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Conspiracy law has changed in recent years as a result of the perpetration of conspiracies that have cost investors and businesses an unprecedented amount of money. One of the most notable of these cases was that of Bernard L. Madoff, who on December 11, 2008 "confessed that his vaunted investment business was all 'one big lie,' a Ponzi scheme colossal in volume and scope that cost investors $65 billion" ("Introduction"). The so-called "Madoff Affair" was "a deception that lasted longer, reached wider and cut deeper than any other business scandal in history," and it left its mark on American conspiracy law ("Introduction"). According to 18 U.S.C. 371, conspiring or agreeing with someone to do anything that-if carried out-"would amount to another Federal crime or offense" constitutes conspiracy, and as such it is obviously a serious crime ("The 'Lectric Law Library's Legal Lexicon On Conspiracy"). The 9/11 attacks, for example, were the result of high-level conspiracy, and as

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The Indian film A Wednesday poses an interesting contrast to the American film Body of Lies. Both films deal with terrorism, but the main character in each film is significantly different and deals with a different set of problems. In A Wednesday, the nameless "common man" is affiliated with no one. He is not part of an agency attempting to combat terrorism, nor does he have a vast network of operatives that are working with him. Instead, he is simply an everyday guy who has taken it upon himself to defeat terrorism in India because he sees that the authorities are doing a miserable job of it. He points out that they take 10 years to convict someone, and in the meantime terrorism continues. On its surface, the common man's effort to defeat terrorism seems hopeless. What can one man with no operatives accomplish all by himself? Yet this man is extraordinarily well equipped to carry out the operation. He devises a complex and intelligently crafted plan that he

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Identification of an Intervention Tool Based on Psychodynamic Theory Psychodynamic theory as proposed by Sigmund Freud suggests in part that early childhood development plays a role in the formation of adult personalities ("Freud and the Dynamic Unconscious" 82). There are many different tools or intervention techniques which have been developed over time in response to Freudian theory focused on the functions of the conscious, the preconscious, and the unconscious mind. Dream analysis, directive probing by the therapist trained in psychoanalytic dialectics, and hypnosis are among those tools. In this brief essay, a new tool/intervention is presented a

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The Use of Federal Courts as Courts of Last Resort As noted by Gerald Kogan (2009), retired Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, federal habeas corpus is a vital element in the American criminal justice system with deep roots in the constitutional tradition. The authority of federal courts to adjudicate constitutional claims advanced by state prisoners is a valuable means by which the Bill of Rights is enforced in criminal cases. The question of whether or not federal courthouse doors should be reopened to state prisoners, particularly those facing the death penalty, is of significance. Currently, prisoners in this situation have only a single federal review available to them unless their individual case presents an extraordinary issue. Kogan (2009) takes the position that the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 which literally closed federal courthouse doors in most instances to habeas corpus petitions, was meant to streamline and exped

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Thomson's violinist analogy concerning an unwanted pregnancy is persuasive in that it points up the aggressive and programmatic devaluation of the sentience of the pregnant person in the case on the part of those who insist that abortion should not be available as a choice for resolving such a pregnancy. In developing the violinist scenario, Thomson establishes the condition of a presumption that the kidnapping victim has an affirmative obligation to nurture the violinist owing to the musician's privileged status. Similarly, advocates against abortion mount the claim that Thomson lays out early: But surely a person's right to life is stronger and more stringent than the mother's right to decide what happens in and to her body, and so outweighs it. So the fetus may not be killed; an abortion may not be performed (Thomson). In the violinist scenario, the hospital director uses the same logic to tie the kidnap victim to the patient: "Granted you have a right to de

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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman as Butch and Robert Redford as the Sundance Kid was released in movie theaters in 1969, 40 years ago. At the time, it was regarded as an adventure-cum-comedy film, a western with some romance and a lot of humor mixed in. Thelma and Louise, starring Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, was released in 1991. Although the two movies have often been likened to one another, with one reviewer stating of Thelma and Louise, "This is an unimaginative feminist adaptation of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.' The characters are virtually literal transcriptions of Paul Newman and Robert Redford," ("Thelma & Louise") and another asserting, "Thelma and Louise are Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in drag" ("Thelma and Louise in the Wilderness"), in fact, there are more differences than similarities between the two films. This paper will examine both films and compare and contrast them, explicating both the similar

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As Euan Cameron notes, "Unless a religious movement is to remain fixed and confined to one time and one culture, it must sooner or later find itself among a group of people whose language and outlook are not those of its first founders."[1] Interestingly, in the case of Christianity, from the time of Christianity's first followers in Jesus' day to the age of Reformation, Christianity has effected changes in the societies in which it was found more often than the other way around. Although Christianity transected many cultures and many historical periods, it has remained relatively stable at its core while transforming the cultures and historical periods it made contact with. Among Jesus' first followers, Christianity radically transformed both people and their society. One example of this was that of the female Christian martyrs Blandina, Perpetua, and Felicitas. These women evinced incredible strength in their refusal to renounce Christ, and their courage change

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For existentialists like Sartre and Camus, life is analogous to that classic children's song "My Grandfather's Clock," which tells the story of a grandfather who was given a clock at birth that "stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died." Life ticks and ticks, and once the man (the clock) died, all chances of affecting change on the world were lost. But by coming to this bleak realization, Sartre and Camus attempted to overcome their situations by projecting their wills forward, beyond their time and place, through their uses of language. For the existentialists, truth is created, and therefore they are inclined to believe that if one can control language, he can control the world. For this reason, existential philosophers find repugnant the idea put forth by scientific psychologists and sociobiologists, claiming theirs is just one more vocabulary, one more linguistic tradition. The scientific method may just be one of many useful tools for surviving in the world. Psychologists like Skinner, and biologists like Darwin and Wilson agree, with Plato, that the truth is "out the

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Introduction Google and Microsoft are two of the best-known brands in the world, and both are dominant participants in their markets. While both companies are relatively new compared to global giants such as Exxon or Toyota, they have grown quickly and influence millions on a daily basis. Microsoft has the largest market share of the personal computer operating system market, and a significant share of the office productivity software market. Google was initially a search engine, but has since expanded its product offering to include e-mail and to position itself as a Web portal. Both Google and Microsoft are expanding their positions on the Web; Microsoft also participates in television programming with its MSNBC channel. Although relatively new companies, both Google and Microsoft have changed the way that people around the world interact with one another, and how they conduct and communication with each other in their personal and professional lives. Viewed as th

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My Dear Friend, You've asked about the Christian understanding of God and about my personal view of Him, and this gives me an opportunity to explain both to you, which will also indirectly enlarge upon what you know about me as a person. I couldn't be more delighted that you asked, because God is a central figure in my life, and I would love for you to know Him the way I do. Most Christians would agree that God is love, and He is power. He sent Jesus to become incarnate-that means "to inhabit a body"-because He loved us so much that He wanted "God with us," to touch us with His love and draw us closer to Himself.[1] "God with us" is, in fact, what one of Jesus' names-Immanuel-means.[2] I've met people who think that God exists but doesn't care what happens to mankind. They base their opinion on the fact that bad things happen to people, and an all-powerful God would prevent those bad things if He loved His people. So they assume that God feels nothing fo

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If I were going to lecture a new members' class on the history of Christianity, I would imagine how clergy and scholars might have experienced and expressed their Christian faith and life with respect to this history. From the clergy's point of view, I would expect the development of Christianity in the Middle Ages as it led to a rise in academic institutions where weighty matters of religious thought were debated might be a key area of interest. From the scholars' point of view, I would imagine that accounts such as those regarding Blandina and other martyrs would be considered amazing and almost unbelievable, as well as inspiring. Both groups would be inspired by the stories of great Christian preachers and leaders-both in the Bible and since-who accomplished impossible tasks by virtue of their faith in God's Word. Increasingly, though, I have come to believe that what impacts people of every ilk most powerfully for the cause of Christ is His love. Thus, I would focus on

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Ecclesiology is in its most general sense a study of the doctrines of churches. The word "ecclesiology" is derived from the Greek word ekklesia, which simply meant "a gathering" or "the called-out ones" but which today means "a church body."[1] As Michael J. Vlach points out, however, in the context of early church history, ecclesiology arose when "the church viewed itself as a spiritual society that replaced Israel as the people of God."[2],[3] Jesus used the word ekklesia in Matthew 16:18 when he told Peter "upon this rock I will build My church," and he was referring not only to "a corporate body of human beings" but also to "a spiritual organism."[4] Ritenbaugh points out that as Hebrews 10:25 advises "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together," it is "clearly His will that all those having the Spirit of God be fellowshipping and serving together on a regular basis."[5] Moreover, although people may delude themselves into thinking that they can serve God more effectiv

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The following presents an essay about narrative and non-narrative arts. Specifically, how the narrative arts different from and are similar to non-narrative arts is discussed and exemplified. This is followed by a summary and conclusions. Narrative arts tell a story while non-narrative arts do not, which distinguishes the two types of arts. However, each is similar in that each includes multiple types and sources of arts. Sporre (2006) noted the many different mediums and art forms to be had. However, while both the narrative arts and the non-narrative arts can include the same medium for example a picture or sculpture, which is similar, whether the art example tells a story or not depicts whether it is viewed as narrative or non-narrative. This means that it is not always easy to determine if an art is narrative or not since interpretation may define the art piece one way or the other in some instances. Thus, the distinction between the two may be up to the interpreter. Any medium used to express art can be either narrative or non-narrative. While fine arts may be viewed as non-narrative since they might not have a storyline, and a film or

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Introduction In Naguib Mahfouz' Arabian Nights and Days, the author takes up after the final night of the classic The Book of the One Thousand and One Nights, when Scheherazade is successful in getting the Sultan Shahriyar to renounce his murderous ways against women. Yet in Mafouz' collection of tales the story does not end happily ever after. Scheherazade's suspicion of her husbands penchant for murder makes her continually wary and hyper-vigilant of his moods. It is the theme of the corrupting nature of power and leadership that ties these stories together. In the final story, "The Grievers," Shahriyar wonders in desolation and isolation, wondering what direction he should take and trying to find redemption for his past evil. He understands that he can take the route of Sinbad or the story-telling Sufi master Abdullah al-Balkhi but he cannot find peace or fulfillment. Instead, we see in "The Grievers" that the fate of those who have done evil while in power will rema

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Introduction In A Novel Approach to Politics, Van Belle and Mash provide an account of the ideal and the real of politics through the connection of politics and pop culture. From Darth Vader to The Daily Show, the authors illustrate how political concepts like economics, social institutions, elections, culture and foreign affairs are intertwined with popular culture in a way that transforms the "real" of the political into the "ideal" of popular culture (Van Belle and Mash Ch. 1). A prime example of this is the television drama The West Wing, with its fictional president Josiah Bartlet, referred to as the "most popular Democratic president in recent memory" according to Van Belle and Mash (Ch. 1). This analysis will show how though Josiah Bartlet is not a "real" president, his popularity stems from his qualities that appear to make him an "ideal" president. Body The portrayal of U.S. President Josiah "Jed" Bartlett on the TV series The West Wing amply demonstrates the contention of Van Belle and Mash that popular culture is often filled with political con

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In Michael Imber's (1995) article, "Organizational Counterproductivism in educational administration," he suggests that the standard and traditional career knowledge that most people possess is not really the knowledge that matters when it comes to obtaining, and working successfully at, a job in education. As he points out, there is "a wide gap between educational administration as an academic discipline and educational administration as a field of practice" (Imber, 1995, p. 114). When he questioned people on their understanding of theory and how they would apply it to their jobs, their answers were vague, indicating that the way they did their jobs was essentially unrelated to any organizational or educational theory but was more related to common sense and their own insights. As he explains, "No one said, 'I believe in contingency theory, so my approach is to...'" (Imber, 1995, p. 114). In like manner, I have deduced that an important element of career knowled

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The underlying assumption of the case does not make sense. Nationwide branching has been available in the United States since 1997. The Regal-Neal act gave states the right to opt out of nationwide branch banking within a limited period of time and Texas and Montana did so. In 1999 Texas reversed its position and Montana is not relevant to this case. (Gilbert) The obvious solution would be for the company to select a bank that had branches or correspondents in each of the communities in which in does business, and has a cash management program for its commercial clients. In the unlikely event that there was one or more communities that did not have a bank with which the company's selected bank could negotiate a relationship this could be handled as an exceptional case and a solution devised. In practice, it is likely that there would be several banks competing for the account and the bank offering the most effective solution would become the real management decision. Scenario

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Introduction The film Michael Clayton is preceded by the statement "The truth can be adjusted," a concept that heralds the message of the movie: big business adjusts the truth for financial gain, even at the expense of lives (Samuels, 2007). Michael Clayton is a fixer-a corporate lawyer that helps large firms get out of legal messes. In this case, his firm, Kenner, Bach, & Ledeen, is representing agriculture giant UNorth, which is anxious to settle a class action suit concerning the toxicity associated with its methods. The team's most knowledgeable attorney and chief litigator, Arthur, has become a loose cannon, however. In his intensive research for the case, Arthur has discovered that UNorth's methods are indeed toxic and are costing innocent people their lives, and he is about to expose UNorth. In an attempt to silence him, the law firm has him treated as a psychiatric patient, but UNorth's litigation team, headed by the corrupt and diabolical Karen, decides that

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Introduction One of the most mystical and controversial concepts in the Bible is the baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in tongues. Biblical scholars' ideas about the subject run the gamut from John F. Walvoord's belief that "There is actually no more connection between the baptism of the Spirit and speaking with tongues than there is between speaking in tongues and regeneration or justification"[1] to Kilian McDonnell and George T. Montague's assertion that "As for the Pentecostal 'baptism in the Spirit' in Acts 2, it goes without saying that the presence of the Spirit was manifested through the charisms of tongues and prophecy, for such is precisely the interpretation Peter gives the event (2:14-18)."[2] James D.G. Dunn acknowledges that "in apostolic times, the speaking in tongues was considered to be the initial physical evidence of a person's having received the baptism in the Holy Spirit" but identifies this belief with the Pentecostal tradition r

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At both ends of the Asian Financial Crisis the IMF can be found meddling. In the years leading up to the crisis, the IMF took great efforts to promote currency liberalization in the region in the name of globalization. Thailand and the Philippines, two countries hit hardest by the crisis, offer attractive incentives to manufacturing firms like tariff-free export zones (Kramer). These as well as the availability of cheap labor made these countries attractive places for western firms to set up their operations. Over time, more and more foreign debt weighed down the

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Many people in the world are presently afraid. The cacophony of violence and destruction seems all-encompassing, and the bickering of our leaders on top of it all makes me angry. Sometimes the best thing for me to calm down is talking with friends. This year, I decided that one of our nation's most pressing issues is the possibility of a pandemic, and the consequences this can have for millions or even billions of people. Unlike a distant act of violence, diseases cannot be dismissed because they are too proximate to be ignored. The insidious nature of a disease is that it is invisible. To make matters worse, lack of understanding and attempts to educate bring about anxiety, panic, and additional chaos. My mom, who lives in Hong Kong, would not stop pestering me to wear my mask on the long plane ride home last month. So I immediately put on my mask when I entered the airport in (PUT THE CITY YOU ARE FROM HERE)

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A hero is an individual who confronts his or her fears and does the right thing regardless of the consequences. It is also an individual who never quits trying to achieve his or her dreams no matter how many people In Eloise Jarvis McGraw's The Golden Goblet, the orphan Ranofer discovers how doing the right thing can affect the lives of others. Ranofer lives and works for his half-brother Gebu, who treats him as much like a slave as a relative. In the midst of Gebu's abuse, Ranofer comes to believe his half-brother is stealing gold from the goldsmith shop. A while later, searching for food, Ranofer finds a beautiful golden goblet in Gebu's room with hieroglyphics that read "Thutmose the Conqueror" (McGraw 24)! Despite it representing a risk to his life, Ranofer be

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Tax cuts can help revive the lagging U.S. economy. As Shostak (2009) points out, per Keynes a free market economy "could lead to self-destruction," so the government and central banks must manage it by exerting influence on the level of spending across the economy. Spending is the key to reviving the economy, because when one individual spends money, that money becomes another individual's income (Shostak, 2009). Shostak (2009) states, "If during a recession consumers fail to spend, then it is the role of the government to step in and boost overall spending in order to grow the economy." Tax cuts are an excellent way to boost spending. For the average middle-class consumer, a tax cut is like a gift-an invitation to spend. When taxes are cut, the effect is similar to the consumer getting a raise on h

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Steroid abuse is a problem that has increasingly been in the news, as athletes on steroids have been involved in murder/suicides and other "'roid rage"-related events. Dr. Priscilla Choi, a former power lifter who now lectures on health psychology, explains that "taken over time and in high doses, steroids may possibly bring about significant adverse personality changes in some users," resulting in such incidents as "fights in bars, insults traded at the gym, domestic violence, sudden irrational acts, and angry blow-ups" (Yesalis & Cowart 111). Teen steroid abuse is on the rise, along with other teen substance abuse problems such as drug addiction and alcoholism. The Buckley/Yesalis study of teens from 150 different schools across the country made the startling finding that "more than a third of the [steroid] users (38 percent) said that their first steroid use occurred at age 15 or younger, and another third had started by age 16 (Yesalis & Cowart 8). Dr. Nancy Kennedy of t

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During the middle ages, the Church was fighting off the diffusion of pagan ideas throughout Europe. Despite the Christian teachings of god, purity, and salvation, Pagan ideas still held their force and appeal. One reason may be that the message of Christianity could not be successfully transmitted to the remotest corners of Old Europe, and even when it did people would have to 1) take the message of Christianity as salient to their own lives, and 2) make an effort to inculcate Christian rhetoric in the language of their children (if they deemed it worthwhile). Another factor for the entrenchment of Pagan practices is that to illiterate ruffians, Paganism is attractive because it offers a living mythology as opposed to a dead or pre-scripted mythology as in Christianity. Additionally, the ad-hoc, pray anywhere characteristics of Pagan rituals do not require a priest, a central place of worship, nor a tithing of man's labor. Thus even in the Middle Ages amidst rising Christian fervor, Paganism remained a viable method for negotiating with problems seemingly supernatural. Historian Franz Cumont, an expert in the shadowy mysti

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