Geriatrics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Geriatrics - Assignment Example search requires methods spanning the momentum of enquiry ranging from new concentrated studies to a multisite in evaluating the implementation of valid interventions and care models (Aldridge, 2013). The research employs sampling and analysis as the research techniques. Dyer et al. (2007) defines self-neglect as an individual’s inability to cater for his or her essential goods and services. The victims of this state are the elderly with major deficits in the physical, social, and functional life, in most cases predisposes to death. The research seeks to give a description of 538 cases of self-neglect findings by a previous survey conducted by an interdisciplinary geriatrics medicine team. The article provides data on demographic medication, use of medical diagnoses and the consequences of assessment of the geriatrics in a large sample (Dyer et al., 2007). The article validates the capability of ICECAP-O measure in the psycho-geriatric in nursing facility by comparing the capability performance by the unrestrained and the restrained individuals. ICECAP-O refers to ICEpop CAPability measure for older people, which asserts that services in the elderly wards mainly suffer from cases of advance dementia. However, evaluation of the challenge is a cost-effective analysis. The Makai at al. (2012) adds that geriatrics services impacts on life quality in a broad way such as constraining the elderly from some daily activities to limit self-injuries. The research sampled the elderly from the nursing homes to determine the validity of the ICECAP-O. The validity became successful by comparing restrained individuals to another group of non-restrained members, to deduce its impact on benefits beyond healthcare (Makai at al., 2012). The article reveals the impact of rural based geriatric services. The elderly living in the remote areas lack special geriatric care hence a rural clinic is essential for the provision of primary healthcare for such individuals. Even though the

Has Globalisation Made The World More Dangerous?

Has Globalisation Made The World More Dangerous? Currently the world grapples with the worst economic downturn in decades, a growing body of research suggests the complexity of the modern global economy may make us more vulnerable than ever to catastrophe. Globalisation has impacted societies around the world in both positive and negative ways. Despite positive changes in certain areas though, there are two significant factors that make the globalised (and globalising) world a more dangerous place with respect to the rise of non-State threats. The spread of information and technology greatly increases the risks associated with any given terrorist attack; and economic transformations related to globalisation have left large portions of society disenfranchised while increasing the polarisation of wealth. Furthermore, the globalisation of culture, economics and religion has been a main reason for the increase in non-state threats and violence carried out by insurgents. Since the emergence and expansion of globalisation in the 1990s, t he world has experienced increased problems. The proposed problems are; increased terrorist activity, gaps between religion and cultural ideologies widening, global financial systems being less stable, dangers of pandemic diseases increasing, and global climate change becoming a major danger. One has to explore the extent to which globalisation has created a situation in which non-State threats can thrive and affect a wider number of people, thus making the world a more dangerous place. Globalisation can be defined as the integration of economic, social and cultural relations across borders (CLARK, 1997), and Globalization is best understood as the creation of a variety of transboundary mechanisms for interaction that affect and reflect the acceleration of economic, political and security interdependence. (KAY, 2004: 10) The term non-State threats refers to groups and individuals such as ethnic militias, cults, organised crime and terrorism. (CHA, 2000) Although terrorism has no wid ely accepted definition it has come to mean the use of violence by small groups to achieve political change. (BAYLIS, SMITH, OWENS, 2008: 372) The relationship between non-State threats and globalisation is difficult to describe accurately, but it is inaccurate to suggest that globalisation is responsible for their rise, but technologies associated with globalisation have been exploited. Furthermore the economic transformations that have occurred due to globalisation have made it easier for terrorists to operate globally, communicate between one another and manoeuvre arms, and the breaking down of national territorial and trading boundaries also means that threat can travel further distances. The question asserts that there has been a rise in non-state threats. Indeed, the post cold war era has seen a rise of non-State forms of insurgency and violence, most notably in Mexico, Palestine, Bosnia, Somalia and Rwanda. Global Conflicts seem to be changing from wars between states to wars within them. Of the 89 conflicts between 1989 and 1992 only 3 were between states. These conflicts were seen to be non-State, post-ideological, and more devastating in terms of their human effects. Indeed the world has become a more dangerous place in the last twenty years. However, in order to make a judgement on whether globalisation has been the main cause, one has to assess the extent to which globalisation has helped increase the level of threat posed by non-state insurgency and the potential harm this can cause to the global population. Firstly, globalisation has made the world a more dangerous place as the technological advances associated with globalization have improved the capabilities of terrorist groups to plan and conduct operations with far more devastation and coordination. (BAYLIS, SMITH, OWENS, 2008: 378) The spread of technology, due to globalisation, has huge implications when considering the risk of any given terrorist attack. Globalisation has resulted in more trade, more connectivity, more markets, and more openness, and has therefore greatly enhanced the likelihood of any of a number of weapons of mass destruction, biological, chemical or nuclear, becoming accessible to terrorist groups. Today the potential harm that one terrorist attack can cause is staggering. Weaponry is more widely available in the modern day because they are far more easily bought, sold and transported. Advances in technology have contributed to The mobility of ideas, capital, technology, and people (WEBBER, BARMA, KROENIG, RAT NER, 2007: 50). Therefore non-Sate threats of the present day have a far greater capacity to cause harm globally due the advancement of world communications, transport and other technology. Todays international terrorism owes much to globalisation. Al Qaeda uses the internet to transmit messages, it uses credit cards and modern banking to move money and it uses cell phones and laptops to plot attacks. Globalisation has also empowered terrorist groups as it has allowed an un-censored increase in the volume, range and sophistication of propaganda materials. (BAYLIS, SMITH, OWENS, 2008) An example of this can be seen from 1997 when a website posted the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movements communiquà ©s and videos during the seizure of the Japanese embassy in Lima. Furthermore, the terrorist organisation, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, has a website that promotes the group as internationally accepted and that they are committed to conflict resolution. Any computer can be used for propaganda purposes, such as with the printing of leaflets, and globalisation has allowed its influence to reach the furthest corners of the Earth. This has made the world more dangerous as the harmful ideals and objectives of terrorists can be spread with ease, and are more accessible to the general public, through the internet, video and various other methods. The technological advancement brought on by globalisation has also meant non-state threats like terrorists can mount co-ordinated attacks, from various areas, in different countries. (BAYLIS, SMITH, OWENS, 2008) The London Underground bombings in July 2005, the Madrid bombings in March 2004 are but two examples. Extremist, fundamentalist groups, terrorists, criminals, and drug smugglers have been enhanced by the globalisation of technology and information. (CHA, 2000) Technologies including hand held phones and radios have allowed insurgents to operate independently and at substantial distances from one another. For example the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard ensures that any compliant phone will work anywhere in the world where a GSM network has been established. Therefore insurgents can conduct attacks in locations that are geographically separated by large distances. The improvement in global communications brought on by globalisation has certainly aided mil itant Islamic non-State threats as they appear presently to have global depth, power, and reach. For example, the 9/11 hijackers utilized cheap and readily available pre-paid phone cards to communicate between cell leaders and senior leadership and, according to at least one press account, coordinated final attack authorization prior to the jets taking off from different locations. (BAYLIS, SMITH, OWENS, 2008: 380) Moreover, to a certain extent, terrorism has become much harder to counter due to globalisation because groups such as the Islamic fundamentalists have developed into a virtual global community rather than a hierarchical organisation with fixed training camps and headquarters. Various measures have been put in place for privacy on the internet such as passwords and the development of 64 and 128 bit encryption software which is tough to crack. Threatening Non-State groups are fairly well protected in their virtual community. Therefore, not only have technological advanceme nts, spread throughout the world by the process of globalisation, allowed terrorists to co-ordinate with more efficiency, but they have provided more security for non-State threatening actors as well. Terrorist groups have been able to leverage technological developments designed to shield a users identity from unauthorized commercial or private exploitation (GUNARATNA, 2002: 35). Globalisation has also helped Non-State threats of the present day have incredible mobility and what is more frightening is their potential lethality as well. Globalisation has made the crossing of international boundaries far easier. In recent years terrorists have been able to move rapidly between borders, making efforts to track them very complicated. Global commerce has been expanded hugely and this has helped increase the mobility of non-State threats. The volume of air travel and goods that pass through ports has increased exponentially through globalization (BAYLIS, SMITH, OWENS, 2008). The expanding global system of markets has meant border security measures have been relaxed in many areas. Moreover, demands for the efficient supply, manufacture and delivery of goods has made life more difficult for Sates to prevent terrorists exploiting gaps in security measures, which were originally created to deter illegal activity. An increase in mobility has also made it easier for thre atening non-State groups to transfer expertise between one another, and it has become easier for terrorist groups to establish operational bonds with their counterparts and sponsors across the world. Such collaboration flourished in the 1990s, and members of the international terrorism community are believed to have trained in many countries such as Afghanistan; Bosnia-Herzegovina; Chile; Colombia; Iran; Iraq; Libya; Mexico; North Korea; Pakistan; Sudan; Syria; and Turkey. Moreover globalisation has increased the potential lethality of non-State threats. Globalization may allow some terrorist groups to acquire, manufacture, and use weapons of mass destruction in order to conduct catastrophic attacks. (BAYLIS, SMITH, OWENS, 2008: 382) Since the end of the cold war we have been given reason believe that attacks in the future by threatening non-State groups may involve weapons of mass destruction. For example, evidence recovered in Afghanistan in 2001 outlined plans by Al Qaeda to prod uce and test biological and chemical weapons. Globalisation has facilitated access to weapons as opportunities to transport weaponry internationally have grown substantially with the opening of markets and increased trade associated with a globalising world. It has greatly enhanced the likelihood of threatening non-State actors gaining possession of weapons of mass destruction, and therefore there has been a substantial increase in the harmful potential that modern day terrorist attack entails. The breaking down of national trade barriers and the move towards a global free market by globalisation has certainly aided non-State threats. Globalisation is coupled with an ideology of free markets and free trade and a decline in state intervention. (SHELLEY, 2006) The opening of markets has its global benefits but it can also aid terrorists as it has increased their capability to organise and strike globally. The 9/11 attacks are the best example as it was the heart of the US that got struck, which is a fair distance from the Al Qaeda heartland in the Middle East. Globalisation has made the transfer of money across borders literally instantaneous, and opportunities to transport weapons internationally have grown substantially with the opening of markets and increased trade associated with a globalising world. (LI, QUAN, SCHAUB, 2006) The acceleration of trade between states, has resulted in the establishment of Multi-National Corporations (MNCs), and has thus instituted transnati onal organisations that operate by their own rules and regulations rather than that of the governments. The creation of transnational organisations has facilitated trade with less government intervention and this has supported the boom of illicit trade as there are fewer regulations from the government to check the system. Furthermore, the rise in illegal trade of drugs and arms has made it easier for terrorists to fund their organisations and broaden it. As a result of this illicit trade, today terrorism has, in a sense, become a transnational organisation that cannot be easily checked and corrected by the government. Thus terrorists pose more threat to a greater number of people due to globalisation. The current wave of international terrorism, characterised by unpredictable and unprecedented threats from non-state actors, not only is a reaction to globalisation but is facilitated by it. (CRONIN, 2002) A relevant example for this would be resurgence of Al Qaeda and regrouping of T aliban, both labelled as terrorist organizations, funded with cash from heroin trade. (SHANTY, 2008) Globalisation has also made the world more dangerous by creating a system in which international crime, a form of non-State threat, can prosper. Transnational criminals are major beneficiaries of globalisation. Terrorists and criminals move people, money, and commodities through a world where the increasing flows of people, money, and commodities provide excellent cover for their activities. Both terrorists and transnational crime groups have globalised to reach their markets, to perpetuate their acts, and to evade detection (SHELLEY, 2006), thus making the world essentially more dangerous. Globalisation advocates the reduction of international regulations and barriers to trade and investment in order to increase trade and development. However, it is these conditions of a globalised environment that are crucial to the expansion of crime, as the decline in regulations have been exploited and has provided criminals with greater freedom. Transnational crime groups have been able to exte nd their reach by exploiting loopholes of state based legal systems. They travel to regions where they cannot be extradited, base their operations in countries with ineffective or corrupt law enforcement, and launder their money in countries with bank secrecy or few effective controls. By segmenting their operations, both criminals and terrorists reap the benefits of globalization, while simultaneously reducing their operational risks. (SHELLEY, 2006: WEB) Furthermore, globalisation has resulted in global trade increasing enormously, meaning there has been a larger flow of legitimate commodities but also an increase in illicit merchandise. Essentially the world has become more dangerous as globalisation has facilitated the movement of drugs, arms and contraband; which can in turn be used to generate profit for illegal non-State organisations. The drug trade was the first illicit sector to maximise profits in a globalised world. However, as the market for drugs became more competitiv e and law enforcement responses increased, the risk became greater meaning criminals have subsequently sought to benefit financially from other operations like arms trafficking and trade in people. A major service industry has also developed to serve all forms of transnational criminals (SHELLEY, 2006: WEB). For example, providers of false documentation and money launderers such as Riggs Bank in Washington D.C which was prosecuted for laundering money for the dictator of Equatorial Guinea. Overall globalisation has had quite a profound effect on the international criminal community. It has created a situation in which it is easier to prosper from illicit activities, and thus the world is worse off for it. Globalisation is seen by many in todays world as an invasion of different cultures by western (predominantly American) products and materialism. Therefore violence has been sighted by many non-State actors as the only method to preserve certain traditions and values from Americanisation. Western secular, materialist values are increasingly rejected by those seeking to regain or preserve their own unique cultural identity. (BAYLIS, SMITH, OWENS, 2008) Therefore the world may have become a more dangerous place as the process of globalisation, which is viewed by many as a silent American invasion of western ideals and goods, has and will continue to provoke violent reactions throughout the globe. Since the 1990s there have been many social changes due to globalisation, and the spread of free market capitalism appears to overwhelm the identity or values of certain groups. As the new globally connected system is not to the liking of many people, cultural friction may translate into confli cts divided along religious or ethnic lines to preserve cultural identity. Furthermore, economic transformations related to globalisation have left large portions of society disenfranchised while increasing the polarisation of wealth. As Sandbrook and Romano point out, in the era of globalisation, [Economic] inequality has risen in most countries, and in many cases sharply. (SANDBROOK, ROMANO, 2006: 107) Certain fringe groups have suffered terribly from the economic impact of globalisation. Other classes amongst society may have much to gain but the sense of deprivation of those who dont may become a powerful motivator for violence, and globalisation has left out those who pose the greatest threat. The western post-industrial states of the global North dominate international economic institutions such as the World Bank, set exchange rates, and determine global fiscal policies (BAYLIS, SMITH, OWENS, 2008). These actions can often be unfavourable to underdeveloped countries, and provide motivation for many in the global South to shift loyalties to illegal act ivities such as terrorism. Globalisation has provided access to a world market for goods and services, but this has often been perceived as a form of western economic imperialism, and thus can also motivate violence. Globalisation is widely believed to have had a generally positive impact on global economic growth, but the effect of globalisation on employment and the distribution of incomes have been intensely debated in recent years. It does create pressures leading to increased inequality in some countries and the need for structural adjustment in all. Therefore, many in the under-developed world have little opportunity to obtain wealth locally, and this has in turn caused mass emigration to urban centres. However movement is no guarantee of success, and in this case individuals may turn to violence for political or criminal reasons. In conclusion, globalisation has provided threatening non-State actors with a number of benefits. It has improved the technical capabilities of terrorists and given them global reach, and has created a system in which crime has become far more international. Moreover, globalisation has been seen by many as a western intrusion of other cultures and religions which has motivated violence. Essentially all these factors have certainly made the world a more dangerous place. However, in the era of the Cold War before globalisation took its largest strides, a war between the USA and the USSR had the potential to harm nearly everyone on the planet. This is something terrorists, ethnic militias, and global criminals can never achieve despite now having global reach. The potential threat posed pre-globalisation was greater than that of non-State threats of the present day. On the other hand the Cold War did not harm many at all whereas international terrorism now is causing problems all over t he globe. The world may indeed be more dangerous due to the increased powers of non-State threats thanks to globalisation, but the actual danger of new international terrorist networks to the regimes of stable states in the developed world, but also in Asia, remains negligible. Horrifying though the carnage of 9/11 was in New York, it left the international power of the US and its internal structures completely unaffected. (HOBSBAWN, 2008) Terrorism has advanced due to globalisation and has the potential to cause global harm but it can never challenge the existing world order. Globalisation has resulted in both criminals and terrorists developing transnational networks, dispersing their activities, their planning, and their logistics across several continents, and thereby confounding the state-based legal systems that are used to combat non-State transnational aggressors in all their permutations. Threatening non-State groups are major beneficiaries of globalisation. Terrorists and criminals move people, money, and commodities through a world where the increasing flows of people, money, and commodities provide excellent cover for their activities. Both terrorists and transnational crime groups have globalised to reach their markets, to perpetuate their acts, and to evade detection. Therefore, the world has indeed become more dangerous, to a certain extent, as globalisation has created a system in which threatening non-State actors can operate with more organisation and ease; and the consequences are that damage can be caused all over the modern day world.

Adam smith :: Essays Papers

Adam smith Adam Smith, (1776), of the division of labor According to Adam Smith, economic growth is rooted in the increasing division of labor and the specialization of the labor force by the breaking down of large jobs into many little ones. Under this regime, each worker becomes an expert in one area of production and workers do not have to switch tasks during the day. This will increase efficiency by saving time and money. Smith illustrates his theory very well with an example of the production pins. He says that an individual could not make as many pins as he or she could produce concentrating on a single operation of its manufacture. Smith tells us that there are three reasons for this: First, the individual has improved dexterity in concentrating on a single task; Second, there is a disadvantage of expanding time changing from one task to another and third, the machines used are designed in a way to perform their task quickly and efficiently for that particular function. Adam smith's division of labor theory was very useful and was introduced into the factories of the 19th century with the assembly line technology. Almost any factory in our days considers the division of labor as a key element for efficiency and for increasing productivity. In the assembly lines of car factories for example, one worker or robot is specialized in assembling the interior, another is responsible for placing the engine, and a third is specialized with the installation of the gear box. However, one should not ignore the disadvantages of this theory. Adam Smith's theory considers men as robots and expects them to do the same task for their whole life. Adam smith :: Essays Papers Adam smith Adam Smith, (1776), of the division of labor According to Adam Smith, economic growth is rooted in the increasing division of labor and the specialization of the labor force by the breaking down of large jobs into many little ones. Under this regime, each worker becomes an expert in one area of production and workers do not have to switch tasks during the day. This will increase efficiency by saving time and money. Smith illustrates his theory very well with an example of the production pins. He says that an individual could not make as many pins as he or she could produce concentrating on a single operation of its manufacture. Smith tells us that there are three reasons for this: First, the individual has improved dexterity in concentrating on a single task; Second, there is a disadvantage of expanding time changing from one task to another and third, the machines used are designed in a way to perform their task quickly and efficiently for that particular function. Adam smith's division of labor theory was very useful and was introduced into the factories of the 19th century with the assembly line technology. Almost any factory in our days considers the division of labor as a key element for efficiency and for increasing productivity. In the assembly lines of car factories for example, one worker or robot is specialized in assembling the interior, another is responsible for placing the engine, and a third is specialized with the installation of the gear box. However, one should not ignore the disadvantages of this theory. Adam Smith's theory considers men as robots and expects them to do the same task for their whole life.

Reviewing Films Depicting Supremacy of Artificial Intelligence Essay

There is without a shadow of a doubt that we are now living in a time when there is almost nothing we cannot accomplish. The outbreak of high technology all around the world is soaring, and day by day, improvements on what is already highly intelligent devices are being developed. From computers, to cellular phones, to MP3 players, everything has been made accesible to man. Because of this technology, man can bask in his creations and marvel at the genius that he has invented through the years. Half a decade ago, today’s technology wouldn’t have even been deemed as possible. Yesteryear’s most advanced technological developers probably wouldn’t have even dreamed of the possibilities of what we now have today. But such is the development of the human mind: our intelligence is further developing and increasing, being able to establish new concepts and ideas to be used for our own benefits. Indeed, with this highly advanced technology, we are further establishing ourselves as the dominant species of the planet. For us, we are in charge of our own destinies, and no species of another kind can tell us otherwise. But one is lead to ponder about the marvels of our own creations. What if the articifial intelligence we created were able to evolve themselves? What if these computers suddenly became self-aware, and starts acknowledging its own existence? It is true that we are the one who controls the technology, but what if the technology were able to control itself? If it became self-aware, what if, all of a sudden, it starts to refuse to follow its human creators? And if not the computers themselves, what if one person controlling these technologies started using them for their own ulterior motives? With our main defenses relying on technological advances, what if these advances were suddenly used against us? Would the humans still be able to lay its claim as the rulers of the earth when a something else establishes themselves as more intelligent and dominant? Such is the fear that some of us have: the fear of having our own technology turned against us. We fear the idea that perhaps someday, these computers that we have in our homes would become intelligent enough to start recognizing its own existence. In the early nineties, technophobia became rampant among the adults, although this fear was largely based on the misconceptions on computers being too overly complicated. Still, for some people, the advancements in technology is reason for them to be cautious about our own inventions. Creating Technopobia in Movies Since early in the 1980s, there have been a string of movies depicting highly advanced technology being used woefully and without any regard towards others. These movies often show state-of-the-art gadgets or creations, which are used against the protagonists to further cause ruin and devastation. Oftentimes these gadgets are used for the wrong reasons, and with its infinite possibilities, it creates the fear that maybe what we have created may not be totally beneficial to us, and could possibly create more harm than help in the long run. Perhaps the most popular among the movies that came out during the eighties that depicted this theme was the 1984 movie Terminator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a human cyborg sent back in time. In the future, Skynet, a computer system fights a losing war against the humans who built it, and who it nearly exterminated. Just before being destroyed, Skynet sends a Terminator back in time to kill Sarah, the mother to be of John Connor, the Leader of the human resistance. The terminator can pass for human, is nearly indestructible, and has only one mission: killing Sarah Connor. One soldier is sent back to protect her from the killing machine. He must find Sarah before the Terminator can carry out it’s mission (MGM. com). This movie portrays Skynet as a super computer, one that is capable to making decisions for itself. The super computer becomes self-aware, and recognizes the human race as a threat to its existence. It therefore wages a war against all of mankind, which almost led to the anniliation of the entire planet. In 1998, the movie ‘Enemy of the State’ provided a different insight on abusing highly advanced technology. Robert Dean, the main character of the story, is just a successful and gutsy labor lawyer when he runs into an old college friend who was a big hurry. Unknown to him, that friend secretly drops a disc and viewer containing footage of a political assassination overseen by the senior advisor to the National Security Agency. Unfortunately, that politician soon learns what Dean has in his possession and secretly uses the vast resources of the NSA to find, investigate and stop him before he goes public. Soon, Dean finds himself on the run, with his assests frozen, his loved ones watched and actively hunted by NSA agents using all the survellience technology they have available. Not knowing what is going, Dean must stay one step ahead while trying to figure out the cause of this mess (Yahoo! Movies). This movie dwells on the idea of government surveillance and the invasion of our personal privacy by the government. We see from the movie that these technological advances could be easily used against us, and just as it could make our lives easier, it could also make it extremely difficult. We also find that if technology were to be used the wrong way, then those in power could have a commanding control over our very lives. Another movie that depicted computers going against humans was the highly acclaimed ‘The Matrix’. Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives: by day he is an average computer programmer and by night a malevolent hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines which live off of their body heat and imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents, super powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion (Whatisthematrix. com). The movie is almost identical to the concept of the Terminator, in which there is a computer mind that becomes self-aware of its own existence. Knowing that it has the power of technology, it sees the human race as disposable, and decides to take over and control the entire world. When Neo met Morpheus, he was awakened to the fact that they were being used by the computer systems as mere batteries to continue sustaining their own power. And it was up to them to reawaken the rest of the world from this nightmare that is the Matrix. The Fear of Control What these three films had in common was theme of technology taking over the human lives. The films shared similar highly advanced technology that in one way was very helpful, but at the other end caused problems that were catastrophic. This is what we are afraid of; that maybe perhaps at some point, our own creations would backfire on us and cause a lot of harm towards society, and it would perhaps be unstoppable when it happens. Perhaps what motivates the persistence of these kinds of themes is the fact that we all know that this fantasy that they try to present could and might become possible in the future. Fifty or so years ago, our technology today wasn’t even thought of as possible. A lot of things are being developed today that our predescessors couldn’t have possibly dreamed of back in the day. Nowadays, the sky is the limit. The human race is making every dream come to life, developing newer and better technology every single day. So deep inside, we know that this threat of computers taking over is not a long shot. We see that perhaps someday, artificial intelligence would become this advanced as to be self-aware. And if this happens, what’s gonna stop them from taking over the world and eliminating the human race? In terms of humans going against fellow humans using technology, we ourselves could be comparable to this technology. Donna Haraway mentions how we are like the cyborgs, which are both part machine and part organism. She further states: In short, we are cyborgs. The cyborg is our ontology; it gives us our politics. The cyborg is a condensed image of both imagination and material reality, the two joined centres structuring any possibility of historical transformation. In the traditions of â€Å"Western† science and politics—the tradition of racist, male- dominant capitalism; the tradition of progress; the tradition of the appropriation of nature as resource for the productions of culture; the tradition of reproduction of the self from the reflections of the other—the relation between organism and machine has been a border war (Harraway, 516). With the peer-to-perr capabilities of networked computer communication today, it is likely to have a major impact on both the film and music business. Depending on how this technology is used, it could have either a postive or negative effect on these industries. Everything could be made easier with technology, films and music could be produced with relative ease, and everything to be made more accesible. On the other hand, changing the sytems could mean doing things a lot different, which could cause a chain reaction among those who are involved. Business could be done more efficiently, but it could leave people out of jobs. Human work might be replaced by much more efficient computers doing their jobs, and that could have an effect on the economy of the country. Looking back, technology has certainly come along way since back in the old days, when all of this conveniences didn’t exist. It is easy to picture people being intimidated by these advancements, due to its infinite potential. Depending on how it is used, it could be very good for all of us, or it could be catastrophic to all. Only time will tell whether these technological improvements would come back to haunt us in the long run. Works Cited Enemy of the State. Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 3 June 2008 from http://movies. yahoo. com/shop? d=hv&cf=info&id=1800021531 Haraway, Donna. â€Å"A Cyborg Manifesto. † The New Media Reader (1985). pp. 515-541. The Matrix Trilogy. Whatisthematrix. com. Retrieved 3 June 2008 from http://whatisthematrix. warnerbros. com/ The Terminator. MGM. com. Retrieved 3 June 2008 from http://www. mgm. com/title_title. php? title_star=TERMINAT

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 13

Fred raised an eyebrow and relaxed just slightly. I glanced behind us. What had Riley been looking at? Nothing had changed – just some family pictures of dead people, a smal mirror, and a cuckoo clock. Hmm. Was he checking the time? Maybe our creator had given him a deadline, too. â€Å"‘Kay, guys, I'm going out,† Riley said. â€Å"You don't have to be afraid today, I promise.† The light burst into the basement through the open door, magnified – as only I knew – by Riley's skin. I could see the bright reflections dance on the wal . Hissing and snarling, my coven backed into the corner opposite from Fred's. Kristie was in the very back. It looked like she was trying to use her gang as a kind of shield. â€Å"Relax, everybody,† Riley cal ed down to us. â€Å"I am absolutely fine. No pain, no burn. Come and see. C'mon!† No one moved closer to the door. Fred was crouched against the wal beside me, eyeing the light with panic. I waved my hand a tiny bit to get his attention. He looked up at me and measured my total calm for a second. Slowly he straightened up next to me. I smiled encouragingly. Everyone else was waiting for the burn to start. I wondered if I had looked that sil y to Diego. â€Å"You know,† Riley mused from above, â€Å"I'm curious to see who is the bravest one of you. I have a good idea who the first person through that door is going to be, but I've been wrong before.† I rol ed my eyes. Subtle, Riley. But of course it worked. Raoul started inching his way toward the stairs almost immediately. For once, Kristie was in no hurry to compete with him for Riley's approval. Raoul snapped his fingers at Kevin, and both he and the Spider-Man kid reluctantly moved to flank him. â€Å"You can hear me. You know I'm not fried. Don't be a bunch of babies! You're vampires. Act like it.† Stil, Raoul and his buddies couldn't get farther than the foot of the stairs. None of the others moved. After a few minutes, Riley came back. In the indirect light from the front door, he shimmered just a tiny bit in the doorway. â€Å"Look at me – I'm fine. Seriously! I'm embarrassed for you. C'mere, Raoul!† In the end, Riley had to grab Kevin – Raoul ducked out of the way as soon as he could see what Riley was thinking – and drag him upstairs by force. I saw the moment when they made it into the sun, when the light brightened from their reflections. â€Å"Tel them, Kevin,† Riley ordered. â€Å"I'm okay, Raoul!† Kevin cal ed down. â€Å"Whoa. I'm al †¦ shiny. This is crazy!† He laughed. â€Å"Wel done, Kevin,† Riley said loudly. That did it for Raoul. He gritted his teeth and marched up the stairs. He didn't move fast, but soon he was up there sparkling and laughing with Kevin. Even from then on, the process took longer than I would have predicted. It was stil a one-by-one thing. Riley got impatient. It was more threats than encouragement now. Fred shot me a look that said, You knew this? Yes, I mouthed. He nodded and started up the stairs. There were stil about ten people, mostly Kristie's group, huddled against the wal . I went with Fred. Better to come out right in the middle. Let Riley read into that what he would. We could see the shining, disco-bal vampires in the front yard, staring at their hands and each other's faces with rapt expressions. Fred moved into the light without slowing, which I thought was pretty brave, al things considered. Kristie was a better example of how wel Riley had indoctrinated us. She clung to what she knew regardless of the evidence in front of her. Fred and I stood a little space from the others. He examined himself careful y, then looked me over, then stared at the others. It struck me that Fred, though real y quiet, was very observant and almost scientific in the way he examined evidence. He'd been evaluating Riley's words and actions al along. How much had he figured out? Riley had to force Kristie up the stairs, and her gang came with her. Final y we al were out in the sun, most people enjoying how very pretty they were. Riley rounded everyone up for one more quick practice session – mostly, I thought, to get them to focus again. It took them a minute, but everyone started to realize that this was it, and they got quieter and more fierce. I could see that the idea of a real fight – of being not only al owed but encouraged to rip and burn – was almost as exciting as hunting. It appealed to people like Raoul and Jen and Sara. Riley focused on a strategy he'd been trying to dril into them for the last few days – once we'd pinpointed the yel oweyes' scent, we were going to divide in two and flank them. Raoul would charge them head-on while Kristie attacked from the side. The plan suited both their styles, though I wasn't sure if they were going to be able to fol ow this strategy in the heat of the hunt. When Riley cal ed everyone together after an hour of practice, Fred immediately started walking backward toward the north; Riley had the others facing south. I stayed close, though I had no idea what he was doing. Fred stopped when we were a good hundred yards away, in the shade of the spruce trees on the fringe of the forest. No one watched us move away. Fred was eyeing Riley, as if waiting to see if he would notice our retreat. Riley began speaking. â€Å"We leave now. You're strong and you're ready. And you're thirsty for it, aren't you? You can feel the burn. You're ready for dessert.† He was right. Al that blood hadn't slowed the return of the thirst at al . In fact, I wasn't sure, but I thought it might be coming back faster and harder than usual. Maybe overfeeding was counterproductive in some ways. â€Å"The yel ow-eyes are coming in slowly from the south, feeding along the way, trying to get stronger,† Riley said. â€Å"She's been monitoring them, so I know where to find them. She's going to meet us there, with Diego† – he cast a significant glance toward where I'd just been standing, and then a quick frown that disappeared just as quickly – â€Å"and we wil hit them like a tsunami. We wil overwhelm them easily. And then we wil celebrate.† He smiled. â€Å"Someone's going to get a jump on the celebration. Raoul – give me that.† Riley held out his hand imperiously. Raoul reluctantly tossed him the bag with the shirt. It seemed like Raoul was trying to lay claim to the girl by hogging her scent. â€Å"Take another whiff, everybody. Let's get focused!† Focused on the girl? Or the fight? Riley himself walked the shirt around this time, almost like he wanted to make sure everyone was thirsty. And I could see from the reactions that, like me, the burn was back for them al . The scent of the shirt made them scowl and snarl. It wasn't necessary to give us the scent again; we forgot nothing. So this was probably just a test. Just thinking about the girl's scent had venom pooling in my mouth. â€Å"Are you with me?† Riley bel owed. Everyone screamed his or her assent. â€Å"Let's take them down, kids!† It was like the barracuda again, only on land this time. Fred didn't move, so I stayed with him, though I knew I was wasting time I needed. If I were going to get to Diego and pul him away before the fighting could start, I would need to be near the front of the attack. I looked after them anxiously. I was stil younger than most of them – faster. â€Å"Riley won't be able to think of me for about twenty minutes or so,† Fred told me, his voice casual and familiar, like we'd had a mil ion conversations in the past. â€Å"I've been gauging the time. Even a good distance away, he'l feel sick if he tries to remember me.† â€Å"Real y? That's cool.† Fred smiled. â€Å"I've been practicing, keeping track of the effects. I can make myself total y invisible now. No one can look at me if I don't want them to.† â€Å"I've noticed,† I said, then paused and guessed, â€Å"You're not going?† Fred shook his head. â€Å"Of course not. It's obvious we're not being told what we need to know. I'm not going to be Riley's pawn.† So Fred had figured it out on his own. â€Å"I was going to take off sooner, but then I wanted to talk to you before I left, and there hasn't been a chance til now.† â€Å"I wanted to talk to you, too,† I said. â€Å"I thought you should know that Riley's been lying about the sun. This four-day thing is a total crock. I think Shel y and Steve and the others figured it out, too. And there's a lot more politics going on with this fight than he's told us. More than one set of enemies.† I said it fast, feeling with terrible urgency the movement of the sun, the time passing. I had to get to Diego. â€Å"I'm not surprised,† Fred said calmly. â€Å"And I'm out. I'm going to explore on my own, see the world. Or I was going on my own, but then I thought maybe you might want to come, too. You'd be pretty safe with me. No one wil be able to fol ow us.† I hesitated for a second. The idea of safety was hard to resist in that exact moment. â€Å"I've got to get Diego,† I said, shaking my head. He nodded thoughtful y. â€Å"I get it. You know, if you're wil ing to vouch for him, you can bring him along. Seems like sometimes numbers come in handy.† â€Å"Yes,† I agreed fervently, remembering how vulnerable I'd felt in the tree alone with Diego as the four cloaks had advanced. He raised an eyebrow at my tone. â€Å"Riley is lying about at least one more important thing,† I explained. â€Å"Be careful. We aren't supposed to let humans know about us. There are some kind of freaky vampires who stop covens when they get too obvious. I've seen them, and you don't want them to find you. Just keep out of sight in the day, and hunt smart.† I looked south anxiously. â€Å"I have to hurry!† He was processing my revelations solemnly. â€Å"Okay. Catch up to me if you want. I'd like to hear more. I'l wait for you in Vancouver for one day. I know the city. I'l leave you a trail in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He thought for a second and then chuckled once. â€Å"Riley Park. You can fol ow it to me. But after twenty-four hours I'm taking off.† â€Å"I'l get Diego and catch up to you.† â€Å"Good luck, Bree.† â€Å"Thanks, Fred! Good luck to you, too. I'l see you!† I was already running. â€Å"I hope so,† I heard him say behind me. I sprinted after the scent of the others, flying along the ground faster than I'd ever run before. I was lucky that they must have paused for something – for Riley to yel at them, I was guessing – because I caught them sooner than I should have. Or maybe Riley had remembered Fred and stopped to look for us. They were running at a steady pace when I reached them, semidisciplined like last night. I tried to slide into the group without drawing attention, but I saw Riley's head flip around once to scan those trailing behind. His eyes zeroed in on me, and then he started running faster. Did he assume Fred was with me? Riley would never see Fred again. It wasn't five minutes later when everything changed. Raoul caught the scent. With a wild growl he was off. Riley had us so worked up that it took only the tiniest spark to set off an explosion. The others near Raoul had the scent, too, and then everyone went crazy. Riley's harping on this human had overshadowed the rest of his instructions. We were hunters, not an army. There was no team. It was a race for blood. Even though I knew there were a lot of lies in the story, I couldn't total y resist the scent. Running at the back of the pack, I had to cross it. Fresh. Strong. The human had been here recently, and she smel ed so sweet. I was strong with al the blood we'd drunk last night, but it didn't matter. I was thirsty. It burned. I ran after the others, trying to keep my head clear. It was al I could do to hold back a little, to stay behind the others. The closest person to me was Riley. He was†¦ holding back, too? He shouted orders, mostly the same thing repeated. â€Å"Kristie, go around! Move around! Split off! Kristie, Jen! Break off! † His whole plan of the two-pronged ambush was selfdestructing as we watched. Riley sped up to the main group and grabbed Sara's shoulder. She snapped at him as he hurled her to the left. â€Å"Go around!† he shouted. He caught the blond kid whose name I'd never figured out and shoved him into Sara, who clearly wasn't happy with that. Kristie came out of the hunting focus long enough to realize she was supposed to be moving strategical y. She gave one fierce gaze after Raoul and then started screeching at her team. â€Å"This way! Faster! We'l beat them around and get to her first! C'mon!† â€Å"I'm spear point with Raoul!† Riley shouted at her, turning away. I hesitated, stil running forward. I didn't want to be part of any â€Å"spear point,† but Kristie's team was already turning on each other. Sara had the blond kid in a headlock. The sound of his head tearing off made my decision for me. I sprinted after Riley, wondering if Sara would pause to burn the boy who liked to play Spider-Man. I caught up enough to see Riley ahead and fol owed at a distance until he got to Raoul's team. The scent made it hard to keep my mind on the things that mattered. â€Å"Raoul!† Riley yel ed. Raoul grunted, not turning. He was total y absorbed by the sweet scent. â€Å"I've got to help Kristie! I'l meet you there! Keep your focus!† I jerked to a stop, frozen with uncertainty. Raoul kept on, not showing any response to Riley's words. Riley slowed to a jog, then a walk. I should have moved, but he probably would have heard me try to hide. He turned, a smile on his face, and saw me. â€Å"Bree. I thought you were with Kristie.† I didn't respond.

The Presidency of FDR essays

The Presidency of FDR essays In 1932, Americans realized that they had an increasingly great financial problem on their hands, and tried to correct it by centralizing power. The President contained so much power that the nation almost became communism, especially with Roosevelt's introduction of the New Deal. When Franklin Roosevelt became President of the United States in 1933, the nation was in the depths of the worst depression it had ever experienced. President Roosevelt, a very energetic and enthusiastic person, inspired the people with his own confidence and faith in the future. He gathered a group of people sharing his views to help him, and provided food, clothing, and shelter for millions of unemployed Americans. This was part of what he called the New Deal, of which his three objectives were relief, recovery, and reform for American citizens. In another attempt at recovery, Congress attempted to revive the nation's agriculture and industry and place the economy in good position. They printed extra money to lend to industries that quickly paid it back. By 1933 nearly 14 million Americans were out of work. In response, the Roosevelt administration immediately launched what seemed at the time to be a wonderful program of direct relief. In two years, federal agencies distribute d three billion dollars to the states. However, the people unemployed wanted jobs, not welfare, thus the Works Progress Administration came into existence. This helped restore some of the lost jobs. By 1936, the New Deal program faced a large body of opposition, from within the Democratic Party itself. Many critics felt that the government was interfering too much with the free enterprise system, and was threatening individualism and democracy. This excess of power by Roosevelt is what is known as the Imperial Presidency. By the end of 1938, the opposition had become so strong that President Roosevelt decided to hold back other large reforms he ...

Feminist Literary Criticism Defined

Feminist Literary Criticism Defined Feminist literary criticism (also known as feminist criticism) is the literary analysis that arises from the viewpoint of feminism, ​feminist theory, and/or feminist politics. Critical Methodology A feminist literary critic resists traditional assumptions while reading a text. In addition to challenging assumptions which were thought to be universal, feminist literary criticism actively supports including womens knowledge in literature and valuing womens experiences. The basic methods of feminist literary criticism include: Identifying with female characters: By examining the way female characters are defined, critics challenge the male-centered outlook of authors. Feminist literary criticism suggests that women in literature have been historically presented as objects seen from a male perspective.Reevaluating literature and the world in which literature is read: By revisiting the classic literature, the critic can question whether society has predominantly valued male authors and their literary works because it has valued males more than females. Embodying or Undercutting Stereotypes Feminist literary criticism recognizes that literature both reflects and shapes stereotypes and other cultural assumptions.  Thus, feminist literary criticism examines how works of literature embody patriarchal attitudes or undercut them, sometimes both happening within the same work. Feminist theory and various forms of feminist critique began long before the formal naming of the school of literary criticism. In so-called first-wave feminism, the Womans Bible, written in the late 19th century by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, is an example of a work of criticism firmly in this school, looking beyond the more obvious male-centered outlook and interpretation. PhotoQuest / Getty Images During the period of second-wave feminism, academic circles increasingly challenged the male literary canon. Feminist literary criticism has since intertwined with postmodernism and increasingly complex questions of gender and societal roles. Tools of the Feminist Literary Critic Feminist literary criticism may bring in tools from other critical disciplines, such as historical analysis, psychology, linguistics, sociological analysis, economic analysis, for instance.  Feminist criticism may also look at intersectionality, looking at how factors including race, sexuality, physical ability, and class are also involved. Feminist literary criticism may use any of the following methods: Deconstructing the way that women characters are described in novels, stories, plays, biographies, and histories, especially if the author is maleDeconstructing how ones own gender influences how one reads and interprets a text, and which characters and how the reader identifies depending on the readers genderDeconstructing how women autobiographers and biographers of women treat their subjects, and how biographers treat women who are secondary to the main subjectDescribing relationships between the literary text and ideas about power and sexuality and genderCritique of patriarchal or woman-marginalizing language, such as a universal use of the masculine pronouns he and himNoticing and unpacking differences in how men and women write: a style, for instance, where women use more reflexive language and men use more direct language (example: she let herself in vs. he opened the door)Reclaiming women writers who are little known or have been marginalized or undervalued, sometimes referre d to as expanding or criticizing the canon- the usual list of important authors and works  (Examples include raising up the contributions of early playwright ​Aphra Behn, showing how she was treated differently than male writers from her own time forward, and the retrieval of Zora Neale Hurstons writing by Alice Walker.) Reclaiming the female voice as a valuable contribution to literature, even if formerly marginalized or ignoredAnalyzing multiple works in a genre as an overview of a feminist approach to that genre: for example, science fiction or detective fictionAnalyzing multiple works by a single author (often female)Examining how relationships between men and women and those assuming male and female roles are depicted in the text, including power relationsExamining the text to find ways in which patriarchy is resisted or could have been resisted Feminist literary criticism is distinguished from gynocriticism because feminist literary criticism may also analyze and deconstruct literary works of men. Gynocriticism Gynocriticism, or gynocritics, refers to the literary study of women as writers. It is a critical practice exploring and recording female creativity. Gynocriticism attempts to understand women’s writing as a fundamental part of female reality. Some critics now use â€Å"gynocriticism† to refer to the practice and â€Å"gynocritics† to refer to the practitioners. American literary critic Elaine Showalter coined the term gynocritics in her 1979 essay â€Å"Towards a Feminist Poetics.† Unlike feminist literary criticism, which might analyze works by male authors from a feminist perspective, gynocriticism wanted to establish a literary tradition of women without incorporating male authors. Showalter felt that feminist criticism still worked within male assumptions, while gynocriticism would begin a new phase of women’s self-discovery. Resources and Further Reading Alcott, Louisa May. The Feminist Alcott: Stories of a Womans Power. Edited by Madeleine B. Stern, Northeastern University, 1996.Barr, Marleen S. Lost in Space: Probing Feminist Science Fiction and Beyond. University of North Carolina, 1993.Bolin, Alice. Dead Girls: Essays on Surviving an American Obsession. William Morrow, 2018.Burke, Sally. American Feminist Playwrights: A Critical History. Twayne, 1996.Carlin, Deborah. Cather, Canon, and the Politics of Reading. University of Massachusetts, 1992.Castillo, Debra A. Talking Back: Toward a Latin American Feminist Literary Criticism. Cornell University, 1992.Chocano, Carina. You Play the Girl. Mariner, 2017.Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar, editors. Feminist Literary Theory and Criticism: A Norton Reader. Norton, 2007.Gilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar, editors. Shakespeares Sisters: Feminist Essays on Women Poets. Indiana University, 1993.Lauret, Maria. Liberating Literature: Feminist Fiction in America. Routledge, 1994.Lavigne, C arlen. Cyberpunk Women, Feminism and Science Fiction: A Critical Study. McFarland, 2013. Lorde, Audre. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Penguin, 2020.Perreault, Jeanne. Writing Selves: Contemporary Feminist Autography. University of Minnesota, 1995.Plain, Gill, and Susan Sellers, editors. A History of Feminist Literary Criticism. Cambridge University, 2012.Smith, Sidonie, and Julia Watson, editors. De/Colonizing the Subject: The Politics of Gender in Womens Autobiography. University of Minnesota, 1992. This article was edited and with significant additions by Jone Johnson Lewis

Stay on the Map with New Geopolitical Names

Stay on the Map with New Geopolitical Names Stay on the Map with New Geopolitical Names Stay on the Map with New Geopolitical Names By Mark Nichol I recently took a trip that encompassed layovers in Great Britain, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. And if you believe that, I’ve got a great deal for you on a bridge in Londinium. The truth is, none of the places I just mentioned exist not by that name, anyway, or not as political entities. Great Britain is the name of the island that constitutes most of what is properly known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, usually abbreviated to â€Å"the United Kingdom.† That nation consists of four other nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (as well as many but not all of the small islands in the vicinity). If you refer to England, you should mean England no more, and no less. And though the citizens of England are the English, those of the United Kingdom are not; they’re British. (I’ll leave further details to the denizens of that fair country.) Czechoslovakia, with gratitude from our twisted tongues and fumbling fingers, divided itself peacefully into the Czech Republic and Slovakia nearly twenty years ago, soon after the collapse of its Communist government. (The residents generally speak related but different languages, the geography of the two countries is distinct, and their religious habits and other cultural characteristics differ significantly.) Yugoslavia, an unfortunate agglomeration of Balkan nations that held together against all odds for much of the twentieth century, collapsed in acrimony at around the same time. The two remaining constituent states out of eight states and provinces briefly held on to the name but were soon known as the nation of Serbia and Montenegro; however, they separated in 2006. The former Soviet Union gave way in the 1990s to fifteen separate nations, including Russia (also known as the Russian Federation), requiring journalists to sometimes make a distinction between the nation of Georgia and the American state by that name, and releasing a bewildering array of multisyllabic monikers, many of them ending in -stan (Persian for â€Å"home of† or â€Å"place of†). Have you ever been to Bombay? It’s now formally known as Mumbai, a more accurate pronunciation of the native appellation. Rangoon, in Burma (oops I mean, Myanmar), is for the same reason now identified as Yangon. Farther north, Greenland is now Kalaallit Nunaat (the indigenous name), and Canada broke off a portion of the Northwest Territories to form Nunavut. What future changes can we expect? Belgium, for many years an uneasy union of the French-identified culture of the region of Wallonia (French: Wallonie) and the Dutch-identified culture of the area long known as Flanders (Dutch: Vlaanderen), is likely to cleave into those two entities. Many other new names may appear on maps in the near future based on nomenclature arising from shifting geopolitics. The ephemeral nature of geographical names makes the idea of printed atlases and such seem faintly ridiculous, because such publications are to some extent obsolete as soon as they’re produced. But don’t let that keep you from consulting with an authoritative resource before you refer in writing to a foreign locale. Your best bet, however, is an online source. Equally important, when you mention a place in a historical context, do use the appropriate name for example, â€Å"Great Britain† in a Revolutionary War novel, â€Å"Czechoslovakia† in an essay about the Prague Spring, or â€Å"Yugoslavia† in an article about that country’s charismatic dictator, Tito. In addition, phrases such as â€Å"in the former Soviet Union† or â€Å"part of what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire† help keep countries in their place. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of Phrases15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their Synonyms40 Idioms with First

Flims Harry Potter and the Avengers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Flims Harry Potter and the Avengers - Essay Example ques in order to enhance the effectiveness of the films, film producers employ numerous emblements including lighting, camera movement, transitions and editing features among many others in order to portray each film as both unique and original (Nelmes, 2003). The discussion below thus analyses the difference in the structures of two films; Harry Potter and The Avengers by analyzing the difference in both the storylines and the unique film production techniques the developers of each film employs. This way, the discussion portrays the similarities and difference in the two films. As stated earlier, films have definite story lines often in a form of narration. This refers to the action and series of events that occur in the film. Just with any other type of literary construction, the film must have a definite structure and flow chronologically in a manner that provides a logical flow of ideas and stories. Film narratives thus have characters who must exhibit appropriate characteristics in order to complement the original ideas of the stories. Among the major and equally distinctive features of the two films is their genres, Harry Potter is a series of eight fantasy films and are film adaptation of J. K. Rowling’s novels of the same tittle while The Avengers is a series of comical films. Fantasy films just as the name suggests are films based on imaginary stories (Serkis, 2003). The author of the novel therefore develops imaginary stories a feature that requires effective construction of conflicts in a logical manner. Logical conflicts help validate the storyline thus enhancing the satisfaction of the audience. The avengers on the other hand is a comical film, this implies that the films main objective is to cause humor. The storyline of the two films thus differ since each strives to achieve different objectives. While The Avengers strives to humor, Harry Potter strives to convenience the audience of the logical nature of the hyperbolic narrative. The Harry

Reaesrch Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reaesrch Analysis - Research Paper Example This was necessary in order to ascertain the accuracy of data and help in statistical analysis. On the part of Kramer, et al. (2008), they adopted randomized or true experiment research design in their study. It had a double blinded trial with placebo controlled comparison between children aged below six years using acetaminophen and ibuprofen. In these two groups, the two medications were alternated with placebo in order to check whether there was a 0.6o C difference between the groups. The rationale for designing this study in this way was so as to check temperature differences between the two groups under study. As such, it was proper because they were checking on the efficacy of these two antipyretic drugs. Link between the Research purpose/question and Design There is a definite link between the research question and design in the study carried out by Britz, J. A., & Dunn, K. S. (2010). The aim of this study was to check on quality of life of patients with heart failure in relat ion to deficits that occasionally arise from healthcare provision. According to Newell & Burnard (2006), data that is used in any scientific study should be collected or based on parameters that are a reflection of the desired outcome. In this regard, the data was collected from three different sources which touched on quality of life. In order to make the design more elaborate, personal data of the patients such as age was also incorporated into the study. The same is true for the study undertaken by Kramer, et al. (2008) who were trying to find the efficacy of two antipyretic drugs. From practice, it is clear that these two drugs acetaminophen and ibuprofen are commonly used interchangeably by pediatricians to handle fever problems in children. However, there have been doubts about their efficacy when used together. To check on these doubts, it was necessary to use a controlled double placebo randomized study design. Intervention in Each Study There were no interventions in both t he studies. The Independent and Dependent Variables In the study undertaken by Britz, J. A., & Dunn, K. S. (2010), the dependent variable is quality of life whereas the independent variables were specific self-care deficits. In this study, there was no blinding because it was a descriptive study that relied mostly on data from other sources. According to Newell & Burnard (2006), descriptive studies usually use data from other sources as opposed to data that is measured scientifically in a study. In this regard, the data were either obtained from the patients through questionnaires or from charts of patients. On the other hand, the study by Kramer, et al. (2008) had temperature as the dependent variables whereas efficacy of acetaminophen and ibuprofen was the independent variable. In this study, there was blinding on both groups under study since both of them were using the two drugs. In each group, the participants were supposed to be put on one of the drugs and placebo according to the required dosage prescribed. Each group was assigned a specific drug which was supposed to be administered alternating with the placebo. The pharmacist who administered the drugs to both the groups was not blinded and therefore knew what medication each group was being given and the schedule being followed. However, for the children, their parents and guardians were blinded as to which regimen was being administered to the subjects.

Geographical information system and agriculture Research Paper

Geographical information system and agriculture - Research Paper Example In the long run, commonly referenced data can be superimposed to determine relationships between data components. Geographic information system (GIS) software applies relational database management technologies to consign a series of attributes to every spatial characteristic (Longley et al 86). Ordinary aspect identification keys are used to associate the spatial and attribute data among tables. For example, a soil polygon can be associated to a chain of database tables that explains chemical composition, its mineral, crop yield, slope, land use suitability, and other features. Another aspect of Geographic information system (GIS) is that it provides the capability to coalesce series of data into a multiple data layer that may later be a base layer in the database. For instance, demography, slope, wetlands, hydrography, soils and land use can be merged to develop a solitary layer of proper hazardous waste storage sites (Longley et al 140). These data, in turn, may be integrated into the listing database of local government and applied for regulatory and planning evaluations.GIS software normally allows for two kinds of data. Some use raster data i.e. satellite imagery while others use vectors to represent features on the surface of the earth. Most systems allow for complete integration of both types of data (Pierce and David, 11). A GIS can be used to explain basic locational questions such as what is positioned at a given level on the earth surface; or where is the exact element located? At the same time, soils data across the entire watershed can be asked to determine the distribution of regions with hydric soils of huge than 100 acres and are linked to key river system (Pierce and David, 15). Geographic information system (GIS) is becoming the dais of choice for mixing and analyzing enormous range of data in the field of agriculture due to the ability to analyze those data flow and display

Negative effects of living an unhealthy lifestyle Essay

Negative effects of living an unhealthy lifestyle - Essay Example A nutritious diet supplies the body with adequate nutrients needed for growth and prevention of diseases. A diet that lacks adequate quantities of nutrients such as potassium, calcium and fiber is considered unhealthy and poses significant risks to the wellbeing of a person. Unhealthy diets that lack adequate nutrients and are high in sugar, salt and fat may lead to the development of chronic conditions. In many cases, diets that lack vegetables and fruits may exposà © one to heart diseases, kidney failure and stroke. In addition, diseases such as diabetes, cancer and hypertension have been found to be caused by poor dietary habits. Second, weight gain is another challenge associated with unhealthy diets. This is usually caused by consuming processed foods that contain large quantities of sugar and fat. Continued consumption of such foods leads to excessive weight gain, and eventually, obesity. Lack of physical activity further makes the problems of weight gain and obesity worse. Ob ese people are prone to health problems such as heart attacks and diabetes. Furthermore, an obese person might find it difficult to undertake daily routines and activities, and this may impact his productivity and general way of life. As a result, such people find it difficult to fit into the larger society, and thus may leave one feeling isolated and neglected. Third, unhealthy diets may lead to mental health problems. Naturally, the brain requires certain minerals and nutrients to function properly.

A)The original concept of the NHS in 1948 was to improve the health of Essay

A)The original concept of the NHS in 1948 was to improve the health of the nation. It was perceived that this would result in - Essay Example Prior to this report, the biomedical definition of health held precidence, and this suggested that health need only be the absence of disease. This is not always the case, however, as an individual may state that they are healthy in biomedical terms, but their social class or lifestyle may cause them to be more susceptible to certain diseases or even just to have a lower quality of life than another individual. The aim of this essay is to discuss the effect that the NHS has had on the health of the UK and how these definitions of health have helped shape the British awareness of health and how it is to be maintained. This essay aims to explain how the success of the NHS has caused it to have more problems – the successful nature of the service has allowed people to live for such a long time that they now require more epensive medical care for longer than ever before. The NHS believed that it would reduce the need for provision, but instead has enhanced it. There are several as pects of an individual that determine the standard of health he/she can enjoy. These range from the unalterable – age, sex and genetic factors, for example – to the areas which health promotion aims to improve and which should not be an issue in the sphere of health – lifestyle, housing and social class. Age is evidently a determinant of health, in that the chronic diseases (cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease) that have come to define the modern West occur increasingly with age . Age is also generally associated with being slower and weaker and as such the elderly may believe themselves to be in ‘suboptimal health’ (Ubel et al., 2005, p1054) and be more inclined to seek healthcare. Sex is another obvious determinant of health, with various diseases affecting either sex more than others. Autism, for example, affects men more than women , but depression affects more women than men (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2001, p173). The same can be said for various cancers that simply cannot occur in a certain sex because of the missing anatomical parts. Hereditary factors such as genetic disease (Huntington’s, Fragile X) or genetic predispositions (posession of the BRC1 gene [Xu, 2008, p460], susceptibility to early-onset Alzheimer’s) also affect our health. However, it is those things that health promotion can have an effect over, such as lifestyle, housing and social class. Lifestyle is probably the biggest killer, with smoking, lack of exercise and over-eating still being common in the UK (Office for National Statistics, 2009) and the resulting diseases associated with these conditions being more deadly than ever. Housing and social class have less of an effect than in the past, with benefits and, of course, the NHS providing an equality of care for all people in the UK. Unemployment is also considered dangerous in the health stakes. This is due to the fact that it reduces longevity and health, particularly amongst m en (Carvel, 2002, p1). It is also reported that the NHS could help reduce unemployment by recruiting in the local area and thus save costs to itself. However, unemployment used to be a much bigger worry than it is today, with healthcare having to be paid for up front, making it particularly inaccessible to the masses of people on low income. However, this all changed with the start of the NHS and the availability of the

Geology in Hawaii Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Geology in Hawaii - Assignment Example Individuals also acknowledge that mountains in Hawaii make travel difficult unless the traveler is in a car at an interstate highway. The geology of a region governs the availability of essential raw materials such as important ore minerals for metallurgy, clay for pottery, building stone (ornamentation and construction), gemstones and gold for decorative arts, as well as sand for glass making. The use of such materials is innately joined to emergent technologies and limited by their quantity, accessibility and quality. The knowledge of geology in Hawaii is defined by the practical extent of a rock or mineral resource, and aid construction of models that can predict its viability. Earthquakes occur all over Hawaii, frequently without noteworthy warning or caution. These geohazards can have extensive effects on human and on the earth’s surface. Localized, small earthquakes may cause no damage that is noticeable and may not even be felt by individuals living in the area affected . In contrast, large earthquakes may cause devastation over a wide area and be felt by individuals a hundred miles. ... When there are heavy rains, some areas of each of the Hawaii Islands are vulnerable to flash floods. Intense rain can turn a quiet, small river into a cascading one that sweeps everything that flows on its way. Lives are also lost in the flash floods every few years; mostly people are swept away in their cars or hikers. Heavy rain may come suddenly and can be difficult to forecast. Flash floods in Hawaii are much common than any other natural disaster, such as hurricanes and tsunamis. It is not long ago that heavy and serious flash floods hit the island. In October 2004, Manoa Valley on Oahu was hit by flash flood and completely soaked the University of Hawaii ground floor at Manoa Hamilton library. In addition to destroying parts of the library, the flood carried away at least 60 homes and caused a damage of almost one million dollars. A six weeks rain period in March 2006 caused flooding in many places in Hawaii. Seven people were killed when a dam on Kauai broke. The rain caused t he Waikiki septic tank system to spill over, resulting in a manure spill that polluted parts of the southern shore of the island for a number of days. On November 23, 1982, two hurricanes (Inki and Iwa) left death and devastation in their wake after passing through Hawaii. Iwa hurricane hit the Islands of Kauai, Niihau, and Oahu. The Iwa hurricane was the first to hit the Hawaii statehood since 1959. The Inki hurricane was the most powerful hurricane to hit Hawaii State in recorded history. Not only are the high winds of a cyclone or hurricane very destructive, but a phenomenon known as storm surge that comes with it causes severe flooding in coastal areas. There are a number of happening caused by volcanic

A)The original concept of the NHS in 1948 was to improve the health of Essay

A)The original concept of the NHS in 1948 was to improve the health of the nation. It was perceived that this would result in - Essay Example Prior to this report, the biomedical definition of health held precidence, and this suggested that health need only be the absence of disease. This is not always the case, however, as an individual may state that they are healthy in biomedical terms, but their social class or lifestyle may cause them to be more susceptible to certain diseases or even just to have a lower quality of life than another individual. The aim of this essay is to discuss the effect that the NHS has had on the health of the UK and how these definitions of health have helped shape the British awareness of health and how it is to be maintained. This essay aims to explain how the success of the NHS has caused it to have more problems – the successful nature of the service has allowed people to live for such a long time that they now require more epensive medical care for longer than ever before. The NHS believed that it would reduce the need for provision, but instead has enhanced it. There are several as pects of an individual that determine the standard of health he/she can enjoy. These range from the unalterable – age, sex and genetic factors, for example – to the areas which health promotion aims to improve and which should not be an issue in the sphere of health – lifestyle, housing and social class. Age is evidently a determinant of health, in that the chronic diseases (cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease) that have come to define the modern West occur increasingly with age . Age is also generally associated with being slower and weaker and as such the elderly may believe themselves to be in ‘suboptimal health’ (Ubel et al., 2005, p1054) and be more inclined to seek healthcare. Sex is another obvious determinant of health, with various diseases affecting either sex more than others. Autism, for example, affects men more than women , but depression affects more women than men (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2001, p173). The same can be said for various cancers that simply cannot occur in a certain sex because of the missing anatomical parts. Hereditary factors such as genetic disease (Huntington’s, Fragile X) or genetic predispositions (posession of the BRC1 gene [Xu, 2008, p460], susceptibility to early-onset Alzheimer’s) also affect our health. However, it is those things that health promotion can have an effect over, such as lifestyle, housing and social class. Lifestyle is probably the biggest killer, with smoking, lack of exercise and over-eating still being common in the UK (Office for National Statistics, 2009) and the resulting diseases associated with these conditions being more deadly than ever. Housing and social class have less of an effect than in the past, with benefits and, of course, the NHS providing an equality of care for all people in the UK. Unemployment is also considered dangerous in the health stakes. This is due to the fact that it reduces longevity and health, particularly amongst m en (Carvel, 2002, p1). It is also reported that the NHS could help reduce unemployment by recruiting in the local area and thus save costs to itself. However, unemployment used to be a much bigger worry than it is today, with healthcare having to be paid for up front, making it particularly inaccessible to the masses of people on low income. However, this all changed with the start of the NHS and the availability of the

Change Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Change Theory - Assignment Example Some of those steps include; unfreezing, refreezing and changing. Based on the nature of change that needs implementation, I believe it is an ideal theory, which can enable the changes to be effectively implemented. Thus, to ensure that the new technique of reporting is effectively implemented with positive results, I settled for a participative leadership style to steer the team to embrace the change in question efficiently. The reason why this leadership style stood out from the rest in ensuring the said changes are implemented is because it is involves the whole team thus denoting a democratic notion whereby each member feels his/her opinions are respected. This style requires all the team members to participate actively in decision making by airing out their views, before the final decision is communicate by the participative leader (Burke, 2010). Therefore, this will tend to boost the morale of the team members in ensuring the new changes are successfully fully implemented since they will be part of the decision-making body. In addition, the participants will develop a sense of contentment since they will view the democratic nature of this leadership style being ideal as each and every opinion that they propose will be considered hence forming a portion of the final decision that will be implemented. That notwithstanding the participative leadership style will ensure a positive response to changes by the team members as they will not reject those changes since they are part of the team that came up with the decisions thus it will be their obligation to embrace them since it is their own making. Thus, this having been said it is prudent to say that the changes will be positively implemented successfully since it will be a common initiative of the whole team rather than an individual’s making (Burke, 2010). The Kurt Lewin theory of change is ideal in implementing this

The Financial Crisis Of 2008 Finance Essay

The Financial Crisis Of 2008 Finance Essay There were many economic and political factors that lead to the financial crisis of 2008. Specific regulations, companies overstepping their boundaries with leverage, and the housing market bubble are only a few that have been said to have caused it. All of these factors were very important, and some of them are still happening today. The following four companies were on the front pages of almost every newspaper during this time, Bear Stearns Co., Lehman Brothers Holding Inc., Washington Mutual, and JPMorgan Co. To understand how these companies became major players in the financial crisis, the history of the companies must be shown. Bear Stearns Co. began when three men named, Joseph A. Bear, Robert B. Stearns and Harold C. Mayerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [Invested] $500,000 in capital to start one of the biggest independent investment banks in history. (11) Bear Stearns Co. came to be an extremely strong company. During the stock market crash, the firm [laid] off none of its employees. (11) Bear Stearns was always a strong company and it was not until 2007 that the company had its first quarterly loss. (11) To investors of a public company, over eighty years of profits means someone is running the company right. But once that first loss happened, the stock price sunk for the first time in company history. Lehman Brothers Holding Inc. was originally a small shop (4) that Henry Lehman opened when he moved to Alabama. After [Henrys] death in 1855à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Lehman Brothers evolved from a general merchandising business to a commodities broker that bought and sold cotton. (4) Lehman Brothers helped fund many major companies that are still around today. Some of these companies include Paramont Pictures, 20th Century Fox, RCA, Haliburton, according to (4). Lehman Brothers kept growing even through the Great Depression, making it one of the largest and strongest financial services firms in the US. Washington Mutual originated in 1889 [as] Washington National Building Loan and Investment Associationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and [lent] its first $700 to build a house in Ballard. (8) Almost twenty years following, the banks name was changed to Washington Mutual Savings Bank. In April 1990, (8) Kelly Killinger was named the companys CEO. Within the next six years, WaMu acquired 16 smaller banks in Washington, Oregon, Utah and California. (8) In the year 1999, [Washington Mutual] buys subprime lender Long Beach Financial, which writes mortgages for people with less-than-stellar credit. This acquisition was a smart move for Washington Mutual to make more money, but it ends up coming back to haunt them in less than ten years. JPMorgan Chase Co. is one of the oldest, largest and best-known financial institutions in the world. (9) JPMorgan Co. started as The Manhattan Company in 1799. (9) JPMorgan Co. merged with many different big name banks and financial institutions of the time. Some of these banks included, Chase Manhattan Bank, Bank One, and The Bank of Manhattan. (9) JPMorgan Co. has also helped numerous big companies start and go public. JPMorgan helped create ATT, GE and U.S. Steel and also helped Apple Computers go public. There are a few different theories of the causes of the financial crisis. One theory is that Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and the FHA caused a housing bubble because they were loaning to lower income people that could not afford the mortgage payments after the ARM payments increased over a short period of time. ARM stands for adjustable rate mortgage, which means, when a house is purchased, there is a low interest rate that people like and can easily make the payments. However, the following year, the payment includes a higher interest rate, which is harder to pay, but still manageable. Then a year or so after that, the interest rate increases to an even higher percentage and this payment is too much for the homeowner to make the payment. The high interest on top of the principal made the mortgage payments so high that the number of foreclosures increased at a very rapid rate. Foreclosures are legal [processes] by which a bankà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦takes a homeowners propertyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [And ] is the result of non-payment of the mortgage. (3) Soon after, people owed more money on their house than it was originally worth. This caused a panic in the housing system because homeowners that have had their house for years still owed more than their house was worth. This became a huge problem for investors as well. Some people like to invest in houses and flip them to make a quick profit. Flipping a house is when a house is purchased at a cheap price and is then renovated and sold for a quick profit. These investors were able to buy the house for cheap, but since they were considered dealers instead of brokers, they had an inventory of houses that they could not sell. Having to make mortgage payments on three or four different houses cannot be easy when homeowners are having trouble making one mortgage payment. Many of these investors then had to foreclose on their houses, sending them pretty close, if not, into bankruptcy. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were also major contributors to the financial crisis. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government owned companies that were created to securitize mortgages, making the market for secondary mortgages larger. Securitizing mortgages is when a large amount of mortgages are combined into one security so investors only need to invest in one bond instead of hundreds or thousands of separate bonds, leaving more risk on the investor. AAA was, at the time, the safest bond that could be purchased on the bond market. Bonds are debt a company issues for investors to purchase, giving the company more money to operate with. Many investors choose bonds to invest in because they are extremely abundant and some are very low risk investments. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were government-owned, so the two most credible credit rating companies rated them as AAA. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae had been investing in mortgages that were eventually going to overturn; the bonds were not as safe of an investment as investors thought. This had a major impact on the rating system, making it not as trustworthy, influential or reliable as before. The reputation of credit rating companies has since been hard to trust and will remain questionable for a long time. There were now a countless number of foreclosures on the books of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Homeowners were not paying their mortgage payments because they did not have a reason to if they were going to lose their house. Once mortgages started to lose value to investors and homeowners, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bonds were not as valuable. This caused a downturn in investments and questionable thoughts about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The second theory for the cause of the financial crisis is that greedy bankers knowingly manipulated the financial system and politicians in Washington [took] advantage of homeowners and mortgage investors. (2) This means that back in 2004 when the exemption was passed, the bankers knew that by having fewer liabilities, they could make more money. So, when banks started being able to invest more money compared to their deposits, they were able to stuff more money back into their pockets, making them even richer than before. This was not good because some people say, money is power and investment bankers did not need more power or money to risk. This extended amount of money was unhealthy because the investment banks could risk more of their money and still have enough capital to cover the bank, if needed. The third and most thought out reason for the financial crisis has ten separate factors, leading to the real answer. (2) According to (2), the ten factors are a broad credit bubble, a sustained housing bubble, excess liquidity, failures in credit-rating and securitization transformed bad mortgages into toxic financial assets, managers amassed enormous concentrations of highly correlated housing risk, risk of contagion, common stock, rapid succession of ten firm failures, and severe contraction in the real economy. The factors listed above are not blaming one person or organization for something they did. These are rational reasons that could have caused the crisis and could have made it easier to calm. However, it is dangerous to conclude that the crisis would have been avoided only if we had regulated everything a lot more, had fewer housing subsidies, and had more responsible bankers. The crisis happened on a much bigger scale than what anyone could have predicted or prevented. The financial crisis of 2008 all started when Christopher Cox, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, passed an exemption on the regulations for the big five investment banks. The meeting on April 28, 2004 was an urgent plea by the big investment banks. (1) These investment banks were looking for a way to raise their leverage ratio. It is said that at Bear Stearnsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [The leverage ratio] rose sharply, to 33 to 1 (1) shortly after the exemption was passed. The leverage ratio is the ratio between a companys liabilities and common equity. This was a major advantage to Bear Stearns, and the other big investment banks, because they could have a significantly lower amount of their deposits on hand than they were able to before. According to Harvey Goldschmid, a higher leverage ratio means if anything goes bad, it will be an awfully big mess.(1) This statement held true as we see today. On March 16, 2008, Bear Stearns made a deal with JPMorgan Chase Co. (12) This saved Bear Stearns from filing Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Bear Stearns collapse was only the beginning and nobody could stop the economy from being blind-sided. Bear Stearns spiraled from being healthy to practically insolvent in about 72 hours. This was bad news for the entire economy. Bear Stearns experienced one of the largest bank runs in the history of the U.S. A bank run is when many depositors withdraw their money from a bank in a short period of time because the public does not have any confidence in the banking system as a whole. The public panics because they want to make believe their money will be safer outside of the bank. Bank runs do not occur nearly as often as they did before the FDIC. The Federal Deposit Insurance Company ensures depositors that their money will be safe from bank runs by insuring up to $250,000. A bank run can not only shut down a poorly operated bank but could also shut down a healthy bank. JPMorgan, backed by the New York Fed extended a sure line of credit that [gave] Bear Stearns at least 28 days to shore up its finances orà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ find a buyer. (12) Bear Stearns was in immediate trouble and people were starting to believe they wouldnt make it out of that one. JPMorgan agreed to pay a mere $2 a share to buy all of Bear [Stearns]. (13) This was a huge discount for JPMorgan because just one year earlier the stock was around $159.36. (14) This was an extreme drop in the price of a once highly valued stock. According to (14), the actual percentage of the price JPMorgan purchased at compared to the 52 week high was a 98.7 percent drop. This was by far the most dramatic drop in stock price in the 21st century, hoping to not be passed up in the near future. Lehman Brothers was a major factor in the financial crisis of 2008, not because the company was the reason of the crisis, but because Lehman Brothers was the largest bankruptcy case in the history of the United States. (6) The bankruptcy was approximately 691 billion dollars in assets. On September 15, 2008, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. filedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ under chapter 11of the United States Bankruptcy Code.(5) According to the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy form, Lehman Brothers had over 150 billion dollars of bond debt and over 2.5 billion dollars in bank debts. On May 31, 2008, Lehman Brothers had total assets of 639 billion dollars and debts of 613 billion dollars. This is far from what the leverage or debt ratio should be in a major investment bank. Immediately following the Bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual collapsed, causing one of the largest banks to also file for chapter 11 bankruptcy. The bankruptcy was preceded by a large amount of withdraws from the bank in a short amount of time. This is called a bank run. According to (7), Washington Mutual had a $16.4 billion dollar run on deposits in as little as a few days. So, after Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, the public started to get a little uneasy because they thought Lehman Brothers was a sound company. This resulted in many depositors of Washington Mutual to withdraw all or most of their funds. Moodys and Standard Poors are credit rating companies that are believed to have had a say in the financial crisis of 2008. Investors are very reliant on credit ratings, especially when it comes to bond investments. When purchasing a bond, there are ratings, which are related to the safety of the bond. An AAA bond rating is considered the safest bond that can be purchased and any bond with a rating of BB or lower is called a junk bond. A junk bond is considered to be a risky investment because it has a higher default risk than AAA bonds. Default risk is the risk that the borrower will not pay either interest or the principle back. For instance, the U.S. government treasury bonds have a lower default risk rate than Greek government treasury bonds. As earlier mentioned, Bear Stearns Co., Lehman Brothers Holding Inc., Washington Mutual, and JPMorgan Co. were major players in the financial crisis. It is hard to choose which theory is correct, but the third theory is the most reasonable because there is never only one factor that goes into changing the economy so drastically.