The Matrix Essays (1072 words) - Futurology, The Matrix,

The Matrix In the science fiction movie The Matrix people are ruled by Artificial Intelligence (AI), machines made by men to make life easier on the human race. This form of industrialization has also begun in our world today. We have given birth to a host of machines that think for themselves, hoping they would make our lives easier and less taxing on our bodies. In the movie the machines have taken control of the humans and rule over them by hiding from them the real world. In today's society machines have begun a hostile take over of the lives of humans. Ironic, is it not, that in the movie, and in our lives today, machines have become rulers over the humans who made them. In the time when the movie takes place, the humans of the world are being governed by the machines they created. At first the machines, after becoming fed up with working for the humans, attacked the humans through technological warfare. The humans countered by destroying what they thought to be the only source of energy for the machines, the sun. When the machines lost the power of the sun, they had to find a new source of energy. The machines learned that the human body itself can produce the kind of energy necessary to sustain their lives. But humans would never just bow down to their enemies and so the machines had to devise a way to detain the humans so that they could extract that energy. The machines created a computer program called The Matrix. In the movie this marvel displays the digital image of a human's mental self along with that of other humans and a mock up of the world as it was at the highest point in human history. While some humans were detained in the matrix to b e used for energy, other humans were fed intravenously to them. Humans became crops to the machines, they were grown in massive fields and harvested like wheat until they were ripe enough to be fed to the other humans. The living humans merely lived out what they thought were their real lives, not knowing that they were powering their own enemies through a war. Ironic that the humans became slaves to those they created as slaves is it not? In the modern world we find humans churning out new inventions constantly. AI is one of the most recent of these inventions and was invented for the sole purpose of making the lives of humans less hectic. However, different duties call for different machines. For example, the machine inside your automobile is not as smart nor as quick as the one inside a government-spec supercomputer. Recently humans devised a way to interconnect the thoughts of these machines and to allow them to hook up to and speak with one another. This wonder of the modern world is called networking. What if a few of the smarter machines found a way to network themselves together through this web of computers? They could begin to change the chain of commands going in and coming out of other machines, in effect taking control of those machines. Considering how much impact machines have on the daily lives of humans, could these smarter machines not bring the world to a sudden standstill? Think what would happen if machines began to make their own commands and would not allow even the slightest input from humans. Our lives would soon be governed by what the machines told us to do. You wouldn't be able to cash a check at the bank or put gas in your car. These machines would soon learn how to command those used to assemble other machines and they would begin churning out new machines day in and day out. The machines would then have a foothold for the beginning of their attack on the human race, which leaves us at the beginning of the movie, The Matrix. Humans are setting themselves up for a fall by allowing machines so much freedom. Ironic is it not that humans make themselves so vulnerable to attack from the one enemy they could never stop? Imagine for a second that all the machines

Howard Beckers Labelling Theory

Howard Beckers Labelling Theory Introduction Since the beginning of human civilization, criminal activity has plagued human society. Over the centuries, the society has taken steps to respond to this vice that threatens the moral fabric of the society. The most significant step in combating crime has been in the establishment of a criminal justice system that deals with criminals by imposing relevant punishments. In spite of the presence of a functional criminal justice system, crime has continued to increase in the society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Howard Beckers Labelling Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sociologists and criminology scholars have tried to address this problem by coming up with theories that seek to explain the root of crime and therefore offer ways of controlling it. One of the theories developed to explain crime and criminality is the Labelling Theory by Howard Becker. This theory stresses on the social process thr ough which certain acts and people are labelled as deviant. This paper will explain in detail Howard Beckers Labelling Theory and its view of Crime and Criminality. Becker’s Labelling Theory Labelling theory emerged as a dominant theory on crime during the 1960s and it challenged the traditional view of positivist criminology that regarded crime to be caused of factors such as moral development and personality. This theory also seeks to analyze what happens to individuals after they have been given the label of criminal by the society. Beckers theory builds on the works of the criminologist and sociologist, Frank Tannenbaum who declared that tagging, identifying, and segregating are the processes through which criminals are made. Tannenbaum suggested that because of this labelling, an individual is compelled to become the very thing he/she is perceived to be (Plummer 2000). Through his theory, Howard Becker argued that the society, which dictates the actions that should be re garded as deviance and the ones that should not, is the creator of deviance. Becker (1963) articulated the labelling theory by asserting, Social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance, and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsiders (p.9). In the Labelling Theory, emphasis is placed not in the behaviour itself but in the response that the behaviour gets from other people. By studying the process through which people become deviant, Becker noted that social control agencies such as the police and courts are created to label people as outside the normal, law-abiding community. Becker (1963) also noted that the social group that creates deviance is usually the middle or upper class. This is because economic or political power has to be possessed in order for ones views to be heard or enforced (Regoli 2009). When developing this theory, Becker was engaged in a study that focused on marijuana use and its control a nd he analyzed how the political power worked to give marijuana use a deviant label.Advertising Looking for essay on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Becker sought to discover the consequences that the application of the label of deviant had on the individual labelled. He noted that specific behaviour is not in itself deviant or normal; rather, people define it as such by applying labels to it and defining it in a certain way. The social authorities such as police officers, teachers, judges, and religious teachers, give the label deviance on certain behaviour (Walklate 2007). Becker notes that the social audience who make the rules as to what is deviance also applies it on certain individuals who become outsiders once this label is attributed to them. Becker (1963) insisted on the differentiation between rule-breaking behaviour and deviance. He states that the term deviant is a label applied to some indiv iduals by a part of society and not all rule-breaking behaviour is regarded as deviant. On the other hand, not all who are labelled as deviant might be guilty of rule breaking. The theory also revealed that acts are not generalized as deviant or normal: the level to which an act will be regarded as deviant is sometimes dictated by the social status or race of the person who commits the act. To demonstrate this point, Becker illustrated how juvenile delinquents from a middle-class background were less likely to be processed through the legal process compared to similar offenders from the slum areas. Labelling Theory’s View on Crime The theory reveals that the application of labels increases the level of crime since it turns certain people into outsiders. Mesmaecker (2010) observes that it only takes one criminal offense for someone to be labelled a criminal. This label might last for a lifetime with dire repercussions for the individual. Becker (1963) notes that the society al ways perceives the labelled person as guilty and this can be seen from the police habit of rounding up known offenders when they are investigating a current crime. Because of the label, the police view these individuals as lacking in respect of law and expect them to continue engaging in crime. This is the reason why the juvenile system attempts to hide the criminal records of young offenders since if the record is public, it will have a negative impact on the future of the individual. Judith and Tina (2003) elaborate that the criminal records of an individual will deny them certain opportunities such as obtaining jobs or advancing in their education and this might prompt the offender to commit new crime.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Howard Beckers Labelling Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The theory also highlights the role that the criminal justice system has in increasing crime. Becker (1966) suggests that the court system can have a negative impact in its efforts at deterring future offending. By labelling the defendant as deviant, the court will increase the chances of future offending by the individual. The labelling theory also explains why some crimes appear to be more prevalent than others are. Becker (1963) explains that some particular kind of deviance might face the attention of the society or authorities. Activities aimed at controlling this behaviour might therefore result in arrest of individuals who engage in this deviant acts. For example, the all out attack by the US government on drug use during the 1980s led to an overrepresentation of drug-related crimes in the society. If the society labels a certain act as deviant and then focuses on it, the perception that this â€Å"crime† is on the rise will follow. The labelling theory also recognizes how the society groups together those who have broken some agreed-upon rules. A person is no longer viewed as an ind ividual but rather as a member of a homogeneous category that is made up of other people who have committed a similar crime. Because of this categorization, the individual is at risk of being rejected by the social groups he once belonged to (Walklate 2007). His family and friends may severe ties with him and this isolation will be detrimental to the well being of the individual. The labelled individual is therefore likely to join the deviant group or sub-culture that society assumes him to belong to and since this new group will accept him, he is likely to engage in further deviant acts. McGrath (2009) best articulates this by stating that people act in a manner that reinforces their label. As such, those who have been categorized by the society as deviant, or those who view themselves as deviant, most likely end up acting in the way that society expects them to (McGrath, 2009). Labelling Theory’s View on Criminality According to the labelling theory, being labelled has an e ffect on the sense of self. An Individual who engages in deviance might do this for various reasons that do not include his self-identity. However, once the person is labelled as a deviant, his perception of himself changes from normal to deviant.Advertising Looking for essay on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More With this newly formed identity, the person begins to define and think of himself in terms of the deviant label he has been given. Becker (1963) theorizes that the deviant status obtained from breaking a rule becomes a master status. The individual is therefore doomed to be a deviant first and any other status consideration will take a secondary role. Such a person is likely to engage in crime since he already views himself as a criminal. The Labelling Theory further reveals that not all people labelled as deviant may have broken societal rules. Labelling by society is sometimes generalizing and a person can be labelled as a deviant when they have in fact not engaged in any deviant act yet. Becker (1993) observes that because of being publicly labelled as deviant, individuals go to the next logical step, which is engaging in career deviance. The labelling theory also proposes that the deviant label makes it more likely that an individual will engage in other kinds of crimes in addit ion to the crime for which he was initially labelled. Plummer (2000) corroborates this view by observing that when a person is apprehended for one deviant act, they are predisposed to taking part in other deviant behaviour since they will be regarded as deviant by the society and are more likely to engage with other similarly labelled people. This argument is supported by facts surrounding the US Juvenile Justice System. In the mid 1990s, governors all over the US proposed sending of juvenile offenders to the adult system in order to reduce crime through deterrence. Data indicates that the young offenders who went through the adult system left the correctional facilities with a higher propensity for committing crime due to the label that they acquired (Clausmeier 2007). The stigma attached to the label also has implications on the social behaviour of the individual. A study by McCarney (2002) found that the status of being an ex-criminal has a negative influence a persons future emp loyability and causes a loss of social status. In addition to this, individuals with criminal records are stereotyped and regarded as criminals even though they served their sentence and therefore paid for their past misdeeds. In most cases, the former offenders have been reformed and are ready to be productive members of the society. However, the attitude and treatment they get from the society leads them to transform their identities to fit the deviant label (Slattery 2003). Due to this, the individual is more likely to engage in criminal activity either to make a living or as a way of lashing out at the society. The Labelling Theory suggests that the criminal justice system would benefit greatly if sensitivity to crime and deviant behaviour increased. If this happens, a restorative approach that questions the evidence of punishment and labelling as the best way to respond to crime will be adopted. Mesmaecker (2010) declares that this approach will alleviate the alienation of the parties within the legal process and greatly reduce the feelings of injustice that the offenders feel. With such an approach, a person who has engaged in crime in the past will not feel obligated to repeat the offense since they do not regard the deviant behaviour as part of their identity. Conclusion This paper set out to analyze Becker’s Labelling theory and expound on its views on crime and criminality. The labelling theory explorers the impact that being labelled as an outsider may have on the individual. It reveals that the outsider status causes one to engage in anti-social activity since society already expects them to do so. The paper has analyzed how labelling leads to an increase in crime since otherwise normal individuals form an identity that conforms to the label attached to them. When they have been labelled, these people come to believe that the label is true and they therefore adopt the deviant identity and invariably begin acting in deviant ways. From the lab elling theory, it is evident that the society is responsible for the prevalence of crime since it turns individuals into deviants by labelling them as such. It is therefore possible for crime and criminality to be alleviated by reducing the instances of labelling and treating former offenders in a civil and social way. Reference Becker, H 1963, Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance, Free Press, New York. Clausmeier, D 2007, â€Å"Child criminal justice†, Journal of Quantitative Criminology 18(1): 171-173. Judith, B Tina, M 2003, â€Å"Child and Adolescent†, Social Work Journal, 20(2): 85-98. McCarney, W 2002, â€Å"Restorative justice: International approaches†, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 3 (1): 2-13. McGrath, A 2009, â€Å"Offenders’ Perceptions of the Sentencing Process: A Study of Deterrence and Stigmatisation in the New South Wales Children’s Court†, The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 41 (1): 24-46. Mesmaecker, V 2010, â€Å"Building social support for restorative justice through the media: is taking the victim perspective the most appropriate strategy?†, Contemporary Justice Review, 13 (3): 239–267. Plummer, K 2000, â€Å"Labelling theory†, Historical, Conceptual, and Theoretical Issues, 1(1): 191-194. Regoli, R 2009, Delinquency in Society, Jones Bartlett Learning, NY. Slattery, M 2003, Key Ideas in Sociology, Nelson Thornes, Boston. Walklate, S 2007, Understanding Criminology, McGraw-Hill International, NY.

Aggression In Violent Offenders Psychology Essay

Aggression In Violent Offenders Psychology Essay Anger is considered to be an innate emotion within human beings that is associated with positive and negative qualities. Subjectively, anger can range from mild to severe or from mere irritation to rage (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Anger can positively act to mobilize psychological resources, facilitate perseverance, protect self-esteem, energize corrective behaviors, and communicate negative sentiments. However, anger also holds the negative potential to cause individuals to act out violently and harm themselves or others (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). The concept of anger is considered to be multidimensional in that it involves behavioral, cognitive, physiological, and phenomenological variables (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Anger results from interactions between four dimensions such as behavioral reactions, external events, physiological arousal, and cognitive processes (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). The association between anger and distorted perceptions can result in th e inability to make appropriate assessments of behaviors, attitudes, and interactions within social contexts (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Anger that has significant intensity, duration, and frequency is referred to as clinical anger. This form of anger is described as being a precursor to health and social difficulties (Gardner & Moore, 2008). These difficulties can occur interpersonally, occupationally, and legally as well as could impact an individual’s physical and mental health (Gardner & Moore, 2008). While clinical anger does not have a criterion for diagnosis, it does serve as a contributing factor to various mental disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Furthermore, anger was described as being central to many forms of violence, which makes anger relevant to treating violent offenders (Wright, Day, & Howells, 2009). Concept of Aggression Aggression is defined as behaviors that are intended to harm another person or persons (Casas, 2005). Much research addressing aggression has focused on physical acts of aggression but has since begun to expand upon the definition of aggression (Casas, 2005). Purdy and Seklecki (2006) asserted aggression is typically associated with harmful and violent acts, such as assaults and homicides. According to Beaver (2009) career criminals are more likely to use serious violence and physical aggression compared to other offenders. In addition, various aggressive and violent crimes such as robbery, assault, rape, and murder are almost exclusively confined to habitual offenders (Beaver, 2009). Tew, Dixon, Harkins, and Bennett (2012) described aggression in relation to offenders in terms of verbal and physical aggression. Verbal aggression consisted of raising one’s voice, shouting, swearing, being abusive, being argumentative, conveying threats, ranting, having an outburst, initiating a confrontation, and bullying (Tew et al., 2012). Acts such as hitting, smashing up belongings, throwing belongings , slamming doors, hitting tables, or acts that resulted in restraint are considered to be physical acts of aggression (Tew et al., 2012). Similarly, Casas (2005) described various forms of aggression. Aggression can be classified as physical aggression, indirect aggression, social aggression, or relational aggression (Casas, 2005). Casas’ (2005) description of physical aggression was consistent with how Tew et al. (2012) described physical aggression. Indirect aggression involves covert and harmful behavior in which a victim is not directly confronted by the perpetrator. Social aggression involves harming another individual’s self-esteem, social acceptance, or social status (Casas, 2005). Lastly, relational aggression is defined as harming another in terms of damaging a relationship, feelings of acceptance, or group inclusion (Casas, 2005). In general, social and biological factors contribute to aggression (Casas, 2005).

Slumdog Millionaire Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Slumdog Millionaire - Movie Review Example The plight was similar in both situations – the poor remained desperately poor – but how they actually eked out a living changed considerably. The three characters in this movie were Jamal, his brother Salim, and Latika. Jamal and Salim are orphans – their mother was killed during a raid on Muslim people, and Latika was a waif who happened upon the boys’ camp, and they took her in. During the first part of the movie, they were shown making a living by dealing with trash, trying to find things to sell. A man named Maman finds the boys and tricks them into working for him. Maman’s plan was to recruit young boys to learn how to sing, then he blinds them, as blind singers earn more money begging than non-blind singers do. They escape from Maman, and they eke out a living by pretending to be tour guides for the Taj Mahal and picking pockets. This was how the first part of the movie was portrayed – the boys lived on the streets and stayed fed and clothed by acting like one would imagine a street urchin would act. One of the boys who was blinded by Maman was later seen singing in a subway tunnel. Salim and Jamal earned a living by selling things that they found in the trash or by conning people. However, this was when Mumbai was still Bombay. Bombay turned into Mumbai, and the difference in the overall landscape was striking. This was made clear in a scene where Salim and Jamal are atop a skyscraper that was in the process of being built. Salim said to Jamal that all that they were seeing – the modernity of the great city, with gleaming skyscrapers and a thriving business district – was on the site where they once grew up in the slums. This was meant to denote that the city had changed considerably since Jamal and Salim were boys. And, with the change from Bombay into Mumbai, came a change in how the boys earned their money. Jamal, for his part, was able to make money legitimately by being a part of a call center that answered

Public Administration; the constitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Administration; the constitution - Essay Example At government level, the relations between countries have become somewhat tense due to increased terrorism and consequent allegations on the terrorist groups belonging to neighboring countries. At public level, the relations have become stronger due to increased cultural and social diversity in many countries. The article 1 of the United States constitution mainly deals with the government structure, legislative powers, legislative responsibilities of the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and constitutional and taxation activities of the states. This article provides a solid foundation on which the structure of the government is formed and legal responsibilities and restrictions are communicated to the officials. The article 2 of the constitution mainly talks about the executive and legislative powers of The President of the United States. The section 4 is a little different as it talks about the factors that can lead to the termination of services of all government officials including The

Money should be the primary consideration in the selection of one’s career Essay Example for Free

Money should be the primary consideration in the selection of one’s career Essay Young people generally start thinking about their future career when they are still at school, by making the right choice of subjects to study. What the financial package of their dream career is may not be important at that stage, but it certainly becomes a relevant consideration later on. However, how important this consideration is varies from one person to another. On the one hand, financial gain is definitely a factor one should consider when choosing a career. There is no denying that the salary is one of the top priorities when people start looking for a job. Most people start to take on the responsibility for the cost of living when they leave school, and it is of great importance to find a job with a higher salary, even though working hours might be longer than in other occupations. Moreover, these positions may have numerous potentials, such as a chance for promotion, training opportunity, a good work environment, and reputation. Having money also helps one gain his independence, for instance, maintaining a family, buying a house, paying rent, travelling around the world. Money is also necessary to buy basic utilities such as food and water, and it also aids to secure your home from theft. On the other hand, many people do not, and should not, focus on this factor as the main one. Salaries should not be the most important factor in choosing a career. People may neglect many other things that are worth to pursue in ones life if they consider money to be the most important factor in choosing a career. In fact, many people choose to fulfil their life goals and give up the job opportunity with the highest salary. For one thing, being engaged with the job you love can let you work in a pleasurable atmosphere in order to enhance your work efficiency. People can gain more satisfaction once they achieve their goals. Not only that, but focusing primarily on money when selecting a career ignores the concept that making money is not the reason most of us get jobs, but rather a means of obtaining material goods and services and of achieving important goals, such as providing security for oneself and one’s family, lifelong learning, freedom to travel or to pursue hobbies. Acknowledging the distinction, one may select a career on the basis of money, since more money can buy more goods and services as well as the security, freedom, and time to enjoy them. It does not mean that everybody should regard it as the most important factor in life. After all, money is just a way satisfy our basic life needs. All in all, I think the best career choice is the combination of personal interests and financial benefits. If people choose a career that they do not like, they may be impatient when they are at work. Only in doing what they like or have interests in, can people improve their working productivity and performance.

Ethnography Essay -- Writing Literature Essays

Ethnography One of the most complex and interesting aspects of cultural anthropology is the ethnography. The idea of being able to read stories about groups of individuals is something that is intriguing to many people. With the ethnography, the authors many times feel that they have control and understanding over the individuals that they are writing about. Furthermore, many of these authors assume that the individuals among whom they are living and studying exemplify the entire society as a whole. Ethnographers have used many different means of establishing their ethnographic authority. One such method is the use of reflexivity in the ethnography. Ethnographers such as Renato Rosaldo in his work Culture and Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis and Bronislaw Malinowski in his work Argonauts of the Western Pacific assume their authority through the use of reflexivity. On the other hand, there are authors such as George E. Marcus in his work Ethnography Through Thick and Thin, who explain that reflexivity should be used as a means of demonstrating that one cannot assert such authority, and Dorinne Kondo, in her work Dissolution and Reconstruction of Self: Implications for Anthropological Epistemology, who use reflexivity to make a distinction between the ethnographer's role in the field, and the ethnographer’s role when writing the ethnography. There are many different interpretations on the meaning of reflexivity. One such interpretation is given by George Marcus in his work Ethnography Through Thick and Thin. In defining one aspect of his interpretation, Marcus states that reflexivity is â€Å"the label used in common currency to stand for possible but as-yet unrealized alternatives in the production of ethnography†(Marcus ... ...serting their authority over the individuals in which they lived among. Whether reflexivity is used as something that is positive, or something that is negative, depends on the ethnographer. In essence, reflexivity is a method that when used in ethnography, is a tool that can be used to the ethnographer’s advantage, and how they use reflexivity is to their own discretion. Works Cited Kondo, Dorinne K. â€Å"Dissolution and Reconstitution of Self: Implications for Anthropological Epistemology.† Cultural Anthropology. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1986. Malinowski, Bronislaw. Argonauts of the Western Pacific. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 1984. Marcus, George E. Ethnography Through Thick and Thin. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998. Rosaldo, Renato. Culture and Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis. Boston: Beacon Press, 1993.

Comparing 2 Cities

Bangkok and Seoul are well-known cities of Asia. Bangkok is the capital main commercial center of Thailand and Seoul is the capital main commercial center of South Korea. While they are different in many ways, they also have several similarities. This report will compare and contrast some of the economic, history, physical, population features of the two capitals. There are several similarities between the two cities. Firstly, both cities focus on manufactured business. Secondly, the finance and trade are the major industries of their economy.Thirdly, both of them have long histories. Seoul, is in fact, the older of the two cities. Seoul was founded in 1394 whereas Bangkok was founded in 1782. In contrast, the two cities have some significant differences in physical features. Firstly, Bangkok is much bigger than Seoul, occupying 1562 sq kms. On the other hand, Seoul is fairly small city, being only 627 sq kms. Secondly, the locations of Bangkok and Seoul is different. Bangkok, which is in central Thailand , is located on the banks of Chao Phraya River. It is about 22 kms from the river’s mouth.However, Seoul is located on banks of the Han River in north-western South Korea, about 3kms from the Port of Inchon. Finally, the population of the cities differ greatly in size and there is an important difference in their structure. Firstly, Seoul has just over ten million people whereas Bangkok has only 7. 5 million people. Secondly, the majority of the people in Bangkok is Thai with 75 percent and 25 percent people come to another countries including Chinese, Indian, Burmese, Khmer and Vietnamese. On the other hand, the main composition of people in Seoul is almost all Korean.

The Baddest Dog in Harlem

You’ll have to be tough to live in your American skin When we go to school or to our jobs we don’t have many worries. The worries we could have could be â€Å"Oh no, there’s a test today† or â€Å"Oh no, my boss wants me to do some paperwork† but what if we had to live in fear instead of worries? If in the morning we should fear to go to school or job because of the place we are living in, that we had to say properly goodbye to your family every day, what would that do to us? †The Baddest Dog in Harlem† is writen by Walter Dean Myers and it is a fictional short story.The short story takes place in Harlem, at 145th street[1]. It could be in a year not far from the present, because of the technology used in the short story, such as cars[2] and automatic weapons[3] and it’s in the middle of the day. The neighborhood seems rough and seems like a place where you have seen the police often[4] and it seems like people are bored and doesn ’t have many money or jobs[5]. The narrator and his friends are sitting at the rail outside Big Joe’s and talks about who’s the best fighter in the world. The conversation got heated up when Willie Murphy participate in the debate.He is that kind of guy who always thinks he is right just because he is older than the others and when the narrator doesn’t think it can get worse Mr. Lynch, an even older man, joins the debate. Suddenly two polices cars are tearing around the corner. The stops in front of the boys and starts interrogate them and tell them to stay at the rail. Afterwards the cops start crunching behind their cars and look upon a window in the apartment at the other side of the street, pointing with their guns towards it. When the narrator realizes what is going on, he wanders off into a cafeteria nearby.A cop comes into the cafeteria and he says there have been a report about someone with an automatic weapon and tells everybody to drop down on t he floor. A cop trips and he guns goes off, all the cops start shooting and people are screaming and yelling. After a while the cops stops shooting and a girl who lives in the block turns up. The cops want her to go up to her apartment but she wants a black man with her and therefore a cop pulls the narrator with them. In her apartment everything is ruined and her dog is dead. The cops go to the apartment next door but come out in a hurry.The narrator walks into the apartment and sees a boy lying on the bed shot and dead. The narrator is in first person and seems reliable and is also the main character in the short story. We only get to know about the narrators thoughts and feelings but we don’t hear much about them either, his personality is described by his thoughts and actions. The characters in the short story are not described only a little bit about Mr. Lynch and Willie but beside those two, are the character based upon their actions and sayings.The narrator is a black man, because he refers to the black cop as a â€Å"brother†, we don’t know his age or his name but by based on the story I will approximately guess he is in his twenties. Willie is older than the narrator and is in his thirties[6] but the cop chose the narrator to go with Mary to her apartment[7] and therefore I don’t think he is a kid. The story is told in past tense and is chronological. When you read the short story you get a picture in you head of a ghetto and the language in the story is youthful and a bit slang[8].They also leave words out. You get connotations in your head and you think about American movies where you also see the youth talk in this way. The general tone is positive but also a bit cool and laid back. They don’t try to sound smarter or different either when they talk to the police. They talk â€Å"their† language, which make it seem like they are an unity. I think the theme the narrator tries to get through in this short stor y, is the tough life there is in the ghetto. The boy who got shot in the ghetto was just watching television but he wasn’t safe anyway.It’s a harsh environment to live in, an environment where you can be in constant fear of being robbed or shot. The song â€Å"American Skin (41 shots)† by Bruce Springsteen also gives a good perspective of how it is in America. He sings â€Å"No secret my friend, you can get killed just for living in, your American Skin[9]† The ssimilarities in the two texts is the theme. They are both trying to show how the world is every day for some people in America and to have an influence on us, make us think about those who aren’t as fortunate as we are and how we should ppreciate our way of living. I really think the short story and the song as well gives you something to think about. I believe the environment the narrator lives in makes him tough. When you’re living in a ghetto or an environment which is rough, youâ €™ll have to be tough even though you on the inside is falling apart. And I think that’s what the narrator goes through. They are used to guns and crime, therefore are they not so afraid of the police and the situation and also the kids have it like this. But when the narrator sees the boy, he doesn’t want to speak about it. The Baddest Dog in Harlem The owner Of the apartment (Mary) that just got shot up, returns home and begins a debate with the police who are interested in the whereabouts of her boyfriend. Eventually Mary, some cops and the narrator goes together into her apartment. The police suspect is not there, but the place is completely shot up and on the floor Marry dog lays dead from multiple bullet wounds. On the way back down from Marry apartment again, the police take notice of another apartment door and they inspect that apartment also, where they find the body of a young black boy ho has also been shot and killed -? an innocent victim of the earlier police gunfire.Characterization of characters: The main character in the text is the narrator. He is certainly a black man. Do not know for certain the name of the narrator, but it is easy to assume that it may be the author Walter Dean Myers. Readers are not given much information of the about the central character in the text, but it becomes obvious that the main cha racter as well as the rest of his debating group are black people. The main character (Myers) seems to me like a very scared and nervous person. Point of view: The while story is presented with the narrator's eyes. It is a first person narrator.Title: The title ‘The baddies dog in Harlem† stems from Marry poor dog. When Mary, the police and the central character go up to check the apartment, they find the bullet-riddled dog that some policemen thought might have been their suspect (from jumping around in the window during the police gunfire). This leads one of the policemen to ironically say, â€Å"It is the baddies dog in Harlem. ‘ Settings: The setting takes place outside of a cafe or similar place called â€Å"Big Joey's Place†, on 45th Street in Harlem, LISA where the narrator, Willie, Pedro, Tommy, Mr.. Lynch and the others are initially sitting and talking.Harlem, a poor area of Manhattan, is the home to many thousands of black people. Harlem goes und er the term â€Å"Ghetto†. Many people living there do not have jobs, and they live in big, run-down apartment buildings with dilapidated apartments. Harlem is known as a poor slum area, full of gangs and crime. The setting of Harlem is used in this text to help demonstrate how an ordinary day can change in an instant and turn a peaceful conversation teen friends to a police ‘War zone' with shooting all over the place. Tone: The text is written in spoken language, and there are many contraction whispered words.Many words are purposely MIS-spelled to show how they should be pronounced. The narrator's Way to write the story reflects the Way he pronounces the words and he has written the story in a way that you should be able to see themselves within the situation he describes. In this way he made use of different tones of voice and criticism, among other things. He also uses emotions such as humor and compassion. It all fits however, with how the story changes and how he has written the story. Themes: The theme of the text could be meant to demonstrate the (stereotypical) racism, between police and black people.For example, the police asked them to stay where they are outside on the street, instead of helping them to get to a safe place. The text is written down as it has been said, and the tone is very hard when the police talk to the blacks. For example, when they talk to Mary. Another example also, is how they react about having shot Mar's dog. The police only make jokes of it. They seem not so affected that they had shot the little boy, perhaps only thinking they need to find a cover up story about his death. I think that they would have reacted differently if it was a white boy in a better, safer environment.I would say that the author here shows a good example of how a typical â€Å"ghetto† in USA is, and how the police can discriminate against some people. Message: think the writer is trying to tell us that it is tragic but true that b lack men live in a very different risk level than white people. Police in the United States eve easily and quickly are pulling weapons if they do not feel safe – especially when they are in slum neighborhoods like Harlem. Think the narrator is trying to get us to look reality in the eye and he wants us to understand that life is not easy for anyone.Parallels between â€Å"The baddies dog in Harlem† and the song text â€Å"American Skin (41 shots)† by Bruce Springiness: The comparison between the two stories is that they are both talking about how terrible reality can be for African Americans. The song â€Å"American Skin† tells the story of an African American mother, who tells her son to be careful and how he should always e polite to the police he must never do anything to provoke them, because there is the risk that the police may shoot them, as they are African Americans and because they may live in a poor environment.In the text, â€Å"The baddies d og in Harlem† we read about how the police treated the blacks in Harlem, They have no respect for them, but in return they must have respect for the police. Generally, they both warn about how black Americans must be much more careful when around the police. Conclusion: After reading the two texts, was surprised how such things are not just appending in the texts, but also in reality. It is distressing how in some places in the United States, the lives of black people is at risk from the police do to the fact that they look different.

Homelessness Homelessness and Furnished Second

Homelessness Homelessness and Furnished Second Homelessness: Homelessness and Furnished Second-story Room Essay When I was a child, I had a recurring vision of how I would end as an old man: alone, in a sparsely furnished second-story room I could picture quite precisely, in a walk-up on Fourth Avenue in New York, where the secondhand bookstores then were. It was not a picture which frightened me. I liked it. The idea of anonymity and solitude and marginality must have seemed to me, back then, for reasons I do not care to remember, both inviting and inevitable. Later, out of college, I took to the road, hitchhiking and traveling on freights, doing odd jobs here and there, crisscrossing the country. I liked that too the anonymity and the absence of constraint and the rough community I sometimes found. I felt at home on the road, perhaps because I felt at home nowhere else, and periodically, for years, I would return to that world, always with a sense of relief and release. I have been thinking a lot about that these days, now that transience and homelessness have made their way into the national consciousness, and especially since the town I live in, Santa Barbara, has become well known because of the recent successful campaign to do away with the meanest aspects of its "sleeping ordinances" - a set of foolish laws making it illegal for the homeless to sleep at night in public places. During that campaign I got to know many of the homeless men and women in Santa Barbara, who tend to gather, night and day, in a small park at the lower end of town, not far from the tracks and the harbor, under the roof-like, overarching branches of a gigantic fig tree, said to be the oldest on the continent. There one enters much the same world I thought, as a child, I would die in, and the one in which I traveled as a young man: a "marginal" world inhabited by all those unable to find a place in "our" world. Sometimes, standing on the tracks close to the park, you can s ense in the wind, or in the smell of tar and ties, the presence and age of that marginal world: the way it stretches backward and inevitably forward in time, parallel to our own world, always present, always close, and yet separated from us -at least in the mind - by a gulf few of us are interested in crossing. Late last summer, at a city council meeting here in Santa Barbara, I saw, close up, the consequences of that strange combination of proximity and distance. The council was meeting to vote on the repeal of the sleeping ordinances, though not out of any sudden sense of compassion or justice. Council members had been pressured into it by the threat of massive demonstrations - "The Selma of the Eighties" was the slogan one heard among the homeless. But this threat that

Public and Private Partnership Paddington Health Campus Scheme Essay

Public and Private Partnership Paddington Health Campus Scheme - Essay Example Governments have numerous strategies for supplying public goods and services. Numerous of these strategies are partnerships with the non-profit or private agencies. The most recent decades have seen a dramatic increase in the formation of public-private partnerships (PPPs). The United Kingdom engaged in a new form of PPP in the 1990s to boost the participation of the private sector in public service provision (Robinson et al., 2010). According to Yescombe (2007), called the private finance initiative (PFI), the British Treasury Department has generated roughly twenty billion pounds to spend in public service management and private financing in the UK. PFI in the region has already been privatised. PPPs are public acquisition mechanisms which require private agencies to deliver services that are usually the obligation of the government. Fiscal and infrastructure demands keep on making these strategies appealing to governments, hence it is important to evaluate their outcomes (Hodge & Greve, 2005). This essay examines the Paddington Health Campus Scheme. It evaluates the actual driving forces and problems of the Scheme in terms of two issues: (1) strategic planning, and (2) working in partnership. It indicates that PPPs had dual sources: (1) a core theoretical assumption that productivity or competency would be improved by controlling competition in the market via private sector bidding, and (2) a macroeconomic strategy plan, motivated by an interest in regulating public debt (Hodge & Greve, 2005). Nevertheless, in actual fact, these productivity benefits are a long way from being mechanical—as stated by Geddes (2005), the successful progress of any PPP scheme hinges on a coordination of the objectives of operational, tactical, and strategic ranks of authority. Overview of the Paddington Health Campus It is practically useless to plan a complete business scheme and other actual reports for a PPP scheme of the private sector, or the market, does not view th e scheme as commercially appealing or fiscally workable. In the initial period of the PFI numerous schemes were marked down by the public sector as PPP-feasible, though, afterward it turned out that a significant percentage of these projects were actually not appropriate, because of a mixture of problems such as heavy contract requirements, brief contract durations, inadequate flow of income, and overflow of risk transfer (Cartlidge, 2006). Of late, the failure of the PFI Paddington Health Campus Scheme generated massive abortive costs and consultant fees. The Paddington Health Campus scheme was a complicated and aggressive project to construct a top-notch medical and research facility which in the end revealed weaknesses in the ability of the partners to work towards success. The project planned to set up high-tech and sophisticated medical services and to replace the dilapidated hospitals of Harefield, Brompton, and St. Marys (Great Britain: National Audit Office, 2006a, 4). The s cheme partners were Partnerships UK, Imperial College, St. Marys NHS Trust, Harefield NHS Trust, and Royal Brompton. The Outline Business Case (OBC) was endorsed in October 2000 by the NHS’s London Regional Office. It projected the overall cost of construction to be roughly 300 million. In May 2005, estimated costs had increased to 894 million and the date of completion was extended from 2006 to 2013 (Great Britain: National Audit Office, 2006a, 4). Initially introduced in 1998, the project was abolished after a major partner declined to back up the business case for the scheme (Robinson et al., 2010). The scheme was then restored. Circumstances such as this are apparently unfavourable for the reputation of PPPs as it disputes the entire method of this form of acquisition, in addition to the substantial waste of resources, effort, and time. Hence, if there are some uncertainties about the interest of private agencies in taking part in a planned PPP scheme, market scanning mus t be carried out at the soonest

Implementing renewable energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Implementing renewable energy - Essay Example In this context, renewable energy sources provide a way to overcome the threat of energy security and global warming. Common renewable energy sources available are solar and wind power. These energy sources provide clean energy that is non-polluting, the energy source is free and it will never be depleted (ECI, 2011). The UK government wants to develop this energy source as a viable and active contributor to the economy. However, developing and using these free energy sources is not very easy and a number of challenges and barriers need to be overcome. These challenges include technical, social and financial challenges (Scottish Power, 2004). This paper will examine renewable energy sources in this context and suggest solutions to overcome the challenges. 2. FIT and other renewable energy Schemes initiated by the UK government The UK government has undertaken a few projects to meet its obligations of reducing green house gases. As per the Kyoto protocols, a signatory to the protocols and this includes UK, have agreed to cut down their emissions to pre 1990 levels. UK faces a huge problem of reducing the carbon levels and emissions since it mostly relies on coal fired power plants and nuclear plants for power generation. For 2006, the total amount of Green House Gases - GHG emitted in UK was the equivalent of 7,076 million metric tons of CO2. It is estimated that from these emissions about 2344 Teragrams were due to CO2 emissions from the activities of standard and old electricity power grids (SmartGrid GB, 2012). Other than nuclear power, all other systems and plants generate excessive carbon. Domestic and household consumption in UK makes up for 60% of the power used while other users such as industries, utilities, offices and infrastructure consume the rest. Automobiles account for more than 75% of fossil fuel consumption (Williams, 2010). To promote the use of green and clean energy systems, the UK government has initiated a project that funds and supports s olar energy by residential homes (Bullis, 2012). The proposal is called ‘Feed In Tariff – FIT’. This project involves encouraging households to install small solar panels with solar PV that can generate electricity. The Department of Clean Energy of the UK government has provided a number of subsidies, concessions and other benefits to householders who install these units. The UK government plans to buy back the power generated from these units and give tax breaks or a reduction in the regular utility power consumed by the householders (Lewis, 2006; Lock, 2007). There are different categories of FIT users and this depends on the amount of installed capacity of the plants. The installed capacity in UK for solar energy was 1000 Mega Watts and this is about 0.001% of the UK power requirements. With the FIT program, the government wants to provide solar PV to around four million homes and this should help to generate 22,000 MW of clean energy. As per the Kyoto protoc ols, the UK government must generate at least 12% of the total power consumed by means of renewable energy (EPIA, 2011). The above sections have highlighted the ambitious program of UK government to meet the clean