Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on Drugs And Crime

Around four million people use illicit drugs each year. Most illicit drug use is relatively controlled 'recreational' use of cannabis and ecstasy. People who try illicit drugs are more likely than others to commit other forms of law breaking. However there is no persuasive evidence of any causal linkage between drug use and property crime for the vast majority of this group. A very small proportion of users - less than 5% of the total - have chaotic lifestyles involving dependent use of heroin, crack/cocaine and other drugs. An even smaller proportion of users - perhaps around 100,000 people - finance their use through crime. The majority of those who steal to buy drugs were involved in crime before their drug use became a problem for them. This group of criminally involved problem users commits very large amounts of shoplifting, burglary and other crime to finance drug purchases. If appropriate drug treatment is given to this group, they reduce their offending levels. There are links between some forms of illicit drug use and crime is obvious. The precise nature of these links is not. Widely differing claims are made about the extent to which crime is 'drug-driven'. This paper assembles research evidence that can shed light on the relationships. We have focused on key pieces of recent British research, but we have also discussed relevant American work. This review is restricted to an examination of the links between drug use and property crime. This is because debate in the UK currently revolves around the impact of drug use on crimes such as burglary, shoplifting, robbery and other theft. We have not examined links with violent crime. This is not to deny that some specific drugs may facilitate violence - and others may inhibit it (Anglin Dobinson Harrison Jarvis & Parker, 1989). Nor should one ignore the systemic violence associated with some forms of drug distributio... Free Essays on Drugs And Crime Free Essays on Drugs And Crime Around four million people use illicit drugs each year. Most illicit drug use is relatively controlled 'recreational' use of cannabis and ecstasy. People who try illicit drugs are more likely than others to commit other forms of law breaking. However there is no persuasive evidence of any causal linkage between drug use and property crime for the vast majority of this group. A very small proportion of users - less than 5% of the total - have chaotic lifestyles involving dependent use of heroin, crack/cocaine and other drugs. An even smaller proportion of users - perhaps around 100,000 people - finance their use through crime. The majority of those who steal to buy drugs were involved in crime before their drug use became a problem for them. This group of criminally involved problem users commits very large amounts of shoplifting, burglary and other crime to finance drug purchases. If appropriate drug treatment is given to this group, they reduce their offending levels. There are links between some forms of illicit drug use and crime is obvious. The precise nature of these links is not. Widely differing claims are made about the extent to which crime is 'drug-driven'. This paper assembles research evidence that can shed light on the relationships. We have focused on key pieces of recent British research, but we have also discussed relevant American work. This review is restricted to an examination of the links between drug use and property crime. This is because debate in the UK currently revolves around the impact of drug use on crimes such as burglary, shoplifting, robbery and other theft. We have not examined links with violent crime. This is not to deny that some specific drugs may facilitate violence - and others may inhibit it (Anglin Dobinson Harrison Jarvis & Parker, 1989). Nor should one ignore the systemic violence associated with some forms of drug distributio...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Pitch Perfect

Pitch Perfect This week my literary agent said she’ll submit my young adult novel to publishers. Her advice to me during this waiting period is â€Å"You must be patient. Are you patient?† Yes! For me to have gotten to this point, I had to be incredibly patient - over 10 years’ worth of persistence. And I’m beyond excited. Because from where I sat a decade ago, this moment would have seemed impossible. But after an adventurous trek through the wilds of editing, the challenges of slush pile and Twitter querying, and the thrills of face-to-face pitching to agents, I know I’ve not only prepared my best work but also have the best representation for my novel. Just as Hope preaches, practice at this writing thing does make perfect. Agents aren’t kidding when they say they want a manuscript that’s ready. They’re not interested in â€Å"potential.† I learned this when I queried my manuscript too early over a year ago. My story garnered some partial reads from a few agents, but eventually, over 50 rejections. (Keep in mind I had to query far more agents - over 100 - to get 50 â€Å"nos.†) During the revision process these last two years, my novel has changed titles three times and has improved thanks to feedback from two freelance editors and over 20 beta readers. A former acquisitions editor I found via Editing-Writing.com suggested key changes that ultimately got me the attention from my current agent. So February a year ago, with a new title, a much tighter plot, and a whole new query letter, I was ready to pitch again and even travel to Chicago to meet agents. These writing workshops hosted The logline was also the perfect tool for #PitMad, a day of Twitter pitching that happens four times a year, where authors share manuscripts with agents using 140 characters. From the three tweets you’re allowed, I received three requests from agents. Here’s one that worked: â€Å"When a friend is sexually assaulted, a teen journalist learns it’s better to go NYT, not TMZ, when reporting the crime. #PitMad #YA.† But it was the slush pile query that ultimately brought me the pot of gold. While Twitter and face-to-face pitching, I never stopped sending out a revised email query: at least two a week. This one featured the logline, now the hook in my first paragraph. Agent Amy Tipton of Signature Literary asked for my full manuscript in June and made me an offer of representation. We worked that  summer on two rounds of revisions (one major and one minor), and now the book is ready for publishers’ eyes. I got my agent

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Financial Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Reporting - Essay Example The recent financial crisis as well as the leading corporate scandals of past however, cast a doubt over the information presented in the financial statements. It has been argued that the financial statements do not provide the information which can satisfy the requirements of the shareholders and investors. The overall quality of reporting and the loopholes in the existing regulations and standards therefore provide an opportunity to the managers to report the matter in a manner which may not satisfy the overall requirements of the shareholders and investors.( Weil,2011). This paper will discuss as to whether the annual report of a limited company satisfy the needs of shareholders and other investors. Annual Reports and Financial Reporting Every limited liability company is required to present its annual financial statements outlining the position of its assets and liabilities, profit and loss as well as the cash flow position. Apart from the three key financial statements, annual r eports of the firms also include notes to the accounts which provide different estimates and explanations of how different estimates were made and under what assumptions and standards. Standards set out by International Accounting Standards Board as well as the US GAAP are two of the major standards which are being followed by the firms internationally. Except US Generally accepted accounting principles, standards outlined by IASB are followed internationally where US GAAP is followed by American companies. Though there are some critical differences between the two set of standards however, there are extensive efforts being undertaken to converge both the standards and develop a unifying and single standards to be followed by all the firms globally. It is also important to note that the every limited liability company has to submit its annual accounts to the regulatory body as well as to present them to the shareholders. As such annual reports serve as the most important document th rough which shareholders can actually assess the performance of the management and assess the long term and short term future of the firm. (Jones, 1998). The recent financial crisis as well as the corporate scandals like Enron and WorldCom however, created an strong debate as to whether the financial reporting made in the annual reports actually serves the interests of the shareholders and other investors or not? Financial Reporting and Shareholders’ Interests Despite the fact that there are extensive set of rules and regulations under which annual accounts of the limited liability companies are made however, the failure of the firms to disclose all the information has initiated a debate as to whether the annual reports provide the kind of information which serves the interests of the shareholders and other investors. One of the important concepts to be explored in this regard is the agency problem which outlines that the managers make decisions which may not necessarily be i n favor of shareholders and add value to the firm. Under this assumption, the information presented in the annual reports therefore may entirely represent the interests of

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Merger of Granda and Compass Research Proposal

The Merger of Granda and Compass - Research Proposal Example The success/failure of the merger will be analysed according to the Economies of scale: "This refers to the fact that the combined company can often reduce duplicate departments or operations, lowering the costs of the company relative to theoretically the same revenue stream, thus increasing profit."2 Many authors have dealt with the issue of clarity and understandability of the topic of mergers. Most of the research studies are aimed at studying the factors, which motivate the management of the companies to undertake the decision of merger and the benefits or the losses The study of mergers and acquisitions focuses on understanding what motivates managers to engage in this type of activity and the impact that mergers and acquisitions have on shareholder returns. Mostly the main aim of the companies for mergers could be empire building through growth in size, sales, and assets. 3 Mostly the motivation for the merger involve the increase in the market gains, the competitive advantage in shape of technological advancement, and the increase in the strength of the companies. In some cases the HR practices also improves as the result of these mergers. Efficiency improvements can be gained from synergy of target and bidding firms due to economies of scale and use of excess capacity. Recent studies stated that value creation couldn't be achieved in case of horizontal merger. 4 5 6 The entity formed by the merger of Granada and Compass, "Granada Compass", was 66.25% owned by Granada shareholders and 33.75% by those of Compass. The merger proposal said that prior to the IPO, Granada Media was expected to be capitalised with no net debt. At the end of March 2000, Granada's net debt was 1.9bn and Compass's was 1.1bn. In a joint statement Granada and Compass said that they expect their combined businesses to be "better placed to exploit the significant growth opportunities in each of its core markets and to benefit from the combination of its complementary businesses." 7 On the other hand the horizontal merger of Bell south and AT&T is expected to provide both the companies with the following advantages. Cross selling: Through the merger the companies become enable to sell their products to the customers of the other company. The natural combination of two will improve the services provided to the customers. Financial Benefits: The merger of both the companies will lead to a "financial benefits for stockholders of both companies; an expected net present value of $18 billion in synergies resulting from a more than $2 billion annual run rate in synergies expected in 2008, growing to $3 billion in 2010." 8 On the other hand the expected merger will lead to "accrete AT&T adjusted earnings per share in 2008, double-digit adjusted EPS growth in each of next three years (earnings adjusted for merger integration costs and amortisation of intangibles) and significant growth in free cash flow after dividends in 2007 and 2008". 9 Geographical or other diversification: Another advantage

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Post-War Boom Essay Example for Free

Post-War Boom Essay Every 22nd of April, the world celebrates Earth Day, where the importance of environmentalism given emphasis. What was once an ideology is now a social movement, with major corporations joining in the campaign to preserve the environment. In the US, the road to environmental movement started as early as the 1960s but only reached extensive recognition in the 70s. In 1962, Rachel Carson, a biologist, wrote a book entitled Silent Spring, which exposed the threats brought on by the use of pesticides (Brinkley 875). She wrote that it was the first time that human beings were being subjected to â€Å"dangerous chemicals† and called on the government to act on it (LaFeber et al 547). But it was not only Carson who opened the door for environmental movement. Following the war, the drastic effect on the environment was starting to put people in a crisis. Water pollution was spreading; toxic fumes from factories and power plants had started to infiltrate the water and the atmosphere (Brinkley 876-877). In Ohio, for example, the Cuyahoga River had â€Å"burst into flames† following constant dumping of petroleum waste into it (877). The word â€Å"smog† was created to refer to the combination of smoke and fog which relentlessly plagued the people living in cities (877). Environmental destruction had started. The realization made people become aware of the possible damages it could inflict not just on the people but also on their surroundings. In fact, as early as 1950s, the Sierra Club, a traditional conservation organization, had contested the proposal to dam the Green River in Colorado (Glen Canyon Institute 2008). Sierra Club deemed the proposal as â€Å"America’s most regretted environmental mistake† (2008). The group sought to stop it but was in vain. The Glen Canyon damming opened the waters (put intended) for the environmental movement that when proposals for damming Marble and Grand Canyon were put forward, the Sierra Club staged not just protests but also placed advertisement in the New York Times to stop it. In a way, the Colorado incident put forth the rising environmental movement. It triggered the concern for environmental conservation and preservation. Among the environmental problems which people hoped to address were the aforementioned water problem, ozone layer, greenhouse effect, nuclear power and the escalating amount of garbage (Divine et al 870-871). For instance, studies in the 70s revealed the effects of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) to the earth’s ozone layer (870). Scientists also discovered that smoke and other toxic fumes contributed to the formation of acid rain, which was dangerous not only to forests but the aquamarine (870). Only April 1970 the first Earth Day was celebrated in campuses, the start of what was to be a campaign to expand the threats of toxic wastes to the environment (LaFeber 547). Earth Day was the idea of Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin who initially thought of conducting a series of talks around campus (Brinkley 878). Compared to the antiwar rallies that as common during these days, the Earth Day demonstration had an â€Å"unthreatening† aura that made it interesting to people. During President Nixon’s first term, the Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (Brinkley 878). Laws were also created to regulate environmental hazards, preserve endangered species and protect wilderness areas (LaFeber 547). The Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act were passed in 1972 (Brinkley 878). The support of government in environmentalism made it easier to somehow alleviate environmental degradation brought on by pollution and the advancing industrial society. However, during the Reagan administration, federal cuts were made in favor of promoting private enterprises (547). Reagan also hoped to abolish the Council on Environmental Quality and cut funds for the Environmental Protection Agency (547). However, his anti-environmental revolution only made the environmental movement stronger. Environmental groups saw rise in its members.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Genus: Intelligent Design Essay -- Evolution Science Biology Essays

Genus: Intelligent Design The Intelligent Design Movement has gained monumental strength within the last half-decade. It promotes a purely scientific criticism to Darwin’s theories of natural selection and evolution with absolutely no religious bias—or so it claims. Unlike previous movements for the advancement of religious ideas, the Intelligent Design community is comprised of Ph.D.s in natural and physical sciences and is gaining its most popular following in large universities. There are an increasing number of scientific organizations advocating Intelligent Design as a contrasting theory to evolutionary naturalism. Evolution itself is not being challenged, however, only its basis in â€Å"chance and necessity.† But can the Intelligent Design Movement be given actual scientific credit, or is it just the latest mutation of religious doctrine? The idea of an intelligent Designer side-by-side with evolution is not a new one. Dating back to 1889, educated people like Asa Gray were endorsing natural selection with the aid of an almighty creator. His theory revolved around the separation of necessity and design.[1] He defines necessity as the factors in our environment that cause humans to evolve—hunting for food, reproducing, competing against other species. He wrote that if â€Å"you take away struggle, then take away necessity you therefore only have forms in their design phase.† At time equal to zero, God intelligently designed the world to fit a certain pattern. At this instant, the human form (and all others) is in its design state as God made it. Natural selection only takes place after that initial creation, but does not take away from the fact that intelligent design occurred. The new... ...liam. Natural Theology. London: J. Faulder, 1809. (full online text) http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/p/pd-modeng/pd-modeng-idx?type=HTML&rgn=TEI.2&byte=53049319 Polkinghorne, John. Belief in God in an Age of Science. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998. Runyan, John. â€Å"Intermediate Stages: A Problem for Evolutionary Gradualism.† Intelligent Design URC, 2002. http://www.idurc.org/jrunyan_intermediatestages.shtml [1] Darwiniana, 1889. [2] Access Research Network. [3] Belief in God in an Age of Science, 1998. [4] Darwin’s Black Box, 1996. [5] The Evolution of Complexity, 1988. [6] â€Å"Intermediate Stages: A Problem for Evolutionary Gradualism,† 2002. [7] Finding Darwin’s God, 1999. [8] Climbing Mount Improbable, 1996. [9] â€Å"Molecular Machines—Experimental Support for the Design Inference,† 1994. [10] Finding Darwin’s God, 1999.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Globalisation Book Review Essay

The world economy is becoming more global in its format. People may not be able to realize the correct depth of this globalization trend and the complexities it creates for the state. International businesses have a huge impact on our daily lives. Right from morning till night we are in the habit of using variety of goods and services made by different countries of the world. The globalization trend started after World War II. U. S. economy became the strongest economy at that time and U. S made their dominance worldwide in almost all major industries. Businesses were forced to build new plants and other facilities, and citizens turned to their work as a source of economic security. Gradually the economy developed and each country developed a competitive advantage in those circumstances. With the passing of time those advantages are being exploited to their maximum. ENVIRONMENT OF GLOBALISATION Environment refers to the totality of all the factors which are external to and beyond the control of individual global business enterprises. Environment furnishes the macro-context, the business firm is the micro-unit. The environmental factors are essentially the givens within which firms and their managements must operate. The value system of society, the rules and regulations laid down by the Government, the monetary policies of the central bank, the institutional set-up of the country, the ideological beliefs of the leaders, the attitude towards foreign capital and enterprise, etc. , all constitute the environment system within which a global firms operate. These environmental factors are many in numbers and various in form. Some of these factors are totally static, some are relatively static and some are very dynamic — they are changing every now and then. Some of these factors can be conceptualized and quantified, while others can be only referred to in qualitative terms. The environmental factors generally vary from country to country. The environment that is typical of Germany may not be found in other countries like the USA, the UK, and Japan. There may be some factors in common, but the order and intensity of the environmental factors do differ between nations. The magnitude and direction of environmental factors differ over regions within a country, and over localities within a region. The environment differs not only over space but also over time from country to country. We can talk of temporal patterns of environment, i. e. , past, present and future environment. Sometimes the environment may be classified into market environment and non-market environment depending upon whether a global firm’s environment is influenced by market forces like demand, supply, number of other firms and the resulting price competition, or non-price competition, etc. , or by non-market forces like Government laws, social traditions, etc. Further, we may classify the environment into economic and non-economic. Non-economic environment refers to social, political, legal, educational and cultural factors that affect state functioning. Economic environment, on the other hand, is given shape and form by factors like the fiscal policy, the monetary policy, the industrial policy resolutions, physical limits on output, the price and income trends, the nature of the economic system at work, the tempo of economic development, the national economic plan, etc. The non-economic environment has economic implications just as the economic environment may have non-economic implications. Since the environment is the sum total of the history, geography, culture, sociology, politics and economics of a nation, the interaction between economic and non-economic forces is bound to take place affecting the society functioning. ECONOMIC& FINANCIAL FACTORS Analysis of the business environment in any economy, we may examine the basic propositions as: 1. Business is an economic activity. 2. A business firm is an economic unit. 3. Business decision-making is an economic process. These propositions may be examined separately or jointly to justify the study of the economic environment of global business. Business is an economic activity An economic activity involves the task of adjusting the resources to the targets, or the targets to the resources. An economic activity may assume different forms such as consumption, production, distribution, and exchange. The nature of business differs, depending upon the form of economic activity being undertaken and organized. The manufacturer is primarily concerned with production; the stock exchange business is mainly concerned with the buying and selling of shares and debentures; the business of Government is to run the administration. The Government may also own, control and manage enterprises. These examples can be easily multiplied. The point is that each business has a target to achieve, and for this purpose each business has some resources at its disposal. Sometimes the target has to be matched with the given resources, and sometimes the resources have to be matched with the given target. Either way, the task of business is to optimize the outcome of economic activities. A business enterprise is an economic unit A business firm is essentially a transformation unit. It transforms inputs into outputs of goods or services, or a combination of both. The nature of input requirements and the type of output flows are determined by the size, structure, location and efficiency of the business firm under consideration. Business firms may be of different sizes and forms. They may undertake different types of activities such as mining, manufacture, farming, trading, transport, banking, etc. The motivational objective underlying all these activities is the same viz. , profit maximization in the long run. Profit is essentially a surplus value — the value of outputs in excess of the values of inputs or the surplus of revenue over the cost. A business firm undertakes the transformational process to generate this surplus value. The firm can grow further if the surplus value is productively invested. The firm, therefore, carefully plans the optimum allocation of resources (i. e. , men, money, materials, machines, time, energy, etc. ) to get optimum production. The entire process of creating, mobilization and utilization of the surplus constitutes the economic activity of the business firm, Business decision-making is an economic process Decision-making involves making a choice from a set of alternative courses of action. Choice is at the root of all economic activity. The question of choice and evaluation arises because of the relative scarcity of resources. If the resources had not been scarce, an unlimited amount of ends could have been met. But the situation of resource constraint is very real. A business firm thinks seriously about the optimum allocation of resources because resources are limited in supply and most resources have alternative uses. The firm, therefore, intends to get the best out of given resources or to minimize the use of resources for achieving a specific target. In other words, when input is the constraining factor, the firm’s decision variable is the output. And when output is the constraining factor, the firm’s decision variable is the input. Whatever may be the decision variable, procurement or production, distribution or sale, input or output, decision-making is invariably the process of selecting the best available alternative. That is what makes it an economic pursuit. Since business is an economic activity, a business firm an economic unit, and business decision-making an economic process, it is the economics environment of business which is the primary consideration in evaluating the business policies, business strategies and business tactics of a corporate entity in any global economy.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Simplicity of Raymond Chandler’s the Big Sleep

Raymond Chandler would like us to believe that The Big Sleep is just another example of hard-boiled detective fiction. He would like readers to see Philip Marlowe, Vivian Regan, Carmen Sternwood, Eddie Mars, and the rest of the characters as either â€Å"good guys† or â€Å"bad guys† with no deeper meaning or symbolism to them. I found the book simple and easy to understand; the problem was that it was too easy, too simple. Then came one part that totally stood out from the rest of the book &emdash; the chessboard. Marlowe toyed with it whenever he got the chance, and it probably helped him think of a next move in a particular case. I found it odd that Chandler made such a brief mention of chess, but I did not realize why until I finished the book and had time to think about what I had read. In a very interesting sense, the entire novel resembles the game of chess. Each character is a piece, and the name of the game is survival. Though the ultimate goal in chess is to take possession of the king, the underlying strategy is to eliminate as many pieces as one possibly can. This serves as insurance in the overall goal. Being that the characters/pieces determine the direction of the goal, let us look at them to begin. I have chosen to examine two characters in-depth and then put them on the board with the rest of the people in the novel. Philip Marlowe does not correspond to the knight of the chessboard. Chandler assumes that the reader will fall into the easy trap of assigning Marlowe to the role of the knight. After all, he is the main man in the novel, the one who needs to solve the case. His self-description in the opening chapter lures the reader into believing he is a typical white knight hero. â€Å"I was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and I didn't care who knew it. I was everything the well-dressed private detective ought to be† (3). This is a fitting description of a knight only because knights must possess similar qualities in order to be heroes. The main idea here is goodness, and Marlowe's description exudes this goodness. However, as we progress throughout the novel, his â€Å"goodness† mutates into something with more of an edge on it. By the end of chapter eight, Marlowe goes â€Å"to bed full of whiskey and frustration† (42) and, the next day (chapter nine), wakes up â€Å"with a motorman's glove in my mouth† (43). It is safe to say Marlowe's sobriety is questionable, especially when he tells Bernie Ohls – and us – that, â€Å"I've got a hangover† (43). Is this the action of a knight? I do not think so. Similarly, his attitude towards everyone else in the novel detracts from his knighthood. For example, look at his treatment of Vivian Regan, who I will talk about a little later. They are talking for the first time and she tells him how cold-blooded a beast he is. â€Å"‘Or shall I call you Phil? ‘ ‘Sure. ‘ ‘You can call me Vivian. ‘ ‘Thanks, Mrs. Regan. ‘ ‘Oh, go to hell Marlowe'† (61). More of the same follows with other characters; in each instance, Marlowe does not exhibit any gentleman-like qualities that a private eye should exhibit. So, if Marlowe is not the knight on the chessboard, what is he? I believe that he is more of a rook or a bishop piece and not a knight. When we think about the knight on a chessboard, it has a good amount of flexibility but limited movement. However, a rook or a bishop can move as far as it wants to move, even if the directions are not many. Movement is important to Marlowe because he thrives on getting his task done. This requires a great deal of movement on his part. This movement includes our next subject, Vivian Regan. A funny thing happened when I was writing up the previous conversation between Marlowe and Vivian. Instead of typing â€Å"Mrs. Regan†, I typed â€Å"Mrs. Marlowe† instead. I do not attribute that to a simple lapse in thinking, but more to the fact that Vivian is similar in manner to Marlowe; they could easily be mistaken for a married couple. Vivian possesses the same sharp tongue, the same penchant for drinking, and other Marlowe-esque qualities. For example, there is the part where she is gambling in Eddie Mars' casino and makes a bet that the house cannot cover. â€Å"‘What kind of cheap outfit is this, I'd like to know. Get busy and spin that wheel, highpockets. I want one more play and I'm playing table stakes. You take it away fast enough I've noticed, but when it comes to dishing it out you start to whine'† (138). That sounds like the language Philip Marlowe might use if he ran into a similar situation. Even after he foils a would-be robber in the parking lot, she still shows little signs of thanks. ‘Nice work, Marlowe. Are you my bodyguard now? ‘† (143). Vivian complements Marlowe perfectly, but is she a rook/bishop on the chessboard in the novel? Yes, but provided that Marlowe is not the same piece as she is. In other words, if Marlowe is the rook, then Vivian is the bishop, and vice-versa. I do not see Marlowe and Vivian as cohesive as Chandler might want us to believe; nonetheless, they do possess similar qualities. After talking about two of the more prominent characters, it is time to devise a chessboard strategy that makes some kind of sense. I mentioned earlier that the point in chess is to capture the king, but another goal includes getting other pieces out of the way first. If I were to assign sides, I would put people like Eddie Mars, Joe Brody, and Carmen Sternwood on a different side than Marlowe, Vivian, and General Sternwood. Why? The first group – while giving Marlowe some kind of help – is more concerned with their own safety, and individuals are not afraid to knock off anyone who messes with them. How come Carmen is included in this group? Many people would say that she is neither here nor there, but when she comes to Brody's apartment and confronts Marlowe at the very end, she shows her true colors. In addition, there is the fact that she murdered Rusty Regan because he would not jump in the sack with her. This is where the chessboard strategy begins to unfold. Chandler's style not only pertains to his simile/metaphor use and his abbreviated sentences, but also to his construction of character movement in the novel. In chess, what one piece does to another or where it moves to directly affects the movement of other pieces on the board. For example, moving my rook three spaces may not mean capturing a piece, but it does give the opponent something to consider in terms of future moves. He does not want to make a move now that would jeopardize him later. Similarly, what happens in Joe Brody's apartment affects a good amount of the characters in the novel, from Carmen to Eddie to Marlowe to Vivian, and so on. In addition, that part affects what goes on in Eddie's casino and Geiger's house. While there may not be direct influence, there is definitely an indirect sort of influence. What does this say about Chandler as an author? It says that he likes to give his readers something to look for in his novels, and that the something will not always be apparent at first. Digging up the chessboard motif would be no easy task for most readers because of its brevity in the novel. The average reader would not read this book for analysis; he or she would read the novel for pleasure. It is only because we &emdash; as English majors &emdash; are trained to look beneath the surface that I was able to put this together. This also says something about the world that Chandler lived in. His was a world of thinking about the next move and being cautious about what one did, which is evident in the novel. It was hard to trust anybody because everyone had selfish motives on their minds. That factor also corresponds to the chessboard in that a person might move a piece for individual reasons while not even considering the rest of his or her pieces. That might lead to consequences later. Chandler cannot warn us about keeping track of all of the moves in the story because they are unfolding as we move with Marlowe (who obviously cannot warn us, either). It is up to the reader to keep track of everything. The Big Sleep is not a novel about chess. It is about how people and events interact and relate to one another, similar to the game of chess. As I mentioned before, the characters and their individual actions ultimately had an effect on the overall strategy and goal, which for Marlowe was to find Rusty Regan. He eventually discovered the late Mr. Regan, but it was only after a series of moves on the chessboard of life.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Guide for a Winner Dissertation on Principles of Psychology

Guide for a Winner Dissertation on Principles of Psychology Welcome to our third and final guide, guide for a winner dissertation on principles of psychology. This guide would prove to be very useful for students who are about to undertake dissertation assignments or research projects before they graduate. In order to make sure nothing goes wrong, we highly recommend that you read our first guide, 10 facts for a dissertation on principles of psychology, and our second guide, 20 dissertation ideas that will work for you. These guides are necessary to lay a good foundation of what you will be including in your dissertation. With that said, here are some steps to follow in order to write the perfect dissertation: Consider What You’d Like to Write About Writing a dissertation can be a tough task if you don’t even know what you are writing about. Furthermore, you should have some interest in a particular topic of Principles of Psychology too (although options are limited), so that you don’t demotivate yourself; this can result in a general lack of quality as far as the dissertation is concerned. Consulting your supervisor for advice is also highly recommended. Remember that you will be writing about something on Principles of Psychology ; it may be a query that currently holds hard beliefs, or perhaps you are trying to solve a problem, or even arguing over a particular thesis statement. Plan and Research Planning ahead of time and maintaining a good routine in order to ensure that you are on your way to completing a good dissertation helps a lot. In fact, if you don’t plan in advance, you will eventually end up delaying or submitting your work late, or maybe not at all. This could be very disastrous for the final reward you’ve been waiting for; i.e. your graduation. In order to save time, sort out specific questions that are strictly related to Principles of Psychology before you start researching. Don’t leave anything at all to a â€Å"last minute attempt† as it will cause you nagging problems in the end. It’s wise to finalize your dissertation weeks before the submission period, so you can proofread it several times and revise it accordingly. Thorough proofreading and making revisions would result in a spectacular dissertation copy that’s nothing short of plausible. How a Dissertation is Structured In order to include everything in this short guide, we’ve compiled a structural list that you should follow. Remember, this is a basic framework and the structure may vary according to your supervisor; therefore, you should consult him/her before proceeding. Here is the basic framework for composing a dissertation: Title, Name, Course, Date, Supervisor A Summary of the whole Dissertation Acknowledgments Table of Contents A brief outline and presentation of your problems/questions/thesis Main body for discussing facts, evidence, evaluation, analysis etc; should be well structured Correctly formatted list of credible sources that you used Appendices Other sections: references, methodology, procedure, literature review, executive summary, recommendations etc. (include these only if asked) Edit for High Quality Composition A dissertation should ideally be 100% original, but some institutions may approve a little plagiarism, if you may call it that. However, it’s expected that you compose a well-written, highly academic one that clearly demonstrates that you’ve researched thoroughly and found the correct evidence or scientific proofs to support your assertions or thesis. In the End†¦ It is considered compulsory to cite the sources you’ve used to compose your dissertation. If you don’t, your paper can be rejected due to plagiarism. You don’t want that, do you? Be crystal clear with your supervisors about the preferred method, technique or format they’d like to see in your dissertation and apply that in order to get acknowledgement for your hard work. That’s it! You can now write a winning dissertation on Principles of Psychology without any hitches whatever.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

9 Resume Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb by Lauren Gartner

9 Resume Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb 9 Resume Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb What is a resume? It is not something you send out that lists your job experience and your educational background, in the hopes that someone will read it and think you might be good for an interview. A resume is a marketing tool, and you have to get into the â€Å"feel† of marketing if you are going to sell yourself on a piece of paper. Resume Designs and Formats Resume designs have changed, and you can change your design based upon the type of organization to which you are applying – conservative, moderate, fairly progressive, and â€Å"out there.† These are things you can learn about anywhere. The other thing about resumes today is that you can format your background information in several different ways – you don’t have to go with the standard chronological order necessarily. Again, you can find examples of all types of formats online, and really good recommendations about which to use dependent upon your circumstances and the organizations to which you are applying. Dumb Mistakes You may have the greatest, most-eye-catching design and the perfect format fit for a position opening, but if you make any of these dumb mistakes, your work will find its next home in â€Å"resume heaven.† Putting an Objective at the Top of Your Resume Objectives are meaningless because they do not speak to what you can offer the organization; they only speak to what you want. A potential employer doesn’t care about what you want. S/he wants someone who can be a problem-solver for the organization. If you must have a headline, and those are good to have sometimes, make it about the specific position and what you can bring to that position. Long Prose and Sentences Think about it. When you want to read something quickly, what do you want to see? You want to see short sentences and phrases, bullet points, and really important stuff in bold or underlined. A reviewer of our resume is no different. Fast-track your accomplishments with action verbs, phrases, and bullets. Linking to All of Your Social Media Accounts Who cares if you are on Facebook – so is half the human race. If a potential employer wants to access your page, s/he will. Now, if you have a really great LinkedIn profile or an online portfolio, then that is quite another story. Definitely, link to those. Grammatical Errors and Typos Your college professors didn’t like grammar mistakes, and resume reviewers don’t either. You look either really lazy or compositionally challenged. You don’t want to â€Å"look† either. So, check your resume a bunch of times for any English mistakes and have somebody else check it too. Lying You certainly want to paint yourself as someone who has accomplished a lot, especially in those specific areas included in the job posting. But overstating your accomplishments, exaggerating your educational performance, stating you resigned when you were terminated – these things have a way of catching up, especially when background checks, references, and online research can reveal so much. If you don’t want to say you were fired, don’t. You can talk about the circumstances during the interview if you are asked. Too Long Less is really more when it comes to resumes. Be concise, and brief. When you speak to accomplishments, stop with the laundry lists. Include those that directly relate to the position you are seeking. If there isn’t a really good fit, then list the most significant ones. There will be time to speak to the others during an interview if they become relevant. Good rule of thumb: If you don’t have a lot of employment experience, one page is the max; if you are a more seasoned professional with several positions and/or a number of years of employment, two pages should be the max. Same Words Over and Over How many times can you say â€Å"developed,† or â€Å"organized,† or â€Å"lead,† or â€Å"produced?† In a resume, the answer is many! Find some synonyms for words that you are using over and over again – maybe some that â€Å"pop† or add some â€Å"sparkle.† Using Passive Voice You want to give the impression that you take action; you do that with action verbs. All accomplishments that you list should begin with an action verb (not the word â€Å"I† either). â€Å"Increased sales by 15% over a period of one quarter;† â€Å"Created new marketing strategies which increased conversions by 46%.† Now you’re an action figure! Failure to Customize If you don’t customize your resume for each position, using keywords that will be picked up by automated screening tools, then you won’t look dumb to someone reviewing your resume. Your resume will never make it to that someone at all. Any reader can pick out generic resumes – they are vague and do not speak to specifics of the position s/he has available – deleted! Use the information available to you regarding design and format. Then go through this list and make sure that you are not committing the fatal errors that will kill your chances for an interview.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

The Differences between Silent Movies and Spoken Essay

The Differences between Silent Movies and Spoken - Essay Example The following analysis will be concentric upon comparing and contrasting the ways in which material and technique are utilized to leverage different interpretations of good vs evil and the American experience to the viewing audience. Moreover, the analysis will discuss how â€Å"The Maltese Falcon†, represents a more nuanced and definitive approach to the film noir era as it encapsulates many more varied interpretations of this good vs evil subtheme that is so pervasive throughout the genre. Secondly, this is represented via the way in which â€Å"The Maltese Falcon† leverages better technology to create a more dramatic cinema effect that more reasonably captures the zeitgeist of the film noir era, the way in which â€Å"The Maltese Falcon† illustrates the genre through better representation of the American experience is represented. Lastly, the way in which â€Å"The Maltese Falcon† paints a better nuanced and three-dimensional example of the male charact ers and the identity of what Americanism is and how good vs. evil must be understood. Before delving into an analysis of the comparisons and contrasts between these two films, it must be noted that both of these films have achieved a great deal of notoriety; both within their own times as well as the present era. Film critics and scholars alike have denoted that these two films are representative of some of the very best plot lines, writing, directing, acting, and techniques that the film noir era had to provide. As such, with regards to the films in question, both of these represent to the viewer a flawed lead character. With regards to â€Å"The Thin Man†, the main character is a hard-drinking detective that suffers from career burnout and whose personal life is something of a disaster. Even though the same motif is represented within â€Å"The Maltese Falcon†, the character growth and differentiation is not as labored and comes off as a much more natural explanation as compared to â€Å"The Thin Man†. By casting the lead detectives in this way, both of the films are able to provide a much more nuanced interpretation of life and the way in which these characters portray their roles; however, only â€Å"The Maltese Falcon† is able to do this in a fully convincing manner and one that is the most indicative of the film noir era. Another shared aspect between these two films is with respect to the way in which the detectives fulfill the role of the simple/every man against a system of crime and intrigue that includes money, power, and politics. By representing the flawed character in a fight against such crime and corruption in such a way, Hollywood began to tacitly define the way in which American films would come to be known by the rest of the world for many decades to come; films where the good ultimately triumphs and the evil is ultimately vanquished. The similarity between good and evil and how it is represented/portrayed within these films is something that cannot and should not be dismissed. Ultimately, the reason for why such a high level of focus is placed upon the importance of defeating evil and undermining the plans that these individuals might have with regards to the crimes they intended to commit was integrally tied to the social and political aspects of the world in which these respective films were created.