Giant Snakes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Giant Snakes - Essay Example Boa belongs to Squamata order and Boidae family. Boa is found in Madagascar, Papua and the Pacific islands. The remarkable feature of this giant snake is its color. "Boa constrictors are pinkish or tan in color, with dark crossbands. They range in length is from 20 inches (50 cm) as neonates to 13 feet (3.9 m) as adults" (Boa 2007). The most colorful snakes are found in Amazon basin. The female are larger than male species. Pythons belong to Pythoninae subfamily, Boidae family. Pythons can be found in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and Australia. Similar to boas their females are larger than males (Mattison 87). The movement of both giant snakes looks magical. Though they have no legs, snakes can move fast and quite efficiently in all sorts of situations. Their long backbones comprise of between 100 and 400 vertebrae and, with a very special arrangement of muscles, they can adopt several efficient modes of locomotion and, furthermore, can switch virtually instantaneously from one to another. During this elegant side-to-side undulation, each part of the body passes across the same spot on the surface. There is also the concertina-type movement consisting of anchoring one part of the body on the substratum while the rest of it is either pulled or pushed along, clearly an efficient strategy when moving through narrow tunnels. Boas and pythons use the side-winding motion on moderately rugged surfaces, including unstable sand dunes. Pythons "coil themselves around their prey and with each breathe the creature takes the snake will squeeze a little tighter until they stop breathing completely" (Py thons 2007). Diet and Reproducing Pythons and boas can survive without food during a year. "Boa feeds on large lizards, small or moderate-sized birds, opossums, bats, mongooses, rats, and squirrels. It is a nocturnal hunter and uses its heat-sensitive scales to locate its prey" (Boa 2007). The main difference between boa and python is that pythons lay eggs while boas produce living boas. The female Python protects her eggs by coiling round them, and at this time her temperature rises several degrees, probably to promote hatching. Body Temperature and Vision Their body temperature depends on the environment, so they are said to be ectothermic. They regulate their body temperature by exploiting various behavioral attitudes such as warming themselves in the sun. Boas and pythons even seek warmth at night and, in tropical regions, they often rest on tracks which have accumulated heat during the day. In excessive heat, as in some deserts, they cool themselves by burrowing into the sand, leaving their eyes just above the ground (Mattison 2007). They are also able to adjust their body temperature by living nocturnally or diurnally or, in cold conditions, by hibernating in deep holes. Boas and pythons have classical senses: sight, smell, touch, probably taste (as suggested by the presence of taste buds in some snakes but not demonstrated in all) and hearing. With no movable eyelids, protection for their eyes is provided by a fixed transparent shield which is shed together with the whole skin during sloughing. Though vision in

A History of Melody Essay Example for Free

A History of Melody Essay The violin emerged from a primitive musical bow, usually an arched stick with a string stretched taut between the two ends (Hughes, 2008). The string is divided by a loop or a bridge (Thinkquest, 1999). The first bridge was used to add to the instruments resonance when the string was vibrated, and strings were attached across suitable receptacles (Hughes, 2008). These resonance enhancers took many forms-tortoise shells, coconut, calabash, wooden boxes and even pig bladders (Thinkquest, 1999), thrust tightly between the strings and the bow (Thinkquest, 1999). Also to enhance the resonance of the bow, the instrument was held before the mouth (Thinkquest, 1999). The violin probably came to Europe around the 9th century, mostly originating from Asia (Thinkquest, 1999). It took the evolutionary process of the violin about 450 years to bring the violin to its present form. This only shows the long years of experience needed by the makers of the stringed instrument (Thinkquest, 1999). The use of a bow to draw across the strings followed, probably imported into Europe from Asia by Arab travellers (Hughes, 2008). The evolution of the violin was slow. It took until the middle Ages for a version of the zither, a popular and older instrument, to evolve into the vielle, which saw the instrument being held against the shoulder. This differentiated it from the zither, as the latter was held across the knees (Hughes, 2008). As time went on, the original one string grew to four, and for a time, five strings (Hughes, 2008). Fashionable until the 16th century, the vielle was changed with the small wooden ribs used in similar wooden plucked instruments replaced by the tailpiece and bridge (Hughes, 2008). Violin 2 By the time of the Renaissance, the viol (a bowed stringed instrument chiefly of the 16th and 17th centuries made in treble, alto, tenor, and bass sizes and distinguished from members of the violin family especially in having a deep body, a flat back, sloping shoulders, usually six strings, a fretted fingerboard, and a low-arched bridge (Merriam-Webster, 2008), was being used, the first having a hole adding resonance and tone to the instrument (Hughes, 2008). It was a short time that the viol evolved into the viola da gamba (a bass member of the viol family having a range approximating the cello (Merriam-Webster, 2008), which was played between the knees of the musician, and the viola de braccio held against the shoulder. The modern shape of the violin was evolved from the second version of the instrument (Hughes, 2008). The Violin evolved form many different instruments, including the Rebob, the Rebec, Lira da Braccio and the Renaissance fiddle. The violin today, the â€Å"new violin† was not used until 1630 in Italy (Berkeley, 2008). The evolution of the modern violin appears to have been completed in Italy with the most famous violin maker Andrea Amati at Cremona, providing 24 violins, six violas and eight cellos for the French King Charles IX in 1560 (Hughes, 2008). Another famous violin maker, Antonio Stradivarius, joined the Amati school in the latter half of the 6th century (Hughes, 2008). The violins refinery As stated earlier in the paper, that apart from the Arab travellers influence had an on the violin, there is no certain fact on who invented the violin or a stringed instrument that is played with a bow (Hughes, 2008). Some of the theories place the invention of the violin at around 1520 A. D. wherein the violin is included in the Gaudenzio Ferrari painting The Madonna of the Orange Trees (cited in Berkeley, 2008). Violin 3 But the violin emerged in Italy in the early 1500s and seems to have developed from two medieval bowed instruments-the fiddle, also called the viele or fiedel, and the rebec-and from the Renaissance lira de braccio (a violin-like instrument with off the finger drone strings (Rosenblum, 2007). Also related to the violin, but not direct ancestors, is the six-string fretted viol. The viol appeared in Europe before the violin and existed with it side by side for about 200 hundred years (Rosenblum, 2007). In the early 1600s, however, the violin gained prestige through its use in operas such as Orfeo(1607) by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, and through the French King Louis XIII band of musicians, the 24 violons de roi (the â€Å"Kings 24 violins†, formed in 1626). This growth in stature continued throughout the Baroque period (1600-1750) in the works of many notable composer-performers. Among them were the Italians Arcangelo Corelli, Antonio Vivaldi and Giuseppe Tartini and the Germanys Heinrich Biber, Georg Philipp Teleman and Johann Sebastian Bach (Rosenblum, 2007). The Craftsmen The earliest important violin makers were from Northern Italy, Gasparo da Salo (1540-1609) and Giovanni Maggini (1579-1630) from Brescia and Andrea Amati (1525-1611) from Cremona. The craft of violin making reached its height in the 17th and 18th centuries in the workshops of the Italians Antonio Stradivarius (1644-1737) and Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744) from Cremona and the Austrian Jacob Stainer (1617-1638) (Rosenblum, 2007). Violin 4 Gasparo da Salo (1542-1609) The founder of the Brescian school of violin makers, Gasparo Bertlotti, or Gasparo da Salo, was a dedicated craftsman and instrument maker. He was formerly credited with the claim of having developed the violin in the shape we know today. Although his claims have been disproved, his instruments are nevertheless admired and venerated (Smithsonian, 2008). Gasparos violas are considered finer than his violins and probably were more numerous (Smithsonian, 2008). His viola da gambas were converted to violincellos and are much esteemed, and some of his six-stringed bass viols have been remounted as three and four stringed double basses. Twenty instruments have been recorded (Smithsonian, 2008). Giovanni Paolo Maggini (1579-1630) An apprentice of Gasparo da Salo, he acquired a thorough knowledge of the woods available to him (Smithsonian, 2008). Maggini made his own mark and as a master, his own techniques of craftsmanship. He frequently experimented to improve tone quality for his pieces and perfect his construction methods (Smithsonian, 2008). Many of the instruments made by Maggini at the twilight of his career are considered his finest work. These works are known for the quality of the woods and unusually large sound holes as well as for their unusually mellow tones (Smithsonian, 2008). Andrea Amati (1525-1611) The founder of the great Cremona school of violin making, Amati focused on violins and was making viols and rebecs. Instruments dated after 1584 are said to be the works of his sons Antonio and Hieronymus (Smithsonian, 2008). Violin 5 It is claimed that he made 24 violins, 6 violas and 8 cellos for the French king Charles IX for use at the court at Versailles (Smithsonian, 2008). A few of these instruments survive to this day (Smithsonian, 2008). Antonio Stradivarius (1644-1734) Stradivarius interpretation of geometry and design served as a conceptual model for violin makers for more than 200 years (Smithsonian, 2008). Stradivarius also made harps, guitars, violas and cellos- more than 1,100 instruments by current estimate (Smithsonian, 2008). About 650 of these instruments survive today (Smithsonian, 2008). Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744) Guarneri is considered the most illustrious member of this violin making family. The fifth and last member of the family, he is known more as Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu. Guarnerius is the Latin form of the family name and Joseph the Hebrew form of Giuseppe (Smithsonian, 2008). The estimate of his total production is not more than 250 violins; no evidence suggests that he made more (Smithsonian, 2008). But at least one violoncello and some violas are attributed to him. The outline of his violins, with slight modifications, is founded on instruments of Stradivarius (Smithsonian, 2008). Stradivarius and Guarnerius are ranked as among the greatest violin makers, but fine violinists prefer Guarnerius over Stradivarius (Smithsonian, 2008). Whatever the history or whoever the maker of the violin, we all must appreciate the efforts of these individuals who in one way or another contributed to the making of the violin. All these men have given much by way of continuously honing the instrument as it is known and enjoyed today by scores of people. Violin 6 Personal Reflection The violin represents probably on of the more versatile, elegant and mysterious of the instruments that we have today. The seeming smallness of the instrument somewhat does not tell of the long and painstaking process that went into its refinement and development. The reason that I centred the paper on this instrument is just for those following reasons. The instrument for me seems to just waft its notes and sounds over the listeners ears at just the right moments. They are, I believe, different from the wind pieces such as the trumpet and the saxophone. These pieces produce these shrill notes that sometimes tend to be irritable if you are not an admirer for the kind of music. But the violin just seems to play its notes in a mellow and smooth sound. It sometimes will want to lull to sleep at times. Im a fan of the violin. For me, there is just no instrument just like it in sound and depth and quality of sound. Yes, there are many pieces out there that seem to sound alike, but cant seem to touch the position of the violin. I cant imagine an orchestra without a violin in the strings section. It would be incomplete without it. The sound would be really different than the violins in it. And the violin can cross over to different genres of music, from classical to country to pop to jazz and to others, without a tad of difficulty. Thats another thing I like about this instrument, its very versatile. It can just blend in with the various styles of music that you put it with and it will perform handsomely, a trait not all instruments can boast of. What we can do now is just relax at every playing of the violin, just to enjoy the elegant sound of the instrument as the musician begins to play and begins to once again weave its magic over its listeners. Reference Berkeley. (2008). The origins and history of the violin. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Berkeley website. http://www-atdp. berkeley. edu/2030/jmoriuchi/violin-title. html Hughes, A. (2008). Where did the violin originate? Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Answer Bank database http://www. theanswerbank. co. uk/Article1910. html Merriam-Webster. (2008). Viola. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Merriam-Webster website http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/viol Rosenblum, M. (2007). Violin. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Microsoft Encarta encyclopaedia database. http://encarta. msn. com/encyclopedia_761576364/Violin. html Smithsonian Institution. (2008). Violin makers. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Encyclopaedia Smithsonian website. http://www. si. edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmah/violdasa. htm ThinkQuest. (1999). The violin. Retrieved February 11, 2008, from Oracle Education Foundation database. http://library. thinkquest. org/27178/en/section/1/index. html

affirmative action Essay -- essays research papers

Affirmative Action Affirmative Action, policies used in the United States to increase opportunities for minorities by favoring them in hiring and promotion, college admissions, and the awarding of government contracts. Depending upon the situation, â€Å"minorities† might include any underrepresented group, especially one defined by race, ethnicity, or gender. Generally, affirmative action has been undertaken by governments, businesses, or educational institutions to remedy the effects of past discrimination against a group, whether by a specific entity, such as a corporation, or by society as a whole. According to the Merriam-Webster New World Dictionary, Affirmative Action is defined as an active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups or women. To put that definition in English, it means a program designed to help either minorities or women achieve equal rights, as with the rest of the population. In this case, the minorities are being discussed, or to be less broad, the African Americans. â€Å"I have a dream today.† This is a famous quote by one of histories most famous and influential civil rights activists of all time, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Being a civil rights activist, Dr. King wanted nothing more than for his people, the African Americans, to have equality. In the effort to gain equality, there were four steps he took. The first step was the collection of facts. In other words, this meant that they would identify t...

The Death of Christen :: Personal Narrative Writing

The Death of Christen It snowed for three straight days after my grandmother died. I wouldn't think the two facts were related but for the fact that the roads were all closed on the second day of the blizzard, and we were stuck at the wake all night long, like someone or something was trying to keep us there. It was weird, spending the night with dead people. I wasn't alone, of course. There was my family, and then there were the Szerniaks and their dead father, and the corpse of some creepy guy named William Manfred III who had apparently been abandoned at his own wake because his family couldn't make it through the snow. I went in to visit him once, but it was just too creepy in there by myself. My own dead relatives were bad enough, thanks. I finished off another piece of cold, greasy fried chicken from the fast food place next door and looked up. My uncle was still snoring in the corner, my cousin was still trying to look up my skirt (the perv) and my dad was still just sitting there in front of the coffin, candlelight tracing shapes around his eyes, swallowing the few tears he had left to cry. My mother wasn't there...she was stranded like us, although she had it slightly better. While we were here with a bunch of corpses, she was at least stuck in an office with hot coffee and her computer and stuff. She was probably having a blast. I wasn't. After a few more minutes of boredom, I decided to get up, stretch my legs and look for some sort of entertainment. There was a television in a small lounge near the bathroom, but it was currently being used as a smoking room by some nervous Szerniaks. I wasn't in the mood for watery eyes and a hacking cough, so I avoided the low-tar menthol-flavored fog bank and went and traced my name on the ice that had formed on the inside of the outside glass door, watching the world swirl around outside as I tried to avoid getting slush on my shoes. That's how I met Christen. "Can I sit here?" she asked, sliding down the wall and landing with a thump on the floor across from me, knees drawn up tight because I was taking up most of the hallway.

A Letter from Birmingham Jail

Reflection of â€Å"A Letter from Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther Kingjr. For our honors portfolio this quarter we were required to read three documents. We, then, were quizzed over each of the readings. First, we read â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† by Martin Luther King, Jr. , then, we read the transcript of President John F. Kennedys inaugural address, and last but not least, we read â€Å"Millennial Makeover† by Morley Winograd and Michael Hals.Furthermore, we had to read and analyze the documents because the quizzes required us to think deeper than the written words on the paper. I believe these documents are critical because they have shaped the government and our society today. My favorite of these three documents, if I had to pick. would be â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail†, not only because I admire Martin Luther King Jr. , but also because this letter Is a very powerful and Inspiring piece of work.Luther wrote while being confined in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, for participating in civil rights demonstrations. His letter states that he will continue resisting nonviolently against racial discrimination and pleads the readers to see segregation from a different point f view. Moreover, I noticed that he quoted many people including Apostle Paul, St. Augustine, Reinhold Niebuhr and many others. This made me realize that he most likely had the quotations memorized since he didn't have access to those sources while imprisoned.He mentions that â€Å"injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere† and that â€Å"an unjust law is no law at all† (Luther). This means that an unjust law causes harm; for example, If it Is lawful to torture a certain group of people, then that is not a law whatsoever. This idea of injustice affects many directly, ut also affects everyone else indirectly in the fact that prejudice is occurring around them. Furthermore, his words describe in detail what segregation was Ilke and what people like him had to go through.This impacted me because now, the idea of racial discrimination is completely frowned upon, while in the 1900's it was something that seemed right and normal. It took years of hard work, bloody massacres. and non-stop action to obtain equality and I hate to see that a little bit of racism still exists today. The idea that immigrants are taking away Jobs and opportunities that should be for U. S. citizens. surprises me because this country was founded and created by immigrants.Instead of seeing different countries and different people in one world, we should see the whole world as one, because every human being, no matter what race. has his/her own rights and should have the same opportunities that his neighbor does. Luther is one of the most charismatic and persuasive people in history and has not only inspired many, but also revolutionized a country's view. He wrote this letter hoping to stir up some emotion and I think he got his point a cross in very non-violent and mature kind of way that was unexpected and at the same time, admirable.His stance ofa nonviolent action and the desperate cry for an end to social discrimination is as powerful now as It was 50 years ago. We now stand by these liberal values and believe the God has made us all equal and has given us n r gnts tnat no law can take away. A tnougn tnls was not an easy project, I certainly did learn something from it and it inspired me to stand up for my beliefs, but also, in a way, allowed me to see that anything is possible through hard work.

Australia1 essays

Australia1 essays Australia is the only country that is also a continent. In area, Australia ranks as the sixth largest country and smallest continent. Australia is located between the South Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The part of the Indian Ocean that is south of Australia is called the Southern Ocean in the country. Australia is about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) southwest of North America and about 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) southeast of mainland Asia. Australia is often referred to as being "down under" because it lies entirely within the Southern Hemisphere. The name Australia comes from the Latin word australis, which means southern. The official name of the country is the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia is a dry, thinly populated land. Only a few areas along or near the coasts receive enough rainfall to support a large population. The southeastern coastal region has the most people by far. Australia's two largest citiesSydney and Melbournelie in this region. Canberra, the national capital, lies only a short distance inland. The huge interior of Australia is mostly desert or dry grassland and has few settlements. The country as a whole averages only six persons per square mile (two persons per square kilometer). Australia is famous for its vast open spaces, bright sunshine, enormous numbers of sheep and cattle, and unusual wildlife. Kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, and wombats are only a few of the many unusual animals that live in Australia. The country was once a group of British colonies, and most of the Australian people are of British ancestry. When people moved to Australia from Britain, they took many British customs with them. For example, Australians drive on the left side of the road, as do British drivers. Tea is the favorite hot drink in Australia, as it is in Britain. English, the official language of Australia, includes many British terms. But Australians have developed a way of life ...

William Wordsworth’s “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” Essay Essays

William Wordsworth’s â€Å"Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey† Essay Essays William Wordsworth’s â€Å"Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey† Essay Paper William Wordsworth’s â€Å"Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey† Essay Paper â€Å"Lines Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey† is a coming-full-circle of kinds for the poet William Wordsworth. By composing the verse form. he had taken stock of all the experiences he experienced over the old ages. every bit good as all the alterations he had gone through. In this twenty-four hours and age. it would be called a re-assessment of one’s life- in this instance. through remembrances of events past. The verse form is written by the persona- Wordsworth himself- five old ages after he had been at that place for the first clip. The vale provides a mirror for him to measure what he had been so. and what he is now. He mentions how he is simply a few stat mis above the abbey. which is abandoned. and is seated under a dark lacewood tree. Wordsworth emphasizes the five-year span before his existent return. and implies that he may hold wanted to make so before but could non. under certain fortunes. Wordsworth refers to the past by reminiscing about the beauty of the vale. and how great its differences from the â€Å"din of towns and cities† . Fretful is how he described the industrial venue where he had come from. contrasting this with the peace and composure of the vale. every bit good as the â€Å"murmur† of the Wye river. Regret is besides a clear emotion running through this portion of the verse form. when the character refers to his being a â€Å"thoughtless youth†- perhaps touching to his deficiency of consistent involvement in nature. which was what the topographic point represents. It is right to presume that he has seen and experienced disturbing times in the five old ages before his return ; for the hurting with which he regards his original visit when he was more in touch with the qualities of nature is rather resonant. He had perchance seen a universe outside that went against the purity of environment and centered on the ailments of humanity and engineering. But in the undermentioned parts. the tone displacement to show tense- and the melancholy that defined the yesteryear now transforms in the persona’s re-discovery of nature. as he has himself. Typical of Romantic poesy. the author relates the alterations he had experienced throughout the authorship of the verse form. and his realisations of the passion and beauty he had abandoned. He declares that he is â€Å"still a lover of the hayfields and the woods† . which validates his 360-degree journey of self-contemplation. climaxing with his avowal that nature is so what he had missed. and what he prefers. It is. in truth. a coming together of the ego and the object of desire- which is nature. The character had to delve up the events that had made him the individual he is now. and combined the lessons learned with what he has ever yearned to be. which is to be one with his darling vale. Yet it is non merely a determination made entirely by the character ; the fact that the â€Å"meadows and woods† still remain every bit beautiful as they were during the first visit shows the mutual credence of both ego and the object. The following parts of the verse forms take on a future mention. which fits absolutely with the equation designed by Wordsworth. If the beginning contained regret. and the in-between portion expressed find. the logical stoping to the piece would decidedly be about hope. At this point. the character alludes to another individual. as he talks about his â€Å"former pleasances in the hiting visible radiations of thy wild eyes† . The existent individual Wordsworth may be mentioning to is his sister Dorothy. of whom he was fond and perchance portions many of Wordsworth’s ain sentiments. Dorothy. in this context. besides represents the reader. who is tasked to partake of the joyous find the character has gone through. and to hold faith in the fact that nature will ever supply peace and composure in life’s every turning point. But as the lines are spoken. the general emotion once more displacements to despair. an imploring for Dorothy ( or the reader ) to retrieve the character at all times. He pleads with Dorothy to maintain nature in her bosom of Black Marias. which is really equivalent to inquiring her non to bury him- for nature. as related to Dorothy or the reader. now represents the character. or Wordsworth himself. Possibly. to his head. he would wish to stay as fresh and alive as the hayfields and woods- something he would wish to be remembered by. The incompatibilities in memory are now evident. for the persona’s image of nature had non changed ; which is rather impossible. after the transition of five old ages. The thought of life and young person may be what the character wanted to retain. the image of it unstained and perfect in the heads of his sister. and of the reader. The three parts and tenses of the poem represent Wordsworth’s rating of his ain life- from his vernal yesteryear. symbolized by the copiousness of nature ; his present province. already tarnished by experience and yearning for the artlessness of times gone by ; to what he believes could be in shop for him in the future- dry. wilting. and abandoned- lest person keeps his memory alive as he did nature.

How can we account for the lack of box office success of Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind Essay Example

How can we account for the lack of box office success of Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind Essay Example How can we account for the lack of box office success of Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind Paper How can we account for the lack of box office success of Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind Paper Essay Topic: Film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had excellent reviews both before the release of the film and after. The Internet Movie Database which is the most comprehensive information site on almost every film ranks it as the 32 best films ever released with a score of 8. 6 out of 10. Other good examples are a review in Time Out Film Guide magazine and a review by James Berardinellis Reel views. (May 2004). They are both big magazines with good credibility. If they give films good reviews then they are likely to be good films. Time out magazine says (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) works marvel after marvel in expressing the bewildering beauty and existential horror of being trapped inside ones own addled mind and Reel Views says Its willingness to flout conventions and eschew formulas is just one of many things to celebrate about this charmingly eccentric movie. But even with huge critical acclaim Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind made the modest amount of $34 million at the US box office and even less in England and around the rest of the world. Compare this to Spiderman 2 which was 247th in the list and had less critical acclaim, but made $373 million at the US box office. In this essay I will try to account for the difference between the critical acclaim and the commercial success. One way that we can account for this is that the film wasnt in a typical Hollywood style that audiences are used to. For example the narrative is happening in reverse for most of the film which is unusual as most Hollywood films have a linear narrative where events happen in a chronological order. There is also an open ending, which although not unused in Hollywood, it is quite uncommon. This allows the audience to engage with the film on an intellectual level. They are left guessing whether Joel and Clementine stay together as a happy couple or whether their new relationship repeats their last one. We could have guessed this film would have been slightly unusual from the institutions behind the film. The director Michael Gondry is well known for releasing films for independent film festivals such as the film Block party (which won several awards at these festivals, and great critical acclaim). He is working with the screenwriter Charlie Kaufman who also has a similar reputation except slightly more mainstream. Other films that he has released include Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. These films are typical of the independent feel of films that are breaking into mainstream Hollywood cinema. Adaptation is a film about Charlie Kaufman trying to write the screenplay for an adaptation of the book the Orchid thief. No other film has tried to include how the film was written in the actual film. Similarly Being John Malkovich has an unusual plot as it is about the characters finding a portal into the mind of the famous actor, John Malkovich. Also he works regularly with director Spike Jonze who is also well known for making independent films and unusual music videos. Also the film covers a variety of genres without completely fitting into one. It is part drama, romance, comedy and sci-fi. It is also unusual for a Hollywood film to have so many elements of different genres without fitting into one as this means you dont get a set audience. If the film was more sci-fi for example, then fans of Star Wars exc, would have watched the film. Its the same for if the film was more romance or more comedy. However, at many film festival the film won awards for science fiction, for example the Saturn award for best science fiction film at the Academy for science fiction, fantasy and horror films, USA. This suggests that it had enough elements for this not to alienate a science fiction audience too much. This also means that the film is aimed at a very niche audience. Only people who like independent films will enjoy the more complicated parts of the film. You need to concentrate to follow the narrative. If you just watch the film and dont think about it, like you can do with normal Hollywood films, then you wont fully understand. This would make the film less popular because most of the audience may not understand the film and so wouldnt recommend it. This means that people wont watch it due to word of mouth. This isnt always a negative thing though. Niche audiences also tend to be fanatical fans of particular films. For example Star Wars may have fewer fans than a more mainstream Hollywood film but the fans will be more obsessive and so more likely to see the film multiple numbers of times and spend large amounts of money of merchandise. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind didnt create this amount of hype though and so the merchandise sales and box office hits werent improved by fanatical fans. The film may also exclude a male section of the audience as Schatz genre theory says that there are two types of genre, integration and order. This is clearly an integration text. The conflict in the film is internal, i. e. through emotions and the main characters have female characteristics. This would exclude a macho male from the target audience who would want to watch texts from the Order genre, i. e. with male characteristics. This doesnt mean that the film wouldnt appeal to a male audience at all though. Although the film didnt make a huge amount at the box office it only had a small number of screens at each cinema. On its first week it had over 100 screens less then Spiderman 2 had on its first week of release. This doesnt account for the huge gap in the 2 films box office takings but it does mean that the figures cant be taken exactly at face value. This isnt unusual as Spiderman 2 was always going to be a huge blockbuster; it was a guaranteed success, whereas Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was more of a risk. Why would a cinema chose to screen a film where they didnt know whether people would go and watch it, when they could screen another one where they had a guaranteed audience. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a risk because it had an unproven director and production company in big Hollywood films. If they had got the success that Charlie Kaufman had already had then maybe they may have had more screens. Also although they had a proven cast, many of the cast were unproven in their particular roles, such as Jim Carrey in a straight serious role. The film was a low budget film by Hollywood standards in the first place though. Although it only made $34 million at the US box office, it only cost around $30 million to make, so it made $4 million profit even though it wasnt particularly successful. The only reason that they got A list actors/actresses to star in it is that they agreed to take pay cuts because they like the script and wanted to act in it. Although it was cheap to make, a lot of money was spend on publicising the film. As well as T. V adverts and film trailers there was a fake website set up. It was a website for Lacuna Inc, the company that was supposed to do the memory removal in the film. This helps to bring realism to the film, as if the company in the film really exists. It also shows the lengths that they have to go to, when advertising this film. It is very difficult to advertise because the can just try and sell it to a particular audience through its genre, as it doesnt have a specific genre. Because it was difficult to advertise they spent more money on it, but this difficulty could still be a reason for its poor box office success. The lead male in the film is Jim Carrey who is a popular comedy actor with his own successful brand of screen comedy. Although he has played straight roles, like the one in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, before they are few and far between in his career. A mainstream audience therefore would have viewed the film believing it to be a typical Jim Carrey comedy, such as Dumb and Dumber or The Mask. They are more gross out comedies and the laughs are mainly through silly pranks and puns and so a mainstream audience would have been disappointed to find that there arent many laughs, particularly from Carreys character Joel, and the few jokes that there are, are more sophisticated than Carreys usual brand of humour. This disappointment would not necessarily have occurred if there was an actor playing the part of Joel, who was more associated with serious acting roles. Recently Jim Carrey has tried to change his persona, with more serious acting role such as in the Trueman Show but the mainstream audience havent recognised this yet. A niche audience on the other hand would be more open minded and expecting something different then a normal Jim Carrey comedy. The problem is that by it definition a niche audience is only a small group of people and so its the mainstream audience that needs to be convinced. However this seems to suggest the way that Carrey moves his career forward as he changes between his typical extreme comedies and more serious roles. His next film The Number 23 is another film that has been influenced by the independent film scene. Its about a man (Carrey) becomes obsessed with a book that appears to be based on his life but ends with a murder that has yet to happen in real life. This is new for Carrey and the audience havent fully recognised this change yet. He is one of a number of actors at the moment who are aiming to move away from their gross out comedy routes. Another example of this is Will Ferrell whose new film Stranger than Fiction again has an unusual script, very similar to independent film making. Also other Elijah Wood had a big supporting role in the film. Although he was a popular actor at the time, it was mainly for one role, the role of Frodo in Lord of the Rings. This was such a huge success that an audience may have found it difficult to see him outside this role, even though the two characters couldnt be much more different. This would have taken away from the realism of the film. Another reason that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had little box office success may have been due to the competition that was released at the same time. Big blockbuster sequels like Spiderman 2, Shrek 2 and Kill Bill Vol2, which were all box office successes were all released in the same year (2004) as well as similar niche films like I Heart Huckabees. There has been competition between production companies like Focus Films (who produced Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Scott Rudin Productions (who produced I Heart Huckabees) as they aim to make films for the niche audience who look for originality from films that were once known as art films in mainstream cinema. Where-as Scott Rudin Productions has had success with other huge films such as School of Rock, Zoolander and Team America: World Police, Focus films have very little success pre Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In fact it was only the 6th project they had taken on as a production company. They were also the distributors for the film and have had a lot more success as distributors. This new competition from Focus Films may have lead companies like Scott Rudin Productions to produce niche films to keep their share of the market. This competition could be an important reason why Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had less success then they may have expected. Also the big blockbuster would have taken away from both the audience and the number of screens that Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind would have got. Unlike other aspects of the media, a film audience doesnt watch just one genre. Although the big blockbusters, such as Spiderman 2 and Shrek 2, were very different films from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, they still take away from its audience. Also the fact that these films were sequels means that an audience would go and watch the films even if they werent very good as they would watch it on the back of the first film. Also the films released at the time werent poor sequels. They all had critical acclaim. Again this would have taken away from Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Minds audience. The film was also released in time for the Oscars. When the release of the film was delayed they decided to delay the release for a full year so that it could be released in time for the next Oscars. This is proof that the film wasnt released to be a box office success but to be a success at awards. The film therefore would have been more suited to the Oscar crowd rather than a cinema audience. You can tell in the film that it was released to win awards. The film is character driven and so will be more likely to win awards for best actor and actress. Also there is a very successful supporting cast who again would be likely to win awards. Most likely though are the director and screenwriter who usually make art films, aiming to win awards at film festivals. This could be a reason why the film was made, for the prestige. A Hollywood studio may expect for the film such as Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind, to not make as much money as a big blockbuster but still agreed to make it. The film was produced by Focus films who are known for making meaningful films rather than films just to make money. This means that they would be able to concentrate on the films quality rather than just what most people would want to see. Companies like Focus films can afford to make films like this on the back of Big Blockbuster films. Focus films had been the distributor for Lost in Translation in the previous year and would have made a lot of money from this. Therefore they may have felt able to make a more high risk film as they already had the money from a previous success. Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind was a risk due to the people involved. Even the well known cast were often in roles that were alien to them such as Jim Carrey in a serious role. Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind wasnt made to break records. It was made for critical success and it achieved this. That means that in that sense the film was a success even though it didnt make much at the box office. The reason that Hollywood may have agreed to make Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind is because didnt take it on for it to be a success and make money. They were counteracting accusations of profiteering. That Hollywood only made films to make individuals and the whole institution rich, and that they didnt mind exploiting people to make this money. By making high quality films like Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind they showed that they could make films where the emphasis was based on the quality of the film rather than the marketability of it. They still aimed to make money from it but it was never going to make as much as a big Blockbuster. Hollywood studios can also afford to make smaller films because of the money that they make from big blockbusters. If a studio is going to make 10 films a year then they wouldnt want to make 10 expensive blockbusters because of the risk that an audience could get bored of them and therefore wouldnt make as much money for the studio. Also the smaller films get prestige for the studio as well as being a good money maker if the film is successful. This is probably why Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind was made. There are many reasons why Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind wasnt as big a success at the box office as the reviews suggested but many of these are due to the fact that the film wasnt conventional, compared to most Hollywood films. This may have been the reason for the lack of box office success but it was also the reason for the films commercial success. Does this mean that institutions cannot make high quality, original films and still make money from them?

Summarize the Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Summarize the Article - Essay Example The authors found that sleep difficulty are common in older individuals and are significantly associated with more severe and disseminated pain. This study rather did not find that pain severity was associated with age but recognized that more research is needed to develop effective interactions for these prevalent and co-occurring disabling conditions. Furthermore Dysfunction of the hypothalamic pituitary- adrenal axis was found to be associated with greater risk of developing chronic widespread pain (Qian, 2011). This study showed that, after adjustment for use of psychotherapeutic medications and the daily anesthetics, the connotation between pain and sleep difficulties decreased modestly A number of mechanisms like Chronic pain characteristics maybe an important factor contributing to the sleep difficulties amongst aged and may need to be added to pain assessment in older persons. The medications prescribed for chronic pain and promting sleep have analgesic and sedating effects. Chen, Qian, et al. "Characteristics of chronic pain associated with sleep difficulty in older adults: The Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly (MOBILIZE) Boston study." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 59.8 (2011):

Al Ain Distribution Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Al Ain Distribution Company - Essay Example This is under the Law 2 of 1998 on 1 January 1999 with its Head Office at Al Ain. This company is a completely owned subordinate of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority with a fully paid investment of AED Billion 1,530,000,000 (Al-Ain Distribution Company, 2012). It is the sole distributor of Water and electricity in the Eastern Area of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (Al Ain City and adjacent countryside areas). This includes the ownership, maintenance, and operation of the electricity and water  distribution, network properties, meter reading, and facilities for the supply of water and electricity. The number AADC employees at the end of 2008 financial year were around more than 1900. The Company provides services the population in the East Region of Abu Dhabi (Al Ain Region), which is currently approaching half a million people. The company has established a documented Integrated Management System, which includes an IMS Policy statement, IMS procedures, IMS Management Manual, IMS Objectives, Operating Procedures, Flow Charts, Process Maps, and IMS Records. ADDC operates in the Eastern Region only, whereas Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company (ADWEC) provide water and power distribution services in Abu Dhabi and its suburbs to approximately 216,000 customers (Abu Dhabi Water and Distribution Company, 2012). ... The company’s responsibility is to consistent, steady, and safely distribute water, electricity from Transco’s termination points to residential, commercial, agricultural, and government consumers in the Al Ain Region. The company executes the following to meet their responsibilities: Maintenance and distribution of the network of distribution assets. Secondly, the company carries out testing of water quality through its laboratory services. Lastly, the customer interfaces including billing, call center operation and revenue collection. The company uses a low cost strategy. The reason being it provides social very important social needs and, therefore all people in the region should be able to access their services. The evidence of their low cost strategy is through the low cost payments that the inhabitants make of only AED 50 (Dirham) for meter checkup fees (Abu Dhabi Water and Distribution Company, 2012). There are no addition fees the required to be paid. There are no clear employee productivity and measurement mechanisms in this company apart from the career development program. This program is offered to fresh graduates for training so that they can work in that company. Employee productivity is a very crucial aspect in terms of the achievement of company goals and objectives. One of the ways of employee productivity measurement is through the establishment of a baseline. A baseline is a standard used for measuring performance of an entity according to set goals and objectives (PM Hut, 2008). 3. FORECASTING According to the Al Ain Distribution Company, the procedures are outlined as follows. The Users connected to the Water Distribution System

CVP Analysis Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CVP Analysis - Research Paper Example In order to bring a revolution in the existing business practices of the company, it is important that a new pricing strategy is devised that is based on the strategic objectives of each product individually. Furthermore, the decisions for the allocation of funds for the Research & Development (R&D) of each product should be taken individually and on annual basis to achieve the desired objectives of the product and the company. However, my strategic decision making for each year has resulted into 60% profitability in case of product X5 and 50% profitability in case of product X6. Furthermore, the increased spending on maintenance, support, enhancement and discovery for product X5 and X6 showed improved product which resulted in higher customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the discontinuation of product X7 through the four years helped in the success of the first two products. Nonetheless, a new strategy needs to be determined using contemporary strategy determining tools like Cost-Volu me-Profit (CVP) analysis. 1.1 Aim The aim of this report is to discuss the new pricing and R&D allocation strategy for the core products X5, X6 and X7 using CVP analysis and calculator. 1.2 Objectives To analyse the subsequent performance and life cycles of each product due to the difference in the decisions. To determine the new pricing decisions and R&D budget allocation strategy for each core product, namely: X5, X6 and X7 taken in 4 years (i.e. from 2012-2015). To provide rationale of the proposed strategy with theoretical support. 2 Analysis of Pricing and R&D Allocation Strategy Used in Phase 2 2.1 Penetration Pricing Strategy In order to enter into the established marketplace, Tablet Development Corp. has to undertake the penetration pricing strategy. A penetration pricing strategy is used when the company has to enter into an established marketplace and to attract the market in a substantial manner through low-pricing techniques. In the year 2012, the price of product X5 was set at the lowest possible price of $180 and it was increased by $5 every year. Similarly, the price of X6 was set at $300 only and was increased by $10 each year. The product X7 was discontinued in four years. 2.2 R&D Budget Allocation Strategy Strategic distribution of the R&D budget over the years is key to the success. Therefore, only first two R&D activities require substantial investments whereas the last two requires little investment to keep it going. The R&D budget allocation was increased for product X5 and X6 in the subsequent years whereas, product X7 was allocated less percentage of the R&D budget. The less amount shows the R&D allocations for the maintenance of product X7. 3 Determining New Strategy for Core Products of Tablet Development Corporation Apple Inc. and Microsoft have been involved in developing new products on a regular basis. In this wake they incurred fixed costs related to R&D expenditures and other costs of new product development. In order to remain competitive in the global marketplace, they adopted a new method to determine the prices and R&D allocations for multiple products on a unit cost basis (Morse, 2003). They assumed that the costs of all the products will remain fixed and thus, determine a profit or a loss situation for the new product. The

Strategic implementation plan for Apple Inc Research Paper

Strategic implementation plan for Apple Inc - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that the strategy implementation is a fundamental task in turning the mission and vision of a company into reality. The implementation process of a strategy encompasses a series of actions and tasks which ultimately established the intended change within the organization. However, in order to successfully implement a plan, the resources required as well as the time frame required need to be identified appropriately. Apart from the identification of resources and time, it is also important to define or set a parameter on the basis of which the implementation process will be monitored. Apple is arguably one of the most flourishing companies of the world and has one of the most noteworthy brand names of the modern era. The new product launch of the company is an awaited event across the globe and customers have high anticipations from the products of the company. Furthermore, the financial performance of the company is also exemplary. However, the success of the company can be attributed to two main factors; the presence of innovation in every division the company and the visionary leadership of Steve Jobs. The company headquartered at California, USA operates in almost every part of the world. As of 2013, the company had 408 retail outlets spread across 14 countries of the world. The competitors of the company are Samsung, LG, Nokia, Panasonic and Sharp to name a few. The company targets only higher income group and as a result of that, the market size of the company is limited.... It is believed that the company will be able to tap that segment of consumers in the market who give high priority to the after sales service of a product (Binder & Witt, 2011). As mentioned earlier the company has been losing significant sales volume due to poor after sales service. Therefore in order to get rid of this, the company proposes to develop an online service platform where the products will be serviced. In this platform, any kind of software related issues will be resolved by the company itself and the user do not have to physically visit the store or service centre. The users need to connect their phone to the network and need to give the access of the phone. The service engineers on the other side will gain control of the phone through remote access and will be able to make the necessary modifications and restorations. However development and implementation plan is a complex task and requires time and resources. Functional Tactics The functional tactics undertaken by a company plays a critical role in the implementation process of a strategy. The first and foremost concern pertaining to the implementation process of any strategy in the organization is to convert the current strategies into actions throughout the entire organization. The functional tactics in this context is principally responsible for identifying the specific and immediate action that the company must take so as to ensure proper implementation of the business strategy. In this context, the objectives of the company are to implement an online service platform and in order to implement it the following are the financial tactics or the immediate action that the company needs to take. The first task and

ENVM510_M5GradedAssign Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ENVM510_M5GradedAssign - Assignment Example In the study related in the question, potential bias could stem from the following aspects; selection of samples, estimation biases, detection biases, exclusion bias, analytical bias and reporting bias. These biases all affected the results of the research in one way or another. The selection bias relates to bias that arises from the selection of samples for the study. These lead to a control of the results and hence a sense of bias. Estimation biases guide the study in making estimates or drawing conclusions in a study. Detection bias refers to the prejudiced mind in detecting the aspect of study. The mind would have the research emphasize a specific set of people while ignoring others that could easily prove helpful to the study. Exclusion bias comes in when a study seems to exclude a given set of people from the study yet could provide reasonable samples to provide a reasonable outcome. Exclusion could prove less professional in research and this could have the right people for the study closed out hence affecting the results. Analytical bias refers to that bias that arises in a research study due to poor evaluation techniques of the results. The analytical bias results at the analytical stage with many people evaluating the results badly due to the prejudicial state of their minds on the expected results of the study. Lastly, reporting bias arises from the last stages of a research. These contribute much to the report developed after that could have value based on the nature of information provided. The bias affects the research in the sense that it provides results reported with more inclination to the mindset that the researcher held during the process. The existence of bias in most of the material used for the research makes readers or the users obligated to identify the aspects of bias and their effects to the work at hand (Gerhard, 2008). Addressing the aspects of bias that exist in a research requires a thorough consideration

Strategic implementation plan for Apple Inc Research Paper

Strategic implementation plan for Apple Inc - Research Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that the strategy implementation is a fundamental task in turning the mission and vision of a company into reality. The implementation process of a strategy encompasses a series of actions and tasks which ultimately established the intended change within the organization. However, in order to successfully implement a plan, the resources required as well as the time frame required need to be identified appropriately. Apart from the identification of resources and time, it is also important to define or set a parameter on the basis of which the implementation process will be monitored. Apple is arguably one of the most flourishing companies of the world and has one of the most noteworthy brand names of the modern era. The new product launch of the company is an awaited event across the globe and customers have high anticipations from the products of the company. Furthermore, the financial performance of the company is also exemplary. However, the success of the company can be attributed to two main factors; the presence of innovation in every division the company and the visionary leadership of Steve Jobs. The company headquartered at California, USA operates in almost every part of the world. As of 2013, the company had 408 retail outlets spread across 14 countries of the world. The competitors of the company are Samsung, LG, Nokia, Panasonic and Sharp to name a few. The company targets only higher income group and as a result of that, the market size of the company is limited.... It is believed that the company will be able to tap that segment of consumers in the market who give high priority to the after sales service of a product (Binder & Witt, 2011). As mentioned earlier the company has been losing significant sales volume due to poor after sales service. Therefore in order to get rid of this, the company proposes to develop an online service platform where the products will be serviced. In this platform, any kind of software related issues will be resolved by the company itself and the user do not have to physically visit the store or service centre. The users need to connect their phone to the network and need to give the access of the phone. The service engineers on the other side will gain control of the phone through remote access and will be able to make the necessary modifications and restorations. However development and implementation plan is a complex task and requires time and resources. Functional Tactics The functional tactics undertaken by a company plays a critical role in the implementation process of a strategy. The first and foremost concern pertaining to the implementation process of any strategy in the organization is to convert the current strategies into actions throughout the entire organization. The functional tactics in this context is principally responsible for identifying the specific and immediate action that the company must take so as to ensure proper implementation of the business strategy. In this context, the objectives of the company are to implement an online service platform and in order to implement it the following are the financial tactics or the immediate action that the company needs to take. The first task and

Persuasion eassy about torture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Persuasion eassy about torture - Essay Example In such a way, choosing to torture someone just in the hopes that such an inhuman process would provide the needed information would open up Pandora’s box with regards to the lengths that our society might then be willing to go to in order to pursue it’s ends. Not only is this unethical, it represents an affront to the many hundreds of thousands of individuals who have died to ensure that the United States remains free and provides a stark level of contrast to the many despotic regimes that exist elsewhere throughout the world. Although the temptation may be strong to bend the rules and engage in what would otherwise be considered dehumanizing and inhumane treatment of others, these are not the principles that we should want to bequeath to our children and grandchildren. A far worse fate than losing lives to terrorism would be spitting upon all of the lives of the fallen who have died to ensure that this country remained a liberal and free democracy that did not engage in such inhumane treatment of

How to be a good student Essay Example for Free

How to be a good student Essay To become a good student, you need to get motivated! Motivation can come from seeing the situation of many poor children around the world who are not lucky enough to get a proper education. This is a good thing to keep in mind when you find yourself not wanting to attend class or study at home. Another reason to get motivated to study is that you will enjoy a better quality of life as an educated person. You can go to educational websites, like this one, and surf them with interest. You must not force yourself to study, as this will make learning a chore and you will not feel like even opening your books. You will have many academically good students in your courses. Try becoming friends with them (or encourage your current friends to be better students), and youll be immersed in an academic environment which will help you feel motivated! Above all, you need confidence! For that, we need to feel that we are working for ourselves and not for others! Good luck! Chapter 2 Concentration On Studies Concentration follows eagerness. This section provides you with the basics of Concentration and also provides you with advice as to how to get aroused with concentration. You need to pay attention in a class. Dont start chatting with your peers/friends when the teacher turns their back to you. Even better; dont associate with distracting people. You should realize that the people in your class play an important role in how everybody progresses. However, if you are a good student you will do better and achieve your goals. Your friends will be there for you at that time, if they are trustful and of a good reputation. At home, study and do your homework in a place that doesnt make you sleep. It is advisable to have a dedicated study table or desk. Dont do your study work on the bed or in front of the TV, radio, stereo, etc. That would be pointless because you are meant to be thinking about your studies.

How Does Patrick Suskind Develop Grenouille?

How Does Patrick Suskind Develop Grenouille? The novel Perfume by Patrick Sà ¼skind explores the issue of isolation and the effects it can bring on human beings. The novel is based on the main character Jean- Baptiste Grenouille who is an extraterrestrial from the time of his birth. He is forsaken by his mother, his surrogate mother and the church. Every character drawn in by Grenouille feels that something is unusual and frightening about him, mostly because he has no scent of his own. Grenouille at the outset struggles to find his own personality through scent, which turns from allure and revulsion. We can see through a close analysis of two excerpts from the book, one from near the beginning and one from the end, Sà ¼skind develops the character of Grenouille through the portrayal of scents throughout the novel as the central character matures. Sà ¼skind uses devices such as metaphors and juxtaposition to name a few, emphasize the smell or aroma which Grenouille observes and relate this to the theme of novel. In the first extract of the novel, the severity of the unpleasant smell or stench is portrayed in the region of France where Grenouille is born in Paris. Sà ¼skind gives an imagery how, People stank of sweat and unwashed clothes; from their mouths came the stench of rotting teeth, from their bellies that of onions (3). In this section of the novel where, the streets stank of manure, the courtyard of urine (3) Sà ¼skind describes the birth of Grenouille. At the time of his birth, he is unwanted by his mother and is left to die in a pile of rotting fish which literally symbolizes the smelliest place on the earth. The place of his birth in such setting sets the tone for the rest of the novel and the background which welcomes Grenouille in the world. The use of word stench portrays the miserable future which is implied to Grenouille even before his birth. The reader anticipates a tedious future of Grenouille based on the setting he is born. It displays a lack of opportunity available t o him to build up his identity in the left out world where he is unwanted by everyone due to the reason that he has no smell of his own. Sà ¼skind links the lack of odor with a lack of identity of a person or lack of his soul Grenouilles Isolation from the society is mainly due to his lack of scent. Sà ¼skind demonstrates that, with no smell of his own, Grenouille goes by the people without being noticed by anyone like a demon would fly by unexposed. At the young age, the children in the house of Gaillard felt that something is different about Grenouille and for that he was alienated from the beginning, as described They could not stand the non-smell of him, they were afraid of him (23). Sà ¼skind emphasizes the importance of sense of smell creating identity of ones personality in the novel. A persons identity has a direct relation to his smell; however this means that Grenouille has no identity of his own. Even though Grenouille lacks a scent of his own, he still has a unique ability to re-establish occasions, places, and people in his mind due to his ability of his great sense of smell. As Grenouille knows every single odour handled here and had often merged them in his innermost thoughts to create the most splendid perfume (75), he impresses Baldini by making the famous perfume for him Amor and Psyche. The strength of Grenouille is his great sense of smell and through this, he wants to create a perfect scent for himself by which people love him and he gets his own identity. He wants the humankind to be on his knees and the way they are looking at him as anti- human, he wants to be noticed by every single person because of his scent and wants to be loved by the people. In a search for creating a perfect fragrance and his own identity, Grenouille becomes besieged by the stink of mankind. He feels that the smell of human is basically venomous for the natural world. Grenouille hates mankind not only because of its foul stink and sweat, but also because of the human behavior and the world filled of debaucheries. Even though Grenouille is alienated his entire life, he didnt get any respect from Baldini. By using the skills of Grenouille, Baldini becomes a rich men and build his factories in the faubourg Saint -Antoine, succeeded in his scheme for exclusive perfumes at court, received a royal patent (111) and after succeeding in his life, Baldini turns to self imposed isolate from Grenouille. Rather than being thankful to Grenouille and accepting him in the society, he gets rejected even after he tries to help the human kind. After being rejected from the human kind, Grenouille is described by saying, He was not out to make his fortune with his art; he d idnt want to live from it if he could find another way of living. He wanted to empty himself of his innermost being, of nothing less than his innermost being, which he considered more wonderful than anything else the world had to offer (112). The aim of Grenouille is to get accepted in the society where he is looked by the people as an anti human but despite being rejected, his nature changes and his hatred for the mankind turns to a desire to rule mankind through smell. Creating an enormous fragrance by capturing the smell of virgins, Grenouille makes the finest and the most irresistible perfume and an identity of his own. The alienation which Grenouille had experienced in his entire lifetime turns around. In order to overtake the humans and to create a enormous fragrance, he commits murders of the virgins to capture their fragrance to make the best perfume and his own identity. When he is taken to the execution field, he proves to the mankind that he is something more than a normal human being. After his exposure of the fragrance he makes, no one wanted to identify Grenouille as an emotionless and an evil person to have committed those murders. As said these people were now pure liquids, their spirits and minds were melted; nothing was left but an amorphous fluid and all they could feel was that their hearts floating (245) He creates such as strong and irresistible smell that, it is well sufficient to overshadow the thinking of the people present i n the execution field. The smell he creates was so strong that, a single drop of it in the handkerchief makes people to participate in gathering sexual acts in the execution fields He Jean- Baptist Grenouille, born with no odour of his own on the most stinking spot in the world, amid garbage, dung and putrefaction, raised without love, with no warmth of a human soul, surviving solely on impudence and the power of loathing, small hunchbacked, lame, ugly, shunned, an abomination within and without- he had managed to make the world admire him. To hell with admire! Love him! Desire him! Idolize him! (248). Is the Internet the Cause for Higher Sex Trafficking? Is the Internet the Cause for Higher Sex Trafficking? Evaluation of The Internet and Sex  Industries: Partners in Global Sexual Exploitation The sex trafficking of women and children is exceptionally common however is not considered important by individuals who are incognizant in regards to the subject. Professor, Donna M. Hughes composed an article titled The Internet and Sex Industries: Partners in Global Sexual Exploitation distributed by the Technology and Society Magazine in 2000, clarifying the seriousness of sex trafficking. Hughes objective was to educate individuals about sex trafficking. She suggested claim of fact, statistics, and claim of significant value to achieve this objective. These systems made the article a solid reference apparatus to utilize because it makes solid claims that are supported by the writers skill and verifiable proof; in any case, the article contains faults on this point since it is out of dated. In the article, sexual exploitation refers to all practices by which a person achieves sexual gratification, financial gain through abuse or exploitation of a woman or child by revoking her human right to dignity, equality, autonomy, and physical and mental well-being (Hughes 562). women and children are generally subjected to sex trafficking when they are confronting destitution, a standing framework, or are experiencing a troublesome time. It is easy to compel women and children into the sex industry with violence of prior trauma and money issues. The United States is the main home for Internet pornography (Hughes 563). In the year 2000, pornography was on a lofty ascent without any goals of intrusions from the law or the people. Innovation was a noteworthy hotspot for abusing, promoting and conveying women and children to distorted men. The sex industry is one reason the internet is very popular and has become successful. The Internet was utilized as a part of numerous approaches to spread sex trafficking. Organized prostitution trips turned into a prevalent path for men from rich nations to come to surely understood sex nations to purchase women and children into prostitution. Alan J. Munn ranted about prostitution trips on the Internet in the spring of 1995, getting the word out to visitors. Alan introduced himself and his business as PIMPS R US, where he offered four days and a three-night trip containing a huge number of sexual delight from female prostitute. After coming back from these visits, men would go to the web, examine their encounters, and clarify the procedure at the end of the day utilizing the Internet to globalize sex trafficking (Hughes 564). The Internet is a cheap way to get all the information regarding your sex business out to the public, soon creating the mail-order bride businesses, which endeavors to introduce men and women of different countries for the purpose of marriage, dating or correspondence The History of Mail Order Brides. Mail-Order Brides rapidly turned into a generally benefitted business. Men would go onto the site scanning for a gave spouse whose objective in life was simply to satisfy her man. The mail-order bride website was more popular than the magazine because it was cheaper than print. With the Internet being so cheap and easily accessible, sex trafficking grew (Hughes565). Regularly, there is an expected 20 billion dollars made every year in the sex business. In the year 1996, there was an estimated 9 billion dollars spent solely on the sex industry in the United States alone (Hughes 568). David Schwartz stated that the Internet is where the big money is in an interview during that year (Hughe s 568). There was an estimation of around six hundred industrial explicit entertainment sites by the year 1996, collecting a total of 51.5 million US dollars. Rivalry in the sex business has prompted to more frightful and injurious mistreatment of women and children through suppression, torment, savagery, child pornography, live shows, and revolting pictures. These situations are corrupting to the women and children being abused openly for the world to see. (Hughes 565). For the year 2016, this data could be somewhat out of date. The reason is because there is a probability that sex trafficking may not be as high as it was in 2000. Also, there is a probability that the internet is not the largest supplier to help sex traffickers trap women and children. In 2000 the media did its best to cover up sex trafficking and the reality behind it. In the year 2016, the Internet was so effortlessly open that each time you turn there is reliably sex either on television or reality. In the year 2016, sex trafficking has turned out to be less critical to cover up the seriousness of sex trafficking and pornography that individuals feel it is satisfactory to go out and commit various acts of sex trafficking and sex exploitation. The writer Hughes utilized claim of certainty all through her article. Hughes would make a claim and backed her claims by expressing demonstrated facts that can be proven throughout the article. She examined her point and supporters for the privileges of the women and children. Hughes utilizes her platform to further her advantage to get the word out about sex trafficking and the internet. Therefore, to answer my question is the Internet the reason for higher sex trafficking? The proper answer would be yes, due to the fact that the internet porn industry is widely expanding and the Internet is mainly being used for sexual exploitation of human beings on private or public websites for either some form of currency or sexual satisfaction. Works Cited Annette T. Rottenberg and Donna Haisty Winchell. Elements of Argument: Bedford/ St. Martins. 2000. Pp 562-571. Print. Hughes, Donna M. The Internet and Sex Industries: Partners in Global Sexual Exploitation. The History of Mail Order Brides. Russian Brides, Latin Brides Asian Brides Foreign  Brides for Marriage- Mail Order Brides: July 25, 2015. Romancetours.edu. 02 Oct.  2016. Web

Aenied Essay -- essays papers

Aenied Many argue that throughout Aenied, Virgil develops Aeneas to be a boring and unheroic character; always acting as he should with apparently no power to act in any other way. Occasionally sidetracked, Aeneas is prodded and redirected by the gods toward his destiny. Aeneas’ mother, Venus, constantly interjects to lead Aeneas toward his fate. It is she who leads him away from the fallen city of Troy â€Å" I had twice-ten ships, and my goddess-mother showed me the way.†(I, 541-542) Mercury also sets Aeneas straight from his deviating course by telling him to leave his love Dido â€Å"What are you pondering or hoping for while squandering your ease in Libyan lands.† (IV, 362-363) Mercury criticizes Aeneas for ignoring the importance of his empire, and again Aeneas obeys. It is further argued that Aeneas’ makes no significant effort to advance his empire’s fate. He is â€Å"handed† all that is needed such as immortal vessels as well as weap ons and armor provided by Vulcan and other gods. At first glance this would seemingly prove that Aeneas is in fact a boring character. Upon deeper investigation of the text the true value of Aeneas’ character can be revealed. Not all of what Aeneas does is driven by the gods. There is in fact a humanistic aspect of Aeneas creating physical and emotional strife which he must endure by himself â€Å"I sing of arms and of a man: his fate had made him fugitive.† Virgil is quick to show that Aeneas is but a mortal man with human qualities. It is these human aspects of Aeneas: his leadership, his emotional strengths, and his heroism that make him a crucial and interesting character in the Aeneid. Leadership is one of the first humanistic qualities that Aeneas is given to create a sense of... ... of a boring character. When it is argued that Aeneas was just â€Å"handed† everything by the gods, the fact that not all of the gods were in support of him is often overlooked. Although many gods steer Aeneas toward his destiny, Virgil adds complexity to his character by introducing gods who wish not to see Aeneas succeed along with a slew of obstacles. He does this in order to spark the reader’s interest in his hero's successes, which may not necessarily be set in stone. The dangers that Aeneas and his crew face are real, even if it is know that he will survive them. There is in fact a humanistic aspect of Aeneas that is revealed by creating physical and emotional strife, which he must endure by himself. It is these human aspects of Aeneas: his leadership, his emotional strengths, and his heroism that make him a crucial and interesting character in the Aeneid.

The Psychology of Serial Killers Essay -- Psychological Murder murdere

The Psychology of Serial Killers Many things today confuse, yet enthrall the masses. War, murder, medical science, incredible rescues, all things you would see on The History Channel. There is another topic that is also made into documentaries however, serial killers. Dark twisted people that commit multiple murders are of interest to the population, but what caused them to be this way. What horrible tragic set of events could twist a man to murder one or many people. Could Schizophrenia, psychopathy, or sociopathy? Many people have researched this topic and believe that childhood trauma, heavy drugs during the growing phase of life, as well as many other things have twisted the minds of men such as Jeffery Dahmer, Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy, and David Berkowitz. Many say that their actions were preventable but many other believe that the warning signs were present and that their behavior could have been modified long before the murders began.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The triad is the name given to the set of characteristic that serials killers are evident of in their youth. The ?typical? serial killer is a sociopath or psychopath that during childhood was subject to three diagnoses: fire starting (pyromania), prolonged bed-wetting, and animal torture. All of these things correlate to a phase in life in which the young person is curious of certain things new to them. Most children grow out of their interest in fire starting when they first get burnt and bed-wetting when they progress out of the same phase. Animal torture is slightly different. Many children enjoy pulling the wings off a fly, or the legs off of other insects however grow up into quite productive members of society. Some children are enthused by larger animals. Jeffrey Dahmer was enthused originally by fish. He would gut them and inspect their organs to examined how they worked. Curiosity being the main reason for his actions, he would also nail frogs to trees an d collect animals that had been run over by cars. Dahmer was less than characteristic in his choice of animals, the most popular victim being cats. Be it throwing felines from high elevations to watch them ?splat? as explained by Ian Brady the Moors Murderer, gutting them and watching how far they can run after, or burying them alive cats have become the general choice among serial killers-to-be. The A to Z encyclopedia of Serial Killers men... ...for these people should be higher. If that cannot be done then in modern day with all the screening at schools for eye sight problems and back problems could psychological tests also be run to screen for the triad or other such symptoms that lead to murder. Can serial killers be medicated and dissuaded from their future murders before they occur? What can be done in order to dissuade murder in modern society? That is what the world needs now.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited Newton, Michael. The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. New York: Checkmark Books, 2000. Schechter, Harold, and David Everitt. The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. New York: Pocket Books, 1997. Douglas, John, and Mark Olshaker; Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. New York, Pocket Books, 1997.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What Makes Serial Killers Tick?. Shirley Lynn Scott. From http://www.crimelibrary.com/about/authors/scott/index.html?sect=1 Angels of Mercy; The Dark Side. Rick Hampton Dec. 2003 Antisocial Personality Disorder: Treatment. Phillip W. Long M.D. Jan 1990. Psychopathic Sexual Sadists The Psychology and Psychodynamics of Serial Killers. Vernon J. Gerberth. April 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Leadership Styles Essay

The leadership styles of the United States Presidents can make them effective or it can limit their effectiveness. The effectiveness of the President has direct effect on the American people. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy were two leaders that had major influences in the mid-20th century. Both men played a key role in the United States involvement in Vietnam. The experiences, styles of leading, and characteristics of both President’s Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy intensified the level of involvement the United States had in the Vietnam experience. Even though the leadership styles may have differed, the two leaders refused to let communism spread (Moss, 2010). Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy’s leadership style although different had similar qualities. President Eisenhower and Kennedy could be considered to have the leadership styles of both the â€Å"Director† and â€Å"Navigator†. Thomas Preston has explained a Director style is a leader with â€Å"both extensive policy experience and a high need for power† (Preston, 2001). Directors have direct involvement in policy process by setting guidelines and advocating for their own personal views. The Navigator also has extensive expertise in policy but they also search for the opinions and viewpoints of other advisors. Navigators will gather the information and from the multiple different perspectives have a more deliberate decision making style. Without having a Navigator sense of style, the effectiveness of any leader can be limited because of a lack of information gathered and reviewed for decision. President Eisenhower proved his leadership style by the way he was involved in the political unrest in Vietnam. According to Preston, President Eisenhower â€Å"preferred formal, hierarchically organized advisory structure where information and advice could be centralized into a small inner circle of advisers† (Preston, 2001). However because of the President’s expertise in foreign policy he had a very active personal role in the policy process and delegated very little to other expert advisors. Eisenhower’s own preferences in policy lead to the policy decisions. President Eisenhower gave the command to intervene in southern Vietnam and replace the French (Moss, 2010). This was to maintain a non-Communist state thereby halting the potential spread of Communism. President Kennedy was interested in multiple perspectives on policy; he listened to different sources on conflicting views and planned for debates prior to decision making (Preston, 2001). Kennedy wanted political rest and peace in Vietnam but knew that without US involvement, the fighting and attacks on Vietnam would increase. Because of this, the United States became more heavily involved which meant more military forces and money being spent. Kennedy had made decisions to violate the provisions of the Geneva agreements of 1954, thereby increasing the U.S. military significantly in Vietnam. â€Å"Kennedy was not trying to win in Vietnam: he was doing only enough not to lose† (Moss, 2010). This sense of leadership by Kennedy was devised to protect the U.S. by only having a limited partnership with the Vietnam government. For President Kennedy, as a Director, he kept active involvemen t in policy process and needed assurance that his own thoughts and ideas would dominate the end result. However, as the Navigator, he trusted his advisory team and kept an open advisory system â€Å"characterized by a mixed formal-informal advice network† (Preston, 2001). With the dual leadership style the President called for the heavy military involvement in Vietnam in 1965 (Moss, 2010). By having expertise in foreign affairs and taking the advice of his advisors, President Kennedy made the important decision to become more involved in the war efforts. For the United States, the President’s leadership is very important. The President is the countries representation. It is both very prestigious and powerful to be voted in as President of the United States. The President has the ability to keep the United States from war, or send us to war. The President is in charge of the military, deciding where troops should be stationed and how weapons should be used. That is great power, and without the backing of the American people the President and his cabinet wouldn’t be as powerful as they are. The American people need to know that the President has their best interest in mind. In conclusion, regardless of who the President is, the need for leadership is of great importance. By having both the Director and Navigator style leadership, the role of the President can be effective. The expertise, the desire to have a powerful role but also having the willingness to view other opinions for decision making is essential to making a great leader. The role the President has to be one that is inspiring to the American people but also the American people need to trust their leader, without trust there would be weakness.

Who Killed the Electric Car Analysis

IN 1996, ELECTRIC CARS BEGAN TO APPEAR ON ROADS ALL OVER CALIFORNIA. THEY WERE QUIET AND FAST, PRODUCED NO EXHAUST AND RAN WITHOUT GASOLINE. TEN YEARS LATER, THESE CARS WERE DESTROYED. TEACHER’S GUIDE â€Å"A QUIETLY SHOCKING INDICTMENT OF OUR GAS-GUZZLING AUTO COMPANIES AND THE PETRO-POLITICIANS WHO LOVE THEM. † –KAREN DURBIN, ELLE MAGAZINE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 †¢ TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2006 WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? NOTE TO THE TEACHER Who Killed the Electric Car? is a powerful tool pertinent to many academic disciplines and adaptable to a variety of abilities, learning styles, and classroom goals.This rich, self-contained film requires little or no additional research on the part of the instructor or the class, but can be used as the foundation for independent student research. The film divides neatly into two nearly equal and independent segments that can be shown on successive days or at different points in a unit. Both segments offer excellent discussion opportunities. The classroom experience of students taking courses on environmental science or offerings that include a unit on air quality or environmental concerns would be enriched by viewing Who Killed the Electric Car?.Courses that encourage interest in engineering and practical math applications would also benefit. The ethical and civic questions that the film explores offer a natural connection for teachers working in the area of civics, government, ethics, and business ethics. In many of these courses the film could be treated as a case study. The ethical questions raised are nearly unlimited and a large variety of higher-level-thinking activities can be developed from the film. Included in this packet are discussion prompts, class activities, and research suggestions. 1 FILM SUMMARY included, the General Motors electric vehicle is eatured. As this segment concludes, the success of the industry’s legal strategy is symbolized by a celebrity-studded funeral for the electric car. This segment is filled with factual analysis that examines conflicting claims about emissions, practicality, costs of various fuels, and consumer demand. Who Killed the Electric Car? is presented as a whodone-it mystery. Staying true to this genre, the film opens with necessary background information, describes the crime committed, answering all of the what, where, and when questions, and then in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gathers the suspects for lose scrutiny, coming to a conclusion on the guilt or innocence of each. The second half of Who Killed the Electric Car? is Sherlock Holmes at his best. The seven suspects identified in the first half of the film are scrutinized. One by one, consumers, batteries, oil companies, auto manufacturers, the U. S. government, the California Air Resources Board, and the newest villain, the hydrogen car, pass under the bare bulb in the inspector’s interrogation room in an attempt to answer the question asked in the film’s title: Who Killed the Electric Car? At the end of each segment the featured suspect is judged as guilty or innocent.Opening with a bit of automotive history that establishes the electric car as a competitive alternative to the internal combustion engine, Who Killed the Electric Car? takes the viewer back to the beginning of the twentieth century and the dawn of the automotive age. A straightforward explanation of why gasoline beats out electricity as the fuel of choice and how the internal combustion engine wins dominance concludes the broad overview. The film then moves to the recent past with the introduction of the California Air Resources Board and their 1990 decision to require that ten percent of all ars sold in California by each car manufacturer be zero-emission vehicles by the year 2003. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde response of automotive companies is revealed; production and marketing of zero-emission cars is detailed, a period during which the legal and political teams of the same manufacturers work to defeat the law that gave birth to modern electric vehicles. While several manufacturers are The film ends on a positive note, recognizing a grassroots movement that envisions cleaner air and energy independence. In a John Kennedy-style appeal, the film claims that those who solve our energy onundrum will be those that â€Å"change the world. † 2 SELECTED SCENES FOR CLASSROOM REVIEW 1:19 19:40 Two million new cars are sold in Television advertisement for G. M. ’s California each year. electric car. 2:55 21:21 Cheap oil supports the combustion Introduce Dr. Alan Lloyd of C. A. R. B. engine over the electric car. 3:35 22:10 Air quality in California: Manufacturer’s lawsuit to â€Å"Black cloud of death. † overturn emissions standards. 4:32 22:30 Each gallon of gasoline burned yields President Bush endorsing hydrogen 19 pounds of carbon dioxide. technology in the State of the Union. 4:55 22:43 Introduce S.Davi d Freeman. Hydrogen Hummer and the hydrogen highway. 7:40 23:20 Creating demand for electric cars. C. A. R. B. hearing on the emissions standards. 8:50 25:30 C. A. R. B. and California’s C. A. R. B. vote to kill the standards. zero-emission policy. 12:40 26:15 Cost to run an electric car equals Manufacturers start to collect gasoline when gas is 60 cents per gallon. the electric cars. 14:10 27:35 Californians Against Utility â€Å"Save the electric car† campaign, Company Abuse including the mock funeral. 16:10 29:30 G. M. claims to have built electric cars Last EV1 collected. according to demand. 19:10 31:20Marketing; How far, how fast, EV1s in a G. M. lot. how much? 3 33:20 50:36 G. M. spokesperson explains the Suspect: Car Manufacturers fate of the collected EV1s. 35:30 56:20 PBS at the car crusher. Suspect: Government 36:58 1:03:57 S. David Freeman, â€Å"We’re up against Suspect: C. A. R. B. most of the money in the world. † 37:15 1:07:02 Vigil for th e EV1s. Suspect: Hydrogen Fuel Cell 38:40 1:11:08 Would you buy one of these electric President Bush at a hydrogen cars? Display check for 1. 9 million filling station. dollars offered to G. M. 39:20 1:15:05 â€Å"Who controls the future? Last cars moved. He who has the biggest club. 1:18:52 39:34 1 Scene from Naked Gun 2 /2: Automotive Museum The Smell of Fear. 40:25 1:20:30 List of suspects. Verdicts. 40:58 1:22:32 Suspect: Consumers â€Å"The fight about the electric car was quite simply a fight about the future. † 43:20 1:23:58 Suspect: Batteries Introduce James Woolsey and Plug In America. 1:27:19 46:38 â€Å"The one group of people that steps Suspect: Oil Companies up to take it on is the group that will change the world. † 4 DISCUSSION PROMPTS These prompts can be used for full-class discussion, small group conversations, or adapted for use as writing assignments of varying length and detail. What compromises related to cars and transportation are you willing t o make to preserve and improve air quality? Brainstorm possibilities and then discuss each one, focusing on the average consumer. †¢ What one assertion in the film do you disagree with? Why? †¢ What one assertion in the film troubles you the most? Why? †¢ In your own words, explain why the car manufacturers collected and destroyed the electric vehicles. †¢ Did government serve the people in the case of electric cars? Why? †¢ Does government have the right to tell companies what to manufacture? Why? †¢ How important an issue is our nation’s dependence on oil?Explain. †¢ Do you agree that those who solve the energy question will change the world? Explain. †¢ Should the world oil supply be divided evenly according to population, given to those able to pay the highest price, or reserved for developing nations? Explain your opinion. †¢ Is it acceptable for a nation to use oil as a weapon? Why/why not? †¢ Would you characterize each of the following as a good citizen or a bad citizen? Why? -The oil companies -The automobile companies -U. S. consumers -Scientists researching hydrogen fuel -The citizens trying to save the electric car †¢ Is energy a national security issue?Why/how? Explain. †¢ How is the use of hydrogen as a fuel related to the reemergence of nuclear power? †¢ Does drilling for more oil in the pristine wilderness make sense? Why/why not? †¢ Given the information provided in the film, do you believe electric cars are a reasonable alternative to combustion engines? Why/why not? †¢ Given the information provided in the film, do you believe you will be able to buy a hydrogen-powered car in the next 10 years? 20 years? Ever? Why/why not? 5 MOCK COURT Choose defense and prosecution teams for each of the seven defendants identified in the film.Have the teams prepare for a mock trial using the information in the film and if desired, additional research. Stage a trial with a jury that has not seen the film. Roles: Judge: Acts as presiding officer maintaining order, resolving conflicts, and charging the jury. Prosecution team: Presents evidence against the named defendant using witnesses, charts, graphs, and physical evidence. The team would also cross-examine defense witnesses. The prosecution’s job is to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt of the defendant. Defense team: Presents evidence that rebuts the prosecution’s view and may suggest alternative perpetrators.The defense may use witnesses, charts, graphs, and physical evidence. The team would also cross-examine prosecution witnesses. The defense’s job is to create reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant. This activity can be used as an alternative assessment of student knowledge while also building critical thinking and oral presentation skills. 6 COMMON GOOD Open the activity by reading the paragraph below. Allow for a few minutes of general comment on the concept of the â€Å"common good† and the claim by then G. M. president Charles E. Wilson: What’s good for the country is good for General Motors and vice versa.The preamble to the United States Constitution opens with the words: â€Å"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. † These words imply a common interest that is shared by citizens and government, a concept often referred to as the â€Å"common good. † In 1953, the then president of General Motors, Charles E.Wilson, was nominated by President Dwight Eisenhower to serve as his Secretary of Defense. During Wilson’s confirmation hearings, senators were concerned that he would have difficulty making a decision that could hurt General Motors, a major defense contractor, even if the decision was in the best interest of the United States. When asked this question, Wilson assured senators that he could make such a decision but that he could not imagine such a situation, â€Å"because for years I thought what was good for the country was good for General Motors and vice versa. † Student instructionWho Killed the Electric Car? implies that the â€Å"common good† is not being served by the decision to abandon electric vehicles and embrace hydrogen technology. Write your own definition of the â€Å"common good. † Make groups of 3 to 5 and share these definitions. Try to agree on a group definition. Evaluate General Motors’ decision to kill the electric car program in light of your group’s definition. Be ready to report your findings to the class. Do Mr. Wilson’s thoughts from 1953 reflect the General Motors Corporation that is presented in the film? If the Senate c alled the current president of G.M. to explain the death of the electric car, imagine what he might say that would be quoted more than 50 years later. 7 HIDDEN AGENDA Teacher introduction As a class, brainstorm about the term â€Å"hidden agenda. † When you get all the ideas on the board, make groups of 3 to 5. In groups, have the class discuss the ideas on the board and then write a definition of â€Å"hidden agenda† that the group can agree on. As a class, share these definitions and create one working definition for the whole class. Have students return to their groups and discuss what â€Å"hidden agenda(s)† the following may have had.To make a claim, the group must have at least one piece of solid evidence from the film. Each group should decide which three of their claims are the strongest and prepare to present them to the class. Present and discuss: Automobile companies: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________ ________________ Evidence: Oil companies: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: Filmmakers: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence:Car companies: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: Federal government: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: Fans of the electric car: Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: C. A. R. B. : Hidden agenda: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence: 8 WHAT IS THE ROLE OF BUSINESS? What is the role of business in a democratic/capitalist society?The complex interaction between business, government, and consumers is presented as a case study in Who Kil led the Electric Car?. After viewing the film, clarify your own attitude toward the role of business, before any discussion, by using the prompts that follow. Prioritize the entire list from 1, most important, to 10, least important, and then write just a sentence or two that explains each ranking. Using your results, make groups that include individuals with different attitudes. While you discuss the movie, analyze how different views of business influence opinions about the film. ______ The role of business is to make a profit. _____ The role of business is to make a good product. ______ The role of business is to serve the consumer. ______ The role of business is to support government. ______ The role of business is to educate government. ______ The role of business is to educate consumers. ______ The role of business is to improve life. ______ The role of business is to protect the environment. ______ The role of business is to provide consumers with choice. ______ The role of b usiness is to invent solutions to society’s problems. 9 WHAT IS THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT? What is the role of government in a democratic/capitalist society?The complex interaction between business, government, and citizens is presented as a case study in Who Killed the Electric Car?. After viewing the film, clarify your own attitude toward the role of government, before any discussion, by using the prompts that follow. Prioritize the entire list from 1, most important, to 10, least important, and then write just a sentence or two that explains each ranking. Using your results, make groups that include individuals with different attitudes. While you discuss the movie, analyze how different views of government influence opinions about the film. ______The role of government is to defend the nation. ______ The role of government is to create a just society. ______ The role of government is to protect the consumer. ______ The role of government is to protect business. ______ The rol e of government is to regulate business. ______ The role of government is to educate consumers. ______ The role of government is to improve life for all citizens. ______ The role of government is to protect the environment. ______ The role of government is to provide consumers with choice. ______ The role of government is to invent solutions to society’s problems. 10 MAKING THE CASEIn the second half of Who Killed the Electric Car? , each of the suspects in this mystery is held up to scrutiny. Acting as an unbiased detective, develop a list of the evidence offered for guilt and the evidence that indicates innocence. In groups or as a class, use these evidence lists as the basis for a debate that leads to a vote on each suspect. The suspect___________________________________________________ Evidence to convict Evidence to acquit 11 BRIAN DANIELS teaches history and ethics at Hudson High School, Hudson, Massachusetts. He is the school facilitator for the democratic school initi ative atHudson High and an active member of the school’s First Amendment Schools team. He has been teaching for thirty years and holds bachelor’s degrees in history and psychology from Boston College and a master’s degree in critical and creative thinking from the University of Massachusetts at Boston. He will become the Curriculum Director for English and Social Studies grades 6-12 in the Hudson school district in the summer of 2006. He has been published several times in the Boston Globe and has an article slated for publication in October of 2006 in the National Social StudiesSupervisors Association magazine. A SONY PICTURES CLASSICS RELEASE ELECTRIC ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS A DEAN DEVLIN/PLINYMINOR PRODUCTION A FILM BY CHRIS PAINE â€Å"WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? † NARRATED BY MARTIN SHEEN EDITED BY MICHAEL KOVALENKO CHRIS A. PETERSON DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY THADDEUS WADLEIGH ORIGINAL MUSIC BY MICHAEL BROOK CONSULTING PRODUCER ALEX GIBNEY EXECUTIVE PR ODUCERS DEAN DEVLIN TAVIN MARIN TITUS RICHARD D. TITUS PRODUCED BY JESSIE DEETER WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY CHRIS PAINE FOR BRIEF MILD LANGUAGE. WWW. WHOKILLEDTHEELECTRICCARMOVIE. COM WWW. SONYCLASSICS. COM