Dota Addiction

What is Dota? Dota or Defense of the ancient is a custom scenario for the real-time strategy video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and it's expansion, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, based on the â€Å"Aeon of Strife† map for StarCraft. The objective of the scenario is for each team to destroy the opponents' Ancients, heavily guarded structures at opposing corners of the map. Players use powerful units known as heroes, and are assisted by allied heroes and AI-controlled fighters called â€Å"creeps†. As in role-playing games, players level up their hero and use gold to buy equipment during the mission. Does Dota really affect the youth today? Does it help the youth today? Or it corrupts the minds of the youth who are playing this game? Let us look at Dota's advantages and disadvantages. Dota helps the youth who are playing this game to become mentally alert, cooperative, and strategic. It also increases their knowledge in mathematics by computing the gold's, damages, magic and physical reduction present in the game. Indeed, Dota really helps the youth by playing this game. In the other hand, playing this game without time management and priority can lead to irresponsibility. Starting from their responsibilities, the youth spend more time playing this game rather than doing their tasks. Studies were forgotten, students became lazy, and relationships with the family were also affected because of this game. Playing this game also triggers the player to lose his/her temper and values. Why? It simply because of the different languages used during the game or what we called â€Å"Trash talks†. Trash talks such as foul languages can really lose their temper and values. As a result, the both sides will fight against each other. Gamble is also present in this game, the highest bet is 5,000 pesos and the lowest is 300 pesos. Again, money for them is not that important anymore. Many players says that â€Å"Dota is the best past time ever,† so it's OK for them to waste their money. Due to playing, eating is irrelevant; the satisfaction they get from playing is the same as the satisfaction they get from eating. As a result, the body's immune systems are getting weaker and now expose the different viruses and diseases. All in all, Dota really affects the life style of the youth who are in to this game, although it has one good benefit, but it corrupts the mind and the way the youth think. It also weakened the body system, money and moral values were not given importance because of this game.

Communication Studies: Examples of preface Essay

A poem was chosen to portray this piece because readers seem to be more appreciative of poems. This genre allowed the opportunity to create the perfect setting in which a young girl is enticed into prostitution. I was inspired to do this piece because I wanted to help some of my friends and hope that this genre of the poem will reach them. The intended audience is adolescent girls as they are at high risk of being lured into this practice via media influences that make it seem ‘acceptable’ to indulge in vulgar behaviour and promiscuous acts. An appropriate place for this reflective piece would be in a school newspaper/class notice board, as well as in a school library for easy accessibility. This piece was written in an attempt to sensitize the public of this ever growing epidemic among the young girls of the Caribbean. Example B A dialogue was chosen for this reflective piece because it was the most effective genre to express my thought and feelings about the topic of discussion. It gave the opportunity for my ideas to flow freely. This piece entitled â€Å"Last Resort† discusses one prostitute’s situation and the reasons for her current lifestyle. A dialogue was also chosen to portray this piece as I wished to present at real life scenario that one can easily relate to and understand. The intended audience for this piece is young girls, particularly in their teenage years as they are most susceptible to becoming prostitutes due to poverty and sexual abuse at home. The best place for this piece would be in a teen magazine or newspaper, posted on notice boards at various schools and in the public libraries for wide accessibility. â€Å"Last Resort† intends to sensitize young females in the Caribbean in a dramatic way on the circumstances that may lead to prostitution in an attempt to avoid this lifestyle as much as possible , and hopefully lead to action where precautionary measures may be taken into curb this prevalence.

Of Mice and Men: Yearning Friendship

In the heart of every human, there is a longing for companionship. The novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck tells readers of the tragic tale between two males, George Milton and Lennie Small, who are trying to survive the cruel times of America's Great Depression. George and Lennie are two ranch workers hopping from place to place in order to survive and fulfill their dreams. Even though the two men are complete opposites, they stick together to the end of the novella. Steinbeck illustrates the theme, the longing and human need for friendship, by constantly pushing many characters through the feeling of loneliness, the benefits of cooperation, and the power of companionship.The feeling of loneliness forces people to realize their need for friendship. For example, when Crooks tells Lennie, â€Å"Books ain't no good. A guy needs somebody—to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you. I tell ya, a guy g ets too lonely and he gets sick† (73). This reveals the feeling of loneliness drives people mad. The feeling drives people remarkably mad that they learn to accept any company that they have, even if the company is bothersome. Furthermore, Curley's wife responds to Lennie's stubbornness by stating, â€Å"Why can't I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody.I get awful lonely† (86). This brings to light Curley's wife's actions of constantly annoying the males. Her loneliness causes her to bother people who normally push her away and ignore her—her heart longs for some sort of company, and it won't stop until she obtains one. Although the feeling of loneliness pushes the reader into realization of a longing for friendship, cooperation keeps a friendship lasting.Cooperation benefits a friendship between two people; it keeps the longing for friendship satisfied. For instance, Lennie remembers George's words and beams, â€Å"Because†¦ because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you† (14). This explains that two males depend on each other and leaning on each other's shoulders when it is needed through their cooperation. The cooperation between the two keeps their friendship strong even though they are total opposites. In fact, even by the end of their  tale, Lennie rejoicing, â€Å"An' I got you. We got each other, that's what, that gives a hoot hell about us† (104).This reveals that through their tough battles, they still stayed strong friends. Once again, their cooperation was shown through their dependence on each other. Due to the face that they have each other, Lennie suggests that that is the reason people give a â€Å"hoot hell† about them. He means that people know them or hear of them as a result of their friendship. The two cooperate, thus, making them known as a duo. The benefits of cooperation are not the only things that keep a friendship lasting; the power of companionship supports a lasting friendship as well.Companionship is a powerful element. For instance, when Carlson complains about Candy's dog's revolting scent, Candy replies, â€Å"I'm so used to him, I had him from a pup† (45). This reveals that companionship is powerful enough for a person to be familiarized with their friend's appearance, attitude, and personality—a person is not annoyed with certain characteristics of their friend, even though the people around them are. In this case, Candy's long time ownership of his his dog has enable him to no longer be bother by the dog's revolting smell. He doesn't mind it because it reminds him that he has a companion.The longing in his heart is well fed by the company of a dog; there is a chance that the longing will come back if his dog is gone. In addition, at the end of the tale, when George is speaking to Lennie about Lennie accidentally killing Curley's wife, George states, â€Å"No Lennie. I ain't mad. I never been mad, an' I ain't now. That's the thing I want ya to know† (106). This reveals that companionship is powerful enough for people to set aside their problems and stay calm in order to keep hold of a friend. Lennie's idiotic actions often causes many people to be angry with him, but George has been a companion of Lennie long enough to be habituated with Lennie's actions. George's longing for friendship is fulfilled, because he has Lennie. Companionship is a powerful thing that holds two friends together.Loneliness, cooperation, and companionship are three strings that intertwine, creating a braid that is called friendship. Separately, the strings are easily ripped apart; however, together, the braid is stronger, making it harder to rip. Steinbeck is trying to prove that friendship is an essential part of life. Friendship is important because without it, a person can be driven to madness and obtaining too much loneliness can kill a person. Any creature could be friend in Steinbeck’s point of vie w: a dead animal, a living animal, or a person.Whatever or whoever a character is comfortable around can be considered their friend and friends can be found in the smallest of things to biggest of things; a person just needs to take time and search. He teaches the reader that no matter the case, somewhere in a person's heart, there is a yearning for friendship.

Trade dispute Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trade dispute - Essay Example However, these wholesalers are usually affiliated with manufacturers, who can legally prohibit retailers from selling the products of competitors. Furthermore, because retailing licenses are required and existing merchants can block the granting of new ones, it is difficult to establish large chain stores that would be less reliant upon existing wholesalers and more prices competitive. The system was criticized because the GATT consensus decision-making rules meant that a party could prevent the dispute settlement process from starting and, even if the process was allowed to go forward, a losing party could prevent formal adoption of a decision against it (and losing parties did so more frequently over time). (Robert, 89) Without adoption, the report remained in limbo; it expressed the view of three experts but had no status in GATT. Thus, the dispute remained unresolved. As a result, there was a perception that the GATT system was not adequate. (Busch, and Reinhardt, 163) Moreover, it was believed that cases that should have been resolved in the system were never even brought to it because of this perceived shortcoming. In the Uruguay Round trade negotiations, the United States in particular wanted to improve and strengthen the dispute settlement system. ... In other words, it gives the owner exclusive rights to the idea or product. A patent is filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington D.C. Patents is considered intellectual property rights and is protected by state and federal laws. If the patent is granted, it is usually granted for a period of time, making the product fair game after the period ends. The Federal Patent Statute of 1952, which was enacted by Congress, is â€Å"intended to provide an incentive for inventors to invent and make their inventions public and to protect patented inventions from infringement† (Cheeseman, 323). As with all cases, the loser can appeal the case. In the case of Vonage, if they were to appeal this case, they would do so through the U.S. Court of Appeals. In the patent infringement case of Vonage versus Sprint, a jury trial was held in the Kansas City, Kansas U.S. District Court, the city of Sprint’s headquarters. Federal courts are the ones that hear patent cases, n ot state courts. These courts also have exclusive jurisdiction. Exclusive jurisdiction occurs when only one court holds jurisdiction in the case, in this case it was Kansas City. The Vonage case was considered a civil trial, not a criminal trial because it occurred between two businesses and was not between a business and the government. If the case had been filed by the government, it would have been a criminal case. (Robert, 22) There are many differences between civil and criminal cases. In both cases, civil and criminal, a jury decides the verdict, however with a civil case; the jury does not need to reach a unanimous vote as it does with a criminal trial. With a civil trial the â€Å"judgment for plaintiff requires specific

The Role of Lead Teacher Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Role of Lead Teacher - Research Paper Example 11). The majority of contemporary schools functions under a continuous improvement model and is publicly measured by student achievement test results. The transformation of schools to function under more progressive models relies heavily on leveraging the expertise of the classroom teacher to extend beyond the traditional roles of individual classroom impact on students, and to include new roles in leading school reform efforts as part of a community of learners (Crowther et al, 2002). Faculty involvement in decision making, through administrators sharing their power with the teaching staff, is a way to create collaborative culture and promote student success, especially in traditionally failing schools (Papalewis and Fortune, 2002). Empowerment void of professional community is not enough to bring about needed changes in our schools. Empowerment has "proven insufficient to change teachers relationships to their work in many settings" (Louis and Kruse, 1995, p. 13). Many teachers have leadership qualities that have not yet been recognized but may be a key to transforming schools and communities (Crowther et al., 2002). Documenting the perceptions and experiences of lead teachers who are involved as agents of change can reveal insights about the nature of teacher leadership, the roles that lead teachers assume, and the impact of their involvement in educational change. Careful and critical examination of teacher leadership is important since it is perceived as bein g critical to so many current school reform initiatives (Miller, et al., 2000). PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Buckner and McDowelle (2000) reported that teachers are in a unique position to influence school reform efforts, however "teacher leadership is a concept that often lacks clear definition" (p. 35). As teachers play a greater role in the changes schools make, there is a need to better define and describe the concept of lead teacher and teacher leadership (Miller et al., 2000). Katzenmeyer and Moller (2001) stated, "teacher leadership is essential for the level of complex change schools face. In order to advance these roles for teachers, it is necessary for proponents to be clear about what teacher leadership looks like" (p. 4). Various reform efforts in modern education have recognized teachers' professional development as central to the reform efforts and have called for new ways of organizing and supporting teacher work. Providing insight into the role of lead teachers as participants in a distributed leadership model by documenting their perceptions, describing implementation activities, and identifying and analyzing the impact of their roles in modern education will help to understand the perspectives of contemporary education and learning. This deeper understanding is needed to help guide reform efforts and provide for a more enlightened conversation regarding teacher leadership so that administrators can 'identify, develop, and support lead teachers in their schools" (Buckner & McDowelle, 2000, p. 36). Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the effect of the lead teacher in changing and improving school management, learners' performance and teaching practices. LITERATURE REVIEW In the current literature the term "lead teacher" (or "teacher leader") is ill defined. It is used to discuss teachers who unofficially engage in a leadership role in activities that

Critically explore the risks, challenges and key issues in relation to Essay - 1

Critically explore the risks, challenges and key issues in relation to starting up a new restaurant in Cardiff Bay in light of the current economic climate in the UK 01312 - Essay Example Resultantly, UK is considered as fruitful economy for businesses due its supporting business environment. The country is also attracting FDI for numerous sectors including food and beverages (Institute of Foreign Economy, NDRC, 2014). Also, According to PWC (2015), Europe including UK attracted around 22 million more tourists in 2014 than 2013. Cardiff Bay, the mining valley holds the status of world’ first industrialized city (Cardiff Caerdydd, N.d) and 10th largest UK city but remained underprivileged for centuries due to ignorance by authorities. With this scenario at affect, role of SME’s increase massively in Cardiff Bay as the economy is then dependent on small and medium enterprises. The last two decades witnessed the adventurous growth events and developments in the Cardiff Bay region. As reported, from 1000 registered buildings 547 are of food businesses including bar, cafà © and restaurants in Cardiff Bay (Ruddick, 2012). Hence, role of hospitality industry is wide in SME in Cardiff Bay region. Hence, with these factors at affect the paper reviews the challenges and issues that starting a new venture of restaurant in Cardiff Bay will be faced with. Honig and Samuelsson, (2011) empirically researched the effectiveness of planning and discussed the factors and viability of planning to enter in a business. Different factors in Cardiff Bay contribute in the importance of business planning. The potential population growth and changing lifestyle are promising measures for services business industry in the region (Cardiff Caerdydd, N.d). Cardiff Bay attracts around 18 million visitors a year till 2012. Though, the region still needs huge reforms but critics have positive anticipations. The lack in connectivity, infrastructure and funding measures, increasing unemployment rates and strong ethnic values that cannot be easily changed all also factors that must be considered before developing business

Leukemia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Leukemia - Research Paper Example The different types of leukemia present with different clinical features and there are differing signs and symptoms. The condition affects the bone marrow as well as the blood with the presence of altered cells in the bloodstream. Different diagnostic procedures are utilized to diagnose this condition. These include the full blood count as well as blood smears. Biopsy of the bone marrow is also performed for a definitive conclusion. Each form of leukemia has its own pharmacological treatment directed towards treating the condition. Bone marrow transplant is the last treatment resort for all types of leukemia. Neoplasms within the blood arise when there is disruption in the normal pattern of differentiation of blood cells. Leukemia falls within the classification of the cancerous pathological conditions of the blood which results in a rise in the white blood cells at their site of production that is the bone marrow as well in the blood which is present in the circulation. There is no specific definitive cause that has been identified for this condition but there are many risk factors and proposed causes which are considered to increase the susceptibility of the development of leukemia. Leukemia is a malignancy which is further categorized into many subtypes. These include the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), adult T-Cell leukemia and hairy cell leukemia (Davidson et al 2009; Kumar et al 2005). The occurrence of leukemia has been associated with different causes. It has been analyzed that alterations in the normal chromosomal development which may be due translocations as well as rearrangements in the chromosomal structure may lead to leukemia. An interesting aspect of leukemia is that it is seen to be present at a higher rate in the people who suffer from other genetic pathological conditions. A higher incidence of acute

High Speed Rail Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

High Speed Rail - Research Paper Example This type of rail system is preferable for passenger travel although it is also used for freight services in some countries. (Cox and Vranich) The purpose of this research paper is to give an overview of development of high speed rail transport, its benefits i.e. economically and environmentally, operation and maintenance and success or failure of such projects. Many policy makers in developed countries have backed the idea of a high speed rail transport. For instance, the Obama administration in the USA pledged to inject an $8 billion dollar fund to support high speed rail project as part of its economic stimulus program. This plan involved around 8500 rout-miles of high speed trains connecting about 33 states in 2009 and all the states connected by 2014. Â  (Vock, 2014) High speed rail is rapidly expanding across the world. Currently, more than 20 countries have a high speed rail transport with other 10 countries having such a system under construction. High speed rail transport has been operational in Japan for over 50 years with zero fatalities. Some policy makers argue that high speed rail train is expensive and only serve the elite in society. For instance, in the USA it is argued that the geography is unsuitable for such a system since its cities are less dense and far apart. (OToole) However, there are advantages and disadvantages associated with high speed rail transport in terms of sustainability, economically and environmentally. High speed trains can deliver passengers at a fraction of a second and costs and in all weather. It also provides convenient service to other forms of transport e.g. fast transport to airports hence allowing residents from lower societal level to benefit from a relatively cheap form of long-distance travel. Also, a single rail track and high speed train can carry many people at ago as compared to highways and this is not only convenient, but also saves time and cost. (Pettinger) With the adoption and running of a

Innovation,, Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Innovation,, - Assignment Example These computer-related programmes make it easier to ask ‘what if’ questions, make any technical changes or to add enhanced features to any existing design, with alterations in manufacturing made easy using visualisation and graphics (Lieu & Sorby, 2009). If consumer safety advocacy groups can be enticed to ask for this new technology, then government agencies tasked with road safety will be interested and call for early adoption. Other factors can significantly impact the adoption of this new proposed technology, such as the availability of research funding and the eventual equity funding to have a start-up firm. The adoption of air bags took thirty years from initial patent application to making it a standard safety feature today (Pressler, 1998). A special steering wheel will cost about US$25 and the heart-rate monitor will cost an additional US$50 (depending on the brand and model), so the two important devices will total approximately US$75 to produce or manufacture. The car alarm rigged to the heart-rate monitor will cost an additional US$25, a microcontroller will cost about US$100 and the GPS device will cost around US$100, so these four important devices (steering wheel with heart-rate monitor, microcontroller, car alarm, and GPS device) will cost a total of US$300, with another US$100 for direct labor costs for the installation. The entire device will substantially go down over time when expertise is acquired in making it, called the learning curve in economics (Jaber, 2011). A positive thing about this new technology is an expected reduction in car or motor vehicle accidents caused by drowsiness (sleepiness), sudden heart attacks or drunken driving (as a breath analyser will be incorporated into the device). People who suffer from hypertension will also be benefitting from this new device. In addition, older people who still want to drive will be safeguarded by the heart-rate monitor, which will serve as a health warning device for any ch anges in their heartbeat or blood pressure. Driving while sleepy is a very dangerous condition, but most drivers usually just ignore this sign because they think (erroneously) that they can still manage to drive safely while in truth, their reflexes slow down and judgment is impaired. There are many ways to avoid such accidents, but the only effective countermeasure against this is to stop driving (Surani & Subramanian, 2011). So, the heart-rate monitor is a preemptive device intended to proactively prevent accidents despite the judgment of people it is safe to drive when, in fact, they are putting themselves in harm’s way and commit errors posing them at risk. The foremost drawback of this new device is the cost because it will definitely add a significant premium to the total purchase price of a vehicle. It is worth noting this had been the same argument put up by people who oppose adding new features or resist adopting a new technology (Postman, 2011), but people have seen the wisdom of using safety features included in a vehicle in order to enhance driver and passenger safety. This is a common initial objection to the proposal (back then) of installing air bags on all vehicles, in which air bags were first offered as just options but later were made required standard features. It is reasonable to expect the same objection to the heart-rate monitor, and the maker of this device will have to undertake a serious marketing campaign to

Treason, Terrorism and Wartime Criminal Justice Essay Example for Free

Treason, Terrorism and Wartime Criminal Justice Essay In the history of the United States the acts of treason, terrorism and criminal justice during times of war have taken on various forms. From the Sedition Act of 1798 to the current war on terror, the Constitution and its amendments have been challenged to ensure national security. To understand this we must first look at what treason and terrorism are and the effects they have had in the reduction of civil liberties during times of war. Treason   Treason is defined as: â€Å"The betrayal of ones own country by waging war against it or by consciously or purposely acting to aid its enemies. †Ã‚   (Wehl, 1950) Under Article III, Section 3, of the Constitution, any person who levies war against the United States or adheres to its enemies by giving them â€Å"aid and comfort† has committed treason within the meaning of the Constitution. The term aid and comfort refers to any act that manifests a betrayal of allegiance to the United States, such as furnishing enemies with arms, troops, transportation, shelter, or classified information. If a subversive act has any tendency to weaken the power of the United States to attack or resist its enemies, aid and comfort has been given. The Treason Clause applies only to disloyal acts committed during times of war. Acts of disloyalty during peacetime are not considered treasonous under the Constitution. Nor do acts of Espionage committed on behalf of an ally constitute treason. For example, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of espionage, in 1951, for helping the Soviet Union steal atomic secrets from the United States during World War II. The Rosenbergs were not tried for treason because the United States and the Soviet Union were allies during World War II. â€Å"Under Article III a person can levy war against the United States without the use of arms, weapons, or military equipment. Persons who play only a peripheral role in a conspiracy to levy war are still considered traitors under the Constitution if an armed rebellion against the United States results. After the U.S. Civil War, for example, all Confederate soldiers were vulnerable to charges of treason, regardless of their role in the secession or insurrection of the Southern states. No treason charges were filed against these soldiers, however, because President Andrew Johnson issued a universal amnesty.† (Smith, 1956) The crime of treason requires a traitorous intent. If a person unwittingly or unintentionally gives aid and comfort to an enemy of the United States during wartime, treason has not occurred. Similarly, a person who pursues a course of action that is intended to benefit the United States but mistakenly helps an enemy is not guilty of treason. Inadvertent disloyalty is never punishable as treason, no matter how much damage the United States suffers. As in any other criminal trial in the United States, a defendant charged with treason is presumed innocent until proved guilty â€Å"beyond a reasonable doubt†. Treason may be proved by a voluntary confession in open court or by evidence that the defendant committed an â€Å"overt act† of treason. Each overt act must be witnessed by at least two people, or a conviction for treason will not stand. By requiring this type of direct evidence, the Constitution minimizes the danger of convicting an innocent person and forestalls the possibility of partisan witch-hunts waged by a single adversary. Unexpressed seditious thoughts do not constitute treason, even if those thoughts contemplate a bloody revolution or coup. Nor does the public expression of subversive opinions, including vehement criticism of the government and its policies, constitute treason. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right of all Americans to advocate the violent overthrow of their government unless such advocacy is directed toward inciting imminent lawless action and is likely to produce it (Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444, 89 S. Ct. 1827, 23 L. Ed. 2d 430 [1969]). On the other hand, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the distribution of leaflets protesting the draft during World War I was not constitutionally protected speech (schenck v. united states, 249 U.S. 47, 39 S. Ct. 247, 63 L. Ed. 470 [1919]). Because treason involves the betrayal of allegiance to the United States, a person need not be a U.S. citizen to commit treason under the Constitution. Persons who owe temporary allegiance to the United States can commit treason. Aliens who reside in the United States, for example, can commit traitorous acts during the period of their domicile. A subversive act does not need to occur on U.S. soil to be punishable as treason. For example, Mildred Gillars, a U.S. citizen who became known as Axis Sally, was convicted of treason for broadcasting demoralizing propaganda to Allied forces in Europe from a Nazi radio station in Germany during World War II. â€Å"Treason is punishable by death. If a death sentence is not imposed, defendants face a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine (18 U.S.C.A.  § 2381). A person who is convicted of treason may not hold federal office at any time thereafter.† (Chapin, 1964) Terrorism Terrorism is defined as: â€Å"The unlawful use or threat of violence, especially against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion.† (Davenport, 2009) When we speak about terrorism, we initially mean transnational terrorism, which takes the form of the violent conflict between two or more different states. If we take terrorism as violation of certain social norms, the norms of what state should we take into account? On the one hand, terrorism directly violates the social norms of the society against which it is directed. On the other hand, terrorism becomes an acute response to the threats, under which the social norms of the terrorist state may appear. With the growing threats of terrorist attacks, numerous attempts have been made to explain the causation and roots of terrorism. There are several political, economic, and psychosocial theories which explain what terrorism is. The notion of terrorism has been discussed from the viewpoint of different disciplines and from various theoretical perspectives. Terrorism has been depicted more in political and social, rather than criminological terms. There have not been too many attempts to link terrorism to crime. This is why we still lack profound understanding of terrorism’s causation. Research has not produced any new theories which would explain terrorism. As a result, we can only utilize the existing well known crime theories to explain the notions and the roots of terrorism. The traditional picture of modern terrorism implies that terrorism has mainly Islamic roots. The extreme conservatism of the Islamic world and its reluctance to become a part of the worlds technological revolution may also serve the cause of terrorism. Rapid technological change changes the way institutions relate to one another. Change produces new norms, and new values. Those socialized to the old norms take time to adapt, and this ‘time lag’ results in the normative confusion between the old and the new societal values. (Laufer Adler, 1998) When such changes expand beyond the borders of one state and involve whole nations and continents, there will always be those who would refuse to conform to the new norms. The transition from the older to the newer norms actually causes significant stress onto the societal conscience. Terrorism is the ultimate act of opposition against the imposed implementation of the new norms. As states use terrorism to prove their social or political position, they defend their social norms and violate the norms of other states. Trying to determine the roots of terrorism, we must look at the so-called irrationality of terrorism†. This hypothesis stems from the theory of rational choice. Although it is difficult to deny that terrorism is a rational choice activity, in many instances rational choice remains irrelevant to explaining terrorism as a crime. This is further proof of the fact that we need one unified objective theory which would draw the terrorism cause in logical terms. On the one hand, terrorism as a crime is irrational in responsiveness to incentives. (Caplan, 2005) This factor determines the willingness of a person to commit a crime: the better the incentives are, the more inclined towards a crime a person will be. Moreover, rational choice suggests weighing all possible alternatives in choosing the tactics of specific crime. â€Å"The same holds for suicidal terrorism. Groups do not adopt suicide tactics for their own sake. They adopt them because they work†. On the other hand, we cannot explain terrorism within the theoretical framework of narrow self-interests which is integrally linked to traditional rational choice theory of crime. (Wilson, 2005) â€Å"Suicidal terrorism is far stronger counter-example to narrow self-interest. From a non-evolutionary viewpoint, it is impossible to reconcile the two. No matter how much you receive for your services, it does you no good if you are not alive to consume anything. Furthermore, if you get paid first and die later, there is an end-game problem. A selfish agent would take the money, then do everything in his power to back out† (Caplan, 2005). â€Å"Terrorism is first and foremost a criminal matter†. However, criminologists still fail to produce a relevant and explicit theory about terrorism as a crime. We possess sufficient knowledge about terrorism as a political, economic, or social phenomenon, but for some reason we keep forgetting that terrorism is a crime, and we primarily perceive as a crime with its peculiar characteristics. We will never be able to develop sound anti-terrorism preventive measures, if we lack understanding of terrorism from the criminological perspective. (Hamm, 2007) We must be aware of what causes terrorist crimes, what justifies them, and how we can deal with terrorist violence. Our primary task is to shift the emphasis from political to criminological perspective of terrorism. We must ultimately recognize that prevalence and incidence of terrorism requires criminological re-consideration. The new crime theory of terrorism must be multifaceted, and should link criminology of terrorism to its political dynamics and environmental contingencies. (Laufer Adler, 1998) Wartime Criminal Justice Historically, Americans risk losing civil liberties in wartime. Two risks to civil liberties arise out of war situations, first that under the guise of emergency, powers concentrated into the hands of government agents are misused, and second, that when the emergency ends, liberties formerly enjoyed are permanently eroded. The Constitution divides war powers between the Congress and the President.   This division was intended by the framers to ensure that wars would not be entered into easily: it takes two keys, not one, to start the engine of war. The Constitutions division of powers leaves the President with some exclusive powers as Commander-in-Chief (such as decisions on the field of battle), Congress with certain other exclusive powers (such as the ability to declare war and appropriate dollars to support the war effort), and a sort of twilight zone of concurrent powers.   In the zone of concurrent powers, the Congress might effectively limit presidential power, but in the absence of express congressional limitations the President is free to act.   Although on paper it might appear that the powers of Congress with respect to war are more dominant, the reality is that Presidential power has been more importantin part due to the modern need for quick responses to foreign threats and in part due to the many-headed nature of Congress. A brief survey of American history indicates that virtually every war has been accompanied not only by necessary restrictions on individual freedoms, but on overreactions, often hysterical, that has unnecessarily curtailed the liberty of Americans. The undeclared naval war by Britain and France on the fledgling United States in the 1790s led President Adams’ Federalist controlled Congress to pass the â€Å"Alien and Sedition Laws†Ã¢â‚¬â€clear violations of the First Amendment. Prosecutions under the law, soon after repealed, were politically motivated. President Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus in thousands of cases during the Civil War. Although historians have granted the necessity and even the restraint of these acts, the Supreme Court repudiated this unilateral presidential power after the War ended. A World War I sedition law made criticism of the military draft a crime. Sedition prosecutions stifled free speech. In reaction, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) was formed and in a series of landmark cases, the Supreme Court strengthened First Amendment freedoms, limiting the ability of government to stifle unpopular political expression. Fear of Bolsheviks in post-World War I turmoil, a deadly Wall Street bombing, and assassination threats in 1919 led to the â€Å"Palmer Raids†Ã¢â‚¬â€round-ups of thousands of people around the country, mostly leftist or pro-labor, organized by J. Edgar Hoover under the authority of Attorney General A Mitchell Palmer. More than a hundred-thousand Japanese-Americans were interned for the duration of World War II in a tragic overreaction to the Pearl Harbor attack, a move upheld by the Supreme Court. President Roosevelt authorized national security wiretapping and eavesdropping on his authority, a necessary action that led to later abuses that were curbed by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). During the Korean War, President Truman nationalized the steel industry in order to break a strike that threatened war production. The Supreme Court swiftly ruled that this was an unconstitutional extension of the president’s war powers. The longest and most severe threat to civil liberty was the rise of the â€Å"national security state† for at least half of the twentieth century in an effort to thwart the real threats of fascism, Nazism, and expansionist Soviet communism under Stalin. Fascism and the Axis Powers were defeated both by military victories in World War II and by post-war assistance that painstakingly built constructed democratic regimes in Japan, Germany and Italy. â€Å"The long struggle to contain communist global expansion, warped American politics and justice in the 1950s, with political trials, loyalty oaths, Sen. Joseph McCarthy witch hunts (which missed real Soviet spies), artists’ blacklisting, local police department ‘red squad’ snooping, CIA spying on Americans within the country, FBI wiretapping Martin Luther King, Jr. And civil rights leaders, and a climate of political fear that equated a belief in racial equality or other liberal opinions with communism by the FBI.† (Stone, 2005) The anti-Vietnam War protests of the 1960s produced repressive political crimes and political trials, which carried over into the wiretapping abuses of the Nixon Administration resulting in the president’s resignation under threat of impeachment. After these emergency periods passed, repressive laws were typically repealed or declared unconstitutional, and excessive law enforcement behavior was curbed. The nations commitment to free speech rebounded, usually rather quickly, and sometimes more robustly than before. A Congressional report declared that the Sedition Act of 1798 had been passed under a mistaken exercise of power and was null and void. The Sedition Act of 1918, which was repealed two years later, helped give birth to the modern civil liberties movement. And in 1976, President Ford formally prohibited the C.I.A. from using electronic or physical surveillance to collect information on domestic activities of Americans, and the new F.B.I. director, Clarence Kelly, publicly apologized for F.B.I. abuses under J. Edgar Hoover. (Sofaer Williams, 2002) In summary, we see how acts of treason against the United States have taken on different forms. If an act can weaken the power of the United States to attack or resist its enemies, aid and comfort has been given, and thus treason has been committed. Terrorism has evolved both in complexity and with technology. It can take on domestic and international forms and is the ultimate act of defiance against a society. Politics and religion feed the terrorists’ fervor and with the advancements in explosives, even suicide bombers pose a significant threat. As terrorism and treason have evolved, so too have the responses to those acts. From the Sedition Act to the Patriot Act, these responses have been controversial but necessary to ensure the safety of our nation. Many think it not only inevitable but entirely proper that liberty give way to security in times of national crisis. The Founders warned us about the risk, and equipped us with a Constitution designed to deal with it. References Caplan, B. (2005). Terrorism: the relevance of the rational choice model. Criminology 43 (4), pp. 1039-1060. Chapin, B. (1964).   The American Law of Treason: Revolutionary and Early National  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Origins. Seattle: University of Washington Press. Davenport, A. (2009). Basic Criminal Law: The Constitution, Procedure, and Crimes. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Press. Hamm, M. (2007). Terrorism as a crime: from Oklahoma City to Al-Qaeda and beyond. New York: NYU Press. Laufer, W. Adler, F. (1998). Advances in criminological theory. Piscataway: Transaction Publishers. Smith, J. (1956). Freedoms Fetters: The Alien and Sedition Laws and American Civil Liberties. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. Sofaer, A. Williams, P. (2002). Doing Justice During Wartime. Retrieved May 10, 2009, from Stanford University, Hoover Institution Web site: http://www.hoover.org/publications/policyreview/3461221.html Stone, G. (2005). Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime From the Sedition Act of 1798 to the War on Terrorism. New York: Norton, W. W. Company, Inc. Weyl, N. (1950). Treason: The Story of Disloyalty and Betrayal in American History. Washington D.C.: Public Affairs Press. Wilson, R. (2005). Human rights in the ‘War on Terror’. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Consumer Responses to Sex in Advertising

Consumer Responses to Sex in Advertising Abstract: This study analyses the Chinese and British consumers responses to sexual content in advertisements, the advertised brand and consumers buying intentions towards the brand. Focus groups will be the principle research method used in this study, totally 32 Chinese and British participants (including 16 male 16 female) will attend the focus groups discussion. The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in the effect of sex appeal on advertising and brand evaluation between Chinese and British consumers. This investigation will also explore whether gender or product involvement will have any significant relationship with consumers attitudes regarding different sex appeal ads. Rationale for the research Advertising is an important global marketing strategy, it is important for managers to know whether they can use standard advertisements in each of the places where their brands are sold or whether they need to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“localiseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? the advertisements my modify them to adapt the local cultural. The appearance and popularity of using sexual appeals in advertising has become a serious issue in the last 50 years. When using sex in international advertising, it is important to figure out whether sex appeal could be adopted cross national. Whether the effect of using sex in commercials is vary by country and cultural background. The main goal of the present study is to examine how the effect of sex contained advertising and consumers attitude toward these advertising and associated brand vary in different cultures by comparing Chinese and British consumer responses. There are many differences in social systems, cultural backgrounds and marketing and economic approaches betw een these two countriesChina is considered one of the largest developing countries in the world which has made it a target market for manufacturers from around the world in recent decade, whereas the United Kingdom is a highly developed Western country and is one of the main exporters to the Chinese market. The overall research objectives were defined as follows: 1. Fill the existing Gap in Chinese Research into Sex and Advertising Compared to the British regulators of the 1990s and early 2000s (Independent Television Commission, Broadcasting Standards Commission and the Radio Authority) which carried out a number of studies into the consumers attitude and responses toward sexual content in advertisements, the study in this area in China has been rare. One of the purposes of this research is to gain a comprehensive understanding of Chinese consumers responses of sex appeal advertising; what are the responses of Chinese audiences when they are exposed to sex appeal advertising? Does sex in commercials sell for Chinese consumers? This study could help the managers who targeting Chinese market understand the attitude and responses of the specific type of sexual content in advertising. This study will also investigate the specific type of sexual appeal which might cause public offence. Recognizing the audiences attitude and acceptance of specific sexual content in advertising might increase the effectiveness of usi ng sex appeal in television in Chinese market. 2. To understand the differences and similarities of consumer responses exist in both countries. Through a comparison of British and Chinese consumer responses, the difference and similarities that exist in these two countries will be outlined. This work will contribute to the understanding of how sexual appeal work differently by countries and by genders. Research Questions RQ1. What are the key differences in responses toward sex appeal advertising, brand, and buying intention between Chinese and British Consumers? RQ2. Whether gender is a significant variable in consumer responses to sex contained advertising? RQ3. Whether product type is a significant variable in consumer responses to sex contained advertising? Literature Review The definition of sex in advertising Since the 1800s, markets and advertisers have used sexy words and images to sell certain products. Along with the emergence and popularity of sexual advertisements, numerous studies have been carried out in this field. American social scientist Byrne (1982) deemed that sexual advertisements are a type of advertising with ascribed sexual meaning. Courtney and Whipple (1983:p.103) defined sex in advertising as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“sexuality in the form of nudity, sexual imagery, innuendo, and double entendreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ employed as an advertising tool for wide variety for products.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? As noted by Gould (1994), sex in advertising is typically visual (physically attractive models, depictions of sexual behavior with partners or alone) but can also include verbal innuendo and explicit copy. In 2001, Reichert et al. cited that in the context of advertising, sex has been general considered as a tool of persuasion to draw attention to certain products or brands. By its very nature, advertising is a form of persuasion communication. (Thorson, 1990), As such, sex could be used to as persuasive message to promote products and brands. In 2003, Reichert pointed out that sex in advertising can be thought of as a sexual appeal that involve many factors and forms such as nudity, physical attractiveness, sexual behavior and double entendre (Reichert, 2003). Whatever presentation of the sex, the important underlying conceptual commonality is that the information evokes sexual thoughts and feelings in the viewer (Reichert, 2003: 234). Does sex sell? The previous study indicated that with sexy illustrations advertising can effectively grab consumers attention and improve recall of the commercial message. Sexual appeals have been shown to be more attention. Marketing researchers in this area investigated reactions of individuals to certain sexual appeals in advertising and explored reveal how sexual stimuli evoke reactions in individuals, and how these reactions may influence consuming behaviors. The goal of an advertisement is to promote products or services in an effective manner to attract the most people. If an advertisement cannot grab peoples attention, then it cannot affect their likelihood to buy that product. Thus, advertisers seek to make their commercials noticeable to their audiences. Consequently, marketing studies in this area often investigated whether marketing effectiveness of sexual advertising is improved by comparing audiences attentions between sexual and non-sexual advertising. In other words, these studies try to find whether sex appeals could increase the chance for ads for grabbing consumers attention then arousing their buying intention. The impact of sexual appeals on brand name recall and brand evaluation are also important themes in this field. Berceid and Walster (1994) investigate the power of the physical attractiveness. They found attractive people are usually rated as more desirable, respectable and influential than less attractive people. This psychological evidence on the power of physical attractiveness supports the potential commercial value of using sexy models to promote products in advertising. Alexander and Judd (1978) found that nudity and erotic content in ads can increase consumer attention to an advertisement but not necessarily enhance the brand recall and brand evaluation. In the study carried out by Marilyn et al. (1998), sexual appeals have been found to be more attention-getting, likeable, dynamic and more likely to increase a consumers interest in the topic than were nonsexual appeals. The previous research shows that with sexy illustrations advertising can effectively grab consumers attention and improve recall of the commercial message. Sexual appeals have been shown to be more attention. However, sexual appeals that are attention grabbing can also fail to enhance brand recall and brand evaluation of advertising. Many studies found that brand recall from non-sex-containing advertising is higher than that from adverts that do contain sexual content (Steadman 1969; Alexander Judd, 1978; Courtney Whipple, 1983). Individual Difference and Product Type Previous study indicated that individual differences of consumers and product type promoted in ads should be considered when predict the effectiveness of using sexual appeal in commercials. The gender differences and different cultural background of consumers could impact their attitude toward sex contained advertising, moreover, the different product type promoted in sex appeal ads could influence consumers attitude as well. Male and female represent distinct differences when they were exposed to sexual content. Men showed more tolerance of sexual theme and content, meantime, their attitude toward sex appeal ads itself and associated brand were more positive than their women counterparts (Steadman, 1991). In 2004, Pope et al. considered gender differences as an independent variable of impact on consumers attitudes toward sex appeal advertisements. The finding indicated that compared to males, female consumer were more tended to responses positively to mild sexual appeal in adverts. The cultural background is another important capricious in consumer responses to sex appeal ads. People from different countries have distinct attitudes and opinions of sexual content contained in commercials. The research shows that in continental European countries, such as Denmark, Germany, Italy and France, consumers generally showed tolerance of nudity in advertisements (Frith Mueller, 2003). In fact, according to a focus groups survey launched out by Tissier-Desbordes and Manceau (2002), French women typically regard female nudity and sexuality as aesthetic rather than sexual and erotic appeal. Wheras, Fetto (2001) carried out a public opinion survey in the U.S. focuses on peoples opinion toward sexual image in print advertising, majority people express that they do not like much sex in print ads and will boycott products which applied sexual appeal to promote. Meanwhile, compared to the U.S. consumer, British consumer showed an even stricter attitude toward female nudity in commercials (ITC, 2003). The previous research also indicated that influenced by traditional social and cultural values, people who live in countries in Asia and the Middle East tend to be more conservative than the US and Europe with respect to sexual content in adverts ( Frith Mueller, 2003). In addition, people were more likely to accept products and have positive attitude toward brand when they could see clear congruence between the products and the sexual content. Beauty and personal care products could easily be associated with sexual content and so increase the recall and acceptance among audiences (Gunter; 2002; Cheng, 2002). When consumers could not found clear relationship between the product type and sexual content they were more easily to be offended and harm the brand evaluation. The Sexual Content Might Cause Public Offence in Britain and China In Britain, IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority) carried out a serious public opinion surveys in 1980s. This work was concerned, especially, with the publics acceptance not just of sexual treatments in advertising, but with the advertising of products that were associated directly or indirectly with sexual matters (Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA, 1988). The finding shows people find advertisements that featured sexual matters or promoted products for personal hygiene deeply offensive, only 16% audiences admitted that they had been offended by advertisements. The greatest source of these offensive advertisements is related to nudity or sexual content. The majority of audience (70%) said they would not feel embarrassed by watching sanitary protection products on screen. In a later survey, more than 1,1000 UK television viewers were asked if they had ever been offended by television advertisements in this study. Most people expressed they did not think AIDS, contraceptives or condoms advertisements would cause offence. However, majority of British Viewers felt uncomfortable when faced by advertisements for homosexual advice services and Homosexual related products. In 1994, ITC research comprised focus groups and depth interviewer to investigate audiences attitude toward different degrees of nudity in advertising. The finding indicated that nudity was regarded as more acceptable when it was relevant to the product and appeared after 9 pm. The data of focus groups revealed that the suggestive and partially nude seems to could be accepted by audience in any time, semi nude and back nude could be accepted after 9pm, full-frontal nude and sexual intercourse imply or explicit scenes were unacceptable by audience (ITC 1998). In 2004, British researcher Andrea and Lloyd carried out a focus groups survey to examine the consumer attitudes towards female nudity in advertising. The data from focus groups that consumers are more accepting of female nudity in adve rtising when they see a clear congruence between the sexual content and the product, message or positioning. There have been many fewer public opinion surveys on sex contained commercials in China. The only substantial studies we have located are that conducted by Cheng in Hong Kong in 2002. This survey used questionnaire which aimed at identifying what kind of advertisements consumers find offensive. The finding indicates that commercials promote contraceptive products were considered as more offensive than ads about female and males underwear. This study also pointed out that whether an audience will feel offended by advertising on the appeal than the product itself. Relevance to my study The review of previous research may contain clues about how specific aspects of advertising can exert effects on consumers. It provides useful inputs to methodology. The review of previous studies in this field could help to understand that how consumers responses to sex appeal should be studied and analyzed. Three important elements, attitudes towards the ad, the brand and buying intention were adopted for testing the effectiveness of sex appeal in this study. The review of relative gender-role stereotyping studies offers the theoretical basis for examining the men and womens different attitudes when they were exposed to sex contained advertisement. In addition, the previous cross-national comparison work, especially those compare sexy advertising in western and eastern cultural context, offers more detail what we already know about cross-national comparison into consumers responses to sex appeal advertising. Methodology Given the nature of my project, qualitative research approach would be the best way to fully tackle the research questions. This paper will apply focus groups to examine peoples attitude and opinion toward sex in advertising. It also tries to explain the differences existed in the Chinese and British consumer towards sexual appeal advertising. Participants For focus groups, Chinese and British participants will attended in group session to discuss their opinion and attitude toward sexual appeal in advertising base on their individual experiences. In total, 32 participants will take part in this study and were divided into 4 groups: Chinese females, Chinese males, British males, and British females. All participants are university students in LSC. Procedure Each of group would be asked to watch several advertisements contained different level of sexual content. Some advertisements only contain mild sexual content such as soft kissing, embracing, and suggestive nude), others contain high level sex appeals such as half nude, making out and sexual intercourse implied). The product types promoted in those sex contained ads are varying from beauty and personal care stuffs to electronic products. After that, participants would answer questions regard to their attitudes toward ads itself, brand and buying intention, and each participants will be required to discuss the question with others. Focus group will run for around 90 minutes. All discussion will be taped for data analyzing.

Life And Career Of James Cameron Film Studies Essay

Life And Career Of James Cameron Film Studies Essay Ever heard of some really good movies called Titanic, Terminator, and Avatar? Iconic director James Cameron is the brains behind making these and other great films that were, and still are very popular throughout the world. In his life, he has been extremely successful. Titanic went on to become the highest grossing movie of all time. You can give the credit to Camerons genius special effects and amazing story lines. His movies are all very interesting and really capture the imagination of the viewer. Camerons contributions to the movie world make him a big time Hollywood director. James comes from a working class family, where his parents worked very hard to support him. Oscars and numerous other awards can be found all over his house. He is a really good director and his movies are very loved around the world. James was born in the year of 1954 Phillip and Shirley Cameron. He was delivered in Kapuskasing, Ontario Canada. Camerons Dad was an electrical engineer at a power plant. His mom, Shirley was a creative type. Shirley played a large and significant role in stimulating the artistic prowess inside of her son. She enlisted him in numerous acting lessons, painting instruction, and even hired him a personal piano teacher. She did this to encourage James to be as artistic and in touch with his creative side. At school, Cameron was a pretty good student. He didnt like math because of one reason. There was only one answer to every problem. He was never able to fully be creative in his work.. James really liked reading and writing, but really liked in science fiction and space/futuristic novels. His all time favorite book as a student was 2001 A Space Odyssey. The amazing futuristic and descriptive writings of the novel really stuck with Cameron and shaped him into the creative director he is today. After reading the book Cameron had a revelation. He wanted to be in the business of art. The form he chose was directing. He felt like he would be really good at it. But he knew his dream of stardom was one of a Hollywood fairytale. So instead of pursuing a career as a director, James finished high school and went on to college. After receiving his high school diploma, Cameron transitioned into college. He chose to pursue a physics at Cal State Fullerton. He really liked studying physics there, but in the back of his head, a feeling of incompleteness still stuck in the back of his head. Cameron still wanted to test the waters as a film maker. After this sudden change of heart, he switched his major to English and went on to continue his studies for one more year. As the year past, Cameron came to the decision that college was not where he wanted to be anymore. James dropped out and moved into a small apartment in Los Angeles. There, he worked odd jobs here and there. In the mean time, he was always writing scripts and coming up with ideas for his films. At this point in his life, Cameron was at ease with his decision. His parents continued to support him from across the country. A changing point came though when Cameron first watched original Star Wars. This was in 1977. Just like the books he used to read as a child, watching Star Wars really resonated with him. It was exactly the kind of thing he was into. So, after he saw it, he really decided to pursue his dream as a director. He quit his current job and proceeded to focus all of his time and energy into film making. Camerons close knit friends in LA got together as he told them about the dream he wanted to purse. They all agreed they were interested and wanted to be a part of it. The group got together and created a movie. The movie was small and very low budget. However, it caught the attention of writers in Hollywood and got Camerons name out there as a legitimize director. They hustled enough money and eventually were able to get all the equipment necessary to create movies. Camerons first movie as a big time director was awful and terrible. The producer of the film told him that he was a terrible director and would never make it in the business. The negative comments only encouraged him to pursue his dream. He wanted to prove everyone wrong. He wanted to show Hollywood that a kid from Canada could become one of the best film makers in the history of movies. James swore to himself from that point that everyone of his next projects would be top quality and extremely well done. The movie he came up with was Terminator. Futuristic and sci-fi effects were the backbone behind this movie. People had never seen a story like this. They were consumed by the awesome explosions and amazing gun fights. The future governor of California, Arnold Shawrtzanegier got his first big break in this movie. After this, he blew up and went on to become a big time action movie star. Terminator was extremely successful, and James proceeded to create great picture after great picture. James Cameron then unveiled his greatest movie. In this film, he went away from his big explosions and fights scenes like we had seen in his previous movies. Instead, he created a movie that tugged and pulled at the emotional sensors of the human brain. This movie was Titanic. Titanic made Cameron a very rich man. It would go on to become the highest grossing film ever. It made billions and billions of dollars. The movie is very cool because it is so detailed. In one scene he replicated the exact china that was used on the real Titanic. Also, on the scene where Jack and Rose are floating in the ocean, if one is to look into the sky, the consolation of stars is exactly that of the night the real ship sank. After Titanic, Camerons reputation grew as a film maker and he continued on his quest for stardom. Cameron has been a part of many projects, not only the movies he has directed. He assisted fellow directors and also helped produce some of his friends movies. He also has an interest in acting, and sometimes fulfills roles in his own, and others movies. One of Camerons most recent movies is one about a blue alien species. Avatar is a very cool and intriguing movie. It has awesome special effects and if you see it in 3-d it will enhance the experience greatly. Avatar went on to surpass Titanic as the highest grossing movie of all time. His ingenious is really shown in this movie. His creation of a whole other race, with there own language, customs, and culture is a extremely amazing feat. It truly shows the brain power and imagination that he truly possesses. This skill is what makes him so successful in his directing. In all of his movies, Cameron usually has some reoccurring things that usually always take place. Some of these themes are apocalyptic, mans dependency on machines, and more then usual, a woman will have a very prominent role in saving the day. Most of Camerons movie have one or more of these elements in them. Cameron has married many women in his life. In his years, he has had 5 wives. First he was married to Sharon Williams in 1978. In 1984, he married Gale Hurd, the producer who bough Terminator. After Gale, he married Kathryn Bigelow in 1989. After Biglow, Cameron married Linda Hamilton, whom he has one daughter with. Finally, he married his current wife, Suzy Amis in 2000. When it comes to religion, Cameron does not really have any beliefs. He considers himself an atheist. Meaning he believes that after death, a persons body just becomes part of the earth, and that is it. director James Cameron is the brains behind making these and other great films that were, and still are very popular throughout the world. In his life, he has been extremely successful. Titanic went on to become the highest grossing movie of all time. You can give the credit to Camerons genius special effects and amazing story lines. His movies are all very interesting and really capture the imagination of the viewer. Camerons contributions to the movie world make him a big time Hollywood director. James comes from a working class family, where his parents worked very hard to support him. Oscars and numerous other awards can be found all over his house. He is a really good director and his movies are very loved around the world.

Dopamine, It Does a Body Good :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Dopamine, It Does a Body Good In class we have frequently discussed the I-function and how it relates to the body and the brain. Is the I-function a separate soul? Is it simply an extension of our DNA and genes? In addition, we have fretted over the I-function and its relationship to our behavior or personality. Where exactly the I-function is, we have also wondered. In this paper I will explore personality, the I-function and their relationship to genes and chemical changes that take place within the body. I will mainly look at how neurotransmitters affect overall happiness in an individual. How these chemicals are regulated by genes and by the environment, will also be questioned. Overall I will look at what makes us who we are. Are we simply programmed for life by our genes or do they even matter at all? While searching the web I found many good articles which explained how neurotransmitters affect personality. In some cases norepinepherin can encourage quick emotional responses like anger and also discourage logical thinking, while serotonin can cause irritability and a lack of rational emotion. All of them can cause anger, anxiety, depression, insecure feelings, and fear. To find out what the characteristics of personality are, I found another site appropriate. It lists 16 types of personality that are controlled by various combinations of 4 dimensions: extrovert vs. introvert, sensor vs. intuitive, thinker vs. feeler, and judger vs. perceiver. You can see how some of these could be determined by neurotransmitters. With happiness in particular, a group of psychologists describe it through the set-point idea. The set-point idea contends that there is a genetically determined mood level that can be nudged by life slightly upward or downward, but in the long run will stay about the same for each individual. Therefore, if you win the lottery or become a paraplegic, you will remain close to the same happiness level that you were always at. The 2 doctors say that about half of your sense of well being is determined by your set-point while the other by the sorrows and pleasures of life. By studying the activity in each prefrontal area, happiness and enthusiasm can be detected from worry and agitation. They tested 10 month old babies and then tracked them for several years and still found the measurements of their brain-wave patterns accurate. It was also discovered that an allele for part of the D4 receptor were related to the amount of

A Look at National Missile Defense :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the late 1950s, due to the former Soviet Union successfully launching a satellite into space with the help of a multi-stage missile, the United States then began to address the idea of missile defenses. Soon, both offensive and defensive long-range ballistic missile development would be placed on our government’s agenda. The objective was simple, to develop a system that could track down any missiles launched at the United States, and eliminate them before they reached their designated targets. Nike-Zeus was one of the first U.S. efforts to mount a defense against ballistic missiles. Its concept called for a 400-kiloton nuclear warhead to be detonated when in range with incoming missiles. This design had numerous flaws, and after several decades of improvements, it was updated during Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency. By this time in 1967, the United States realized it could never stop an all-out attach by the Soviets, and therefore shifted its effor ts to protecting major cities from attack. Following the 1969 election of Richard Nixon, the missile defense focus shifted once again, this time to guarding cities with vital military stations. The United States and Soviet Union we now in full-fledged competition to see whose systems would be completed fastest, and with the most efficiency. In 1972, to help curb excessive production of long-range defense systems, the U.S. and Soviet Union signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. This treaty limited both powers to having only two anti-ballistic missile sites. In a 1983 televised nationwide address, President Reagan relayed his thoughts on how the U.S. could take the lead in the missile systems race. He announced the initiation of the Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as Star Wars. This initiative remained intact well into the early 1990s, when after the collapse of the Soviet Union, President George Bush called a review where he changed the focus of the SDI to defending deplo yed American forces from missile threats. When the Clinton Administration came into power in 1993, the SDI became the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. The new organization projected that a defense system would be deployed by 2003, but due to technological defects, a foolproof system has not yet been constructed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The attitudes of competing countries towards our development of a defense system seem to follow a specific pattern of opposition. China, for instance, who has highlighted their national interests as economic development, reunification with Taiwan, and strengthening their power globally, say they would feel compelled to counter any developments the U.

Case Study Summary Intergovernmental Relations and Ocean Policy Change: 1971-85 Essay

As I focus on summarizing the case study pertaining to â€Å"Intergovernmental Relations and Ocean Policy Change: 1971-85†, there are several aspects that should be considered. One of the most essential as well as important aspects involves understanding the affects that policy changes have toward society. In my opinion, this case study is an appropriate example of how the concerns within political transmit inactivity or change because of corporate and profit growth. Although the dumping in oceans does have effect on all individuals; it is quite easier to obtain a profit if it associates with the correct power of political or connection. However, this case study addresses the changes of policy and political concerns influenced in the 1970’s to the mid 80’s. In this essay, I will summarize the key issues and select a point of view on ocean dumping to discuss. President Nixon announced in the early 1970’s his opinion toward administration, which stated that America should decide on un-regulated ocean dumping. After this immediately addressed the EPA nationally, while the Administration presented the appointed leaders, this notion was fully supported and a bill was spearheaded, which soon after 1972 convince Congress to pass the Act of MPRSA (Stewart, Hedge Jr. & Lester, 2008). This new bill was composed to place strict guidelines within history and be considered as a way toward completely terminating ocean dumping. In addition to the new bill or policy, a permit system was established to place limitations on all other materials as well as prospect of damage items. However, the EPA introduced their final recommendations by October 1973 to discontinue all dumping regardless of reasons encountered by corporation that it would not bring harm to lives of marines. Furthermore, the EPA was determined as being the first to authorize protection for the oceans.

Domestic security Essay

Team Global says, â€Å"As an organization, the Canadian Forces (CF) is the only agency capable of providing the specific assets and professional knowledge to combat today’s threats to domestic security. The CF is the only organization that possesses the corporate knowledge to undertake a task of such magnitude†. However, throughout the essay Team Global contradicts this point of view by stating the CF effectiveness could be augmented to play a more active role in domestic security operation. Another contradiction is presented by stating, â€Å"in order to facilitate these changes, several intergovernmental and interdepartmental relationships need to be developed and maintained in conjunction with civilian authorities, other governments and other departments of the CF. † Finally, the author says the CF has â€Å"unique assets and the government can not afford to overlook them when considering domestic security issues. â€Å" Throughout the essay, the author reveals a series of contradictions leaving the reader with questions regarding domestic security – whose responsibility is it? Team Global makes reference to the CF having a primary obligation to protect the country and its citizens while defending and securing Canada. In comparison with the civilian government organization, how different are these domestic security responsibilities? The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) â€Å"is committed to providing a smarter, more secure and efficient border. To achieve this goal,† they add, â€Å"the CBSA relies on technology, information sharing, risk analysis and biometrics,† (Safety and Security). National Security requires an integrated approach to ensure early detection and prevention of any potential threats to Canada and the public. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and provincial and municipal police services, The RCMP has refocused its National Security Investigations Sections (NSIS) to become Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams (INSETs). The author states that since September 11, 2001, a government analysis of terrorist threats show the only agency capable of both deterrence and prevention is the CF. The CF, being the only agency funds, would be directed exclusively to this organization. However, Ottawa advanced an initial investment of $7. 7 billion to support a comprehensive, multi-year, multi-department federal strategy to strengthen public safety and security by 2006 – providing a contradicting reflection of funds, (Louis Osemwegie). Furthermore, the essay leans towards tradition with reference to past civilian security responsibilities. Team Global states, â€Å"traditionally, surveillance and control of the Canadian territory, airspace and marine area, lies with civilian agencies such as the Department of Transport† The threat of terrorism regarding domestic security in Canada traditionally existed after 9/11. When the author speaks of tradition and new government analysis, it misleads the actual role these organizations have played and continue to be involved with Canadian domestic security issues. An article by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives relay that after Sept 11 attacks, the Canadian government developed the concept of Reinventing Borders. The Council explains, â€Å"in order to achieve what the Canadian government has described as a border is something that is open for business but closed to terrorism†. This indicates to the reader that it is clear that government civilian organization remain a component of Canadian domestic security in reference to smart border declaration and accord. Next confusion is further focused with regards to sole responsibility of domestic security when discussing legislation, policies, constitution and the National Defence Act (NDA). Rules and regulation are implemented to guide, direct and set limitation with restrictions to maintain a certain order within society and the organization acting within. The Canadian Forces is being pointed out by the author as the sole organization capable of handling the task and responsibilities of Canadian domestic security. It is fair to question then, why do the policies, legislation, NDA and Canadian Constitution Act 1867 outline rules with respect to civil power? They reinforce a joint effort to exist between CF and civilian organizations. Again the author says, â€Å"the protection of the Canadian coastline is defined through Defence policies, which encourage Maritime elements to increase surveillance of Canadian water and approaches in the cooperation with the Canadian Coast Guard, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the United States Coast Guard†. Again, a contradiction is made by the author who now reflects a combined effort as an effective means. Finally, Team Global states, â€Å"due to the CF’s unique operational experience and assets, they are solely capable of providing both the corporate knowledge and skills required to provide sound domestic security. † With regards to the assets, team global explain that the Canadian Navy with its Frigates and Victoria class submarines are unique to domestic security capabilities. Louis ? fe ? semwegie states, â€Å"in the Maritimes, it means acquiring patrol vessels to augment the Navy with added capabilities to enable interoperability with USN and US Coast Guard, instead of purchasing an expensive Destroyer or more Victoria class submarines, supposedly, other ‘Cold War’ legacies. † Furthermore, â€Å"submarines are said to be highly effective at sinking ships and other submarines, but they are of little or no use in peacekeeping and peace building operations, or even in conducting coastal patrols to protect fisheries and catch smugglers,† (Staples and Robinson). In conclusion, Team Global’s view and evidence presents a number of contradictions throughout the essay. Which organization best fits the role of Canadian Domestic Security is not clear. Much discussion is forwarded in relation to organizations, i. e. civilian, Canadian Forces and assets accompanying both. The reader is left to make his or her decision of Domestic Security and Canada’s best fit solution. Canada, being a liberal democratic society presents the voice of its citizens as a liberal democratic society. The author has educated the reader of what organizations are involved but is unclear of whom is solely responsible.

Principle Underpinning the Role of the Practitioner Working

The benefits of developing reflective practice within a childcare setting is the key to quality improvement as it helps practitioners to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different aspects of skills and progress within the settings provision. It involves thinking about how you currently work to reflect to see if it can be done in a different way in order to improve your practise. Practitioners will be taking various observations of children to see if they’re meeting their norms, then practitioners will look to see where their weaknesses are in their developments, and how they are learning.They will reflect how they are planning to see if they can change it to increase the children’s development to make the child meet their norms in their weaknesses. Some children might need to be involved with multi-agency teams, practitioners then need to associate and create a meeting about the child to asses there needs to make an arrangement to meet there need by co-operating with the multi-agency teams. Practitioner could use the children strengths for example, numeracy (counting) so therefore they could put number shapes on the dough table to attract the child to increase their fine-motor skills.Practitioners then can adjust the planning to meet the child’s needs, by implementing and linking it to the national curriculum which is Early Years Foundation Stage. Reflective practice benefits the adults by communicating, thinking of new ideas, building positive relationships, being able to see how children are progressing, improving knowledge and improving skills when working with children. Reflective practice benefits the setting by building relationships between staff, it will make the setting a happier place, creates a positive atmosphere, safe environment and it will make you enjoy your work and make you want to be there.

Toxic Chemicals

Toxic Chemicals are substances naturally produced by the environment naturally or artificially produced by industrial manufactures.. The chemicals produced that have been around since the industrial age began are considered hazardous both to us and the environment. Some of the most highly toxic chemicals used today include polychlorinated biphenyls(PCB's), chlorofluorocarbons(CFC) and polyvinyl chloride(PVC's). These chemicals can be found in such products such as nuclear waste and automobile tires. Toxic chemicals or pollutants are substances that enter the environment through industrial, agricultural, or other human-generated processes that pose health hazards to humans, animals, and plants. This paper will look directly at chemicals which have been discovered to be hazardous or toxic, that are produced in quantity, and are difficult or extremely costly to remove once introduced to the environment. Nuclear waste is produced throughout the entire nuclear fuel cycle, beginning with the mining of uranium to the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel. Nuclear waste will remain hazardous for thousands of years, leaving a poisonous legacy for future generations. As part of the normal routine operations of every nuclear power station some waste materials are discharged into the environments directly. Liquid waste is discharged using turbine cooling water to carry the waste into a nearby stream or river. Gaseous toxins are released into the atmosphere. There are three categories of radioactive nuclear waste; High level waste (HLW), Intermediate level Waste (ILW) and Low level waste (LLW). HLW consists mainly of irradiated fuel from the cores of nuclear reactors (although the nuclear industry does not consider this to be a waste) and high-levels of liquid waste are produced during reprocessing. The deadly wastes produced from these producers, are stored in large tanks, and are mixed with a hot glass material for solidification purposes. These glass logs also being classified as HLW. While the glassification process may make it easier to transport and store nuclear waste, it does not diminish the terrible dangers that the public and the environment are exposed too. HLW is typically a thousand times more radioactive than ILW. ILW consists mainly of metallic fuel ‘cans' which originally contained uranium fuel for that was used by nuclear power stations, reactor metalwork and chemical residues. ILW must be contained and from workers and the public exposure during transport and disposal. It is usually stored at the site of production. ILW is typically a thousand times more radioactive that LLW. LLW can be defined as waste which does not require protective shielding during normal handling and transportation. Examples of products containing LLW chemicals include protective clothing and laboratory equipment which have come into contact with radioactive materials. When disposing of highly radioactive nuclear fuel, the â€Å"spent† fuel is removed from the reactor and is stored temporarily in water-filled cooling pools. As the cooling pools are filled, many nuclear sites will have to shut down due to this lack of storage space for the deadly waste. According to estimates by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the global amount of â€Å"spent† fuel in 1992 was estimated at125,000 tonnes. It is projected that by the year 2000 the annual spent fuel world wide will be over 200,000 tonnes, and 450,000 tonnes by the year 2030. Although a variety of disposal methods have been discussed for decades, including disposal into outer space there is still no solution for what to do with the nuclear waste. Most of the current proposed solutions for dealing with nuclear waste involve burying it beneath the earth's surface in special concrete storage containers strong enough to stop the radioactive material from escaping. Uranium is a radioactive element. It decays into a series of other radioactive elements, known as â€Å"daughter products† until it ends up as a stable form of lead. As a consequence of the various radioactive forms uranium goes through, the uranium ore deposits contain many radioactive elements, some of which are particularly hazardous. One of the major dangers of uranium is that it produces radium toxins and radon gas. Radon gas, even when inhaled in small amounts, is known to cause lung cancer. Radium toxins can find its way into people through food and water and is known to cause other types of cancer. There are approximately 60 tire waste sites in Ontario alone. Eleven of these sites contain more than 100 000 tires, and the other 49 maintain approximately 5,000 tires. On February 12, 1990, a tire dump located near Hagersville, Ontario, which contained an estimated 14 million used tires, was set on fire and burned for 17 days. The toxic smoke alone caused thousands of people to evacuate their homes. It was estimated that 600,000 litres of oil was produced by the melting tires and collected by the cleanup crews. There is the possibility that even more oil and other contaminants from the water runoff may have entered local water sources. Statistics compiled bu the United States government reports that there are as many tires in American waste sights as there are American citizens. This estimate added to an already over-burdened environment, means that the number of scrap tires on the ground in 1994 at just under a billion in the United States alone. It is important to note that warm weather areas produce more scrap tires on average than northern, cold weather climates. Considering the unlikelihood of the invention of a â€Å"non-wear† tire in the foreseeable future, it would stand to reason that the supply of scrap tires will continue to rise for many years to come. The annual number of tires that are scrapped world wide is estimated to be 1. 6 billion (see Fig 1). The next decade alone will show an increase of more then 500 million tires per year. Improper disposal of tires can affect our health, our environment, and our waste management costs. Proper waste tire management eliminates whole tires from being buried in landfills, eliminates tire stockpiles that trap water, eliminates ideal habitats for disease carrying mosquitos and rodents; reduces the risk of uncontrollable tire fires and related hazards and provides raw material for scrap tire markets. Waste tires can be recycled as whole or split tires or as crumb (ground) rubber. Whole tires can be used as parts of playground equipment. Split tire uses include floor mats, belts and dock bumpers. Crumb rubber is the fastest growing market for scrap tires. Crumb rubber uses include rubber and plastic products such as floor mats, carpet, shoe soles, padding, athletic surfaces, alternative-energy fuel, and rubberized asphalt. Adding rubber to asphalt greatly enhances the material's temperature resistance and longevity (see Fig 2). Chlorine is found in nature mainly in the form of salt, a stable compound which is essential to many natural processes. Such as using massive amounts of electricity, the chemical industry destroys the salt compound's stability creating an extremely reactive form of chlorine that is not widely found in nature. The use of chlorine results in products and wastes, many of which are toxic to wildlife, humans and the ecosystem. Chlorofluorocarbons and hydro chlorofluorocarbons: The ozone layer which is located in the Earth's stratosphere is comprised of a blanket of ozone molecules. It is the primary protective shield that the Earth has against the deadly ultraviolet rays of the sun. During the past 60 years, the ozone layer has been severely damaged by millions of tonnes of ozone depleting substances (ODS) most notably chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS), have been released into the atmosphere by humans causing the ozone's deterioration. Other ODS include hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) which is used as part of warfare also depletes the ozone layer. ODS are known to be stable substances and can survive in the atmosphere for many years. They are carried up to the stratosphere by air currents where they eventually disintegrate under ultraviolet light. This disintegration releases chlorine or bromine molecules which creates a chemical chain reaction leading to the large scale destruction of the ozone molecules (see Fig 3). A decrease in the number of ozone molecules in the stratosphere reduces the atmosphere's ability to absorb UV-B radiation before it reaches the Earth's surface. Small changes in the thickness of the atmospheric ozone layer allow significant increases in the amount of UV-B radiation that filters through which can profoundly impact life on this planet. This added UV-B radiation impacts on the stability of the global ecosystem; the genetic health of life, the quality of the air we breathe and the weather. Unless these toxic emissions are halted immediately, the ozone's depletion and damage to the global biosphere could reach severe life threatening levels leading to the end of life as we know today. PVC's are now the single largest user of chlorine and its production is growing worldwide. Wastes from PVC production contain dioxins and other highly toxic contaminants; a range of toxic chemicals is incorporated within PVC products; and burning PVC plastic in incinerators or in accidental fires creates dioxins. PVC's have become a significant source of the planet's dioxin levels. PVC's are used as a component in consumer products such as credit cards, records, toys, window frames, doors, walls, panelling, pipes and gutters; around the home in vinyl flooring, vinyl wallpapers, venation blinds, shower curtains, office furniture, binders, folders, and pens. It is also used in the car industry, as medical disposables in hospitals, in cable and wire insulation, for imitation leathers, and in garden furniture. PVC's have become part of our everyday lives (see Fig 4). The disposal of PVC's creates environmental problems. If burned, PVC products will release an acidic gas and dioxins. PVC products are a significant source of dioxins globally. PVC's eventually releases toxins which can then threaten groundwater supplies if disposed of in landfills. PVC's are not a natural material and is not bio-degrade able. PCB's are produced in several countries and are widely used in industries as heat transfer fluids. PCB's are so versatile and so widely used because of their physical properties. These properties include resistance to acids and bases, compatibility to organic material, resistance to oxidation and reduction, electrical insulation properties, thermal stability and is nonflammable. However, widespread use and improper disposal practices have led to significant environmental contamination by these commercial PCB formulations. PCB's are highly stable in the environment. Non-Industrial sites have also been reported with high contamination (i. e. , The Antarctic). PCB's are usually found in fish, wildlife, and human adipose tissue, blood and milk. Health affects for babies who suckle their mother who has a high concentration of PCB's in their milk (see Fig 5). Between the 1940's through to the 1970's PCB's were used to coat silos of barns. The coating however, leaked from the walls into the cattle and into the human food chain via milk and meat. An increase in cancer diagnosis is humans has been reported by families that lived or used to live near these silos. These silos are now being dismantled or destroyed due to these findings. A case of Yusho/Yu-Cheng poisoning occurred in southwest Japan where 1600 individuals fell ill after eating rice oil contaminated with a commercial PCB industrial fluid. Nineteen hundred individuals also fell ill after eating the same thing. This incident occurred at the same time and area. Sixty-four percent of the victims made a recovery however, some reported to get headaches, and stomachaches, numbness of the extremities, coughing and bronchial disorders, as well as joint pains in many of the victims. Children that were affected by this incident had related growth and abnormal tooth development, and newborns exhibited systemic pigmentation and were born undersized. Beginning in 1980, congressional appropriations to a â€Å"Superfund† — money to be used by the EPA for hazardous waste cleanup — have totalled $8. 4 billion, of which the EPA has spent $6 billion (1990), and has completed work on only 52 sites listed on a national priority list of 1,218 sites that urgently required Superfund cleanup. There is no safe way to dispose of the toxic chemicals produced by industrial plants for everyday life. If there is, it can cost millions or even billions of dollars to companies and governments around the world. There are so many different toxins today that are affecting the way we live. The effects of these chemicals are destroying the environment and causing illnesses and even death in many people. Toxic chemicals must be properly used as we enter the new millennium to allow the production of toxic chemicals world wide should be cut to levels where it is considered safer for the environment and prevent increases in future levels. This global cut back should remain in place until technologies are created to safely dispose of the toxins safely. The planet. Humans must give the planet time to dissolve itself of the current toxins within the environment and repair itself to the point where living conditions are safe and clear of chemical hazards.

MSC COURSEWORK IN MANAGEMENT QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND EXCEL Assignment

MSC COURSEWORK IN MANAGEMENT QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND EXCEL - Assignment Example The scatter diagram for the individual purchase share (IPS) showed that customers spend from 30-60 per cent of their total income on Hindon products. Meanwhile, the histograms revealed that customer ratings were widely dispersed for Factors 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7, whereas Factors 5 and 6, IPS and overall satisfaction were found to be moderately dispersed. The combined scatterplots for Factors 8 and Factors 1 to 7, showed that: (1) Factor 8 has a very strong relationship with Factor 5 and overall satisfaction; (2) Factor 8 has a substantial to very strong association with Factors 1 and 2; and (3) Factor 8 has a low to moderate relationship with Factors 3, 6 and 7, although 7 tends to be negatively correlated with Factor 8. All these three generalizations were verified using correlation analysis. The complete workings with 26 figures and two tables are shown in Appendix 1. 2. The HD management is interested in finding out the average perceptions of HD  Factors 1 to 7 as seen by all of its customers. Do calculations to produce information on what you can say about these average perceptions on the basis of your sample.   Answers: The average customer satisfaction ratings are as follows: For Factor 1, 3.5; for Factor 2, 7.9, for Factor 3, 5.2; for Factor 4, 2.4; for Factor 5, 2.9; for Factor 6, 2.7; and for Factor 7, 7.0. From the average perceptions, it may be concluded that among Factors 1 to 7, Factor 2 or the design factor obtained the most favourable rating of 7.9 from the customers, followed by Factor 7 or the website quality factor with the second most favourable rating of 7.0. Factor 3 or the reliability factor was rated to be mediocre from an average of 5.2. The rest of the factors received very low ratings, with Factor 4 or the price factor getting the lowest average rating of 2.4. 3. The management of HD