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Introduction Kirsh (2006) reports that children are, on average, exposed to between 6 and 7 hours of media each day where media includes television, video, movies, video games, print, radio, computer, and Internet programs. While the exact amount of violence in these media are difficult to assess, Kirsh states that a significant proportion of the media present violence and violent images. Moreover, a national study conducted by the University of California's Center for Communication and Social Policy (1998) that evaluated for the effects of 10,000 hours of broadcast programming, videos, and video games from 1995 through 1997 found that interpersonal violence was often portrayed in either an entertaining or glamorized manner. In addition, it was observed that the heroes in stories were often likely to use violence to resolve problems. Findings such as those delineated above have led to speculation as to whether media violence does harm to children. The thesis of this paper

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My personal moral philosophy derives in part from my expectation of becoming a nurse and therefore a person responsible for the well-being of others and in part from the philosophy of Act-Utilitarianism. Act-Utilitarianism is the doctrine that what makes an action right is that it maximizes happiness (Schick & Vaughn, 1999). Everyone is considered. It is also known as traditional Utilitarianism. Happiness is seen as the only thing that is intrinsically valuable. The total amount of happiness in the world should be maximized. Ha

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My anticipated career is to serve as the product marketing manager at a major firm. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, "marketing managers develop the firm's marketing strategy in detail" (Marketing 1). This includes four primary roles related to the traditional 4 Ps of marketing (pricing, promotion, placement and product). To this end, marketing managers estimate the demand for product, identify potential markets, develop pricing strategy, and work with advertising and promotion management to promote the firm's products (Marketing 1). There are a number of critical decisions that marketing managers must make as they get a product ready to sell, train the sales team on ways to sell it, and provide field level sales support (Daniels 1). Daniels (1) also argues that the role of the marketing manager will vary in complexity "based on the size of the organization and the diversity of the sales model (e.g. direct, indirect, online)." Because of the complexity of the role of the marketing manager, management information systems (MIS) have become crucial tools in helping marketing m

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Albert Camus's "The Guest" embodies the existentialism that prevails among the author's works. French existentialism was a philosophy promoted by Jean-Paul Sartre, and that Camus found "was widely misunderstood as a philosophy of hopelessness" (Wyatt). Sartre defined existentialism as "a humanism," suggesting that "if God does not exist there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence"-man (Sartre). He asserted that "If man as the existentialist sees him is not definable, it is because to begin with he is nothing. He will not be anything until later, and then he will be what he makes of himself" (Sartre). Although Camus did believe that life was "absurd-defying logical explanation, and ultimately irrational," he also "considered life valuable and worth defending" (Wyatt). Although in American thought, existentialism was held to be "devoid of morality," Camus in fact had "a strong ethical system" (Wyatt). Camus opposed nihilism, Nietzsche's idea that lif

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The works of Dostoevsky, Marx and Engels, and Nietzsche serve as a potent contrast between romanticism and realism. In Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground, for example, realism prevails. Here, Dostoevsky contrasts the ridiculous and the nonsensical ideas of humanity at large with the tempering influence of realism. In Part I, Dostoevsky states of the narrator that "He is one of the representatives of a generation still living" (2). The representative and the contemporary are key to realism, as the realist tries to depict what is true about his own generation rather than idealizing about another generation. Dostoevsky's narrator cites the many ideas that are popular in his time and runs them through with the sword of his pen by exposing them to the cold light of realism or by sardonic wit that makes th

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In his (2008) article for CNNMoney.com, "UBS hit with New York auction-rate security suit," David Ellis describes the auction-rate security scandal involving the Swiss banking giant UBS. Ellis (2008) describes how UBS sold auction-rate securities to investors under false pretenses, assuring them that the securities would be liquid, and then-when investors tried to sell them-telling them that the investments were "long-term" investments instead. The article explains how New York State Attorney General Cuomo is bringing a nationwide lawsuit against UBS to recover the money, which totals billions of dollars, saying that he was "sending a resounding message to the rest of the industry that this type of deceptive behavior will not be tolerated" (Ellis, 2008). In addition, UBS' top execu

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Introduction Global warming is a phenomenon that refers to the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the environment due to manmade activity. The buildup of carbon dioxide causes atmospheric temperature to rise, which causes sea level to rise, and carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean and polar ice. The reason global warming is so controversial is because the Bush Administration fails to consider the phenomenon a result of man made activity. However, in An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore maintains that global warming is real, it is caused by human activity, and mankind and government must act immediately to halt and reverse it (Guggenheim, 2006). In ten years the damage to our planet may reach a "tipping point," from where there is no human activity that can halt or reverse it (Guggenheim, 2006). This analysis will discuss the phenomenon of global warming, including how it is affecting our planet and what needs to be done about. Body Global warming could play

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Introduction Risk management in the private sector is a well-studied and analyzed function. Companies mitigate risk associated with interest rates, currency exchange rates, physical liability arising from plant accidents, civil liability arising from shoddy manufacturing practices and so forth. In the public sector, there can be more challenges to risk management since the philosophy of risk management may change as elected officials change. The rise of the Internet and the proliferation of computers in the workplace increase the responsibilities of risk management, with the result that new strategies are necessary to combat entirely new risks which have only partially been catalogued. This research considers the issue of risk management in general, the challenges facing information technology managers and the risks to information systems, and specific issues that may confront information systems risk management across the broad spectrum of the criminal justice environ

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Introduction While most of the world viewed Joseph Stalin as a virtual tyrant, for millions of Russian and other repressed workers he remained a hero of the working classes. Stalin would rule Russia after the death of Vladimir Lenin, rising in power by "combining the proletariat and the poor peasantry" (Rieber, & Nelson, 1966, p. 73). Stalin created a new view of the state as the main vehicle for establishing and maintaining socialism in which the Communist Party was "supreme" and charged with leading the masses (Rieber, & Nelson, 1966, p. 75). Ultimately, "Stalinism" would dominate Russian culture and society, what Dmitri Volkogonov (2000, p. xxvii) says in his biography of the leader is "synonymous with alienation of working people from power, the installation of a multi-faceted bureaucracy and the inculcation of dogmatic formulas in the public mind." In this description we see the dualistic nature of Stalin's personality. On the one hand, he championed the working p

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Brands: Verizon and Disney In Susan Fournier's 1998 article, "Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research," the author posits that customers have relationships with their brands and that brands can be "relationship partners" for customers. This paper will examine Fournier's argument in the light of brand relationships that customers have with Verizon and Disney, asserting that Fournier is indeed correct and customers can have relationships with brands. Fournier (1998, p. 344) maintains that, in order for customers and brands to have a relationship with each other, there must be interdependence between them, an attribute that is enhanced to the extent that "brands are animated, humanized, or somehow personalized." Moreover, brand relationships(like relationships between people(reflect common qualities between the two participants. In her case study of Jean, Fournier points out that Jean's brand portfolio is consistent with her

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A religion is a set of beliefs that give you a perspective on the natural and spiritual world. The Catholic Church teaches that God created us to be with Him, and it is by growing and becoming just and holy that we finish our development before joining Him in heaven. Our beliefs give us guidance in growing closer to God in our spiritual lives and growing closer to each other that we prepare for the full communion of saints in heaven. The Bible is the most central element of Catholicism. It is believed to be written by those specifically inspired by God. Catholics believe that the Bible is true, meaning that everything included in it reveals some truth. This does not imply a literal reading. Catholics consider the background of the culture and time of the writer, as well as the different literary forms, in deciding what each Bible passage is supposed to say. For example, the story of Jonah teaches us a great deal about our own self-centered view of the world, and about God's mercy.

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In a report for the Justice Policy Institute, Greene and Pranis (1-16) define a gang as an organization, association, or collective of three or more persons engaged in criminal activities. The authors note that the typical criminal activities engaged in by gangs include assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, homicide or manslaughter, the sale, possession for sale, transportation, manufacture and/or offer to manufacture controlled substances, shooting an inhabited dwelling or occupied motor vehicle, arson, the intimidation of witnesses and victims, and grand theft of any vehicle, trailer or vessel. They also note that the gang is often associated with an identifying sign or symbol and that criminal activities can be engaged in by the gang as a whole or by individual members. Although gangs have existed since at least 1200 AD, when they were discussed in India as a source of criminal activity, Staiger (555-569) states that the rise of gangs in America began in the late 1800s and gr

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Historians and writers of fiction alike have long been fascinated with Egypt's Queen Cleopatra. The ways in which this apparently complex woman has been portrayed have varied over time and with respect to the nationality, culture, and political views of the writer. This essay will consider the presentation of Cleopatra according to Dio Cassius and Plutarch, two Roman writers who if not precisely contemporary with Cleopatra, lived at a time when her influence was still widespread. A contemporary writer, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, will also be discussed. Plutarch (1-2) describes Cleopatra as having begun an acquaintance with Rome's Julius Caesar when she was only a girl and as continuing her association with Rome via a relationship with Marc Antony. Plutarch (1) says that 'she was to meet Antony in the time of life when women's beauty is most splendid, and their intellects are in full maturity." In his description, Plutarch (2) says that "her actual beauty, it is said, was not in i

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The BBC broadcast a program in 2001 in which it was strongly suggested that Christianity and Islam had two very different impacts on Africa. The BBC (2001) stated that Islam, which tolerated native African cultural and social traditions, made conversion easier and was ultimately less upsetting and more beneficial to Africa than Christianity. This position appears to be valid when one considers the interaction between the cultures of West Africa and Islam and Christianity and the Congo. Albert Hourani (1991) reported that in Africa, Islam spread along trade routes during the tenth through the thirteenth centuries. It had earlier penetrated parts of Western Africa as Muslim conquerors acquired new territorial holdings. Where Islam interacted with Africa, Karen Armstrong (2000) says that the influence was generally positive in that Islam permitted polygamy which was well established in Africa and Africans were accepted into the Muslim world as equals. According to the BBC (2001), whereas Christianity rejected polyga

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The war in Iraq presents the United States and the world with a series of multi-faceted problems. Currently there is so much factionalism between Kurds, Sunnis and Shiite that the central government is incapable of reigning in violent Al Qaeda groups. These groups in some cases work in tandem with Iraqis enraged over the U.S. occupation. A conflict already unique because of these ethnic and ideological divides was made even more complex in January 2007, when President Bush announced a troop surge of more than 21,000. This paper will examine the affect of this troop surge on the conflict and then reveal that although the surge plan appears to have reduced casualties and bolstered security, it has done so at the cost of long-term effective government in Iraq. After framing the problem, it will become clear that the only solution is to integrate the Army and eventually withdraw. In his analysis of the European state system, Charles Tilly describes the various ways states use fo

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A tort is generally defined as a civil wrong not arising from a breach of contract which is a breach of a legal duty that proximately causes harm or injury to another (Miller & Jentz, 2000). Negligence occurs when there is a failure to exercise the standard of care that a reasonable person would exercise in similar circumstances Miller & Jentz (2000). In the case of Tom v. S.S. Kresge Co., Inc. 633 P.2d 439 (Ariz. App. 1981), Mae Tom sued Kresge for negligence after she slipped and fell on a clear substance that was on the floor. While no determination was made as to what the substance was, Kresge had a policy of selling soft drinks in the store and allowing customers to walk around with their drinks. Tom therefore alleged at trial that Kresge was negligent and was responsible for her injuries, for which she sought to recover damages. The issue in this case is whether or not Kresge exercised a standard of care regarding the condition of its premises which would be exercised by a reasonable person under similar circumstances. Because this is the case, Kresge is responsible for maintaining its

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Introduction: According to its 2007 10-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Starbucks achieved solid performance in fiscal 2007. Starbucks met its targets for store openings, revenue growth, comparable store sales growth, and earnings per share in spite of a challenging economic and operating environment, and significant cost increases. Consolidated net revenues for fiscal year 2007 increased 21 percent to $9.4 billion. Company-operated retail revenues in fiscal 2007 rose 21 percent to $8.0 billion, predominantly due to the opening of 1,342 stores and comparable store sales growth of 5 percent. Net earnings rose to $673 million in fiscal 2007 from $564 million for the previous year. Throughout fiscal 2007, Starbucks experienced a consistent weakening in its U.S. business. Management recognizes that it faces a more challenging environment from an economic, operational and competitive standpoint and in response to those challenges, management intends to focus

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Introduction John Updike's (2001) account of witnessing the attacks of September 11, 2001, in the New Yorker and Langston Hughes' (2008) "Salvation," about a young boy who gets "saved" at a church revival, are both nonfiction because though told in a short story-like manner they are both based on real life or actual events. In John Updike's (2001) reaction to the events of September 11, the author describes the events in a way comparable to a reporter but relies on the tools of fiction to add to the account in a number of ways. For instance, his depiction of television footage of the second plane crashing into the towers reads like pure fiction from his word choice, "where the footage of hellbent airplane, exploding jet fuel, and imploding tower was played and replayed, much rehearsed moments from a nightmare ballet" (Updike, 2001, p. 1). From metaphor and simile to personification, Updike uses the tools of fiction to render a nonfiction story. In a similar manner, Hughes

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Sculpture is a form of visual art that emerged early in man's history (Janson 27). Early artists, including those of the prehistoric era, turned to stone or bone and ivory carvings to express their emotional responses to such subjects as human fertility, the vitality of the animal world, and the relationship between men and their environment (Janson 28). As man's mastery of new technologies, tools and materials increased, so did his capacity to execute sculptures that were increasingly "life-like", realistic, and representational. This brief essay will compare and contrast two sculptures created by vastly different artists - Michelangelo and Aristede Maillol - arguing that while their specific works are decidedly representative of unique world views, they both possessed a capacity to capture the essence of their subjects in a highly realistic, emotion-driven and representational manner. Sculpture can be executed in many different mediums (Janson 127). Marble and granite or lim

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There has been a Jewish presence in the population of the United States of America since the colonial era of the 17th century, although their numbers remained small and these early Jewish communities consisted mainly of Sephardic Jewish immigrants of Spanish and Portuguese origins. More significant Jewish immigration occurred in the 19th century, when Ashkenazi Jews from Germany emigrated to the U.S. By 1880, the U.S. Jewish population stood at about 250,000, but most of these immigrants were educated, secular German Jews who toiled as shopkeepers and merchants (History 1). In the period between 1880 and 1924, more than two million Jews would arrive on American shores, a "distinctive wave of Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazi Jews from poor rural Jewish populations of the Russian Empire and the Pale of Settlement (modern Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova)" (History 1). This analysis will discuss why these massive numbers of Eastern European Jews immigrated to the U.S

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The very complexity of Los Angeles as a geographic entity, a unique social, cultural and political unit, and a locus of identity makes "definition" all but impossible. Four collections of commentaries, some fictional and some drawn from interviews and observations made in real time about contemporary events, provide insight into how a vision of the city and surrounding area can be constructed that captures its many essences. Alan Rifkin (2003), in a story titled "The Honor System," articulates a vision of interpersonal relationship in Los Angeles that are made more complex by the transient nature of the community. In Rifkin's (2003) story, a man and woman, meet, are attracted to each other, enter a relationship, and then become cautious and careful about allowing intimacy to emerge. Like Los Angeles itself, this couple is struggling to determine what is real and what is "Hollywood." Thus, one vision of Los Angeles focuses on the difficulty in a place devoted to make-believe of determining what is and is not "real." Anna Deveare Smith (2004), in her series of interviews of people who were affected by the

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Flight in the animal kingdom takes place when an animal flaps its wings and thus creates aerodynamic forces that enable it to soar through the air (Rayner 1968).[i] The evolution of vertebrate flight is in many respects a black box. Studying vertebrate flight after the fact requires scientists to make educated guesses about how and why flight developed. The only data with which modern scientists have to work is the fossil record, so scientists must fill in the gaps by hypothesizing how today's flying vertebrates evolved from their ancestors through a series of adaptations (UCMP Berkeley [Date unknown]).[ii] This explains why there are still unanswered questions about how flight developed and why opposing viewpoints proliferate. The most widely accepted theories for explaining the evolution of flight include the arboreal scenario and the cursorial scenario (Hedenström 2002).[iii] The arboreal theory posits that the first flying animals developed flight from the top

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Esteemed as the "Father of our Country," George Washington was not only America's first president but also its spiritual leader and model. A man who lived his own life in humility and sterling character, Washington has much to offer Americans in his legacy to them. Washington's service to his country forever changed its course, and his own deep religious beliefs permeated all that he did in her behalf. Washington left us not just an inspiration but a model of what it means to be an American, and that model includes patriotism, virtue and character, and religious freedom. Washington's patriotism was irrefutable. As commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in 1775, he faced "a hopeless cause" with "no trained soldiers, no money, no ammunition, no weapons, and no supplies" as he prepared to take on "the greatest army in the world," that of Great Britain (Roche 1997). Suffering like his men from cold and deprivation, Washington won the War of Independence with "a stu

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Introduction Imagine the spouse you have loved and resided with for years unexpectedly dies. Her two children from a male/female union were raised by you and her as your own. Now that she is dead, you have no right to burial or funeral involvement, no right or claim to her property or life insurance, and no legal custody or parental rights related to the children. This is because you are also a women and same sex marriage is not an option for you in 50 states in the nation. As such, denying legal marriage status and the rights attendant on it to same sex couples creates enormous emotional and economic pain and suffering to numerous individuals involved in same sex relationships. One of my strongest moral convictions also happens to be one of my strongest political convictions, that same sex couples should have the right to be legally married in every state in America. Recently California and Massachusetts have not only permitted same sex marriage, but t

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Three are a substantial number of decision-making models used to evaluate ethical choices and beliefs. Two of these systems will be described in this brief essay. Either is useful in helping to ensure that decisions are made that reflect ethical choices. The Utilitarian approach to decision-making asks one to identify the various courses of action that are available, to determine who will be affected by each of these options, and to determine what benefits or harms are likely to result from each. Finally, one is expected to choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm (Schick & Vaughn, 1999). In essence, this approach emphasizes the maximization of "happiness," which is understood

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