Legalization Of Marijuana Essays (2524 words) - Drug Culture

Legalization of Marijuana What Is Marijuana Marijuana, a drug obtained from dried and crumpled parts of the ubiquitous hemp plant Canabis sativa (or Cannabis indica). Smoked by rolling in tobacco paper or placing in a pipe. It is also otherwise consumed worldwide by an estimated 200,000,000 persons for pleasure, an escape from reality, or relaxation. Marijuana is known by a variety of names such as kif (Morocco), dagga (South Africa), and bhang (India). Common in the United States, marijuana is called pot, grass, weed, Mary Jane, bones, etc. The main active principle of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol. The potency of its various forms ranges from a weak drink consumed in India to the highly potent hashish. The following consists of pure cannabis resin. Marijuana is not a narcotic and is not mentally or physically addicting drug. One can use mild cannabis preparations such as marijuana in small amounts for years without physical or mental deterioration. Marijuana serves to diminish inhibitions and acts as an euphoriant. Only once in a while will it produce actual hallucinations. More potent preparations of cannabis such as hashish can induce psychedelic experiences identical to those observed after ingestion of potent hallucinogens such as LSD. Some who smoke marijuana feel no effects; others feel relaxed and sociable, tend to laugh a great deal, and have a profound loss of the sense of time. Characteristically, those under the influence of marijuana show incoordination and impaired ability to perform skilled acts. Still others experience a wide range of emotions including feelings of perception, fear, insanity, happiness, love and anger. Although marijuana is not addicting, it may be habituating. The individual may become psychologically rather than physically dependent on the drug. Legalization Of Marijuana Those who urge the legalization of marijuana maintain the drug is entirely safe. The available data suggested, this is not so, Marijuana occasionally produces acute panic reactions or even transient psychoses. Furthermore, a person driving under the influence of marijuana is a danger to themselves and others. If smoked heavily and a great deal of consistency, its use has been clearly associated with mental breakdown. In many persons who smoke chronically, the drug reinforces passivity and reduces goal-directed, constructive activity. The chronic use of pure resin (hashish) has been associated both with mental deterioration and criminality. One of the major complications of marijuana use is the tendency on the part of some users to progress to more dangerous drugs. Users in economically deprived areas usually go on to heroin, whereas more affluent individuals tend to move from marijuana to more potent hallucinogens such as LSD. There is no established medical use for marijuana or any other cannabis preparation. In the United States, its use is a crime and the laws governing marijuana are similar to those regulating heroin. Many authorities now urge that the laws be modified to mitigate the penalties relating to conviction on marijuana possession charges. The Case For Legalizing Marijuana Use The United States stands apart from many nations in its deep respect for the individual. The strong belief in personal freedom appears early in the nation's history. The Declaration of Independence speaks of every citizen's right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The Constitution and Bill of Rights go further, making specific guarantees. They forbid the government to make unwarranted entry into dwelling places. They forbid seizure of personal property, except when very clear reasons are approved by the courts. They allow every citizen to remain silent in court when accused of a crime. Legal decisions have extended these rights, so that every citizen may feel safe, secure, and sheltered from public view in the privacy of his or her home. The Right To Privacy In recent years, Americans have referred to privacy as one of the basic human rights, something to be claimed by anyone, anywhere. United States citizens feel strongly about this and often tell other countries that they must honor their people's claims to privacy and personal freedom. Foreign leaders often disagree. They resent what they deem arrogant meddling by the United States. Leaders of the Soviet Union, for example, regard individual privacy as trivial when compared to the needs of the state. If the United States is to be persuasive in promoting freedom in other parts of the world, it must respect the privacy of its own citizens. Sometimes it is hard to do this because what goes on in people's private lives may seem offensive. But, according to U.S. traditions, there is a strong case to be made against legislating the private behavior of adults, so long as that behavior does not in turn violate the rights of others. Some people feel that

African Museum essays

African Museum essays The first museum I went to was my favorite. I went to the Museum for African Art displaying the Hair exhibit. The name of the exhibit sounded very uninteresting, but I was proven wrong. The first thing that I learned from this exhibit is that in Africa the way your hair is done represents your position in society. Your hair was probably one of the most important if not thee most important thing to an African person. A person was distinguished into which clan or group he or she was in by his or her hair style. If you were a very wealthy person your hair was extremely well done to make you stand out, be respected and to show that you were from a high class. Leadership was usually associated with wealth. Also if a females hair was messy that showed that she was a prostitute. The way a child hair was showed how old he or she is. For a baby child the hair was mostly compacted near the fontanel part of the brain to protect the baby since that is the most sensitive part of the babys brain. Other signs that distinguished an African from another African was his facial scars. Facial scars doesnt mean he was sliced with a knife and was physically scared. Facial scars was done by wearing masks. They had three types of masks: helmet, paint, and face mask. Some clans that used these types of masks were used by the Igala people in Nigeria and the Ngangala people in Angola. One of my favorite exhibitions was the showing of the children doll by the Ashanti people. The Ashanti people gave their children dolls. They didnt give their children the dolls to play with. They gave it to them so that they can socialize with them and to take care of them as if they were real human beings. I dont think it was a good idea for the parents to give a child a doll to socialize because the doll couldnt talk back and communicate. Why not socialize with the neighbors...

How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer

How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer Getting (and staying) organized at work is no easy feat. Your inbox is constantly filling up with emails and meeting invites Your desk is covered in random piles of sticky notes†¦ And your office messaging system is blowing up non-stop. It’s no wonder you struggle like craaazzzy to *actually* get anything done. #truth But when you’re a marketer who is responsible for a million projects, tasks, and deadlines†¦ being organized is a more than just a nice-to-have†¦ Being organized at work is a necessity. And by the end of this post you will: Know how to get organized at work (thanks to # organizational tips) Learn about # powerful organization tools that can help you get organized AND have access to a couple of *very* helpful organizational templates. Let’s get organized, shall we? How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer via @How To Get Organized At Work Getting organized at work doesn’t have to be a struggle†¦ BUT it does take some effort. And when I say â€Å"effort† I mean that getting organized at work is about more that just â€Å"getting organized at work.† Because honestly, your life *outside* of work also has to be a bit organized for it not to cramp your style from 9 to 5. 😕 Another thingif you’re one of those people who thinks that their disorganization is part of their â€Å"creative genius† Let me stop you right there with a series of cold, hard facts about organization (which come from our latest marketing research report  (as of 2018): Fact #1 Marketers who document their strategies are 538% more successful than those who don’t (which means it’s not left to chance). Fact #2 Marketers who document their processes are 466% more successful than those who don’t (which means success is actually linked to getting organized). Fact #3 Marketers who set goals are 429% more successful than those who don’t (and goal setting doesn’t just happen by accident it takes an organized effort). ^^^Said another way, it’s proven that marketers who proactively organize are more successful than those who constantly fly by the seat of their pants. Getting organized is proven  to help marketers like you succeed. (And tbh that’s pretty sweet). So without further ado†¦ Let’s dive into a series of organizational tips that are going to help you organize your life, your desk (cough cough), and your workload so that you can be a successful (and hella organized) marketer. Organizational Tips Getting organized at work is more than just cleaning off your desktop and sorting files (even though that’s a great place to start) Getting organized at work should actually start with making sure certain aspects of your life are well-organized, too. So before we jump into how to get organized at work, let’s jump into 5 ways you can organize your life. Organized Life Tip #1: Get a good amount of sleep First things first to really feel organized, you need to make sure to always get a good amount of sleep. 😠´ It’s literally impossible to think  clearly when you’re running on a shortage of snoozin hours and WAY too much caffeine. It’s literally impossible to think  clearly when you’re running on a shortage of snoozin hoursTip #2: Rely on a planner Rely on a planner (digital or paper) to help you remember (and show up on time for) every meeting. Plus, writing down important dates + times actually a) makes it easier to remember (because you’ve taken the time to write it down) and b) lets your brain free up important space for idkactually executing a marketing strategy. ;) Tip # 3: Begin your day by knocking out small tasks Begin your day by knocking out small tasks (check your email, put away laundry, unload the dishwasher, etc). You not only get more organized in the process (bonus.) But accomplishing small tasks right away in the morning also means you’re being productive right away.  It’s a feeling of accomplishment that you can carry with you throughout the workday. Tip #4: Schedule regular breaks Managing your mental state at work is KEY to getting organized. You need to give your brain a chance to relax    otherwise you’re going to feel mega-burned out by 3pm (and making decisions when your brain is tired is never awesome). For best results, try to give yourself a break in the morning AND one in the afternoon (about 15 minutes each). Take a walk around the office, around the block, change up your environment by hitting up a coffee shop whatever works best for you and helps you feel refreshed when you get back. Tip #5: Pick up the phone or use chat Pick up the phone or use chat  to communicate with others. Direct communication means you *actually* get answers. Sending emails back and forth is no good for anyone (and usually just results in a cluttered email inbox). Whether you’re checking in on your mom or getting information about an upcoming project at work picking up the phone or sending a chat (Slack or Google Hangouts are great chat tools) makes sure your email inbox doesnt get overloaded (at least as quickly as usual)and you’ll usually get the answer you’re looking for MUCH faster. 👠 To recap: here’s a nice little graphic of the 5 tips you can use to organize your life: Onto the next phase of how to get organized at work†¦ An organized desk. ðŸâ€" ¥ Organized Desk Who doesn’t love a nice and clean desk (and desktop), am I right?. Here are TWO tips to help you maintain a clean, organized workspace.

Analytical and Critical questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analytical and Critical questions - Essay Example This is circumstantial evidence for a Creator, in this case of the watchmaker. There are numerous similar examples offered by Paley to support his claims. The most important implication is that science is subservient to religion. But the greatest rebuttal to this assertion would come in the form of Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection a century after the publication of Natural Theology. The arguments offered by Paley are very eloquent and persuasive, yet not decisive. His assumptions and premises are dubious in many instances. To be fair to Paley, writing as he did a century before the arrival of Charles Darwin in the scientific scene, his arguments were handicapped by the lack of evidences to the contrary that are offered in abundance by Darwin. Yes, many natural phenomena can be explained scientifically without resort to argument from divine intervention. Perhaps, Paley’s passion for religion has biased his views. By virtue of stating a strong thesis, the author is compelled to look and select evidence in support of it. Perhaps a free exposition of the subject would have lead to a balanced rhetoric and findings. Paley’s Natural Theology is relevant today as a specimen of logical rigour and refined styles of argument. Its thesis has steadily lost relevance since the age of the Enlightenment and that trend continues today. Richard Dawkins’ main argument is that the forces of evolution give an illusion of deliberate design, whereas in truth, they were shaped by gradual and random mutations sifted by the filters of natural selection. Drawing on the analogy of the watchmaker by William Paley, Dawkins produces his polemic by systematically dismantling the theory by design as applicable to life forms on earth. Dawkins shows that random mutations at the level of the DNA, when filtered and selected under the process of

Capstone Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Capstone Paper - Essay Example The economic system is a well-structured forum through which a state apportions its resources to all parts of the country for the well-being of its people. On the other hand, the political system is a legal institution that is set to govern a state. Currently, every other country in the world has its own political and economic system. However, all these systems are structured towards the well being of their citizens. Therefore, good governance is influenced by the good political system, the same case with strong economic systems. This paper will focus on comparing the political and economic systems of USA to that of China and South Africa. Political systems In most cases, a political system of any society is structured in a constitution. Unites States of America constitution has been in existence since 1789, 200 years down the line. It is known to be the most stable of all constitutions in the world since it has been amended for only 27 times. It divides the government into three independent bodies which are: the legislative, executive and judiciary. The legislative power is manifested by the congress that comprises of 100 senates and 435 members of the house representatives. The congress is a law making body, as well as, the state finance managing body. The senate serves for six years while the house representative serves for two years. The president of the United States of America, his vice president and the ministers forms the executive arm of government.

Why the mobile phone is important device Essay Example for Free

Why the mobile phone is important device Essay ‘The mobile phone has become an indispensable accessory in most people’s lives’. Explain why the mobile phone is now such an important device. Nowadays, we always face a situation that everyone is holding a mobile phone in everywhere. Maybe someone is texting and someone is playing games. So, is it meaning the mobile phone has become an indispensable accessory in most people’s lives? This essay will focus on the importance of mobile phone. The definition of ‘mobile phone’ maybe imprecise after some time passes. The meaning of ‘mobile phone’ is just a small machine which is use for communicate with someone at real time before 2008. People are just speaking and listening with other side. But the definition of ‘mobile phone’ is changed along with the invention and popular of ‘Smart phone’ since 2008. ‘Smart phone’ means there are a mount of functions grouped in a small machine. For instance, face to face real time communication, voice message, enjoys the music, photo taking and Internet. The next paragraphs will describe the importance of mobile phone based on 3 aspects. In the technology aspect, people are related to use mobile phone because there are a mount of functions grouped in a mobile phone. People can use it for communication, text, Internet, recording video. Also, some of the mobile phones are allowed to conduct word processing. That is a treasure for the office workers and students especially. So, this is a portable minicomputer and assistant of everyone. About the communication aspect, mobile phone provided a great platform for people to build their public relationship. For example, people can access to their Facebook by their mobile phone in everywhere. So that they can communicate with others and update their status without regional restrict. Certainly, they can check the status of their friends and celebrities at any time. Moreover, mobile phone provided various communications ‘App’ for people. Such as Whatsapp, Skype, Wechat and Line. These are significant tools nowadays. It is because people can use these apps to communicate with others without regional restrict at moment to moment. People can text, voice message, share photo or video, share location, share contact, Walkie Talkie  and video call in these apps. Therefore mobile phone is now such an important device for everyone. On the other hand, mobile phone is not just a communication machine nowadays. It is changed to be an accessory with fashion. As the luxury design of the outlook and the higher level of the price, there are a significant of people think that mobile phone is an accessory which can show off their fashion sense. So that is an indispensable accessory in most people’s lives. Due to the useful and convenient of the mobile phone, it has become an indispensable accessory in most people’s lives. But people should remember that they cannot be engrossed on it.

Essay --

1. EDUCAÇÃÆ'O INFANTIL A PORTA DE ENTRADA PARA O ENSINO OBRIGATÓRIO Conceituando a Educaà §Ãƒ £o Infantil pode-se dizer que à © uma educaà §Ãƒ £o criada para ajudar as crianà §as antes de ingressarem no ensino obrigatà ³rio. A educaà §Ãƒ £o infantil à © uma forma de preparar as crianà §as com menos de seis anos para o ensino obrigatà ³rio atà © chegar à   idade certa para ingressa nesse ensino obrigatà ³rio que comeà §a a partir dos sete anos de idade. Nos dias de hoje a Educaà §Ãƒ £o Infantil à © a forma de transportar as crianà §as para ensino obrigatà ³rio com um nà ­vel de aprendizagem mais elevada. (LDB, 2010) Na Educaà §Ãƒ £o Infantil, as crianà §as nessa faixa-età ¡ria sà £o estimuladas a ao aprendizado atravà ©s de atividades là ºdicas e atravà ©s de jogos e brincadeiras, onde os professores procuram exercitar as capacidades motoras e cognitivas, fazendo com que as crianà §as descubram o gosto pela educaà §Ãƒ £o iniciando seu processo de educaà §Ãƒ £o ou aprendizagem. (LDB, 2010). Para a LDB, (2010) a educaà §Ãƒ £o infantil à © coordenada em escolas de ensino educacional como: berà §Ãƒ ¡rio, a creches, prà ©-escolas, jardins de infà ¢ncias, e, jardins-escola, sà £o nesses estabelecimentos que as crianà §as recebem a primeira base da aprendizagem educacional para entrar no ensino obrigatà ³rio. Segundo Mello, (2007, p. 34) a educaà §Ãƒ £o infantil à ©: Uma educaà §Ãƒ £o histà ³rica e de à ©poca, de uma sociedade, de uma cultura e tambà ©m de fatores polà ­ticos e econà ´micos. Dessa forma perguntamos: O que à © infà ¢ncia? Quem à © a crianà §a? Por que essas perguntas foram feitas separadamente? Porque possuem conceitos diferentes. Crianà §a sempre vai existir, mas, da um conceito a infà ¢ncia nà £o; infà ¢ncia à © um sentimento que surgiu hà ¡ pouco tempo, mais precisamente no sà ©culo XVII. Para os autores: A crianà §a hoje à © considerada como um ser so... ... paà ­ses perifà ©ricos. Recebe um valor segundo a forma de produà §Ãƒ £o da vida material, que à © tratada como um negà ³cio lucrativo, com qualidade e retorno financeiro; †¢ No Brasil – na dà ©cada de 1970, com o aumento do nà ºmero de fà ¡bricas, iniciaram-se os movimentos de mulheres e os de luta por creche, resultando na necessidade de criar um lugar para os filhos da massa operà ¡ria, surgindo entà £o à  s creches, com um foco totalmente assistencialista, visando apenas o cuidar. Segundo Faria (1999, p.25): Se os anos 70 estavam voltados para as mulheres, nos anos 80, essas mulheres se voltaram para as crianà §as. É explicado que foram as feministas intelectualizadas de classe mà ©dia, e que eram contra a ditadura, que passaram a pesquisar sobre a infà ¢ncia e assessorar os governos progressistas que, atendendo à  s reivindicaà §Ãƒ µes populares, prometeram creches nas suas campanhas eleitorais.

Synthetic vs. Natural: an Analysis of Costuming in Blade Runner

Ben Boudreau Professor Butorac English 151 10 May 2010 Synthetic vs. Natural: An Analysis of Costuming Used in Blade Runner Blade Runner written by Scott Bukatman and published in 1997 discusses the making of, and larger issues addressed, in Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner (1982). Bukatman, an Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at Stanford University, has written several books on film. His book takes a look at the film formally, ideologically, and even historically. He addresses the film formally by talking about the production of the film. He briefly discusses the process of refining the film’s script which is loosely based on the book Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Bukatman talks of Blade Runner’s design, touching on the narration, the production of the props and set, special effects, and cinematography of the film. In his ideological analysis of the film he touches on larger social issues in the film such as urbanization, immigration, racism, and post modernism. On age 19 Bukatman says â€Å"With its city that resembles nothing so much as a vast boundless refinery and its world that no longer contains any traces of nature† This discussion of the set and props hint at the problems of urbanization as shown in the film. Bukatman uses the androids as examples for how the film can be viewed as addressing racism and immigration. The paranoia against the androids could represent the racism against Asians which was growing at that time in American history due to Asian’s expanding economic influence (Bukatman 74). Racism against blacks is shown by the androids classification of non-human because during the time of slavery in America, blacks were also not viewed as human (Bukatman 75). One way post-modernism is addressed, according to Bukatman, is by begging the question what does it mean to be human? This question is a major theme throughout Bukatman’s book. In this paper I will discuss the issues of the environment and industrialization. I plan on doing this through the use of costuming in the film. I will analyze the use of synthetic versus natural costuming. This paper will cover the wardrobes worn by Rick Deckard, Pris, and Rachael. Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, is the protagonist in Scott’s Blade Runner. Known as a â€Å"blade runner†, Deckard is a member of the Los Angeles police department who is employed to â€Å"retire† genetically designed humanoids known as â€Å"replicants†. These replicants were designed by the Tyrell Corporation to do work in off-world colonies. Because of their superior strength and comparable intelligence, the replicants were viewed as a threat to the human race. After a bloody uprising on an off-world colony they were deemed illegal on earth. In response, Rick Deckard and his group of blade runners are put in place to hunt down and retire these humanoids. Deckard lives in futuristic Los Angeles set in 2019. The city described by Bukatman is a â€Å"vast, boundless refinery,† which â€Å"no longer contains any trace of nature† (19). Deckard’s costuming throughout the film differs greatly from the rest of the characters. He wears a large brown sport coat with patch pockets for most of the film. The coat’s color is very earthy and natural looking in comparison to other characters’ costumes. It looks unpressed and wrinkled as if nothing has been done to modify its look. Underneath he wears several different dress shirts all with basic patterns and muted colors, along with a plaid styled tie. His pants appear to be dark gray, possibly flannel but nothing remarkable. It is almost as if Deckard is your typical working class male found on any large city’s street during the 1980’s. I believe he can be viewed as representing the past, a time where a natural environment existed and urban landscape did not completely dominate the planet. By dressing the film’s â€Å"good guy† in natural and earthy attire I believe Scott could be voicing his opposition to urbanization and the destruction of the natural environment. In the beginning of the film you learn that a group of Nexus 6 replicants have escaped from an off-world colony and traveled to earth illegally. They have come to earth in hope that their creator, Tyrell, can extend their short life spans of only four years. These Nexus 6 replicants, which are said to be â€Å"more human than human†, were designed with superior strength and agility for use on the off-world colonies. One of the escapees is known as Pris. Born on Valentine’s day, Pris is a â€Å"basic pleasure model†. She is also the girlfriend of the strongest replicant, Roy Batty. In the film, we follow Pris as she befriends the genetic engineer, J. F. Sebastian, so Roy can get closer to Tyrell, their creator. Throughout this film we see Pris in very unique costuming. We first see Pris wandering the crowded streets alone in the rain, dressed as a classic street prostitute. Her hair is frizzy and blonde, looking as if it has been bleached. Around her neck she wears a metal dog collar. A black shirt barely covers her up, and her black nylon tights clearly show her upper thighs. Faint traces of mascara make her eyes appear dark. Anticipating J. F. s route home, she hides outside his apartment disguised under newspapers. J. F. gets off the bus and runs into Pris, not being able to resist the company of a gorgeous girl in his lonely apartment, J. F. invites her in. She spends the night there and quickly becomes â€Å"friendly† with him. The next morning Pris goes through a transformation. She wanders his apartment looking through the endless amount of toys a nd mannequins. She begins playing with his make-ups, and cakes her face with clownish white powder. Next, she closes her eyes to spray them with a black jar of spray paint. This make-up on her face gives her a â€Å"created look†. She appears completely unnatural at this point, and begins to resemble the toys found in J. F. ’s apartment. She uses this ability of looking fake to her advantage when she encounters Deckard in the end of the film. In this scene we see Pris posing completely lifeless among the toys. Her only disguise is a long white veil. She transforms visually into a kind of ghostly bridal doll. In this film, Pris is the polar opposite of Deckard. She wears dark synthetic clothes that appear to be unnatural and fake. Her make-up gives her the appearance of a lifeless toy mannequin. Deckard eventually spots the replicant and a fight ensues. Deckard shoots Pris twice and retires her. I believe the killing of Pris by Deckard gives us another possible example for urbanization and the environment. Pris can be read as one of the evils in this film. Being a replicant, she represents the future, where there is no evidence of nature and the cluttered city dominates the entire landscape. If you look at her costuming, it is very artificial and synthetic looking. Deckard, on the other hand, is dressed naturally and earthy. His killing of Pris could give some evidence of Scott’s opposition to urbanization and the future of the environment. One of the most interesting characters in Blade Runner is Rachael. She is the latest experiment of Tyrell, designed because of the flaws of the Nexus 6 models. Tyrell believes that the replicants have started to develop their own emotions. He believes this is due to the fact that they have no framework within which to deal with the formation of new emotions. Tyrell implants memories of his niece into Rachael and also does not reveal to her, until later, that she is a replicant. Rachael figures it out after she is given a Voight-Kampff test. She leaves Tyrell and in desperation turns to Deckard, who is under orders to kill her. Deckard ends up falling in love with her and spares her life. In the film, we see two different types of costuming for Rachael. In the beginning when Deckard meets Rachael in Tyrell’s pyramid throne, we see a tall, dark, statuesque woman. With broad squared shoulders, exaggerated proportions, straight lines, and lacquered hair she appears to be flawless. She looks to as if she is mechanical, fulfilling her role as a replicant. Later in the movie she goes through a gradual transformation. At this point of the film she is sitting at the piano in Deckard’s apartment. Rachael is wearing a more feminine dress that paints broad stripes of tan and cream across her body. As she lets her hair down, we see her change from the artificial hair she wore previously to a bushy and more natural style. We also see Rachael as she transforms from a pale white face with bright red lips to a more tan and feminine face with little or no lip stick. I believe that the transformation of Rachael can be viewed as representing hope. Rachael stands for the future. She is portrayed in the beginning as being very unnatural but through her transformation she becomes more natural looking like Deckard. This could be Scott showing us that there is hope for the future, and that the future can be a place where nature exists. This pinning of good versus evil, natural versus synthetic, is just one of the many ways the costuming of Blade Runner can be read. In Ridley Scott’s films, the messages or issues addressed by the film are very subtle. They will never come out and hit you in the face. You often have to watch his films several times and really think about the film after you have viewed it to really understand what he is trying to say. This is what makes Scott’s films so great. His films will provoke thought and stay relevant and important to the film industry like few other films can. Even authors such as Scott Bukatman missed what this particular use of synthetic and natural fibers could be saying. Although this message about urbanization and the environment is hidden and could be read a number of different ways, I do believe Scott might be voicing his opposition to urbanization and the destruction of the natural world. Works Cited Blade Runner. Dir. Ridley Scott. Perf. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young. Warner Brothers, 1982. Film. Bukatman, Scott. Blade Runner. London: British Film Institute, 1997. Print.

Coe Case Stydy Essay

The Coe’s company has been in business since the 1950’s when the founder Terry Windham invested $600 in 32 chairs to rent out to auction houses. From there on, the business expanded into party equipment and sickroom gear. The founder further shifted the business into household goods and residential furniture in the 1970’s. The company has since been growing. Stan Windham, Terry’s son who now is the CEO of Coe’s, recently opened its 1000th store in South Tucson and the company is taking over $2 billion a year in revenues. Unlike their competitors, Coe’s has had an advantage in the market by always emphasizing ownership and offering monthly payments schedules with shorter contract periods. They trained their managers to only approve lease agreements for people who they were sure they could afford the payments. Also, one of their strengths was to be able to identify and target the customers who never before were interested in renting-to-own but due to the state that the economy was in, they were afraid to commit to big-ticket items and instead decided to rent-to-own. They also attracted customers by offering free delivery and free repairs with an option to return the item if customer was not able to make payments but when their financial situation improved they could resume the contract with no penalties. A weakness of Coe’s I would say would be that the company did not diversify their risk and solely built growth strategy only in the U.S. Except for Mr. Rental, Coe’s dos not have any other direct competitors in South Tucson. Yes, Wal-Mart is there as well but neither Mr. Rental nor Wal-Mart are the same as Coe’s. To distinguish itself from Mr. Rental, Coe’s offers shorter contract periods, free delivery and free repairs and Wal-Mart is not a rent-to-own company. However, there are other external factors to be considered and those being both opportunities and threats. Coe’s has been considering entering into the Mexican market, which they believe would be a good strategic move for the company and help them diversify their portfolio. Taking into consideration the low transportation, labor and real estate costs, Mexico would be an inexpensive place to open a new Coe’s store. Of course where opportunities exist, threats exist also. With plenty of growth  opportunities in the U.S., an expansion to Mexico would add complications and risks to the company. The company had experienced this first hand when they tried to expand to Puerto Rico and due to shrinkage and not being able to find the right personnel that did not go to well. On top of everything, the consumer protection advocates are attacking the rent-to-own companies by claiming that the prices of the products are 60% to 90% higher than those of traditional retailers. While every investor is aiming towards growth, they also want to play it safe. Coe’s has been considering going international and building a growth strategy in other parts of the world for a while. By comparing the strengths and weaknesses, the company is holding a strong competitive position and it can continue to do business at its current pace. I also believe that they should expand their business in Mexico. An expansion to Mexico would offer a great potential. An in-depth market research will help analyze the patterns and habits of costumers. Doing business in Mexico will not only help the company grow but it will also benefit the U.S. economy. Ever since NAFTA took effect, both large and small American companies have expanded in Mexico. A range of locations in Southern USA have developed rapidly to keep up with the heavy trade between US and Mexico offering new jobs to U.S. Citizens and boosting the U.S. economy.

How Economists Define the Revelation Principle

How Economists Define the Revelation Principle The revelation principle  of economics is that truth-telling, direct revelation mechanisms can generally be designed to achieve the Bayesian Nash equilibrium outcome of other mechanisms; this can be proven in a large category of mechanism design cases. Put into other words, the revelation principle holds that there is a payoff-equivalent revelation mechanism that possesses an equilibrium in which players truthfully report their types to any Bayesian game. Game Theory: Bayesian Games and Nash Equilibrium A Bayesian game has the most relevance in the study of economic game theory, which is essentially the study of strategic decision-making. A Bayesian game in one in which the information about the characteristics of the players, otherwise known as the players payoffs, is incomplete. This incompleteness of information means that in a Bayesian game, at least one of the players is uncertain of the type of another player or players. In a non-Bayesian game, a strategic model is considered an if every strategy in that profile is the best response or the strategy that produces the most favorable outcome, to every other strategy in the profile. Or in other words, a strategic model is considered a Nash equilibrium if there exists no other strategy that a player could employ that would produce a better payoff given all the strategies are chosen by the other players. A Bayesian Nash equilibrium, then, extends the principles of the Nash equilibrium to the context of a Bayesian game which has incomplete information. In a Bayesian game, Bayesian Nash equilibrium is found when each type of player employs a strategy that maximizes the expected payoff given the actions of all the types of other players and that players beliefs about the types of the other players. Lets see how the revelation principle plays into these concepts. Revelation Principle in Bayesian Modelling The revelation principle is relevant to a modeling (that is, theoretical) context when there exists: two players (usually firms)a third party (usually the government) managing a mechanism to achieve a desirable social outcomeincomplete information (in particular, the players have types that are hidden from the other player and from the government) Generally, a direct revelation mechanism (in which telling the truth is a Nash equilibrium outcome) can be proven to exist and be equivalent to any other mechanism available to the government. In this context, a direct revelation mechanism is one in which the strategies are just the types a player can reveal about himself. And is it the fact that this outcome can exist and be equivalent to other mechanisms that comprise  the revelation principle. The revelation principle is used most often to prove something about the whole class of mechanism equilibria, by selecting the simple direct revelation mechanism, proving a result about that, and applying the revelation principle to assert that the result is true for all mechanisms in that context.

Artists and Collective Groups

Magiciens de la terre was staged by the curator Jean Hubert Martin on 14 August, 1989 in Paris. The exhibition portrays the work of hundreds of artists and collective groups from all over the world to create a juxtaposition effect. It aimed to eradicate the culture of ethnocentrism from the minds of people that was prevailing at that time. The European people back then would undervalue the art work of people from other cultures and values and none of the art exhibition would deal with the subject. Jean Martin took up the subject and portrayed over a hundred of artists at an equal level where 50 percent of the artists were non western. The attempt was made through the artistic representation that people cannot be discriminated based on geographical regions and they also deserve to receive equal respect from the society (Rapko, 2014). The curator chose to go for installation view for the exhibition in the gallery and selected the master work of Carl Beam and Richard Long. These works were chosen to signify the geographical regions across the world and renewed questions based on land and place and how the concept of art deals with the other geographical regions. The two works are being put together in a contrasting manner in order to make the audience think over the issues that have been prevailing in the society for such a long period. Richard’s long mud circle was made to hang near the Yuendumu community ground painting Yarla. Yarla is a traditional Australian piece of art that was made in the early centuries. The contrasting effect is created in order to showcase the issues that arise during the work. The exhibition also makes use of the Sarkis through showcases, screens, projections, reading tables and shelving (Friedel, 2016). Apart from that, unlike the traditional exhibitions, this exhibition also displayed how the preparation of the exhibition was carried out through a number of videos which shows that the work was not just taken abruptly and every projection has a reason behind it to be showcased. The exhibition layout and structure was not like a traditional finished exhibition rather the curator made sure to make the exhibition movable as much as he could in order to shed some light on the practices which were deep rooted in the European culture. The exhibition comprised of a number of texts and images to display the views of European people over the non western world. The non western artists were represented on the stage with full respect and dignity equal to their western counterpart. This act demanded their equal rights in artistic world from the European people. The scenarios in the exhibition were staged in a manner so as to show case the inequities of the world. The 113 artist were staged along with their geographical locations, biographies and artistic works from over 50 countries across the world (Africanah.org, 2016). The exhibition is displayed in parts to give a contrasting view of the world through portraying different artists from the world. Every act has a message at the end for the audience to ponder upon. The artists are from different geographical location from all over the world such is Australia, Tibet, China and many more. The exhibition makes extensive use of videos, documentary, images etc to highlight the ethnocentric issue. The exhibition starts with the Australian artists all together working on a painting on the ground. The artists talk to each other but their conversation which cannot be heard is not the focus here rather their art work ground painting is highlighted which is dreaming of rain. The scene depicts the hidden world of Dreamtime. The next part opens with a Chinese guy who first washes newspapers in the washing machine to make a wall installation out of it. At first, he tries to connect himself with the Taoist’s philosophy prevailing in China which does not encourage questions. The inability to seek answer from the philosophy disconnects him from the Chinese culture and he finds himself between the western artists with whom he reconnects himself. The third part shows some monks who are trying to create an art work with the use of dust and metal sticks. They work very hard to make the image and even start sweating in the process of making this complex art work. These people are actually working very hard and dealing with the complexities of the art work. The next part shows the conversation between two women American Indian and African. The African woman asks some questions related to a blanket to the other woman and after hearing the answer the African woman is relieved. The next scene portrays a father and a daughter making a sand painting and the same lady who portrayed as an American woman in the earlier scene is also standing there and watching them. The man erases the painting after showing it to his wife. The scene symbolizes that deletion of something would lead to creation of some other new possibility. The scene leaves a very deep message for the audience to think upon. The exhibition was under preparation for around four years with limited number of curators. The curators travelled across the globe for the exhibition to get themselves acquainted with the different socio culture and psychology of the people across the world. They travelled from North America to Australia, Japan, China, Tibet and other countries to explore the culture (Solal, 2016). The curator chose the installation mode of presenting unlike the traditional exhibitions, because he wanted to have a direct connection with the audience through the show. He did not want the audience to see the immovable objects through the finished objects which gives the feeling that they have been abruptly taken from their original context and the audience does not even get to know the real motive behind the scene. The installation approach gives the audience a different perspective of thinking by engaging it through different acts and scenes. The audience gets to understand the real essence of the different acts that the curator wants to portray. Since the light and technology was not even a close match that of today’s, still the curator made use of best of the technologies that were prevailing at that time. The extensive use of projectors to show the videos demonstrate that the best technologies were chose of that time. The screens were used for the reflection part. Then there was use of reading tables and shelves for the exhibition. The light technology used in the traditional art works of Richard Long ‘Red Earth Circle’ and Yuendumu, an Australian aboriginal community, is mesmerizing and demonstrates the excellent work of the curator. The work displayed by the curator is an excellent presentation of revolutionary art, which has become a global turn phenomenon in the history of the world. Around 300,000 visitors visited the exhibition and were amazed to see the art work by the curator. Though there was intensive criticism for the art exhibition by many critics for the theme being used. The work was criticized for hurting the religious sentiments of a number of people over the world (Modern, 2014). Though the curator clarified that the essence was to give the non western artist the respect they deserve and to not to focus on the mini details of the work and overlook them. Overall, the exhibition was an excellent effort by the curator through the extensive use of films, reference documents, notes and notebooks, films, catalogues and books, which shaped the concept of events. The visitors were enlightened by the field trips, the contact with the artists, the staging and the work of institutions. Rapko, J. (18 May 2014). The Design Isn’t Firm; Or, Why Do Curators Talk Like That?.NYAQ/LXAQ/SFAQ: International Art and Culture. Available at: https://sfaq.us/2015/05/the-design-isnt-firm-or-why-do-curators-talk-like-that/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Friedel, J. (12 August 2016). Magiciens de la Terre. Contemporary and Platform for International art from African perspectives. Available at: https://www.contemporaryand.com/magazines/magiciens-de-la-terre/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Africanah.org. (2 July 2014). Magiciens de la Terre, a look back at a legendary exhibition. Africanah.org.   Available at: https://africanah.org/magiciens-de-la-terre/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Solal, A.C. Revisiting Magiciens de la terre. Stedelijk Studies. Available at: https://www.stedelijkstudies.com/journal/revisiting-magiciens-de-la-terre/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Steeds, L. (2013). Making Art Global (Part 2) ‘Magiciens de la terre’ 1989. London: Afterall Books. Modern, T. (18 March 2014). In 1989 The Ambitious Exhibition ‘Magiciens De La Terre’ opened in Paris, presenting the work of over one hundred artists, half of whom were described as non-western. Biennial Foundation. Available at: https://www.biennialfoundation.org/2014/03/in-1989-the-ambitious-exhibition-magiciens-de-la-terre-opened-in-paris-presenting-the-work-of-over-one-hundred-artists-half-of-whom-were-described-as-non-western/ [Accessed 12 December 2016]. Modern, T. Magiciens De La Terre: Reconsidered. Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/magiciens-de-la-terre-reconsidered [Accessed 13 December 2016]. Former West. Magiciens De La Terre Jean-Hubert Martin Editions du Centre Pompidou 1989 ISBN 102858504989. Former West. Available at: https://www.formerwest.org/ResearchLibrary/MagiciensdelaTerre [Accessed 13 December 2016]. Critique d’art. From  Magiciens de la Terre  to the Globalization of the Art World: Going Back to a Historic Exhibition. Critique d’art. Available at: https://critiquedart.revues.org/8308?lang=en Accessed 13 December 2016]. JStor. Bilderstreit' and 'Magiciens de la Terre. Paris and Cologne. JStor. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/884068?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents Accessed 13 December 2016].

Research one of the European Union's agencies ( Europol ). Critically Essay

Research one of the European Union's agencies ( Europol ). Critically assess their role and effectiveness - Essay Example Four years later, the EU Member States expanded Europol’s mandate by ratifying the Europol Convention; a treaty that became fully operational in July 1999. The agency, from its seat of power in The Hague, deploys its assets including about 800 officers to combat crime in the whole of Europe (Deflem, 2009). The scope of Europol contradicts the fact that it is in constant cooperation with several law enforcement organisations working within the EU member states. As of 2013, Europol has jurisdiction in all states within the European Union. Nuthall and Paun (2013) have noted that for the agency to effectively curb organised crime across national territories, Europol liaises with several countries and police agencies within EU and neighbouring countries (Emanuel, 1999; Resodihardjo, Eijk and Carroll, 2012). Notably, when there is need to liaise with non-EU members Europol’s Europol External Strategy established the parameters within which the agency should work in its effort to fight organized crime that might compromise the safety of EU citizens (Berdal, & Serrano, 2002). Europol has undergone major transformations over the years to become an EU agency with more powers to gather criminal intelligence and act upon them (Ladenburger, 2008). Today Europol has the full backing of the European Parliament that addresses its budget. History of Europol Europol can be traced to 1975’s TREVI, an internal organization that was responsible for ensuring a better liaison amongst European Commission members on security issues (House of Lords European Union Committee, 2008). In 1993, however, the adoption of the Maastricht Treaty replaced it (Mounier, 2009). Prior to its establishment, Germany had made proposals to the EC, pressing for the establishment of an international police agency. In 1991, the state formally proposed the establishment of a European Police Office in Luxembourg before member states of the EU (Deflem, 2009). And by the end the year, the In tergovernmental Conference was convinced that by establishing Europol under the Maastricht Treaty, the whole of EU region would be more secure. The result was the formation of a rather weak Europol, whose primary purpose was to facilitate the sharing of intelligence amongst police agencies under the European Union (Nuthall, & Paun, 2013; Santiago, 2000). Delays in enacting the Maastricht Treaty prompted TREVI officials to form the Europol Drugs Unit (EDU) Agreement in mid-1993 (Mounier, 2009). The EDU, being unconstitutional led to the setting up of a lean team of law enforcers led by Jurgen Storbeck. The team immediately embarked on policing campaigns from temporary structures in a Strasbourg neighbourhood, while lasting solutions were being sought. After the enactment of the Maastricht Treaty, EU member states began to deliberate upon legitimising a Europol Convention. Meanwhile, the mandate of Europol Drugs Unit (EDU) was expanded between 1995 and 1996 to encompass several traffi cking crimes (Gregory, 1998). Back then, police officers could only share information bilaterally, as the establishment of a joint database for the entire EU membership was not possible without the prior passage of the Europol Convention (Andreescut and Keeling, 2012; Byrne, 2013). Eventually, the Europol Convention became functional in late 1998 after its ratification by more than half of the 28 member states. Nonetheless, certain legal issues such as the protection of primary data and