Thursday, November 28, 2019

Basquiat Essays - English-language Films, Jean-Michel Basquiat

Basquiat In the 1980's art punk movement, the only thing the market liked better than a hot young artist was a dead hot young artist, and it got one in Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose working life of about nine years was truncated by a heroin overdose at the age of twenty-seven. His career, both actual and posthumous, appealed to a cluster of toxic vulgarities. The artist was"instinctual," someone outside "mainstream" culture and therefore not to be rated in its terms: a wild pet for the recently cultivated collector. Jean Michell Basquiat was indeed a great artist, however he was not meant to be a celebrity. Basquiat, gave the art world what they most desired, he filled a fetish about the freshness of youth, blooming among the discos of the East Side scene. Basquiat also fueled the audience's goggling appetite for self-destructive talent. This essay intends to prove that Basquiat did not deserve his celebrity status, through analysis of his drug addictions, his reckless lifestyle and his primiti ve art. Jean-Michel Basquiat lead an incredibly wild life. After his escape from suburbia into the feverish and frantic world of Soho, New York he primarily associated with the most renowned artists and celebrities. Jean-Michel's life was filled with the gods of monsters of the neo-primitive art movement, it all seemed so glamourous, he would model for Armani clothes, create famous art works with Andy Warhol, dance at studio 54 and sleep with Keith Harring and Maddona. But this is where the illusion ends. Basquiat's life was constant turmoil. He was perpetually in a drug induced haze, being addicted to more drugs than person could possibly invision. At a time he had a live in errand boy who would do nothing more than hook-up Basquiat with his drug-de jour. His habit eventually, and inevitably lead to his untimely death at the age of 28. While alive Jean-Michel was incredibly licentious, a bisexual artist/model/musician with a taste for every form of carnal expression can (as you might imagin e) get into a lot of trouble. He would unabashedly have up to ten relationships in the air at once and still feel the need to visit prostitutes and mistresses. In life Basquiat contracted numerous venereal diseases and was the very epitome of sexually irresponsibility. Basquiat's art mirrored his life. His paintings held bold strokes of beautiful colours over shoddy canvass painted with fury and distemper. While some may argue that the paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat are deceptively simple many say they are sloppy works covered in irreverent text and portraits that any grade one student could imitate and improve. Basquiat would spin out art without paying any attention or care to the final product. However it is a difficult thing to prove anti-art, because of the fact that art is so personal and individually interpreted. Bibliography: Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Complete Strategies Common App Essay Prompts (2018-19)

Complete Strategies Common App Essay Prompts (2018-19) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re applying to more than one or two colleges, there's a good chance you'llhave to use the Common Application, and that means you’ll probably have to write a Common App essay. In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about the essay. I'll break down every single Common App essay prompt by covering: What is the question asking? What do college admissions officers want to hear from you? What topics can you write about effectively? What should you avoid at all costs? This will be your complete starting guide for Common App essays. At the end of reading this, you should have a lot of ideas for your own essays and directions to write a really strong personal statement. Basic Info on the Common App Essay Before we dig into the nitty gritty of the individual prompts, let's quickly go over the logistics of the Common App essay and some general tips to keep in mind. Most - but Not All - Schools Require the Essay Although not every school in the US requires an essay as part of their application, the Common Application has traditionally required you to submit a blanket personal statement. That policy changed recently, and the essay is now optionalfor some schools. However, this policy has beenadopted by only a handful ofschools, including DePaul University, Georgia State University, Hampshire College, Old Dominion University, The New School, and the University of Idaho. Some of themrequire an additional writing supplement instead. If you’re applying to more than one or two schools on the Common App, you'll almost certainlyneed to write a response to the Common App prompts. As such, I would recommend sending your essay to schools even if they don't explicitly require it. You’re writing it anyways and it’s the bestway for the school to get to know you as a person. It's also worth noting that because of the way this system is set up, you could theoretically send a different essay to each school. However, doing so isn't a good use of your time: if schools want to know something more specific about you they’ll require a supplement. Focus on writing a single great personal statement. Pay Attention to the Word Limit The exact word limit for the Common App essay has varied somewhat over the years, butthe current range is 250-650 words. You must stay within this length; in fact, the online application won't allow you to submit fewer than 250 words or more than 650. Some schools will state that if this isn't enough space, you can send them a physical copy of your essay. Don't do this. No matter how tempting it may be, stick to the word limit. Otherwise, you risk seeming self-indulgent. In general, I would recommend shooting for an essay between 500 and 650 words long. You want to have enough space to really explore one specific idea, but you don't need to includeeverything. Editing is an important part of the essay writing process. The word limit is like this barbed wire- you shouldn't cross it, no matter how tempted you are. Don't Stress Too Much About the Question As you'll see, the Common App prompts areverygeneral and leave a lot of room for interpretation. Moreover, colleges interpret the questions generously - they're more concerned with learning something interesting about you than with whether your topic fits the question perfectly. Per a Common App survey, 85% of member schools "feel the prompts should be left open to broad interpretation." You can write about almost anything and make it work, so if you have an idea, don’t let the fact that it doesn’t fit neatlyinto one of these categories stop you. Treat these breakdowns as jumping off points to help you start brainstorming, not the final word in how you need to approach the essay. Make Sure You Look at This Year's Prompts The Common App change to the prompts fairly frequently, so make sure you're familiar with the most up-to-date versions of the Common App essay questions. If you have friends or siblings who applied in past years,don't assume that you can take the exact same approach they did. This guide will go over the details of all seven current prompts, but first let's talk about some overalladvice. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: 4 Tips For Finding Your Best Essay Topic As you're brainstorming and preparing to write your essay, you'll want to keep these tips in mind. You'll have to search for the best topic, just like this bird is searching for food. Make ItPersonal The point of a personal statement is to, well, make a personal statement, that is to say, tell the reader something about yourself. As such, your topic needs to be something meaningful to you. What does it mean for a topic to be "meaningful to you"? First, it means that you genuinely care about the topic and want to write your college essay on it - no one ever wrote a great essay on a topic that they felt they had to write about. Second, it means that the topic shows off a quality or trait you want to highlight for the admissions committee.For example, say I wanted to write about my summer job with the Parks Department. It's not enough to simply tell astory about my feud with a raccoon that kept destroying all the progress I made repairing a bench; I would need to make it clear what that experienceshows about my character (perseverance) and explain what ittaught me (that there are some things in life you simply can't control). Remember that the most important thing is that your essay is about you. This advice maysound obvious, but when you're used to writing academic essays it can be tricky to dive deep into your own perspective. Take Your Time Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm and write, so you don't feel rushed into jotting something down about the first thing you can come up with and sending it right off. I recommend starting the writing process 2 monthsin advance of your first deadline. On a similar note, you shouldtake theessay seriously: it's an important part of your application and worth investing the time in to get right. If you just dash something off thoughtlessly, admissions officers will recognize that and consider it evidence that you aren't really interested in their school. Avoid Repetition Your essay should illustrate something about youbeyondwhat'sin the rest of your application. Try to write about a topic you haven't talked about elsewhere, or take a different angle on it. A college essay is not a resume - it's the best opportunity to show off your unique personality to admissions committees. Pick your topic accordingly. Get Specific The best topics are usually the narrowest ones: essays focused on a single interaction, a single phrase, or a single object. The more specific you can get, the more unique your topic will be to you. Lots of people have tried out for a school play, for example, but each had their own particular experience of doing so. One student saw trying out for the role of Hamlet as the culmination of many years of study and hard work and was devastatednot to get it, while another was simply proud to have overcome her nerves enough to try out for the chorus line inWest Side Story. These would make very different essays, even though they'reon basically the same topic. Another benefit of a specific topic is that it makescoming up with supporting details much easier. Specific, sensory detailsmake the reader feel like they're seeing the experience through your eyes, giving them a better sense of who you are. Take a look at this example sentence. General: I was nervous as I waited for my turn to audition. Specific: As I waited for my name to be called, I tapped the rhythm of "America" on the hard plastic chair, going through the beats of my audition song over and over in my head. The firstversion could be written by almost anyone; the second version has a specific perspective- it's also intriguing and makes you want to know more. The more specific your essay topic is, the more clearly your unique voice will come through and the more engaging your essay will be. Breaking Down the Common App Essay Prompts Now that we've established the basic ideas you need to keep in mind as you brainstorm, let's go through the Common App essay questions one at a time and break down what admissions committees are looking for in responses. Keep in mind that for each of these questions, there are really two parts.The first is describingsomething you did, or something that happened to you. The second is explaining what that event, action, or activity means to you. No essay is complete without addressingboth of sides of the topic. Prompt 1:A Key Piece of Your Story Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. What Is It Asking? This prompt is very broad. Is there something you do or love, or something that happened to you, that isn’t reflected elsewhere in your application but that you feel isvital to your personal story? Then this prompt could be a good one for you. The key is that whatever you write about needs to be genuinely important to you personally, not just something you think will look good to the admissions committee. You need to clarify why this story is so importantthat you couldn't leave it out of your application. What Do They Want to Know? This question is really about showing admissions officers how your background has shaped you. Can you learn and grow from your experiences? By identifyingan experience or trait that is vital to your story, you're also showingwhatkind of person you see yourself as - do you valueyour leadership abilities or your determination to overcome challenges? Your intellectual curiosityor your artistic talent? Everyone has more than one important trait, but in answering this prompt, you're telling admissions officers what you think is your most significant quality. What Kind of Topics Could Work? You could write about almost anything for this prompt:an unexpected interest, a particularly consuming hobby, a part of your family history, or a life-changing event. Make sure to narrow in on something specific, though. You don't have room to tell your whole life story. Your topiccan be serious or silly, as long as it's important to you. Just remember that itneeds to showcase a deeper quality of yours. For example, if I were writing an essay on this topic, I wouldprobably write about my life-long obsession with books. I'd start with a story about how my parents worried I read too much as a kid, give some specific examples of things I've learned from particular books, and talk about how my enthusiasm for readingwas so extreme it sometimes interfered with my actual life (like the time I tripped and fell because I couldn't be bothered to put down my book long enough to walk from my room to the kitchen). Then I would tie it all together by explaining how my love of reading has taught me to look for ideas in unexpected places. What Should You Avoid? You don't want your essay to read like a resume: itshouldn't be a list of accomplishments. Remember that your essay needs to add somethingto the rest of your application, so it also shouldn't focus on something you've already covered unless you have a really differenttake on it. Also try to avoid generic and broad topics: you don't want your essay to feel like it could've been written by any student. As I touched on above, one way to avoid this problem is to be very specific - rather than writing generally about your experience as the child of immigrants you might tell a storyabout a specific family ritual or meaningful moment. Prompt 2:Coping WithObstacles The lessons we take from obstacles we encountercan be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you faced a challenge, setback, orfailure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? What Is It Asking? This prompt is pretty straightforward. It's asking you describe a challenge or obstacle you faced or a time you failed and how you dealt with it. The part many students forget is the second half: what lessons did you learn from your challenge or failure? If you take on this question youmust show how you grew from the experience and, ideally, how you incorporated what you learned into other endeavors. What Do They Want to Know? This question really raises two issues: how you handle difficultsituations and whether you are capable of learning from your mistakes. You'll face a lot of challenges in college, both academic and social. In addressingthis prompt, you have the opportunity toshow admissions officers that you can deal with hardships without just giving up. You also need to show that you can learnfrom challenges andmistakes. Can you find a positive lesson in a negative experience? Colleges want to see an example of how you've done so. What Kind of Topics Could Work? Good topics will be specific and have a clearly explained impacton your perspective. You need to address both parts of the question: the experience of facing the challengeandwhat you learnedfrom it. However, almost any kind of obstacle, challenge, or failure, large orsmall, can work: Doing poorly at a job interview and how that taught you to deal with nerves Failing a class and how retaking it taught you better study skills Directing a school play when the set collapsed and how it taught you to stay cool under pressure and think on your feet What Should You Avoid? Make sure you pick an actual failure or challenge - don't turn your essay into a humblebrag. How you failed at procrastination because you're justso organized or how you've been challenged by the high expectations of teachers at school because everyone knows you are sosmartare not appropriate topics. Also, don't write about something completely negative. Your response needs to show that you got something out of your challenge or failure and that you've learned skills to apply to other situations. Spilling your coffee is not an appropriate failure, no matter how disastrous it may feel. Prompt 3: Challenging a Belief Reflect on a time when you questioneda belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? What Is It Asking? There are two ways to approach this question. The first is to talk about a time you questioneda person or groupon an idea of theirs. The second is to talk abouta time that something caused you to reconsider a belief of your own. In either case, you need to explain why you decided the belief should be challenged, what you actually did- if your story is just that someone gave you a new piece of information and you changed your mind, you should probably find a different topic - and how you feel about your actions in hindsight. What Do They Want to Know? The obvious question this prompt raises is what your values are and whether you're willing to stand up for what you believe. Whether you've reconsidered your own beliefs or asked others to reconsider theirs, it shows you've put genuine thought into what you value and why. However, colleges also want to see that you're open-mindedand able to be fair and kind towards those who have different beliefs than you do. Can you question someone else beliefs without belittling them? If not, don't write about this question. What Kind of Topics Could Work? This prompt is really one where you either have a relevant story or you don't. If there's a belief or idea that's particularly important to you, whether political or personal, this might be a good question for you to address. What Should You Avoid? The main pitfall with thisquestion is that lends itself to very abstract answers. It's not very interesting to read about how you used to believe chocolate isthe best ice cream flavor but then you changed your mind and decided the best flavor is actually strawberry. (Seriously, though, what is wrong with you!?) Make sure there's clear conflict and action in your essay. Divisive politicalissues, like abortion and gun rights, are tricky to write about (although not impossible) because people feel very strongly about them and often have a hard time accepting the opposite viewpoint. In general, I would avoid these kinds of topics unless you have a very compelling story. Also keep in mind that most people who work at colleges are liberal, so if you have a conservativeviewpoint you'll need to tread more carefully. Regardless of what you're writing about, don't assume the reader shares your views. You also want to avoid coming off as petty or inflexible, especially if you're writing about a controversial topic. It's great to have strong beliefs, but you also want to show that you're open to listening to other people's perspectives, even if they don't change your mind. Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now: Prompt 4:Solving a Problem Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. What Is It Asking? The first part is very straightforward: how have you or would you solve a problem? However, you also need to "explain its significance to you." In other words, whythis problem? What Do They Want to Know? This prompt helps admissions officerssee both what you care about and how you solve problems. Even if you pick something seemingly minor to talk about, like fixing a dishwasher on your own, explaining why you wanted to do it yourself (maybe because you like knowing how things work) and how you did so (maybe by asking other people for advice of maybe by looking up videos on YouTube) will show admissions officers a lot about what you value and how you think. Answering this questionis also an opportunity for you to show the maturity and perseverance you'll need to face the challenges of college. You will face inevitably face problems, both academic and personal, in these four years, and admissions officers want to see that you're capable of taking them on. What Kind of Topics Could Work? Any kind of problem (â€Å"no matter the scale†) is fine- it just has to be important to you. Like number 3, it will be easier if you can focus inon a specific event or occurrence. You can write about something funny, likehow you figured out how to care for your pet hedgehog, or something more serious, like how you resolved a family conflict. Writing abouta problem you want to solve, rather than one you've already found a solution to, is much harder because it's more abstract. You certainly can do it, however; just make sure to have a compelling and concrete explanation for why this problem is important to you and how you came upon the solution you're proposing. For example, say a student, Tommy,wanted to solve the problem of homelessness. First of all, because this is a very big problemthat no one person or solution is going to fix, hewould need to describe specifically what problem within thelarger issue hewants to address. Then, in writing his essay, he might focus on telling a story about how a man he met while volunteering in a homeless shelter inspired his idea to hire men and women living in shelters to work as liaisons in public spaces like libraries and parks to help homeless people get access to the services they need. What Should You Avoid? Avoid anything sweeping or general: for example, "How I plan to solve world hunger" is probably not going work. As I mentioned above, you want to stick to concrete ideas and solutions that clearly relate to your own experiences. Simply writing down some of your ideas, no matter how great they are, isn't going to make for a very interesting essay. Look at those dummies, solving a problem! Prompt 5: Personal Growth and Maturity Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. What Is It Asking? Like prompt 1, this one is very general. It's asking you to talk about something you did or something that happenedthat caused you to grow or mature as a person. The other key point to remember when addressingthis question is that you need to explain how this event changed or enriched your understanding of yourself or other people. What Do They Want to Know? In short: when and how have you grown as a person?Personal growth and maturity are complicated issues. You essay may touch on themes like personal responsibility and your role in the world and your community. You don't have to explain your whole worldview, but you need to give readers a sense of why this particular event caused significant growth for you as a person. This prompt can also help you show either a) your own sense of self-concept or b) how you relate to others. What Kind of Topics Could Work? Much like prompt 3, this question likely either appeals to you or doesn't. Nonetheless, here are some potential topics: A time you had to step up in your household A common milestone (like voting for the first time or getting your driver's license) that was particularly meaningful to you A big change in your life, like becoming an older sibling or moving to a new place It's important that your topic describesa transition that lead toreal positive growth or change in you as a person. However, personal growth is a gradual process, and you can definitely still approach this topic if you feel like you have more maturing to do. (Fun fact: most adults feel like they have more maturing to do, too!) Just focus in on a specific step in the process of growing upand explain what it meant to you and how you've changed. What Should You Avoid? Almost any topic could theoretically make a good essay about personal growth, but it's important that the overall message conveys maturity. If the main point of your essay about junior prom is that you learned that you look bad in purple and now you know not to wear it, you will seem like you just haven't had a lot of meaningful growth experiences in your life. You also want the personal growth and new understanding(s) you describe in your essay to be positive in nature. If the conclusion of your essay is "and that's how I matured and realized that everyone in the world is terrible," that's not going to play very well with admissions committees as you'll seem pessimistic and unable to cope with challenges. Prompt 6: Your Passion Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? What Is It Asking? This prompt is asking you todescribe something that you're intellectually passionate about.Butin addition to describing a topic of personal fascination and why you're so interested in it, you also need to detail how you have pursued furthering your own knowledge of the topic.Did you undertake extra study? Hole yourself up in the library? Ask your math team coach for more practice problems? What Do They Want to Know? Colleges want to admit students who are intellectually engaged with the world. They want you to show that you have a genuine love for the pursuit of knowledge. Additionally, by describing how you've learned more about your chosen topic, concept, or idea, you show that you areself-motivatedand resourceful. What Kind of Topics Could Work? Pretty much any topic you are really interested in and passionate about could make a good essay here, just so long as you can put can a) put an intellectual spin on it and b) demonstrate that you've gone out of your way to learn about the topic. SoIt's fine to say that the topic that engages you most is football, but talk about what interests you in an academic sense about the sport. Have you learned everything there is to know about the history of the sport? Are you an expert on football statistics? Emphasize how the topic you are writing about engages your brain. What Should You Avoid? Don't pick something you don't actually care about just because you think it would sound good. If you say you love black holes but you actually hate them and you tortured yourself with astronomy books in the library for a weekend toglean enough knowledge to write your essay, your lack of enthusiasm will come through. Prompt 7: Your Choice Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. What Is It Asking? You can write about anything for this one! What Do They Want to Know? Since this is a choose-your-own-adventure prompt, colleges aren't looking for anything specific to this prompt. However, you'll want to demonstrate some of the same qualities that colleges are looking for in all college essays: things like academic passion, maturity, resourcefulness, and persistence. What are your values? How do you face setbacks? These are all things you can consider touching on in your essay. What Kind of Topics Could Work? If you already have a topic in mind for this one that doesn't really fit with any of the other prompts, go for it! What Should You Avoid? Avoid essays that aren't really about you as a person. So no submitting your rhetorical close-reading of the poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn" you wrote for A.P. English! However, if you want to write about the way that "Ode on a Grecian Urn" made you reconsider your entire approach to life, go ahead! Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. 5Key Takeaways About the Common AppEssay Questions We've covered a lot of ground, but don't panic. I've collected the main ideas you should keep in mind as you plan your Common App essay below. Neatly packaged takeaways. (Henry Faber/Flickr) A Topic for Prompt 1 MustBe Something Beyond What’s in the Rest of Your Application For prompt 1, it's absolutely vital that your topicbe something genuinely meaningful to you. Don’t write about something just because you think it’s impressive. Big achievements andleadership roles, likeserving as captain of a team or winning a journalism award, can certainly be used as topics, but only if you can explain why they mattered to you beyond that it was cool to be in charge or that you liked winning. It's better if you can pick out something smaller and more individual, like helping your team rally after a particularly rough loss or laboring over a specific articleto make sure you get every detail right. Prompts 2, 4, and 6 Are Generally the Simplest Options Most students have an experience or interest that will work for either prompt 2, prompt 4, or prompt 6. If you’re uncertain what you want to write about, think about challenges you've faced, aproblem you solved or want to solve, or your major intellectual passions. These prompts are slightly easier to approachthan the others because they lend themselves to very specific and concrete topics that show clear growth. Describinga failure and what you learnedfrom it is much simpler than trying to clarify why an event is a vital part of your identity. Prompts 3 and 5 Can Be Trickier, but That Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Write About Them These questionsask about specific types of experiences that not every high school student has had. If they don't speak to you, don't feel compelled to write about them. If you do want to take on prompt 3 or 5, however, remember to clearly explain your perspective to the reader, even if it seems obvious to you. For prompt 3, you have to establish not just whatyou believe but why you believe it and why that belief matters to you. For prompt 5, you need to clarify how you moved from childhood to adulthood and what that means to both you and others. These prompts elicit some of the most personal responses, which can make forgreat essays but also feel too revealing to many students. Trust your instincts and don’t pick a topic you’re not comfortable writing about, but don't hesitate to take on a difficult or controversial topic if you're excited about it and think you can treat it with the necessary nuance. Make Sure to Explain What Your Experience Taught You I've tried to emphasize this idea throughout this guide: it's not enough to simply describewhat you did, you have to explain what it meant to you. Pushing past the surface level while avoiding cliches and generalizations is a big challenge, but it's also what will make your essay stand out. Make sure you know what personal quality you want to emphasize before you start and keep it in mind as you write.Try to avoid boring generalizations in favor of more specific and personal insights. Bad: Solving a Rubik'scube for the first time taught me a lot. Better:Solving a Rubik'scube for the first timetaught me that I love puzzles andmade me wonder what other problems I could solve. Best: When I finally twisted the last piece of the Rubik'scube into place after months ofwork, I was almost disappointed. I'd solved the puzzle; what would I do now? But then I started to wonder ifI could use what I'd learned to do the whole thingfaster. Upon solving oneproblem, I had immediately moved onto the next one, as I do with most things in life. Then, as you go back throughyour essayto edit, every step of the wayask yourself, "so what?" Why does the reader need to know this? What does it show about me? How can I go one step deeper? Don't Worry About What You Think You're Supposed to Write There is no single right answer to these prompts, and if you tryto find one you'll end up doing yourself a disservice. What's important is to tell your story - and no one can tell you what that means because it's unique to you. Many students believe that they should write about resume-padding activities that look especially impressive, like volunteering abroad. These essays are often boring and derivative because the writer doesn't really have anything to say on the topic and assumes that it will speak for itself. But the point of a personal statement isn't to explain what you've done, it's to show who you are. Take the time to brainstorm and figure outwhat you want to show colleges about yourself and what story or interest best exemplifies that quality. What's Next? For more background on college essaysand tips for crafting a great one, check out our complete explanation ofthe basics of the personal statement. Make sure you're prepared for the rest of the college application process as well, with our guides to asking for recommendations, writing about extracurriculars, taking the SAT, and researching colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Conclusion and recommendations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Conclusion and recommendations - Research Paper Example The management and Human Resources Department of Green Kitchen is qualified and possess the skill to allow the organization to become successful. A good amount of experience is possessed by the management and this would lead them to improve the weaknesses that have been identified for the firm and polish their strengths as well. Green Kitchen most importantly needs to work upon their capital and their promotion strategies to increase their customer base and also their market share. Green Kitchen, as stated in the analysis needs to make proper expansion plans and also work upon building a strong competitive edge as competition is increasing on a regular note. The marketing strategy focused by Green Kitchen is on the pricing factors and the distribution channels. The use of ERP will improve the operations management of Green Kitchen to a large extent. Green Kitchen needs to ensure that all the business management functions are running in a systematic mode so that it can achieve all its milestones successfully. Green Kitchen needs to work on their marketing and promotion strategies so that they can attract a huge customer base. They need to advertise in their ads about the importance of using environment friendly products and its benefits. They need to ensure that the mediums used for advertising is effective enough for the target market to view the advertisement. They can have alliances in the foreign market to promote their products in the international market and hence this would help them in increasing their capital. Production and manufacturing setup may be reduced this way in the international market. They can work upon increasing their target market such as the kitchen cleaning products can be used in commercial businesses such as hotels and restaurants and other such places. When businesses buy their

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The United States and the International Criminal Court Research Paper

The United States and the International Criminal Court - Research Paper Example It officially came into existence in July 2002. This also marked the day when the President also signed the American Service members’ Protection Act (ASPA) restricting the U.S. from giving assistance to the ICC. The international norms as well as institutions have a significant effect on the states and individuals. The ICC is the world’s first permanent judicial body with utmost jurisdiction to try those individuals who were accused of war crimes or for that matter, crime against humanity (Eisea 2002). A large part of the United States foreign policy is moving at a smooth pace. The situation in the United States and all over the world had begun to deteriorate as the crime rate started to increase. It is for this reason that the majority of the international states had decided to create an international court dealing with mass atrocities. This would not only help solve various criminal acts but also prohibit the severe violation of human rights all across the world. There have been instances in the past whereby the United States underwent a great challenge from the International Criminal Court. United Nations and many other democratic nations have openly welcomed and supported the ICC for its performance, although the United States initially voted against the Statute of the International Criminal Court the reason being that ICC may assert jurisdiction over the U.S. soldiers charged with crime which would be a result of legitimate uses of force (Eisea 2002). As late as in 2005 the U nited States decided not to block a sensitive Security Council resolution indicating the situation in Darfur region of Sudan to the ICC prosecutor. The ICC depends on the support as well as cooperation by the States and other international organization (Taft & Wald 2009). The International Criminal Court jurisdiction extends to the most heinous crimes committed at international level. It thus becomes important for two reasons. It offers an advanced means to revise the foreign policies through alternatives especially after World War II. It extends its reach by offering substantial hope and underscoring the significance of international law (Sewall & Kaysen 2000). Even if the ICC acts alone or with a national court, it can provide a model for fair and deliberate administration of justice. With all the qualities it is equipped with, it faces countless uncertainties with regard to how it enforces justice and defines the interest that justice will serve. United States however is not conc erned with these issues faces by the International Criminal Court. The main concerns that the United States shows towards the Court are objections in the legal framework on which the ICC is built. ICC must not be bound on all states irrespective of the war crimes each one of them have. Secondly the ICC’s definitions of crimes such as genocide, war crimes and those perpetrated against humanity are narrower than the international law. The Rome Statute was seriously flawed according

Monday, November 18, 2019

Inventory and Fixed Assest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Inventory and Fixed Assest - Essay Example Inventory is categorized as a current asset in the balance sheet. Most manufacturing companies have large amounts of inventory. That inventory can go down in value for various reasons including technological advances. â€Å"Accounting Research Bulletin No. 43 (ARB No. 43) leads to an accounting valuation method known as the lower of cost or market, or LCM† (Accountingcoach, 2011). Based on ARB No. 43 the word market refers to the current replacement cost of the item. A concept related to the calculation of lower of cost or market is net realizable value (NRV). The net realizable value is defined as the expected price minus the cost for completion and disposal. Another variable that must be considered in LCM calculations are the lower ceiling and upper ceiling. The upper ceiling is the same amount as the NRV, while the lower ceiling is calculated by subtracting normal profit from NRV. The accounting for lower cost or market requires specific journal entries to record LCM. The t wo ledger accounts used by accountants are: Allowance to Reduce Inventory to LCM Loss from Reducing Inventory to LCM Take for example a company that had an inventory with a cost of $70,000 and market value of $68,000. The journal entry to record LCM is illustrated below: Loss from Reducing Inventory to LCM 2000 Allowance to Reduce Inventory to LCM 2000 Capitalizing interest on building construction Interest are typically categorized as an expense under normal accounting rules based on the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). An exception to the rules applies to interest associated with construction projects. â€Å"ASC 835-20 states that institutions are required to capitalize the interest cost incurred during the acquisition process or construction of the asset† (Patel, 2010). As interest gets capitalized they become a part of the historical price of an asset which subsequently must be depreciated over the useful life of the asset. FASB statement No. 34, Capitaliz ation of Interest Costs, provides the guidelines that accountants must follow in order to capitalize interest associated with construction of a building or asset. Three conditions are necessary for the capitalization of interest: 1. The qualifying expenditures must have already occurred 2. The company must be paying actual interest 3. Activities to prepare the asset must be already underway (Young & Gowans, 2009). Expenditures that require cash payment or other transfers of assets are considered qualifying expenditures. Inventory that are manufactured on a routine basis do not qualify for the capitalization of interest. Property that was donated also does not qualify for the capitalization of interest. The two methods to compute capitalization of interest are the weight average and the specific method. There are limits to the amount of interest that may be capitalized. The general rule is that companies can only capitalize interest up to the amount of the incurred interest during an accounting period. â€Å"FASB No. 34 requires for each accounting period disclosure in the financial statements or the notes of the total amount of interest cost incurred and any amount of interest that was capitalized in each accounting period† (Young, et al., 2009). Recording gain or loss on asset disposal

Friday, November 15, 2019

E.H. Sutherland: White Collar Crime

E.H. Sutherland: White Collar Crime What are some of the principal elements of E.H. Sutherlands contribution to the study of white collar crime? What are some of the limitations? What factors seem to have contributed to Sutherlands interest in white collar crime and to the relative disinterest of most other criminologists? E.H. Sutherland is widely considered the most important contributor to American criminology in the nations history. Among his many contributions, Sutherland is credited with coining the term white collar crime, formulating the theory of differential association, and contributing extensively to the study and formulation of laws concerning sexual psychopaths (Friedrichs, 2007). Sutherland differentiated himself from other professionals of his time because rather than focusing his efforts on explaining lower-class criminality, he sought to offer guidance and understanding on the criminality of middle-and upper-class people. Among Sutherlands inspirations was the work of E.A. Ross (1907) Sin and Society: An Analysis of Latter Day Iniquity (Geis and Goff 1987). the criminaloid: the businessman who committed exploitative, if not necessarily illegal, acts out of an uninhibited desire to maximize profit, all the while hiding behind a faà §ade of respectability and piety. Ross regarded these criminaloids as guilty of moral insensibility and held them directly responsible for unnecessary deaths of consumers and workers. Building on the research of Ross and others in the criminology field, Sutherland formulated his theory of differential association. He came to believe that his theory of differential association, which attributed criminality to a learning process, was precisely the type of general theory that could usefully explain both lower-class and upper-class crime (Friedrichs, 2007). The first recorded use of the term white collar crime was in Sutherlands landmark book entitled, White Collar Crime (1939). The book brings to the forefront the prevalence of criminal activity in some of the largest companies in the country. White Collar Crime focuses on the 70 largest U.S. manufacturing, mining, and mercantile corporations with respect to the legal decisions against them and the pervasiveness of immoral and corrupt business practices in the corporations (Friedrichs, 2007). Sutherlands research showed that 97% of the corporations were recidivists. That is, when they were caught and punished, they committed more crime. That compares to 50% or so of the individuals who commit new crime after being released from prison (Friedrichs, 2007 p. 2). In his book, Sutherland noted that corporate officials felt contempt for the law, and didnt want laws to be passed to control their harmful behavior; they didnt want the laws enforced and they didnt want to be punished personally if caught (Friedrichs, 2007). Although Sutherlands book and theories were seen as an important step in the right direction in terms of recognizing white collar crime and emphasizing the need for its enforcement, his theories did have some limitations. Among the shortcomings was his general label of white collar crime to all crimes concerning a corporation. Sutherland failed to differentiate between the crime done by white-collar employees against the corporation, and the crime done by the corporation acting as an individual company (Young, 1989). Friedrichs (2007) listed several other shortcomings: Sutherland overemphasized an individualistic framework (and social-psychological factors) and largely ignored social structural factors (e.g., capitalism, profit rates, and business cycles). He failed to make clear-cut distinctions among white collar crimes, and he did not adequately appreciate the influence of corporations over the legislative and regulatory processes. Which social developments may have contributed to a social movement against white collar crime, and which factors continue to act as constraints against any such movement? There have been a number of factors in the last century which have contributed to a social movement against white collar crime. The stock market crash of 1929 marked the start of the Great Depression and a renewed assault on the illegal activities of corrupt businesses, corporations, and politicians around the country. During this time of great suffering and unemployment by millions, the horrid business practices of many corporations were seen as being unethical. Many of these corporations formed their business models that were centered on profit at the expense of the workers, customers, and the country. Awareness of WCC and the public movement against it really came to the forefront again during the nineteen-seventies. The seventies saw a decline in public confidence of elected officials and businesses alike because of events such as the Vietnam War, the Watergate crimes of the Nixon White House, and some high-profile cases of corporate misconduct (Friedrichs, 2007). The biggest factor in my view, which has contributed to awareness and action against WCC, is the news media, and the Internet. Im not necessarily speaking of the nightly news shows of the networks which were the norm in the seventies, eighties, even into the mid-nineties. Im talking about the explosion of cable news and the Internet which provides 24 hr sources of news and information to the public. The round the clock pursuit by people to gather information on important topics and beat another network to the story has led to the uncovering and release of more important stories and information to the public than ever before. TV personalities and investigative shows such as Bill OReilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Dateline, and 60 minutes, and others make it their mission to uncover blatant abuses of power and illegal activity that can affect citizens around the country. These private citizens with the backing of their networks often uncover information that leads to criminal action taken against individuals, corporations, and politicians. The bottom line is that when citizens are made aware of the corruption and other abuses by powerful people or businesses, they have the power to (and often does) speak out. When citizens speak out, their elected officials should take note as should law enforcement. This chain of events is often the primary factor leading to arrests and convictions for acts of white collar crime and other similar instances of fraud, waste, and abuse. The advent of the Internet, cellular phones, and twenty-four hour cable news allows for instant access to information. People can talk, text, email, and fax information around the globe in an instant. The information flow allows us to search for nearly anything at anytime. This accessibility to information has made more people aware of the manner and frequency in which businesses, politicians, and others have abused their positions of trust and authority in order to gain financially at the expense of others. In the last decade alone the United States has seen some of the biggest companies come crashing down because of deceitful business practices designed to mislead the general public and help the company profit. Companies such as Enron, Adelphia, AOL/Time Warner, and WorldCom (to name a few) are prime examples of companies who have cooked their books to deceive consumers, investors, and the government (Patsuris, 2002). Despite the many factors which work against white collar crime, there will always be those corrupt individuals and companies who will seek to profit illegally through lies, deceit, and trickery. These powerful individuals use their wealth and positions of power to influence public officials into looking the other way or passing laws to benefit their interests. This is the biggest hindrance to stamping out white collar crime. The ability of the rich and powerful to corrupt public officials has and will continue to be the driving force which allows this type of illegal behavior to continue. Identify the principal agents who expose white collar crime in contemporary society. What factors motivate people to expose such crime, and what factors inhibit them from doing so? What specific policy measures can be adopted to encourage exposure of white collar crime? In regards to high level or corporate white collar crime the most likely method of exposure will come from an informer or whistle-blower from within the business or institution itself. Outside sources can contribute to investigations by uncovering or suspecting wrong doing. Often, these sources will come from the media, consumers, or concerned citizens. The informer will likely be an insider in the company who is involved in the criminal activity in some way. In return for their cooperation with law enforcement, the informer will likely seek compensation of one form or another, they may be given promises of leniency, immunity from prosecution, or a financial reward (Friedrichs, 2007). Another company insider who is a vital source of information to investigators is Whistle Blowers. These individuals are crucial sources of information needed for the detection, and ultimately the prosecution of many white collar crimes, especially when they are of the governmental and corporate varieties. Another common perpetrator of white collar crime and also important players in exposing it is through politicians and other elected officials. These officials are generally closely affiliated with business and community leaders who commit the majority of white collar crime, and as a result may be subject to the allure of money and power. Other sources which can be of assistance in uncovering instances of white collar crime are from the media, particularly investigative journalists. Investigative journalism can be a pain staking, time consuming, and expensive process. Because of the expense and resources necessary to conduct an in-depth investigation, many smaller newspapers or local television stations are reluctant or unable to undertake them (Friedrichs, 2007). Bigger TV networks or newspapers with strong financial backing and high subscribership or viewers are now the most likely people to break these stories of white collar criminals, particularly when they involve elected officials. There are a number of factors which ultimately govern a persons decision to expose their employers activities, or in many cases deter them from doing so. Some come forward because of their need for self-preservation, or for other altruistic reasons. They may be afraid they will be harmed either financially or physically due to the illegal actions of the person or company, or they can feel a moral sense to do what is right. The same logic holds true for not coming forward, due to fear of reprisal and potential for lost income, job, or physical retaliation or intimidation (Friedrichs, 2007). There can be a number of changes and improvements made to federal and state statutes in order to encourage people to come forward and expose acts of white collar crime. One of the most important and logical measures would be to provide financial protection for a person, because they will likely suffer greatly if they become an informant against their own company. They will likely have to quit their job or be let go. They will lose pay and put themselves and their family through a great deal of stress if the case is long and drawn out in court. I realize there are regulations in place that provide a whistleblower with a reward of a percentage of the judgment against a company or corporation (Friedrichs, 2007). These laws should be applied to many more cases and when possible the person providing the information should be subsidized during the trial to help them with their bills in return for their assistance. These are just a couple of the general ways in which people can be encourage d to come forward and expose white collar crime. What are some of the specific challenges in studying white collar crime relative to the study of conventional crime? Can white collar crime be studied scientifically, or does it require a different approach? White collar crime is much more difficult to study and investigate than traditional or conventional crime. WCC is generally not openly blatant like most conventional criminal activity. An officer can walk into a crime scene, see a badly beaten body and know with near certainty that a crime occurred. The same does not hold true if that same officer walks into an office and sees a man in a suit sitting at a desk typing on a computer. The effort necessary (in most cases) to discover then investigate instances of WCC are far greater than most traditional crimes. Among the many difficulties in studying WCC, is the most basic question: What exactly is white collar crime? WCC can include such a wide spectrum of actions and activities, encompassing different people, businesses, and physical areas that it is very difficult to define and uncover. Scholars studying WCC may choose to focus on one single aspect much like they would in a conventional crime; i.e. homicide investigator, vice, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This approach can lead to confusion and difficulty when attempting to study WCC. Another challenge in studying WCC is the access to research subjects, statistics, and support. Companies will likely be hesitant to allow a research project to be carried out on their company, unless the researcher can show them that it specifically benefits them and their organization. Statistics on WCC are difficult to come by because as Friedrichs (2007) stated there is no real white collar crime equivalent to uniform crime report data, which exist for conventional crime (p. 33). Researchers must obtain data from a number of sources and agencies then group it so the data can be studied. Finally, it will likely be difficult for a researcher to obtain support from their organization to conduct the WCC research. Large corporate structures and bureaucracies will likely feel that the study will hit too close to home and have some uneasiness when their support is requested (Friedrichs, 2007). Many of these groups are hesitant to lend their support because they feel the researcher will b end the data gathered to support their own preconceived notion and bias. The experiment, a method of exemplifying a positivistic or scientific approach, has to date seldom been used in the study of white collar crime (Friedrichs, 2007 p. 36). The classical experiments of setting specific variables vs. a control group do not necessarily apply when studying white collar crime. Experiments of free will and the effects of pressure from superiors or authority figures on a person or group in controlling their actions may have some usefulness in studying WCC. Critically evaluate the traditional, common claim that the general public perceives white collar crime to be less serious than conventional crime. What specific methodological questions can be raised about research on this question? Which specific factors have contributed to a growth in the perception that white collar crime is relatively serious? I feel that historically the general public at large views white collar crime as less serious because it is not as in your face as conventional crime. People have a fear of being robbed, assaulted, raped, or their children being kidnapped because these crimes are something tangible, they can see, feel, and be scared of. Most people do not wake up in the morning or walk down the street thinking; God please dont let a bad man manipulate his companys finances so they appear to have made billions more than they actually did. Most people do not think about the hidden harmful effects that respectable and powerful people can have on them and their lives. I do feel that the current reality is that white collar crime is as serious and can inflict as much if not more damage to all of us than conventional criminal activity. Each of us in our everyday lives feels the harmful effects of WCC, although many of us do not even realize we are suffering the results of these crimes. The impact of these crime are everywhere and they affect each of us, this reality is being felt now, perhaps more so than any time in our recent history. WCC has resulted in higher insurance premiums, extra money spent on security in the financial sector, bank fees, lost jobs, companies going bankrupt, higher prices of goods and services, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Over the years people have come to better understand the direct effects that all aspects of white collar crime have on them and their loved ones. Peoples lives can be turned upside down simply by a man in a shirt and tie taking a bribe then putting a check in a box to say a product is safe, when in reality it is not. I am 28 years old, in my lifetime I have seen numerous stories about recalls of defective or potentially dangerous products ranging from toys, cars, supplements, clothes, to laundry detergent. Many of these recalls are the results of people ignoring simple safety inspections and reports. Bernie Madoff stole billions of dollars from investors who thought they were investing with a respectable business man. Enron overstated their companies worth by more than $1.5 billion. They ultimately went bankrupt with many of their executives in prison and thousands of employees and investors losing their life savings (Net Industries, 2010). Cases such as these are prime examples of w hy the American public now view white collar crime as serious if not more so than conventional crime.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Information Privacy and Governance :: Personal Information, Privacy Law

A number of high profile organisations have been subjected to great reputational damage resulting from a proliferation of personal information breaches (Protecting Personal Information, 2010). Organisations have made substantial use of their customer's personal information without doing much to protect the information. Organisation's collecting personal information have had little impetus to consider the best privacy protection solutions and people have not done anything drastic to initiate such action (Loss of privacy is price one pays to live in online world, 2011). It may take strong government regulation to propel organisations in this direction (Loss of privacy is price one pays to live in online world, 2011) leading to the pending implementation of the Protection of Personal Information Bill (POPI) (POPI: Threat or opportunity, 2010:22) in South Africa. The POPI Bill will address the right to privacy enforcing stringent measures on all public and private entities in South Africa to ensure that the personal information of individuals is protected. The Law Commission’s findings revealed that privacy laws are lacking in South Africa, despite the fact that the right to privacy is enshrined in the Constitution (Theophanides, 2010). POPI will pave the way for the constitutional right to privacy and will regulate the manner whereby personal information is processed providing individuals with the authority to protect their personal information (Theophanides, 2010). To prepare for POPI compliance, organisations will have to initiate an organisation-wide privacy protection programme. A very interesting market development has been the rise of a privacy GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) market niche (Kim, 2010). The three keywords, Governance, Risk and Compliance that emanate from this current context are commensurate with GRC, one of the latest acronyms to embrace the financial world (Conte, 2007:62). This acronym GRC has infiltrated the business community over the last years (Racz et al., 2010a:106) and is an executive-level concern of many enterprises today (Krey et al., 2011:350). GRC is an integrated approach overseeing people, processes and technology in order to deliver stakeholder value while managing risk and complying with regulations and laws (Anand, 2010:57). Many organizations get their first experience of a GRC program when they begin to implement a privacy program because privacy is an enterprise issue that spans legal, IT, compliance and business operations (Privacy and GRC: What the New Ponemon Study and the GAPP is Telling us, 2011). The POPI Bill is not exclusively an IT or legal or a process or security issue but a combination of all of these (POPI: Threat or opportunity, 2010:22). Information Privacy and Governance :: Personal Information, Privacy Law A number of high profile organisations have been subjected to great reputational damage resulting from a proliferation of personal information breaches (Protecting Personal Information, 2010). Organisations have made substantial use of their customer's personal information without doing much to protect the information. Organisation's collecting personal information have had little impetus to consider the best privacy protection solutions and people have not done anything drastic to initiate such action (Loss of privacy is price one pays to live in online world, 2011). It may take strong government regulation to propel organisations in this direction (Loss of privacy is price one pays to live in online world, 2011) leading to the pending implementation of the Protection of Personal Information Bill (POPI) (POPI: Threat or opportunity, 2010:22) in South Africa. The POPI Bill will address the right to privacy enforcing stringent measures on all public and private entities in South Africa to ensure that the personal information of individuals is protected. The Law Commission’s findings revealed that privacy laws are lacking in South Africa, despite the fact that the right to privacy is enshrined in the Constitution (Theophanides, 2010). POPI will pave the way for the constitutional right to privacy and will regulate the manner whereby personal information is processed providing individuals with the authority to protect their personal information (Theophanides, 2010). To prepare for POPI compliance, organisations will have to initiate an organisation-wide privacy protection programme. A very interesting market development has been the rise of a privacy GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) market niche (Kim, 2010). The three keywords, Governance, Risk and Compliance that emanate from this current context are commensurate with GRC, one of the latest acronyms to embrace the financial world (Conte, 2007:62). This acronym GRC has infiltrated the business community over the last years (Racz et al., 2010a:106) and is an executive-level concern of many enterprises today (Krey et al., 2011:350). GRC is an integrated approach overseeing people, processes and technology in order to deliver stakeholder value while managing risk and complying with regulations and laws (Anand, 2010:57). Many organizations get their first experience of a GRC program when they begin to implement a privacy program because privacy is an enterprise issue that spans legal, IT, compliance and business operations (Privacy and GRC: What the New Ponemon Study and the GAPP is Telling us, 2011). The POPI Bill is not exclusively an IT or legal or a process or security issue but a combination of all of these (POPI: Threat or opportunity, 2010:22).

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Smoking Work Cited

English 103 November 7, 2012 Works Cited Bailey, William Everett. The Invisible Drug. Houston: Mosaic Publications, 1996. Print. William Bailey wrote this book on cigarettes with many views from doctors and other professional advisors to show the effects and complications from smoking cigarettes. This book had a lot of information from previous books the was further reviewed and more recent. However, because this book is from 1996 I used it for a place to start and find more information about the subject. Das , B. C. et al. Smoking And Cardiovascular Health: A Review Of The Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Prevention And Control Of Tobacco. †Ã‚  Indian Journal Of Medical Sciences  63. 11 (2009): 520-533. Academic Search Premier. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. From this journal I learned more about the direct risks from smoking cigarettes and how it increases the chances of getting some sort of cardiovascular disease. Also how smoking has been claimed to cause eleven percent of cardiovascular deaths. Haustein, K. O. Tobacco or Health? : Physiological and Social Damages Caused by Tobacco Smoking.Berlin: Springer, 2003. Print. This book gave me a lot of information about smoking and many statistics as well. It is an older book so it was a base and gave me a lot of information to further research for the rest of the project. It told me of all the organs and systems affected by smoking cigarettes so it was a good place to start. â€Å"Heart Disease Facts. †Ã‚  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. From this website I learned that nearly 20% of all deaths from heart disease in the U. S. re directly related to cigarette smoking. Coronary heart disease is the reason of death for over 616,000 people died of heart disease. I know this is a credible source because it is a government based site. Lemonick, Michael D. , Dan Cray, and Harlene Ellin. â€Å"The Other Lung Disease. †Ã‚  Timeà ‚  163. 16 (2004): 62-63. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. This article gave a lot of information about emphysema and lung cancer both. Lung  cancer is deadlier, it killed 150,000 Americans in 2000, while COPD killed  120,000, but COPD is more common in smokers and even non smokers by a long shot.Lung cancer is the number one killer because is it so hard to detect, by the time it is detected it is often too advanced to reverse. Emphysema is not reversible. â€Å"Lung Cancer. †Ã‚  Pub Med Health. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 24 Aug. 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. From this website I gained information on lung cancer and how cigarettes cause more than half of the diagnoses. Cigarettes contain chemicals that are known to cause cancer, including hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, arsenic, and ammonia. When inhaled, instantaneously your chances of getting lung cancer become higher. â€Å"National Cancer Institute.   Harms of Smoking and Health Benefits of Quitti ng. NCI, 25 Apr. 2012. Web. 1 Nov. 2012. From this website I learned that within the past year, roughly 226,160 cases of lung cancer have been diagnosed. Also in the past year lung cancer has caused 160,340 deaths. In doing the math, that’s over 50% of those who were diagnosed with lung cancer passed away. â€Å"NATIONAL EMPHYSEMA TREATMENT TRIAL. †Ã‚  NATIONAL EMPHYSEMA TREATMENT TRIAL. NETT, 20 May 2003. Web. 4 Nov. 2012. This website gave me most of my information on emphysema. I learned more about what it is and how smoking causes it.Emphysema is a condition in which the small bags in the lungs become filled with too much air, causing breathing difficulties and can lead to death. I know this is a reliable source because it is a government based site. RAMZI ZEMNI, et al. â€Å"Role Of CYP1A1 (T6235C) Polymorphism And Cigarette Smoking In The Development Of Coronary Heart Disease In Tunisian Population. †Ã‚  Journal Of Genetics  90. 2 (2011): 303-307. Academ ic Search Premier. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. From this academic journal I learned that while other things may cause coronary heart disease the main reason is from smoking cigarettes.I also got to view graphs and how certain people, depending on their lifestyle and how much they smoke, develop it fast or have more severe cases. Taraseviciene-Stewart, Laimute, and Norbert F. Voelkel. â€Å"Molecular Pathogenesis Of Emphysema. †Ã‚  Journal Of Clinical Investigation  118. 2 (2008): 394-402. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. As a cigarette is inhaled the toxins in a cigarette leave behind deposits of chemicals from the tobacco. These chemicals remain in the lung cavity and start the damaging lungs almost immediately, breaking the smaller bags and creating a fewer amount of larger bags in the lungs.While only fifteen to twenty percent of smokers develop emphysema smoking causes your chances of getting it to go up more than 85%. Tuder, Rubin M. , and Jeong H. Yun. â€Å"It Tak es Two To Tango: Cigarette Smoke Partners With Viruses To Promote Emphysema. â€Å"Journal Of Clinical Investigation  118. 8 (2008): 2689-2693. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. Emphysema is one form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) the fourth leading death in the world and still rising. Emphysema causes at least 100,000 deaths per year. â€Å"What Is Coronary Heart Disease?   NHLBI. N. p. , 23 Aug. 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Facts from this heart disease website show me that one in every four deaths is caused from a cardiovascular disease. Also that nearly half of cardiovascular diseases are caused by smoking cigarettes. I also read that Carbon monoxide and nicotine in the cigarettes cause the blood to clump together, making the blood more â€Å"sticky†, which makes blood more prone to clotting. The clumping platelets in your blood can block your coronary arteries that cause heart attacks, a trigger of Coronary heart disease.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Speak by Laurie Hale Anderson - Book Review

Speak by Laurie Hale Anderson - Book Review Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a multiple award winning book, but it is also listed by the American Library Association as one of the top 100 books challenged between 2000-2009. Every year several books are challenged and banned across the nation by individuals and organizations who believe the content of the books are inappropriate. In this review you will learn more about the book Speak, the challenges it has received, and what Laurie Halse Anderson  and others have to say about the issue of censorship.    Speak: The Story    Melinda Sardino is a fifteen year old sophomore whose life is dramatically and permanently changed the night she attends an end of summer party.   At the party Melinda is raped and calls the police, but doesn’t get the opportunity to report the crime. Her friends, thinking she called to bust the party, shun her and she becomes an outcast. Once vibrant, popular, and a good student, Melinda has become withdrawn and depressed. She avoids having to talk and doesn’t take care of her physical or mental health. All her grades start to slide, except her Art grade, and she begins to define herself by small acts of rebellion such as refusing to give an oral report and skipping school. Meanwhile, Melinda’s rapist, an older student, subtly taunts her at every opportunity. Melinda doesn’t reveal  the details of her experience  until one of her former friends begins to date the same boy who raped Melinda. In an attempt to warn her friend, Melinda writes an anonymous letter and then confronts the girl and explains what really happened at the party. Initially, the former friend refuses to believe Melinda and accuses her of jealousy, but later breaks up with the boy. Melinda is confronted by her rapist  who accuses her of destroying his reputation. He attempts to assault Melinda again, but this time she finds the power to speak and screams loudly enough to be heard by other students who are nearby.       Speak: The Controversy and the Censorship    Since its publication release in 1999 Speak has been challenged on its content about rape, sexual assault and suicidal thoughts. In September of 2010 one Missouri professor wanted the book banned from the Republic School District because he considered the two rape scenes â€Å"soft pornography.† His attack on the book elicited a media storm of responses including a statement from the author herself in which she defended her book. (Source: Laurie Halse Anderson’s Web site) The American Library Association listed Speak as number 60 in the top one hundred books to be banned or challenged between 2000 and 2009. Anderson knew when she wrote this story that it would be a controversial topic, but she is shocked whenever she reads about a challenge to  her book. She writes that Speak is about the emotional trauma suffered by a teen after a sexual assault and is not soft pornography. (Source: Laurie Halse Andersons Web site) In addition to Andersons defense of her book, her publishing company, Penguin Young Readers Group, placed a full page ad in the New York Times to support the author and her book. Penguin spokeswoman  Shanta Newlin stated, That such a decorated book could be challenged is disturbing.  (Source: Publishers Weekly Web site)    Speak: Laurie Halse Anderson and Censorship    Anderson reveals in many interviews that the idea for Speak came to her in a nightmare. In her nightmare a girl is sobbing, but Anderson did not know the reason until she started to write. As she wrote the voice of Melinda took shape and  began to speak.  Anderson felt compelled to tell Melindas story. With the success of her book (a National Award finalist and a Printz Honor Award) came the backlash of controversy and censorship. Anderson was stunned, but found herself in a new position to speak out against censorship. States Anderson, â€Å"Censoring books that deal with difficult, adolescent issues does not protect anybody. It leaves kids in the darkness and makes them vulnerable. Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance. Our children cannot afford to have the truth of the world withheld from them.† (Source:  Banned Books Blog) Anderson devotes a portion of her website to censorship issues and specifically addresses the challenges to her book Speak. She argues in defense of educating others about sexual assault and lists frightening statistics about young women who have been raped. (Source: Laurie Halse Andersons Web Site) Anderson is actively involved in national groups that battle censorship and book banning such as the ABFFE (American Booksellers for Free Expression), the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the Freedom to Read Foundation.    Speak: My Recommendation    Speak is a novel about empowerment and it is a book that every teen, especially teen girls, should read. There is a time to be quiet and a time to speak out, and on the issue of sexual assault, a young woman needs to find the courage to raise her voice and ask for help. This is the underlying message of Speak and the message Laurie Halse Anderson is trying to convey to her readers. It must be made clear that Melindas rape scene is a flashback and there are no graphic details, but implications. The novel is focused on the emotional impact of the act, and not the act itself. By writing Speak and defending its right to voice an issue, Anderson has opened the door for other authors  to write about real teen issues. Not only does this book deal with a contemporary teen issue, but its an authentic reproduction of the teen voice. Anderson deftly captures the high school experience and understands the teen view of cliques and what it feels like to be an outcast. I grappled with the age recommendations for some time because this is such an important book that needs to be read.  Its a powerful book for discussion and 12 is an age when girls are changing physically and socially. However, I realize that because of the mature content, every 12 year old may not be ready for the book. Consequently, I recommend it for ages 14-18 and, in addition, for those 12 and 13 year olds with the maturity to handle the topic. The publishers recommended ages for this book is 12 and up. (Speak, 2006.  ISBN: 9780142407325)

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Diversity of the Leisure Industry Essays

The Diversity of the Leisure Industry Essays The Diversity of the Leisure Industry Essay The Diversity of the Leisure Industry Essay This table shows the North of England participate in more reading, singing (13% compared to 10% in E England), dancing (11% compared to 10% in E England) and painting (12% compared to 9% in E England) than the East of England. This shows that the North of England has more creative tendencies. The only activity that is the same for both regions is watching TV at 99%  The East of England has many historical activities to participate in, such as abbeys, monasteries, castles, cathedrals, museums, historic houses, gardens and manors, whereas the North of England has more sport-based activities such as golf-clubs, stadiums, climbing centres, and surf schools. North England also holds the Great North Run. The East of England also holds sporting activities, although these differ from North England sporting activities, for example, horse riding and adventure parks. There is a difference between parts of Britain and their participation in active leisure. 62% of people who live in Scotland participate in active leisure 58% of people who live in England participate in active leisure and 57% of people who live in Wales participate in active leisure.  In the UK, the top five most popular active leisure activities are walking (with over 40% of the population participating), swimming (with over 30% of the population participating), keep-fit/yoga (with over 20% of the population participating), cycling (with over 20% of the population participating) and cue games (with over 18% of the population participating) The top 3 most popular passive activities in the UK are watching TV (with over 99% of the population participating), listening to the radio (with over 88% of the population participating) and reading books (with over 62% of the population participating).  Summary  The UK and Russia have very different climates and cultures, so therefore their leisure activities are also very different. Russia is a keen sporting country, successful in sports such as boxing and ice-skating, a sport which could rarely be done in the UK due to its climate. The UKs most popular sport is football, but also participates in rugby, cricket, tennis and golf. Russian residents also enjoy watching the theatre, whereas the UK has been more influential in the cinema.  Russia holds many celebratory events such as Music Spring, an international music festival, White Nights, where the last 10 days of June are celebrated with merriness and staying up late. A film festival is also held in odd-numbered years. A popular event is the Russian Winter Festival, celebrated in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Novgorod, from late December to early January. In the UK, the events are Guy Fawkes Night, Christmas, New Years, Halloween, St. Georges Day, St. Davids Day and various music festivals, such as Glastonbury.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Motorsport Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Motorsport - Research Paper Example These affected the event’s continual management. Large-scale sports events need effective management to avoid potential visitor’s impact on the communities and environment that locals reside. The  influences  can  either  be  direct or indirect and can infiltrate the relations in the community. Large-scale events like those found in motorsports are commonly known to be carried out among communities so as to attain a greater good. Hence the economic and promotional benefits overshadow the negative effects on the community. The research aims at exploring the social impacts of the World Rally Championships (WRC) 2009, in the State of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Kyogle Shire is one of the global locations for the World Rally Championships. The social impact study is a key aspect that forms a section of the triple bottom line approach that is desirable in the assessment of sporting events. After the realization of these negative impacts, governments, event managers, and community groups can appropriately minimize the negative impacts of future events. Further, they can leverage the benefits that are positive which are brought about to the community by events of this magnitude. The paper presents an examination of the social and cultural benefits and costs to a given rural community along the World Rally Community global route. Further, it proposes that social research for the future should be allowed in other locations of the events since cultural and social contexts and the physical environment whe re the event occurs differs significantly. The World Rally Championship is a motorsport event that is international. The Championship is staged yearly in twelve countries; it attracts approximately between eighty thousand and two hundred and ten thousand spectators to every single event (Hassan et al., 2009). The Championship being broadcasted in over two hundred and twenty-eight various countries

Friday, November 1, 2019

To be Determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

To be Determined - Essay Example Their joy therefore reflects their perfect and pure relationship they behold. The two lovers portray the fulfillment one gets in loving the partner. Porphyria is quite in love and even lacks words to express it to the lover. Later on, the lover finds out that she is much deep in love with him, when he says "at last I knew Porphyria worshipped me".{Browning}. In Rossetti's poem, the theme of love and passion has been explored in a unique manner. This is because the image of love and passion has taken two dimensions, such that the author is bringing out Kate's engagement as perfect and standing the test of time. While her cousin's is doomed after what she held precious is lost. She talks of leading a shameless shameful life and not even the neighbors have regard for her. This changes the theme to that of Hate because she rail against the fact that she was lured by wealth and would not have taken her love's hand when she knew that she would treat her like a rag and plaything. This purposefully reveals to us the sufferings one can be faced with when they fail in finding a true love that cares and values them. Rossetti's poem is therefore driving in some important message of love and suffering intertwined together. Such that not all love come to blossom especially if one is lured by wealth and not real love, i.e. if it's bought. Styles brought out In regard to the two poems, the major style explored is imagery. It is clearly brought out in the Browning's in which we are able to visualize the setting of the poem and even the passion shared by the two. The beach because we are told that she withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl. A clear picture is brought out when porphyria's lover gives a vivid description on the way his love blazes up a gloomy grate and warms up the cold lodge. This enough tells us how much she is of value to him. Imagery in Christina's poem is brought out through the woman who has been deserted by the lover. The suffering can be seen in her choice of regretful words. We are also able to see the kind of peaceful and lovely life her cousin Kate is leading with her love which was described as planted in sand yet hers was founded in great love and wealth. Imagery in this poem has also been portrayed through the use of metaphor and simile. She has indirectly compared Kate's love with writ in sand, "You love was writ in sand" {Rosssetti}.meaning that her love was not founded on a strong ground but later survived. She even refers to Kate as 'fret' to mean that she is simply a trouble. This shows how resentful she feels towards her cousin Kate for having succeeded in her relationship. There is also use of similes to directly compare a person or situation, for example. "He wore me like a silken knot" "He changed me like a glove" These two comparisons give us an idea about the value that was accorded to the woman by the lover. In that he manipulated her according to his desires and later on dumped her just like one can throw away a used useless glove. Therefore this style can be said to be laying a lot of emphasis on the theme of hate since the woman does not only hate the lover but also dislikes the cousin for having a good life. Besides, it's