Thursday, October 31, 2019

Understanding the career and role of health insurance professionals is Essay

Understanding the career and role of health insurance professionals is essential - Essay Example So this suggests that an accounting oriented job profile will suit me well. Having identified this possible career direction, I am yet open to explore other interesting options. I believe that sales and customer services are challenging options requiring dynamism and enterprise on part of the aspirant. As of now I only have limited exposure to health insurance. I’ve visited the websites of industry organization such as AAPC and AHIMA and carried out some preliminary research. I discovered to my pleasant surprise that the AAPC site is rich in learning resources. These include industry publications, peer-reviewed journals, relevant events and news, practical and learning tools, etc. I hope to consolidate my knowledge through a mix of practical experience and theoretical understanding through the duration of the course. I would ideally need a mix of I discovered that a career in health insurance offers opportunities for continuing education. Over the years the industry has embraced information technology for its processes. So keeping up-breast with latest advances in IT is a good idea. Keeping with this view, AAPC and AHIMA offer several diploma courses and supplementary training. I realize that no amount of training and theoretical learning is a substitute for real work experience. So even as I approach the course with enthusiasm, I am gearing up for lifelong learning in the actual business environment. Finally, health insurance professionals are not as well paid on average as doctors or engineers. However, the industrious professional can reach great heights. Those professionals who approach their job responsibilities with sincerity and honesty are most likely to

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Evolution of a Fairy Tale Essay Example for Free

The Evolution of a Fairy Tale Essay In the universe of fairy tales, the Just often find a way to prevail, and the Wicked generally receive their comeuppance. But a closer look at the stories reveals much more than a simple formula. Behind the seemingly innocent tales of old lie undeniable truths about women—how they were treated in society, and how they wanted to break free from the mold their surroundings had built around them. To fully understand this, I will be examining â€Å"fairy tales† where women were not weak and vapid, where they became the heroes, and where a reversal of roles that was ahead of its time, arose. But first, a brief look at its history. The Origin of Fairy Tales Once Upon a Time, fairy tales werent written for children. According to Bob Huang’s essay, in spite of their name, the popular fairy tales usually have very little to do with fairies. We took the name from the French contes des fee, and the French literary fairy tales of the 17th century do feature far more fairies than the tales which are best-known today. The Grimm brothers collected the folk tales of the German people to make up their volume, but fairy tales are more than just folk tales. The German term for them is Marchen, a word for which there is no satisfactory English equivalent it is the diminutive of Mar, a story or a tale, and has come to mean a story of wonder and enchantment, as the fairy tale is. Although large numbers of literary fairy tales were written in 17th century France, most of the tales which are still told and retold now are far older in origin. Many of the stories were edited and changed as they were written down, removing the darker and more gruesome elements of the stories. The intended audience of the stories has also changed. Perraults collection of tales was written to be presented at the court of Versailles, and each tale ended with a moralistic verse. At the same time, literary fairy tales of great imagination and invention, often quite cruel and gruesome, were being created by the women surreptitiously rebelling against the constraints placed on them by their restrictive society. They were not written for children. Today, when asked to name authors of fairy tales, most people now (if they knew at all) would answer the Grimm Brothers or Charles Perrault, and perhaps Hans Christian Andersen. Yet throughout history, fairy tales have been womens stories, passed down orally by the mothers and grandmothers. When the tales began to be a literary form, the number and output of female authors vastly exceeds that of the males. The Grimm Brothers collected their tales from peasants and edited them to suit their audience; most of Perraults stories are retellings of old tales. Although the female authors included familiar elements, their now-forgotten tales were largely more inventive, original and fantastical than their male counterparts and frequently nastier, too. The Authors of the â€Å"Real† Fairy Tales In 1634, a cycle of fifty tales was published by Giambattista Basile, in which can be found some of the earliest written versions of familiar stories like Sleeping Beauty. Basiles tone is bawdy and comic; his narrators within the tale are old women, hags, crones and old gossips, the stereotypical tellers of the old wives tale. The women who brought the literary fairy tale to popularity fifty years or so later were anything but old wives. The story which marked the beginning of the form was written by the Countess dAulnoy, an aristocratic woman who tried to implicate her husband in a crime of high treason, but was discovered, and managed to flee Paris. She had been married to the husband at the age of 15; he was 30 years her senior, and a gambler and libertine. The cruelty of enforced marriages is remarked on by the heroines of many of her stories, and the tales of other women of the time. 0 years after fleeing Paris (she returned in 1685), Mme dAulnoy is thought to have assisted a friend to kill her husband, who had abused her. The friend was beheaded. The Countess de Murat was banished from Louis XIVs court in Paris for publishing a political satire about him; she then shocked the people of Loches, where she had her chateau, by holding gatherings where she and her friends would dance, talk, and tell fairy tales, as in the salons of Paris. Her tales concern marriage, the power struggles of the aristocracy, and true love. They do not always have a happy ending, either. Marie-Jeanne L Heritier led a less controversial life. She did not marry, choosing to dedicate herself to writing. Her father was a historian and writer, her sister was a poet. She was also the niece of Charles Perrault, and quite likely influenced his interested in fairy tales. Her Adventures of Finette features a heroine who wins by her wits, in spite of two lazy sisters and an evil prince. The Secret Messages In a time of political censorship, where women had few rights, fairy tales were one way that they could make their opinions known. The fairies themselves in the tales often stand for the aristocrats, having power over many but often caring little, bickering amongst themselves, concerned with their own power struggles. The heroines comment on the double-standards of the times, arranged marriages, and the false glory of war; the tales also illustrate the authors ideas on the standards of correct manners, justice and love. The tales were also written in opposition to the literary establishment at the time, which championed Classical literature as the standard for French writers to follow. Fairy tales were modeled on French folklore and the courtly love of medieval literature. When Perrault joined them in writing fairy tales, he was taking a stand for the modern style and for womens tales (although his tales did not exactly feature liberates females). The Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns was part of the society which the fairy tales rebelled against for most women there was no choice over which side to take, as they werent thought worth educating in Latin and Greek anyway. Instead of being forced out, they formed their own style. A Fresh Look at the tale Donkeyskin (Feminism at work) We begin with a dying queen, a king who is described as being the most powerful monarch in the world, and their daughter. In the queens final conversation with her spouse, she extracts a promise that should he wed again, he will marry no woman who does not fulfill a particular condition: to match her in beauty, to fit her wedding ring, to have hair of a hue as golden as her own, and so forth—conditions differing from culture to culture. The king remains single for a number of years, unable to meet the conditions of his promise to his wife. At least not until their only daughter matures. It becomes apparent that she, and she alone, fulfills the necessary conditions, and he resolves to marry her, much to the horror of kingdom and princess alike. Seeking to evade her fate, the princess follows her mothers example by attempting to set an impossible condition to prevent, or at least delay, the impending union (in some versions, through her own wiles; in others, through the advice of a substitute mother figure such as a fairy godmother; and sometimes, though more rarely than is common in other tales such as Cinderella or The Goose Girl, through the direct advice of her dead mothers spirit). Typically, she asks her father for a dress as shining as the sun, a dress as lucent as the moon, and a coat made from the skin of either a single precious animal, or from skins representative of all of the animals in the woods. In some variants, the princess asks directly for the source of her fathers wealth, such as the skin of the donkey. Regardless, the father is so driven by his incestuous urges that impossible condition after impossible condition is met. It is interesting to note that in this particular story, the action which fits the mold of unassertive femininity starts the ball rolling, indirectly causing a series of harmful effects, while the more assertive, independent actions of the daughter are both required and rewarded. When her conditions are met, instead of choosing to follow her fathers path and acquiesce to immorality, our heroine chooses to take her fate into her own hands and flees, disguised by her coat of skin, her link to the natural world, carrying the precious dresses that represent her heritage and worldly position. Once this character is away from civilization, she finds herself at something of a loss. Her only advantage in her new environment is the cloak of skins, which she has finagled away from her father. The implications of this garment are interesting. First, there is the fact that it was created, whole cloth, from the harm that her father wished to do her and the manner in which she avoided that fate. As such, it can be described as being the product of courage and cunning. It is also a resource that allows her to tap into a deeper part of nature and thus succeed in her future attempts at happiness through craft and cunning. After a time spent wandering the forest, a place symbolic of change and transformation, the princess is discovered by a hunting party, and taken to a foreign court on the strength of her value as a curiosity. After spending some time persevering by dint of hard labor in the court kitchens, the princess develops a strategy. She determines to catch the interest of this kingdoms prince through traditionally feminine gifts. She uses her physical appearance, her cooking skills, and her general ability to maintain his continued interest and fascination. This threefold plan succeeds. Aside from the aforementioned aspects of feminism that the princess displayed: the independent streak, the stubbornness, the unwillingness to conform, there are also the symbols that the story made use of in terms of the other central characters. The King, for instance, whose incestuous intent, for its time (and now), extremely amoral, symbolized the power that men of that era had. It did not matter that the relationship was a no-no, nor the fact that his daughter did not want to go through with it. He wanted her as his wife, and he intended to have her—come what may. The century in which this story was written clearly had women and men in set roles. Men were the hunters, the leaders, and the autocracy. Do you not often wonder why quite a few of the mothers in tales we know, died to start the story off (Cinderella, Snow White)? It was as if the women during that time wanted to relay to the readers how hard life was for them that the maternal figures for the protagonists were dead to begin with. And then the authors branch off. We’ve established the role of the man as the â€Å"obey-me† figure, now there’s the fairy godmother who always rushes in to help. What this character clearly meant was the supposition of a female as a powerful figure; A magical creature who could do anything with a flick of her wand. The author clearly wanted to show that despite the antagonist’s presence, something could be done, and it would be a woman to do it. If you notice, a lot of other tales incorporate the â€Å"Fairy Godmother† figure (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel). Then there’s Prince Charming. He is the culmination of all the hardships that our heroine goes through. A rich, handsome, not-too-bright fellow who can’t seem to recognize the love of his life when in costume! Research has shown that women in the olden days did want rich husbands and a comfortable life. It was as if the Prince was their way of saying, â€Å"this is what I want, and what I deserve. Now, about our Donkeyskin heroine†¦her femininity did come back (the cooking, the vanity), but one could see all through to the end of the story, that she was willing to assert her authority, and not play second fiddle anymore. She ran away from her situation in the hope of finding a better one, and in the process, found she really needed (in her time, a husband seemed to fit the bill). Modern Feminist Fairy Tale Authors In our modern arts, as in ages past, women storytellers have understood this best. Margaret Atwood, Olga Broumas, Carol Ann Duffy, Denise Duhamel, Sandra Gilbert, Theodora Goss, Liz Lochead, Lisel Mueller, Lisa Russ Spar, Gwen Strauss, Jane Yolen, and many other contemporary feminist poets have used fairy tale themes to powerful effect to portray the truth of womens lives. (Anne Sextons collection Transformations, in particular, is an extraordinary work which no lover of fairy tales or womens writing should miss. ) Prose writers, too, have used fairy tales themes in a variety of interesting ways, exploring tradition stories from fresh, shrewd, modern perspectives. Some of their fairy tale novels and stories can be found on the mainstream fiction shelves, such as Angela Carter’s ground–breaking collection The Bloody Chamber, Margaret Atwoods The Robber Bride, Kate Bernheimers The Complete Tales of Ketzia Gold, Loranne Browns The Handless Maiden, A. S. Byatts Possession, Kathryn Daviss The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf, Berlie Dohertys The Vinegar Jar, Emma Donaghues Kissing the Witch, Alice Hoffmans The Blue Diary, Susanna Moores Sleeping Beauty, and Gioia Timpanelli’s Sometimes the Soul. Similarly enchanting works can be found tucked away on the fantasy shelves: Gwyneth Joness Seven Fairy Tales and a Fable, Peg Kerrs Wild Swans, Tanith Lees Red as Blood and White as Snow, Patricia McKillips Winter Rose, Robin McKinley Beauty and Deerskin, Rachel Pollacks Godmother Death, Delia Shermans Porcelain Dove, Sheri Teppers Beauty, Patricia C. Wredes Snow White and Rose Red, Jane Yolens Briar Rose, and the stories in the Snow White, Blood Red anthology series, to name just a few. Still more can be found on the Young Adult fiction shelves, including Francesca Lia Block’s The Beast and the Rose, Shannon Hales The Goose Girl, Sophie Massons Serafin, Edith Patous East, Ursula Synges Swans Wing, and the many fairy tale novels of Donna Jo Napoli. In The Feminine in Fairy Tales, a collection of her lectures at the Jung Institute in Zurich, Von Franz discusses themes in The Girl With No Hands, equating the heroines flight into the wilderness with the inner journeys we make into the unconscious and the lands of the soul. The forest [is] the place of unconventional inner life, she says, in the deepest sense of the word. It is there, in solitude, that the heroine can look deep inside herself and find the space, time, and clarity to heal, symbolized by the restoration of her hands at the end of the tale. Gertrude Mueller–Nelson builds on these ideas in her book Here All Dwell Free: Stories to Heal the Wounded Feminine in which she uses two fairy tales — The Girl With No Hands and The Sleeping Beauty — to examine the ways the ‘Feminine’ is devalued in modern culture, and in men and womens lives. Conclusion Such tales were passed down through the generations by word of mouth, woman to woman, mother to child — using archetypes as a mirror held to daily life, particularly the lives of those without clear avenues of social power. Why do we continue to be ensnared by fairy tales, after all these centuries? Why do we continue to tell the same old tales, over and over again? Because we all have encountered wicked wolves, faced trial by fire, and found fairy godmothers. We have all set off into unknown woods at one point in life or another. Women had found their voices through the â€Å"tales† and were set free.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Graduate Gilm Analysis

The Graduate Gilm Analysis The phrase New Hollywood originally achieved extensive use to express a new wave of films and young film directors that emerged between the mid-to-late 1960s to the mid-to-late 1970s; a phenomenon more frequently regarded as the Hollywood Renaissance. Amongst these young directors included Mike Nichols whose massive box office hit The Graduate (1967), became one of the momentous, landmark films of the period, and helped to put in motion an innovative modern epoch of film production. Freshness and originality (traceable to the French New Wave) within an embedded framework of classical Hollywood style could be the most fitting way to typify the formal structure of The Graduate. Having emerged from the post studio era of production, a period when Hollywood was producing a high number of successful cutting edge films, The Graduate follows popular trends by setting out to offer a probing depiction of American society. Through its mixture of old and new Hollywood stylistic conventions, The Graduate realistically captures the 1960s culture of youthful alienation, disillusionment, opposition to the status quo and middle class values, and the growing cynicism of a younger generation against the older generation. An array of industrial factors was significant to both the emergence of young directors like Mike Nichols and the changing content in films of the Hollywood Renaissance. The decline of vertically integrated companies together with a large decrease in cinema attendances, contributed towards the ending of the studio system of production, and opened the gateways for a thematically different style of film-making. Consequently, individual packages were assembled: a format that gave directors like Nichols more authority, money and freedom to stamp their authority on film projects. Due to these rapid modifications in industrial factors, American values were also being challenged. The success of sexually explicit films like The Man with the Golden Arm, led to an adjustment of the production code. With barriers falling, Nichols was allowed to portray adultery, affairs and near nudity in The Graduate. Films no longer had to strictly target the family audience. Hence, Nichols pushed the limits, pushing the restrictions of both stylistic medium, and of taste. The idea of an older married woman (Mrs Robinson played by Anne Bancroft) eagerly seducing a young college graduate almost half her age (Benjamin Braddock played by Dustin Hoffman) was deemed controversial by many older audiences at the time, yet proved very effectual in targeting youth audiences. The film was thought of as bringing something new to Hollywood. However, although The Graduate has been bracketed as a product of New Hollywood, it is important to note that most of its scenes adhere to the classical style of editing, mainly because continuity editing and conventional form was a proven successful formula in Hollywood cinema; it remained ideal for constructing narratives that were visually uncomplicated to follow. The opening scene of The Graduate is principally constrained by the rules of classical Hollywood style for reasons like this, and so that audiences are presented with a rational believable world. The film begins with a close-up of Benjamin Braddocks face the white background focuses attention on his steely motionless gaze. The composition of this shot accentuates his look of disillusionment to the audience. It seems he is isolated, but the camera steadily zooms out, revealing him to be on an aeroplane packed with passengers. By filming his muted bodily movement on the automatic walkway in one slow extended take, the sen se of Benjamins isolation is heightened; Nichols is of course shaping up a narrative to reflect the disillusionment of the youth culture of his day, and as we learn later, Benjamins future reservations. Together with the popular non-diegetic soundtrack Sound of Silence, Benjamins mood is perfectly encapsulated within the opening credits. Since the lyrics of Sounds of Silence coincide with Benjamins behaviour, it almost becomes a second language for the film. The song, produced by the folk music duo Simon and Garfunkel, became an instant hit with the youth culture of the 1960s; it reached number one on New Years day (1966). In the opening, it matches well with the slow pace and continuity of the scene; the solemn edge and dim emotional colouring of the track underline the psychological difficulties Benjamin is experiencing. It is only when the shot of Benjamin exiting the airport dissolves to a shot of him expressing his qualms about future aspirations, that the viewers are able to distinguish the basis of his psychological commotion. By presenting a traditional older community who dont understand Benjamins troubles, the viewers build compassion towards Benjamin. In this second close up of his face, Benjamin conveys a slight look of apprehension as he tries to explain to his father (Mr. Braddock played by William Daniels) of his need to be different. However, Benjamins worries about his future are seemingly ignored. His father seems more concerned about keeping up appearances and persuading his son to attend to the guests of the home-coming party. This scene draws directly to the 1960s culture of youthful isolation, because like several young individuals of his generation, Benjamin emerged from the safe haven of the college lifestyle, only to feel confounded and highly indecisive about his future career. His parents, however, highlight their self-absorbed intentions by coaxing him downstairs as opposed to understanding his predicament; the party just seems like a reason for them to parade their material possession s to their friends. Hence, young people loved the movie because it highlighted their anxieties, and in the process it put down parents as self-obsessed immoral clods who only saw life through the narrow lens of class structure and wealth. Another technique used to represent the oblivious older generation is when the middle-aged guests of the home-coming party find themselves communicating in third person about Benjamin, even whilst he is positioned quite close to them. Combined with their invasive ways (almost pressuring Benjamin into an answer about his future), none of them truly comprehend Benjamins desires. In looking troubled and hesitant about future goals, Benjamin appears to be resisting the quintessence of the supposed American dream a complete American education, followed by a lucrative career. Like young people of his time, he is finding it difficult to come to terms with the institutionalised adult working life awaiting him. During the party Benjamin is constantly surrounded by a swarm of older people who want to praise his academic achievements or question him about his future; this only further adds to his claustrophobic mindset. Even after escaping the middle-aged crowd to refuge of his bedroom, he is interrupted by Mrs Robinson and feels trapped once more. Within the same shot that Mrs Robinson is being framed in the doorway, Ben is also framed within the world of his fish tank another symbol of imprisonment that is repeated several times throughout the film. Indeed Benjamin is like a fish himself shy, introvert and feeling alone in an ocean of emptiness. The classical editing in the opening of the film attains a smooth and faultless style of narration, allowing the viewer to effortlessly track the direction of the narrative; the viewers can feel the tension created when Benjamins inner conflicts are crossed with a non-understanding older generation. Further continuity editing is used to uphold clear narrative action (a feature of several successful films of the Hollywood Renaissance) as well as build up the moments leading up to the bedroom scene, in which Mrs Robinson will attempt to seduce Benjamin. In an establishing long shot of Mrs Robinsons house, Benjamin is persuaded to accompany Mrs Robinson inside. As Benjamin enters, he is surrounded by a porch made of all glass, making the environment outside entirely noticeable. The huge trees and thick green bushes outside, give the appearance of a tropical jungle; this could be a metaphor to illustrate Mrs Robinsons pursuit of Benjamin. Also, in one of the most infamous frames within a frame shot where Benjamin is framed perfectly under Mrs Robinsons leg, Mrs Robinson again takes on the more dominant position between them; she takes up the role of a predator whilst he becomes the young vulnerable prey. These portrayals of a sexually aggressive woman perhaps symbolises how easily t he older generation and society can lead a fretful, alienated individual astray if he or she deviates from forming a meaningful purpose towards life. Benjamin, who is already feeling lost, is caught off guard and becomes easy pickings for Mrs Robinson to take advantage. From an industrial perspective, Mrs Robinsons pursuit of Benjamin is important in establishing her constructed gender role; she is neither a liberated woman (who will leave her husband and pursue her romantic desires) nor a conformist faithful suburban housewife. During the 1960s, women roles were shifting from 1950s image of subservient housewives, to a more rebellious independent role. However, Mrs Robinson plays both the unhappy suburban housewife as well an explicitly sexual woman chasing an affair. She is shown as asserting her authority and sexual prowess over Benjamin, yet is still bound by her sex and relations with men; her representation is a result of the film industrys incapability to cut free from the conventional portrays of women so prevalent throughout the history of early Hollywood cinema. Julia Anderson states, Most viewers were not interested in watching, and Hollywood was not interested in funding a determined woman as a popular female lead. Thus, Mrs Robinson is a gripping protagonist one of the most renowned in Hollywood, in fact, but when her character is measured in terms of gender depiction, it is plain to see she is not gripping because of her accomplishments, but because of her villain like role. And her whole story circulates around her relationships with a member of the opposite sex; as a result she remains a female character that is defined by her association with a man, instead of her own defiant or heroic actions. The extent of Mrs Robinsons overwhelming sexual needs bears resemblance to the dissatisfied, sexually frustrated housewife described by Betty Friedan in her Feminine mystique (1963). Although Mrs Robinson had been forced into marriage as a result of becoming pregnant, she is put in a hopeless position to escape the marriage, possibly since she has become financially dependant on her husband. In having conformed to the archetypal housewife role rather than pursuing a professional career, it could be argued that she has become consumed by the feminine mystique; a lifestyle which regardless of true love keeps women, in many cases, interested due to the wealth of material possessions and money they receive. In Mrs Robinsons case, the combination of a loveless relationship and dreary housewife commitments makes her more subject to an increased sexual appetite. Thus, Mrs Robinson only engages in the affair to use Benjamin as defence mechanism to bring herself out of her miserable existence within marriage. The cinematography techniques used to capture Mrs Robinsons growing sexual desires for Benjamin, are examples of a move away from classical Hollywood style; the lightning fast cuts and other disorientating effects in the bedroom scene create the feeling of restiveness, impatience and a great sense of sexual hunger on Mrs Robinsons part. One of the reasons in using discontinuity techniques was because it was a major component for films deserving to be categorised as part of a new wave or renaissance. In this case it is effectively used to represent the turning point in the film; not only does it highlight Mrs Robinsons sexual urges, but the high-speed editing simultaneously reflects the growing tension and awkwardness on Benjamins part. This time he is framed over Mrs Robinsons shoulder and it is clear to detect his uncomfortable reactions when presented by the fully unclothed Mrs Robinson. By applying a slow opening to The Graduate and contrasting it with these bursts of rapid cuts, the visual impact of the seduction is made much greater to the audience; the full force of Mrs Robinsons desire is projected onto the viewer, who up until now has been comfortable experiencing the largely unnoticeable style of editing. Films like The Graduate and others of the Hollywood Renaissance period aimed to move away from directing entire films via strict continuity regimes; they aimed for a newer exciting dimension of stylistic techniques and current gimmicks to reflect characters emotions. The fact that Benjamin is emotionally at a crisis himself, makes the subsequent affair with an older married woman all the more worthless. The whole feeling of worthlessness surrounding the affair between Mrs Robinson and Benjamin is brilliantly captured in the musically backed montage, a segment that uses rapid editing and special effects a more direct use of discontinuity style thought to have been borrowed from the films of the French New Wave (La Nouvelle Vague). During the montage, one scene is edited so that it appears Benjamin is drifting between his parents house to the hotel room he shares with Mrs Robinson. Afterwards, in a disorientating match-cut, Benjamin is shown climbing up onto his home swimming pool raft and landing on top of Mrs Robinson in the hotel bed they share perhaps another symbol to symbolise Benjamins downward spiral in life, and his plunge to new lows by partaking in the affair. Within the several jarring cuts that show Benjamin walking back and forth into these separate spheres, the non-diegetic soundtracks Sound of Silence followed and April Come She Will play in the background; in illust rating compressed narrative information within the montage, the sequences of events highlights their loveless affair, and demonstrates how Benjamin is submitting himself to Mrs Robinson in order to block out the purposelessness and bleakness of his life over the summer. Nichols purposefully contradicts continuity here to stamp his mark on the film; in borrowing successful elements of the French New Wave, he is able to add that major ingredient of innovation so important to films in and around his period, and use it portray the feeling of youth disillusionment manifest in his society. It could be also argued that the increased discontinuity techniques in the musically backed montage have a more political purpose rather than merely reflecting character moods. By having a more jarring sporadic style of editing, viewers becomes more alert to messages in the film, and start to question dominant ideologies in society. In this case, Benjamins refusal in submitting to neither the plastics world of the older generation or any other city profession shows his rejection of the status quo and middle class ideals; a similar rejection shown by the youth rebellion of the 1960s. More concern in emphasised on Benjamins need to belong and find his identity as opposed to following the traditional way of American life fulfilling his education and entering a commercial, corporate based occupation. Through Benjamins almost robotic, strained replies to his father questions, he is resisting the standardised American way of living in hopes to search for a more fulfilling existence. Thus, his feelings of aimlessness directly reflect the youth generation of the time who equally drifted for prolonged periods of time whilst trying to determine an aim in life. Benjamins feelings of discontent are justifiable because as Friedan would argue, many young men who willingly conformed to corporate life in the late 1960s realised that the purposelessness of their work kept them from feeling like men. For reasons like these, Benjamin refrains from following the old-fashioned way of living that his parents have occupied. Instead he enters a passionless affair and drifts around at his parents pool as a form of escapism. Pushing narrative boundaries and including illicit representations of sex in the affair between Benjamin and Mrs Robinson were thoughtfully calculated by the film to target the 1960s American youth rebellion culture. In an era when the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) no longer had the final contribution in the films story, Nichols was free of most strict censorships. This allowed him to openly forefront facets of the youthful counterculture; in doing so The Graduate targeted younger audiences (the major cinema ticket consumers in the late 1960s). Since younger people preferred films that dealt more explicitly with sex, Nichols audience targeting strategy proved very cost effective and ticket sales rocketed with the film earning a box office gross of $105m. Large amounts of that gross total were down to Nichols innovative film techniques which pushed home the feelings of the youth counterculture uncertainty, fear, and a general lack of direction in life. Another reason for Nichols to offer the clear rejection of classical unambiguous cinematic form (evident in the scenes previously mentioned) was because many film directors who employed such techniques in various scenes of their films were held up in admiration at the time, whilst Hollywood films restricted by conventional narrative flow were condemned. Films like Easy Rider and Bonnie and Clyde were largely greeted with huge success for their innovative trendy stylistic approach. Described as a period of great artistic achievement based on new freedom and widespread experimentation, these new formal styles became very profitable for selling huge box office hits, and helped cement the Hollywood Renaissance a golden age in Hollywood history. Moreover, by using new off the wall techniques, Nichols perhaps shows his desire to be held in the same admiration of previously successful forward thinking directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chapin and Howard Hawks, who were much-admired for their high film art, and auteur status. Considering the new found freedom that directors of the Hollywood Renaissance had, the films of the period have been mostly understood in terms of the efforts of the artistic auteur. Hence, Nichols too has been regarded as a filmmaker creating his own personal style of directing. For example The scene which celebrates Benjamins 21st birthday is important in establishing the psychological burdens Benjamin is suffering; a mindset which mirrors the youth alienation and counterculture of the 1960s. Through avant-garde techniques, Nichols positions the viewers in Benjamins viewpoint (looking out of a scuba diving mask), and forces them to experience Benjamins feelings of entrapment as he makes his uncomfortable transition from a boy to a mature man. Benjamins visions reveal a blurry image of his parents faces; this together with muted sounds of the middle-aged crowd could be representative of Benjamin being too caught up in his own thoughts to acknowledge anything, particularly the overbearing views of the older generation he wants to block out. As well as moving lethargically towards the pool and finally sinking to the bottom of it, this scene cements the foundation for his growing rebellion towards his elders. Like the youth alienated society of the day, Benjamin prefers to blank out the real world. Before he decides to emerge in front of the birthday guests in his scuba diving outfit, Benjamins replies to his father are packed by unusually high pitched bleats of apprehension: dad can we please talk about this for a second. The anxiety that punctuates Benjamins line deliveries accentuates his uptight frame of mind, and becomes a point of resistance against his parents. Not only does this add to the comedic element of the film, but by presenting comedy in its blackest sort, these instances positions the viewer to ridicule American materialistic values the need to flaunt material wealth as a means of maintaining class hierarchies. The fact that Benjamins father feels the need to highlight the price of the scuba diving mask to the birthday guest only further affirms this. As Benjamin moves sluggishly towards the pool, it is interesting to note the parallels of Nicholass point of view shots with Alfred Hitchcocks; they both create a similar feeling of discomfort in the viewer. Like Hitchcock, Nichols too questions the root of regular human behaviours by aligning the viewer to the protagonists dissenting action through point of view. The increased volume of Benjamins breathing appears to be a sound which transcends from realism to expressionism and it fits in well with Benjamins troubled mood. In this way viewer feels they are partaking in scopophilic and often pervasive acts, sharing a strong bond with Benjamin. As continuity editing paints a more naturalistic ordered world, these avant-garde techniques can be viewed as mirroring the disordered society of the 1960s- youthful alienation and rebellion to middle class norms. Moreover, Benjamins behaviour and strained replies to his father are significant in establishing Benjamins identity crisis; an issue which reflects the gender crisis of the 1960s. During the 1960s, new notions about masculinity were starting to surface; the counterculture sought to change the traditional one dimensional understanding of man. In contexts to Benjamins world, he encounters the suburban middle-class ideas of the older generation and their traditional understanding of manhood a well rounded education, followed by a future in plastics. However, by rejecting this lifestyle in hopes to seek his true identity, Benjamin models himself on the modern image of the American male one who has a greater vision as opposed to conforming to the rather straightforward life presented to him by his father one that he is readily expected to lead. Just like in The Graduate, the older generation of Nichols time did not recognize that the gender roles for men were changing; it was only due to the growing counterculture asserting new attitudes towards gender that finally produced a young politicised generation who were on the lookout for their true individuality. The film thus mocks the traditional views of the older generation, particularly the materialistic wealth and snobbery that Benjamins father constantly parades to his friends. In addition to the changing gender roles of the 1960s, Dustin Hoffmans projection of a wholly different type of masculinity in The Graduate could be down to industrial factors. In a period when the industry was in flux, older notions of star power as highly desired commodities were concurrently on the decline; the rebirth of Hollywood cinema in the mid-to-late 1960s provided room for new stars to be born. This allowed Nichols to move away from portraying the traditional male hero one who was physically imposing, clearly motivated by an aim, and a man of more action rather than words. Nichols, on the contrary, presents the viewer with a male hero (Benjamin) who is small, introvert, awkward, indecisive, and feels lost throughout the film. As The Graduate was entering Hollywood cinema at a time where films were projecting high innovation, it could be argued that Nichols opts to go for something new in his characters to represent this trend. In the process he undermines classical narrat ive convention by portraying a male hero who has no clear motivations. Therefore as well as reflecting the changing gender dynamics of the period, Nichols gives rise to a new kind of star impersonation in his male hero. Moreover, Katharine Rosss character Elaine (the daughter of Mrs Robinson and Benjamins true love) also reflects the changing gender attitudes of the 1960s. At a time when the womens movement was gathering in strength, so the depiction of women in Hollywood cinema was also shifting. By ultimately rejecting the prospect of a mundane marriage and suburban lifestyle, Elaine liberates herself from the lifestyle forced on her by her parents; she shows herself to be capable of making decisions about her future. However, in choosing to marry Benjamin, Elaines representation reflects how marriage was still deemed imperative to the fulfilment of femininity in the 1960s. Nonetheless, the educated Elaine thinks independently, and like Benjamin, she chooses to abandon the older generational norms in favour for her self-fulfilment and romantic desires. The institution she attends for her college education (Berkeley) is also an important place for constructing her forward thinking mentality since i t was the centre of radical movements including class, gender and politics. By ending the film with Elaines romantic escape, the film stays also stays in touch with the 1967s year of proclaimed summer of love. Even though there is a slight change in the gender roles for the female protagonists, the women in The Graduate still conform to ingrained patriarchal norms, thus making the film a product of its time. The 1960s was a period where the second wave of feminism was gaining momentum, however in the face of these changes, inequality between the sexes remained; accordingly, the Hollywood industry only made minor adaptations in female character roles to reflect this. Benjamins mother and Mrs Robinson still inhabit a feminine role, acting as subservient counterparts to their working husbands, and although Elaine is an educated woman, her part in the story is mainly as a foil to Benjamins quest for identity. Moreover, in the shots of Mrs Robinsons legs and semi naked body, she can be viewed as what Laura Mulvey would state, an object of the male gaze. The leopard print coat which Mrs Robinson wears on her first meeting with Benjamin at the hotel is an important animal motif representative of her sexually predatory nature; she adheres to the voyeuristic erotic pleasures of the male audience. Although it can be argued Mrs Robinson is an assertive sexual subject in her own right, the counter argument would assert that she merely upholds sexual power over a physically petite, self-conscious, unconfident young man one whos young enough to be her son. In casting two aesthetically attractive women protagonists in Mrs Robinson and Elaine, The Graduate becomes another film of its time which fulfils the neurotic needs of the male ego Furthermore, the affair between Mrs Robinson and Benjamin is mainly a manifestation of an old fashioned male fantasy having a sexual affair with an older married woman. From this viewpoint, The Graduate places constraints on its radicalism and rather offers a constructed form of narrative experimentation in order to attract widespread audiences. By depicting this male fantasy, the film once again lives up to patriarchal norms. Due to the patriarchal norms of the time, The Graduate also keeps in conventional Hollywood custom by naturally focusing on a male protagonist in the narrative. The entire film revolves around Benjamin and, in typical fashion, the focus remains on his character development, identity struggle (making the adjustment from youth to adulthood), and the sexual relationships he gets caught up in. Mrs Robinson and Elaine, who are the key women protagonists in the narrative, are only defined in their sexual relationships with Benjamin. This demonstrates the Hollywood industrys tendency to heavily rely on the individuality of a male hero. The major success of The Graduate just became another platform for the industry to persist with notions of a male hero, whilst female characters had constraints on their freedom and remained mostly marginalised. Nonetheless, Elaine does have a good measure of freedom, and it is perhaps this along with her youth which make the psychologically and sexually suppressed Mrs Robinson jealous of her; consequently Mrs Robinson perhaps has an affair with Benjamin to reclaim her lost youth. To her, Benjamin provides the only escape of happiness in an otherwise dreary traditional suburban housewife life with a man she no feelings for. When the audience are made to realise Mrs Robinson and her husband share separate beds, one becomes conscious that they merely live under the false pretence of a happy marriage to keep up appearances in a rigid class structured society. It is aspects like these with which The Graduate is attacking the conformist ideals attached to middle-class values. Due to the dark, biting satire of the film, one cannot help but find the whole situation amusing, especially the dialogue regarding the moments Mr Robinson discovers the affair: in Benjamins defence he says, it didnt mean an ythingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we might just as well have been shaking handsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I dont love your life, I love your daughter sir to which Mr Robinson replies, As far as Elaines concerned, you are to get her out of your filthy mindà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and thats all Ben, youll pardon me if I dont shake hands with you. Benjamins awkward, spontaneous replies are so absurd that one cannot help but laugh. The interchanging comments between them underpin the many comic moments of the film; comedy gives an effective platform to mock the societal values of the traditional American people a direct example of this is when Benjamin, in his lifeless monotone voice replies no sir to Mr Robinsons question about whether Benjamin respects him. The films ability to confine all these serious moral issues into dark humour reflects the growing confidence of filmmakers, and the freedom that allowed them to assemble contentious film projects around multiple genres. Overall, although the period of transition in the Hollywood industry during the fifties and sixties bought much needed freedom to filmmakers, The Graduate still remained an industrial product; the film speaks to a incessant helplessness in the world, and inability to change and to create change for example, when The Graduate does portray action, it is performed by an isolated hero in a particularly antisocial method (going against societal norms and traditions), further establishing that genuine change, collectively carried out, is unattainable. Even though Benjamin and Elaine escape together in a typical happy ending, they do it at the expense of leaving their families behind; after everything, the final shot of them staring blankly into space is an uncomfortable one, especially Benjamin who produces the same look of disillusionment like the one in the opening of the film. Nichols does very well in artistically capturing the themes of the 1960 counterculture; however, in a commerci ally dominated industrial sphere, Nichols is inevitably indebted to stay within the constraints of total freedom of expression because he needs to get the film funded. By using calculated methods of visual experimentation and having a very constructed radical plot, The Graduate ensures economical success and with it, the widespread appreciation of the film from audiences.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Modems :: essays research papers

Modems Modems are used to connect two computers over a phone line. Modem is short for Modulator Demodulator. It's a device that converts data from digital computer signals to analog signals that can be sent over a phone line. This is called modulation. The analog signals are then converted back into digital data by the receiving modem. This is called demodulation. A modem is fed digital information, in the form of ones and zeros, from the CPU. The modem then analyzes this information and converts it to analog signals, that can be sent over a phone line. Another modem then receives these signals, converts them back into digital data, and sends the data to the receiving CPU. At connection time, modems send tones to each other to negotiate the fastest mutually supported modulation method that will work over whatever quality line has been established for that call. There are two main differences in the types of modems for PC, internal and external modems. Evolution of Modems In the last 10 years, modem users have gone from data transfer rates of 300bps to 1,200 bps to 2,400 bps to 9,600 bps to 14.4Kbps to 28.8Kbps to, and to 33.6Kbps. Now new modem standards are emerging, reaching speeds of up to 56Kbps. Unlike the 33.6Kbps modems being sold today, 56Kbps is a significant improvement over 28.8Kbps modems. Viewing complex graphics or downloading sound files improves significantly with 56Kbps. The modem experts keep telling us that we are about maxed out. For instance when the 28.8 modems where first introduced they said that we've reached our maximum speed, and the same thing was said about the 33.6 and now again for the 56K, but how true is this? The experts say that the next major improvement will have to come from the telephone companies, when they start laying down fibber-optic cables so we can have integrated services digital network (ISDN) . The thing that makes digital modems better than analog is because with analog modem transmission errors are very frequent which results in your modem freezing or just freaking out. These errors are caused mainly by some kind of noise on the line due to lightning storms, sunspots, and other fascinating electromagnetic phenomena, noise occurs anywhere on the line between your PC and the computer you're communicating with 2,000 miles away. Even if line noise is minimal, most modems will automatically reduce it's speed to avoid introducing data errors. Baud vs bps While taking about modems, the transmission speed is the source of a lot of confusion. The root of the problem is the fact that the terms "baud" and

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Aggression and Social Learning Theory

Aggression, in its broadest sense, is behavior, or a disposition, that is forceful, hostile or attacking. It may occur either in retaliation or without provocation. In narrower definitions that are used in social sciences and behavioral sciences, aggression is an intention to cause harm or an act intended to increase relative social dominance. Predatory or defensive behavior between members of different species may not be considered aggression in the same sense. Aggression can take a variety of forms and can be physical or be communicated verbally or non-verbally.Aggression differs from what is commonly called assertiveness, although the terms are often used interchangeably among laypeople, e. g. an aggressive salesperson According to Kendra Cherry, In psychology, the term ‘aggression’ refers to a range of behaviors that can result in both physical and psychological harm to oneself, other or objects in the environment. The expression of aggression can occur in a number o f ways, including verbally, mentally and physically. (source: aboutpsychology. om) Two broad categories of aggression are commonly distinguished.One includes affective (emotional) and hostile or retaliatory aggression, and the other includes instrumental, goal-oriented or predatory aggression. [2] Data on violence from a range of disciplines lend some support to a distinction between affective and predatory aggression. [3] However, some researchers question the usefulness of a hostile vs instrumental distinction in humans, despite its ubiquity in research, because most real-life cases involve mixed motives and interacting causes. 4] A number of classifications and dimensions of aggression have been suggested.These depend on such things as whether the aggression is verbal or physical; whether or not it involves relational aggression such as covert bullying and social manipulation;[5] whether harm to others is intended or not; whether it is carried out actively or expressed passively; and whether the aggression is aimed directly or indirectly. Classification may also encompass aggression-related emotions (e. g. anger) and mental states (e. g. impulsivity, hostility). 6] Aggression may occur in response to non-social as well as social factors, and can have a close relationship with stress coping style. 7]Aggression may be displayed in order to intimidate. The operative definition of aggression may be affected by moral or political views. Examples are the axiomatic moral view called the non-aggression principle and the political rules governing the behavior of one country toward another. [8] Likewise in competitive sports, or in the workplace, some forms of aggression may be sanctioned and others not. [9] THEORIES OF AGGRESSION: Instinct Theory: Through evolution, humans have inherited a fighting instinct similar to that found in many species of animals.Leading Proponent: Konrad Lorenz (ethology) He says we have a biological need for aggression. It gets stronger a s time passes since the last aggressive act (like hunger increases hours after a meal). This causes our energy level (drive level) to increase. This energy must somehow be released (â€Å"catharsis†). Instinct Theory says that humans learn their own individual ways of expressing aggressive motivation. Nonhuman species behave in ways that are genetically programmed and characteristic of all members of the species.Fixed Action Pattern: complex behavior that is largely unlearned and found in all members of a species (or subgroup), and that is triggered by a very simple stimulus in the environment (â€Å"releaser†). Social Learning Theory: Human aggression is largely learned by watching other people behave aggressively, either in person or in films. It is also learned when we are rewarded for aggression. Leading Proponent: Albert Bandura Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis: Our motivation for aggression increases when our ongoing behavior is interrupted or we are prevented f rom reaching a goal.Negative Affect Theory: Proposed by Leonard Berkowitz, it states that negative feelings and experiences are the main cause of anger and angry aggression. Sources of anger include: pain, frustration, loud noise, foul odors, crowding, sadness, and depression. The likelihood that an angry person will act aggressively depends on his or her interpretation of the motives of the people involved. TYPES OF HUMAN AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR: PHYSICAL VIOLENCE- Physical aggression often involves acts of violence taken with the intention of causing harm to the recipient, including death, by using weapons or even someone's bare hands. VERBAL HOSTILITY- Verbal aggression includes behavior such as bullying, threats or yelling.The Mayo Clinic includes name-calling and insults under the category of domestic violence. Put-downs, intentional or perceived, can have profound detrimental effects on the recipients. * NON-VERBAL INTIMIDATION- Nonverbal intimidation often implies the threat of violence, at least in the perception of the person at the receiving end.Stalking often involves one or more forms of nonverbal intimidation, including following the victim, planting malicious software in a victim's computer, sending unwanted gifts and vandalism against the victim's property. * PASSIVE AGGRESSION- Passive aggression is often generated by resentment on the part of someone who is unable or unwilling to express this resentment directly. PURPOSE OF AGGRESSION: Aggression can also serve a number of different purposes: To express anger or hostility To assert dominance To intimidate or threaten To achieve a goal To express possessionA response to fear A reaction to pain To compete with others Researchers have suggested that individual who engage in affective aggression, defined as aggression that is unplanned and uncontrolled, tend to have lower IQs than people who display predatory aggression. Predatory aggression is defined as aggression that is controlled, planned and go al-oriented. AGGRESSION AND MEDIA: Scholars believe that behaviors like aggression may be partially learned by watching and imitating the behavior of others. Some scholars have concluded that media may have some small effects on aggression.There is also research questioning this view. For instance, a recent long-term outcome study of youth found no long-term relationship between playing violent video games and youth violence or bullying. One study suggested there is a smaller effect of violent video games on aggression than has been found with television violence on aggression. This effect is positively associated with type of game violence and negatively associated to time spent playing the games. The author concluded that insufficient evidence exists to link video game violence with aggression.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Brutality of Ivory trade Essay

In 1989, CITIES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) approved a worldwide ban on ivory trade due to extensive poaching reducing the African elephant population by more than half. However, levels of poaching and illegal trade are getting out of control once again. Since 1997, certain countries such as Botswana and Zimbabwe have tried to weaken the ban by allowing the sale of thousands of kilograms of ivory to China and Japan. It was not until 2012 that CITIES recognized that elephant poaching had reached unsustainable levels (Elephants and the ivory trade, 1). The illegal trade of ivory is pushing elephant poaching to the point where elephants are vulnerable to extinction. This terrible, wasteful act of poaching will put many species, as well as our own, at risk and harm the economy unless we take immediate action. What would happen if elephants became extinct? Elephants play a very important role in maintaining sustainable habitats for many other species (African elephant, 2). There are certain elephant-dependent tree species in Congo, Africa that have declined in growth population after more than 98% of the forest elephants have been killed by poachers. Forest elephants help these trees by spreading their seeds when they roam, and germinate them with their stomach acids. This dual relationship allows fruit trees with no other dispersal partners to ensure reproduction (Platt, 2). Depletion in these trees will have long-term ecological effects as the loss of one species directly impacts the whole balance of the food web (Bove, 2). If elephants became extinct, the elephant-dependent tree species would no longer continue to grow, causing  the herbivores that rely on these trees for food to essentially starve as well as the carnivores that eat these herbivores, eventually affecting all local people who rely on these organisms for food and me dicine. Can elephants be protected in order to save the economy? The demand for ivory is very high. Because of this, the price of ivory has risen causing the amount of poaching to rise as well. It has gotten to the point that the tusks of a single adult elephant can be worth more than 10 times the average annual income in many African countries (Rosen, 1). This is unsustainable for the economy because if we assume that these poachers hunt elephants into extinction, they will no longer have means of making money once the elephants are gone (Planet earth, video). However, if the conservation of elephants were to put money in people’s pockets, then poaching could be stopped. A way to do this would be by the means of tourism; tourists mostly go to Africa to see wildlife, and wherever there are elephants, tourists will go. Tourism brings a lot of money into the economy, and with more money coming from tourism, poaching will become less appealing to those who need money (Johnson, 3). What needs to be done to stop elephant poaching? Because demands for ivory are so high, measures need to be taken immediately to avert the extinction of African elephants. The only solution to truly protect elephants is to reinstate a total, permanent ban on all ivory sales (Sterling, 1). Other measures that also need to be taken include the application of strong law enforcement on international levels to ensure punishment, and the closing down of national ivory markets (Elephants and the ivory trade, 1). What is being done now to try and stop elephant poaching? Many elephants are being protected from poachers within national parks to ensure their continuity and survival. Organizations, such as the World Wild Life Fund, try and protect habitats by having anti-poaching patrols surveying areas within elephant ranges (African elephant, 9). There are many African countries that recognize the threat to their elephant populations and want to protect them (Sterling, 2). Among these countries, Kenya plays a  major role in trying to convince CITIES to reject any proposals from Tanzania and Zambia to allow them to sell ivory (Elephant voices blog, 7). However, most African countries do not have the power to stop these crimes from being committed without the help of European countries (Sterling, 2). IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) is urging the European Union to support these countries that are requesting assistance to stop poaching since they have the power to ensure that a ban on all ivory is reinstated (Sterling, 2). What could be used instead of ivory? Poaching is extremely wasteful. When an elephant is killed, the poachers usually leave it there to rot. Often times, poachers will lay new snares without checking old ones and elephants caught in the old ones are also left to rot. This has lead to many animals, including humans that rely on elephants for food to starve (Poaching in Zimbabwe, 1). Ivory is mainly used in the manufacture of piano and organ keys, and minor objects of decorative value because of its durability (Uses of ivory, 1). Ivory is not a necessity; there are alternatives to the products that we manufacture that don’t require the use of tusks. A good example of this is Ivorite, made from casein (milk protein) and an inorganic hardening compound, which has both the quality and durability of ivory (Rosen, 2). Products like this always have flaws, but there is always room for improvement. In this case, RPIvory, which is an unusual polymer, was created to improve Ivorite, which made the keys less slippery for pia nists (Rosen, 2). Science and technology have improved so much that there is absolutely no more need to keep removing tusks in order to manufacture minor objects that are not essential to humans. Elephant poaching is unsustainable in the sense that it harms other habitats by disrupting their sustainability; it is extremely wasteful because of the fact that only the tusks are being used, and it ruins the African economy. At the rate we’re going today, elephants will become extinct causing many species, as well as our own, to suffer because of our greed. The African economy is so bad that people would risk their own lives to kill an elephant in order to get paid by a supplier, who will then sell it for ten times as much. There are many things that countries and organizations are doing to help elephants, but there are still many things that need to be done. Ivory is not a necessity; there are other materials  that have been created to be similar to ivory that do not require the tusks of an elephant. Nobody in the world needs an elephant tusk but an elephant. If everyone did little things, such as signing a petition to refuse to buy items made from ivory or funding elephant protection, we would still be able to meet our human needs without destroying the sustainability of the environment. Our greedy and selfish acts are making a species vulnerable to extinction; Gandhi stated, â€Å"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.† (Good reads, 1). Works cited â€Å"African Elephant.† WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. . Bove, Jennifer. â€Å"Why does it Matter if Species go Extinct?.† About.com Endangered Species. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. . â€Å"â€Å"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.†.† Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. . Kimani, Eddy. â€Å"EDDY KIMANI.† EDDY KIMANI. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. . â€Å"ELEPHANTS AND THE IVORY TRADE.†The Ivory Trade. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. . â€Å"ElephantVoices Blog.† ElephantVoices Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. . Gilford, Gwynn. â€Å"wildsingapore news: 90 dead elephants in Zimbabwe are proof that the ivory trade has gone industrial.†wildsingapore news: 90 dead elephants in Zimbabwe are proof that the ivory trade has gone industrial. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. . Johnson, Glen. â€Å"Kenyan poachers make a killing in ivory.† – Features. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. . â€Å"Kenya hunts for armed elephant-poachers.† – Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.