The film "Memoirs of a Geisha" unquestionably fits Joseph M. Boggs and Dennis W. Petrie's definition of a "cinematic film," a film that uses visual effects to convey a distinct impression of time, place, and story. (Boggs & Petrie 123) The film is set during early 20th century Japan and blends elements of traditional Japanese design in its visual frames with contrasting elements of modern history and Western culture over the progression of the film's narrative. In showing what seems, to Western eyes, the strange life and world of Japanese geishas, the director Rob Marshall makes particularly effective use of cinematography in conveying different character's clashing points of view and the fortunes of the different characters of the film. For example, the film often contrasts the protagonist's "subjective" point of view, such as Sayuri's first, intimidating glance at the geisha Hatsumomo with the "objective" point of view of the director, as when the director later shows the otherwise cru

A clear explanation the primary aims and functions of editing in film is as follows. If cinematography defines the "look" of the image, editing determines the rhythm and pace of the film. Editing encompasses not just the process of stringing shots together to make up particular sequences, but involves the assemblage and sequencing of whole scenes or sections of the film, thus determining how the narrative unfolds... ( Geiger J. ) Importantly, the above quotation refers to the fact those editing and cutting techniques and more than just a sequential way of "stringing shots together". Cutting and editing techniques in film serve a number of essential purposes. These techniques not only give provide form and sequence but also determine the flow and the pace of the film. They also can be used to emphasize certain emotional moments in the film and can add to the artistic integrity and the narrative flow and meaning in the film. Classical editing techniques can be seen for

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of constitutional legal decisions. Specifically it will discuss the case Roe versus Wade, first decided in the 1973. Roe versus Wade is a controversial decision that has been challenged in the courts many times, and overturned by some states. It decided that a woman has the right to an abortion, up to a certain time limit in her pregnancy, and that the woman's right to terminate her pregnancy outweighs any rights the unborn fetus might possess. The ruling has been controversial from the beginning, and has split the country down the middle, with those who support the ruling on one side, and those who disagree with it on the other. Roe versus Wade, commonly referred to as Roe, began as a Texas case over a law that forbid any type of abortion unless the mother's life was at stake. The court's decision ruled against Texas and in favor of the rights of the woman, and in doing so, legalized abortion in the country for the first time. As one writer no

The United States and its Western allies say Teheran's real goal is to build nuclear weapons and have threatened sanctions. Washington has hinted a military strike is not out of the question. Fears that Iran is trying to build nuclear warheads were aggravated when diplomats said UN Inspectors may have found traces of highly enriched uranium on equipment from an Iranian research center linked to the military. This is one example of how terrorism creates fear to the world. Different war weapons, threats of killing innocent civilians, and threats of destructing the world, are some form of terrorism that the world is facing these days; especially rampant since the 7/11 attack in the year 2001. Different issues were thrown and are being discussed by many international groups who are concerned on the peace and safety of all nations. In the news, there can never be an episode where information about planned terrorist attacks or events of terrorism will be out of news discussion. Altho

There are many contending theories and views about the historical and political impact and aftermath of the death of John F. Kennedy. These various perceptions range from the common view that his death was a blow to democracy and peace in the county and resulted in the escalation of the Vietnam conflict; to opposing views that his legacy was the increase of American military imperialism and cold war aggression. These views will be discussed in this paper. However, if we are to focus on the impact of the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the importance that this had of the country per se, then the discussion should be more on the cultural and ideological implications that followed immediately after the death of the president. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was one of the most traumatic social episodes and cultural disasters of the last century in the United States. The death of the President of America should also be seen in the context of the fact that it took

In both Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Homer's The Odyssey, the main characters transgress beyond accepted social norms and commit crimes. Odysseus blinds a man, acts recklessly in providing for the safety of his crew, and is unfaithful (repeatedly) to his wife. Oedipus is unkind to a blind man, refuses to listen to good advice, falsely accuses people, and kills a man. In both cases, though, the epic heroes Odysseus and Oedipus are not blameworthy because the audience understands that the acts of lawlessness and transgression are not the fault of the heroes; it is their fate to behave in such a way. While it is a suspension of reality to absolve the heroes of blame for their immoral or illegal actions, such a suspension is common in literature. The fictional heroes "get away with murder" because it is really not their fault. Readers of mythology and literature in general can appreciate the loophole that allows fated characters to escape retribution. The acti

The incessant modification and development of corporate organization in this era including the job description and work specifications of rank and file employees have brought forth new burdens for the human resource department of companies across the US and around the world. With the use of certain methods in pinpointing the difficulties and obstacles that employee encounters in their workload, through the acquired data and information, the department will be able to analyze and give corresponding solutions and answers to this complexities. Job analysis serves as a very important tool in analyzing the needed requirement of a specific task. Job analysis refers to a variety of methods and processes in evaluating the prerequisite of a specified job. This system covers a host of activities, all directed toward discovering, understanding and describing what people do at work. It thus forms the basis for the solution of virtually every human resource problem (HR Magazine, 2004) Job ana

In an organization or any company, people or its present human resources are considered to be one of the greatest asset that a company posses. With this amount of value given to this most critical component of an organization, its training and development is one of the most important concerns. According to Clive Shepherd in his article reiterating about the importance of the growth of individuals and its training within a company, the amount of expected return of investment is part of the most significant tool in assessing and evaluating the capabilities of its people. He stressed that, "If people really are your greatest asset, isn't it time to look at your training programs as investments in your organization's human capital and not just as an expense" he contends that the case for return on investment (ROI) as a primary tool for forecasting and evaluating the benefits of training and explains the steps involved in conducting an ROI analysis. Shepherd further noted that &qu

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed into law in October of 1992 and went into effect on January 1st, 1994. This tripartite trading bloc of North American countries established tariff-free trade while removing many of the barriers to cross-border investment, expanding the earlier Canada- US Free Trade Agreement, created in 1989.. With tariff eliminations and duty-free status of a variety of products from favored nation suppliers, NAFTA has created the world's largest free trade areas (Fugate). Several benefits have been noted, especially for the member nation, Mexico. "The benefits accruing to Mexico from the agreement include growth in national output, falling unemployment rates, and increasing trade with the U.S. The benefits of the agreement to Mexico are also reflected in the rapid growth of the Mexican maquiladora industry" (Fugate). However, it is not all positive news. As real wage increases take hold in Mexico, some maquiladoras are no longer able to operate cost-effectively. As such, there has been a disturbing trend of moving low-wage jobs ou

The attacks that took place on September 11th, 2001, on the United States of America, is one event that has had a wide and long lasting impact on the entire world, form the time it took place, till today, and it will continue to have its impact in the future as well. What happened was this: about nineteen men of the terrorist Al-Qaeda group, hijacked four commercial aircraft, and subsequently, crashed two of them into the World Trade Center in New York City, and one into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and the fourth one, which the heroic passengers attempted to rescue from the hijackers, crashed into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people died from the terrorist attacks, and the 110 floors of the Twin World Trade Centers, five other buildings located in the same area, and four subway stations were completely destroyed. (September 11, 2001 Attacks) The issue here is did this single event in history manage to cast its influence on other events tha

This paper discusses terrorism and the careful balancing act that must be had between freedom of the press and national security.

Friedrich Fröbel, or Froebel, is best known as the pioneer of the "kindergarten system." Radical in his day, he highlighted the significance of play, theorizing that it is the elementary engagement with the world that provides understanding. Strongly influenced by Pestolazzi, Froebel's ideas blossomed out of a kindness and desire to teach children by enhancing their natural tendencies, and focusing on their developmental stage as opposed to the traditional methods of the day which treated young children as small adults. Born in 1782, Friedrich Froebel was the youngest of several brothers. His mother's passing at the very tender age of nine months ". . . influenced the whole environment and development of my being: I consider that my mother's death decided more or less the external circumstances of my whole life" (Froebel 3). Froebel was basically raised by his older brothers because his father, a pastor, well known in his own right, was focused on t

Diversity is increasing in this country, and many colleges are working to accommodate individuals that are 'different' in some way. This can include race and religion, but also addresses ethnicity, various handicaps, and primary language spoken. There are more and more individuals today that are coming to this country legally but yet do not speak English well. When these individuals attempt to attend a community college to learn job skills, they often struggle because of the language barrier. Because of this and other diversity issues, it is important to examine what community colleges are doing in order to help individuals succeed in their academic career. Distance learning, cultural diversity, specialization, professionalization, and self-serving faculty interests have made developing college curricula an increasingly difficult and somewhat arduous task. Even a medium-sized college or community college

Introduction On September 10, 2001, the day before terrorists struck the World Trade Center in New York City, and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., a report was issued to the U.S. Congress by Kenneth Katzman, "Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs" for the U.S. Department of State. "Signs continue to point to...a rise in the scope of threat posed by the independent network of exiled Saudi dissident Usama bin Ladin," Katzman wrote. The terrorist network of bin Laden, Katzman asserted, is "independently financed... [and] wants to strike within the United States itself." The world knows what happened the day after that report was issued. But what terrorist-related issues and policies have the Bush Administration dealt with subsequent to 9/11? How effective have those policies been, given the issues that those policies have raised? Those are the topics to be explored in this paper. What effect has terrorism had on U.S. policy since Sept. 11, 2001? Accordin

Introduction Euthanasia in any one of its forms is the deliberate ending of life or the hastening of death at the instance of the patient. Over the last few years, Euthanasia or more specifically assisted suicide has become a much-debated topic not only in the medical circles but also in the legal and the social domains. When we look into the topic of mercy killing we find that it is the 'fear factor' that underlies both the sides of the issue of the debate. From the patients perspective it is the fear of unbearable pain that cannot be assuaged, the embarrassment of dependence and the feeling of worthlessness and loss of self-love from the other angle we have a fear of doctors and nurses and the possibility of the abuse of the power. However, currently there are some countries (Netherlands, Oregon in US) where assisted suicide is legalized and practiced. Let us analyze this issue in a little detail and look into the ethical, social, medical aspects and in particular the nu

GDP per capita is often used as an indicator of welfare in an economy. While this approach has advantages, there are also many criticisms on GDP as an indicator of standard of living or welfare. The major advantages to using GDP per capita as an indicator of standard of living are that it is measured frequently, widely and consistently. Another advantage is that it is used in all countries which allow crude comparisons of the standard of living in different countries. The major disadvantage of using GDP as an indicator of standard of living is that it is not, strictly speaking, a measure of standard of living or welfare. GDP is intended to be a measure of particular types of economic activity within a country. For instance, in an extreme example, a country which exported 100 per cent of its production would still have a high GDP, but a very poor standard of living. There are many negative points raised against GDP as a measure of welfare of a country. Firstly, GDP attempts to remove

F. Scott Fitzgerald is best known today as the author of the classic novel The Great Gatsby. The novel tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a poor and obscure Midwesterner who makes his fortune as a bootlegger to win the heart of his childhood sweetheart. One character says of Gatsby that he made himself up, in other words, that through creating a false personal mythology, by wearing fancy clothes, and buying fancy houses, Gatsby unsuccessfully tried to create a new identity for himself. The same could have been said of his creator, although unlike Gatsby, Fitzgerald had a far more ironic view of the world as a writer. He ironically chronicled Ivy League and elite Long Island society observed with wonder by the narrator of Fitzgerald's greatest book. Fitzgerald was born in the American heartland, in St. Paul Minnesota on September 24, 1896. His father Edward Fitzgerald was a failed furniture salesman and his mother Mary was an Irish immigrant. (Willet, 2006) Both were Catholic and t

Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899-1962) is considered to be one of the greatest American authors of the 20th century. Hemingway was born July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His father, Clarence, was a physician, and his mother, Grace, had aspired to be an opera singer before her marriage but now gave voice and music lessons. As a child and adolescent, Hemingway lived a typical middle-class, and relatively privileged life. The family took summer vacations each year on Lake Walloon in Michigan ("Ernest Hemingway", Wikipedia, June 15, 2006) and it is here that Hemingway learned from his father, an outdoorsman, to hunt, fish, and enjoy nature (Baker; Brien; "Ernest Hemingway"). Hemingway's love of nature and the outdoors, established early on in his life, is reflected in much of his fiction, including his first published short story collection In Our Time (1925), which contains Hemingway's well-known story of the Michigan outdoors, &

The term Manifest Destiny as it relates to expansionism in the United States related to a widely held belief that that it was the destiny of the United States to expand westward across the American continent in order to spread democracy and liberty, and to provide additional resources and land for the good of the young American republic. Manifest Destiny eventually became synonymous with the goal of westward te

The Reconstruction was the period that occurred following the Civil War, when "the states of the breakaway Confederacy were reintegrated into the United States of America" ("Reconstruction"). The North was not terribly successful at changing Southern society during the Reconstruction. Although the slaves were technically freed, the South insisted on strict seg

The word "globalization" can be defined as the decline in costs of doing business internationally. One of its key effects is to enhance the international integration of markets for goods, services, technology, ideas, financial and other capital, labor, and even arts and crafts. The end of the Cold War and dissipation of centralized economic planning, the bane of socialist countries after the dismemberment of the USSR, and the successful adoption of capitalism by China as a vehicle of accelerated development have paved the way for worldwide capitalism which has set the stage for open world trade. Globalization affects a wide spectrum of economic and social life of a nation. It transforms trading patterns, finance, technological innovation, means and modes of communication, cultural patterns and patterns of governance, rate of employment, living standards, and the arts. Globalization is usually used in two different connotations, in the positive sense the word is used to describe the pr

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of criminal justice. Specifically it will discuss the "Unabomber," Ted Kaczynski, and whether Kaczynski should be classified as a terrorist or a serial killer, including the difference between the two classifications. Ted Kaczynski, a reclusive loaner at war with American societal values, created a wave of terror when he randomly sent bomb packages to people in several states. Convicted as the "Unabomber" in 1998 to life in prison, Kaczynski shows classic symptoms of mental disorders associated with serial killers; however, Kaczynski was a terrorist pure and simple. He waged violence against innocent victims as a sad protest against American societal values, and as such, created a wave of terror and confusion until he was caught and tried. He currently serves a life sentence in a California prison. Ted Kaczynski is a legend in America's criminal justice system in that his homemade letter bombs continued for

Song One: "Look Down" (Full cast) This is a song in Act I sung by the entire company of singers, all of whom are in the persona of factory workers. This early song sets the scene of the misery and poverty of the majority of the French populace. It helps explain why revolution occurs later on in the piece: "it's a struggle, it's a war," say the actors of their daily existence. "What it is to be living!" However, unlike the triumphant company songs that follow later, the bitter workers are merely resigned to their lot, without much hope of changing their circumstances. At the end of the piece, the audience is introduced to Fantine and learns that she has a child. The occasional cruelty of the embittered poor is highlighted as the other workers taunt her and accuse her of immorality. When she fights with another woman, trying to conceal a letter that reveals her secret, she is fired. Song Two: "I Dreamed a Dream" (Fantine) This Act I aria teaches the audience of the significance Fan

Both Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple and Toni Morrison's tale of Beloved chronicle stories of African-American women's experiences of triumph and suffering over oppression and discrimination. But while Walker and Morrison share a common literary heritage in the tradition of African-American women's writing, their works deviate substantially, in the fiction's narrative constructs, literary devices, and in the work's cultural and critical receptions after publication. Walker's novel was embraced as a popular feminist classic because of its account of Celie, a physically and sexually abused young woman, who found liberation through her relationship with Shug Avery, a feisty gin-joint singer. Morrison's novel about a mother who was haunted by the ghost of the child she killed rather than allow it to return to slavery became a literary classic and received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Beloved is now widely read in high schools and colleges

Whereas the word "sex" is a biological term that categorizes the male and female reproductive organs, a person's gender is recognized through acts of socialization. Genderization begins in infancy when adults accept young boys as handsome and tough, while juvenile girls are viewed as angelic and beautiful. Unlike our reproductive organs, gender is not determined by a penis or a vagina. From a very young age, we learn to wear clothing associated with our assigned-at-birth gender (male or female), walk and talk within gender expectations, and pursue interests and goals that society deems appropriate to a specific gender. By the time girls and boys start school, the socialization process is well underway, and children are actively constructing gender (Khasan & Tiumeneva, 1998). Barrie Thorne, the author of the book "Gender Play: Girls and Boys in School" (1994), argues that children are not just passive recipients of genderized socialization from parents, teachers, and media influences