I recently watched a movie Blood Diamonds. This movie takes place in Sierra Leone in 1999 during a bloody war. This is a story of a poor Mende farmer who gets caught up in a conflict between an American diamond smuggler and the syndicate that controls local diamond mining, producing what are called "Blood Diamonds," because of their ties to violent, political conflicts. The farmer's son gets kidnapped to become a soldier in the rebellion's child army. The farmer must now team up with the smuggler on an adventure that takes them around through the world's three major centers of the diamond industry. Viewing this portrayal of how blood diamonds are mined. This is why you do not want a blood diamond. Those who have never heard of the term "Blood Diamonds" also known as "Conflict Diamonds," which were mined from the regions of Africa that were once torn by war. Many people think this diamond gets it's name from the red color, but actually due to the inhumane ways that the diamond is mined. The story of diamonds in Africa began between December 18

Finding out about an unplanned pregnancy can be scary. Having an unwanted pregnancy can lead women to struggle to decide between adoption and abortion. Knowing she will be losing her child, the pregnant woman faces a tough decision. Most of the time adoption is a better choice than abortion because the pregnancy ends with giving life, not death, though there are situations when mothers must choose abortion. With television shows such as 16 and Pregnant, which seem to glamorize the life of teen mothers, there seem to be more teen pregnancies than when I was in high school, and an increase of teen mothers in school. Teens these days don't care about waiting till marriage nor hold religious beliefs prohibiting premarital

At first glimpse you me see "Invictus" as a typical sports film. It is actually about a nation overcoming obstacles to become united with one another. The title, "Invictus," comes from a poem that gave strength to South Africa's President when he was held as a political prisoner for 27 years. The film begins with Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) stepping out of prison and back into office as the leader of South Africa. In South Africa there is a long time running hatred between the South African blacks and the white Afrikaners. Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) is faced with adversity as he tries to unite a nation, but remains fearless of his own life seeking to better his country. South Africa's rugby team, led by François Pienaar (Matt Damon), is hopeless in terms of winning a world cup. South Africa is to be hosting the rugby world cup and Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) see's hope in uniting his nation. Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) befrie

The power of persuasion plays a key role in a seller's intent to sell, and a buyer's intent to buy a certain product. Everywhere we look around us, we are in a massive concentration of competition based on what how we are persuaded to act, and what we are persuaded to buy based on our everyday needs and unique desires. Nothing is more important for a seller to make his/her selling goals; a practice which can only be achieved by persuading each and every individual in our realm of business that our product will suit their needs and wants. As sellers, we intend every time we sell to persuade the browsers and potential customers of the world that our product is the most fulfilling to their needs and wants. The appropriate stamina and charisma on the seller's end will need to fully captivate the buyer to achieve said results. We can remain powerful in our plan to grasp the seller's interests to close that sale with the perseverance of a good persuasive pitch about

To the Greeks, as with my ancient cultures, religion was an important part of everyday life. Consisting of a multitude of gods and goddesses they were used to tell stories, impart knowledge and bring about cautionary tales of how life and love played out. They did this with the use of an immortal stage, where about their actors lived in a realm with less consequence for their actions but still retained figures like that of man. They also retained their emotions and actions like that of the humans they were overseeing. This allowed for the people telling and hearing the stories to better grasp the message, having it seem more relatible. Of these stories in Greek myth we get the birth of two revered female goddesses Aphrodite's and Athena. They can be described as archetypes portraying characteristics that embody humanity while trying to uphold beliefs and customs of immortals. Both of these women came into being threw unconventional births that where chronicled by the Greeks in detail. From there subsequent births the goddesses were looked at differently in Greek culture and the stories and myths surrounding them reflect the prominence that the society bestowed upon them.

Just like the old saying "no two fingers prints are the same", the rules follows suite with the natural pigments of the hair. Color hair is not as simple as television makes it seem to be. In fact coloring hair requires a basic understanding of simple chemistry, and what happens to the hair once the chemicals are applied to it. Ammonia is the main component found in color, and when mixed with the developer, or the Peroxide create different sized molecules that penetrate the hair shaft. Creating a new very specific hair color for each individual. Along with other elements, coloring hair is a bit of a chemistry balancing act. First let me explain a little bit about the hair make up. A single strand of hair has at the least two levels and some have three. The two that are always prominent in each hair strand are: first the outer layer the cuticle. The cuticle is make up of keratin and has scales all over it similar to a fish's sales but extremely tiny. The scales on the

"My husband can not -- throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times." These were Tom Brady's wife, Gisele Bundchen's words to the media in the locker room after the Patriots' loss to the Giants in the super bowl. In my opinion, she made a very valuable point that explained how her husband was not the only person to blame for the loss. Along with most fans, I had anticipated the Patriots winning by a large point margin. Disappointingly, the Giants pulled away with a very close win. They had the more volatile offense that could not be stopped by the Patriots' lackluster defense. In the days following the game, sports fanatics have started to blame Tom Brady, the Patriots' quarterback, for the loss. Realistically, this game was not his fault; the whole team is to blame. I feel that the argument about Brady being blamed for the Patriots' loss is very inconsistent with what actually happened during the game. Brady played very well, and started the game setting a Super Bowl record for most completed passes in a row; he was doing all he could to get the ball into the hands of his receivers. Bundche

In the article "Cheating the Hangman: The Effect of the Roper v. Simmons Decision on Homicides Committed By Juveniles" authors Jamie L. Flexon, Lisa Stolzenberg and Stewart J. D'Alessio (2009) research and discuss the effect of the Supreme Court decision in Roper v. Simmons. The purpose of the study is to determine if the Roper decision has had an effect on rates of juvenile offenders committing homicide. Historically in the mid 1600's juveniles could be out to death for disobedience and cursing their parents out. It was not until the 1800's that people began to seriously debate the treatment of youthful offenders. During this same time the American juvenile justice system was formed and there was an increased emphasis on rehabilitation and tre

Alcoholism is a chronic illness which can affect anyone - any race, creed, or social class anyone can develop the disease of alcoholism. People who suffer from this disease aren't able to control the amount of alcohol they consume. Studies within the last 20 years revealed alcoholism is not just linked to genetics. In the new model of alcoholism is shows that stress and fear are core of alcoholism. Recent research studies have revealed more possible cures for alcoholism. In this essay, we will be touching on topics of the experiments, the "new model of alcoholism" and reasons why people become addicted to alcohol. The Naltrexone Experiment was to show Naltrexone could prevent or reduce cravings and control or decrease drinking in alcohol dependent people. The data that was c

Education is an important part of society because so many employers require a solid education before an applicant is considered for a job. For 13 years, children are taught how to read, write, do math, speak a different language, use a computer, and much more. Therefore, parents are faced with the question of where their child should be educated. There are many factors that should be considered when choosing public-schooling and home-schooling. The first factor to be considered is classroom size. If a child is social and likes being around others, overcrowded classrooms might not be such a learning obstacle. However, lots of children are shy and many children today are diagnosed with ADD and ADHD and overcrowded classrooms would definitely prohibit efficient learning. In the 2009-2010 school year, the average pupil/teacher ratio was 16-1. For those home-schooled, the pupil/teacher ratio is averaged at 5-1. This low class size could be both beneficial and detrimental. Lots of paren

Advertising is over 100 billion industry and affects all of us in daily lives. We are exposed to greater than 2000 ads per day. Advertising is part of our life, some people will say we are not influenced by advertising but at the same time they would be wearing a GAP t-shirt. Advertising is a massive subject to have a debate but it will be convenient for us to focus on women's portrayal in advertising as our subject for research paper. Advertising can be considered ethically brutal as it influences moral standards, norms and alters our thinking and makes us buy things we don't really need and use of women and their bodies and beauties to sell household commodities could be justified by capitalism but not really by social and/or ethical thinkers who believe that objectification of women in advertising is ethically unacceptable. Let's look back into history of women's portrayal in advertising. The women's image in mass media is related to how women have progres

I believe abortion is wrong in every circumstance. It has been proven that a baby is living inside of the mother's womb (http://blog.drwile.com/?p=3584) as soon as contraception begins. Thus, would that not mean that killing a baby is the same thing as killing another human being? It is wrong to kill another human being no matter what he or she may have done. It makes it no better to kill an innocent little baby who is dependent on the mother to live, and yet, the mother is the one who decides to kill the child. If you would not kill your own child the day it is born, why is it any better to kill your own child while it is alive and moving inside of the mother? It is no better, and that is why I am completely against abortion no matter what the situation is. I feel it is completely against our rights to purposely kill a living child with no consequence. In this country, at least from what I have been taught from my parents and school, it is wrong to kill any individual, no matte

Environmental sustainability and economic development can be considered contending imperatives. We as humans have a burning desire for economic growth and prosperity, while at the same time we have a need for the resources the planet provides us. Typically in order to grow our economy it requires that we deplete natural resources such as lumber, oil and minerals by means of deforestation, drilling and mining. It is important for us to realize that if we do not deal with environmental issues right now; the consequences could be devastating not only to ourselves, but to future generations. We are now seeing more and more concern for 'sustainable development' that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. But even with this growing concern we have not seen a substantial implement of a sustainable living that can guarantee our future generations the "Canadian Dream". What would happen if we let our

The Red Convertible, written by Louise Erdich, is a beautiful story about two Native American brothers who live on a North Dakota reservation. Erdich uses symbolism and foreshadowing to provide a deeper meaning within the story. The story is told in the first person by Lyman Lamartine. It begins with an introduction, where we first become acquainted with Lyman's older brother Henry and the red Oldsmobile they bought together on a whim. Lyman tells us that they shared the car until Henry's "boots filled with water on a windy night and he bought out [Lyman's] share" (Erdich, 183). This introduction not only foreshadows the tragic ending to follow, but it also establishes the important role that the red convertible plays in the relationship between the Henry and Lyman. As we can see from the title of the story, the red convertible plays an instrumental role in the story. The red coloring of the car is not a coincidence, but rather it is a purposeful detail that illustrates the impor

Crime statistics provide data used for a wide range of things. They are used for planning, setting budgets, assessment of police performance, evaluating prevention programs, identifying certain crime patterns or trends and for determining where a person wants to live. The only problem is that crime rates can be deceiving, having a person believe that criminal activity is on the decline when in reality it is on the rise. The two primary sources crime statistics are obtained from are the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, also known as the UCR/NIBRS Program. The UCR/NIBRS collects data on the criminal act and

For those of us living in and around Washington D.C., Metro is one of the most efficient transportation systems in our daily lives. Metro can take us to our destinations on time without worrying about terrible traffic, parking spaces or bad weather. This is especially valuable in the D.C. metro area which has the worst traffic in the nation according to a study by the Texas Transportation Institute (Gail). That's why a lot of people choose riding Metro to go to work instead of driving on their own. With people enjoying all the conveniences of Metro, and relying on Metro as the main transportation for their lives, WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) suddenly announced that full sized bikes are banned in the Metrorail system from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. In a quote from Hendel's news report article, chief spokesperson for WMATA, Dan Stessel said that full sized bicycles take too much space in crowd

In her novel, Domestic Manners of the Americans, Fanny Trollope makes a bold statement on the affairs of the new found country and its inhabitants. Of particular distaste to the author was the spectacle of evangelical religious practices. She made much, throughout her writing, over the role that the various religions played in the lives of the citizens and the fact that the division of the churches was a real problem in America. The consuming role that religion and "church" played in the lives of the women also concerned and intrigued Trollope. Likewise, the English woman's view of the popular evangelical camp meetings and the activities there were highly critical. She viewed this toxic environment in the light of her stolid English back ground and was convinced that it would be the undoing of the young nation and its citizens. Trollope makes no secret of the fact that she believes that the lack of a single national religion in America was at the root of a very real p

I don't understand why religion is so important. In my personal opinion I think that religion is a poison that is slowly but surely crippling this country and the whole world for that matter. I think that I was born without the piece of the human puzzle that makes me blindly believe something based on zero evidence and no proof whatsoever. Just because I don't understand something doesn't mean that I am going to chalk it up to some invisible man in the sky that grants wishes. If there is a god, why would he condemn me to burn in Hell for all of eternity for not believing in him despite a complete lack of evidence? Why did he give me this rational questioning mind if I was going to be punished for exercising it? Faith is a weakness. Faith is the excuse we give ourselves to believe something when there is no good reason to. Atheists don't claim to know where matter comes from or if there is a meaning to life. Maybe one day we'll know, or maybe we won't. Theists don&ap

The role of the gods is a dominant theme in Homer's "The Iliad." The gods take sides either for the Greeks or the Trojans, all, that is, except for Zeus, who seems to stay neutral and impartial, even when his know son, Sarpedon, is about to die. The gods in the story add a twist to the war; they intervene and change some of the events so that their favorite cause or warrior may win. No matter what the gods or humans do, they are still bound to fate, and it is Zeus who must be the peacekeeper and deliverer of this fate. The gods have the ability to control mortal lives and human actions. The gods are all-powerful, but Zeus is the supreme authority. This paper will focus upon Zeus, examining how his actions influenced in the war and the role he plays in the story as a whole. Zeus, as the overseeing authority, ensures that fate will be carried out, despite the trickery of the other gods and humans. Zeus is the ultimate power over the war, making sure that however the war is meant

"The Metamorphosis" is definitely an appropriate title for Franz Kafka's novella. At first, the story seems to be confusing and ridiculous, but toward the end of the story, the true meaning of the tale becomes clearer. Each character goes through a certain transformation. For Gregor, that transformation is into an insect, while his family transforms into harder working folk. All the trouble Gregor had gone through in order to provide for his family was unappreciated, and perhaps his transformation was a necessary sacrifice for the family to survive. It is obviously a metaphorical device Kafka uses when Gregor is transformed into an insect. This way to serve as a symbol. Generally, insects are industrious creatures who lead simple lives wherein they have one basic task that they must car

"Driving safe is the best thing you'll ever do, because if you don't, it's the last thing you'll ever do!" How do you feel about that statement? Who do you think wrote it, and why? Who is it directed towards? Why didn't they just say, "If you don't drive safe, you'll die?" All these questions can be answered by a concept called Rhetorical Situation. A Rhetorical Situation used for persuasion is comprised of four major components: Rhetor, Audience, Constraints, and Exigence. Today, I'm going to analyze the rhetorical situations of three different advertisements and explain how to effectively write different RACEs. The rhetor is the person(s) doing the communicating whether it is the speaker, author, planner, or whomever plays a part in the actual discourse. Audience is the target the persuasive text, or in this case, the advertisement, is directed towards. This can be a large body of people watching a play, or a specif

A psychiatrist is a licensed medical doctor who specializes in disease of the mind (not the brain, that's a neurologist). A psychologist is a non-medical health-care professional who has taken a master's degree or doctorate in psychology and treats people using interaction (therapy). A psychiatrist usually prescribes psychotropic medication (Psychoactive medications used to change, modify, or alter an individual's behavior or mood), whereas the psychologist uses therapy to treat mental disorders. While there are plenty of patients out there who do so well on meds that they don't need therapy, the majority of patients do best with both meds and therapy. But psychiatrists rarely provide the full package of treatment, because they are trapped in a system of incentives that discourage integrative care. I endorse psychologists prescribing, and here's why: it would be the single best thing that could happen to the mental health field. With the increased scientific knowledge of the mind resu

Should you buy the new Louis Vuitton wallet or should you just stick to the perfectly fine Guess wallet you have? Saving seems to be a problem with adults, mainly the young and feckless ones. After interviewing some colleagues, the results were that saving was not an important factor in their lives as to spending was. A number of these students that had some sort of income mentioned that since they have a source of income, they should be able to spend it however they prefer. In the real world, you should be spending on things that you need instead of the things you want. Also, spending more than you make is never a smart idea and could lead to bigger issues. One mistake many young adults and college students make is that they do not save any money they have earned. Most people today have trouble controlling their expenses; managing their budget must be mastered. Using your money on things you need and using it on the things you want have two different meanings. To need something is something a person must have or something a person can't live

Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto was most appealing to and revolutionary for the industrial workers of 1848 (and those to come after that time). The call for the unification of the proletariat and the abolishment of the Bourgeoisie was an urgent one during a time of rapid progress in all aspects of industrial life. This urgency of The Communist Manifesto and the desire for a change of political ideologies (to match the exponential rate of progress of wealth and industry) created not only a spate of revolutions but a long-lasting change in political ideas for industrialized European nations. The Communist Manifesto created a sense of unity and class awareness throughout the proletariat, thus they were able to recognize their power politically, socially and economically. Naturally, with the sudden rise of industry (particularly in England) other sectors of the European economy were affected. Cottage industries were put out of business by competition from manufactured goods and agricultur

When Bad Things Happen To Good People is a nonfiction book written by Harold Kushner, who is a Conservative Rabbi. When his three year old son was diagnosed with a degenerative disease, in which he would only live until early teens, Kushner asked, "Why, God?"(6,143) Kushner starts by explaining that his book grew out of the pain of watching his son, Aaron, die of an old age when he was only fourteen. He was diagnosed with progeria which makes a child age very rapidly. Kushner had always believed in God and that God was good and just. He thought how could a good, kind, just, God treat an innocent child this way? In the first chapter, the author examines the theories that people have come up with to try and make sense of suffering. The first one is that God gives people what they deserve, that "our misdeeds cause our misfortunes." He said that the problem with this theory is that it "creates guilt even where there is no basis for it. It makes people h