentence even though they might be guilty and deserve more. Plea bargains provide both prosecutor and defense with some control over the result,(Maynard 145). This quote is exactly why so many cases are being decided by the plea-bargaining strategy. Another reason why this is so commonly used is that there are not enough courts in any state to provide everyone a fair and speedy trial. Something must be worked out and guilty pleas can be worked out in hours, compared to trials, which can sometimes last weeks. Even though many are opposed to the plea-bargaining that goes on in todays courts, there ...

First assignment to analyze energy problems Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

First to analyze energy problems - Assignment Example But compared to nuclear fission, nuclear fusion process is extremely complicated and dangerous. Nuclear fusion requires extreme amounts of heat energy in order to fuse two small nuclei combine to form a single large nucleus. For example, in sun, two hydrogen nuclei combined to form a helium nucleus at a high temperature which resulted in the liberation of enormous amount of energy mainly in the form of hat and light. Sun’s interiors have high pressure and temperature so that fusion can take place easily in the sun. But â€Å"earthbound reactors cannot achieve such high pressures and temperatures of the sun’s interior†, which is the major challenge in conducting nuclear fusion on earth’s surface (National Academy of Engineering) Nuclear fusion can be placed only at the last place in the technology concept map considering the complexities and dangers associated with the process of nuclear fusion. The current nuclear reactors which are operating in some of the counties are handling temperatures of smaller amount when we compare it with the temperatures needed to operate a nuclear fusion reactor. The uncontrollable nature of nuclear energy seems to be the major villain in exploiting nuclear energy with the help of the fusion process. The major social issue associated with the exploitation of nuclear fusion energy is the possibility of huge disasters which can wipe off the entire living things from the earth. Till the technology developed to such a level that the possibility of a disaster becomes zero, it is not advisable to conduct even an experiment on the exploitation of energy from nuclear fusion. We have already witnessed the striking power of nuclear energy in Hiroshima and Nagasaki which is negligible when we compare it with the dimensions of a possible disaster that could be happened due to nuclear fusion process. It is a fact that we facing lot of social issues like terrorism, violence,

Law Enforcement Liability Issues Research Paper

Law Enforcement Liability Issues - Research Paper Example Officer’s not only protect and serve the public; at times they themselves need protection from liability law suits and claims. Individuals not happy with the outcomes of an action may file suit just to ease frustrations and to gain a sense of control over a situation. Officers are provided some protection with the Police Manual of Arrest, Seizure, and Interrogation, designed to assist an officer in making a correct decision in most circumstances and protect from liability claims. Further protection is provided to officers individually, holding departments financially responsible, by the Crown Liability Act. Finally the BC offense act states what specific offenses can be legally used in a court of law against an officer. Body Being a law enforcement officer takes more than just training. Common sense and compassion for the public are also incredibly important. In order to succeed in dealing with the people and the numerous challenges that they face every day, a law enforcement officer needs a specific type of personality. This particular personality is a combination of the above things, common sense being right there at the top of the list. Liability issues and concerns are faced not only by law enforcement officers, but by everyone, all the time. Even though there are a variety of different types of law enforcement in this day and age, their risk of liability issues remain the same. That is where training, government law, and personality come in handy for all individuals involved. The first thing people need to learn about liability is this: What is it? According to Oxford, liability is ‘being liable; troublesome person or thing; handicap; debts for which one is liable.’ (Oxford University Press,1995). Liable, according to Oxford is ‘legally bound; subject to; under an obligation; exposed or open to; answerable for.’(Oxford University Press,1995). In translation, liability means that one needs to answer for what they have done. Every action or reaction has a consequence, and the individual who made the action needs to own up to the consequence that goes with it. For example, if Officer A punched Drunk Driver 1 in the face because Drunk Driver 1 refused to get out of the car, Officer A would be liable for that action. In other words, Officer A would have to own up to and pay the consequence of his/her action, likely in a court of law. The opposite of this scenario would be if Drunk Driver 1 punched Officer A in the face, then proceeded to state that he had been punched in the face by Officer A. Drunk Driver 1 would then be responsible for what he/she had done in a court of law. Whether an officer is on duty or off, they must reflect their actions with reason. There has to be a good, liable reason for them to do what they do. The Use of Force Continuum is an important tool for law enforcement officers around the world. It is an important guide that has the ability to dictate what an appropriate action for th e officer is under any given circumstances. This continuum is often used in a court of law by lawyers, and even by the officers themselves. It is a direct, easy to follow guideline. The Use of Force Continuum is built in a circular pattern. At the start there is ‘Officer Presence’, and at the end there is ‘Lethal Force’. ‘It promotes a continuous assessment and evaluation of each situation, and helps officers understand and make use of a variety of force options to respond to potentially violent situations.’

Income Tax and Deductions Essay Example for Free

Income Tax and Deductions Essay Tax avoidance is legal in most states and every tax payer will present his returns in a way which reduces tax burden the most. Thus a taxpayer will opt for either standard deduction or itemized deduction whichever will enable him shoulder less tax burden. For standard deduction the deduction from taxable amount is a standard amount. For example for a single citizen the standard amount is $5,350. For married couples filling jointly the standard deduction will be double for the single ($10,700) but for a married couples filing separately each will be allowed a standard amount like for a single person it is ,350. A qualifying widow(er) with dependant child will be treated the same way a married couple filing jointly. For the head of household whether a woman or a man the deduction will be $7,850. Itemized deduction is enjoyed by adjusting your spending behavior to spend more on the items which enjoy tax privileges. Similarly one can claim dependant from a qualifying child or relative which has tax benefits such as the Child Tax Credit, the Child and Dependant Care Credit as well as the Earned Income Credit. These all work to the advantage of the tax payer. The standard deduction for a dependant is the higher of $850 and the dependants earned income plus $300 provided it does not exceed the standard deduction of the filing taxpayer. However in some instances the treatment gives some taxpayers unfair advantage over others. For instance a parent can claim a qualifying child but don’t claim the child as his/hers. Thus another parent can claim dependant deduction from the same child provided the AGI of the person higher than the highest AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) of the two parents. This can be misused by the taxpayers who have higher AGI than other parent thus enjoying unfair tax advantage.

Vertical integration in studio system Essay -- Economics

Vertical integration in studio system The term "vertical integration" refers to the structure of a marketplace, which is integrated (rather than segregated) at a variety of crucial levels. In the case of the motion picture industry, the studio system established a market in which the studios owned production facilities, distribution outlets, and theaters. In other words, the studios controlled every level of the marketplace from the top down, from production to exhibition. "Vertical integration" began in the 1910s and inspired the postwar consolidation of the studio system as national distribution companies, such as Paramount merged with production companies, such as Famous Players and Lasky and subsequently began purchasing theater chains. All of the major studios in Hollywood (Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros., etc) owned theater chains; the minors, Universal, Columbia, and United artists, did not. The minors, distributed their pictures, by special arrangement, to theaters owned by the majors. The majors booked one another's films in their theaters. Vertical int...

How ICT has helped people with special needs Essay

Introduction In this essay I will be analysing how the usage of ICT helps people with special needs. There are 3 types of special needs. What is a physical disability? The term â€Å"disability†, as it is applied to humans, refers to any condition that impedes the completion of daily tasks using traditional methods. National governments and global humanitarian agencies have narrowed this definition for their own purposes, only pledging aid to those with specific disabilities of a certain severity What is a sensory disability? Is when someone is you are Deaf, visually impaired, hearing impaired or have a significant combination of hearing and sight loss. What is a learning difficulty? A disorder in basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or use mathematical calculations. The term includes conditions such as perceptual disability, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. How ICT is used to help those with Learning Difficulties Multimedia software Helps people who find it hard to concentrate. It uses different forms of media, pictures, sound clips and video to keep the user interested. Specialised educational software There’s a huge range of software available to help people struggling with different subjects and useful tips e. g. help with reading and basic maths. Touch screens These are useful for people who finding using a mouse or any other sort of input device difficult. Spell checkers Can help people with dyslexia who finds it difficult to spell; you can set it up so check your words as you type. How ICT is used to help those with visual difficulties. People with hearing difficulties can still use most computer functions normally. One thing you can do though is set up the computer to display visual icons rather than using sound. DVDs are much better than videotapes as you can use the subtitle facilities. Many recent communication technologies like e-mail and texting work really well for people with hearing. Being able to set mobile phones to vibrate or flash is also very useful. Text phones are an older system that replaces a standard telephone with a keyboard and a screen. What you type on both screens- a bit like a chat-room. Both sender and receiver need a text phone machine. If a person has problem seeing or is completely blind they would be categorized as having a Visual disabilities. If a person cannot read small type then there are a lot of magnification devices out on the market, which fit almost anything from phones to monitors. For example a person with low vision would use a keyboard with extra large print. If a person is completely blind then they would use a speech recognition device. Changing the screen settings can help. You can also change the colour scheme, screen resolution and fonts to make it clearer. For the blind, special hardware is available- Braille keyboards make it easy to type, and describe what’s on the screen. Screen readers are pieces of software that use speech synthesis technology to read out and describe what’s on the screen. Text-To-Speech. A text-to-speech is designed for individuals with reading difficulties. It works by simultaneously highlights and reading aloud of text. There are other devices for people with reading disabilities such as spellcheckers How ICT is used to help those with hearing difficulties. Speech Recognition There are two uses for speech recognition these are Dictation and Computer control. Speech recognition is one of the desired assistive technology systems. People believe speech recognition is a natural and easy method of accessing the computer A dyslexic person who has problems with writing English would use the speech recognition to make sure their English is correct. A person planning to use speech recognition must be aware he is required to go through a training session. This is a one-time reading when the user must read aloud an excerpt of text that is displayed during the training feature of the speech recognition application. Depending upon the speech recognition software, there is several enrolment training excerpts to select from. A person planning to use speech recognition must be aware he is required to go through an enrolment (training) session. This is a one-time reading when the user must read aloud an excerpt of text that is displayed during the training feature of the speech recognition application. (For an example of enrolment text, please see What Is Speech Recognition) Depending upon the speech recognition software, there is several enrolment training excerpts to select from. Personal Communicator tool for Learning and Communicating Sign Language. The Personal Communicator creates a common ground for communicating in Sign Language. Using hypermedia technology, the Personal Communicator is a user-friendly program that brings sign language communication capabilities to the desktop and notebook computer. With more than 2500 digital video signs and 4500 English words. The Personal Communicator can be a useful tool in communication, education, and other environments. If someone is not able to use a mouse because they haven’t got full control in there hands then there are mouse alternatives to help people with the disabilities. How ICT can help those with Physical Difficulties Many people find mice difficult to use- there are many alternatives such as tracker balls, Joy Sticks and tough pads. People with limited hand movement can get specially designed keyboards to suit there needs. Voice Recognition software can be used by people with little or no hand movement. It lets you speak to the computer to navigate menus and do what you want it to do. If you are severely limited, you can use a computer with switches carefully arranged- Stephen Hawking is a famous example of someone who uses ICT in this way. For people with limited mobility, environmental control systems can be set up to atomically open, close curtains, turn lights on and off, operate heaters and so on. How ICT can help those with Language difficulties Dictionary software can help you to quickly translate individual words. Learning software can help you practise an unfamiliar language with exercises where you can hear phrases spoken. It can also record your voice and play it back to see how well you have done. Most word processing packages can check your spelling in different languages and check that your sentences make sense. In conclusion it is fair to say that people with disabilities might need variations on the standard equipment to use computers, but once they have these mentioned above I am sure it can change the way they live.

Investigate the ways in which hip hop music appeals to male and female audiences

Investigate the ways in which hip hop music appeals to male and female audiences, with reference to 50 cent's Amusement Park, attempting to account for its popularity despite its sexist representations of women In this essay I shall be investigating the ways in which hip hop songs appeal to both male and female audiences, with specific reference to Amusement Park (released May 8, 2007) by 50 cent (real name Curtis Jackson), and its music video. I will attempt to account for the huge popularity of this artist, and others of the genre, despite the apparent sexism displayed in his songs. Firstly I shall look at how hip hop has gone from primarily an underground phenomenon to having mainstream status, as recounted by Bakari Kitwana (2005). From when hip hop originated, it was always an alternate culture for black youngsters to turn to. During the late 1980s economic recession, many Americans were still living in poverty: unskilled workers faced poorer wages than before, resulting in a sense of alienation from mainstream America. Although they had achieved equality in legal status, there were still plenty of economic and social problems facing black youth. Not only was hip hop an artistic way of expressing and making public these issues, but also provided a sense of culture those less privileged. Concerns could be voiced through the medium of music and radio stations, which, although primarily were by and for black people, still very much of the white working class population, who were also facing similar problems and suffering from the same detachment from the mainstream. In the late 80s powerful black icons began emerging, such as Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, and major bands like Public Enemy who produced ‘politically charged lyrics, criticism of the media, and active interest in the concerns of the African American community'1. It soon became hard for white audiences to ignore hip hop culture. The East-West coast feud between artists from either side of America, leading to the eventual murders of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious BIG also brought both urban issues and its music in to public light. Gangster rap was a predominant subgenre which was responsible for expressing shocking views (notably rap group N. You can read also Audience Adaptation Paper W. A. ‘s F*** tha police) and portraying the more violent and misogynistic side of hip hop culture. While it still receives a lot of backlash, hip hop has become increasingly mainstream and popular. One way to account for the popularity of â€Å"Amusement Park† is to look at the representations of women in the video on its own, and to draw conclusions from those alone. The girls are shown against a very minimalistic background, only with the â€Å"ride† which they are on. This puts the focus on to their bodies and faces, increasing our sense of their sexuality. Both the shots of the girls and their poses are explicitly constructed, as their poses are unnatural and staged. They often look directly in to the camera, suggesting an awareness of the audience's voyeuristic perspective. A shot which specifically give a sense of degradation is one in which a girl is shot almost directly from above, her body twisted unnaturally on the ground, looking on command as the camera focuses on her. This appeals to the male audience by making them feel that the girl is putting out her sexuality for the benefit of the viewers i. e. he individual watcher. It might seem that this video is primarily aimed at males however; the huge success of 50 cent in the mainstream implies that his apparent misogyny is not only accepted but embraced by a large audience. One explanation would be to accept the belief of female sexuality being masochistic, and that the gratification a female gets from the video is that of relating herself to the girls in the video who are enjoying being a sexual object. However, French feminist Luce Irigaray questions the idea the traditional view of female sexuality: †¦ omen in the sexual imaginary of Western culture have always been a male fantasy; hence maschocism is something forced on women by culture, not a quality inherent within them. Thus, women don't define their own sexuality, desire, or pleasure2. If we bear in mind the amount of competition that is around now in the hip hop industry and the selection of media now readily available, through the wide range of music channel, and the relatively recent development of the ability to watch music on sites such as youtube and yahoo, audience could be said to become more active in the way they choose and thus perceive their media. Taking Irigaray's perspective, female audiences do not necessarily need to read the text in masochistic way, and this broadening of choice in their media allows them to take an alternate stance on such texts: that of a more active one. If this is the case however, it does not necessarily mean that female audiences reject Amusement Park, only that there is room to interpret the representations in a more ironic way and as I shall discuss later on, the text itself encourages this type of reading. The next issue I shall look at is the extent to which 50 cent is taken as a serious role model by his audiences. His background would imply that he is the stereotype of gangster: his mother gave birth to him at 15, was involved in cocaine dealing, and was murdered at the age of 23. 50 cent himself began dealing in crack/cocaine and taking guns to school. Before the release of his first album with Columbia Records, he survived being shot 9 times, including once in the mouth, which led to him being dropped by the record company. This would seem highly ironic, given that to a large extent the idea of an authentic gangster was what selling rap records in the first place (artists such as Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B. I. G and Tupac Shakur had a history of crime and drugs; and the murders of the latter two helped to bring hip hop in to mainstream media). It is interesting to ask whether it was the songs that consumers were buying and continue to do so, (his debut album, get rich or die tryin' selling 12 million albums worldwide) or the now glamorised image of celebrity gangster which is currently present, despite the fact that he currently lives in an $18,500,000 Mansion. He himself admits to the fact that his image portrayed in his music is separate from him as a person: †¦ all the things I say are good, if you watch what I do. What I say on record is entertainment; but what I'm actually doing with my life and the things I've had the opportunity to do is what makes me inspiring3 Although evidently he has achieved a great deal for himself, in the media he rarely expresses himself personal side, and even has made attempts to reinforce his gangster image, and example being: I've been in situations where either it was me or somebody else, and I handled my business. 4 (2003) However, in the later interview he does deny any assumptions: †¦ people associate me with gun violence, when I was the one who got shot5 This suggest that Curtis himself does have an expectation that audiences will be able to distinguish between his image portrayed in the media, and the reality of his life, but does little to counteract the negative images. Is he also being naive in thinking that the audience will automatically realise this, and not model his violent and sexist lyrics? There is clearly some sort of awareness in public audiences, both black and white, as shown by findings by the Black Youth Project: Over half of youngsters between the ages of 15 – 25 strongly agree with the statement that â€Å"Rap music videos portray Black women in bad and offensive ways. 6 The huge success of 50 cent however, seems to contradict this, which would seem to imply that audiences are in fact able to separate this misogyny from the rapper himself. However, it could also be argued that this is merely a way of excusing such portrayals. Considering the artist's earlier works, such as Get in my car containing the lyri cs â€Å"I got no pickup lines / I stay on the grind / I tell the hoes all the time / Bitch get in my car† and the highly pornographic music video for Disco Inferno, it is harder to take such things lightly. A widely quoted statistic is that 70% of hip hop consumers are in fact white. Although it is interesting to note that no accurate source has been cited for this statistic, hip hop is undeniably a prominent part of mainstream white music culture. Before, when the genre was a political move as much as it was a music genre, a chance for black underprivileged youth to voice their concerns for the culture, it was something that both black and white people could understand in relation to their own lives. The current state of hip hop is that we ‘look through the keyhole into a violent, sexy world of â€Å"money, ho's and clothes†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ as described by Justin Ross (2007). This may be an accurate description of the way that audiences perceive such videos, given that 50 cent's music refers to neither the real problems, past or present, of black culture, nor to the life which Curtis leads. It would also account for the general acceptance of these representations, if the audience is distanced from what is shown in the videos: issues of sexism and violence are far less relevant outside black urban society and it is therefore easier for a white consumer to take the videos solely as entertainment. It is also important to remember that while the majority of hip hop artists are black, it is predominantly marketed and controlled by a white industry, as Bakari describes (p46) in which the importance of an authentic representation of black culture is of little importance compared with supplying the public with texts which they will buy in to, as evidently the sex appeal of the videos is an important aspect. The next thing I shall look at is the level of awareness of the sexism in both the video itself, and the audience it is aimed at. There are many shots which suggest that the images in it, and the lyrics, are not entirely sincere. This is evident in the shots of the girl sitting on a bench next to 50 cent. Unlike the rest of the images, she is not highly glamorised, and her actions appear to be a lot more naturalistic than the others. She directly reacts to his lyrics, often looking away smiling, as though amused by what he is saying. The title of the song could also be referring to 50 cent himself as a celebrity figure: that both his image and his songs are merely an â€Å"amusement;† not to be taken as serious. This creates a sense of bathos juxtapositioned against the more professional looking shots, so that the female audience can relate more to the women shown. Although taking up a lot less time in the video than the glamorised ones, it creates a distance between the hyperreality of the rest of the video, and the ordinary more down to earth shots, so audiences see the video more objectively. The shots of the girl lying provocatively on the car bear even less relation to the lyrics than earlier in the video, being more reminiscent of a car commercial than a music video. The car itself is briefly but distinctly focused on, which makes reference to the importance of money and material values which are present in not only video, but the whole hip hop industry. This hints at the suggestion that both the girls and their representations are merely a product of this, and therefore are not in fact serious degradations of the women. In this shot we see a girl, while impressed; rolling her eyes at the artist at the lyrics â€Å"You know it's no fun without the magic stick†. In this sense the girls are in fact the more active ones in the video, whilst 50 Cent mostly maintains his position as an entertainer. Instead of them covering the whole screen, two similar shots of the same girl are often slid in from either side against a plain black background, sometimes overlapping each other. Whilst in one sense emphasising the importance of the girls' bodies, it also is highly self aware as product, as by seeing two separate views of one scene, it reminds us that it is a construction. Instead of taking itself too seriously, it makes explicit its intention of providing a sex appeal. A less prominent but important character in the video is the girl dancing acrobatically, and the only girl who is represented by her skill rather her sexuality – the camera barely focuses on her face. On the surface, she seems to represent an entertainer at a fair (the bright flashing lights help to anchor this meaning), but it is possible to decipher alternate readings of her: certain comparisons can be drawn between the actions of 50 Cent and herself. She and he are the first people we see in the video, and she appears immediately after the artist announces himself: â€Å"50† and â€Å"Ferrari F-50†. The setting she is in is almost identical to that of 50 Cent's. At times her dance moves mirror the lyrics of his, for example at â€Å"You fear heights when I'm high hell yeah I go low†, she can be seen to do exactly this. In another shot she briefly does a boxing punch, followed by a similar view of 50 Cent looking macho. At the lyrics â€Å"yeah it's like that† she mimes as though saying the words herself. In this sense she is the female counterpart to 50 Cent, and could be said to hold the power, in that she has little direct engagement with the audience, while Curtis has to explicitly put on an act to keep is position as an entertainer. This could allow women to from the perspective of her instead of the rapper, and thus 50 Cent himself becomes the object of the video instead of the subject. As previously discussed, the initial purpose of this media text is to sell 50 Cent's music, and this is done by providing the audience with representations they are familiar with: a stereotypical ‘gangster', highly sexed girls, and also to be considered is the artist's own sex appeal. Firstly, the subject of the song itself is 50 cent inviting girls (the audience) to attend his â€Å"amusement park†, and the lyrics describe the activities available to those who go, thus partially placing him as the object of desire. He is shown later in the song without a shirt on, with lighting focused in such a way that highlights his muscular physique. An important issue is that of whether hip hop should be censored, else voluntarily toned down. In April 2007, a controversial incident occurred, involving Don Imus, the presenter of his radio show, which already had a reputation for its crude humour. In discussing a black female basketball team, he referred to the players as ‘nappy headed hos'. After floods of outraged complaints, his show was permanently removed from air, prompting wide discussion over the standards in the media, often with reference to hip hop. 0 Cent himself was involved in the subsequent discussion, but refused to agree to clean up his lyrics, using a politician involved in adult dating websites to make comparisons between standards in hip hop and that in supposedly higher society. While this may be true to some extent, it firstly does not provide a justification in itself; but also it is debatable as to how much of what he said was his own opinion and how many were prearranged arguments by his managers (in the video he can be seen grinning in long pauses after phrases such as â€Å"I personally believe†). On the subject of Master P, who made the decision to stop using sexist and violent lyrics, he replies â€Å"Well Master P doesn't sell CDs anymore†7. From this, and other interviews where he has put the focus on that of entertainment, one could draw the conclusion that the artist in fact, as Amusement Park suggests, concerned with little other than the money involved in the business. In defence to his own lyrics, 50 Cent has also expressed his irritation of apparent double standards in the media, in reference to Britney Spears' single ‘Gimme more'8 beginning with the lyrics ‘it's Britney, bitch'. While it may appear to be merely a sore complaint, it is certainly valid to discuss the treatment of women in other areas of the media, and by women themselves. The music video of the song in question consists of Britney Spears, wearing little more than underwear, dancing round a poll in a seedy setting. Similarly, in ‘Dip it Low' by Christina Milian, the artist is seen allowing herself to have black paint poured over her semi-clothed body, whilst a group of men stand at the side watching and jeering: the presentation of women apparent in male hip hop videos is not a unique one. In all aspects of the media girls are presented, more than anything, by their sexuality and appearance, which can be found in adverts in women's magazines, stereotypes in film and television (a notable example being Desperate Housewives), car adverts, drink adverts. Although elevated within the genre, this representation could be described as a reflection of attitudes prevalent in both the media and in society and therefore not so shocking to audiences. Another issue described by an internet blogger9 is that by shutting sexism and violence portrayed in hip hop music, it is shutting off a fundamental way of keeping these issues in the eye of the public. He quotes that the leading killer of African Americans is homicide; and that males are five times more likely to be killed than their white counterparts. These issues will still exist even in the absence of offensive hip hop. While this certainly an interesting point, hip hop paradoxically glorifies the very things which it makes an issue of. While artists like 50 Cent may primarily be driven by selling as many records as possible, he still in one sense continues to represent issues which would otherwise be forgotten, if only in a postmodern way. Therefore, in order for hip hop to serve this purpose, it is essential that audiences neither directly embrace the values shown in the videos, nor take it as purely entertainment, as Amusement Park evidently does allow us to do. However, audiences could be said to be becoming increasingly desensitised to these things, with violent films and video games and the huge availability of pornography through the internet, which would make this reading more difficult to achieve. Whether or not the sexism and violence in hip hop is justified or not, if audiences were to take a more active role in their media, it would simultaneously prevent potential influence from such songs, and also make thorny issues in black society more accessible to deal with.

Social class and homelessness Essays

Social class and homelessness Essays Social class and homelessness Essay Social class and homelessness Essay Essay Topic: Sociology Social class is a large category of people who are similar in income level, educational attainment, and occupational prestige. There are six different social classes, the first class, capitalist class includes the wealthiest one percent of Americans second class, and the upper middle class is composed of managers or professionals and is about fifteen percent of the United States population. Third class, the lower middle class is made up of lower level managers and semi professionals, fourth class the working class is composed of clerical and sales workers and make up thirty-two percent of the population. The fifth class, the working poor includes laborers and service workers which make up ten percent and the sixth class the underclass is composed of the unemployed and underemployed which is nine to ten percent of the population. Your position in society tends to be determined by that of your ancestors. What class youre born into usually means what you will achieve. You learn your values, ambitions, drive, and determination to succeed, and set your goals from what you learn from your family members. A third of the homeless men that Mitchell Duneier spoke to ended on the streets after not being able to find work, which then led to their use of drugs and alcohol (sidewalk 52). Because they were situated in the fifth social class, the working poor, they found no other choice but to become homeless, living on the streets. Many after faced with unemployment end up with the Fuck it mentality, which enables a person to give up an apartment and sleep on the street, cutting all ties with friends and families (61). The homeless, it seems have little to no chance of becoming housed. The police take advantage of the uneducated homeless individuals, at times ignoring the law (277). Also, the homeless are not allowed use of public bathrooms. If the homeless are not allowed to use a bathroom, the only other option is to relieve oneself on the street, a concept which many refuse to accept or acknowledge. Any society with high levels of economic inequality, racism, illiteracy, and drug dependency, and with inadequate transitions from mental hospitals and prisons to work and home, will have vast numbers of people who cannot conform to the requirements of its formal institutions (317). The men that lose employment and end up turning to drugs and alcohol eventually end up spending a period in prison and then being released to the streets (52). Without any other option they turn to living on the streets, panhandling to make a living. Family, a group which is united by ties of marriage, ancestry, or adoption and who comprise a single household and raise children, plays an important aspect in the lives of those that choose to become homeless. In Rons case, both his parents were alcoholics and when he lost his job he also turned to alcohol (47-48). Without solid family support the unemployed become drug addicts living on the streets. In Rons case his elderly aunt became that support and excuse to work towards getting off the streets. For Mudrick the birth of his granddaughter gave him a reason to work hard and survive (75). In Sidewalk the aspects of what the homeless and the working poor go through is brought to light. The street vendors try to make an honest living by selling books and magazines, which is allowed by New York City ordinances. The problems they encounter make it hard for them to succeed in any form. Their presence on the sidewalks has been a source of controversy; many store vendors protest their right to sell books on the same street as their business, many times not allowing the vendors the right to use their public bathrooms. The vendors are public characters, an institution for the village with many regular customers and residents that donate reading material. Several times throughout the book the vendors give directions to lost tourists, watch over deliveries, and help to discourage crime in the village. Even though the vendors have become apart of New York, the local government is still working to discourage street vending by passing new ordinances, which cuts down on vending space. The vendors, even though trying to make an honest living are met with un-satisfaction and rudeness from all they encounter, with the police, at times, taking advantage of their power.

Tracing Your Family Medical History

Tracing Your Family Medical History You know you got your curly red hair from your grandmother, and your prominent nose from your dad. These arent the only things you may have inherited from your family, however. Many medical conditions, including heart disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes, alcoholism and Alzheimers disease have also been shown to be passed down through families. What Is A Family Medical History? A family medical history or medical family tree is a record of important medical information about your relatives, including illnesses and diseases, along with the relationships among the members of your family. A family health or medical history is begun by talking with your immediate family members parents, grandparents and siblings as they provide the most important links to genetic risk. Why is a Family Medical History Important? Some studies say that over 40 percent of the population is at increased genetic risk for a common disease such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease. Understanding your risk for developing such diseases is an important reason to learn more about your family history. By knowing your risk, you can make informed decisions about prevention and screening, and even participate in genetic-based research aimed at understanding, preventing and curing disease. For example, if your father had colon cancer at age 45, you should probably be screened at an earlier age for colon cancer than age 50, the average age for first-time colon cancer screening. How is a Family Medical History Used? How is a family medical history used? A family medical history helps document familial patterns which may impact your health, such as trends towards specific types of cancer, early heart disease, or even something simple such as skin problems. Compiling a family medical history can help you and your doctor spot these family patterns and use the information to assist with the following: Diagnosing a medical conditionDetermining whether you may benefit from preventive measures to lower your risk of a specific diseaseDeciding what medical tests to runIdentifying other members of your family who are at risk of developing certain diseasesCalculating your risk of certain diseasesCalculating your risk of passing certain conditions to your children What Should Be Included in a Family Medical History? Going back about three generations (to your grandparents or great-grandparents), try to collect details on every direct family member who has died and the cause of death. Also, document the medical conditions of all family members, including the age at which they were first diagnosed, their treatment, and if they ever had surgery. Important medical conditions to document include: CancerHeart diseaseDiabetesAsthmaMental illnessHigh blood pressureStrokeKidney diseaseAlcoholismBirth defectsLearning disabilitiesVision or hearing loss For family members with known medical problems, make notes on their overall health, including if they smoked, were overweight, and their exercise habits. If a family member had cancer, be sure to learn the primary type and not just where it metastasized. If your family members came from a different country, make note of that as well, as some medical conditions have possible ethnic roots. How Should I Document My Family Medical History? Family medical history can be recorded in a similar manner to the traditional family tree, just using standard medical symbols in a pedigree format - squares for men and circles for women. You can either use a standard key, or create your own which specifies what your symbols mean. See Tools for Recording Your Family Medical History for more information, examples, forms and questionnaires. If you find the forms too complicated, just collect the information. Your doctor will still be able to use what you find. Remove any personal names from your work before giving it to your doctor or anyone outside the family. They dont need to know the names, only the relationships among individuals, and you never know where your medical tree might end up! My Family Cant Help Me, Now What? If your parents are deceased or relatives are uncooperative, it may take some real detective work to learn more about your familys medical past. If you cant get access to medical records, try death certificates, obituaries and old family letters. Even old family photos can provide visual clues to diseases such as obesity, skin conditions and osteoporosis. If youre adopted or otherwise cant learn more about your familys health history, be sure to follow standard screening recommendations and see your doctor for a physical on a regular basis. Keep in mind that the format and questions dont have to be perfect. The more information you gather, in whatever format is easiest for you, the more informed youll be about your medical heritage. What you learn could literally save your life!

Identy theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Identy theft - Essay Example A high percentage of credit card companies send out checks for the purpose of paying off other cards, or to use like cash. The checks often arrive with your statements, and are sometimes sent separately. As the consumer, you do not know when they are sent. Unfortunately, some of the credit card companies do not know when they send them. The criminals can get their hands on your checks in many ways. They can be stolen right out of your mailbox. They can be misappropriated by a postal employee. They can be shanghaied with other mail from a mail truck. There are probably a hundred other methods, but you get the picture, it is easy for the criminal to get his or her grubby hands on your financial documents. The most successful approach is a proactive one. The most effective solution is to ensure the checks are not sent at all, and to this end I recommend you cancel your credit cards. If you have no credit cards, you will receive no credit card checks. At a minimum, call all of your credit card companies and ask them to stop sending the checks, they will be happy to oblige. Another approach is to have them sent only upon your request. This way you can still have the use of the checks, and you can track roughly when, and how many, are sent. You might ignore this advice, as I would have at an... The check clearing companies do not care about consumers, they do not even use the driver's license information that most proprietors verify when a check is written! If you are unlucky enough to have this happen to you, you will undoubtedly be shocked, as I was, to hear the police tell you that you are not the victim! The victims are the stores that cashed the check, or the check clearing companies, because they will eventually be the ones with actual monetary losses. These steps are just the first of many if you truly want to protect yourself. They will potentially save you; a lot of grief, time spent trying to get agencies to help, a considerable amount of money, frustration, and stress in general. For more information, check out . This site is an excellent entry point for you to educate yourself about the many aspects of identity theft. Protect yourself, be proactive, and tell everyone you know the same. Brochure Front cover: IDENTITY THEFT AN INVISIBLE CRIME Victims of identity theft usually do not even know that they have been targeted until it is to late. Identity theft can take years and a lot of money to clear up, and until it is credit is ruined and lives are destroyed. As with other crimes we cannot completely control if we are victims, but we can be aware how criminals obtain our private information, how to reduce the risk of being a victim and some helpful information on what to do after the crime is committed. Inside How Does Our Private Information Fall Into The Wrong Hands Stealing records from their employer, Bribing an employee who has access to these records, or Hacking into the organization's computers. Rummage through your trash Obtain

Legal policy and organisational framework Essay

Legal policy and organisational framework - Essay Example The range of existing legal responses that may be utilized in cases of elder abuse in the UK is evaluated, and recent proposals to reform the law are analyzed. Because no single piece of applicable protective legislation exists, three possible levels of intervention have been identified: preventive measures, private law initiatives and state intervention. ABSTRACT. This article evaluates the range of existing legal responses that may be utilized in cases of elder abuse in the UK. Because no single piece of applicable protective legislation exists, three possible levels of intervention have been identified: preventive measures, private law initiatives, and state intervention. In answer to the criticism of existing law, the Law Commission has published proposals for legal reform drawing on the child protection model. Questions are raised regarding the suitability of the approach given the intrinsic social and legal differences between children and adults. [Article copies available from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworth.com) Elder abuse is a term that is not recognized by English law. There is currently no single piece of applicable protective legislation in contrast with the United States. In England, the one existing law that may be applicable to cases of elder abuse in England is fragmented and lacks coherence. It is less accessible than, for example, the child protection law, which is contained in The Children Act 1989, and is not particularly "user friendly." The challenge of elder abuse, therefore, calls on lawyers to be creative and use their imagination and skills in drawing on existing remedies from statute and common law and adapting these to respond to individual complaints of elder abuse. Existing remedies may not be fully utilized for a number of reasons. For one thing, certain procedures, such as criminal prosecutions, may be perceived as