Thursday, October 10, 2019
Bulworth movie
The movie Bulworth is a political satire that tells the story of US Democratic Senator Jay Billington Bulworth, played by Warren Beatty, of California who was running for re-election in 1996. While doing his usual campaign and electioneering activities, he realized that his life has become superficial with all the lies and dirty tactics he employed to gain votes and favors from various organizations. Even his marriage was just a show to maintain his public image.As he reflected on his life, Bulworth was very much disgusted because he no longer found himself to be an idealist person whose views were shaped by the civil rights of the 60s. Seeing no future in the election, he suffered a nervous breakdown and planned to kill himself during the final days of his campaign by hiring an assassin. He took a $10 million insurance policy in case of death to benefit his daughter. Knowing his days were numbered, the Senator changed his lifestyle dramatically. He decided to speak freely and truthf ully irregardless of the consequences. Truth became his cause anywhere he spoke.In his public appearance with the African-American community, he tossed aside his prepared speech and told the group that he disregarded their needs because they did not contribute enough money to his election bid. There he met Nina who gave him hope to live and an optimistic outlook. Bulworth learned many things from Nina who likewise introduced him to the hiphop culture. In his fund raising event at the Beverly Wilshire, Bulworth delivered his speech to the tone of a rap artist shocking everyone. With the will to live again, the Senator tried to call off the assassination but the mission was already set with an unknown hitman.Nina, who came from a family of Civil Rights, helped the Senator escaped and offered her home for his safety. The Senator then prepared himself for his final transformation gathering enough strength to face the country. In a televised appearance, he lambasted the American politica l process. Reference Bulworth. Prod. Lauren Shuler Donner, Warren Beatty, Pieter Jan Brugge. Dir. Warren Beatty. Perf. Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Paul Sorvino, Christine Baranski, and Kimberly Deauna Adams. DVD. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1998.
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
ââ¬ÅJourneyââ¬â¢s Endââ¬Â by R.C Sherriff Essay
Journeyââ¬â¢s End is a play about British soldiers in World War One, and the effects the war has on them, both physically and mentally. The play explores many aspects of war life, including friendship, alcoholism, class boundaries and the lifestyle of the men in the trenches. This essay explores how the play shows the effects of war on those involved, looking at use of dialogue, lighting, props and other key dramatic devices. The essay will mainly focus on Act 3, Scene 2 of the play, but relevant quotes from other scenes in Journeyââ¬â¢s End will also be used to help illustrate points. Stanhope, the Commander of the company, is a prime example of how the war effected many intelligent, able young men. The audience knows Stanhope is a good officer and is well respected from earlier dialogue in the play. For example, in Act 1 Scene 1, Osborne says, ââ¬Å"Heââ¬â¢s a long way the best company commander weââ¬â¢ve gotâ⬠, and Hardy agrees. Stanhope is also a humorous man, and can get on very well with his fellow officers. For example, at the beginning of Act 3 Scene 2, he has all the men in stitches, relating tales of mischief with women. However, he appears to only be in a good mood when he has been drinking, which he does a lot. We know this because in the very first scene of Journeyââ¬â¢s End, Hardy discusses Stanhopeââ¬â¢s drinking habits with Osborne, saying, ââ¬Å"I never did see a youngster put away the whisky he doesâ⬠. One of the main effects of the war on Stanhope is his drinking. He drinks for ââ¬Å"Dutch courageâ⬠on the battlefield, and in Act 1 he confesses this to Osborne, saying ââ¬Å"If I went up those steps into the front line without being doped up with whisky Iââ¬â¢d go mad with frightâ⬠. This quote tells the audience that Stanhope has come to depend upon drinking to help him cope, and certainly has some kind of alcohol problem. The excessive drinking also greatly affects his temper, and he has fierce mood swings throughout the play. An example of one of these mood changes is the contrast between hisà jolly, merry demeanour at the beginning of Act 3 Scene 2, and the und iluted rage he expresses later on in the scene when he confronts Raleigh about his failure to attend dinner. These changes in his demeanour are shown by the changes in tone and volume of his voice throughout Act 3 Scene 2. At the start of his confrontation with Raleigh, he speaks in a fairly mild, controlled tone of voice. Silence is indicated by the stage directions to create tension, for example ââ¬Å"there is silence except for the the rumble of the gunsâ⬠, creates a distinct impression of awkwardness and fraught tension. The use of silence also contrasts strongly with the way Stanhope yells angrily at Raleigh later on in the scene. These sound devices both grab the audienceââ¬â¢s attention, and show them just how enraged Stanhope is. Even the sight of Raleigh appears to anger Stanhope. This is because Stanhope was at school with him, and is engaged to his sister. Stanhope is paranoid that Raleigh will tell his sister about his drinking habit, and seeing a familiar face from the outside world has rattled him because he is so used to the routine of war. After Osborne, whom he was very close to, is killed during a raid, the men do not openly grieve, but try and act normally to keep their morale up, and have a dinner with cigars and champagne to celebrate the successful raid. Raleigh refuses to go to dinner, which greatly angers Stanhope. By the end of Act 3 Scene 2, Stanhope is absolutely livid with fury. The last line he shouts; ââ¬Å"For Godââ¬â¢s sake, get out!â⬠is then followed by silence, which is a very effective device in grabbing the audienceââ¬â¢s attention and creating a mood of fear and apprehension. Overall, Act 3 Scene 2 is most effective in showing an audience just how much of an impact th e war has had on Stanhope and his personality. Raleigh is another character who is greatly effected by war, but, unlike Stanhope who has been been in the trenches a long time, Raleigh is very inexperienced, which makes him appear extremely naive and vulnerable. Raleighââ¬â¢s first reaction upon entering the trenches (Act 1) is that of surprise. He has been expecting more noise and excitement, and says to Osborne, ââ¬Å"How frightfully quiet it is!â⬠To begin with, Raleigh is very eager to go out and fight, but Osborneââ¬â¢s deathà after the raid has a big effect on him. He cannot understand how the men can sit, eating fine food and drinking champagne ,when one of their closest companions has been killed. However, Raleigh does not realise that the reason why they are doing this is to try and help themselves to forget the tragedy that has occurred, and to boost morale amongst the men. Raleigh has misunderstood the situation, and only realises his error at the end of Act 3 Scene 2, when Stanhope shouts, ââ¬Å"You think thereââ¬â¢s no limit to what a man can bear?â⬠Raleigh tries to apologise, but Stanhope is too incensed with rage to listen. By the end of that particular scene, even though Raleigh has only been at war for a week, he is already a changed person. His short battle experience has erased whatever distorted expectations he has had before, and he now knows about the harsh realities of life in the trenches. We know this because of his obvious change in mood and personality- by Act 3 Scene 2 he says a lot less than he has beforehand, and stage directions tell us at one point, ââ¬Å"Raleigh speaks in a low, halting voiceâ⬠. R.C Sherriff has chosen to alter his speech and tone of voice to show the audience clearly how the raid has affected Stanhope as a person. Osborne is a character who is very much aware of the realities of trench warfare, as the oldest and one of the most experienced officers in the Company. In Act 1 the stage directions describe Osborne as ââ¬Å"hard as nails- physically and emotionally strongâ⬠. He is a father figure for the other officers, and is affectionately known as ââ¬Å"Uncleâ⬠. Osborne is also a loyal and caring friend. The audience knows this because in Act 1 he defends Stanhope to Hardy, who is criticising the Commanderââ¬â¢s drinking patterns. He also puts Stanhope to bed when he is drunk, which shows that he has a caring nature. He and Stanhope are extremely good friends- the war has brought them very close. Dialogue throughout the play shows that Osborne tends to use short sentences, such as ââ¬Å"Oh?â⬠, and ââ¬Å"I seeâ⬠. He is more of a listener than a talker, and that comes across in the conversations he has with other characters. It is quite possible that he has always been a quiet man, but the war could have causedà him to become even quieter and more withdrawn. In Act 3 Scene 1, before he goes out during the raid, Osborne gives Stanhope his watch and ring with a letter to give to his wife, ââ¬Å"just in caseâ⬠anything should happen to him. Stanhope reassures him, ââ¬Å"Youââ¬â¢re coming back, old manâ⬠, and the two men laugh as they go their separate ways. However, neither of them really know if Osborne will come back alive or not, and this fear and uncertainty is another effect the war has on the men and their lives. Throughout the play, lighting is used to set the mood and display to the audience as realistically as possible what it was like for the men living in the dugouts. There is little light for most of the play, just dim yellow candles. On the very first page of the play, lighting is described in some detail. Phrases such as, ââ¬Å"A pale glimmer of moonlightâ⬠, and ââ¬Å"the misty grey parapetâ⬠give the idea of a gloomy, shadowy atmosphere. The lack of light must have affected the menââ¬â¢s sense of time and place. In the play, Trotter keeps a calendar so he can tell what day it is, and how long it is until the raid. However, in Act 3 Scene 2, the stage directions say, ââ¬Å"The dugout is lit quite festively with an unusual amount of candlesâ⬠. At the beginning of this scene, the lighting reflects the bright, jolly mood of the men, and contrasts strongly with that of the previous scene. The sounds and props used in this scene are also very different to that of Act 3 Scene 1. The sound of laughter replaces the sound of heavy guns, which lightens the mood and relieves tension considerably. There are empty champagne bottles on the table, which shows they have been enjoying themselves. The food described in this scene (roast chicken), is very different to the food the men consume in earlier scenes. In Act One, when Osborne asks what flavour soup they are having, Mason replies, ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s yellow soup sirâ⬠. Most of the officers came from upper/middle class public school backgrounds, so quite a big effect on them would be having to eat small portions of revolting, non- nutritious food. It would also be a major change for many of the men not having washing facilities, and having to survive in appalling living conditions. Many men would have suffered from acute boredomà when nothing was going on, so many (like Stanhope) reverted to drinking or smoking heavily just for something to do. The war affected all the men involved in so many different ways, but obviously the main effect was that so many of them lost their lives in battle. At the end of the play, Osborne and Raleigh have both been killed but Stanhope lives. The deaths of Raleigh and Osborne show that war is indiscriminate, and death can occur at anytime to anyone, regardless of age or experience. Raleigh is a young, inexperienced newcomer, and Osborne is an experienced senior officer, but they both die within a few days. Journeys End shows the effects of the war on the men involved very realistically, using dramatic devices such as sound, dialogue, props and lighting very effectively. It paints a clear picture in the readerââ¬â¢s mind of what it was like in the trenches, and how the men were affected by battle.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Are Science and Religion in Conflict Research Paper - 1
Are Science and Religion in Conflict - Research Paper Example Many are the times when religion has various inconsistencies with science. While some people are alight with religion, some do not find this route appealing. As a matter of fact, there have been various debates that try to bring religion and science together. Many parties have come up with strong points that are aimed to settle the differences (Draper, 2010). However, not a single party is willing to water down their stand. As such, they have been in constant opposition as to which has a legitimate stand. Consequentially, some people are torn in between as they come to terms with issues raised by both sides of the divide. Most people only focus on the positive attributes of the two sides. As such, they do not have a concrete decision to fully settle for either religion or science. For these reasons, this paper answers the question as to whether there is a conflict between religion and science. Religion is based on religious practices and beliefs which are taught in defined settings a nd contained in various literature. Religious norms state that their followers have to uphold utmost faith in their beliefs. As such, they are to follow religious teachings and values at all times. One of the most outstanding issues in religion is that God is the creator of everything. Since He is the supreme creator, human beings have no legitimacy to compare themselves to the Supreme Being. In this case, humans have no reason to compare themselves to the Almighty through His mysterious ways (Radcliffe, 2012). The point is that religious fraternities are not in agreement with scientific innovations with scientists trying to compare their creations with those of the Almighty. The most outstanding example in this case is cloning. Science has made it possible for humans to create other humans through cloning, which is a scientific way of breeding humans through science. This is unacceptable to many religions as followers consider this to be mimicking their Creator. As a matter of fact , they consider the Almighty as a steadfast priority and should not be compared to anything else that exists or ever existed (Draper, 2010). For a human being to glorify cloning is ridicule to God as stated by the religious fraternities. Therefore, according to religious groups, the numerous scientific innovations are ill advised and should not try to compare their innovations with Godââ¬â¢s creations. This has been a heated point of argument as scientists advance on their innovation in total disregard of the sentiments from the religious people. On the other hand, scientists state that there is no point of concern with their innovations in regard to cloning. In fact, some scientists state that the Almighty gave humans the brain as well as the right to fill the earth. As such, they are enhancing the Almightyââ¬â¢s task to multiply the human population and fill the earth. Since this is a strong point, scientists feel that they have an obligation to increase the human population in an easier and scientific way. Consequentially, religious fraternities state that this is not the intended approach to multiplication of the human kind. They state that the Almighty intended for the natural way of multiplying human beings. As such, these religious fraternities are totally against cloning of human beings. This creates a serious drift between the two parties as each tries to justify their opinions and approaches (Bury, 2010). Since they all have their supporting points and references, they seem to be in conflict. Apparently, this conflict seems to intensify with each development and cannot be solved on a round table agreement. Conflict arises between religion and science especially when there is such a profound contention. As a matter of fact, religious groups have one thing in common, which is their beliefs and faith in a superior being (Dennett & Plantinga, 2010). Therefore, all the people that interact with the religious groups will have to assert their beliefs
Monday, October 7, 2019
Porters Views on Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Porters Views on Strategy - Essay Example Michael Porter is a University Professor at Harvard Business School and a very contributor to the fields of management and economics. In an article he wrote for the Harvard Business Review in 1996, and also in one of his books, he argues that competitive strategy is "about being different". He adds, "It means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value". It is important to note that Porter has focused on discussing competitive strategy and his views are based more on differentiating the company in the view of the customers. Porter has defined competitive strategy as "a combination of the ends for which the firm is striving and the means by which it is seeking to get there". Porter has provided for a very fresh and different view on the meaning of strategy. He highlights and emphasises on the facts that operational effectiveness is not strategy. Porter has in his article ââ¬ËWhat is Strategy?ââ¬â¢, in the Harvard Business Review brought o ut some very important points. He argues that ââ¬ËPositioningââ¬â¢, which has been one of the major elements of strategy and has acted as the ââ¬Ëheart of strategyââ¬â¢, is not being rejected by most managers. He discussed in this article that the current period believed that positioning is considered to be too static in the current dynamic world and the high use of technology. It is important to note that the information that has been provided here has been based on three major heads: 1. variety-based positioning 2. Needs-based positioning and 3 Access-based positioning
Sunday, October 6, 2019
Underground Railroad and a Life of Freedom Research Paper
Underground Railroad and a Life of Freedom - Research Paper Example The Underground Railroad solely existed owing to the existence of the institution of slavery in the United States of America. It intended to help and aid many people who wanted to escape a life of slavery and was run by people who were willing to help the escaping slaves. The life of the slaves happened to be very unhappy that involved much harassment, torture, pain, suffering and danger. Thereby it was but natural that many slaves wanted to run away from a life of misery and pain. There were many people during the days of slavery who believed that slavery was wrong and cruel. Thereby they were willing to put their lives at risk to help and aid the escaping slaves. The Underground Railroad was run and aided by varied kind of people and individuals. These included both blacks and whites and people hailing from both the Slave States and the Free States. Many free black people, white people and even slaves served as engineers and conductors whose life purpose was to help people caught i n a life of slavery (Calarco 287). The large free black populace residing in Baltimore and free blacks located in other places willingly provided help and assistance to the slaves escaping from the Southern States (Calarco 307). Many Quakers, abolitionists and other white people helped the railroad because irrespective of being white, they regarded slavery to be an unethical, immoral and cruel practice (Calarco 54). Associating with the Underground Railroad was indeed fraught with much risk and danger.
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Boyz in the hood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Boyz in the hood - Essay Example Tre is still being cared for by his father, who continues to guide Tre on the right path of life. This task becomes difficult after Treââ¬â¢s friend, Ricky, is killed by a rival gang, and Tre is eager to seek revenge with the rest of his friends. However, the words of his father stay with him, and Tre returns home while his friends continue their mission. At the end of the movie, Tre and his friend speculate on the condition of the Hood and how America does not care enough to do anything about the continuing problems in the neighborhood. The film ends with an epilogue that states that, of the three friends, Tre is the only one to live to see out the rest of his successful life. There are numerous things that I understood from watching the movie. The first is that sometimes the most gravest issue is the one receiving the least attention. Instead of programs being implemented to help young people at risk, such as those in dangerous living situations, they simply go ignored until the y disappear. Unfortunately, problems like these will never be entirely gone from the world. There are still many neighborhoods where the percentages of at-risk children and teenagers are incredibly high.
Friday, October 4, 2019
Moratorium on Deep-Water Drilling For Retail Gas Prices Coursework
Moratorium on Deep-Water Drilling For Retail Gas Prices - Coursework Example Marathonââ¬â¢s Product Process The production process in MPC takes place in three phases, i.e. refining, transporting, and marketing. The refining phase is executed with the assistance of sis-plant refinery network system. Crude oils gathered from the supply markets of Midwest and various parts of Southeast are refined in these plants with the capacity of around 1,142,000 barrels per day (bpd) accumulatively. Notably, two different types of crude oils are refined in these plants, i.e. sweet crude oils (46% approx) and sour crude oils (54% approx) which are collected from national as well as international suppliers. These refineries are located in six different parts of the continent, i.e. Louisiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Texas. The refineries are not only different in terms of their location but are also diverse in terms of sizes and their strengths (as cited in Marathon Petroleum Corporation, 2011). ... In this context, the biggest limitation of the company shall be recognized as the integrated management system implemented in its refining phase of production. This indicates the refining phase of production process to be open for greatest number of efficiency improvements. It is due to the fact that all the six plants tend to be different from each other to a large extent in terms of operations, size and strengths. Thus, it is likely to become quite challenging to manage the vivid operations through the implementation of an integrated plan. 2.0. Relationship between the Retail Price of Gasoline and World Demand for Crude Oil Experts have stated that the retail price of gasoline and the price for crude oil are asymmetrically related to each other. To be illustrated, the retail price of gasoline is examined to rise substantially with the rise in the price of crude oil. However, the retail price of gasoline tends to fall leisurely when the price for crude oil substantially minimizes. This presents an asymmetric relationship between the two fac tors (Balke, Brown, & Yucel, 1998). On the similar context, the price elasticity of demand for crude oil is termed to be least, i.e. with a significant rise in the crude oil prices; it is likely that the demand for the product will diminish but not extensively (Cooper, 2003). Therefore, it can be stated that the global demand for the crude oil and retail prices of gasoline are asymmetrically related. This indicates that fall in demand due to the price increase of crude oil will have an inverse impact on the retail price of gasoline resulting in substantial price hike of the commodity.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)