Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now - Essay Example Both the works tend to depict the way civilization finds itself alienated in the wilderness. In broad terms, the main similarity between the works is seen in the way the so-called civilized people have got an uncivilized primitive in them that comes out when they reach the wilderness even for a short period of time. For example, in the Heart of Darkness, Marlow first sees the shores of Africa with a sense of fear and dislike. As Marlow travels into the jungle, he develops the feeling that he was getting savage. Thus, as Kesselring states, one gets the idea that the man still possesses the primordial urge to be the same barbaric humans of the jungle; for example, Marlow describes a Kurtz who is free from any restraints, and who unleashes his primordial urge to kill and to enjoy total freedom. There Marlow sees a large number of heads displayed on posts that shows the kind of primitive life Kurtz lived (24-25). Here, it is worth trying to identify the reason behind the madness of both the Kurtz, and there comes the startling realization that it is the result of their inability to come into terms with the native culture and lifestyle. For example, in the movie, one can see a Kurtz telling Willard about the Special Forces going into the village inoculating the children for polio, followed by the visit of communists who cut children’s inoculated hands off. This basic and barbaric wilderness makes Kurtz insane, and soon, he becomes a savage himself. In total, one can say that in both the cases, there is the tendency to show that the European-African and American-Vietnam conflicts symbolize the conflict between the civilized and the savage. In both the cases, there is the realization that civilization is the result of the complex web of rules, regulations and codes of conduct that the modern societies have developed. In addition is the acceptance that there is a savage in every civilized human being. Thirdly, in

Francois Truffaut Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Francois Truffaut - Essay Example â€Å"Tradition of Quality† is the inclination of certain French scriptwriters and directors to mainly depend on literary adaptations to come up with their celluloid works. Although, the term was coined by Jean-Pierre Barrot in LÉcran franà §ais to refer to the inclination of directors like Claude Autant-Lara, Jean Delannoy and Yves Allà ©gret for literary adaptations, and the work of scriptwriters such as Jean Aurenche and Pierre Bost, it was Truffaut who denounced it and opposed it in his journalistic works. (Gonzà ¡lez 2003). Truffaut points out what constitutes â€Å"Tradition of Quality† and why films based on it are only regarded as France’s mainstream cinema. That is, with majority of the prominent French filmmakers and scriptwriters opting for literary adaptations for their films, as part of the â€Å"Tradition of Quality†, and importantly winning accolades including international appreciation for those works, it naturally came to be regarde d as the mainstream French cinema. However Truffaut is totally against this stereotyping of â€Å"Tradition of Quality† as the French cinema and also criticises the creators for forcefully stereotyping it both in the domestic as well as in the international arena. â€Å"†¦they force, by their ambitiousness, the admiration of the foreign press, defend the French flag twice a year at Cannes and at Venice where, since 1946, they regularly carry off medals, golden lions and grands prix† (Truffaut 1954, p. 9). The other key component which constitutes â€Å"Tradition of Quality† and which is also a ‘loose end’ of this concept is the instances of â€Å"equivalence betrayals† during literary adaptations. As part of â€Å"Tradition of Quality† scriptwriters in association with directors will change certain scenes featured in the novels and come up with equivalent scenes in the film’s

Beowulf and Illiad Essay Example for Free

Beowulf and Illiad Essay Stories like Beowulf and the Iliad seem hard to believe, far-fetched, and exaggerated even though they can relate to a cultures past. Even so, both stories have great examples of fighting, victory, and glory. â€Å"Now though I may win my perfect glory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Line 64 Homer) This quote helps show the desire Achilles has for glory. â€Å"I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me. (Line 607-611 Beowulf Poet) This quote shows Beowulf has a similar desire for fame and glory, along with the confidence to be victorious. Both relate the tales of a hero, and as we follow them, we learn about them in the process. The story of Beowulf seems too good to be true in a sense. As you read, you notice that every woman is beautiful, every warrior is good and every cause is worth risking life and limb for. What is realistic is that every human being wants to be loved and accepted while also being the hero. King Hrothgar is a fatherly example that deserves the love that Beowulf has for him. Hail, Hrothgar! My youth have been filled with glory. Now Grendel’s name has echoed in our land: Sailors have brought us stories of Herot, the best†¦When the moon hangs in skies the sun had lit, light and life fleeing together. † (Line 140-148 Beowulf Poet) This quote shows the fondness that the king and Beowulf have for each other, and it shows a comparison of light and life. In the case of Achilles in the Iliad, everything is a bit more believable. The theme of life and death is brought to the reader’s attention when Patroclus is killed. As a result, Hector is also killed because of Patroclus’s death. Achilles isn’t perfect, along with other characters such as Hector and King Agmemmon. These faults make this story more realistic and believable, while also adding truth to the story. Bad decisions are made, such as Achilles allowing his good friend, Patroclus, to enter battle and be killed. â€Å"My greatest friend is gone: Patroclus, comrade in my arms, whom I held dear above all others- dear as myself – now gone, lost; Hector cut him down, despoiled him of my own arms, massive and fine, a wonder in all man’s eyes. (Line 13-18 Homer) In this quote is an example of life and death and how it made Achilles wants revenge on Hector. This also gives Achilles a type of â€Å"power† to choose whether to take Hector’s life. Beowulf is humble, and although he has the personality of a hero more than Achilles, he does not see his own value or his own significance. Achilles, on the other hand, could not be more proud. His awareness and consideration of his own skills and his own value are an obvious difference to the humility and mildness of Beowulf. Do not attempt to keep me from the fight, though you love me; you cannot make me listen. † (Line 70 Beowulf Poet) This quote shows an example of Achilles attitude toward himself and others when it comes to a fight. This also shows how Beowulf has more good in him then Achilles. Beowulf having a personality with great goodness, makes the decision to fight the greatest evil (Grendel) with only his hands. â€Å"My hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster God must decide who will be given to deaths cold grip. (Line 172-175 Beowulf Poet) This quote supports Beowulf’s fight against evil, and how the fight will determine life and death. Beowulf and the Iliad are stories of great heroes. They take us through their stories and battles while teaching the reader about them along the way. The Iliad is easier to believe, while Beowulf seems too good to be true. Both stories relate to the cultures past and teach us about each character. Beowulf and the Iliad battle through evil and relate to each other through life and death.

Transnational Organized Crime

Transnational Organized Crime 1) Describe the role and function of the Transnational Organized Crime Convention and the Convention’s relationship to its Protocols. The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (also known as the ‘Palermo Convention’) has attached to it the Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air 2000, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, and the Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition. The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime was adopted by General Assembly resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000 and is â€Å"the main instrument in the fight against transnational organized crime†. It entered into force on 29 September 2003. States that ratify the instrument commit to taking a series of measures against transnational organized crime, including the creation of domestic criminal offences; the adoption of new and sweeping frameworks for extradition, mutual legal assistance and law enforcement cooperation; and the promotion of training and technical assistance for building or upgrading the necessary capacity of national authorities. The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime and its Protocols are not human rights instruments in themselves, but have instead been described as providing â€Å"treaty framework to help states unite to combat transnational organised crime†. One commentator views the Convention and its Protocols as a framework of guidance which needs â€Å"filling in†, particularly in the areas of the exchange of information, the registration of biodata and the building of common entrance policies. The Protocols are not binding upon signatories of the Convention itself unless the signatory also becomes a party to the Protocol. The United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime states itself that its purpose is â€Å"to promote cooperation to prevent and combat transnational organized crime more effectively†. Article 3 provides that the Convention applies to a range of offences that the Convention criminalizes when they are transnational in nature, and then spells out that such an offence is transnational in nature if: (a) It is committed in more than one State; (b) It is committed in one State but a substantial part of its preparation, planning, direction or control takes place in another State; (c) It is committed in one State but involves an organised criminal group that engages in criminal activities in more than one State; or (d) It is committed in one State but has substantial effects in another State. The Protocols then add to the list of crimes contained in the Convention. As Kofi Annan states in the foreword to the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, â€Å"Criminal groups have wasted no time in embracing today’s globalized economy and the sophisticated technology that goes with it. But our efforts to combat them have remained up to now very fragmented and our weapons almost obsolete. The Convention gives us a new tool to address the scourge of crime as a global problem. With enhanced international cooperation, we can have a real impact on the ability of international criminals to operate successfully and can help citizens everywhere in their often bitter struggle for safety and dignity in their homes and communities.† 2) What do we mean by the term ‘securitisation’ of transnational crime? Do you think policies that ‘securitise’ TNC are useful? In basic terms, the securitisation of transnational crime means the movement of legislative bodies from viewing crime in a cultural, social, economic and/or legal context to viewing transnational crime as a matter of national security. The Copenhagen School defines the concept of securitization: â€Å"Securitization refers to the process of presenting an issue in security terms, in other words as an existential threat†. Transnational crime may be presented as an existential threat to the security of nations through the discourse that political leaders utilise, but also through others. Transnational crime has been referred to as a security issue in the academic literature. McFarlane and McLennan claimed in 1996: â€Å"Transnational crime is now emerging as a serious threat in its own right to national and international security and stability†. In modern times, forms of transnational crime in the Asia Pacific have been securitized that is, represented by policy elites and security actors as crucial or existential threats to national and regional security. At the first summit of ASEAN heads of state and government held in Bali in 1976 President Suharto declared: â€Å"Our concept of security is inward looking, namely, to establish an orderly, peaceful and stable condition within each territory, free from any subversive elements and infiltration, wherever their origins may be†. Galeotti has recently indicated that â€Å"the struggle against organized and transnational crime will be the defining security concern of the twenty-first century†. As Emmers states â€Å"transnational crime poses a threat to states, national economies and civil societies.† He provides the example of non-state actors using terrorism to promote their political causes. In his opinion the groups are able to gain strength from their ability to forge links across national boundaries and in turn are able to threaten national sovereignty and the integrity of independent states with the result that they can effectively threaten the survival of the governments of those states. However, it is not just terrorism which may be ‘securitized’, other forms of transnational crime affect states and their societies. As Emmers again notes, â€Å"drug trafficking and money laundering reduce a government’s capacity to govern, weaken the credibility of financial institutions and undermine social order†. Nevertheless, Emmers has also expressed the opinion that the problem of transnational crime could be dealt with more effectively if it was approached primarily as a criminal matter rather than as a security issue. He notes that the concept of securitization of transnational crime can work better in some nations than others, depending on the commitment shown by those nations to tackle transnational crime in a security driven way. Comparing the US and the ASEAN states he says that in the US the securitization rather than the criminalization of terrorism has allowed the US to use more traditional security responses against al-Qaeda, with the obvious rhetoric being â€Å"War on terror†. It may therefore be argued that where a state is prepared to tackle transnational crime in traditional, often military, ways, policies that securitize transnational crime are indeed useful. However, it has been argued by Emmers that where states are not prepared or are unable to tackle transnational crime in a traditional security based way, criminalization rather than securitization, should take precedence. As Emmers states: â€Å"In the context of Southeast Asia, ASEAN may be advised to further rely on the criminalization of transnational crime, as it does not dispose over the collective will, joint political instruments and military capabilities to match its rhetorical claims about security†. He also argues that transnational crime being seen in a criminal context rather than a security one could lead to better results. In his 2002 paper he suggests that criminal activity cannot be solved by resorting to the traditional security means, such as army activation and concludes: â€Å"The US war on drugs in Columbia and its failure to reduce the supply of narcotics in America is testimony to that reality.† 3) Briefly describe the role of globalisation in modern TNC. In order to describe the role of globalisation in modern transnational crime, it is useful to consider what ‘globalization’ really means. As Gros states, â€Å"globalization does not mean the same thing to all people† and therefore there is â€Å"confusion around what it is and what it does†. Gros defines globalization as â€Å"the deregulation of national economies and financial markets, on the one hand, and their international integration under the aegis of free-market ideology on the other†. In policy terms, globalization often entails the deregulation of capital flows, eviction of the state from areas that concern production and the privatization of former state-owned enterprises, reduction in the size of government, trade liberalization and the creation of large trading blocs. Wright argues that the globalization of business serves to foster organized crime. He states that â€Å"In the case of organized crime (and arguably in the case of international business ethics) we should not be surprised at the failure of the invisible hand of the market to control malpractice.† Furthermore, he states that it is â€Å"for this reason, at least part of the solution to the problem of organized crime is not connected to law enforcement at all It is connected to the further development of the free associations of civil society which can influence government policy and eventually relegate organized crime to the status of a fringe activity.† The impact of globalization on transnational crime can be seen by looking at examples from previously communist and less capitalist regimes. As Sanz and Silverman explain, in the past 30 years or so Communist countries throughout Asia and the Pacific rim have moved toward a more capitalist economic system. These countries’ business communities have welcomed capitalism because it provides more entrepreneurs to achieve greater independence and a richer standard of living. This economic shift in turn receives support from foreign investors. Furthermore, the general population also embrace the capitalist system because it is able to provide new goods and services. As Sanz and Silverman conclude, â€Å"such changes bring us closer to a global economy which will open new markets and expand opportunities for both legitimate and criminal entrepreneurs†. This can be seen in Poland where, â€Å"many new kinds of economic and financial crimes appeared along with the free-market economic system – crimes that had been typical and known for decades in capitalist countries but which had not appeared in Poland for the past 45 years†. The voluntary relaxation or involuntary loss of state control domestically and at international borders coupled with the fact that mechanisms of state governance and incidents of sovereignty have been lost, altered, or sacrificed to produce domestic economic change and promote international trade mean an increase in the ease with which international criminals can operate. As Myers states: â€Å"while this is a gross simplification of the complex issues unique to each state individually, and to regional and global alignments generally, it points to salient factors, which have permitted criminal groups whose activities had domestic, regional or limited international impact to become transnational in scope.† 4) What role does technology play in modern TNC, both from the point of view of assisting TNC and assisting its interdiction? Following on from the impact of globalization on transnational crime is the impact of technological advances. As McFarlane comments, technology enables and increases the capacity of â€Å"transnational organised crime and terrorist groups to exploit advances in electronic banking, encryption, telecommunications, developments in global travel and commerce, and †¦ visa free regimes†. Furthermore, it may be difficult for law enforcement agencies to keep pace with the developing technologies which are capable of being exploited by criminal groups. As McFarlane states, â€Å"transnational organised crime and terrorist groups are usually small and flexible organisations capable of ‘buying the best brains’ to enable them to respond to new technologies more quickly than slow, bureaucratic government agencies†. One particular consideration is the technological advancement of travel (for example speed boats and aeroplanes). It is true that the technological advancement of transportation has had the effect of bringing Southeast Asia closer to Western markets with a quick and, relatively speaking, safe method of moving contraband. As Sanz and Silverman suggest, â€Å"global criminal ventures are now facilitated by the ease of catching a flight and quickly travelling to a country in which one is virtually unknown to the authorities†. As well as making contact between criminal organizations quicker and more accessible, allowing easily planned and accomplished transnational crimes, technological advancements also make the perpetration of certain crimes easier and has even brought new crimes into existence. Again, Sanz and Silverman comment â€Å"technological advancements†¦ make it easy to counterfeit nearly anything from currency to clothing to watches. Technology has also made it relatively easy to obtain a new identity. Medical advances have created a growing demand for human organs, while technological growth has created a market for trade secrets and information about new product research.† Since the break-up of the Soviet Union there has also been, of course, a development of a black market in high tech and nuclear weapons. In terms of transnational criminal finance, technology has had a very important role to play. As Glynn et al. (1997: 12) note, â€Å"the emergence of an electronic financial system markedly enhances opportunities for corruption, the difficulty of controlling it, and the potential damage it can inflict.† Indeed, Gros notes that anyone can move currency around the world, with at least some delay in being caught. He goes on to suggest that transnational criminal organizations are able to recognize opportunities not only in terms of transportation but also with regards the â€Å"fluidity of money markets† allowing for â€Å"movement of illicit profits in and out of countries that are at the epicentre of globalization.† However, technology is not all bad in the fight against transnational crime. For example, the tracing of transnational crime has been made easier by technology in that money can now be tracked across borders through the international banking system. See Dobinson for an interesting case study of how $40 million US dollars was traced across Australia and Hong Kong. Advances in technology also allow law enforcement agencies to update their national systems quicker, alert border control authorities and potentially enable the passing of information between states more efficiently, enabling transnational crime to be prevented, controlled and prosecuted more effectively. 5) What impact have the provisions for Mutual Legal Assistance and the Exchange of Information in the Transnational Organized Crime Convention had on the sharing of intelligence multi-laterally? As one commentator notes, â€Å"obtaining physical custody of fugitives means little absent the evidence needed to convict them at tria†l. MLATs provide assistance at all stages of criminal investigations and prosecutions. Available assistance under MLATs includes bank or other financial records, witness statements and testimony, search and seizure of people and things, and immobilization and forfeiture of the proceeds of criminal activity. As an example of how a MLAT has worked in practice, in 1997 the US made an MLAT request to Canada on behalf of prosecutors who were investigating a murder. Pursuant to the request, the US sought and obtained from the Canadian authorities the murder suspect’s car, copies of airline ticketing records, billing information and other evidence which was then used to secure a conviction. However, in the absence of a specific treaty provision, there is no mechanism whereby parties can be obliged to use formal mutual legal assistance provisions to obtain evidence abroad. In Re Sealed Case the US Court of Appeals rejected the argument that US law enforcement agencies were limited to obtaining evidence in accordance with the provisions set out in a mutual legal assistance treaty signed by the Swiss and US Governments. The appellant refused to comply with a subpoena to appear before a US court to produce documents relating to Swiss companies. Rejecting the argument that compliance with the request would be contrary to Swiss secrecy laws and in breach of international comity, the court held that it could ‘order any party within its jurisdiction to testify or produce documents regardless of a foreign sovereign’s view to the contrary. In Southeast Asia, the picture is complicated, with intelligence sharing and cooperation proving successful but only where the information is not of a nature that will challenge the political rulers of the states. As Emmers recently concluded, there has been success between Sinapore, Malaysia and the Philipines in the context of exchanged information, particularly leading to extradition proceedings. As recently as April 2007, Singapore and Indonesia signed an Extradition Treaty in order that terrorist suspects can be dealt with in the appropriate legal systems. However, despite these examples of bilateral cooperation, Southeast Asian states â€Å"resist sharing sensitive information on domestic matters that could embarrass or challenge the political positions of ruling elites†. Furthermore, difficulties in information sharing and mutual legal assistance may arise where there is a difference between the legal systems of the relevant states. For example, countries which have no mutual legal assistance treaties with Italy have tended to attract Mafia criminals, yet even where agreements have been in place other members of the Mafia have been able to live openly despite the existence of serious criminal charges outstanding against them. Jamieson provides an example of when the jurisdiction of the requested country does not acknowledge the Italian crime of membership of a mafia-type association or, as in the case of the Netherlands and Germany, where crimes of conspiracy do not exist there is a loophole created. The case of the camorra member Michele Zaza exemplified this: Zaza was wanted in Italy since 1984 on charges relating to his purported Mafia association, as well as murder and drug trafficking. His extradition was sought by Italy, however, he was allowed to live openly in France (apart from serving a two year sentence for cigarette smuggling). In fact it was not until 1993 that he was finally re-arrested and extradited to Italy, where he later died in jail. As well as the more ‘pure’ forms of mutual legal assistance provided for in modern times, training has also been an important part in collaboration. Peter Gastrow, a Special Adviser to the Minister of Safety and Security in South Africa identified the police force there as benefiting from international expertise in several areas including: detection and investigative methods; narcotics trafficking; motor vehicle thefts and smuggling; white collar crime, including money laundering and fraud; official corruption; and cross border arms smuggling. Bibliography Bantekas, I. Nash, S. (2007), International Criminal Law, Routledge-Cavendish, pg 401 Brolan, C. (2002), â€Å"An analysis of the human smuggling trade and the Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Air and Sea (2000) from a refugee protection perspective†, IJRL 14, 561 Callahan, T. (1997), â€Å"Transnational crime strikes South Africa†, Crime and Justice International, 13 (2) 9 â€Å"Denying safe haven to international criminals: international crime control strategy†, Trends in Organized Crime, 4 (1), 25 Dobinson, I. (1993), â€Å"Pinning a tail on the dragon: the Chinese and the international heroin trade†, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 39 (3), 373 Elliott, L. (2007), â€Å"Transnational environmental crime in the Asia Pacific: an ‘un(der)securitized’ security problem?†, Pacific Review 20 4, 499 Emmers, R. (2002), â€Å"The securitization of transnational crime in ASEAN†, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies Singapore, no. 39 Emmers, R. (2007), â€Å"Comprehensive security and resilience in Southeast Asia: ASEAN’s approach to terrorism and sea piracy†. Emmers, R. (2003), â€Å"ASEAN and the securitization of transnational crime in Southeast Asia†, Pacific Review 16 3, 419 Galeotti, M. â€Å"Underworld and Upperworld: Transnational Organized Crime and Global Society† in Josselin, D. Wallace, W. (eds) (2001), Non-State Actors in World Politics, London: Palgrave Publishers, pg 216 Glynn et al. (1997: 12) Gros, J.G. (2002), â€Å"Trouble in paradise: crime and collapsed states in the age of globalisation†, British Journal of Criminology, 63 Hansen, L. (2000), â€Å"The Little Mermaid’s silent security dilemma and the absence of gender in the Copenhagen School†, Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 29(2), 288 Interview with Mr J. Bijen from the IAM (‘Information and Analysis Centre for Smuggling of Human Beings’), The Hague, the Netherlands, 17 July 2000 Jamieson, A. (1995), â€Å"The transnational dimension of Italian organized crime†, Transnational Organized Crime, 1 (2), 151 McFarlane, J. (2005), â€Å"Regional and international cooperation in tackling transnational crime, terrorism and the problems of disrupted states†, JFC 301 McFarlane, J. McLennan, K. (1996), Transnational Crime: The New Security Paradigm, Working Paper no. 294, Canberra: Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, pg 2 Myers, W. (1995), â€Å"Orb weavers – the global webs: the structure and activities of transnational ethnic Chinese criminal groups†, Transnational Organized Crime, 1 (4), 1 Plywaczewski, E. (1997), â€Å"Organized crime in Poland†, Transnational Organized Crime, 3 (3), 109 ‘Proposed Solutions to Trafficking’ (2000) 21 Refugee Reports (US Committee For Refugees) Sanz, K. Silverman, I. (1996), â€Å"The evolution and future direction of Southeast Asian criminal organizations†, Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 12 (4), 285 Singh, S. (2001), â€Å"Framing ‘South Asia’: Whose imagined region?† United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime available at http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CTOC/index.html Wright, A. (1996), â€Å"Organized crime in Hungary: the transition from state to civil society†, Transnational Organized Crime, 3 (1) 68

Enduring Love Extract :: essays research papers

In an extract from Ian McEwan’s ‘Enduring Love’ the main character, Joe, faces many conflicts emotionally. In Joe’s mind, his emotions and rational thought pull him in two different directions when all he seeks is a common answer. In order to portray Joe’s emotional distress, ‘Enduring Love’ is told through first person narration. Joe searches for logical explanations but the more he looks, the further the truth seems to be. The day after John Logan’s death, Joe’s conscious makes the whole event ‘illumined and animated’ in his mind. He begins to relive the nightmare, trying to find the right answers. His guilty conscious accuses him of ‘kill[ing] (John Logan)’. Joe cannot deal with his new-found responsibility and tries to find what he believes to be the ‘truth’. On one hand, he wants the truth to be that he was not an accomplice in a man’s death yet on the other hand he wants to know what actually happened and who was the cause of it. However, the truth is, he will never know. He is left with questions and he who believes entirely in science, math and the nature of knowing, can’t comprehend this fact. Joe analyzes the situation using his mathematical and scientific knowledge. He believes that ‘eight hundred pounds would have kept [them] close to the ground’ and therefore, the ‘first person’ to let go is at fault. He is looking for someone to blame and so places all the responsibility on this one soul. Yet he does not want to be this person, when he knows he very well could be. The thought of this being possible is excruciating and he obsessively tells himself that it was ‘not [him]’. He only wants the truth if the person turned out to be him. Joe tries manipulating mathematics to make ‘calculations’ regarding the balloon incident and uses his analytical mind to find answers yet he never allows his feelings to consume him. He’s always analyzing his own thoughts. He wants a selected truth not reality. Joe’s conflict is also shown through a repetition of certain words. They show his feelings transition from self- blame to searching for the culprit. While trying to ease his mind, Joe no longer uses the word ‘I’. He can’t take his own accusations and so places the blame on the group as a whole. He repetitively uses the word ‘we’ when referring to what could have been done but was not.

Senior Trip :: essays research papers

On Wednesday, April 6th, I woke up from a deep sleep just like every other ordinary school day, but this particular day was going to be much more fun! I got to school around 7:15, dropped off my luggage in the conference room, and went off to class. In my next 3 classes I waited excitedly until the enouncement was made for all seniors going on the Senior Trip to head down to the office. And this is where the great trip began.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We all got on 2 busses and headed to the airport where we dropped off out luggage and got through security rather quick. Then we all anxiously waited for our plane to arrive. When the plane finally arrived we all got on board and before we knew it we were in Orlando Florida. The bus from there to Walt Disney World eventually arrived and within 30 minutes we were in our rooms and getting ready to go to Downtown Disney for the first day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Downtown Disney was very large, with lots of stores, arcades, and restaurants. The arcade was free, which was very cool and convenient because I really didn’t feel like paying for anything. Walking around this place was fun in itself, just seeing all the sites and seeing all the people. There were many good looking girls, everywhere! One thing I will remember for a long time is Jason buying a very large cigar, and after his first puff Mrs. Vanderhoff rushing up to him and taking it away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  MGM was a great park. This park had the best rides out of them all, which include the Tower of Terror, and the Roller Coaster. The park was very nicely kept and was also fun just walking around. All of the rides had so much detail to them, even after going on them numerous times I still saw things I hadn’t seen before. This was great because it made it just as interesting as the first time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The nights were always fun and entertaining. From phone calls from girls in other rooms, to Josh sleeping in the corner. Everything seemed to make it fun. Spying on the guard outside was fun, as well as joking about sneaking out and going into other peoples rooms. We didn’t end up going to bed until very late†¦ or early.

Prestige Telephone Company Essay

1.Identify the costs that are relevant to the analysis to discontinue Prestige Data Services: Relevant costs in the analysis by Prestige Telephone Company decision to discontinue Prestige Data Services include: fixed costs which must be absorbed by the parent company (Prestige Telephone) upon shutdown; outstanding Prestige Data Services debts; costs of retraining retained employees; costs associated with outsourcing data services previously provided by Prestige Data Services; opportunity cost of using space rented to Prestige Data Services; marketing costs attributed to acquiring additional Prestige Data Services customers; costs of increasing promotional activities of Prestige Data Services. In addition, Prestige Telephone Company should consider the qualitative cost of reduced employee morale which may result upon shutdown of Prestige Data Services. Maintenance costs 2.Justify why each of the costs in item 1 is relevant: The costs listed above are all relevant because they each vary with the shutdown decision. ââ€"  Fixed costs which must be absorbed by the parent company (Prestige Telephone) upon shutdown: Payroll, billing, collections, and other corporate services were provided by Prestige Telephone in return for an amount from Data Services based on wages and salaries. These fixed costs allocated to Prestige Data Services must now be accounted for by the parent company. ââ€"  Costs of retraining employees: If employees are retained by Prestige Telephone, wages and salaries that were previously incurred by the Data Services line will hit Prestige Telephone’s budget. Also, new skills will be required of employees retained by the company as well as accompanying training expenses. ââ€"  Costs associated with outsourcing data services previously provided by Prestige Data Services: Prestige Telephone will still require the services Prestige Data Services supply and thus will need to outsource them. Since Prestige Telephone was using a price cap based on estimated data usage in 1999, they were effectively getting discounted data service rates from the subsidiary. If Data Services is shut down, the company might incur much higher service expenses. ââ€"  The maintenance cost is relevant because if Data Services is  shut down the company will no longer incur this costs, thus it needs to be considered as a cost the parent company can eliminate. ââ€"  Opportunity cost of using space rented to Prestige Data Services: If Prestige Telephone decides to shut down the Data Services Company, the parent company will lose the $8000 monthly rental fee paid by the current subsidiary. Additionally, Prestige Telephone must consider the opportunity cost of renting the space to another company or service that may provide them with more income. ââ€"  If Prestige Data Services is shut down, marketing costs attributed to acquiring additional Prestige Data Services customers and promotional activities will no longer be necessary. ââ€"  Termination of Prestige Data Services employees as a result of shut down may reduce the morale of any retained employees or employees of the parents company. Prestige might experience decreased productivity or increased turnover as a result. 3.Identify the costs that are NOT relevant to the analysis to discontinue Prestige Data Services: Costs not relevant to the decision are sunk costs such as the costs of training Prestige Data Service employees, investments in the IT infrastructure, and any owned Prestige Data Services Equipment. In addition, the fixed portion of the electricity costs is not relevant. Depreciation costs are also not relevant. The leases for computer equipment are non-cancelable and therefore may be considered sunk costs because Data Services is expected to cover the costs associated with the leases prior to being shutdown. However if Prestige Data Services is unable to pay off the leases, these costs will become relevant because the parent company, Prestige Telephone would be responsible for debts owed. 4.Justify why each of the costs in item 3 is NOT relevant Fixed cost: Costs of equipment and fixtures are incurred whether or not Prestige Data Service continues to operate. Even if the subsidiary company is shut down, these fixed costs must still be taken into consideration. Some costs, such as electricity, whether used or not, will be charged for a certain basic amount every month and therefore should not be considered relevant. Depreciation is not relevant because cost of equipment is a sunk cost. There is no significant salvage value for the equipment. 5.Identify the revenues that are relevant to the analysis to discontinue Prestige Data Services: Revenues relevant to the analysis to discontinue the operation are commercial sales revenue which includes computer use and other. 6.Justify why the revenues in item 5 are relevant: The revenues in item 5 differ across alternatives. In other words, these revenues are directly tied to Prestige Data Services. If the production capacity of Prestige Data Services decreases to zero, all the revenue resulting from these operations will also decrease to $0, which decreases the subsidiary’s contribution to its parent company. 7.Identify the revenues that are NOT relevant to the analysis to discontinue Prestige Data Services. The revenue of Prestige Telephone and the revenue from intercompany Sales are not relevant to the decision. 8.Justify why the revenues in item 7 are NOT relevant. As we explained in item 6, all revenues from Prestige Data Services will change depending on the decision. As the production capacity is varied, all the revenues will vary. These changes show the expected overall effect on net income. Revenue at Prestige Telephone will not vary based on the decision to shut down Prestige Data Services because Prestige Telephone’s revenue is not tied to the operations of the subsidiary. From the perspective of the Parent Company, Intercompany Sales are a revenue stream for the subsidiary, but an equal cost to the Parent, thus it doesn’t affect the balance sheet of the parent company. 9.Is Prestige Data Services really a problem to the parent company. Justify your answer. Prestige Data Service is not a problem to the parent company. This is primarily because: —Prestige Telephone will need to absorb Prestige Data’s relevant fixed costs. —Prestige Telephone will have to pay higher rates for services previously provided by Prestige Data Services. Regardless of possible sunk costs such as equipment leases ($95,000), Prestige Data Service positively contributes to the parent company. Additionally, if Prestige Data Services were to charge Prestige Telephone the same rates ($800 per service hour) it charges for commercial services, the company would not be operating  at a loss. If these commercial rates are considered competitive then the subsidiary is saving its parent money. Furthermore, there are several strategies that can be implemented to increase the business value of Prestige Data Services, such as reducing computer usage. 10.Prepare monthly income statements for January, February, and March which support your answer to item 9.