Sunday, November 17, 2019

The subject matter of the programme Essay Example for Free

The subject matter of the programme Essay The United States has the highest gun related deaths in the world. Moore links this to the lack of gun control and the president. From childhood games to bomb threats, from shootings to terrorism. One of the main issues the documentary explored was the shootings at Columbine High School in the United States, gun control and how easily accessible guns are in the United States. the very high gun related deaths, violence, mentality, behavior, issues within schools, peer pressure the effect of societies were looked at. Also in questioning was violent video games music. Marilyn Manson came up as a name to blame, but the president was also name to blame. Bowling for Columbine starts with black and white footage of the gun association, this introduces the historical background. Moore uses a number of conventions typical to a documentary. He uses voice over commentary throughout. April 20th 1999 (a typical day in America) footage is used to accompany the narrative. Moores ridicule of the Bush Administration is shown in his voice over saying the President bombs another country whose name he cant pronounce The shot of the statue of Liberty is iconic of representing America. It can be seen as an establishing shot. Verite footage of North County Bank in Michigan, where there is use of point of view shots showing him looking through a brochure and completing a form, in return of a rifle. He uses the humor of sarcasm when asking about the questions on the form he has to fill in to retain the weapon and the fact of how it only matters if your criminally defected but not mentally defected. Moore states a rhetorical question Do you think its dangerous handing guns out at a bank? There is a long shot of Moore when he walks out of the bank, with the weapon held aloft. The viewer would probably be taken aback by this, if not American. Guns given out at banks just dont happen. The viewer would think bank robberies. How easy would it be for someone who has just taken out a weapon in false name (or not) to turn around and hold someone at gunpoint? The scene is accompanied by non-diegetic music, its upbeat and sets the viewers imagination into role. The opening credits are accompanied by black and white footage of youngsters bowling. This represents the effects on youths from a young age, the bowling to take place of the play of children from that of the effects of childhood games to shooting. The Columbine shootings. Later on in the documentary there is a link back to this, as one of the female students who went to Columbine High School said, one of the boys involved in the shootings use to bowl for Columbine. Which is where the title of the documentary may have come from. Throughout the whole of this documentary there is a continuous link to guns. There is a black and white television advertisement, from the 50/60s advertising real guns. These were fake toy guns that looked and sounded real. I think Moore shows this to show how much children are involved in the tradition of guns in America. Moore also uses home footage of himself and his history of gun use to present Americas gun culture and to present himself. He won the NRA marksman award. He then introduces the fact that he grew up in the same State as Charlton Heston where hunting is extremely common. Moore includes a scene of himself at the Hairdressers, where he purchases bullets. His message is just how easily accessible guns and ammunition really are. The viewer would be shocked, particularly with our own Laws and figures as the United Kingdom. In another scene Chris Rock, a comedian, is on stage presenting his views in his own comical way. He talks of gun control and speaks about bullets costing more then there may be less violence. He suggests $5,000 for a bullet and says I would blow your head off If I could afford it! I think Moore includes this because he has a point, it is entertaining and Moore thinks the idea needs to be made. Marilyn Manson came up as a name to blame by America, mainly by the media. But out of all the United States the President, Marilyn Manson was the only one to whom suggested listening. Said within an interview between him and Moore, as the answer to one thing he would say to the youths effected by the shootings at Columbine I wouldnt say anything, I would listen The scene was effective because Marilyn Manson is a well-known artist. Other countries such as Gothic Germany frequently listen to his music but have a significant lower percentage of gun related deaths. Other things to blame were such things as video games, horror films and a TV program COPS In America, presented in Moores way, the media seems to be racially prejudiced. That or the accusers. Big, tall, black man, in around his thirties In both documentaries there are no formal introductions to the subjects. At the beginning of the documentary particularly focuses on the NRA (National Rifle Association) that Moore is a member of, wherefore he introduces himself as an American. Weapons and shooting play a major part in the documentary as they do in America itself. Moore emphasizes on the gun accessibility and how easy it is to retain a weapon and more importantly ammunition for it. In the closing scene, the song What a wonderful world is played over visuals. This is ironic. It is non-diegetic to the whole of the documentary, but leaves the viewer to provoke the viewers thought. Fahrenheit 9/11 The temperature where freedom buns! The main issue in Fahrenheit 9/11 was Fahrenheit 9/11. The devastation and effects it had on the peoples of the United States. Terrorism. The Bush Administration. The presidents connections with the Saudis and Bin Ladens and the Iraqi War. Media footage of Fahrenheit 9/11 is shown. The scene is started by telephone calls of panicking residents with no visuals. Then footage of people looking up in the air. There is no formal introduction to Fahrenheit 9/11 but the viewer automatically interprets this. News footage is shown of the planes crashing into the twin towers, then to people crying and praying. This scene is very emotive; one might question whether it was moral of Moore to include it. I think he did because he knew the reaction he would receive and that it would get the attention he had hoped for. Moore to uses narration to take us through all his findings behind the media. From the 2000 elections to informing us of the relationship between the president and the Bin Laden family. The fact of how the FBI suspiciously decided to fly the whole of the Bin Laden family out of the States just two days after 9/11 without being held for questioning. Also the fact that the Saudis, Bin Ladens and Bush families are all invested in joint financial dealings. The president wouldnt want the American public to discover this. Perhaps Moore saw it his duty to inform the American public. Moore interviews a man who was questioned by the FBI for merely speaking of and questioning the presidents decisions. An over reaction of the FBI and president to prevent terrorism. But this man was not the only one to be questioned. This man says theyre meant to be a state where there is freedom and rights, Theyre denying me my rights as an American citizen There is footage of the U. S soldiers whilst in Iraq. The soldiers admit they did not know why the president had sent them to Iraq and that it was getting to a point when they were shooting anything that moved because they had not a clue of what they were doing. One of the soldiers spoke of how they listen to The roof is on fire by Bizzy Bone. A soldier starts saying the lyrics The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire We dont need know water let the motherfucker burn! Burn! Motherfucker. Burn! As he says this, the image on screen changes to footage of an Iraqi woman clasping onto her family with other women. The backing music plays over the scenes of destruction. This scene is very powerful and emotive. The viewer would not have expected it they would be shocked, at the language, the heartlessness of it and the following scenes of images of young children who had wounds deep as the bone, skin burns, dead people. During this there is emphasis in typography on many facts, figures and quotes with actual footage from real events that help to back Moore on his views. In another scene Royal Marines Officers were frantically recruiting young men, mainly school leavers to join up. This was because of the huge loss of American soldiers that had already been lost in the Iraqi War. An aerial shot of a huge cemetery where the U. S soldiers have been buried is shown, along with typography of the figures of thousands who died. In the second to last scene, an American citizen talks of how she persuades her children to sign up. The benefits and possibilities that the Army offers. To her deep regret, she reads out the last letter she received from her son, who lost his life in Iraq. In the letter, he writes of how negatively he felt towards the president in his decision of sending them to Iraq. The scene is highly emotive, drawing in the viewer as they sympathize with this familys loss. Creating Moores desired affect to persuade the viewer in joining him in his view, against the president. Michael Moore continuously takes advantage of his documentaries to make George Bush appear to have his priorities and concerns with matters other than the American public. He uses his documentaries to convey his own political views and opinions to his audience. His obvious dislike for the president is very apparent as he includes many edited scenes of him. An example of this is shown in the documentary, when the president is on vacation with his brother in Florida on the 10th September 2001, the day before Fahrenheit 9/11. With the aid of editing Moore sets up the cozy smug look of the presidents face after Fahrenheit 9/11, cutting to one of the victims grieving family members. Undoubtedly this brings over Moores view of the Bush Administration, therefore hopefully ensuing in the audiences view, along with the American public. One of Moores purposes for creating the documentaries. Michael Moores main purposes for creating this documentary are to inform his audience of the issues that the mainstream media has missed/not included. Moore wanted to uncover, in his opinion, the fact that the current president of the United States had sent his fellow citizens into war. For reasons only known to him and close partnerships; having little to do with the excuse of an attempt to stop terrorism, capture Osama Bin Laden or prevent Saddam Hussein from using his weapons of mass destruction. Moore uses a considerably large mount of editing; in fact editing creates most of his documentaries. Unfortunately, however fortunate for him, this creates a bias view, which is what the viewer sees. Moore continuously visually documents the weaknesses of the powerful. The main example is the president. Moore captures the presidents sensitive side. Also Charlton Heston, as he walks away from the camera unable to answer Moores request of After that happened you came to Flint to hold a big rally and, you know, I just, did you feel it was being at all insensitive to the fact that this community had just gone through more tragedy? Moore then continues, You think youd like to apologize to the people in Flint for coming and doing that at that time? Moore takes full advantage of the fact that he knows about Heston, having known of the shootings, and the fact that Heston had pretended he did not. In conclusion, Moore has presented two documentaries, from his own point of view, to present his views and some truths. Creating his desired effect, to inform and explain his view.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

America :: essays research papers

America, the "Revenge-Minded Nation," has created the conditions for a rising crime rate, and "invited her people in." Crime in America has become a multibillion dollar Corporation for the Judicial System. The Corporation itself breeds white collar Criminals. The little man is nothing more than a tax slave who, at the cost of being revenge-minded, has bought into the problem, and not the solution. Good people in the middle are held in prisons of fear is the crime rate rises around them. Soma say, "build more prisons", "give longer sentences", "make the prisoner do more of his/her sentence", "execute the nearly 3,000 men on death row", "treat the troubled youth as adults and sentence them as such", etc. The truth is that you can build more prisons until half of America is locked up, and the other half their victims. Longer sentences are no cure-all. Time has no more power to change a man than space does. Five or fifteen years really matters not, because for whatever reasons a person commits a crime and is sent to prison, there is no rehabilitation. The hostility of a prison environment that serves as little more than a warehouse to store bodies in, works to harden the character of the person forced to survive in it, and when the time comes to release this person, he/she is released back into society without any rehabilitation or readjustment, made much the worse than when they were first in society. Of course the many released on parole commit further crimes. What is parole, something that has power over a person's hardened character? "Correctional facility" is a lie. Where is the "correctional" influence in storing bodies for a period of time? Prisons are deprivation units. It's sad, but because of the hostilities within the prison environment, many prisoners are deprived of emotional stimulation, except for fear, anger and hate. In some cases a released person will even kill his victim to eliminate a threat to his survival in the world life's events have created for him; something it's doubtful he could have done before his conditioning experiences with hostile prison. There are circumstances when human life becomes secondary to survival, right or wrong. The teenagers sent to Vietnam and Desert Storm didn't hate the so-called "enemies", but killing them was done most often as an act of fear and survival. Much could be said concerning cause and effect, but executing nearly 3,000 people on death row won't solve America's problem with rising crime rate.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Kant on Time as A Priori Essay

Immanuel Kant presented a series of arguments regarding the nature of time. He sought to prove that time is innate in the sensibility of all human beings and that it is independent of the material world and argued that time belongs to experience as an a priori form of intuition (Kant, 74). In his Critique of Pure Reason, he claimed that time is a priori instead of being a permeating feature of mind-independent reality. He also argued that the nature of time as an element of the universe is sensible instead of conceptual which the mind   compels upon experience (75). He arrived at the conclusion that time could not independently exist or be associated to other objects as a verifiable entity. He claimed time to be the form of inner sense and maintained that time is â€Å"It is the immediate condition of inner appearances (of our souls), and thereby the mediate condition of outer appearances.†Ã‚   (77).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first of Kant’s arguments regarding time as an a priori form of sensibility states that it is a necessity for our understanding of   simultaneity and succession to be preconceived since they are generated in our minds prior to our experience of simultaneous but successive moments in time (75). Kant claims: â€Å"Time is not an empirical concept that has been derived from any experience. For neither coexistence nor succession would ever come within our perception,   if the representation of time were not presupposed as underlying them a priori. Only on the presupposition of time can we represent to ourselves a number of things as existing at one and the same time (simultaneously) or at different times (successively).†Ã‚   (74) By stating that â€Å"Only under its presuppositions can one represent that several things exist at one and the same time   or in different times,† (74) Kant, in essence, is implying that concepts can not made on the basis of perception unless we have a preconceived notion of such concept. For example, our notion of a â€Å"dog† could not be a concept which is based on our experience since our mind would not be able to perceive it we did not have an idea of a â€Å"dog† which was based on a preconceived notion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, even with Gardner’s explanation, Kant’s argument is still unpersuasive. It fails to offer us sufficient reasons to agree that a preconceived notion of time is a necessary prerequisite of the perception of time. This argument is not compelling enough to weaken how time is viewed in the common sense because it begs a faulty conclusion that if this was so, our notion of color should also be a priori. Consequently, with this argument, the logical assumption about time would be that â€Å"because the notion of time is conjured simultaneously with representing the world of material objects, it cannot be based on perception of material objects. The basic view of the nature of time actually remains definite as the properties of time, which exists in and all the objects of the universe, are perceived through our experiences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kant’s second argument tries to prove that time is an a priori form of intuition by arguing that it is possible to consider time without any appearances of any material object but it is not possible to consider any material object without the appearance of time. Kant argues: â€Å"Time is a necessary representation that underlies all intuitions. We cannot, in respect of appearances in general,remove time itself, though we can quite well think time as void of appearances. Time is, therefore, given a priori. In it alone is actuality of appearances possible at all. Appearances may, one and all, vanish; but time (as the universal condition of their possibility) cannot itself be removed..† (74-75) However, if we take this argument into consideration, it would then be logically imperative to conclude that space embodies the of outer sense or time embodies the inner appearance however this conclusion, albeit sound based on the provisions of the Kant’s argument, actually contradicts the text itself .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All in all, Kant’s arguments fail to mitigate the strong points of the common sense view of time which is, that time is a pervasive feature of the world. His arguments do not offer conclusive ideas. Although he tries to provide empirical evidences to his arguments by referencing his claims with the realities of experience, his arguments imply assumptions that when interpreted do not necessarily hold true. His theory requires a vital premise, that our notions of time and space are a priori, and it requires it to be granted in the onset however he offers no compelling argument. This vital premise caused the undoing of his entire theory. Works Cited Kant, Immanuel. The Critique of Pure Reason. Trans. Kemp-Smith, Norman. Palgrave Macmillan, 1995.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

How Attitudes to Marriage Have Changed Essay

In the past people married at a much younger age on average than they do today. Marrying in your late teens or early twenties was normal. Most people got married as this is what was expected of you, and people rarely considered not doing so. Many fewer decide to marry these days. Many make the conscious decisions not to as they prefer to remain more independent. This can be the case for both genders. Some would argue that people wait to meet the right person now, whereas before they would marry the first person who came along. Living Together while not Married In the past it was not socially acceptable for unmarried couples to live together. It was seen as wrong and was therefore extremely rare. It is possible that this contributed to early marriage. Unmarried couples living together has almost become the norm now. Many decide to see how they get along living together before they decide to marry. It is also common for couples to live together, and possibly have children, without ever getting married. They live the same way as a married couple without ever making it official. Children It used to be rare for people not to have children. Most people would conform to a very specific lifestyle, marrying young and having children soon after. Hardly anyone had children before marriage, and it was even rarer for people to do this by choice. Nowadays it is not uncommon at all for people to have children without being married and this is not seen as a big issue by most. Sometimes parents live together as a family with their children without being married, while others are single parents. Not everyone decides to have children either. It is no longer seen as something you must do so it has become more of a choice. The Role of Women A hundred years ago, the role of women was very specific. They were expected to marry, have children, and not work. Their role was to look after the home and their children while men went out to work. Women’s role in family life, and life in general, now depends on the individual person and her circumstances. Many still crave the traditional lifestyle of marriage and children, but many make other choices. There are many more career women; some are working parents while others don’t have children at all. The role of men is also less rigid, and it is much more common than it used to be for Mothers to go to work while Fathers stay at home. Divorce Divorce was once illegal so wasn’t an option at all. Even once it did become legal it was rarely considered and was deemed a sin by many. Now it is much more common for a variety of reasons. Attitudes have completely changed and divorce is seen as perfectly acceptable for those in an unhappy marriage and there is no longer the same stigma attached to it. Although some think of the increase in divorce as a negative, it could be argued that it is better than remaining unhappy. It is also practically easier with family law having changed to make it easier for those seeking a divorce.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Dead Of Night essays

The Dead Of Night essays "The Dead of Night" by John Marsden possessed very few errors in capturing the reader's attention. Between lacking grammatical error, never "playing a subject out", and keeping the reader attached, this books rating had at least a 7. Although, the story kept me very interested, certain styles the author chose made the events dramatically jump up and down. This was very disturbing, well picked climactic points in the story were uninteresting because of these mistakes. Carefully choosing turning points between events in the end, might have improved and given the reader a better understanding of the book overall. Sometimes "playing the subject out", creates a better affect then constant fluctuation of turning points in the book. John Marsdens style has noticeable similarities in a variety of his books. In this particular one, he used a more serious, first person war type novel. Considering it's a fictional war, John was able to create certain questions in the readers mind. For example, an individual reading might say, "Could this actually happen?". Questions such as those develop a sense of realism in reading the story aside from thinking "It's just a story". All of these factors remained until entering the transitional phase of the book. Once this took place, "The Dead of Night" took a hard fall as far as interest is concerned. Many factors are involved when writing a story, not understanding this is unforgivable. Although, concocting a well planned and thought out fiction/non- fiction story/novel involves limitless devotion. Not being an author personally, It's very hard understanding a writers mentality and or point of view. From my perspective, being the fair reader I am, my direct quote would have to be, "A very catchy beginning, but a shaky ending". ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Administrative Salary Hiring Trends for 2017

Administrative Salary Hiring Trends for 2017 If you work in the office or administrative support sector, you’re in luck. These occupations are poised to see about a million and a half new job openings by 2022. Companies are filling vacancies and making new ones at a rapid pace, seeking employees who have experience in the industry, a proven track record for collaboration and initiative, excellent communication skills, technological savvy, a positive attitude, and are keen to advance.1Here are some trends to watch out for this year.1. Job Title ChangesAdmin professionals are being tasked with different- and more- job responsibilities. This is starting to reflect in titles like Chief Executive Administrator, Director of First Impressions, Administrative Chief of Staff, Director of Administration, and Administrative Services Manager.2. Job Description ObsolescenceYour job description doesn’t match your day-to-day work at all. You’re doing so much more and such bigger tasks that you hardly recognize the job you were hired to do. It’s time to revamp your job description. Ask your manager if you can sit down and create an updated version. This helps hold both of you accountable, and will help to show your performance more accurately when review (and raise) time comes along.3. Salary BumpsGood news! Salaries are improving by an average of 3% or more- especially for certain senior and HR positions. If you speak another language, or you have a Certified Administrative Professional designation, or you’re a specialist in the MS Office Suite, you’re likely to be in line for more money.4. Diversifying RolesIn this new global world, different skills and experience will be more in demand. Bilingualism, customer service skills, financial savvy, etc. Start thinking about what you offer outside the box in the new economy.5. TechnologyGone are the days of getting jobs just because of lightning fast typing speed. New technology happens fast- and administrative professionals have to k eep up. Educate yourself and specialize in multi-skilled roles involving online marketing, web development, customer service, and other online aspects of your job, and you’ll go far. You’ll want to focus less on the old standards of spreadsheets and data entry and more on new things like web conferencing, IT hardware, and other software systems.6. EducationThere will be a trend toward employers requiring an associates degree- at minimum- for their administrative hires. Get yourself on the cutting edge and get your associate’s- or even your bachelor’s- to stay ahead of the curve.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Innovative Design Protection Act (IDPA) of 2012 Essay

Innovative Design Protection Act (IDPA) of 2012 - Essay Example The paper "Innovative Design Protection Act (IDPA) of 2012" will provide a succinct description of the primary features of the 2012 IDPA, discussing how the act is going to revolutionize the legal defense of designs in the US. The new version makes provisions that require detailed written notices to be issued to suspected infringers and a 21-day suspension on the start of an action following that notice without the accrual of damages during these three weeks. The act has many far-reaching effects on the design industry within the US. At its core, the act is primarily focused on not only protecting designers, but also protecting their creativity, as well as job security. It proffers copyright protection to all fashion designs in the US. The act revises the meaning of the term useful article in order to include, among others, articles of apparel such as tote bags, eyeglass frames, handbags, clothing, wallets, purses and belts. However, the act excludes, from legal protection, all desig ns that are embodied in useful articles whose designers or owners make public. This legal protection is deterred if such publication occurs more than two years prior to the date of the request for registration, specifically in vessel hull designs. Additionally, the legal protection is excluded for useful articles whose publication takes place more than three years prior to the date when protection of the design is provided, specifically in the event of fashion designs. The act also deters the consideration of the absence.... The act ideally sets out the full term of protection at three years for fashion designs and at least a decade for designs of vessel hulls (Richman, Denton & Behr 2012, p. 117). The provisions of the law require the owners of all fashion designs to offer written notifications of the design protection to all persons the design owners have sufficient reasons to believe have violated or will probably violate these protections. The act additionally makes illegal all actions aimed at the infringement of fashion designs from the start until three weeks after such written notice is served to the defendant (The Library of Congress n.d., p. 1). The act is quite significant to the design industry since it provides pertinent modifications to the infringement criteria applicable to sellers, retailers, distributors and importers of infringing articles who were not necessarily involved in making the articles. Another critical importance lies in the act’s revision of provisions dealing with a cting without knowledge, affirming that it does not constitute an infringement to create, sell, import of distribute articles embodying designs that were created without knowledge, either reasonably inferred from all circumstances or actual occurrences, that the designs were protected and were copied from protected designs (Jimenez & Kolsun 2009, p. 154). Moreover, the act declares that it does not constitute an infringement under specified federally guaranteed protections of original designs, to engage in the provisions of services such as telecommunications services, location tools for Internet information and Internet access services, as well as