The phrase "film noir" was first used to describe genre of black and white films first made during the 1940s and 1950s. The basic characteristics of these films were dark themes played out by weak male characters and female characters out to deceive them. The universe was depicted as essentially cynical. These films particularly lent themselves to the filmmaker in an artistic frame of mind, who could use shades of black and white to accurately depict the darkest in human and universal nature. The blac

This paper presents a detailed examination of the mental health field using one case study for exploration. The writer discusses the health setting environment, the client's background, symptoms and issues. The writer than presents findings about what the diagnosis may be. There were sources used to complete this paper.

Most people will agree that the Internet has had a tremendous impact upon society. But does the Internet have a positive or negative influence on society? This is a question that has sparked much debate. Many people believe that the Internet is negatively influencing society by increasing pornography, fraud, and other negative elements. Some say that, because the Internet is not regulated, it contributes to crime and decreases the safety of human beings. However, despite these negative aspects, the Internet has opened up many new doors of opportunity for people, improving the way we live, work, and play. In addition, the Internet has become a critical path for research. For these reasons, and many others, many people believe that the positive influences of the Internet far outweigh the negative ones. Ten years ago, the Internet was used by only a small population of the world. Fewer understood what the Internet even was. Today, however, that has all changed in record-breaking time

Gender Play is a book that deals with a common theme throughout sociological literature in an attempt to create a new perspective of gender as it relates to children. Barrie Thorne, a professor of sociology at the University of Southern California who is well known for her involvement in gender studies, observed elementary school children in several schools in America during the 1970s and 1980s, taking notes on how gender appears to affect the culture of the students and the way they interact with each other. Intended to be read by educators and parents, Thorne combines school observations in the classroom and on the playground with her own recollections of childhood, stories shared by college-age students about their childhoods, and empirical research spanning several decades. Gender Play is loosely organized around the dictionary definitions of the word play, from the obvious reference to children's gender-influenced interactions during games to the idea of children using dra

The content of the movie Mystic River (2004), directed by Clint Eastwood, demands the form, but in a unique, creative way that is far more interesting and fresh than the typical form of the average "whodunit" murder mystery. The formalistic elements of Mystic River are in fact very non-tr5aditional, in terms of containing not just the typical beginning; middle, and end elements of a "whodunit" murder mystery. Instead, Mystic River begins with Dave being picked up by child molesters posing as city officials while his friends Sean and Jimmy watch helplessly. This opening scene sets the stage for all the rest that follow, as Eastwood then shows the ways that this early horrible experience forever marks, and in various distinct ways int

Introduction: Human Resource departments are going to be facing new and critical challenges in the near future – when it comes to recruiting, hiring, and retaining fresh talent – even beyond what they face today. Indeed, according to a new study by Monster Worldwide, a leading global online career and recruitment service for individuals and companies, over 70% of HR recruiters surveyed believe that "worker retention is already a primary concern" (Business Wire, 2006), and 41% believe that "retention begins with hiring and onboarding" (albeit not all HR components have the strategies in place for best hiring and retention practices). These pivotal retention and hiring matters are coming into play at this time because of several factors; one, the economy is only "slowly" improving; two, there is a "higher demand for workers"; three, workers have become "confident in their ability to see and obtain alternative employment"; f

The question of whether the terrorist attacks of September 11th could have been prevented with proper detection techniques still plagues modern law enforcement. Often, the question of terrorist profiling focuses on racial or ethnic stereotypes rather than particular sociological or psychological profiles endemic to fundamentalist or nationalist terrorists. However, law enforcement must face the fact that not all Muslims, Palestinians, or Arabs are terrorists, and thus additional factors must be necessary to create the necessary conditions to foster terrorism within a community. Why do some individuals decide to become terrorists? Do terrorists share common psychological traits? Is there a terrorist personality? Can a terrorist profile reliably help security personnel to identify terrorists? (Hudson, 1999, p.14) If these questions regarding the contributing factors that give rise to a terrorist psychology could be answered, law enforcement will have an additional, valuable tool in det

Introduction The question of whether women are more likely to be clinically depressed than are their male counterparts first requires a clinical definition of what it means to be depressed. Depression, from a clinician's viewpoint, is much more than having a bad day. It is a sustained period of a disturbance in mood, marked by profound changes in sleep, eating, and feelings of low self-worth. ("Depression in Women: Information from your family doctor, 2002, The American Family Physician) But although one should not dismiss depression as merely "the blues," one should also not negate its commonness. Depression remains one of the most frequently diagnosed mental illnesses in America today. "Depression is so prevalent that it has been referred to as the 'common cold' of mental illness." (Furman & Bender, 2003) This poses an interesting question-why do women seem more likely to catch this common psychological cold than their male counterpar

Oedipus like some other well-known Greek heroes was guilty of equating temporal success with godliness. Thus despite the prophecy of Apollo, Oedipus pushed himself into the very fate that was pre-ordained for him, while he was deliberately ignoring the negative tidings. He did not heed the prophecy believing that no one and nothing could destroy him, yet he himself brought destruction upon himself by his ruthless means and his arrogance. This excessive pride and arrogance is known as hubris and this was the tragic flaw of Oedipus that led to his downfall. It is because of this that Oedipus becomes spiritual blind and later becomes the cause of his physical blindness as well. Physical blindness was an indication of the destruction that his hubris had wrought. Spiritual blindnes

The 42nd President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, is considered the most investigated president in U.S. history. The first scandal, commonly known as "Travelgate," involved the White House travel office and the firing of seven employees who were replaced by Clinton's Arkansas friends in 1993, and was followed a few months later by the Whitewater controversy (Presidential). In 1994, around the same time that Paula C. Jones publicly alleged that Clinton, while Governor of Arkansas, had sexually harassed her, Clinton began an eighteen-month affair with Monica Lewinsky, a 22-year-old White House intern (Presidential). Lewinsky's name was first included on a list of potential witnesses prepared by Jones' attorneys that were submitted to Clinton's legal team (Clinton). In 1996, Lewinsky was transferred to a position at the Pentagon, where she became friends with Linda Tripp, also transferred from the White House, who began to secretly tape-record Lewinsky's telephone co

The Xenogenesis trilogy is a one-volume novel entitled, "Lilith's Brood," in 2000 written by Octavia Butler (1989). It is composed of "Dawn," published in 1987; "Adulthood Rites," published in 1988; and "Imago," published in 1989. The trilogy is about an alien species, called Oankali, which come in three sexes, namely, male, female and the ooloi. The ooloi is a third gender that mixes and manipulates the genetic material and constitution of the male and the female. The first novel is about Lilith Iyapo, an African American woman, who is restored to life by the Oankali after a nuclear war that brings near extinction to humanity on earth. The aliens want to colonize the earth and fill it with Oankali-human creature hybrids. The second novel is about Lilith's half-human and half-Oankali son, Akin, who is kidnapped by the resisting and sterile human remnants. The third and last novel is about Lilith's full ooloi child, Jodahs, who int

Discussion of Scaffolding What is Instructional Scaffolding (IS)? According to Dr. Hope Hartman, "scaffolds" – the kind used in construction – are "temporary structures" provide physical support to workers while they work on jobs off the ground that would "otherwise be impossible." The scaffolds are two-pronged in their application: they give workers a place to conduct their work activities, and also help workers "reach work areas that they could not access on their own" standing on the ground level. That having been pointed out, Hartman explains that "instructional scaffolding" is a teaching strategy that was "cleverly named for the practical resemblance it bears" to the physical scaffolds just described that are used for building and construction projects. The instructional scaffolding strategy engages students collaboratively in tasks that lend assistance to the learning process. When new skills are needed, b

This paper presents an examination of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and its impact on the American public school system since its inception. The writer explores the steps leading to IDEA and then argues that IDEA is one of the most significant decisions that has been made in the history of the school system in this country. There were three sources used to complete this paper.

Working capital is measured by subtracting current liabilities from current assets. For PepsiCo, working capital for 2005 is $1,887 MM up from $1,080 MM in 2004 primarily due to a reduction in accounts receivables and a slight reduction in inventory (1). Accounts payable also decreased substantially (1). Working capital measures how much in liquid assets a company has available to build its business. The number can be positive or negative, depending on how much current debt the company is carrying. In general, companies that have a lot of working capital will be more successful since they can expand and improve their operations. Companies with negative working capital may lack the funds necessary for growth. Functio

The novel The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis is a Christian allegory about the end of humankind and the Day of Judgment. It depicts how the world will end, and how human beings will be judged at the end of Time. In The Last Battle, the character of the ape Shift is an allegorical representation of the all of the worst temptations of humankind-the lust for power, greed for riches, and the desire not to take responsibility for making decisions. Shift only acts out of self-serving motivations. He does not aspire to do what is right. Shift merely wishes to fulfill his own ambitions, like Satan's desire to gain control over humanity in the Bible. Shift will do anything to realize his objectives, even if his means and goals are immoral. Shift tempts good people, like the donkey Puzzle to give up their God-given free will in what they think is their own self-interest, but is really in the devil Shift's own self-interest. Shift's misdeeds underline the core message of the novel

The act of rape is one of the most violent and demeaning crimes in society. Rape is more associated with aggression and domination than it is with sex. Not only does this act cause physical harm but it is also emotionally and psychologically damaging to the victim. "Individuals who have been raped are more depressed and anxious than non victimized. They often intrusively recall the assault and blame themselves, which can lead to poor adjustment following the rape." (Buddie A. M. and Miller A.G. 2001) Furthermore is it quite common for victims of rape to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. In spite of these aspects and the suffering of rape victims, the myth is often propagated in society that women initiate rape either by being alluring or tacitly leading the male on. This is a common held myth perpetrated in many male orientated and patriarchal societies. This myth is in the first instance opposed by many facts. Research has found that the most of ra

The objective of this work is to research and examine the conflict faced by urban youth and how the proposition of an 'Anti-Gang' can be a viable alternative to criminal behavior often associated with gangs.

None of us could live with a habitual truth teller; but, thank goodness, none of us has to. -- Mark Twain, "On the decay of the art of lying" (1896), p. 360 Introduction The epigraph above suggests that no one tells the truth all of the time, but many people would probably agree that lying is morally wrong. In Tom Jones (1749), Henry Fielding refers to the Earl Anthony Ashley Cooper as being, "The elegant Lord Shaftsbury" who "objects to telling too much truth: by which it may be fairly inferred, that, in some cases, to lie is not only excusable, but commendable" (Battesin, 2000, p. 132). To determine whether this assertion holds up under careful scrutiny, this paper provides a review and discussion of when, if ever, it is excusable to prevaricate, and when, if ever, doing so can be considered commendable. A summary of the research and salient findings will be provided in the conclusion. Review and Discussion By some accounts, it would seem th

The objective of this work is to demonstrate several instances in which an expanded understanding of the universe based on applied science and technology radically altered the nature of human reality and to identify what might prove to be equally important issues, and whose resolution might change the manner in which we perceive ourselves and the universe which surrounds us. This work will describe the potential for change based on such new insights.

William Shakespeare's Hamlet is the story of a man whose faith in mankind has been destroyed. Hamlet has lost his father in a scandalous murder, and consequently his mother in the marriage that came as a result of this murder. As he works to avenge his father, Hamlet turns to his friends for comfort and advice, but out of all of the main characters in the play that Hamlet chooses to confide in, Horatio is the one who will prove to be the most loyal, level-headed, and trustworthy. We are introduced to Horatio in the first scene of the play. The events that night at the castle show the reader how respected Horatio is, and how he approaches difficult situations in a cool, intelligent manner. He is asked by the guards to serve as witness to the apparition because his honesty and wit are well esteemed, and the guards believe that if Horatio verifies this unusual event, then it is far more convincing to those who haven't witnessed it themselves. They also feel that he is the best one to speak to the apparition since he is educated and can speak with the intimidation that is required to discover the purpose of the ghost's visit. "If thou art privy to thy

The cultural norms in an organization are the behavior patterns that are typically seen. These are learned behaviors from organizational members, formed by the values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors within the organization's culture. These shared values and beliefs guide the thoughts and behavior of the members. The Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI) that was performed for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, in Pittsburgh, where I worked as a claim processor, gave a comprehensive picture of the culture within the organization. It accurately depicted the organization's culture in terms of norms and expectations, for the 12 behavioral styles. It was demonstrated that Highmark operated in a fairly average cultural norm environment. No major problems were noted; however, there is still room for improvement. The Constructive Norms, which are cultural styles promoting satisfaction behaviors, were one of the areas the Circumplex indicated my company could improve upon. In a Co

This novel was written by a social anthropologist, Amitav Ghosh, who is also a skilled literary craftsman when it comes to the precision and clarity of his narrative style. So, knowing his anthropological background and expertise, a reader goes into a book with a little different sense of anticipation; science will surely be a prominent part of the book's theme. And also, I am enjoying reading the novel and observing the two types of cultures – Western and Eastern cultures – and how each of those cultures views and responds to technology and science. The plot is made very interesting in a diverse way, because there are characters whose cultural backgrounds are very different from the places and cultures that they are living in; for example, far from his real cultural place of residence is Antar, an Egyptian (Eastern culture), who resides in Manhattan (western culture). His job is to research artifacts (from many cultures) through the medium of cyberspace, which is a

In what ways does Neal Stephenson, the author of Snow Crash apply principles of programming to his description and interpretation of Sumerian history? What could ancient Sumerian history and computer programming possibly have to do with one another? Both, suggests Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash, deal with the phenomenon of human memory, language creation, comprehension, and recall. Ancient religions and computers alike make these human functions easier to understand, for both programming and myths of origins dramatize the birth of language. Long, long ago, according to Stephenson's novel, a kind of prototypical virus entered the world that changed the fundamental nature of human communication. Before, all human beings were able to understand one another, regardless of where they dwelled upon earth. This was because the primary functions of language, rather than being acquired, existed within the human brain on a kind of primordial level. Basic brain structures e

As the countries of the world line up into increasingly polarized political camps, the United States is facing a wide range of foreign policy issues that have assumed critical levels in recent weeks. Not only are countries in the Middle East openly defying U.S. hegemony in the region, countries in its own hemisphere such as Venezuela are arming themselves and proclaiming their opposition to American foreign policy as well. In the wake of September 11, 2001, many observers are suggesting that there is no longer any room for second guesses or false starts, and preemptive military action against international pariahs such as North Korea and Iran should be the order of the day. While the foreign policy hawks are beating these military drums, though, there are some vitally important considerations involved in this analysis that must be taken into account before formulating policy decisions, including the impact of Iran's current political leadership and policies on America's su

It is often difficult to interpret or explain a work of art. There are many theories and views by experts that can be taken into account. But possibly the most rewarding way to understand and express ideas about art is through an expression of the emotions that one feels when one looks at a picture or painting. This is a personal view, but I think that expressing your own feelings about a work of art is an honest way of experiencing the work of art. The painting "Christ at Thirty-Three" by Heinrich Hofmann is one of the most moving pictures that I have seen. Heinrich Hofmann was born in Darmstadt, Germany in1824. He studied at the Antwerp Academy in Dusseldorf and he died in 1902. He was very interested in painting pictures of Christ (Heinrich Hoffman). Looking at this painting makes me feel a wide range of emotions