Monday, December 30, 2019

The Influence of Gender in American Popular Culture Essay

Popular Culture in the form of media does not always do a fair job of reflecting accurate characteristics of men and women. Society has added to this by creating what is known as gender roles among men and women. They are like a type of social guidelines which men and women follow in order to be accepted by todays society. Although this was designed with the best intentions it can have negative results. There are many examples of gender roles playing a part in our society. Television serves as one of the most common voices for the social guidelines; it reflects dominant social values to its audience which in turn reinforces them by presenting them as the norm. Television implies that its a mans world buy usually placing men†¦show more content†¦Reality TV has taken the gender roles to a new level. These shows are even more unrealistic and unachievable by todays young adults. Shows like MTVs My Super Sweet 16 a reality show about spoiled rich teens throwing over the top elaborate sweet sixteen birthday parties. The show creates an even bigger boundary between the average teen and these crazed rich kids. It reinforces this kind of behavior again as the norm. They also teach kids to have next to no respect for adults and make it seems as though adults get in the way of their lives. On one episode it stars a young girl who disobeys her parents wishes and sneaks to Malibu for the weekend even after she was told repeatedly that she was not allowed. When her parents found out she was there they cancelled her credit card. She was more upset that her card was cancelled then at the fact that her parents knew she was doing something she shouldnt. When her parents decided that she would not get the $75,000.00 Land Rover they promised her, she through a 3-years-olds temper tantrum and ultimately got her car in the end. These shows have a bigger influence on young girls making it seem like money is everything and you are not a women unless you have the stuff to prove it. They show case rare teens as normal everyday Americans which in turns make the actual normal teenager feel as though they are sub-par. Even theShow MoreRelatedGender Roles And Issues Regarding Feminisms And Masculinity939 Words   |  4 PagesGender in Popular Culture Gender is very crucial element in the American popular culture. What comes in mind when we talk about gender in the American popular culture so many questions go through the mind. The questions will go back to the gender roles and issues concerning feminisms and masculinity. One may question any advantage of being a male to a female because this is where stereotypes are arising especially in the American popular culture. Many scholars have written on gender and culture;Read MoreSex, Gender, Racial Identity, And Stereotyping And Labeling Essay1474 Words   |  6 PagesArt has an interesting way of reinforcing itself through popular culture in western society. A culture that has a population mixed with many different racial identities, yet cultivates its pop culture through a ‘black and ‘white’ preface. The U.S is known to categorize diverse races into one; highlighting the inferiority other races face while living within our culture. Women have been idealized and compounded into western society as sex symbols and housewives. Women from other races non-whiteRead MoreMusic and the American Culture Essay1620 Words   |  7 Pageshuman culture and evidence based on archaeological sites can date it back to prehistoric times. It can be traced through almost all civilizations in one form or another. As time has progressed so has the music and the influences it has on people. Music is an important part of popular culture throughout the world, but it is especially popular in the United States. The music industry here is, and has been, a multi-million dollar business that continues to play an important role in American popularRead MoreGender Identity. Post War Recovery Moved Families From1451 Words   |  6 PagesGender Identity Post war recovery moved families from destroyed London to new builds in the surrounding counties. A display of female solidarity through shared identity could be seen as a way to reinforce a shrinking community, by dressing alike and sharing time together. In Wolff’s descriptions of both Flaneuse and Flaneur, the world beyond the home is considered to be a male space (1985). This is a middle class understanding of the social world, which restricts women to the home and actively ignoresRead MorePopular Culture As Defined By Alexandre O. Philippe1498 Words   |  6 PagesMuch of what we know comes from popular culture. It’s inescapable and it shapes our modern society. In simpler terms, popular culture could either offend or challenge social norms brought on by society on what is new, hip, and trends to be followed. Popular culture as defined by Alexandre O. Philippe, â€Å" is a universal language that manages in all of its seemingly trivial glory to make us dream and smile. To connect us across racial, political, and social divides, it is part of our fabric as humanRead MoreGender Roles And The Japanese Culture924 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many different genres of manga. Each and every one of these genres has faced changes as the years progress due to the culture of Japan changing. Things like political changes, social changes, foreign influences and the like have all affect the Japanese culture. The changing culture made way for new ideas to be brought into manga. Two genres in particular have been affected by these changes, shounen and shoujo manga. Shounen manga is defined as being made for young boys. On the other handRead MorePopular Culture As Defined By Alexandre O. Philippe944 Words   |  4 PagesMuch of what we know comes from popular culture. It’s inescapable and it shapes our modern society. In simpler terms, popular culture could either offend or challenge social norms brought on by society on what is new, hip, and tr ends to be followed. Popular culture as defined by Alexandre O. Philippe, â€Å" is a universal language that manages in all of its seemingly trivial glory to make us dream and smile. To connect us across racial, political, and social divides, it is part of our fabric as humanRead MoreBreaking through the Barriers Essay1649 Words   |  7 Pagesthe word â€Å"gender† question whether one is male or female, or does it derive from something much deeper than that? Think back to childhood and try to recall some of the most popular toys. Most likely, females were given a baby doll, and males, an action figure of some sort. From early childhood all the way to late adulthood, Americans are taught the differences between a man and a woman by these small gestures. The theory and concepts surrounding gender vary by culture, but as Americans, most experienceRead MoreTouchdown Jesus by Robert Laurence Moore Essay1035 Words   |  5 Pages Robert Laurence Moore has written a delig htful, enlightening, and provocative survey of American church history centered around the theme of mixing the sacred with the secular and vice versa. The major points of conversation covered include the polarization caused by the public display of religious symbols, the important contribution that women and Africans have made to the American religious mosaic, the harmony and friction that has existed between science and religion, the impact of immigrationRead MoreGender Labeling And Gender Stereotypes1551 Words   |  7 PagesBeliefs about the typical attributes of males and females are Gender Stereotypes (Deaux Kite, 1993). Gender labeling is frequently used in global broadcasting to boost characteristics of how a certain people; those in control of the broadcast- view gender roles and how they want society to view them also. Stereotyping is prevalent in popular television shows, music videos, the workforce and various other advertisement billboards in the U.S. It is difficult to oppose the stereotypical behavior that

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Contemporary Art And Artistic Practices - 1465 Words

Historical Context The Community-based Artistic Practices are not a complete novelty in contemporary art, their rhetoric are being used as strategic tools, to support discourse such as democracy, equality, social justice among other, from the 1960s on a explicit way. Even less, this â€Å"social turn† , understood as an ethical shift by artist and critics who focus their attention on the aspect of social usefulness of the art practices, characterized by an increase of art projects that emphasize participation, dialogue and community engagement to activate the public sphere attempting to offer new social models to live together; appear like a leitmotif along the theory and history of art of the 20th century. One of the focal points in the†¦show more content†¦This art ´s condition was throwing into crisis with the emergency of avant-garde movements from the late 19th century in Europe, because these movements recognized on this status –autonomy of art– a lack of self-criticism by art, not only in the â€Å"art institution in its separation from the praxis of life† ; but also to bourgeois society as a whole. In other words, the avant-garde is understood as a form of self-consciousness of artistic field, with a very clear interest to break the art ´s autonomy, while separate form of production, as a necessary condition to redirect the art into life. According to Peter Bà ¼rger, with â€Å"the reintegration of art into praxis proposes a revolution in the life, which causes a revolution in the art.† As Bà ¼rger states, the avant-garde movements that sought to break with the bourgeois autonomy of art and thereby apply a strong self-criticism to art institutionally were: the Russian Constructivism, closely linked with the Revolution of 1917; Dadaism and its negation of art as institution; and the Surrealism. Nonetheless, after the World War II in the middle of the 20th century, the avant-garde schism became a crisis, failing in its quest to eliminate the division between art and life and its critical self-consciousness about this, which meant its co-option by the art institution ,Show MoreRelatedMarcel Duchamp And John Cage1574 Words   |  7 Pagesrole in contemporary art practice and theory today. During the early 20th century, Marcel Duchamp was influenced by the emerging artistic movements such as Dada and Cubism. He experimented with Cubism briefly and attempted to capture time and motion in a cubist style painting. He endeavoured to â€Å"detheorize’ Cubism in order to give it a freer interpretation’. Inspired by his time lapse photography, Duchamp painted ‘Nude descending a staircase’ which would ultimately change artistic practice foreverRead MoreAnalysis Of Alain Lockes The New Negro1646 Words   |  7 PagesIn 1925, philosopher and leading black intellectual Alain Locke published the short essay The New Negro. In this essay, Locke describes the contemporary conditions of black Americans, and discusses the trajectory and potential of black culture to affect global change in its historical moment (Locke 47). Locke wrote this essay in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance, a period in which black artists and intellectuals sought to reconceptuali ze black lives apart from the stereotypes and racist portrayalsRead MoreDadaism and Conceptual Art: Marcel Duchamp1324 Words   |  6 Pagesexhibition of readymade objects changed the status and value of artistic authorship. Readymade is a term devised by Marcel Duchamp in 1915 to label manufactured objects remote from their practical setting and raised to the prestige of art by the action of an artist’s choice and label. Marcel Duchamp was a French-American painter and sculptor. His work is linked with Dadaism and conceptual art, a movement that examined suppositions of what art must be, and in what way it should be arranged. Duchamp hasRead MoreDada Was A Radical And Cynical Artistic Movement1555 Words   |  7 Pages Dada art was a radical and cynical artistic movement, which arose in reaction to the failings of society that led to the First World War. Dada revolted against the recognized tropes of the art world it sought to escape. It dismantled the image of art as the heightened, unique object by contradicting the established traditions and forms of western art to that time. This essay will discuss four of the ways Dada artists pursued this goal, namely through the use of everyday objects, eliminating meaningRead MoreArt Cinema As Institution, Screen, 22 ( 1981 )1597 Words   |  7 PagesNeale, S. (1981). Art cinema as institution, Screen, 22(1), 11-39. In Art Cinema as Institution, Steve Neale outlines the role of Art Cinema in the attempts made by various European countries both as a means to challenge ‘American domination of their indigenous markets in film† (p.11), and to further develop a film culture of their own. Neale theorises that a general pattern of the history of Art Cinema within the French, German and Italian film industries, follows an early period in which theRead MoreFeminism And The Contemporary Art1637 Words   |  7 PagesThe contemporary art world is including and exposing more female artists who are promoting themselves creatively and pushing for equality through art. This essay will examine the increase of feminist art visibility and the way in which the audience views work through female perspectives; how art is defined through alternative and non-traditional media, and how fine art has created platforms and spaces for discussion and widens views of feminism within feminist groups and how it can be portrayed differentlyRead MoreTaking a Look at the Tattoo Culture786 Words   |  3 Pagesexponentially increased as they become a more legitimate art form and are accepted as fashion accessories. With the further legitimization of tattoos, more fine artists are becoming tattoo artists which has led to an increase in the use of original designs instead the once popular â€Å"flash tattoo†. This legitimization of the practice has opened the door for new educated artists to enter a career in tattooing as it proves to be a more lucrative means of artistic expression. The shift of tattoos fromRead MoreGordon Walters : Modernism, Biculturalism, And Cultural Appropriation1681 Words   |  7 PagesModernist European art practices. To understand Walters’ intent regarding the utilization of this motif, one must first understand the different artistic sources informing the artist, and the implications of those sources and artistic styles. Through this examination, an understanding can be garnered regarding the element of cultural appropriation within Walters’ work. Walters’ work exists today within the contexts of a bicultural New Zealand society. His works draw upon themes from Maori art as well asRead MoreThe Value Of Art And Art1726 Words   |  7 PagesThe ownership of art in 2017 is typically brought up in discussions regarding works of art with seven to eight-digit price tags, owned by individuals with a net worth that can be described using nine to ten digits. However, popular opinion would probably agree that the person who has the single greatest appreciation for art is the art historian. Popular opinion would also be quick to agree that the art historian does not value a work of art in accordance with the market’s appraisal of a given pieceRead MoreArt Is The Visual Manifestation And Application Of Human Creativity Essay1246 Words   |  5 PagesArt is the visual manifestation and application of human creativity, typically executed through painting or sculpture. Art is multifunctional, in that it has the ability to tra nscend the visual by evoking an emotional response in a non-verbal way. In art, artists are able to utilize their medium to connect their personal message to the audience in a non- traditional manner. Disarming the audience by presenting a new perspective on critical issues through the implementation of art and can help combat

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Why Should Abortion be illegal Free Essays

Abortion is taking the life off new human being. Many people would say that it’s not human to kill another person but what makes abortion any different from that? The main reason why many women abort is because they’re too young and are scared of the Impact a baby will make In there life, they don’t have enough money to support a child, or their relationship starts falling after finding out they’re pregnant. As a Christian I was taught that abortion Is wrong and that only God can determine who lives and dies. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Should Abortion be illegal? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Not only is abortion wrong but it can also cause severe damage to our body not only physically but psychologically. If you’re not ready to take care of a child on your own don’t abort put your child up for adoption, there are thousands of couples who would love to have a child but can’t and are just waiting for a baby to adopt. Abortion is not justified because adoption is another choice, women often have side affects both physically and psychologically and you are taking the baby’s right of life away, killing is never right under any circumstance, therefore abortion should be Illegal. Adoption Is another option, give your child to a nice family who will take care and purport the baby the way It should be. There Is 36 couples waiting for ever one baby put Into adoption (Life News). You can even have the choice to have an open adoption where you can keep In touch with your child and know how Its doing throughout his/ her life. I think the fact that there are couples out there aborting because they aren’t ready to have a children is unfair to couples dying to have children and the future baby. Abortion is very harmful to the human body not only physically but psychologically. Abortion can cause both short and long term physical complications. One is that abortion can affect women in being able to have healthy pregnancies in the future. After having an abortion women often suffer from depression because of regret, not only that but abortions create a risk of having a miscarriage or pelvic inflammation disease In the future. Abortions aren’t helping your life they’re ruining it. All of this can be avoided, our bodies weren’t made to have abortions. You are taking the life of a human being when you have an abortion. The fetus has a heart beat 5 weeks after the mothers last period and the fetus heart starts pumping blood throughout its body at six weeks (New Health Guide). People say abortions is not killing an actual living being. The time period recommended to have a safe abortion is 10 weeks, by this time the baby is already active. Its teeth and fingernails are growing in, it can start making facial expressions and even have the hiccup (New Health Guide). Please tell me how this isn’t a human being. The Declaration of Independence says â€Å"that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness†, but by having an abortion you are taking the babies right of life and happiness. Abortion can and should be stopped, It’s not right nor human to kill a human being because you can’t or don’t want to take care of It. I understand women are scared or Just don’t have the time to take care of a child but adoption Is always a choice. Abortions change women forever and not always for the best. The child has rights and by aborting you are taking the baby’s right of life. Affects and you are taking the baby’s right of life away, killing is never right under any circumstance, therefore abortion should be illegal. How to cite Why Should Abortion be illegal?, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Drugs and Prision free essay sample

?According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in the last few years, prisoners serving time for drug related chargers made up almost 50% of sentenced prisoners under federal jurisdiction. With the highest amount of drug related incarnations, The United States has a staggering 6. 8 million Americans struggling with drug abuse. It is without doubt that the prison population is driven largely by incarceration for drug offenses. It is often argued whether the punishment fits the crime, and often questioned if the government is wasting money on prisoners incarcerated for drug related offenses. With this in mind, I believe the punishments for drug related offenses are not harsh, and in fact with the increasing amount of drug users and drug related crimes this issue is becoming undermined. To back up my argument I will use examples from two authors who have experienced prison in two different ways. The first is Amanda Coyne, author of â€Å"The Long Good-bye†. We will write a custom essay sample on Drugs and Prision or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Coyne writes about her experience visiting jail on Mother’s Day. She brings her nephew to see her older sister who is an inmate at a Women’s federal prison in Pekin, Illinois. She describes how the mother’s cherish each second spent with their children, and the appreciation is returned with gifts of flowers and candies. She then proceeds to talk about how difficult it will be to describe to these children that their mothers are forced to spend so much time in jail for seemingly minor offenses (drug chargers) while other criminals who do worse crimes get off nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Christina Boufis, author of â€Å"Teaching Literature at the County Jail† writes about her experiences working inside of a county jail where she taught writing to the women there. She often relates her inmate students to her students at the University of California at Berkeley. Her writing is often inspired by her students at jail, and along with â€Å"Teaching Literature at the County Jail† Boufis also wrote â€Å"A Teacher behind Bars† which Boufis explains â€Å"†¦was written out of necessity: teaching at the jail was so overwhelming at first that I absolutely had to write about it to get some distance from my students’ painful experiences (Boufis 67). † Boufis makes it clear that a majority of her students’ are there for drug related crimes. She does not oppose the punishments given to her students’, but rather sympathizes for the reasoning behind why they are there. Boufis says she is â€Å"always happy to see my former students again, even in jail; at least I know that they are alive and safe (Boufis 72). It is understood that a large amount of drug related offenses make up the population of state and federal prisons. Many people including Amanda Coyne believe minor offenses such as drug crimes are made a bigger deal then they actually are. I believe drugs are controlling in the sense that this crime is repeated over and over again, and besides the issue itself the influence of drugs can cause other crimes as well. In â€Å"The Long Good-bye,† Coyne’s nephew asks â€Å"Is my Mommy a bad guy (Coyne 61)? † Coyne says this question that will haunt someone. She says in a few years she will have to explain to her nephew â€Å"†¦mandatory minimums, and the war on drugs, and the murky conspiracy laws, and the enormous amount of money and time that federal agents pump into imprisoning low-level drug dealers and those who happen to be their friends and their lovers (Coyne 61). † Coyne also presents the idea that she would like her nephew to be raised as she was â€Å"†¦with the idea that we live in the best country in the world with the best legal system in the world – a legal system carefully designed to be immune to political mood swings and public hysteria; a system that promises to fit the punishment to the crime. We want him to be a good citizen. We want him to have absolute faith that he lives in a fair country, a country that watches over and protects its most vulnerable citizens; its women and children (Coyne 61). † Coyne herself says drug dealing is a crime, but the punishment itself is blown out of proportion. Her blaming this on â€Å"political mood swings†, â€Å"public hysteria†, and â€Å"war on drugs† are excuses in my opinion. According to the According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics â€Å"The evidence indicates that drug users are more likely than nonusers to commit crimes, that arrestees and inmates were often under the influence of a drug at the time they committed their offense, and that drug trafficking generates violence. † With this being said, drugs play a powerful part in the incarceration of prisoners. Coyne characterizes drug dealing as a â€Å"small scale† crime, but according to Boufis, inmates themselves admitted they blamed their hopelessness on drugs, even if it was â€Å"small scale†. â€Å"I would even try to sell drugs on a very small scale. I felt my life was becoming meaningless†¦ I now have a chance to regain my life by being here (Boufis 72). Boufis explains that her students’ are â€Å"most likely in jail on drug related chargers, primarily for possessing minor amounts of crack cocaine (70). † She goes on by saying â€Å"I have seen hundreds of women get released from jail and come back again – often the same ones, and often more times that I can count (70). † For an example, one of her youngest students Tanya returns back to jail after selling drugs to an undercover cop. It is often that those incarcerated once before for drug related offenses, usually find themselves returning back to jail again. Just because the crime is committed so often, I do not think it should be excused. Many say drugs only hurt those who use it. Because of this, people consider prison to be a harsh crime and believe better alternatives are available such as rehab. I believe Coyne explains that she will have to explain to her nephew that â€Å"†¦his mother was taken from him for five years not because she was a drug dealer but because she made four phone calls for someone she loved† (Coyne 61). In this sentence I think Coyne is excusing the fact that her sister was participating in the act of selling drugs. I think many people do this because in short terms selling drugs is less damaging than crimes such as robbery, and far less hurtful than murder. †

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Examine the roles of Lawrence Seldenand Simon Ro Essays

Examine the roles of Lawrence Seldenand Simon Rosedale in the novel. Lawrence Selden is part of the elite group of New York and is therefore able to mingle around the circles, he detests their way of living and instead chose to view and study them as an outside observer. Furthermore, even though being part of the privileged society of New York, Selden does not believe that money can buy happiness and is instead a more down-to-earth person, looking for love and happiness instead of buying them with money. While, Simon Rosedale is presented in stereotypical terms as a wealthy, social-climbing Jew. He has been "snubbed" time and again by the people who Lilly associates herself with, simply because of his heritage. He is lacking the fine taste of the upper class men of New York and displays a certain vulgarity commonly associated with his race. Rosedale is described as a "plumprosy man of the blond Jewish type, with smart London clothes fitting him like upholstery, andsmall sidelong eyes" (pg. 48).At first he seems to be an example of everything the novel condemns, focused only on money and shallowness which is the exact opposite of Selden. As the novel continues, however, he is the only one to show kindness to Lily. Lily Bart and Lawrence Selden are in approximately the same economic shape; nonetheless, he enjoys the privileges of a man in his time. He has no pressing need to marry for money due to his earning potential as a lawyer. Men in his society are also not expected to be attractive as women are and therefore don't have to spend so much money on clothes. He can live very comfortably in his apartment and he can be invited to all the same parties and social functions that Lily is invited to, without having to face the same pressure to be charming, beautiful and entertaining. Selden is the opposite to Rosedale when it comes to the believes of material wealth ; Rosedale aspires to the social circles of the wealthy. However, His goal to move into upper-crust society is not greedy and mean; he sees it as a kind of hobby. Due to his different perspectives Lawrence Selden has an idea that there is a small group of people who are similar in their commitment to living their lives freely and deliberately. He calls this the "republic of the spirit. " He says rich people can seldom get into the republic and married people can seldom get into it. He is sharper and more deliberate in his choices than the other people of his society. In some sense, Lawrence Selden is in the novel as an ideologue ,he represents a person who stands for an idea and he functions as such to show a side of Lily that her other friends do not bring out. On the contrary, Simon Rosedale's character has a philosophical basis that is as easy to notice as easy to predict. He is determined to acquire both money and status through which he will earn the respect that he lucks due to his heritage. Regardless of his humble origins and luck of social connections, his power ends up becoming redefined by his financial power. It is the beginning of the new capitalist society of New York and Rosedale is its major representative. Despite their differences, they have one thing in common: They truly love Lily and desire to be with her. Nonetheless, Selden's love for Lily comes into contrast to his idea of freedom. On the one hand, he is fiercely committed to the idea of independence and on the other hand, he is attracted to the idea of living life as his parents did--people whom he admired for their commitment to the beautiful. When he considers marrying Lily Bart, he thinks of his mother. He imagines for those moments that Lily will be like his mother, content with a few delicate things and a life of good company and conversation. He seems to be ready to marry Lily Bart only when he thinks she needs him. He considers marrying her the first time when Gerty Farish tells him to help Lily. When he hears that Lily is in trouble

Monday, November 25, 2019

J. Robert Oppenheimer, Manhattan Project Director

J. Robert Oppenheimer, Manhattan Project Director J. Robert Oppenheimer (April 22, 1904–February 18, 1967) was a physicist and the director of the Manhattan Project, the United States effort during World War II to create an atomic bomb. Oppenheimers struggle after the war with the morality of building such a destructive weapon epitomized the moral dilemma that faced scientists who worked to create the atomic and hydrogen bombs. Fast Facts: Robert J. Oppenheimer Known For: Leader of the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bombAlso Known As: Father of the Atomic BombBorn: April 22, 1904 in New York City,  New YorkParents: Julius Oppenheimer, Ella FriedmanDied: February 18, 1967 in Princeton, New JerseyEducation: Harvard College, Christs College, Cambridge, University of Gà ¶ttingenPublished Works:  Science and the Common Understanding, The Open Mind, The Flying Trapeze: Three Crises for PhysicistsAwards and Honors:  Enrico Fermi Award  Spouse: Katherine Kitty PueningChildren: Peter, KatherineNotable Quote: If atomic bombs are to be added as new weapons to the arsenals of a warring world, or to the arsenals of the nations preparing for war, then the time will come when mankind will curse the names of Los Alamos and Hiroshima. The people of this world must unite or they will perish. Early Life Julius Robert Oppenheimer was born in New York City on April 22, 1904, to Ella Friedman, an artist, and Julius S. Oppenheimer, a textile merchant. The Oppenheimers were German-Jewish immigrants but did not keep religious traditions. Oppenheimer attended the Ethical Culture School in New York. Although J. Robert Oppenheimer easily grasped both the sciences and humanities (and was especially good at languages), he graduated from Harvard in 1925 with a degree in chemistry. Oppenheimer continued his studies and graduated from the University of Gottingen in Germany with a Ph.D. After earning his doctorate, Oppenheimer traveled back to the U.S. and taught physics at the University of California at Berkeley. He became well known for being both a well-regarded teacher and a research physicist- not a common combination. In 1940, Oppenheimer married Katherine Peuning Harrison and their eldest child was born. Harrison, a radical student at Berkeley, was one of many communists in Oppenheimers circle of friends. The Manhattan Project During the beginning of World War II, news arrived in the U.S. that the Nazis were progressing toward the creation of an atomic bomb. Though the Americans were already behind, they believed they could not allow the Nazis to build such a powerful weapon first. In June 1942, Oppenheimer was appointed the director of the Manhattan Project, Americas team of scientists that would work to create an atomic bomb. Oppenheimer threw himself into the project and proved himself not only a brilliant scientist but also an exceptional administrator. He brought the best scientists in the country together at the research facility at Los Alamos, New Mexico. After three years of research, problem-solving,  and original ideas, the first small atomic device was exploded on July 16, 1945, in the lab at Los Alamos. Having proved their concept worked, a larger scale bomb was built and exploded at the Trinity site. Less than a month later, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. A Problem With His Conscience The massive destruction the bombs inflicted troubled Oppenheimer. He had been so caught up in the challenge of creating something new and the competition between the U.S. and Germany that he- and many of the other scientists working on the project- had not considered the human toll that would be caused by these bombs. After the end of World War II, Oppenheimer began to voice his opposition to creating more atomic bombs and specifically opposed developing a more powerful bomb using hydrogen, known as a hydrogen bomb. Unfortunately, his opposition to the development of these bombs caused the United States Atomic Energy Commission to examine his loyalty and questioned his ties to the Communist Party in the 1930s. The Commission decided to revoke Oppenheimers security clearance in 1954. Award From 1947 to 1966, Oppenheimer worked as the director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. In 1963, the Atomic Energy Commission recognized Oppenheimers role in the development of atomic research and awarded him the prestigious Enrico Fermi Award. Death Oppenheimer spent his remaining years researching physics and examining the moral dilemmas related to scientists. Oppenheimer died in 1967 at age 62 from throat cancer. Legacy The invention of the atomic bomb had a profound impact on the outcome of World War II and on the ensuing Cold War and arms race. Oppenheimers personal ethical dilemma has become the focus of myriad books and several plays, including In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Sources â€Å"J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904 - 1967).†Ã‚  Atomic Archive.â€Å"J. Robert Oppenheimer.†Ã‚  Atomic Heritage Foundation, 22 Apr 1904.â€Å"J. Robert Oppenheimer.†Ã‚  United States History.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The Persistence of Memory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Persistence of Memory - Essay Example The painting is best known for its surrealistic elements and can appear to be irrational, unsettling, paradoxical or even nonsensical. But beneath the veneer of this confusion lies its aesthetic merit and conceptual integrity. In the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) where it is currently displayed, it is placed alongside The Disintegration of Persistence of Memory, which was painted twenty years later and meant to be a revision of the earlier work. It is interesting to note that in the intervening period the Second World War happened, which significantly altered Dalis understanding of reality. Also, in the years between 1931 and 1954, Albert Einsteins General Theory of Relativity would become highly acclaimed. This had a profound effect on artists and intellectuals of the time, including Salvador Dali. In this context, it is instructive to study Dalis watches as a manifestation of such theoretical physics concepts as the time-space continuum, time-warp, etc. This internal transformation in the artists understanding of physical reality would manifest itself in his later works. Hence a comparative study of The Persistence of Memory and its revised version would not only give insights into the mind of the artist but also the evolving geo-political realities and scientific discoveries of the twentieth century. It is due to aforementioned special qualities of the work that I chose it for my 3D project. Moreover, I took it up as a challenge to replicate disfigured pocket watches shown in the painting. But this task is not easy due to certain reasons. For example, creating soft watches in 2D is relatively easier than in 3D, for it is easier for the 2D artist to suspend laws of physics in favor of the idea he projects. Further, it is not always feasible to replicate in 3D what was depicted in 2D. I took inspiration from the fact that Dali himself had overcome these challenges in

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Political Sex Scandals Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Political Sex Scandals - Case Study Example The House ethics committee is discussing charges the Democratic leadership should have confronted Massa sooner. Massa has presented explanations for his acquiescence from disease to intrigue Democrats because he opposed health care reform. After John Edwards told a national TV audience the only woman he ever loved was his wife, his mistress Rielle Hunter reported he called her to say he didn't really mean it. Hunter, 45, is experienced, but she was still shocked by GQ's pictures of her with no pants. She thought the photographer was only interested in her face. Collins' lessons are tongue-in-cheek. She says we have to know who our politicians bed with and never trust a guy who plays his marriage as the center piece of a campaign. Nevertheless, there is a deeper issue at hand - the moral behavior of our elected officials. She argues that we should be concerned when wayward public servants have our health care bill in hand. The best articulation of my position is this. The problem with American politics is that is it American politics. I am by no means a Marxist, but some of his ideas resonate in many political situations. He said the seed of any system's destruction is within its own self. That means although outside forces may topple walls interior forces leave them unattended. Maybe it is not representative government itself that is flawed however. Maybe, it just the way we have come to practice it in the United States. Who does it represent anyway Of the tens of millions of votes, how much does my vote really count -- one 50 millionth of a decisions. Did they ever square away that whole thing about campaign funding Does my opinion really matter when a multibillion dollar multinational corporation, like say Eli Lilly or Pfizer, places a briefcase "gift" full of greenbacks on a senator's desk I don't think so. Maybe, that is why marijuana possession is still punishable by death. What is that about, a nyway It is somehow okay to drink a flammable liquid like alcohol and let it slowly melt my brain into a seizing mass, but it is somehow wrong to smoke the leaves of a particular plant, get the munchies and go to sleep. Part of the problem actually lies with the media system itself. Instead of reporting noteworthy news, they sell out for the sensational story. Individual human beings may be smart, but as a group, people are herding animals to some extent. They like tabloid-style media scandals. They get TV ratings. They sell newspapers. Thus, that is what the media industry showcases. The more important issues go unnoticed by comparison. So what about this 300 pound gorilla staring at us Yes, our politicians are corrupt. What do we do about it Can we do anything meaningful It seems that evidence is scarce. Many of these notions are purely philosophical and perhaps not of any immediate use. Many analysts would argue we are on the brink of some cataclysmic change in politics. Based on history there is only one of two ways this can go. The first way is to find some means of rectifying the underlying problems with our system. The other is to hope it fixes itself and risk falling along the wayside with previous empires. It is a scary thought to think much of our stability is reliant upon Chinese economy. Our position is much like that of an expanding universe. If

Monday, November 18, 2019

Environmental Biology and Conservation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Environmental Biology and Conservation - Essay Example The elephants are particularly killed for their valuable ivory that is used in the manufacture of traditional medicine especially in China and Taiwan and making of game trophies and ornaments. In this respect, the conservation of the animals especially in the African continent has become one of top priorities in order to safeguard their crucial role they play in the ecosystem. Destroying local elephant habitats to create room for human settlement is an important local issue in Africa that has resulted to deaths of the African elephant. This paper examines the impact of killing the African elephant one of the threatened species, with special focus on its role in the ecosystem and the conservation measures put in place to ensure its survival. Population trends of African elephant and its major habitats The population of the African elephant has dropped sharply from about 1.3 million animals in the 1970s to about 450,000 animals today (Chris, 1999). The population of these animals has reduced drastically in their main habitats across the African continent presenting serious ecological challenges in the affected region. In view of the declining numbers, some African countries have established conservancies such as game reserves, game parks and national parks in addition to lobbying for international ban on ivory. According to Chris (1999), the African elephant, Loxodanta africana inhabited virtually all parts of the continent for many centuries. Currently, the animals are mostly concentrated on the southern Saharan desert, and their numbers are scattered and disjointed in the region. The habitats of elephants in the sub-Saharan Africa are divided into four main zones that include central, southern, western and eastern Africa (Anderson and Coe 1974). These regions have varying human p opulation that plays a critical role in determining the destruction of the habits and the subsequent animal population. Human population in the central Africa is quite sparse and this region has one of the largest forest cover on the continent. The forests form an important habitat of the forest elephant, the Loxodonta African cyclotis subspecies (White and Child 1988). Due to the dense forests, low human population and limited destruction of the habitats, central Africa is home to about 45% of the total African elephant population (Chris, 1999). Western Africa is one of the regions in the continent that has the highest human population. Consequently, the elephant habits have largely been interfered with, causing drastic reduction in the animal population. According to Chris (1999), elephant population in the region is restricted in the fragmented habitats raging from the savannah and the remaining forested areas. According to Chris (1999), western Africa comprises of just about 2% on the entire population of the African elephant. The countries with the highest numbers of elephants in western Africa include Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast (Chris, 1999). The eastern Africa is another important habitat for the elephant population. Geographically, the region comprises of highlands endowed with rich volcanic soils. Consequently, the dense human population engaged in crop farming in the fertile highlands has destroyed habitats for the African elephant. From early 1970, to 1980, the region experienced high level of elephant poaching and the high population decimated the elephants further (Bengis, 1996). Chris (1999) estimated that the region accounts to about 20% of the total elephant population in the continent. Tanzania is one of the few countries with high elephant population but Kenya is recording an increasing in numbers after enforcing stringent conservation measures (Bengis, 1996). In southern Africa region, the

Friday, November 15, 2019

Cancer: its Risk Factors, Treatments and Diagnosis

Cancer: its Risk Factors, Treatments and Diagnosis Cancer is a disease in which irregular cells multiply uncontrollably and inhabit the surrounding tissues. These cells can metastasize to different parts of the body via bodily fluids such as the lymphatic system (NHS, 2014). Cancers are categorised based on the organ or cell from where they arose. As an example, cancer that develops in the lung is known as lung cancer and cancer that arises in melanocytes of the skin is called melanoma. (Cancer Research UK, 2013) There are four major types of cancer: Carcinoma, cancer that originates on the surface of internal organs. Sarcoma, cancer that initiates in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, and blood vessels. Leukemia, Cancer that arises in bone marrow and causes abnormal blood cells to be made. Lymphoma and myeloma, cancers that originate in the immune system and nervous system cancers, cancers that develop in the cells of the central nervous system (Cancer Research UK, 2013). Some of the risk factors of cancer include the following and for the purpose of this essay, only two are briefly explained. Alcohol Unhealthy eating Lack of exercise Ultraviolet light Air Pollution Radiation Smoking: Smoking precipitates cancer by damaging the DNA, as well as the crucial genes that defend us against cancer. Numerous chemicals such as benzene found in tobacco have been proven to cause DNA mutilation. Old age: The progression of ageing favours two vital processes in cancer growth: the procurement of alterations and the creation of a molecular and cellular environment, which favours carcinogenesis. Over 331,000 people had cancer in 2011 in the UK. 1 in 3 British resident will develop cancer in their lifetime. Approximately 162,000 died from cancer in 2012. The hazard of developing cancer below the age of 50 is 1 in 35 for males and 1 in 20 for females. Less than 1% of entire cancers develop in children aged below 14 years. Less than 1% of all cancers occur in teenagers. In general cancer incidence rates in Great Britain have escalated in the last 40 years, with nearly the entire increase happening in the last 20 years. Cancer is the number one threat for British residents, ahead of debt, violent crime, Alzheimer’s disease and losing a job. There have been huge upsurges in the frequency of numerous cancers strongly related to lifestyle, such as kidney, liver, skin oral and uterine (Cancer Research UK, 2012) Cancer develops when the genetic material of a cell becomes corrupted; the corruption triggers mutations that interfere with the normal cell development and division. When this occurs, the cell does not die. Instead, additional cells are made superfluously; these excess cells accumulate to form a tissue called a tumour, which is the basis of cancer. Tumours are either benign or malignant. Benign tumours remain confined to the location of origin and are not cancerous. Malignant tumours can infiltrate nearby tissues and propagate to various parts of the body. Not all cancers start with a tumour for instance; leukaemia is a cancer of the blood. Viruses such as Human papillomavirus escalates the hazard for cancers of the cervix, penis, vulva, and anus. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses extend the dangers for liver cancer. Symptoms of cancer may include lumps and bumps anywhere on the body, changes in colour of the skin, continuous cough, irregular bowel movements, pain when swallowing and unusual bleeding. (NHS, 2012). The government has taken numerous steps to minimise the health hazards associated with smoking. As an example the 2006 Health Act, Smoking was forbidden in virtually all enclosed work and public spaces in the United Kingdom since July 2007. Some of the methods employed to detect early signs of the disease involve the following. Imaging Endoscopy Cancer screening Theres a greater chance of cure for cancer if diagnosed early. Some of the treatments available include Surgery radiotherapy chemotherapy The current Government cancer policy is the Improving outcomes a strategy for cancer 2011: national cancer strategy. Three, conjointly strengthening values, reinforces this policy. To place the patient at the heart of the public services by refining the relationship between the public and service via the principle of no decision about me without me. To set the NHS and public health care services towards bringing progress in outcomes. Permitting local organisations and professionals to attain the liberties to modernise and drive enhancements in services that provide care of the utmost value for all patients. What is smoking Smoking is the inhalation and exhalation of tobacco smoke in cigarettes. Traditionally, smoking as a practice, was followed by natives of the Western Hemisphere, in religious ceremonials and for medicinal resolutions. It has a history beginning in the early 1600s. Smoking increases the risks of thrombosis it causes hypertension and accelerate the heart rate, compelling the heart to work harder than normal. It Narrows the arteries, dwindling the volume of oxygen-rich blood flowing to the organs. Smoking can elicit male impotence as it interferes with blood supply to the penis. It also damages sperm, diminish sperm count and initiate testicular cancer. In women, smoking can decrease fertility. Smoking while pregnant can result in a miscarriage, premature birth, and stillborn. It also raises the risk of cot death by at least 25%. Furthermore, smoking is an enormous squander on the budget of families on minimum earnings predominantly as households on low incomes ironically tend to smoke considerably more than those on greater earnings. The typical family spending on tobacco in smoking households is about 2.1%, while the deprived section of the population devotes close to 15% of weekly income on cigarettes. 1 in 5 adults was a smoker in 2012, a proportion that has remained mostly unchanged, compared to 1 in 4 in 2002. In 2013, less than a quarter of 11 to 15-year olds stated that they had attempted smoking. At 22%, this is the lowest level recorded since the statistics were first composed in 1982 and continues to decrease since 2003, when 42% of pupils had tried smoking. The percentage of admissions attributable to smoking as a proportion of all admissions was higher in men than women. In 2013 approxmatley 1 in 6 deaths of adults aged 35 and over were projected to be triggered by smoking compared with 81,900 in 2005 (Hscic, 2014). Some of the determinants of smoking include the following and for the purpose of this essay only 2 are briefly explained. Socioeconomic status Cultural Characteristics Biological elements Stress Advertising The tobacco industry’s advertisements, and other promotions for its products are a tremendous impact in society. The tobacco industry devotes billions of pounds each year to generate and market advertisements that display smoking as exhilarating, stylish, and harmless. Price of tobacco Peer pressure Health Hazard of smoking Cancer Cardiovascular Disease Respiratory disorders Sexual dysfunction Smoking raises the hazard of atherosclerosis and hypertension that can result in the development of a Cardiovascular disease. (NHS, 2012). Some chemicals found tobacco smoke such as benzene can cause cancer. They instigate DNA mutilation that can result in an uncontrollable multiplication of cells consequently forming a cancer tumour(NHS, 2012). The government regularly maintains tobacco prices high through tax policy to discourage young people from starting to smoke and prompt smokers to quit.Tobacco promotion is now illicit in the UK and numerous other countries. After the introduction of the tobacco Advertising Promotion Act 2002, nearly all advertising ended in February 2003, i.e., on posters and in printed publications. Cigarette adverts at the point of sale was forbidden in supermarkets in April 2012 and will be proscribed in small shops from April 2015 (Ash, 2014) Smoking has a significant impact on the environment. Smoke and cigarette butts, instigate air, water and soil pollution, and nearly 5 million hectares of woodland are wrecked each year to facilitate the production of tobacco (Ewles, 2005) Current UK smoking policy is the tobacco control plan for England. â€Å"The Plan intends to lessen adult smoking prevalence from 21% to 18.5% by 2015. Diminish the smoking percentage of 15-year-olds from 15% to 12% by 2015, and smoking during pregnancy from 14% to 11% by 2015† (Ash, 2014). The Plan also pledges support for plain packaging of tobacco products, and to cease the parade of ciggeratt in supermarkets by April 2012, and in small shops by April 2015 (Ash, 2014). Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular disease is a overall term that defines the ailments that affect the cardiovascular system. CVD develops after the amount of blood flowing to the heart, and brain reduces due to thrombosis, or atherosclerosis (NHS, 2012) Presently, 1 in 3 deaths in the UK are initiated by CVD, accounting for 180,000 deaths each year. CVD causes a substantial problem of disability, and up to  £8 billion of NHS resources are dedicated to CVD (NICE, 2014). The 4 main categories of cardiovascular disease are Coronary heart disease Stroke Peripheral arterial disease Aortic disease Coronary heart disease develops when the coronary arteries narrow due to fat accrual. This ailment is known as atherosclerosis, and the fat is called atheroma. Eventually, the arteries will be so narrow the provision of oxygenated blood diminishes accordingly damaging certain parts of the heart causing angina. However, if a part of atheroma disassembles, it may initiate a thrombosis and if it occludes the blood flow for a long enough time the heart muscle is perpetually impaired or dies causing a heart attack. Angina and heart attack are the two most common symptoms of CHD. The typical symptoms for angina include pain, ache, discomfort in the chest area. The pain usually subsides within 10 minutes after resting. If glyceryl trinitrate is administered the pain fades within 2 minutes. Angina pain can also be generated by other causes of a rapid heart rate. For example, when in a state of â€Å"fight or flight†. A Heart attack usually has the following symptoms, chest pain – a feeling of heaviness, and tension in the centre of chest. Discomfort in various areas of the body it can feel the pain can spread from the chest to arms typically the left arm is affected, jaw, neck, feeling light-headed, sweating and shortness of breath. A stroke happens when the blood provision to a section of the brain halts and creates damage due to oxygen deprivation. A thrombosis or a haemorrhage in the brain can elicit the blockage. As a result, the affected region of the brain cannot operate routinely. Strokes affect people in dissimilar ways, subject on the section of the brain that is impaired, how extensive the harm is and how healthy the individual was afore the stroke. A stroke can change the way the body functions as well as the thought procedures, communication and vision. A stroke can also have an emotional effect and can create problems such as anxiety, despair or alterations to personality. Types of strokesThere are around 152,000 strokes in the UK each year. There are around 1.1 million stroke survivors living in the UK. Stroke is a significant cause of adult incapacity. More than half of entire stroke survivors are left reliant on others for everyday activities. Stroke is responsible for roughly 7% of deaths in men and 10% in women. Statistics In 2010, cardiovascular diseases were the UK’s main killer, nearly 180,000 people died from CVD roughly 81,000 of these deaths caused by coronary heart disease and about 50,000 from strokes. In 2010, cardiovascular diseases were responsible for around 46,000 untimely deaths in the UK; 68% of these were men. For men, the incidence of angina is highest in Wales, for women it is highest in Scotland. It is lowest for both sexes in England. In 2009, CVD cost the NHS  £8.7 billion and  £19 billion on the economy. Risk factors risk factors associated with coronary heart disease and stroke Family history, Ethnicity and age, Tobacco exposure, Hypertension, High cholesterol, Obesity, Physical inactivity, Diabetes, Unhealthy diets, Harmful use of alcohol Hypertension, Blood pressure refers to the total force the blood applies to the inside walls of the arteries as it passes through them. It is typical for blood pressure to momentarily upsurge. However, if blood pressure is regularly greater than the healthy level when at repose, this condition known as high blood pressure or hypertension. Blood pressure is quantified in millimetres and noted as two numbers: Systolic pressure – the force of the blood when the heart pumps blood out. Diastolic pressure – the pressure of the blood when the heart reposes between beats, which reveals how efficiently the arteries are resisting blood flow. Smoking Alcohol Alcohol is a product that has delivered a range of purposes for people throughout history. Alcohol has played a significant part in religion and worship. Historically, alcoholic drinks have served as a source of nutrients and extensively used for medicinal, antibacterial, and palliative properties. They can be a social lubricant, can aid entertainment, can provide pharmacological pleasure, and can enhance the pleasure of eating. Alcohol impedes the brain’s messaging paths and can influence the manner the brain operates. These disturbances can alter attitude and behaviour, and make it difficult to think sensibly and move with coordination. It is difficult to know and recall the quantity alcohol is in beverages, and just how this can impact health. The lower risk guidelines can assist with this. Men are reccomended to drink no more than 3 – 4 units of regular strength of lager, or cider per day. For women no more than 2-3 units of a normal glass of wine. There’s no evidence to verify that drinking alcohol is completely safe, but by keeping within these guidelines, there is only a little risk of causing damage in most situations. Drinking excessively over an extended period or on a single occasion can harm the heart, causing health conditions such as Cardiomyopathy Arrhythmias Stroke High blood pressure fatty liver Alcoholic hepatitis Fibrosis Cirrhosis Cancers Approxmatley 9990 people were victims of alcohol related driving accidents in the UK in 2011 together with 280 who lost their lives and 1290 who sustained severe harm. Alcohol-linked criminality costs  £11 billion each year. They were roughly 1.2 million alcohol associated hospital admissions between 2011 2012, a 135% upsurge since 2002-2003 and 8748 deaths absolutely linked to alcohol. The alcohol-related deaths of men in the most deprived socio-economic class is 3.5 times greater than for men in the least deprived class whereas for women the number is 5.7 times Between 2002 and 2009, 92,220 children below18 years were admitted to hospital in England for alcohol-related illnesses. The incidents of people aged between 60 and 74 admitted to hospitals in England due to alcohol has escalated by over 50%, more than in the 15-59 age category over the last decade. Change4Life is a public health plan in England, created in January 2009 regulated by the Department of Health. Change4Life focuses on helping the public to make small, maintainable yet essential enhancements to their diet, activity levels and alcohol intake. The Public Health Responsibility Deal was formally launched in March 2011. It challenges businesses and other organisations to play their role in creating an environment that supports people to make informed, balanced, healthier choices. The Government’s Alcohol Strategy. The Strategy focuses on Crime and disorder Binge drinking/’irresponsible drinking’ Individual responsibility ‘Minimum Unit Pricing’ and increased punitive measures Younger people

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

John-O-Lanterns :: essays research papers

â€Å"Witchcraft,† answered the seventeen year old honor student, Sebastian Holmes, at Lincoln Woods High.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Correct,† replied Lady Talla, the elderly Mythology teacher who also owned the town brothel, â€Å"Drec, wake up and pay attention!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"How can I pay attention to the same thing every year? You teachers need to teach us new things,† Drec barked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was the day before Halloween and since this was the first year that Drec was too old to go Trick-or-Treating, he and Sebastian decided to dress up and petrify the local kids. They climbed into Sebastian’s Bronco and headed for the local costume parlor. Drec bought a very expensive, very gory costume of a man with a nail through his eye. Sebastian bought a costume of a skunk with a bow in its hair. Drec was never one to retain his opinions, so he told Sebastian that his skunk costume was the gayest thing he’d ever seen. Sebastian being the kind hearted person that he was, just ignored the comment and proceeded to the door. If it weren’t for Sebastian, Drec’s mouth would get him into all sorts of trouble.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the way home Drec saw something that he didn’t see on the way to the costume shop, it was a humongous field full of pumpkins. Sebastian pulled over to check the prices because his family still didn’t have any pumpkins for Halloween. There wasn’t anyone there, so the boys decided to â€Å"borrow† a couple of them. They weren’t going to waste them, they were going to carve them and put them out on Sebastian’s front porch. So they didn’t feel as bad about stealing. They loaded up the Bronco and headed home, hoping nobody saw them take the pumpkins. The first thing that they did when they got home was carve the pumpkins that they came across. It was late, so Drec went home and prepared for the next day of complete excitement. Little did they know, three hundred miles away, two men were planning to â€Å"borrow† a few things of their own. The next morning Sebastian’s parents were missing; there was no note or anything. So he called Drec, Drec has the same problem. Fifteen minutes later, Drec and Sebastian arrived at an empty police station with no clue where anyone is. They have already tried making calls on the radio and over the town broadcast system, but they had no luck.