The Media and its Representation of Islam and Muslim Women Term Paper

The Media and its Representation of Islam and Muslim Women - Term Paper Example in Munro). Anti-Muslim movement or sentiment in western media in general and American media in particular is an inevitable repercussion of Soviet disintegration. After utilizing Soviet Union as scapegoat for decades, westerners seeking for a new enemy soon found fundamentalist or most frequently used as synonymous to Muslims through their media. This scenario led to the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racist attitude which is continuously reinforced in the minds of general public in west. Media imagery, western ethnocentrism, and American geographic isolation added to American insularity. Moreover, World Trade Centre bombings stamped on the fears and self righteousness of western mind. It led to racial hatred, violence against Muslims, vandalizing mosques, and targeting Muslim businesses. Media contributed profoundly in negative representation of Islam and Muslims. Muslims laws and customs are always not only reported out of context but constantly reinforced through images and text in news papers, television, and films. Arabs are portrayed as terrorists in particular while Muslims are represented to be fundamentalists (Goren). Media shapes and reshapes the cultural identities and perspectives in people’s mind. Shaheen refers Hollywood as an effective teacher for young minds who are taught from 1896 that Muslims are Arabs and they are insensitive, brutal, fanatics, uncivilized, and greedy. They are only involved in killing and oppressing weak in their society and civilized foreigners (2).Islam is generally perceived as a Middle East phenomenon while Pakistan is also considered in for good measures. However, this is not recent trend because similar negative interpretations and representations tainted media reports about Iran and Lebanon in past as well (Goren). When esteemed international news magazine, such as Newsweek’s reporting a cover story on the rise of â€Å"militant Islam† without noticing other dimensions of the faith under-discussion, it registers as a persistent image in viewer and readers. It is highly unlikely to find articles and reports in mainstream media on Islamic art, poetry, philosophy, or architecture. There is little or no acknowledgment of the diversity of Muslim culture all over the world. Muslims may have their roots in Middle East, Bosnian Muslims are white, Indonesian and Malaysians are Orientals, and Senegalese and Sudanese or Africans are blacks. Initially, â€Å"Muslim fundamentalist† were either â€Å"Shiite† geographically residing in Iran, Lebanon, or Pakistan with some exceptions in other areas. Today the fear is beyond boundaries, it belongs to religion. A Pakistani news paper â€Å"The News† observes in its editorial that western media counters Islam in a terrified, unaware, and aggressive manner. Rather than representing Islam in derogatory manner, they should dig in-depth and try to understand the diverse history and tradition which will give them the opportunity to l earn and appreciate countless positive aspects of Islam and Muslim culture (qtd. in Goren). Ahmed explains the role of western media in prevailing and upholding negative image of Islam and attributes it as, â€Å"The evil demon: the media as master† (qtd. in Bennett 9).Edward Said also explore this media discrimination extensively in his book

Lampara Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LMPC) Essay Example for Free

Lampara Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LMPC) Essay I. INTRODUCTION: Lampara Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LMPC), registered with the Cooperative Development Authority on June 12, 2007 with Registration No. D-623-6240 has been organized to help people maximize their potentials to live a healthy, productive life and in the process become responsible members of Society. LMPC educates its members to earn and save the cooperative way. LMPC has recently sourced out an exclusive Systems Provider for healthy, nutritious and highly oxygenized Anti-Oxidant Pi Water originally researched and developed in Japan and enhanced in Korea. This newly structured Pi Water Systems Provider has upgraded its Pi Water System with US-made 16-stages Synergy machine that makes the Pi water an anti-oxidant water and with the German Technology oxygen-generating machine developed by the Department of Science and Technology. The Pi water produced by the system has been tested to have an even higher effect than any of the Pi Waters introduced in the Philippines to date due to its unique qualities and characteristics presented below. LMPC is now ready to distribute domestically and internationally the AQUAPORIN PI WATER SYSTEM equipped with the latest technology in Pi Water System. The investors in the Aquaporin Anti-Oxidant Pi Water Refilling Station will be assured of a profitable, unique, and healthy business venture. II. QUALITIES OF THE AQUAPORIN PI WATER: Aquaporin Pi Water has been synergized by the Bio-Nano technology to produce an even reduced water molecule clusters for greater absorption and interaction by the cells of the body, higher water-based mineral contents because of its mineral enhancer cartridge that produces a stable alkaline water with pH 7.8 on the meter, greater energy enhanced by its far infrared cartridges and higher oxygen content with its DOST-developed oxygen generating machine. It has been further powered by a Synergy machine that makes the water an anti-oxidant water. These qualities of the Aquaporin Pi Water will ensure that the water we drink is healthy, nutritious, energized and contains higher level of oxygen like no other. III. ADVANTAGES OF PURCHASING AN AQUAPORIN ANTIOXIDANT PI WATER REFILLING STATION: 1. The Aquaporin Antioxidant Pi Water Refilling System aims to optimize return of investment employing the marketing strategies adopted by LMPC. Once established, the Aquaporin Pi Water Refilling Station (APWRS) becomes a branch of LMPC to serve as the center of operation and marketing service for its members. Page 1 2. The Systems’ flagship (Aquaporin Antioxidant Pi Water’s) characteristics are: 3.1 It has the most minimal piping problems with 50 years warranty on parts. The materials used are guaranteed to survive ageing, cracking, breakage from pressure and bumps, and many more; 2.2 It employs commercial filtration and machineries in processing alkaline, mineralized and Synergized Bio-Nano Pi Waters that is capable of producing an anti-oxidant water; 2.3 It incorporates the latest technology called OPS or Oxygen Processing System that was  Department of Science and Technology (DOST) tested to have high beneficial health effect; 2.4 Its system-parts passed all standards for safe-drinking water; 2.5 Each system installed is registered in the Bureau of Health Devices and Technology (BHDT) of the Department of Health for system certification and validation of quality and functionality; 2.6 The system produces super fine water because of its nano-tech filters that renders water clusters smaller and full of energy; 2.7 The systems use the highest quality materials to ascertain quality production; 2.8 All system parts are brand new. Not a single part is reconditioned or second hand. These parts are not available cheap unless reconditioned. Beware of companies that offer very cheap systems; 2.9 System parts and labor has ONE (1) YEAR WARRANTY 2.10 Special technologies applied are exclusive and are not available in other systems; 2.11 The Aquaporin Pi Water business put up by the investor is not just a profit entity, rather, its business is banking on a mission to help share better health and MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of people. 2.11 When the investor decides to put up the Aquaporin Anti-Oxidant Pi Water Refilling Station he is practically creating a niche in the market resolving any potential direct competition. 2 We offer maximum training of business standardization and operations to make sure that the Aquaporin Anti-Oxidant Pi Water Refilling Station (AAPWRS) owners are well equipped to operate, manage and run his business like a professional water refilling station operator. 3 Investor may opt to make his AAP Water Refilling Station fully automated and computerized with a minimal additional cost (see Feasibility Study/ROI attached); 4 The Systems Provider of APPWRS is composed of a team of professional engineers and exclusive contractors whose expertise comes from years of water treatment experiences aimed to GUARANTEE quality products, services and installations. IV. SERVICES TO ASSURE INVESTORS OF A â€Å"PROFITABLE, UNIQUE AND HEALTHY BUSINESS VENTURE†: 1. Consultancy and Planning (1 month Management Program) 1.1 Conduct a research and feasibility of the business in the specified area of operation; 2.2 Assist in the design of the Station renovation, engineering specifications, like floor plan, electrical plan, appearance and imaging, etc.; 2.3 Assist in business registrations, legal documentations of the company and accounting services; Page 2 2.4 Assist in the design of business concepts, logo, marketing materials, advertisements and other business forms; 2.5 Manage and teach the business for one month to make sure that all systems go smoothly and correctly. 2. Standardization: 2.1 Documentation of business operations; 3.6 Forms and compliances 3.7 Business software and programming 3. Training: 3.1 Technical training – operation of the system, maintenance, basic trouble Shooting proper handling of waters, etc.; 4.8 High standard operations and qality management 4.9 Basic bookkeeping, accounting and compliances 4.10 Sales and marketing strategies and operations 4.11 Quality assurance management 4.12 Manpower and hiring 4.13 Quality servicing and customer services management 4. 24/7 on-line helpdesk and assistance. V. APPWRS will be the LMPC BRANCHES AND SATELLITE OFFICES: The Aquaporin Anti-Oxidant Pi Water Station (APPWRS) shall become LMPC’s branches and/or satellite offices in the area. Only one (1) APPWRS will be established in a Municipality /or District in big cities and Provinces. The LMPC program with its diversified sources of livelihood that are synergistically integrated to achieve a healthy, productive and responsible members of Society using the cooperative system of relationship will be implemented in all the areas of operation of APPWRS. VI. AQUAPORIN ANTI-OXIDANT PI-WATER SYSTEM COMPONENT: 1. The 3-in-1 Pi Filtration System – the complete Commercial Pi-producing Water System fully automated and computerized * Production machineries (cartridges and filters) to yield three (3) types of waters: (details of these machineries will be presented and discussed during the business meeting/s prior to signing of contract) * Oxygenated Ultra Fine Mineral Water * Oxygenated UF Sterilized Alkaline Synergized Water * Oxygenated UF Sterilized Bio-Nano Alkaline Antioxidant concentrated (Oz3) synergized Water. * High-end, Long-lasting Piping System * Initial Bottle Inventory Page 3 * Station Filling Equipment * Station Signage * 3-monthMaintenance Inventory * 1-month business management program * Down Payment for the cost of 1 unit of van for delivery. * Assistance in all aspects of services defined in Item IV. * Fully Automated filter-change indicator and computerized cleaning system * And many more . . . 2. 3-in-1 Pi Filtration System – the Standard Commercial Computerized Pi-producing Water System. * Production machineries (cartridges and filters) to yield three (3) types of waters: (details of these machineries will be presented and discussed during the business meeting/s prior to signing of contract) * Oxygenated Ultra Fine Mineral Water * Oxygenated UF Sterilized Alkaline Synergized Water * Oxygenated UF Sterilized Bio-Nano Alkaline Antioxidant concentrated (Oz3) synergized Water. * Fully Automated filter-change indicator * High-end, Long-lasting Piping System * Initial Bottle Inventory * Station Filling Equipment * Station Signage * 3-monthMaintenance Inventory * 1-month business management program * Down Payment for the cost of 1 unit of FB van for delivery. * Assistance in all aspects of services defined in Item IV. * And many more . . . 3. Basic Home Pi Filtration System which may be used for personal and home  purposes producing 2 types of waters (details to be presented and discussed during the business meeting/s prior to signing of contract for the APWRS) – this Personal Unit Aquaporin Pi Water System will exclusively be distributed by the APWRS. * Production machineries (cartridges and filters) to yield two (2) types of waters: * Super Fine Mineral Water * Highly Oxygenized UF Sterilized Alkaline Synergized Pi Water * High-end, Long-lasting Piping System * Assistance in all aspects of services defined in Item IV. Page 4 * 24/7 on-line helpdesk and assistance * Basic Pi Filtration System owners may opt to become satellite servicing office for LMPC * And many more . . . VII. PRICES 1. Aquaporin Antioxidant Pi Water Refilling Station with the 3-in-1 Complete Fully Automated and Computerized commercial Pi Filtration System with components described in Item VI-1 and services stated in Item V, costs ONE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P1,750,000.00) only, exclusive of site/location renovation/construction and 12% VAT. 2. Aquaporin Antioxidant Water Refilling Station with the 3-in-1 Pi Filtration standard commercial Pi-producing Water System with components described in Item VI-2 and services stated in Item V, costs ONE MILLION SIX HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P1,650,000.00) only; 3. Aquaporin Basic Home Pi Filtration System for personal or home use with the 2-in-1 Pi Filtration System and with components described in VI-2 would cost ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THOUSAND PESOS (P120,000.00). VIII. INSTALLATION: 1. Investor must have signed the Memorandum of Agreement for the Installation of the machines at the site or location of the business and payment of at least THIRTY PERCENT (30%) of the total contract price; 2. Water sample taken from the site/location of the Station must be submitted for analysis and potability; 3. Prior to installation, the site/location of the Station would have been inspected by an engineer from the Systems Provider. 4. One (1) week before the date of Installation, additional TWENTY PERCENT (20%) of total contract price must be remitted to LMPC, another TWENTY PERCENT (20%) upon installation and full payment within one (1) month after installation. 5. Faà §ade of the Aquaporin Antioxidant Pi Water Refilling Station must conform with standard appearance prescribed by the Systems provider.

The Strengths And Weaknesses Of Labelling Theory

The Strengths And Weaknesses Of Labelling Theory Labelling theory and its theorists focus on the groups and/or individuals who were deemed to be criminal and labelled thus by society. Labelling theorists studied the various interactions between the criminal groups and individuals and the conformist society. Labeling theory was quite popular in the 1960s and early 1970s, but then fell into decline-partly as a result of the mixed results of empirical research. This essay will go on to show the origins of labelling theory, the theory itself and will show its strengths and weaknesses using various case-studies and examples. Tannenbaum (1938) is widely regarded as the first labelling theorist. His main concept was the dramatization of evil. He stated that if a person is described as being a criminal then he automatically becomes one. Erwin Lamert (1951) founded the societal Reaction theory. This theory is widely credited to be the forerunner of the present day labelling theory. His theory basically states that a person experiences social deviance in two phases. The first phase is known as the Primary deviance phase. The second is known as the Secondary deviance phase. According to Lemert, the primary deviance phase begins with a criminal act. He or she is then labelled criminal but has yet to accept the label. The main point of view is whether he or she has accepted the criminal label. If the person views themselves as a criminal then the secondary deviant phase has begun. The object of whether a person views himself or herself as a criminal is what differentiates between the primary and secondary devian t phases. Lemert states that there are exceptions and people continue to stay in the primary phase, an example would be someone who rationalizes that the so called criminal act is legal as it is necessary for them to survive and earn money (an exotic dancer would be an example). The secondary deviance phase usually begins when a person has accepted the criminal label. They then accept themselves as being criminal as use it to counter (either by moving with similar peer groups or by other means) societys reaction to the initial act. Howard Becker (1963) is held to be the architect of the modern labelling theory. He is also responsible for coining the term moral entrepreneur which is a term used to describe law making officials who get certain criminal behaviour illegal. Becker proposed that criminal behaviour is dynamic in nature and changes throughout time. He therefore suggested that the actual act is impertinent to the theory. What matters was the type of people going through the criminal justice system. Therefore Becker says that personal motives and the influence by society has nothing to do with criminal behaviour. This is the most debated part of the labelling theory brought about by him. Becker pays particular attention to how people and society react and operate with others who have the criminal label. He mentions that once a person has the label of criminal associated with him or her; it becomes stuck with them and acts as a constant label. This effect is so profound that Becker states that individuals with this label begin to be associated with the word criminal. All their other associations and labels such as that of parent, employee, and so on take a back seat. It becomes so extreme that it becomes their one and only status. Foster et al, 1972 say that in certain unique cases, the label of criminal may force an individual to integrate back into society and try and try and show them that the criminal act he or she committed was a mistake and will not happen again (cited in Labelling theory). Although in most cases secondary deviance will be accomplished in which the person accepts the label of criminal and begins to associate with similarly branded people, losing contact with friends who conform to societies rules (Becker, 1963 cited in Labelling Theory). It has occurred only when both the society and individual consider him or her to be a criminal or a deviant. Labelling theory however has many inherent drawbacks. Firstly, according to Wellford (1975) the theory states that no acts are inherently criminal, and states that acts are only criminal when society considers them to be so. There are clearly some acts considered wrong in almost all the societies and nations in the world, murder, arson are a few such examples (cited in labelling theory). Secondly is the process of self-labelling. Hagen (1973) brings about the concept of self-labelling, in which he states the example of a murderer who has avoided all suspicion (the act is not criminal if no one is around to witness it or label him). He goes on to say that the murderer may have a conscience which will cause him to label himself or herself as a murderer. This goes against the labelling theory, which states that labelling must come from a third party. Thirdly, labelling theory is supposed to cover all criminal activity and has an effect on everyone irrespective of their race, social clas s, sex and age (Becker, 1963). Other criminologists have been doubtful of this part of the theory and hold that a persons race, social class and so on do have an effect. They mention that the above mentioned factors can either enhance or mitigate the effects of labelling theory. There is however no scientific study on the effects of the above factors. Marshall and Purdy (1972) stated that the studies conducted reflected actual behavioural differences that were reacted to differently by different people. Fourthly, it matters on who the audience is comprised of, as the level of denouncement an individual feels depends on the audiences reaction to the act. As the labelling theory states, the first is the audience learning about the act that is considered criminal and not the act itself. As it has already been explained, if the audience doesnt know about it then it is not a crime. Different audiences may have different reactions to a crime and thus the punishment and the labelling will vary even though the same crime is being committed. The last drawback of the labelling theory is that the personality of the individual matters. This can cause problems. The level of stigmatization an individual gets varies on whether or not he cares about his label. Studies have come across certain individuals that have personality traits which makes them resistant to the labels conferred on them by society. The biggest drawback one may say that affects labelling theory is that it has not yet been empirically validated. Some studies found that being officially labeled a criminal (e.g. arrested or convicted) increased subsequent crime, while other studies did not. Although there are many studies that validate it, there are none that can offer significant data in its support. Labelling also involves both a wrong or deviant act and a deviant person. There are however several things that are wrong with the drawbacks. The first one mentions that murder, arson and so on are all criminal in most of the nations and societies. That is not a drawback but merely a statement of facts. It merely states what society currently thinks. In the future the mindset of society may change and acts that were previously considered to be criminal may be legalised. History has shown that society has and will change to accept criminal behaviour or to make legal behaviour illegal. An example would be that of homosexuality. In the early times, it was illegal. Now it is legal. The smoking of marijuana is another example, although it is illegal in most of the societies and nations it is now slowly being tolerated in some and even being legalised in others. One of the other drawbacks also mentions the aspect of self-labelling. But as mentioned before, the individual or group may seek to rationalize their behaviour, thus avoiding the prospect of self labelli ng. An example would be a person stealing to satisfy his hunger. He would not label himself as a criminal as it was a necessary for him to do so. Thus most of the drawbacks can be explained. Lemert (1967) brought out the connection between social reaction and deviance through his studies and research of a number of Indian tribes in British Columbia. He noticed that in some tribes, stuttering occurred among their members and their language mentioned stuttering. Other tribes however had no mention of stuttering in their language and had no members of their tribes stuttering. Lemert could not establish a clear reason as to why that was so. He then went on to find that tribe that had stuttering, placed a very high meaning and emphasis on storytelling and oratory skills. Children of those tribes that placed a very high emphasis on storytelling were often brought up in a culture that placed a high value on not stuttering and having good oratory skills. Those that were not able to conform to the rest of the tribe i.e. had bad storytelling and oratory skills were mocked. Lemert concluded that the pressure placed on the members of the tribe to have good skills and the subsequent mockery and social exclusion if they didnt posses the oratory skills led to the development of stuttering. He said that in tribes where good oratory skills were not expected, there was no negative reaction and hence there was no deviance of the above type. He thus said that such type of labelling leads to more deviant behaviour. Thomas Scheff (1966) published Being Mentally Ill, was the first instance of labelling theory being applied to the term of Mentally Ill. Scheff said that mental ill was the product of societal influence, going against the common perceptions of the time. When society finds some act criminal or deviant, they usually place the term of Mental Illness on those who show that behaviour so that society can understand the reason for the behaviour and come to terms with it. According to him, society then places certain behavioural expectations on the individual and the individual subconsciously changes his behaviour to suit the expectations of society. He said that there are no different types of the mentally ill with just one type who conform to what society has labelled them to be. Walter Grove on the other hand was vehemently opposed to the theory proposed by Thomas Scheff. Grove argued the opposite point. He said that labelling theory and the mentally ill have no influence on one another. He said that people are said to be mentally ill, when they display behaviour that makes them to be so. Grove said that society has no influence whatsoever on mental illness. He said that due to their illness, they behave differently most of the time and are hence treated as such. There have been studies to show how after being diagnosed with a mental illness labelling has taken an effect, such as not being offered houses and jobs, but there is very little to show that labelling was the cause of mental illness in the first place. Thus we can say that labelling does have a profound effect but has yet to be shown that it was labelling that caused the illness in the first place. Labelling can have different aspects as well. An example would be drugs. Marijuana for example is tolerated in Amsterdam and is legal in other parts of the world (Mexico allows four grams for personal use). In those societies, soft drugs and their users are accepted and are not labelled as deviant or criminal. In these societies we see limited drug use and little or no overdoses and or drug abuse. In other societies however, soft drugs are illegal and the people who use them are labelled as deviant. It is in these societies that the policing organisations have trouble controlling the abuse of drugs. This is due to the fact that people with low self esteem or a different/weak personality trait takes these drugs to show that they can handle it and want to rebel against society. Becker (1953) wrote in his book, the Marijuana user, that the drug does not produce any addiction and that it has no withdraw sickness or any sort of substance that makes the user crave for the drug. The most fr equent use would be recreational. He questioned fifty of those users and found that they did not have any pre-dispositional behaviour towards it. They would be able to smoke it at one time and at others, they wont be able to. Thus the quality of deviance does not reside in the behaviour itself, but is rather the outcome of responses to that behaviour by various social audiences (Tierney). The daily mail ran an article which stated that some people were more likely to smoke if they saw Smoking Kills on it. This was due to the fact the these people had low self esteem and by doing something that brings them close to the edge makes them feel like a rebel. Thus we see that labelling though introduced to help society and make it a better place can actually make it worse. This part of the labelling theory has many policy implications. Intervention may make things worse. Labelling theory supports the idea of radical non-interventionism, in which policy dictates that certain acts are decrim inalised and the removal of the social stigmata surrounding the acts. The effect of labelling theory on juvenile behaviour is a bit more pronounced and clear. Youths are especially vulnerable to labelling theory. Once they start to believe in their negative labels, self rejection occurs which plays a major role in the social rejection theory. This self rejection attitude leads to the rejection of the norms of society and gives them a motive to deviate from conventional values of society. They then form bonds with like minded deviant peers. These youths then go on to reject those that have labelled them and tend to set up their own criminal lifestyles consisting of criminal behaviour. In schools, those that come from a working class family or a lower class, the youth gangs are seen as trouble makers compared to the middle class gangs who are labelled as pranksters instead. Research has shown that many of the youth gangs who come from the lower class get arrested and are labelled further as criminals. Gouldner (1968) argued that labelling theorists made the individual look innocent by the application of labels by control agents such as the police and society. He pointed out that deviance was created entirely on the whims of authority. An example to this would be the issue of homosexuality. Early in the century, authorities labelled it criminal and illegal. Those that were caught were persecuted as such. But now, homosexuality is an accepted fact in society and there are little or fewer stigmas and or labelling attached to it. Thus as shown in the above essay, labelling theory has many strengths and weaknesses. Those are, no acts are inherently criminal, there can be a process of self-labelling, it covers or is supposed to cover all criminal activity, depends on the members of the society or those that do the labelling and finally it depends on the personality of the individual. However, there are already inherent drawbacks with the drawbacks given by various individual sociologists. Those are that society changes, and so does labelling. Individuals can rationalize their deviant behaviour. In spite of these, the major drawback of the labelling theory is the lack of empirical data to support it. We can thus conclude that labelling theory does have an effect, but is not the primary cause for most of the acts committed.

?Vincent is not a hero? Discuss :: essays research papers

â€Å"Vincent is not a hero† Discuss Andrew Niccol has created a character that is portrayed as being a struggler from the moment he was born, he was destined to play this role as soon as he was conceived naturally as he was to wear the label of â€Å"God child† for the rest of his life , this label determines they life style and quality of life he will lead and the prospects are not good -â€Å"They used to say that a child conceived in love has a greater chance of happiness. They don't say that anymore†. Niccol leads us to believe that Vincent is a man who has overcome the odds in order to achieve his dream in a society where individuality is an unrequited trait and the ability to conform plus right DNA is all a person needs to succeed. What can easily be missed is the reality that in order to achieve his dreams he had to become a criminal which raises the question, is this man who is seen as a hero defiant of his opposition, worthy for our admiration considering the un-admirable form he had to take on t o gain it?. The measures Vincent goes to, to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaught make him seem less of a hero than he is portrayed as, The idea of changing your identity from an â€Å"invalid† with problems that prevent one from leading a normal life, to taking on the identity of a â€Å"Valid† with a physical make-up so perfect that â€Å"you could go anywhere† with his â€Å"helix tucked under your arm†, again lowers the opinion of his character and makes it difficult to separate his true identity to the false one he has taken on, Throughout the film Niccol makes it hard to distinguish which parts of Vincent’s personality actually are, we see many instances where Vincent shows admirable qualities such as him romantically letting go of a strand of Irene’s hair and saying â€Å"the wind caught it† . But this incident could also psychologically be a way of ensuring if Irene ever had a piece of him, that she would do the same and his identi ty would be protected. His personality as we knew it before he took on Eugene’s identity portrayed him as lonely dreamer. He was the stereotypical outcast down to finest detail. He sat by himself, ate by himself , dreamt of great things and in true Hollywood style left home and took on the job that all people take when they have nothing left, a cleaner.

The Dead Essay -- Essays Papers

The Dead 1) Symbolic meaning of snow†¦ a. Beginning when first enters Aunts house (warmth) he is out of the snow = coldness, isolation and inhumanity. But when enters the home he is surrounded with warmth and acceptance. Pages 10-11 b. Page 25 Gabriel was nervous about presenting his speech and sought comfort at a window. Looking outside at the falling snow, Gabriel he received a form of release, escape and feeling that he is unknown. c. At the end of the story, when Gabriel is with his wife Gretta, snow symbolizes a â€Å"new awareness†. He realizes that he looks too heavily upon himself and should look towards others and become more compassionate. 2) Characteristics of Gabriel†¦. a. Pages 12-13 When contemplating speech he considers changing it because he feels that nobody... The Dead Essay -- Essays Papers The Dead 1) Symbolic meaning of snow†¦ a. Beginning when first enters Aunts house (warmth) he is out of the snow = coldness, isolation and inhumanity. But when enters the home he is surrounded with warmth and acceptance. Pages 10-11 b. Page 25 Gabriel was nervous about presenting his speech and sought comfort at a window. Looking outside at the falling snow, Gabriel he received a form of release, escape and feeling that he is unknown. c. At the end of the story, when Gabriel is with his wife Gretta, snow symbolizes a â€Å"new awareness†. He realizes that he looks too heavily upon himself and should look towards others and become more compassionate. 2) Characteristics of Gabriel†¦. a. Pages 12-13 When contemplating speech he considers changing it because he feels that nobody...

Deception Point Page 98

Jesus Christ. The controller looked back at the deck. Delta-Two still hung in the Triton's claws, but now the sub was suspended over a gaping hole in the deck. His feet dangled over the void. All Tolland had to do was release the claws, and Delta-Two would be next. â€Å"Okay,† the controller barked into the CrypTalk. â€Å"Hold on. Just hold on!† Rachel stood below on the deck and stared up at the Kiowa. Even from this height the controller sensed the resolve in her eyes. Rachel raised the CrypTalk to her mouth. â€Å"You still think we're bluffing?† she said. â€Å"Call the main switchboard at the NRO. Ask for Jim Samiljan. He's in P A on the nightshift. I told him everything about the meteorite. He will confirm.† She's giving me a specific name? This did not bode well. Rachel Sexton was no fool, and this was a bluff the controller could check in a matter of seconds. Although the controller knew of no one at the NRO named Jim Samiljan, the organization was enormous. Rachel could quite possibly be telling the truth. Before ordering the final kill, the controller had to confirm if this was a bluff-or not. Delta-One looked over his shoulder. â€Å"You want me to deactivate the jammer so you can call and check it out?† The controller peered down at Rachel and Tolland, both in plain view. If either of them made a move for a cellphone or radio, the controller knew Delta-One could always reactivate and cut them off. The risk was minimal. â€Å"Kill the jammer,† the controller said, pulling out a cellphone. â€Å"I'll confirm Rachel's lying. Then we'll find a way to get Delta-Two and end this.† In Fairfax, the operator at the NRO's central switchboard was getting impatient. â€Å"As I just told you, I see no Jim Samiljan in the Plans and Analysis Division.† The caller was insistent. â€Å"Have you tried multiple spellings? Have you tried other departments?† The operator had already checked, but she checked again. After several seconds, she said, â€Å"Nowhere on staff do we have a Jim Samiljan. Under any spelling.† The caller sounded oddly pleased by this. â€Å"So you are certain the NRO employs no Jim Samil-â€Å" A sudden flurry of activity erupted on the line. Someone yelled. The caller cursed aloud and promptly hung up. Onboard the Kiowa, Delta-One was screaming with rage as he scrambled to reactivate the jamming system. He had made the realization too late. In the huge array of lighted controls in the cockpit, a tiny LED meter indicated that a SATCOM data signal was being transmitted from the Goya. But how? Nobody left the deck! Before Delta-One could engage the jammer, the connection from the Goya terminated on its own accord. Inside the hydrolab, the fax machine beeped contentedly. CARRIER FOUND†¦ FAX SENT 121 Kill or be killed. Rachel had discovered a part of herself she never knew existed. Survival mode-a savage fortitude fueled by fear. â€Å"What was in that outbound fax?† the voice on the CrypTalk demanded. Rachel was relieved to hear confirmation that the fax had gone out as planned. â€Å"Leave the area,† she demanded, speaking into the CrypTalk and glaring up at the hovering chopper. â€Å"It's over. Your secret is out.† Rachel informed their attackers of all the information she had just sent. A half dozen pages of images and text. Incontrovertible evidence that the meteorite was a fake. â€Å"Harming us will only make your situation worse.† There was a heavy pause. â€Å"Who did you send the fax to?† Rachel had no intention of answering that question. She and Tolland needed to buy as much time as possible. They had positioned themselves near the opening in the deck, on a direct line with the Triton, making it impossible for the chopper to shoot without hitting the soldier dangling in the sub's claws. â€Å"William Pickering,† the voice guessed, sounding oddly hopeful. â€Å"You faxed Pickering.† Wrong, Rachel thought. Pickering would have been her first choice, but she had been forced to choose someone else for fear her attackers had already eliminated Pickering-a move whose boldness would be a chilling testimony to her enemy's resolve. In a moment of desperate decision, Rachel had faxed the data to the only other fax number she knew by heart. Her father's office. Senator Sexton's office fax number had been painfully engraved into Rachel's memory after her mother's death when her father chose to work out many of the particulars of the estate without having to deal with Rachel in person. Rachel never imagined she would turn to her father in a time of need, but tonight the man possessed two critical qualities-all the correct political motivations to release the meteorite data without hesitation, and enough clout to call the White House and blackmail them into calling off this kill squad. Although her father was most certainly not in the office at this hour, Rachel knew he kept his office locked like a vault. Rachel had, in effect, faxed the data into a time-lock safe. Even if the attackers knew where she had sent it, chances were slim they could get through the tight federal security at the Philip A. Hart Senate Office Building and break into a senator's office without anyone noticing. â€Å"Wherever you sent the fax,† the voice from above said. â€Å"You've put that person in danger.† Rachel knew she had to speak from a position of power regardless of the fear she was feeling. She motioned to the soldier trapped in the Triton's claws. His legs dangled over the abyss, dripping blood thirty feet to the ocean. â€Å"The only person in danger here is your agent,† she said into the CrypTalk. â€Å"It's over. Back off. The data is gone. You've lost. Leave the area, or this man dies.† The voice on the CrypTalk fired back, â€Å"Ms. Sexton, you do not understand the importance-â€Å" â€Å"Understand?† Rachel exploded. â€Å"I understand that you killed innocent people! I understand that you lied about the meteorite! And I understand that you won't get away with this! Even if you kill us all, it's over!† There was a long pause. Finally the voice said, â€Å"I'm coming down.† Rachel felt her muscles tighten. Coming down? â€Å"I am unarmed,† the voice said. â€Å"Do not do anything rash. You and I need to talk face-to-face.† Before Rachel could react, the chopper dropped onto the Goya's deck. The passenger door on the fuselage opened and a figure stepped out. He was a plain-looking man in a black coat and tie. For an instant, Rachel's thoughts went totally blank. She was staring at William Pickering. William Pickering stood on the deck of the Goya and gazed with regret at Rachel Sexton. He had never imagined today would come to this. As he moved toward her, he could see the dangerous combination of emotions in his employee's eyes. Shock, betrayal, confusion, rage. All understandable, he thought. There is so much she does not understand. For a moment, Pickering flashed on his daughter, Diana, wondering what emotions she had felt before she died. Both Diana and Rachel were casualties of the same war, a war Pickering had vowed to fight forever. Sometimes the casualties could be so cruel. â€Å"Rachel,† Pickering said. â€Å"We can still work this out. There's a lot I need to explain.† Rachel Sexton looked aghast, nauseated almost. Tolland had the machine gun now and was aiming at Pickering's chest. He too looked bewildered. â€Å"Stay back!† Tolland yelled. Pickering stopped five yards away, focusing on Rachel. â€Å"Your father is taking bribes, Rachel. Payoffs from private space companies. He plans to dismantle NASA and open space to the private sector. He had to be stopped, as a matter of national security.† Rachel's expression was blank.

Bighorn Sheep

~ The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for it‘s large horns. ~ Their horns can weigh up to 30 pounds , while the sheep themselves weigh up to 300 pounds. ~ Ovis Canadensis is the scientific name of the bighorn sheep. ~ Male bighorn sheep or â€Å"rams† are easily identified by their large spiral horns which grow throughout their lives. An adult ram's horns may measure over 30 inches each in length and reach 15 inches in circumference at the base. Female bighorn or â€Å"ewes† have slender, straighter horns that grow throughout their lives to lengths of 8-10†³ for Rocky Mountain bighorn ewes and 12-17†³ for desert bighorn ewes. Young bighorn that are less than 1 year of age are referred to as lambs. ~ At the beginning of the nineteenth century, bighorn sheep in North America were estimated to number between 1.5 and 2 million, but today less than 70,000 remain. In the late 1800's, hunting, competition from livestock grazing, and diseases introduced by domestic livestock devastated bighorn populations. Although problems with domestic livestock are subsiding, they still exist and are now accompanied by accelerating habitat loss and human disturbance. Habitat loss and fragmentation are recognized as the most significant threats facing bighorn sheep today. Natural predation from mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats also pose a risk to bighorn populations that have dwindled to low numbers. ~ An entire subspecies of bighorn sheep, the Audubon bighorn, which inhabited parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska was extirpated by 1925. At various times in the early 1900's, bighorn sheep were extirpated from the states of Washington, Oregon, Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahuila.Fortunately, many populations have been re-established through transplanting bighorn sheep from healthy populations to vacant habitat ~ Rams typically live 9-12 years, while ewes usually live 10-14 years ~ Although the diet of bighorn sheep varies according to the habitat and season, bighorn primarily eat grasses, shrubs, and forbs. Some favorite shrubs for desert bighorn sheep are acacia or catclaw, encelia, sweetbush, and krameria. Generally, bighorn sheep are opportunistic feeders that adapt their diet to the forage available. ~Mountain lions, wolves, bobcats, coyotes and golden eagles are predators of bighorn sheep. Eagles have been known to prey upon lambs, but they are unable to kill adult bighorn. Predation is usually not a problem for healthy bighorn populations; however, when bighorn are supressed by other factors, predation can limit recovery and potentially drive a population to extinction ~ The breeding season, or rut, generally extends from August-November for desert bighorn sheep and October-January for Rocky Mountain and California bighorn sheep. It is during this time that rams clash heads to fight for dominance. In each band of rams there is a dominance order, and the higher ranking rams do most of the breeding. Genetic studies are currently underway to determine the percentage of breeding completed by dominant and subordinate rams. Bighorn sheep have an approximately 6 month gestation period and most ewes give birth to one lamb per year.