Guns, schools and criminal minds Essay Example for Free

Guns, schools and criminal minds Essay Due to a massive shootings events in the last years, we, the people have been wondering Is it a good idea to have guns in our childrens school? Ive always believe that schools are the safest places in the world, until December 14, 2012, when 20 years old Adan Lanza fatally shot twenty children and 6 adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Now, do you feel safe when leaving your child at school? and, would you agree in sending your children off to a place full of guns? David Thweatt, superintendent of schools in Harrold, Texas, described how his small rural district implemented a plan to allow some staff members to carry concealed weapons in addition to other security members. Mr. Thweatt emphasizes that they are at least half-hour away from closest law enforcement ofï ¬ cials, they believe that they have done everything possible to protect their children. This plan is called The Guardian Plan. Many people think that the world without guns would be a world at peace, this people claim that they love their children enough to not want them to go to school prisons. Plenty of new issues can emerge while teachers carry guns, who is going to protect them if a teacher lose control? Different opinions say that having an armed staff of educators will only increase the problem, they think that bad people are the problem and government should focus on create better and smarter solutions to keep bad people off to schools. According to teachers, they feel offended when someone scoff the idea of a teacher being trained to use a ï ¬ rearm, they already have much to deal with, such a crowd control, conï ¬â€šict resolution, and maintain order amidst chaos. Unfortunately, Mr. Thweatts is not very popular on educators†¦ However, a job as a teacher does not require to be armed, they have enough responsibilities to in addition put the weight of carrying a ï ¬ rearm over their shoulders. These money may well be used to buy books, pencils, electronic equipment, to keep classes that have been suspended due to lack of income, and some other needs that we all know most school have. On the other hand, the tragic situation in Sandy Hook Elementary has changed many peoples mind. Having a good guy adequately trained would be a great way to keep terrorist off schools and most important to keep children safe. As long as all the staff involved had passed all different kind of tests, it should be an idea to considerate. We need immediate solutions, and since NRA will always support our gun culture, and acquiring a gun has only became easier we need something that work, something that give us peace every time we leave our kids at school. The Guardian Plan may be our best bet to avoid, and be aware of catastrophic act of terrorist. At the same time that I believe guns against guns are only more death and danger, I also believe that we are not in a position to decline systematized plans that will keep our children protected. Many people might believe that the children would be living on the edge while being in a guns environment, for now, and until our society shows progress, I will be strongly agree with the idea of having schools prepared to any kind of terrorist attack.

Greek Shipping Competition

Greek Shipping Competition Introduction: During the 20th century Greek shipping eventually developed as one of the most competitive players globally. Greek shipowners managed to establish their reputation as dominant players based on a well-structured positioning mix that has supported their efforts throughout the years. A variety of studies has been developed aiming to define what precisely supported Greek owners to build this successful entrepreneurial structure and which factor allowed them to obtain and sustain the competitiveness of the Greek shipping. According to M. Porter ‘’competitiveness†¦.’’ The definition for the competitiveness of Greek shipping has been studied by a respectful number of mostly Greek academics. The majority of the studies, focused mainly in specific sectors (e.g. dry bulks) or factors (e.g. Greek shipping network) as to analyse the competitive advantage of the Greek fleet. However, the aim of this paper is to evaluate if Greek shipping can sustain its competitive character. Thus, from the point of view of the writer, it will be more realistic to analyse a range of factors and sectors that contribute to the success of Greek shipping. It would not be simplistic to say that at the end of the day the competitiveness is defined by profitability. (2) From the referred range of studies and publishes, the writer believes that the competitive strength Greek shipping companies is summarised into careful selection of Business (cost control) and investment (timing) strategies. (1) Thus, in this paper we are going to investigate to what extent Greek shipowners will be able to sustain their competitiveness in the long-run based on the above principles. Specifically, the paper is about to concentrate on analysing the fleet on the basis of: Managerial Structure (business strategy) and Investment (timing) strategy. Once again, the aim will be the overall evaluation of the long-term prospects of Greek shipping to sustain its competitiveness. Fleet Analysis: General Information: Historically, shipping has played crucial role for Greek people and it has characterised some of the most important moments of their history: during the Persian Wars and the battleship of Salamina, in the Greek revolution against Ottoman Empire in 1821, the Balkan Wars and the World War I the Greek ships played significant role and affected the citizens of the Greece and (in some occasions) the global status quo as well. Figure 1, Source: BCG Impact assessment of Greek shipping on Economy and Society However, in our days when we refer to the Greek shipping we mean the great presence of the Greek shipowners to the global market. This presence was firstly established in dry bulk and the tanker (oil, products) sectors but lately we have strong signs of diversification into more sectors such as the container ships and the gas tankers. Statistical Analysis: It is better to set clear, in this paper when we refer to the term of ‘’Greek shipping’’ we actually discuss the Greek-controlled ships irrespectively of the company’s headquarters and the flag under the ships sail. (3) The reason of this choice reflects on the following table which describes the attitude of the owners to flag out their ships. Figure 2, The 35 countries and territories with the largest owned fleets, as of 31st January 2013 (DWT) Thus, according to the UNCTAD (2013 Report), only the 22.3% of Greek ships sail under the national flag when the remaining 77.7% sail under international flags. Hence, for the aim of the paper we will analyse the wider Greek-owned fleet instead of only focusing to the ship that are registered in Greece. Under that basis we can present the following statistical figures (which will be commented on the following part of this paper): The Greek-owned fleet is consisted of 4573 vessels and managed by 690 companies. Figure 3, Number of Greek-owned vessels, SOURCE: 2013 Petrofin research by Ted Petropoulos, October 2013 The 65.07% of the companies possess less than 5 ships while fleets with 25+ ships represent the 5.07% of the total. Figure 4, Fleet distribution of Greek Companies, SOURCE: 2013 Petrofin research by Ted Petropoulos, October 2013 The average age of the fleet has declined recently and at the end of 2013 was about 14.05 years. Figure 5, Average age of Greek fleet, SOURCE: 2013 Petrofin research by Ted Petropoulos, October 2013 Greek Orderbook (end of 02/2014) corresponds to 496 vessels (approximately 11% of existing fleet) of several types. Figure 6, Type of Orders by type, SOURCE: SIN database The majority of the new buildings have been ordered in Chinese shipyards while Republic of Korea follows with a slight difference: Figure 7, Greek Orderbook by country of builder, SOURCE: SIN database Greek shipping status Analysis: Management structure: Company Structure: As it has been referred, there are 690 shipping companies (Petrofin) mainly under tight family management. In Figure 4 we observe that the majority of the Greek companies possess a small fleet of ships. This can be a result of taxation strategy or mainly can be driven by the attitude of shipowners globally to not risk the viability of their whole business if one of their ships faces problems with regulation or capital cost. In the case of Greek shipping, the fragmentation of the market probably takes place for an extra reason: the majority of Greek shipping companies are family companies. Thus, there is a tendency that, after some years of experience in the family business, some members decide to build their own start-up business. This effort is supported by the knowledge gained previously and to the available capital. However, this attitude may contribute to the pluralism of the market and to promote Greek entrepreneurship but at the same time may trigger problems for the new companies which sometimes struggle to survive due to market reasons. More importantly, however, the new firms may be treated as undermining efforts against the family operations (4 Theotokas). Furthermore, it should be mentioned that small firms may be forced out of the business if they cannot attract sufficient financing.(5) The most significant advantage of the traditional form of Greek shipping companies is the philosophy of cutting costs passed from one generation to other.(6) However, family members ought to be quite qualified to perform their duties and not placed in businesses exclusively for reasons of heredity. (7) Another significant factor which has come under intense debate is the listing of Greek Companies to exchange markets. At the moment only the 6% of the total is listed, mainly in foreign exchanges (8,Petrofin).Listing can be used as a way of financing. However, Greek companies seek to find the ideal chemistry between a family-run company and a public outlet (9,Tsakos). As a third-generation shipowner A. Martinos quotes â€Å"a stock listed company has no head but a family company can move quickly with decision and authority† indicating a factor of flexibility for the Greek companies. People (human resources) The positioning of the Greek shipowners has been outstanding throughout the years. The reason behind this success can amongst others be the human factor. The fact that the first generation shipowners had been in the sea gave the sophisticated know-how to the industry which has been transferred throughout years and generations.(Theotokas). The referred know-how enables the ability to minimise costs and the dare to invest when the market is low. Particularly, the ability of achieving good timing and good choices has allowed the Greeks to perform excellent the asset play, to turn negative momentum into fleet expansion and to obtain market share and huge capital.(A fleet for the†¦THAN 10) Investment Strategy: Orderbook: The Greek Orderbook is one of the largest at the moment and as it is illustrated in Figure 6, there have been investments to multiple sectors. Specifically, we comment on the most interesting investments: Dry Bulks: Gas Tankers: Containers: Financing: What is the propeller for a ship is finance for a shipping company.(Petropoulos 11) Greek shipping has been significantly affected by the debt crisis which hurt violently the credit system and especially Greek banks which has been funding shipping business for decades. However, Greek shipowners managed to finance the modernisation of the Greek fleet (Navigating the financing storm 12) as it is presented in Figure 5. Obviously, once again Greek shipowners followed their tradition into anti-cyclical investing. During the period we are going through, investments in shipping have been mitigated. While investors around the world were selling vessels, Greeks were buying second-hand ships and they were placing orders to renew the fleet cheaply.(John Psychas 12). Probably, Greek owners took advantage by the capital gathered from previous successful years. Moreover, the recent years they have been using a combination of traditional and latest methods of financing, following sometimes hybrid solutions. (Syriopoulos 13) Another way of financing is listing. The majority of Greek shipowners realise the advantages of listing but seem reluctant to dare the change. It seems that this attitude is at last another point of strength for Greek shipping as traditional companies are based in their own capital to invest instead of raising financing in stocks market.( John Psychas 12) It is important to be highlighted that during crisis Greek shipping created a ‘’major ally’’ which is the Chinese Banks which they gave financial motivation for construction of ships in Chinese shipyards.(Petropoulos Shipping and ship finance 14). Chinese lenders decided to promote local shipping industry and Greek shipowners took advantage of a $10 billion fund for funding Greek orders in Chinese shipyards under competitive terms and interest (Bardounias 15). This trend is also illustrated in Figure 7. Conclusions and Recommendations: It seems that once again Greek shipping followed the traditional attitude of anti-cyclical investment which can probably guarantee long-term competitiveness in terms of capital cost. Specifically, in the dry bulk sector Greeks will be able to play the asset game which has supported their success so far. The renewal of the whole fleet is a strong signal of an operationally healthy industry for the years to come. However, the exposure of the owners to the container ship and gas tanker sector is a question mark which is not easy to be answered. If the market in these sectors will follow an upward in the near future then it is possible that in a few years we will discuss the diversification of the Greeks as another one outstanding strategic positioning. If not it is possible that this decision will be a very costly one and the diversification strategy will probably be abandoned in the future. The human factor will continue to be on the forefront of the Greek fleet as the heritage of the market sense seems to have been successfully developed by the third generation of the shipowners’ families. On the contrary, what has been built throughout all these years has to be protected. Hence, the new generations have unavoidably to be well-educated and strict evaluated as to be able to manage the business. Nepotism has to be scrutinised I order to guarantee evolution and success. The long-term competitiveness of the Greek shipping can be a reality under the optimum proportion of low-cost operation, sustainable management of traditional family businesses, targeted strategy towards financing and repeating of asset play. The diversification into new sectors can be the next competitive advantage of Greek shipping under the condition that the shipowners monitor the market closely and are adequately flexible and adoptable as to realise the different function of the multiple sectors.

Identity Theft And Phishing As Cybercrimes Criminology Essay

Identity Theft And Phishing As Cybercrimes Criminology Essay Cybercrimes can be defined as criminal activities which take place or occur within cyberspace. These crimes are common and ever increasing as cybercriminals continue to find new ways of taking advantage of unwary internet users (Mitchell, 2010). A frequently practiced form of cybercrime includes identity theft, which is the use of an individuals private details without their knowledge or approval (Ombudsman for Banking Services, 2009). This essay will discuss phishing as a form of identity theft with the use of various articles as examples to enhance the understanding of identity theft and phishing as cybercrimes. In addition, a criminological theory will be applied to identity theft in order to gain further insight into this particular cybercrime. Defining Cybercrime Cybercrime is used generally to describe a variety of illegal offences of which only a few are specifically associated with computers and the telecommunications infrastructure that supports their use. This specific crime type involves the utilization of digital technologies in the task of the offence or is specifically directed at computing and communications technologies, or is incidental to the commission of other crimes (Smith et al. 2004:7). Identity theft and phishing can be described as forms of cybercriminal activity. These crimes are defined as hybrid crimes. Hybrid crimes are those which can exist online as well as offline. Specifically, these crimes work with the worldwide scope that cyber environments provide (Muncie et al. 2010:77). Currently, cybercrime is an extremely profitable business and will no doubt continue to be for a very long time. The main reason for this is because many people are not aware of how rife it is and of how susceptible they are to the threat of this crime. The best possible way that consumers and corporations can protect themselves from cybercrimes and cybercriminal activity is to alert themselves and those around them with the use of awareness campaigns and also, people should make sure that their systems are protected with Anti-Malware and Anti-Virus software kits which have precise virus definition and regular software updates to decrease the risk of being under threat of cybercriminal activity (Microzoneg, 2009). Identity Theft Identity theft is defined as a crime that happens when someone wrongfully gains access to and uses the personal information of another individual in a way that involves fraud or dishonesty. Usually, this crime is carried out in order to gain access to an individuals personal funds. Victims of identity theft normally become aware when they note that they are frequently being charged for items that they never purchased, or when they realise that there has been an opening of a new credit card after viewing their credit reports (Jasper, 2006:1). Annually, 10 million consumers are the victims of identity theft. There are many ways in which cybercriminals can obtain an individuals personal information, and these are generally very cleverly disguised. Criminals can intercept personal information that is freely shared over the Internet and can also easily obtain information such as the victims account details by emailing them and falsely acting as their bank (Jasper, 2006:1-3). Because of the fact that individuals are so afraid that they will fall prey to cybercriminals, at times they do not think rationally when asked for their personal details. When provided the chance of being able to protect themselves, individuals will willingly give all the details needed if the bank requires them to do so. Thus, cybercriminals do not find it immensely difficult to obtain all the beneficial information that they need. Some examples of identity theft crimes are the run-up of costs on the victims credit cards, opening a new credit card account making use of the victims name, birth date and social security number, establishing a telephone or wireless facility using the victims name, opening a bank account and writing bad cheques on the account and obtaining employment by making use of the victims personal identity (Jasper, 2006:3-4). Phishing as a Cybercrime Phishing is a form of identity theft which includes the deceitful endeavour to gain the personal details of an individual with the use of text messages and emails. The criminal will act as the victims bank, for example, and will request personal information from the consumer (such as the PIN number) in order to gain access to the funds in the account. (Ramsamy, 2009) As explained before, the consumer makes it easy for the cybercriminal to gain access to their personal funds and resources as they are so adamant on keeping themselves safe from cybercrime that they very readily give out their information without thinking sensibly. Cases of Cybercrime Over the years, cybercrime has become much more frequent in nature. These cases can be found occurring throughout the world, and will probably continue to occur for a very long time as it is such a profitable business (microzoneg, 2009). Theft of Virtual Characters In the month of November 2009, a man was arrested for stealing virtual characters from a web based role-playing game. The man apparently obtained the log-in information for Runescape, reportedly the worlds largest multi-player online game, to embezzle their virtual characters. The article, published in The Times, states that the man who is from Avon and Somerset Area had already had a number of computer mistreatment offences on his criminal record (Ahmed, 2009). These types of crimes do occur quite often, as a similar case occurred in the Netherlands in 2008. Reportedly, a group of fourteen and fifteen year olds were convicted for the assault of a fellow Runescape player. The boys had threatened the player with a knife, pressuring him to give them a mask and an amulet within the game (Ahmed, 2009). Online gaming seems to be the cause of a lot of recent violent behaviours amongst youth, and the stealing of virtual characters may not seem to be such a tremendous crime, but thinking of all the time and effort that has been put into creating that specific character, this crime shouldnt be, according to Mark Gerhard, the chief executive of Jagex Games, treated differently to the theft of any other valuable possessions (Ahmed, 2009). Credit and Debit Card Information Hackings Another case of cybercrime was highlighted in May 2008, when a Mr Albert Gonzalez was arrested for one of the largest hackings in all of US history. The computer hacker aided with the theft of tens of millions of credit card numbers from major retailers (AP, 2009). He is reportedly going to be spending between 17-25 years behind bars as a result of the seriousness of this criminal offence. Gonzalez did, however, confirm that he had used a number of drugs and consumed large quantities of alcohol preceding his arrest. He admitted to using various narcotics such as marijuana, LSD and cocaine and he has also been said to have behavioural patterns which are very consistent with that of Aspergers Syndrome, which is a form of autism (AP, 2004). According to Dr Barry Roth, a member of the defence commission, Albert was an internet addict who was often associated with awkwardness, had troubles when it came to connecting with people and had an odd fixation with machines and technology in general (AP, 2009). Because drugs and alcohol are so often associated with violent behaviour and aggressiveness, it can be said that they warp the minds of many people and cause them to do things that generally are not expected of them. Since Albert Gonzalez did make use of drugs and alcohol frequently, it could perhaps be said that it caused him to become fixated with technological things and the Internet specifically because it also gave a sense of escaping reality and, since alcohol causes people to believe they can do anything, could have led Albert to believe that he could steal money and still get away with it. With all crimes, the psychological and behavioural background of the offender needs to be taken into consideration. Military Computer Hacking In 2002 a man named Gary McKinnon was arrested for what is described as the greatest military computer hack of all time (The Sunday Times, 2009). McKinnon was allegedly blamed for $700,000 of destruction when he hacked into 97 military computers at the Pentagon and NASA and stole 950 passwords, as well as erased files from the Earle naval armaments post in New Jersey. McKinnon stated in an interview to The Sunday Times that he had not meant for the hackings to seem malicious, but that he was simply curious and wanted to find out information about UFOs. He also openly admitted that he sees himself as a nerd and a loner and that he used to drink beer and smoke dope while hacking into the military systems (The Sunday Times, 2009). This perception of himself could arise from the fact that Gary has Aspergers syndrome. This syndrome does not affect the mental intelligence of the person because the sufferer is in fact very intelligent, but it does leave the sufferer feeling uncomfortable in social situations (The Sunday Times, 2009). This crime could leave Gary McKinnon spending 60 years in prison, which is a very high price to pay for simply being curious. Due to the fact that he has Aspergers syndrome and often resorts to drinking and smoking marijuana, it could be assumed that perhaps these elements wrongfully influenced him to engage in illegal activities, and in addition with his illness could have made matters even worse. Perhaps, due to his loneliness and inability to socialise, he resorted to finding company with the Internet and hacking to gain information that interested him. The Role of Gender in Cybercrime Generally, males are known to display higher rates of abnormal behaviour as compared to females. Although small, the gap between the rates of male and female criminal behaviour is constant. Historically, most forms of crime such as violence, aggressiveness, and freedom of speech were carried out by men, but with the case of cybercrime we cannot simply state that males perform these criminal activities more than females because there is not enough evidence of this; it has not been explored to a very great extent. However, a test done by a few undergraduate students concludes that existing theories of crime may apply similarly to males and females in predicting digital crimes (Morris, 2009:393-404). Criminological Theory Applied to Cybercrime A criminological theory that can be applied to the act of cybercrime is the theory of Routine Activities. This theory states that criminal actions take place when there is an intersection of space and time of a stimulated criminal, a desirable target and an absence of competent supervision (Cullen, 2002). The two important people who were responsible for the proposal of this theory are Larry Cohen and Marcus Felson in 1979. Their theory is very strongly related to that of the Rational Choice theory. This is because both theories concentrate on the features of the crime as opposed to the features of the offender (DeMelo, 1999). The Routine Activities theory states that offences are linked to the nature of everyday patterns of social interaction (DeMelo, 1999). Felson and Cohen believed that changes in society had and is still leading to social disorganisation and thus to broader crime opportunities (DeMelo, 1999). In the cases of the cybercriminals, Albert Gonzalez, Gary McKinnon and the virtual character thief, this criminological theory is applied very well. They had begun their cybercrimes (hackings) with enthusiasm and determination, had found attractive targets to fulfil their desires, and had no one to tell them that it was wrong, illegal and could get them into a lot of trouble. Conclusion Therefore, it is quite clear that cybercrime is a rather serious crime and is continuing to increase in frequency as time goes by and society constantly changes. Also, the nature of these crimes is becoming more and more violent, especially amongst the youth of our world. Societies need to become more self-disciplined, and both offenders and victims need to be more aware of the dangers and consequences of these criminal behaviours, especially phishing and identity theft. Phishing and identity theft as forms of cybercrime can be classified under the Routine Activities criminological theory as they rise in frequency as society changes and a disorganised society opens up greater crime opportunities for offenders. Cybercrimes should not be taken lightly, and if not dealt with correctly, will continue to be on the rise for many years to come. Word Count: 2088

The Yellow Wallpaper as a Guide To Insanity and Madness -- Yellow Wall

The Yellow Wallpaper as a Guide To Insanity   Ã‚   "There comes John, and I must put this away- he hates to have me write a word" (p659). As evident by the above quote, Gilman places the narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper" as secluded as she could be; she is placed in a large house, surrounded only by her husband and by little help (Jennie), when it is unfortunately clear that her relationship with her husband is based on distance and misunderstanding: "It is so hard to talk with John about my case, because he is so wise, and because he loves me so"(p 663). Gilman further confines her narrator as it becomes clear that the poor soul has absolutely no one to talk to; that is, no one who can understand her. The narrator is cornered by her loved ones, she is isolated from the world under her husband-doctor orders, she is thus physically confined to her shaky mental realm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The next aspect of the narrator that zooms us into her state is her tone: "I really have discovered something at last.... The front pattern does move- and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it!" (p 666). Gilm...

Impact of Unemployment on the Family Essay -- Economics, Unemployment E

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to understand the effects that unemployment has on the family as a whole. In today’s society being unemployed impacts greatly on almost every aspect of an individual’s life and depending on their personal circumstances, it is likely to impact on other family members lives too. Today, the possibility of loosing your job looms on the horizon for many of us. Up until a few months ago I was among the millions of people that is unemployed. Dealing with the loss of job is very similar to the emotions one feels when they experience loss through a divorce or death of a loved one. Unemployment carries an array of emotions ranging from stress, fear, anxiety, and depression. Unemployment contributes to low self-esteem and to family instability, decreased family relations, and in some cases family violence. Lessons can emerge from those who cope well with unemployment, but the immediate goal is to survive emotionally and financially until you have a clear direction for you and your family. In my research paper I will explore not just the individual directly, but the economical and psychological affects unemployment have on the family as a whole. Current Picture: A substantial number of workers living in families have experienced some type of lay off. The unemployment rate has skyrocketed, leaving families to deal with the economical and psychological effects of unemployment. According to the Illinois Department of Unemployment the ILLINOIS JOBLESS RATE increased to 6.5% in February. CHICAGO -- The Illinois unemployment rate rose from 6.3% to 6.5% (seasonally adjusted) in February, as payroll jobs dropped slightly from a year ago, according to statistics released by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). â€Å"Employer payrolls, after adding jobs in January, posted a modest job decline in February, as businesses again postponed hiring due to uncertainties about the economy,† said IDES Director Brenda A. Russell. â€Å"While job gains were recorded in seven of the state’s 12 major industry groups, they were outweighed by continued losses in Manufacturing, and in the Transportation/Warehousing sec tor. These losses brought total payrolls down marginally from their year-ago count.† The total number of people working in the state fell 42,200 to 5,954,700 in February, a decline of 0.7%. The number of unemployed rose 9,700... ...ar greater than the cost of getting treatment. Consult your local mental health clinics, social services agencies or professional counselors for help for yourself and family members who are affected by your unemployment. Some assistance may be covered by your health insurance or, if you do not have insurance, counseling is often available on a "sliding scale" fee, based on income. Change is difficult: Denial: At this stage you will minimize or just deny what has happened. You may even pretend what happened is great! In which some cases this may be true, in order to give an individual a reason to go ahead and open a business, or switch careers that they have been wanting to do for a while. Resistance: Blaming others for what occurred. Experience: You’ll fully experience the change and the reality of it. You may feel a sadness that you can’t continue on in your old situation. (family and friends can help at this stage by creating a positive attitude during this stage). Acceptance: You start accepting the situation for what it is. This helps you to let go! And began to think about your next steps. Reference: http://64.239.109.64/advice/articles/layoff/default.htm

A Passage Taken From the Film ‘Trainspotting’ Essay

The passage is taken from a film ‘Trainspotting’, and is therefore a scripted piece. In a situation like this situation in ‘real life’, there would undoubtedly have been interruptions on numerous occasions; however, being a scripted piece, there were no overlaps; the entire passage is in the form of turn taking. In ‘real life’, we all know that we should turn take, but we often break this rule. People break this rule when they are angry, when they are enthusiastic about the issue, or if they want to add to what the other person is saying. Another feature of the passage illustrating that this is a scripted piece, is the fact that there are no self-clarifications. The dialogue is more carefully and logically structured than if it was spontaneous speech. To understand the nature of this passage, one must first understand the context of the piece. Spud is an unemployed ‘bloke’ going to an interview, unbeknown to the interviewers that he does not in fact want the job. Previous to the interview, Spud had taken ‘speed’, which meant that in the interview he is behaving completely inappropriately. An interview should be held formally, and while the two men and the woman interviewing Spud try to keep this business formal, Spud makes three crucial mistakes. Firstly, he is acting as if they were ‘mates’, by using very chatty language; secondly, he says approximately 100 words, explaining that he had lied in his original application, but how he thinks that it was alright because it apparently was not important; and thirdly, because he has taken ‘speed’, he is talking extremely fast, with few pauses for breath, which suggests to an interviewer that he is nervous, and creates the effects that t he ‘speed’ would have had on him. An example of all three of these things, is when Spud says â€Å"No, actually I went to Craignewton but I was worried that you wouldn’t have heard of it so I put the Royal Edinburgh College instead, because they’re both schools, right, and we’re all in this together, and I wanted to put across the general idea rather than the details, yeah?† (Spud) Throughout the passage, Spud sets the agenda, and even when the interviewers ask questions, |Spud’s answers change the direction of the speech. An example of this, is when Spud says that he loves all people, including beggars, and then the conversation continues: â€Å"Homeless people?† (Woman) â€Å"No, not homeless people. Beggars, Francis Begbire – one of my mates. I wouldn’t say my best mate, I mean, sometimes the boy goes over the score, like one time when we – me and him – were having a laugh and all of a sudden he’s fucking gubbed me in the face, right.† (Spud) This shows how Spud is the one who sets the discussion topic. The original question from Man 2 was about what attracted Spud to the leisure industry, and from that, the conversation moved onto one of Spud’s ‘mates’. Spud setting the agenda, shows that Spud has the power, which is not in keeping with the stereotypical interview. Normally, the interviewer would have the power, not the interviewee. Spud begins the dialogue, aswell as ending it. He has the most words, and he speaks most frequently. Although having the most words and speaking most frequently does not alone guarantee the power to that character, along with setting the agenda, it is clear that Spud has it. He uses many declaratives, and many rhetorical questions, especially in his first speech, which is also evidence that he has the power. Examples of declaratives are â€Å"No problem. Whatever you say, man. You’re the man, the governor, the dude in the chair, like.† (Spud) Apart from just being a declarative, this is also a classic example of the informal language used throughout the passage by Spud. Words such as â€Å"man† and â€Å"dude† are informal and chatty, and not in the correct context to what an interview should be. An example of rhetorical questions used by him, are â€Å"People get all hung up on details, but what’s the point?† â€Å"Does it matter?† â€Å"What’s important is that I am, right?† (Spud) After his first ‘outburst’, Man 1, the interviewer, tries to obtain the power, by addressing Spud as Mr Murphy, which is very formal, and by using an interrogative. â€Å"Mr Murphy, do you mean that you lied on your application?† (Man 1) In reply to his question, Spud replies, â€Å"Only to get my foot in the door.† (Spud) This is not what Man 1 would have been expecting his answer to be. Most likely, he would have expected him to try and ‘wriggle out of’ having to say that he lied on his application. However, Spud does not do this. He out rightly admits that he lied. He is brutally honest, and because of this, Spud retains the power. This recurs periodically throughout the passage, and each time Man 1 tries to gain the power, he fails. At the end of this passage, Man 1 uses a declarative statement to end the interview, â€Å"Thank you Mr Murphy. We’ll let you know† (Man 1) If the interview had ended here, then it would have ended with Man 1 having the power. However, after this, Spud goes on to say, â€Å"The pleasure was mine. Best interview I’ve ever been to. Thanks.† (Spud) Because of this, Spud makes it seem as if the interview was ended on his terms, so he once again has the power, meaning that he had it throughout the entire interview. In summary, Spud has the power throughout the interview, all the while, the interviews are trying to gain it, which is what an interview typically entails. Using many techniques, the writer has made it so that Spud keeps the power right the way through the passage. Spud sets the agenda, and makes it impossible for the interviewers to be impressed by his antics; which is overall, exactly what he wants.

Movie Evaluation

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: An Autistic Childs Perspective Message 1: September 11, 2001:†Are you there? Hello? If you’re there darling pick up. I just tried the office, but no one was picking up. Ah, listen, something happened. I’m ok. There telling us to stay where we are and wait for the firemen. I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll give you another call when I have a better idea of what’s going on. I want to let you know that I’m ok and not to worry and I’ll call again soon. This was the first of six messages on September 11 2001 that 11 year old Oscar Schell (Thomas Horn) heard from his father Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks) that were left on the answering machine as tragedy was unfolding. His father was on the 105th floor of tower one as the first plane crashed into the building. This movie is based on events that took place during the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks. A young boy (Thomas Horn) named Oscar narrates the sto ry of how the day unfolded from his point of view referring to it as â€Å"the worst day. † Oscar comes home after being released from school because of the events that were taking place.At this point he doesn’t really know what is actually happening. He continues in his routine grabbing a snack from the fridge and then pressing the play button on the answering machine. In this scene He listens to the first of six messages his father left as the events unfolded. He then turns on the television as the messages continue to play and witnesses what has happened and realizes his father is in the building. Just as the news camera captures the first tower falling Oscar falls to his knees, the pudding he got from the fridge spews everywhere and he begins to sob.This movie is categorized as a drama. Certain aspects should be within a drama and relating criteria should be established this includes first and foremost emotion, second would be a powerful message, also if the movie is based from real events, such as this one, realistic scenarios should take place and last but not least quality acting and effective casting, which go hand in hand. In a beginning scene from the movie when Oscars mother Linda Schell (Sandra Bullock) gets a phone call from her husband Thomas Schell while she is at work.You can hear the sheer panic in his voice and the chaos of distraught people in the background. Linda Schell now understands how dyer the situation is because he is in the building. She panics and tries to talk him into staying on the phone with her, they get disconnected. The viewer can easily relate to Linda’s fear and helplessness. Throughout the entire movie you can feel Oscars pain of losing his father. After â€Å"the worst day† Oscar refused to step foot in his father’s closet until one day he gathers the courage to do so. He is sorting through his father’s things when he knocks a vase off of a shelf.The vase shatters and he finds a key and believes it was a last â€Å"reconicense mission† his father created for him. He deems it necessary to continue the game they played that consisted of Oscar going on â€Å"reconicense quests† that his father would develop for him so that he would face his fears of being out in society. Loud noises, lots of people and being out in public put Oscar on edge as he has Autism and he has much trouble trying to make sense out of the simplest things in life and understanding why he can’t make sense of them, but his focus of understanding turned to his father’s untimely death.This movie does have a powerful message of how an unexpected tragedy can change lives forever. We may not have answers as to why or no complete understanding of what truly happens, but we must find a way to move on. As far as depicting real scenarios I believe this movie is right on point with one exception, Oscar was released from school as things started to take place. Before these attacks happened no one felt there was a real threat to humanity, but in a real situation such as this one, school districts, in my opinion, would not have released the children off on their own.Even if no one quite knew what was happening. It is the facilities responsibility to protect and care for those children while they are under their care. This was the only scenario I didn’t agree with. It almost gives a misconception of how schools would react, I think. Last but not least a drama should have quality acting which would foresee effective casting. Someone might seem right for the part but cannot portray the character effectively, which doesn’t make it believable or relatable. If the wrong people are casted, who aren’t quality actors, it would create a different atmosphere for the movie.It may not do so well if the characters aren’t portrayed effectively. I look for actors/actresses who have been awarded for their work and those I’m familiar w ith because there is a good chance the movie will be worthwhile. Overall Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a captivating, emotional and heartfelt movie about a boy with autism whom has just lost his father and learning to cope. With its quality acting and effective casting, powerful message and real life scenarios this movie is a must see.