Understanding State Terrorism

Understanding State Terrorism â€Å"State terrorism† is as controversial a concept as that of terrorism itself. Terrorism is often, though not always, defined in terms of four characteristics: The threat or use of violence;A political objective; the desire to change the status quo;The intention to spread fear by committing spectacular public acts;The intentional targeting of civilians. It is this last element - targeting innocent civilians - that stands out in efforts to distinguish state terrorism from other forms of state violence. Declaring war and sending the military to fight other militaries is not terrorism, nor is the use of violence to punish criminals who have been convicted of violent crimes. History of State Terrorism In theory, it is not so difficult to distinguish an act of state terrorism, especially when we look at the most dramatic examples history offers. There is, of course, the French governments reign of terror that brought us the concept of terrorism in the first place. Shortly after the overthrow of the French monarchy in 1793, a revolutionary dictatorship was established and with it the decision to root out anyone who might oppose or undermine the revolution. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed by guillotine for a variety of crimes. In the 20th century, authoritarian states systematically committed to using violence and extreme versions of threat against their own civilians exemplify the premise of state terrorism. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union under Stalins rule are frequently cited as historical cases of state terrorism. The form of government, in theory, bears on the tendency of a state to resort to terrorism. Military dictatorships have often maintained power through terror. Such governments, as the authors of a book about Latin American state terrorism have noted, can virtually paralyze a society through violence and its threat: In such contexts, fear is a paramount feature of social action; it is characterized by the inability of social actors [people] to predict the consequences of their behavior because public authority is arbitrarily and brutally exercised. (​Fear at the Edge: State Terror and Resistance in Latin America, Eds. Juan E. Corradi, Patricia Weiss Fagen, and Manuel Antonio Garreton, 1992). Democracies and Terrorism However, many would argue that democracies are also capable of terrorism. The two most prominently argued cases, in this regard, are the United States and Israel. Both are elected democracies with substantial safeguards against violations of their citizens civil rights. However, Israel has for many years been characterized by critics as perpetrating a form of terrorism against the population of the territories it has occupied since 1967. The United States is also routinely accused of terrorism for backing not only the Israeli occupation but for its support of repressive regimes willing to terrorize their own citizens to maintain power. The anecdotal evidence points, then, to a distinction between the objects of democratic and authoritarian forms of state terrorism. Democratic regimes may foster state terrorism of populations outside their borders or perceived as alien. They do not terrorize their own populations; in a sense, they cannot since a regime that is truly based on the violent suppression of most citizens (not simply some) cease to be democratic. Dictatorships terrorize their own populations. State terrorism is a terrifically slippery concept in large part because states themselves have the power to operationally define it. Unlike non-state groups, states have legislative power to say what terrorism is and establish the consequences of the definition; they have force at their disposal; and they can lay claim to the legitimate use of violence in many ways that civilians cannot, on a scale that civilians cannot. Insurgent or terrorist groups have the only language at their disposal - they can call state violence terrorism. A number of conflicts between states and their opposition have a rhetorical dimension. Palestinian militants call Israel terrorist, Kurdish militants call Turkey terrorist, Tamil militants call Indonesia terrorist.

Press Releases A Blast from the Past

Press Releases A Blast from the Past Marketing and promotion – the bane of every writer. What works? What doesnt work? Over the past eight years, I have published several childrens and middle grade books. In 2010, blog tours and guest posts were the way to go. It was so much fun visiting and talking with new people through the blogs; especially when it was one of the characters from my book doing the talking. My imagination could go wild! That does not work anymore, nor does offering free copies, or hosting a book release event on Facebook. Only one thing has remained consistently effective through the ever-changing times – press releases. The Test of Time Press releases are a relic from the past, a dinosaur in the new digital age. They were a great means of free advertising in days gone For example, my husband and I submitted press releases to the local newspapers prior to a book signing event. More visitors attended that event than any of our previous signings. We were amazed at the number of people who commented, I saw it in the paper and thought Id drop Another bonus: Our community newspaper asked for an interview. When you live in a small town, being a published writer is big news! It may take a little extra finesse to get a write-up in a larger paper, but it can be done. Consider the topic being more than about the books release, and instead more about the impact of the book, a strange intriguing fact about how the book came about, how the book meets an urgent need, how a famous/semi-famous person reviewed your book and what they thought. In other words, the book isnt the newssomething else amazing related to the book is. Hope Clark, for instance, used the fact she met her federal agent husband over a bribery investigation, which led to the first book in her Carolina Slade Mystery Series. She landed a feature in a local magazine and a podcast interview. Target Your Audience The secret to making a press release work is to target your audience. Do you have a new release? Have you won any awards? Does your book highlight any specific region or profession? My husband writes historical fiction about the golden age of aviation. The setting for the story centers around the Hudson River Valley in NY. We emailed press releases to the newspapers in that region, as well as to aviation publications. During the following month, he had quite a few sales. Was it coincidence or did he gain some new readers through our use of good old-fashioned free publicity? Writing a Press Release Editors want the meat with a few potatoes on the side. In other words, your press release should be short, sweet, and to the point. First and foremost, the headline is the eye-catcher and needs to grab the readers attention. Youre a writer and understand the need for a hook. The meat (two to three short paragraphs) needs to briefly describe what the book is about, how it relates to the reader or geographical area, along with interesting facts about the book and author. A quote or two goes a long way. Go quirky, unique, and outside the box. The closing paragraph is the call to action and should have the authors contact information, website, and where to purchase the book. You can also include a small jpg of the cover. Mention any discounts or limited time offers. It goes without saying; the press release is a reflection of you as an author and should be grammatically correct with no misspelled words. Getting the News Out There Sending out the press release used to be a time-consuming process. First you had to determine who to send it to and write to each of your targets. Thanks to press release distribution sites, the work load is now dramatically reduced. https://www.1888pressrelease.com/ https://pressexposure.com/ https://www.newswire.com/ free-press-release.com/ These sites will send your news out far and wide, but you may still want to hand pick a few newspapers and periodicals on your own as specific targets since emails are so easily deleted. No matter how you do it, you will find press releases are still an effective marketing tool, and well worth the time and effort.

Theory and Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theory and Analysis - Coursework Example The amount to be recorded would be either the present value or the fair market value of the asset. In this case the amount to be recorded is the present value which is calculated by discounting annuity due payments by discount rate of 8%. Amount totaled to be $86,243 in comparison to $96,000 i.e. the fair market value. b) The costs associated with the lease are taxes, insurance, maintenance and depreciation. These costs are obligatory to pay as it is considered incidental to ownership. These costs would be determined during the operations conducted by or on the property. Depreciation can be charged through straight line method. c) Lani would record lease transaction on December 31st,2006 on the balance sheet as: {Principal-[Payment-(Principal*interest percentage)]} This will give you the amount to be balanced as â€Å"Lease† in the liability section as well as provide you with the proportion of interest payment from the Annual annuity paid. CASE 13-5: Lease in order should mee t the following criteria for Doherty Company to classify it as a capital lease: Firstly, the lease should transfer ownership of the good to the lessee at the end of the lease term. Also, it should be noncancelable plus renewal options and periods should be attached.

Contemporary Management Practice (with IT focus) - Assignment 2 Essay

Contemporary Management Practice (with IT focus) - Assignment 2 - Essay Example advantage over others by gaining markets and customers, organisational managers must now deeply study complex scenarios and technology as well as technology change to allocate organisational resources in a strategic manner. This essay presents a discussion about the impact of technology on the way in which organisations are now managed. I certify that, except where cited in the text, this work is the result of research carried out by the author of this study. The main content of the study which has been presented contains work that has not previously been reported anywhere. Within the recent past, the practice of management has undergone a change which was brought about as a result of intense competition, globalisation and developments in technology including information technology, e-commerce and the Internet etc (Tassabehji, 2007, Pp. 15). Computing power that was made available as a result of advances in technology on a broad front made it possible for managers to use tools of corporate finance and capital market analysis as well as management information systems and decision support systems to assist them to make better and more informed decisions (Kochan, 2003, Chapter 1). Computer modelling based on operations research and statistics became an important tool for the modelling of complex situations to provide a feel for the human decision makers. Database technology enabled organisations to maintain, process and to rapidly access huge quantities of data that was of interest to organisations. It is now necessary to manage technology and the process of technology innovation, with work taking on a new meaning and management-employee relations being guided on the basis of principles of economics and behavioural science. Knowledge management is now important and the rapidly escalating prices of energy and food pose new challenges for business. Technology is now said to be moving towards a convergence of information science, life science and nanotechnology.

Pearson Chemistry Notes Essay Example for Free

Pearson Chemistry Notes Essay 1. i. All elements are composed of tiny indivisible particles called atoms. 1. ii. Atoms of the same element are identical. The atoms of any one element are different from those of any other element 1. iii. Atoms of different elements can physically mix together or can chemically combine in simple whole-number ratios to form compounds 1. iv. Chemical reactions occur when atoms are separated from each other, joined, or rearranged in a different combination. Atoms of one element, however, are never changed into atoms of another element as a result of a chemical reaction. Sizing up the Atom Atoms are very small the radii of most atoms fall within the range of 5 x 10^-11 m to 2 x 10^-10m atoms can be seen in scanning electron microscopes atoms can be moved 4. 2 Structure of the Nuclear Atom Overview Lots of Dalton’s theory is accepted except that atoms can be divided Atoms can be divided into three subatomic particles Protons Neutrons Electrons Subatomic Particles Electrons Discovered by UK physicist J. J. Thomson (1856-1940) Are negatively charged subatomic particles. Thomson’s Experiment passed electric current through gasses at low pressure. Sealed the gases in glass tubes fitted at both ends with metal disks called electrodes electrodes connected to source of electricity one electrode called the anode became positively charged other electrode, called cathode, became negatively charged resulted in glowing beam called â€Å"Cathode Ray† that traveled from cathode to anode. Findings cathode ray is deflected by electrically charged metal plates positively charged plate attracts the cathode ray negatively charged repels it Thomson knew that opposites attract hypothesized that a cathode ray is a stream of negatively charged particles moving at high speed called particles â€Å"corpuscles†. Later called â€Å"electrons† Millikan’s Experiment US physicist Robert A. Millikan (1868-1953) carried out experiments to find the quantity of an electron’s charge. Oil drop experiment suspended negatively charged oil droplets between two charged plates. then changed voltage on the plates to see how it affected the droplets’ rate of falling he found that the charge on each oil droplet was a multiple of 1. 60 x 10^19 coulomb meaning it was the charge of an electron calculated electron’s mass Millikan’s values for electron charge and mass are similar to those accepted today. An electron has one unit of negative charge and its mass is 1/1840 the mass of a hydrogen atom Protons and Neutrons Four simple ideas about matter and electric charges 1. Atoms have no net electric charge; neutral 2. Electric charges are carried by particles of matter 3. Electric charges always exist in whole-number multiples of a single basic unit; that is, there are no fractions of charges. 4. when given a number of negatively charged particles combines wit an equal number of positively charged particles, an electrically neutral particle is formed.

Business Ethics Essay -- GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Business Ethics The statement has been made that "ethics has no place in business" and the implications of this statement and its inferring characteristics provide a complex issue in the operation of national and multinational corporations. Because ethical decision making is often not as profitable as choices that do not embrace ethical elements, the perspective has emerged that the nature of an effective business mindset inherently brings about unethical behavior. In order to consider this statement and its implications, it is necessary to recognize the ethical decision-making processes of a number of companies, and reflect upon the fiscal, organizational and operational implications of ethical choices and then relate this process to the perceived outcomes if the opposite choices were made. As an element of this evaluation, it is also necessary to consider the nature of morality and the progression of moral underpinnings for business operations and the implications as companies expand into multinational arenas. Ethics can be described as: "the activity of examining one's moral standards or the moral standards of a society, and asking how these standards apply to our lives" (11). The application of ethics in business is generally perceived as the evaluation of individual and collective moral standards, a reflection of societal morality, and then the determination of business decisions that are not only based on the efficacy of business operations, but also on these moral standards. The problem that many corporations perceive when pursuing the application of ethics in business is that ethical choices are not always the most sound business decisions. For example, when the pharmaceutical corporatio... ...issue as a whole. Individuals have a moral responsibility to take ethical action, and there is no way of denying that corporations are made up of individuals attempting to make both business and ethical determinations. Business ethics, then, must focus not only on the issues related to preventing harm to others, but also taking action that negates the passive process of allowing harm to happen. In the example of Merck, the company pursued their ethical choice not because they would be causing harm if they did not make this determination, but because if they did not take this action, they would be allowing harm to occur (48). Though it cannot be expected that every company will take this kind of action, at the very least, corporations, both national and multinational, have to determine operational ethics that prevent them from causing harm to others.

Donne’s use of conceit: Essay

The word conceit as a literary term can be defined is a â€Å"fairly elaborate figurative device†. The pleasure drawn form conceit is intellectual rather than sensual. John Donne has made abundant use of conceits in his love and religious poems to convey his message in a beautiful and intellectual way to his readers. He has made abundant use of metaphors, imagery and similes in his poems in order to pregnant them with aesthetic pleasure of first water. His poem ‘A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’ presents a glorious example of the use of metaphorical conceits in the love poems. In this poem he discusses and compares the intricate web of relationship between love, soul and body with the drawing compasses. The basic them of the poem is that love is a strong and powerful passion and it has the power of keeping the lovers linked together no matter how vast the physical differences are between them they will eventually meet and live together just like when one arm of compass started its journey and get separated from its other half. At the completion of the circle the separated half comes back and becomes joined together with its partner. That is the case which John Donne wanted to make with respect to the pair of the lovers in his poem ‘A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning’ in which the lover says to his beloved, â€Å"Yet, when the other far doth roam,/ It leans, and hearkens after it, / And grows erect, as that comes home. † This basically implies that she must not fear the separation as the power of her love will guard him and bring him back to her at last. John Donne also makes a very good and meaningful use of conceit in his spiritual poems. For instance in his holy poem ‘A Nocturnal Upon Saint Lucy’s Day’ the use of summer solastics is made to convey in a marvelous way the hopes of the poet. He says in the poem that â€Å"TIS the year’s midnight, and it is the day’s,/Lucy’s, who scarce seven hours herself unmasks ;/ The sun is spent, and now his flasks/ Send forth light squibs, no constant rays ;† the real meaning of the poet is to present himself as an empty self which will be rejuvenated by love. â€Å"Rape of the Lock† and the satirical portrait of Belinda. The mock-heroic is defined as a style of writing in which a heroic manner is adopted to make a trivial subject seem grand in such a way as to satirize the style, and it is therefore commonly used in burlesque and parody. Alexander pope use this style in his long poem entitled â€Å"Rape of the Lock† to satirize the manners and life style of the fashionable society of eighteenth century England. The most important incident in the poem is the cutting of a lock of hair that resulted in the development of fight between two families, as he says â€Å"What dire Offence from am’rous Causes springs,/What mighty Contests rise from trivial Things, [I. 1-2]† . Belinda is the heroine of the poem and she is also served as the butt of satire by Pope. She is discussed as the vain and empty minded women of that fashionable society. Who cares more for her beauty and less for her religion and morality, he says that â€Å"And now, unveil’d, the Toilet stands display’d,/Each Silver Vase in mystic Order laid. /First, rob’d in White, the Nymph intent adores/With Head uncover’d, the Cosmetic Pow’rs. /A heav’nly Image in the Glass appears,/To that she bends, to that her Eyes she rears; [l. 121-6]. † Belinda is also criticized by Pope in the way she has placed bible among the other trivialities of her cosmetics, â€Å" Here Files of Pins extend their shining Rows,/ Puffs, Powders, Patches, Bibles, Billet-doux. [l. 137-8]† Belinda is discussed as the type of women of eighteenth century fashionable society who lived there lives just for the sake of gilded chariots, pearls and rubies, beautiful dresses, cosmetics, lovers and raising hue and cry over immensely trivial matters. They have no heart or mind for religion, morality, or any other serious discipline of life. Philip Sidney and Shakespeare’s sonnets: Sir Philip Sidney set the vogue of writing sonnet-sequences, In fact, after Wyatt and Surrey; the sonnet was neglected for a number of years. It was for Sidney to revitalize this form by composing one hundred and eight sonnets, all put in Astrophel and Stella, commemorating his fruitless love for Penelope Deveneux, the daughter of his patron, the Earl of Essex. Sidney wrote the sonnet, not to satisfy the call of the age, but to express his heart-felt love-experience. Sidney’s sonnets reveal a true lyric emotion. On the one hand, there is in these sonnets much of the conventional material of the Italian sonneteers; but on the other hand there are touches so apt to the situation of a man who loves too late that one hesitates to ascribe them to mere dramatic skill. In Astrophel and Stella, Sidney writes not because it is a pleasant add accomplished thing to do but because he must. His sonnets let out blood. As a sonneteer Sidney is placed next only to Shakespeare and Spenser. His best written sonnets are : Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show’ ; With how sad steps, 0 Moon, thou climb’st the skies’; ‘Come Sleep, O Sleep, the certain knot of peace’, ‘having this day, my horse, my hand, my lance’ and ‘No, more my dear, no more these counsels try’. Sidney’s sonnets are mostly written in mixed Italian and English forms. Shakespeare has followed the pattern of Surrey in his sonnets. Since he has made a splendid use of this form, it is known after him and not surrey, its real originator.

Information System Audit in Indian Banks

Information itself is an important asset in today’s business. If information is lost, modified, misused huge loss can occur to business. Hence information security becomes important for any business. Information system in business including that of banking is becoming technology oriented. Computers are being used in all the areas of business including that of financial accounting. Internal controls used in a Computerized Information System (CIS) environment should aim at information security also. This aspect of internal control is mostly overlooked in a Financial Audit where evidence collection and evaluation is more important. Audit provides the assurance to stakeholders of business. Assurance provided by a financial audit is about financial statements, which are relied upon and based on which decisions are taken by many stakeholders. However there are risks associated in any business, which is not highlighted in a financial audit. Operational Risk and Audit For example Basel II Accord mentions of ‘operational risks’ that are due to failure of system, process, procedure and human action/inaction (fraud) and legal restrictions, etc. in the operation of banks, some of which are not dealt in financial audit. The Basle committee has identified people, processes, systems and external events, as potential hazards for operations. Inadequacy and failure of any of them can result into events, which cause losses. Every business has to identify events of their relevance. The events may be similar in the same industry, but vary from an organization to organization. The whole exercise of the operational risk management is to identify potential events, which are likely to cause losses. Here is a list of some of the events, which could lead to operational risk (non exhaustive): Technology error Fraud and theft  Legal, Regulatory non compliance, Transaction risk Processes, people and systems are closely linked with information systems. Even measurement and recognition of external events need information systems. Therefore, under the new Accord, the job of an audit and control practitioner shall become more onerous and challenging. Therefore a financial audit cannot assure that the information system is foolproof as financial auditor is not expert in information technology. Hence an expert should provide an opinion that information system is risk-free. This is where Information System Audit (IS Audit) comes into picture. Meaning of IS audit Information systems audit is a part of the overall audit process, which is one of the facilitators for good corporate governance. While there is no single universal definition of IS audit, Ron Weber has defined it as â€Å"the process of collecting and evaluating evidence to determine whether a computer system (information system) Safeguards assets Maintains data integrity Achieves organizational goals effectively and Consumes resources efficiently. † Key Challenge in IS Audit IS audit often involves finding and recording observations that are highly technical. Such technical depth is required to perform effective IS audits. At the same time it is necessary to translate audit findings into vulnerabilities and businesses impacts to which operating managers and senior management can relate. Therein lies a main challenge of IS audit. Scope of IS Audit IS auditing is an integral part of the audit function because it â€Å"supports the auditor's judgment on the quality of the information processed by computer systems. † Initially, auditors with IS audit skills are viewed as the technological resource for the audit staff. The audit staff often looks o them for technical assistance. Within IS auditing there are many types of audit needs, such as Organizational IS audits (management control over information technology), Technical IS audits (infrastructure, data centers, data communication), Application IS audit (business/financial/operational), Development/implementation IS audits (specification/ requirements, design, development and post-implementation phases) Compliance IS audits involving national or international standards. The IS auditor’s role has evolved to provide assurance that adequate and appropriate controls are place. Of course, the responsibility for ensuring that adequate internal controls are in place rests with management. Audit’s primary role, except in areas of management advisory services, is to provide a statement of assurance as to whether adequate and reliable internal controls are in place and are operating in an efficient and effective manner. So, whereas management is to ensure, auditors are to assure. The breadth and depth of knowledge required to audit information technology and systems is extensive. For example, IS auditing involves the: pplication of risk-oriented audit approaches use of computer assisted audit tools and techniques(CAATs) application of standards (national or international) such as ISO-9000/3 to improve and implement quality systems in software development understanding of business roles and expectations in the auditing of systems under development as well as the purchase of software packaging and project management Evaluation of complex Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) or new development techniques (e. g. , prototyping, end-user computing, rapid systems or application development). Evaluation of complex technologies and communications protocols involves electronic data interchange, client servers, local and wide area networks, data communications, telecommunications and integrated voice/data/video systems. Elements/components of IS Audit An information system is not just a computer. Today's information systems are complex and have many components that piece together to make a business solution. Assurances about an information system can be obtained only if all the components are evaluated and secured. The proverbial weakest link is the total strength of the chain. The major elements of IS audit can be broadly classified: Physical and environmental review–This includes physical security, power supply, air conditioning, humidity control and other environmental factors. System administration review–This includes security review of the operating systems, database management systems, all system administration procedures and compliance. Application software review–The business application could be payroll, invoicing, a web-based customer order processing system or an enterprise resource planning system that actually runs the business. Review of such application software includes access control and authorizations, validations, error and exception handling, business process flows within the application software and complementary manual controls and procedures. Additionally, a review of the system development lifecycle should be completed. Network security review–Review of internal and external connections to the system, perimeter security, firewall review, router access control lists, port scanning and intrusion detection are some typical areas of coverage. Business continuity review–This includes existence and maintenance of fault tolerant and redundant hardware, backup procedures and storage, and documented and tested disaster recovery/business continuity plan. Data integrity review–The purpose of this is scrutiny of live data to verify adequacy of controls and impact of weaknesses, as noticed from any of the above reviews. Such substantive testing can be done using generalized audit software (e. g. , computer assisted audit techniques). It is important to understand that each audit may consist of these elements in varying measures; some audits may scrutinize only one of these elements or drop some of these elements. While the fact remains that it is necessary to do all of them, it is not mandatory to do all of them in one assignment. The skill sets required for each of these are different. The results of each audit need to be seen in relation to the other. This will enable the auditor and management to get the total view of the issues and problems. This overview is critical.

Aristotle on the Mixed Form of Government in Sparta

Aristotle on the Mixed Form of Government in Sparta Aristotle, in  On the Lacedaemonian Constitution- a section of  The Politics- says that some claim Spartas system of government included monarchical, oligarchic and democratic components. The Lacedaemonian [Spartan] constitution is defective in another point; I mean the Ephoralty. This magistracy has authority in the highest matters, but the Ephors are chosen from the whole people, and so the office is apt to fall into the hands of very poor men, who, being badly off, are open to bribes.- Aristotle Monarchical In the monarchical system two kings- hereditary monarchs, one from each of the Agiad and Eurypontid families- had priestly obligations and the power to make war (although by the time of the Persian Wars, the kings power to make war was restricted). Oligarchic The kings were automatic members of the Gerousia, the council of 28 elders picked for life plus the two kings. Five ephors, chosen annually by popular election, had the main power. Democratic The final component was the assembly, made up of all Spartiates- full Spartan citizens- over 18. Aristotle on the Poor In the quoted passage on the government of Sparta, Aristotle disapproves of government run by poor people. He thinks they would take bribes. This is striking for two reasons: that he would think the rich were not susceptible to bribes, and that he approves of government by the elite, something people in modern democracies tend to disapprove. Why would such a well-educated, brilliant thinker believe there was a difference between the rich and poor? Sources Chronology of Early SpartaAncient History SourcebookThe Ephors of Sparta  Herodotus on the Kings of Sparta C 430 BCEThe Kings of SpartaPeriegesis Hellados IIIThe Spartan SystemThomas Martin OverviewXenophon: Constitution of the Lacedaemonians 13.1ff and  Ã‚  8.3

French Expression With Three Apples

French Expression With Three Apples The French expression haut comme trois pommes (pronounced [o  kuhm  trwa  puhm]) literally means high like three apples. It is used the same way as the English expression knee-high to a grasshopper and is used to  describe someone  very  young or  short. It has an informal  register. Haut  Comme  Trois  Pommes  and Smurfs Youre probably familiar with the Smurfs, comic book characters introduced in Le Journal de Spirou in 1958, by the Belgian artist Peyo. Known as Schtroumpfs in French, Smurfs were exported to the US in the 80s in the form of popular cartoons and figurines. One thing you might remember about Smurfs (other than that they were blue), was that they were described as three apples tall. Peyo obviously said that they were hauts comme trois pommes, and the literal translation was used in the American adaptation to describe their height. The idiomatic English equivalent, however, can only be used figuratively: knee-high to a grasshopper cant literally describe a persons height, but rather means (when I was) a young child. Examples and Variations   Ã‚  Ã‚  La dernià ¨re fois que je lai vu, jà ©tais haut  comme  trois pommes.The last time I saw him, I was knee-high to a grasshopper.   Ã‚  Le pà ¨re de Sandrine a dà ©mà ©nagà © Paris quand elle à ©tait haute comme trois pommes.Sandrines father moved to Paris when she was knee-high to a grasshopper. You may see the following variations: Grand comme trois pommes genouxHaut comme trois pommes genouxHaut comme trois pommes couchà ©esï » ¿Haut comme deux pommes (expression quà ©bà ©coise)

Critical analysis(mini essay) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical analysis(mini ) - Essay Example t of harmful patterns in settings such as vulnerable families, schools, and communities, and universal strategies to reduce attractiveness of substance use. Regulatory interventions aim to increase perceived costs and reduce availability and accessibility of substances. Increasing price, restricting settings of use, and raising legal purchase age are effective in reducing use of alcohol and tobacco and related harms. Screening and brief intervention are efficacious, but efficacy of a range of treatment approaches has not been reliably established. Harm-reduction interventions are effective in young people involved in risky and injecting substance use. One of America’s leading health and social problems is the abuse of addictive substances, specifically drugs and alcohol. In the late 1800s, during the industrial revolution, the medical profession began to recognize the effects of alcohol abuse on factory workers and on pregnant women and their unborn children. Malnutrition, brain damage, liver disease, fetal alcohol syndrome and child abuse were linked to the habitual use of alcohol. The effects of substance abuse are widespread. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol is involved in more than half of all child abuse cases, rapes, traffic deaths, felonies, fire fatalities and homicides and a third of all suicides. Conservative estimates indicate that the problem of alcoholism and drug addiction exists in four to thirteen percent of the population, with those affected coming from every economic, educational, and age level and from every race and gender. Furthermore, each substance abuser directly affects at least four to six other individuals, whether a spouse, children, or innocent victim of an accident or crime. Substance abuse plays a major role in accidents resulting in head, hand, and spinal cord injury, and in other impairments typically requiring rehabilitation services. All too often, the substance abuse is left

Media, Information and Societal Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media, Information and Societal Problems - Essay Example They manipulate the sources of information in a manner that suits their purpose. This way, only ideas that are allowed to prosper are the ones that the ruling class wants the masses to have. Amongst them one is the concept that social classes are natural and cannot be changed. The main cause of most social problems arises when people are led to act in a manner that is against their will, just so they can conform to the societal standards. Classes and Societal Problems Firstly, this concept of the lower-class cannot reach beyond their material means can actually have dramatic impact on their performance due to self-fulfilling prophecy. This also means if people belonging to lower stratum of the society are led to believe that they cannot achieve more actually may not achieve more if the concept is forced onto them (Ornstein & Levine 11). This I believe is very detrimental to growth of the society. Secondly the damage to intellectual thought and idea generation I believe, is the main p roblem caused by the â€Å"hegemony† proposed by Gramsci: if thought and ideas are trapped and left to conform to societal standards that serve only the affluent, there would not be any progress. ... This way we end up incurring a great deal of cost which then appears to be necessary. It is hegemony because the producers would not just let us buy the product we actually need. This blind following of the popular opinion leads the masses to do acts that are against their will. Practically the proletariat follows the ideology propagated by the bourgeois; they incur unnecessary expenses push themselves into debt just to meet the social pretences that have been laid out by the prevalent ideology. So in an attempt to serve societal interests the masses are actually damaging their own interests. An example would be that it was perceived that masses should have significant cash in deposits for their future needs, perhaps investments were high risk. So the US banks had a huge influx of deposits. On the surface it appears that banks would be happy with the investments, but managing such huge deposits also means they would be required to pay interests on them. So eventually some banks chose to charge fees on accounts that had large deposits. This way it was the end-consumer who had to pay the price. Role of Media One of the key distinctions of mass media from other forms of media is its ability to address a large number of people at the same time. Media is the mouth piece of the society; it is supposed to express popular public opinion. However in light of Marxist Capitalist economy, the media is controlled by the upper classes that use it to serve their interests. Media play a key role in shaping the perceptions of the society; they do this by means of advertising and programming. Both advertising and programming serve as a means of creating hegemony. This is