Political Campaigns and elections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Campaigns and elections - Essay Example When we think about the ways in which systems for campaigns and elections--including finance and media--seems to work best and ways in which they fall short of an expected level, we are actually thinking about the socio-political fiber of the country and analyze the system in the light of its political history and values. The system for campaigns and elections including finance and media will differ drastically in societies where democracy is newly introduced as a political system and the societies where it has deep rooted political values and mature democratic culture. However, societies that have mature political culture and have a profound democratic history feed for the system wide changes of political campaigns, elections, finance and media that can be adapted with appropriate changes to suit the socio-political environment of a society. Therefore, the best way to think about the political campaigns and election including finance and media is to study the system in grown-up demo cratic societies that have a known and appreciable democratic system in place for decades. With these thoughts in mind, the system for campaigns and elections—including finance and media I would like to prevail is simple in nature.

Internship Hedge Fund in Sandell Asset Management Essay

Internship Hedge Fund in Sandell Asset Management - Essay Example Under this environment, many are the times that the day was fully packed with responsibilities but it is a phenomenon that I came to adjust to after my first month when all the tasks became familiar. The firm’s members of staff were quite helpful especially in the first months when I needed them most for guidance to work effectively and efficiently and this made me feel to be part of the firm just as they were (Sweitzer and  King 29-122). It is important to note that the aforementioned duties kept on being added to my in-tray as time went by and as I gained more and more experience of the various fund operations. The job was actually paid and I was earning $17 an hour which I considered fair enough being an intern. When enrolling for the internship I had clear goals and objectives that I aimed at achieving by the end of the period as an intern. The first was to take a test of myself in relation to the field and see whether it is the career line I am willing to take. I was al so aiming at applying the theory learned into practical experience and this was well fulfilled in the work environment. I wanted to learn and acquire work habits in relation to keeping time, enhance my interpersonal skills in a work environment and gain some sense of responsibility. I also endeavored to gain the much-needed experience in my field of study to support my awards and certificates. After an evaluation of the above goals, I realize that I achieved them well as expected. The main challenge that I faced was on handling all the aforementioned tasks within one day as it demanded a great deal of commitment and uprightness on my part. At one point I had just a few responsibilities when the manager in my department offered me the chance to explore more and added me four of the above-mentioned ones especially those that dealt with research and analysis of data and information. This is a line that facilitated a wide scope of knowledge acquisition (Sweitzer and  King 29-122).

Case_2_-_Al_Dar-done-X Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case_2_-_Al_Dar-done-X - Case Study Example For example, the company’s revenue for the year ended December 31, 2009 was AED 1,979.3 million compared to AED 4,978.3 million for the previous year (year 2008). That was a decrease of about 60.2%. In addition, the profit for that year was AED 1,006.9 million compared to AED 3,446.7 million in the previous year. Second, the reduction in the company’s profitability levels minimized its ability to handle debt obligations promptly. In addition, the property crash had left the market with just a few private players with the capacity to and the will to buy the assets. Therefore, the mentioned reasons landed the company in liquidity deficit situation, thus, the inability to handle the debt. Third, the cost reduction strategy of the company involving the layoff of 105 employees sparked worries among the employees. Most of them were unsure of their job security in the business thus, the genesis of the reduction in morale. The UAE’s real estate industry is deeply affected by the global debt crisis. The foreign investors reduced the level of investment in the property. The residents’ purchasing power was also reduced by the inflation effect. For that reason, the demand for housing products is low leading to a reduction in rental prices. The following economic factors have affected the company’s performance: first, the unification of the individual states to form the Union, which prompted widespread infrastructural development, which boosted the company’s performance. Second, the oil boom in the 1970s up to 1990s provided the capital necessary for economic growth and development, which increased the company’s performance. Last, the 2007-2010 credit crunch led to a reduction in the enterprise’s performance. Yes, the economy, the industry, and the company were shaken. Since the demand for real estate products and the level of foreign investments reduced, the profitability of the industry declined. The

Go to a Web site for a company selling business-to-business products Essay

Go to a Web site for a company selling business-to-business products or services. Compare this Web site to one selling consumer - Essay Example Their target group is medium to large scale tour operators who offer online reservation facilities. Travelocity, http://www.travelocity.com  is a large travel agency which targets anyone interested in traveling. Their target group is heterogeneous. It included regular travelers, people on vacations, business personnel as well as diplomats representing all the social classes. Although it is operated in the US it provides many local sites for the outsiders. If the home pages and the contents are compared Pegasus infoCorp has used much professional way to publicize their information. Their service and current clients are listed and they have used an animation (a globe and several annotations) to give an overall idea of their service. The home page of the Travelocity is much customized to it target audience, the travelers around the world. It directly provides booking facilities and other information required for travelling such as maps, hotels, car hires, activities. Non like the Pega sus infoCorp, Travelocity provides details on special discounts and package rates and have used inspiring annotations making it more competitive. They continually play a slideshow of those packages at the top the site.

Little Red Riding Hood Essay Example for Free

Little Red Riding Hood Essay In 1814 Gordon Bryson wrote a poem about the timelessness, and grace of a unnamed women. She walks in Beauty describes the inner and outer beauty of a women. Gordon Bryon was noted as a moral disgrace as he wedded his half sister, and various women (Clugston, 2010). In the lyric poem She walks in Beauty, Byron used metaphors like raven tress, and climes, and starry skies to describe her long jet black hair, and her elegance. A lyric poem is a brief poem that expresses feelings and imagination; its melody and emotion create a dominant, unified impression (Clugston, 2010). In this essay, I will explore how Bryson uses metaphors, and images like light, and darkness to set the tone in She walks in Beauty. In the first stanza in She walks in Beauty, lines one, and two â€Å"She walks in beauty, like the night† does not ends with any puncuation, or pause at the end because it carries over to the next sentence â€Å"Of cloudless climes and starry skies† (Clugston, 2010, 7. 1, para 2). This technique is called enjambment. A enjambment is a continuation of a thought in a line of poetry into a succeeding line, uninterapped by punctuation (Clugston, 2010, 11. , para 2). Bryon expressed how ones beauty can be viewed on a clear night with stars lining the sky. His view of her beauty, and silhouette is cosmic. She walks in Beauty is a lyric poem which express a poets thoughts and imagination, Its melody and emotion created adominant, unified impression (Clugston, 2010). The images being created in the first six lines of She walks in Beauty suggests that a womens physical appearance is classic like a polished baby grand piano dark with shinny white keys â€Å"And all that’s best of dark and bright† (Clugston, 2010, 11. , para 5). The sixth, and seventh line in the poem emphasizes the similarities between light and dark to describe her elegance. at the end of tthe different forms of symbolism used to describe the first version of Little Red Riding Hood. In the first of She walks in Beauty The content in the original and remakes of this tale is constant in each one. The Little Red Riding Hood that I remembered reading when I was a small child was told as a young woman who was following the orders of her mother to deliver some baked goods to her bedridden grandmother. The role of the wolf is the same as well; he is merely thinking of a cunning way to eat her without being caught in the process. The theme of the original Little Red Riding Hood is a tale of her entering women hood, not her taking cakes to her sick grandmother. The term theme means a representation of the idea behind the story (Clugston, 2010, 7. 1, para 2). When the story was first published in 1697, Europeans easily identified the coalition of the story; translating that act of sex. â€Å"In the French slang, when a girl lost her virginity it was said that elle [a] vu le loup—shed seen the wolf†(Clugston, 2010, 4. , para 2). In the engraving of the first tale from 1697, it shows Little Red Riding Hood partially dressed lying in the bed beneath a wolf. The tale explains how Little Red Riding Hood stripes out off her clothes at the wolves requested without question (Clugston, 2010, 4. 1, para 2). â€Å"In fact, tales such as â€Å"Red Riding Hood† and â€Å"Sleeping Beauty† were pan-European phenomena, predating even Perrault, with provenances tracing as far back as the Middle Ages and Ancient Greece. Nevertheless, Perrault’s influence on the transmission of fairy tales to many parts of the Continent was tremendous. Charles Perrault’s stories were not original creations, but collected oral material edited and fashioned by him into print† (Paradiz, 2009, p. 96). The story of Little Red Riding Hood as interpreted by Charles Perrault has Little Red Riding Hood being sent by her mother who loved her dearly to walk to the next village to deliver food to her ill grandmother. On the way to deliver the baked goods, she meets a wolf. A wolf who had not eaten in three days decides not to eat her, as there were woodcutters nearby that would hear the attack. While speaking with the wolf he tricks Little Red Riding Hood into disclosing the location of her grandmother’s cottage. As Little Red Riding Hood is a small child, the wolf took advance of her being a naive, and friendly. She disobeyed the cardinal rule that adults constantly reminders their child of: do not stop for, or talk to strangers (the irony of the story is that her mother does not tell her that speaking with strangers is wrong). The term irony is a discrepancy or contradiction that occurs between what is expected to happened and what actually happens in a situation or in an expressed statement (Clugston, 2010, 5. 5, para 3).

Video game controversy Essay Example for Free

Video game controversy Essay Video game controversies are unresolved societal and scientific arguments about whether or not the content of video games can change the behavior and attitudes of a player. Since the early 1980s, advocates of video games have emphasized their use as an expressive medium, arguing for their protection under the laws governing freedom of speech and also as an educational tool. Detractors argue that video games are harmful and therefore should be subject to legislative oversight and restrictions. The positive and negative characteristics and effects of video games are the subject of scientific study. Results of investigations into links between video games and addiction, aggression, violence, social development, and a variety of stereotyping and sexual morality issues are debated God Of War Series – Saudi Arabia The Guy Game – USA 8. RapeLay – Argentina/Indonesia/Malaysia/Thailand EA Sports MMA – Denmark Manhunt 2 – Various Postal 2 http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-infamously-banned-games-around-world. php/11 10 Video Game Endings With Disturbing Implications You Totally Missed Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/2#0LO1TBf6EwdT9Ea3. 99 Heavy Rain: The Neglectful Father Metal Gear Solid 2: The Hangover After the giant Arsenal Gear crashes into New York city and Raiden and Solidus Snake are forced to fight one another (after a myriad of narrative revelations involving pregnancies, double agents and adoption,) Raiden emerges victorious and is reunited with his girlfriend Rose, who is now with child. Aside from a few loose ends, the narrative ends on a nice positive note, with man and his love reunited and a bright new dawn rather insistently represented by the growing life in her belly. But wait†¦ Half of New York is now squashed. People are no doubt dead, thanks to the Arsenal Gear stomping a big hole in Manhattan, and those who survived are likely to take a massive beating from the tax-man in the coming years to fix the damage caused to the Big Apple. It’s rather short-sighted to call this a victory, simply because the hero gets his girl. What about the legacy of destruction, not to mention the giant robot lying in the middle of the city? Noone ever thinks about the clean-up job. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/3#t8VahiJ4DfS6AhYp. 99 Medal Of Honor: Warfighter – AWOL Warfighter caused some serious controversy – not least when it was revealed that seven members of Naval Special Warfare Development Group who worked as consultants for EA had been disciplined for releasing classified information – and the ending was another of those modern â€Å"Horrors Of War† endings that sought to make the player think. EA decided to have Preacher weighing up whether to report back for duty, or desert to fix his family life, despite the formerly gleeful embrace of the mythology of the soldier (the idea of them as supermen.). The idea might be half-baked, and slightly odd considering the trajectory of the rest of the narrative (and the presentation of characters specifically) but it was an interesting way to leave the game. But wait? Doesn’t desertion still carry a fairly hefty punishment? Honour and dedication to his family is one thing, but winding up locked up in prison for ignoring a mission (which is presumably what awaits if he were to answer his mobile) is a fairly counter-productive solution. The key thing is that Preacher’s desertion would weaken the unit, especially in deployment, and his punishment would presumably be greater than any â€Å"normal† soldier. There’s also a further implication. Though he’s seen some serious action, and untold horrors of war by the end of the game, and the ending suggests he has had his fill of duty, Warfighter is keen to stress that the soldiers involved are action-hero-like thrill seekers, as opposed to particularly patriotic men. And if Preacher cannot get his thrills from his own army, which he may or may not desert (the implication is he does,) he may find himself tempted to go mercenary, which would presumably be deemed joining another force while AWOL. That’s often called treason (depending on the client,) and the penalty for that tends to be fairly severe†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/4#ILEhM7Obvv7HWdJY. 99 Uncharted 2: Shambhala Destroyed. As the events of Uncharted’s excellent sequel come to a head, Nathan Drake is thrust onto a journey of vengeance when Elena (his new lady friend, obviously) is almost killed by a grenade just after the pair discover the invulnerability applications of the blue resin found at the Tree Of Life. Drake gets to the tree just after the nick of time, and watches his latest mortal enemy drink from the tree’s sap and become almost invincible, before deciding the best way to kill him is to explode the sap and then leave Lazarevic to be killed by the Guardians of the secret, sacred city of Shambhala. He dies, Nathan and Elena kiss, and sunsets are ridden off into. But wait†¦ Much like Indiana Jones – the single most careless archaeologist in the history of the subject, thanks to his tendency to destroy previously perfectly preserved artefacts – Nathan Drake is awful at his job. He is supposed to be committed to discovering and preserving articles and locations of historical significance, and yet his destruction of the Tree Of Life pretty carelessly destroys the wonderful kingdom of Shambhala. Rather than sharing the spiritual significance of the place, or helping its inhabitants (such as those Guardians) escape, Drake blows the entire place up, and enjoys a sexy kiss to seal the deal. Quite how he deserves his reputation in the industry is beyond me. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/5#2v72bY4C1ojLYBPL. 99 Freedom Fighters: The Russians Are Coming (Back) Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/7#8VePctXW3iZsJJUx. 99 Hurray, we killed the Russians and stopped them from invading Good Old America! Just like Hollywood always promised us we could. We’ve saved democracy, and hot dogs, and Mountain Dew. It’s time to party, since there definitely won’t be any come back from defying a nation of the might and malevolent will to invade the Greatest Country In The World EVER! But wait†¦ It’s not over. Like termites temporarily pushed away from their quarry, the Russians will inevitably return, and in greater numbers with greater force. They are not to be denied, and though they were once defeated, they won’t be again, with the morbid realisation then being that America is not long for this Earth. It might be a victory party by the end of Freedom Fighters, but there’s no chance it lasted long, as Chris himself points out in the clip below†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-video-game-endings-with-disturbing-implications-you-totally-missed. php/7#8VePctXW3iZsJJUx. 99 10 Outrageous Sexy Moments Hidden In Video. Games Read more at http://whatculture.com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php#MLJkrZvCm3CV6eOt. 99 1. San Andreas – Hot Coffee Mod Where else could we start? San Andreas’ Hot Coffee Mod was the moment that realised ever adults’ fear that their GTA-loving children were playing something not altogether wholesome. As if murder, soliciting prostitutes and revelling in a life of crime weren’t enough San Andreas included the remains of an ultimately cut sex mini-game that cheeky modders found and duly shared with the world. Okay so admittedly it’s pretty difficult to actually do anything other than simulate sex with all of your clothes on, but the grinding was probably more than enough for prudish mothers everywhere to explode with righteous indignation when they discovered their sons playing through the mini-game. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php#MLJkrZvCm3CV6eOt. 99 Pantless Meryl – MGS A classic. If you followed Metal Gear Solid’s Meryl Silverburgh into the toilet quickly enough when she was disguised as an enemy soldier and you’d catch her with her pants down. Naturally upset, Meryl pulls a gun – which is probably even more understandable given that this is actually the second time it’s possible to catch her in her underwear in the same game. Earlier, when you enter the B1 lock up it’s possible to watch her doing exercises in her pants, provided you’re willing to keep exiting and entering the vents to spy on her – and apparently some gamers were more than willing†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php/2#5thdRWFtCM0EsfdW. 99 3. SiN Hottub Scene. It’s not exactly the greatest shooter series in the history of the genre, but the Activision published SiN series, which ran on the Quake 2 engine was remarkable for an easter egg that allowed the hero John Blake to break through some walls and spy on the enigmatic and villainous Elxis Sinclaire, owner of biotech firm SiNtex enjoying a bit of bath-time fun. By noclipping through some walls, the player could walk in on Sinclaire in her hot tub (wearing a bikini despite her assumed privacy), rubbing herself and shouting â€Å"sexy† phrases. To be honest, the â€Å"sexy talk† isn’t exactly top notch, by any means, but back in those heavily pixelated days, we had to make do with what we could get. And the site of a nubile sprite fondling her own slightly squared breasts while saying â€Å"rub-a-dub-dub† was about as sexy as it got†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php/3#FSghlsiY5BXEMz5J. 99 Metroid Sexy Reveal Talk about obligatory semi-nudity! It probably says a great deal about the way gamers and developers think that one of the most profound revelations in the early days of gaming came in the shape of Metroid’s â€Å"secret† female hero. Completing the original game revealed that the hero we had just guided through saving the galaxy was in fact a girl, and just to almost entirely wipe out the Girl Power sentiments of that narrative twist, the developers decided to objectify her just a little bit by having her strip down to a bathing suit for those lucky enough to complete the game. Do it in under three hours – which was basically impossible – and Samus would strip a little further, revealing more skin in a bikini to show her gratitude to the gamer for being so incredibly talented, in a very much not sexist at all manner. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php/4#DqTImrz17SoMY3zF. 99 Banjo Kazooie’s Dirty Geography Spend enough time exploring Terrydactyland from the air in Banjo Tooie and you’ll see the unmistakable sight of an ejaculating penis carved out of the landscape and coloured conspicuously in emerald green, just in case you missed it first time. You might think it’s just a coincidence, even despite the very obvious design, if it weren’t for the fact that Banjo has previous, and the hidden adult-appropriate secrets hidden in the games could probably run close to the hundreds. It all gets forgiven as Rare’s British sense of humour and fun, but is it really appropriate to have an ejaculating penis is a game so obviously marketed at a younger audience? Well no, but that doesn’t make it any less hilarious. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-game s. php/5#LV3tCq31g4DwjvCx. 99 GTA IV: Stripper Bonus One of the most notorious GTA moments from the history of the franchise, and facilitated by the move to greater graphics, GTA IV’s stripper sequences were about as authentically sexy as the series had ever got. Sure, up to this point the player had been able to use prostitutes (and kill them for their money,) as well as some cheeky devils gaining access to the Hot Coffee mod previously mentioned, but that was all just pixelated suggestion compared to the rampant sexuality on show in GTA IV. And it was fairly difficult to explain to the girlfriend why you were sitting watching what amounts to a bunch of very cleverly arranged squares making sexy moves – especially when access to the internet and real naked ladies was but a few simple clicks away. Not content with offering â€Å"normal† stripping services, the game’s Pink Triangle Club also provided special services like the particularly colourful dance session below†¦ Read more at http://whatculture.com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php/7#leuecMuobHdGjsgx. 99 10. Tomb Raider Nudity Strictly speaking, this one doesn’t quite fit with the others, since the infamous Lara Croft Nude cheat code was in fact a great big hoax and resulted in the slinky archaeologist exploding in a shower of limbs, but that doesn’t in any way dillute its infamy or its impact on the controversy-hating communities of complainers who pick up on anything a little untoward. Ironically, the Tomb Raider devs’ trick actually convinced hackers to create a mod that allowed PC gamers the opportunity to see Croft naked, and though it wasn’t hidden in the actual game, the genesis of the mod, and the crucial part the developers played in pulling the switch means the nude mod actually qualifies for this list. Sadly, the closest we ever got to legitimately seeing Lara naked was this ever so slightly titivating, but all too murdery shower scene from Tomb Raider 2. Seems something of an over-reaction to us just hanging around in the bathroom†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/10-outrageous-sexy-moments-hidden-in-video-games. php/10#m1TTIw1UmUll01c4. 99 GTA V: 12 Dirty Hidden Secrets And Easter Eggs You Probably Missed Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php#Ih5PUmoxVDvwArlt. 99 Don’t Be A Perv Taking selfies is a big thing in this Rockstar world, and the fully functioning camera on the player’s phone can lead to some hilarious situations, as we have already pointed out in our recent run-down of the best GTA V selfies we’ve seen so far in the game. Slightly bucking the trend of naughtiness at the same time as reinforcing it, it is possible to take pictures of the topless girls partying at the Playboy Mansion. Unfortunately, and somewhat confusingly, the girls won’t actually react as positively as they would in a real, legitimately organised photoshoot with a photography professional as opposed to a crazed man running through the grounds of their haven with several high-powered weapons and a worrying look on their face. Taking photos with your phone without request will lead to the girls kicking right off, calling you a creep (understandably) and then getting their boyfriends to pick a fight with you. This is clearly only a minor disruption, since fully automatic weapons are far more powerful a dissuasion tool than disgruntled boyfriends. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/2#Ffq5iVE9orj3vs8E. 99 Obsessed With 69? There’s nothing childish about Grand Theft Auto’s concept – in fact, it is provocatively anti-childish, and its controversy comes largely because of the way the franchise invites players to enjoy adult activities in a fundamentally child-like way. It’s perverse, occasionally puerile, and hugely entertaining, and it’s mostly thanks to the commitment to story-telling, the vast open-world and the characters – but then you start to notice the little jokes and nods that add a whole new level, such as Rockstar’s apparent obsession with the number 69. It’s nice to see the commitment to furthering the school-yard fascination with the number, and its sexy (and logistically quite difficult) implications, peppered throughout the GTA V world, like the graffiti tag on the back of the Vinewood sign, or the fact that the game has 69 main missions. And if you’re looking even closer, you might find some tittering in the fact that the Los Santos Country Club has a hole length of 169 yards. This of course all follows on from the presence of Area 69 in San Andreas, which was far less sexy than it initially sounded. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/3#otq0FVM4OyWlaxqS. 99 10. Goatse 9. The Naughty Gnomes Not even the simple world of the garden gnome is left untouched by the sordid pervery of Rockstar’s developers. Out in Vinewood Hills, on the edge of the desert, not far from the runaway bride’s home, there is a small collection of garden gnomes, posed harmlessly by a white fence. It all seems pretty picturesque – an idealised version of the American suburban dream – as you look at the first two gnomes, painted and posed traditionally, one with a fishing rod and the other with a lantern. And then you see the third gnome, bent over, with his pants down, and clearly spreading his cheeks. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/5#vHMHQ7hpqcPIoMIO. 99 Some Easter Egg hunters have suggested that the dirty little devil might be presenting ready for penetration, or that he’s simply offering a cheeky moon to anyone lucky enough to find him. But it’s fairly obvious, given the Goatse reference previously mentioned, that the distasteful spreading action is another nod to that unfortunately viral, bottom-based activity. Elsewhere in the game, the same gnome is posed bending over in front of another of his less naughty-looking friends, giving the impression, as in the image at the top, that the two have been rumbled about to make sweet, sweet porcelain love. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/5#vHMHQ7hpqcPIoMIO. 99 Sexy Yoga Rockstar’s dedication to bringing in more past-times and leisure activities to while away the hours within GTA V’s world is one of the reasons why the game is so successful: it has become more than a simple endeavour to complete missions, it’s more like a second life style game where the real world simulations are engaging mini-games and side concerns in their own rights. And chief among those past-times is the ability to take yoga lessons under the private tutelage of Master Private Yoga Instructor Fabien LaRouche, whose particular brand of Yoga differs somewhat to the traditional, tranquil set-up yoga fans might be accustomed to. Positions include the Punching Starfish (requires slow entry, in case the partner weeps), the Downward Facing Camel (encouraging the third eye to open to increse the flow of divine love) and the Lucky Triangle (which often requires a safe word). It’s pretty clear from the positions (above) and the descriptions alluded to, that these are particularly sexualised versions of normal yoga poses, and that LaRouche is just as sordid as the rest of the GTA cast of characters. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/9#DcTR5MZymzFUJaOg. 99 Sexy Golf Following on from GTA V’s sordid version of yoga, there’s also a reference to an altogether more dirty version of golf than you might be used to, if you’re a fan of dragging a heavy bag of metal around a giant field and unsuccessfully navigating big holes full of sand. This one isn’t actually taken from the game itself, but rather the Los Santos Blaine County Travelogue, which hinted at what GTA V players could get up to in the game ahead of release. Under the country club section, the Travelogue talks about the progressive club, which ignores the usually limited rules on gender-bias in the sport of golf, as suggested in the message below, which accompanies the image above: â€Å"Thanks to equality laws passed recently, the LS Country Club has announced the admittance of two carefully selected women. Of course all are welcome to enroll for membership, though the selection criteria are kept confidential for legal reasons. † Clearly that means adding strippers to the course to make aiming for the hole a whole new ball game. Now, that’s probably not the kind of behaviour that your normal, run-of-the-mill golf course would accept, and there was certainly very little mention of it in Bagger Vance, and it probably explains why the country club comes with a hefty price tag of $150,000,000 for anyone who wants to sell out for that type of luxury. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/10#A41YkISjRuzdTIW3. 99 Life Invader Extra Features Not content with simply killing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Rockstar clearly wanted to bait the king of nerds even more by casting aspersions on some of the social network’s more sordid users, as well as offering a side-swipe at one notoriously failed technological off-shoot of the website. As just one of the immersive, cleverly executed commercials to appear in the GTA V universe, it would be quite easy not to notice some of the details within Rockstar’s in-game ad for Life Invader (the thinly-veiled stab at Facebook) but you don’t have to be particularly attentive to have noticed that the website also has a tablet (a parody of Zuckerberg’s failed Facebook phone, no doubt. ). Read more at http://whatculture.com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/11#UlvHXSGdTeDuXxyY. 99 Without too much explanation, the advert clearly suggests that the tablet allows the user to insert their penis into the tablet, to â€Å"dock† with other users, and while the advert seems to suggest that as a holding technique for hands free typing, the subtler moments, like the artwork of two phalluses coming together, and the inference of the term â€Å"docking† suggests a far more dirty reason. For the uninitiated or sheltered players out there, docking involves the coming together of two penises, in a unique, and wholly inappropriate-for-here manner. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/11#UlvHXSGdTeDuXxyY. 99 The Nudist Colony†¦ Sort Of The presence of a cult in GTA V was heavily publicised ahead of release, and the pay off in the game was oddly sexual, especially if you really like the sight of middle-aged men with paunches and no pants. The Altruist Cult, as they are officially known are a group of old men, with a hatred of both modern technology and underpants, in some cases, who can be fed young drifters (they’re cannibals, obviously) and taking them four people leads to Trevor being taken into the camp at gunpoint (despite an implied history of him bringing regular â€Å"offerings† without incident. ) Trevor then must fight his way out, while being confronted by semi-nude, deranged men with heavy weapons. Some of these men, for some reason are entirely nude, with carefully crafted penises on show, which it is very easy to miss, especially if you don’t spend your time scrutinising the groins of NPCs. This of course confirmed the pre-release rumours of full-frontal male nudity, which appeared after the game’s ESRB rating was unveiled, and mentioned â€Å"non-sexual† male nudity. Imagine the poor intern/work experience lad (probably) who was forced to spend their coding and design days making sure the penises and testicles of the nudists cult members looked and responded in an authentic way. Sadly for some, there is no option to shed your own clothes and embrace the welcoming bond of your fellow nudes. In Trevor’s case, this can only be a good thing. Incidentally, the same ESRB rating that confirmed we’d see male nudity in the game also mentioned one brief reference to necrophilia, which so far has proved elusive. Not that we’re looking too hard, but it’s interesting to see something so openly discussed ahead of the release, and then so difficult to find (no matter how brief. ) Perhaps Rockstar’s DLC is going to be REALLY bold. Did we miss any Dirty Easter Eggs or hidden messages that you think should have made this list? Share your own finds in the comments below. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-12-dirty-hidden-secrets-and-easter-eggs-you-probably-missed. php/13#qYw1X3o7lktHeAtx. 99 7. Lawsuits Against The Franchise Total Over $1 Billion Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-9-facts-that-will-blow-your-mind. php/3#zJ1PsYbf7ted734A. 99 GTA and controversy go together like peanut butter and jam; the franchise is never going to steer away from it, and as you’ll learn in a minute, it often even encourages it. Rockstar’s history in court has been well-documented, perhaps best of all their legal feud with disgraced Florida attourney Jack Thompson, who once referred to GTA as a â€Å"cop-killing simulator†, and has filed a litany of lawsuits on behalf of families who lost loved ones â€Å"because of the game†. You might think these suits frivolous, yet Thompson clearly meant business, filing a $246m suit against Rockstar a decade ago after two teens murdered two other motorists. That’s just one example, though; the man has filed countless suits in the name of his self-righteous crusade, yet they never seem to come to anything. Still, as it stands, Rockstar’s combined lawsuits surrounding the franchise total over $1 billion, which little – if any – they’ve ever had to pay out. Let’s see how many more games it takes them to reach the $2 billion milestone†¦ Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/gta-v-9-facts-that-will-blow-your-mind. php/3#zJ1PsYbf7ted734A. 99 7 Reasons We Should Be Worried About Video Game Violence Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence. php/2#KwUUcZepH9gdxhEP. 99 7. High Level Of Graphics Realism Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence. php/2#KwUUcZepH9gdxhEP. 99 Games today are far more aesthetically pleasing and with this often comes a greater degree of realism. Most game players can understand the difference and progression in game graphics – even if it’s simply between hand held and next generation game consoles. But along with the quality of the graphics also comes the detail. Take, for example, the game Mortal Kombat – which along with Grand Theft Auto is a tabloid aphrodisiac – and its ‘fatality’ finishers. The original game was released in 1992 and of course garnered plenty of debate regarding video game violence; but if you look at the fatalities from that game compared to today, it’s startling. Check out Raiden’s finishing moves – he shoots some blue lighting into the stunned opponent whose head then explodes into low quality cartoonish spurts of blood. Raiden shouts something like â€Å"heynamameeeh† and we all high five. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence.php/2#KwUUcZepH9gdxhEP. 99 6. Desensitisation With the realism and popularity of games comes the risk that we might become desensitized to violence. The majority of the research literature on video game violence focuses on this theory in one way or another; be it that it allows us to mute our own acts of aggression as suggested by Tobias Greitemayer in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, or that games are just part of a gradual global desensitisation to violence, as noted by Carnagey, Anderson and Bushman. Although much of modern research points away from violent video games reciprocating real world violence, the issue of desensitisation seems to be a constant theme. After all, if you see something over and over again it’s far less likely to shock you. However, what has changed along with video games, is the ease of access to violent and graphic images or video. Most owners of a Facebook account will have accidently played a shared video only to find half way through that it’s something sinister, like a cretin throwing puppies into a river, or the horrific video doing the rounds of a woman being decapitated. Also: as mentioned in the previous chapter, the depiction of violence on some of the most popular television shows is becoming increasingly more realistic and graphic. Several recent studies point to other mitigating, â€Å"real world† factors – and given the sheer number of us playing video games that are deemed violent, it’s these findings that make more sense to me. After all, if every Grand Theft Auto player replicated the game, we would need a Kevlar vest just to go fetch the newspaper. A study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research suggests that matters such as depression, antisocial personality traits, exposure to family violence and peer influences were the best predictors of youth aggression. This idea of video games merely being a piece of the desensitisation pie is further supported in recent research. A study in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, funded in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootings – this will be discussed in a later chapter – tried to address the discrepancies in research. The study by Ferguson and Olson looked at vulnerable groups, namely children with pre-existing mental health problems. They concluded that the association between video game violence and aggression was minimal, but did point that further work was needed when looking at children’s attainment of violent stimulus. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence. php/3#Mc34jEfUCkm8wtJf. 99 5. Children Playing Adult Games With many video games now marketed exclusively for adults, the content can be unapologetically violent and graphic†¦ but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With many games now seemingly more like interactive films, you’d be rather disappointed if when you shot the game’s villain, blue glitter poured out and a care bare gave you a hug. For example, in the recent GTA V, the torture scene with Trevor is incredibly detailed and forces the player to engage in order to continue the game. Apart from being uncomfortable – which was the point – it reminds you that you’re in a very adult world. Yes, you can have sex with a prostitute then beat her to death with a baseball bat to recoup your money, but you can also take your character for a jog around the block, or play a round of golf. The point is – it’s your choice. You are essentially controlling a character in a godfather sandbox. As an adult who understands that this is a game, the implications of game violence are minimal. Otherwise, as stated earlier with around 13 million people buying the recent Call Of Duty, we would all need to know effective covering fire when leaving the house. The danger comes when you imagine children playing adult games. Aside from the point of desensitisation, a child’s mind is still developing and their view and understanding of the world is still being shaped. Therefore they are far more susceptive to influence, which is why film and television is so carefully scrutinised. In 1994, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) was put together to give age and content advisories on games. However this was only in Canada and the US and was not enforced by law. Fast forward to 2012 and the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system becomes legislated, meaning anyone selling a game to an individual under-age faces a possible 6 months in prison and a ? 5,000 fine. Of course, how well enforced the ratings are is debatable, with most games still fairly easily bought online by teens. What’s interesting about the PEGI system is that violence can be present in games for ages as young as 12. For 12 year olds, it has to be in a fantasy setting such as Lord Of The Rings. For 16 year olds it can be explicit and once you get to 18 you can engage in graphic violence towards defenceless people including multiple, motiveless killings – hooray. The point is that whilst there are now more stringent controls on violent games, it’s only recently becoming enforced with any vigour. This in itself brings with it another reason to be worried about violence in video games†¦. Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence. php/4#d0pyFo3jvDHcpzJK. 99 4. Stricter Controls Leading To Less Brave Games Read more at http://whatculture. com/gaming/7-reasons-worried-video-game-violence. php/5#R4q8EqZIh4V4Lrtu. 99 With the increase in game ratings and restrictions, there’s the risk that video games might follow their Hollywood counterparts.

Refugees and Social Integration in Winnipeg

Refugees and Social Integration in Winnipeg This paper will examine refugees and social integration in Winnipeg and attempt to answer the questions posed in the syllabus. The status of refugees is significant in Winnipeg as the province of Manitoba admits more than 1000 refugees per year[1], the majority of who settle in Winnipeg. Refugees arrive in Winnipeg often with very little and are desperate to be able to integrate successfully, however this can be difficult to achieve. These new arrivals impact the city in that they are dependent on social services which in turn cost the government money. In addition due to lack of available funds upon arrival refugees often have to live in high poverty areas[2], centered on the downtown which leads to social issues that can be difficult for refugees to live with. In these circumstances making valuable social connections can be hard, often cultural differences make it challenging for new arrivals to make connections with the community, or neighbours. Poverty rates remain high for refugees living in Winnipeg and over time this has a detrimental effect not only on the lives of the refugees themselves but of the community at large as high poverty areas become a burden on the social services and typically have high rates of crime[3]. The number of refugees seeking entry to Canada has been steady increasing since 2000, this apparently in line with growing conflicts across Africa and the Middle East. Around these regions the nature of conflicts has been changing from nations fighting each other to civil conflicts within a nation, which tend to go on for much longer than tradition conflicts. In countries such as Syria, Iraq and Somalia ongoing civil war and terrorist insurgency has had a devastating effect on the civilian populations. People are often targeted for perceived allegiances to one side or the other and are persecuted for it, the level of destruction surrounding civilian populations is high and as a result many people become displaced, people who in turn become refugees seeking asylum abroad. These people often have to leave their homes quickly and with very little in terms of monetary value for fear of their lives. Understandably these people look abroad for support where they might be free from the fear and oppression that they would suffer if they returned to their home countries. As the conflicts in these regions continue more and more people will seek a better opportunity to live abroad, and Canada is a desired destination. With the increase in asylum seekers more people are seeking entry to Canada under refugee status, this impacts Winnipeg as more new arrivals will be refugees and unlike landed immigrants these people often will require significant assistance with social integration [4]among other things. The city of Winnipeg and how many refugees we admit per year has a direct impact on the people living in destitute conditions, be it in overcrowded housing on UN tent camps. Their standard of living increases dramatically being able to live here, and despite initial challenges in getting situated the chance to live here is something sought after by many around the world. The status of refugees in Winnipeg admittedly affects me very little. Personally I cannot say that I know anyone who is a refugee or even any friends that know one. However despite not personally being impacted by refugees I can see the effects of the city as a whole. While sympathetic towards the difficulties these people have faced I am also aware of the burden that is placed on social services and private individuals and institutions to support refugees, support which regular immigrants would under most circumstances not need. It is also good to keep in mind that Canada is running a deficit and any increase in social spending does nothing to help with that. People I know have also been impacted as refugees predominantly work in the service and labour sectors and hold relatively high employment around 80%[5], this could be a factor into why people around my age have difficulty finding employment at traditionally entry level jobs, such as retail, food industry etc. As for how I impa ct the social integration of refugees in the city I would have to say not at all, as I don’t know any refugees and I am not in any position to impact their lives. Personal bias aside as far as a critical assessment goes, I would begin with saying that refugees face incredible challenges both in leaving their home countries and establishing themselves in Canada. Refugees arriving in Winnipeg often have very little money, and low prospects of a good paying job and face difficulty in dealing with the trauma that they may have experienced due to war or persecution of some kind in their country of origin[6]. Due to how refugees are dispersed across Canada new arrivals often find themselves isolated and without anyone of their own cultural background to associate with, I can imagine how difficult this might be, for instance if there were to hypothetically be a civil war break out in Canada and myself and family were forced to relocate to somewhere like Nairobi or Istanbul I could see how difficult it would be to fit into society. The same can be said about refugees from Africa and the Mid-East many of whom don’t even speak English which is es sential to living in Canada. As well once a refugee does arrive things often aren’t as great as they had been led to believe, in the case of Winnipeg most refugees in recent times are from visible minorities and often have to live in poverty stricken neighbourhoods around the downtown core area[7]. I have found that once a refugee has been successfully settled in Winnipeg the majority of assistance they had received goes away and considers the job done. While I can see how it would be costly to maintain direct support for all of the refugee families admitted it is clear that many struggle with a number of issues after social services move on to the next family. The theoretical lens which I have viewed this in is the Liberal approach, which also seems to be the method by which the West approaches refugees in general. The most important point being that there is a moral imperative to help these people the best way we can with the abundant resources at our disposal. This also plays into international justice and how to Liberal west can help those that are oppressed by people who hold opposing views. Looking at the status of refugees in Winnipeg it is clear that Liberal minding institutions have helped many thousands of people, not only find homes but also employment. While I can certainly appreciate the good done on behalf of institutions in Winnipeg clearly more has to be done. Many of the values which we hold here are not readily apparent to refugees who are finding it difficult to manage here and find them falling into poverty. This seems to be a recurring issue within the refugee population in the city and it is troubling that despite the numbers of those stuck in poverty they seem to have been largely abandoned by the government which continues to bring in more refugees without improving the conditions of those already here[8]. It follows to me at least that if those refugees here in Winnipeg are able to access better education and jobs that they would be able to contribute far more to our society that they are at the present. With higher wages they would be able to afford their own homes, rather than be exploited by landlords that enjoy powerful positions over refugees in their situations. With access to jobs more befitting of their qualifications they would be able to afford education for any children they may have brought with them which in turn leads to a better community as a whole since their children would be far less likely to get into crime or be recruited into street gangs, a real issue among young African male refugees who see it as the only opportunity to better their position. Certain policies I would a lso view as questionable, for instance the cost effective move to have affordable housing located in the worst parts of the city. While this may be less of a burden of the social services it does little to help the city of Winnipeg in the long-term. As these refugees are forced to live in dangerous neighbourhoods where children are routinely exploited, this does nothing to exhale the value were place on Liberty in the West. These families are forced to live in cramped, dirty apartments where social interactions with the community tend to be minimal due to crime within those areas. From my own experiences in dealing with people downtown I can imagine some of the difficulties a recent Syrian or African immigrant may face if they have to work late night as past a certain time the majority of people leave the downtown area and it can become dangerous to have to travel on foot very late into the night. This goes back to the issue of good employment, having to work late night shift work w ith the chance of being harassed or accosted after work doesn’t sound very appealing to me. The lack of continued aid once a refugee has found a job is a failure, and aid agencies like Winnipeg harvest among others are often strained to help or are unknown to refugee families. Now that isn’t to say that I believe we are obligated to help refugees, however if Canada is to uphold the Liberal values which it proclaims then we should handle refugees properly and with adequate support networks in place. From the articles and new reports I have researched for this paper it is clear that while refugees are certainly grateful to everything Canada has given them, it simply is not enough once they are settled and families fall into poverty and all associated issues. I can think of several things that could help the situation of refugees in the city, of course doing the right thing tends never to be time/cost effective. Recognition of refugees education is a big step in helping t hem to get meaningful employment, many refugees simply cannot afford to go to school here when they must work long hours to support themselves and families. I our diverse multicultural society it would pay off in the long term to give refugees better access to working environments, longer programs to ensure successful integration. Also better methods to deal with the trauma and mental issues that accompany living in a warzone. All told despite the many issues, refugees are doing well in Winnipeg issues in good employment remain but refugees do overwhelmingly feel safe in Winnipeg are at least able to find work for the most part. With the financial difficulties facing Canada, and Winnipeg it is understandable that we simply cannot provide the best for refugees at the moment without a noticeable impact of groups giving aid to Canadians that already are in need, however anything we can give them is far better than what they would have faced in their country of origin. Bibliography Articles Carter, Derwing, Ogilivie, T. Wotherspoon. â€Å"Prairies Region,† Our Diverse Cities 6 (2009): 8-50, 104. Omidvar, Richmond. â€Å"Immigrant Settlement and Social Inclusion in Canada,† Working Paper Series: Perspectives on Social Inclusion (2003) 44. Gyepi-Garbrah, J., Walker, R., Garcea, J.† Indigeneity, Immigrant Newcomers and Interculturalism in Winnipeg, Canada.†Urban Studies (2013). Short Sources Carol Sanders, â€Å"Feds to pay for only 40% of refugees,† Winnipeg Free Press, January 1, 2015. Accessed April 1, 2015. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/feds-to-pay-for-only-40-of-refugees-288229911.html Janine LeGal, â€Å"Congo refugee Hilaire Ndyat helps new immigrants settle in Winnipeg,† Canadian Immigrant, August 12, 2011. Accessed April 1, 2015. http://canadianimmigrant.ca/immigrant-stories/careers/congo-refugee-hilaire-ndyat-helps-new-immigrants-settle-in-winnipeg Carol Sanders, â€Å"Syrian refugees’ obstacles decried,† Winnipeg Free Press, April 1, 2014. Accessed April 1, 2015. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/syrian-refugees-obstacles-decried-253319531.html Amanda Thorsteinsson, November 27, 2013 (3:45 PM), Special to CBC news â€Å"Syrian refugees faced with nowhere to live† http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/syrian-refugees-faced-with-nowhere-to-live-1.2442659 Donna Carreiro, â€Å"Winnipeg refugee the face of a global crisis,† CBC News December 15, 2014. Accessed March 27, 2015. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-refugee-the-face-of-a-global-crisis-1.2872961 Manitoba Immigrant and Refugee Settlement Sector Association, Last modified 2015. http://www.mirssa.org/about.aspx Voices of Manitoba, https://manitobavoices.wordpress.com/about/resources-for-refugees-in-winnipeg/ Carol Sanders, â€Å"Manitoba hit record refugee count in 2013,† Winnipeg Free Press, March 27, 2014. Accessed March 27, 2015. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/manitoba-hit-record-refugee-count-in-2013-252590021.html University of Winnipeg Communications, December 9, 2014. â€Å"Bridging two worlds: Helping refugee youth succeed in Canada† http://news-centre.uwinnipeg.ca/all-posts/bridging-two-worlds-helping-refugee-youth-succeed-in-canada/ Shane Gibson, â€Å"Tough road for African immigrants, refugees in Winnipeg: report.† Metro News, July 26, 2012. Accessed April 1, 2015. http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/310949/tough-road-for-african-immigrants-refugees-in-winnipeg-report/ CBC News, â€Å"Syrian refugees glad to be in Winnipeg, but struggle to feed kids,† CBC News, July 4, 2014. Accessed April 6, 2015. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/syrian-refugees-glad-to-be-in-winnipeg-but-struggle-to-feed-kids-1.2697018 Shane Gibson, â€Å"Library for refugee and immigrant children opens in Winnipeg,† Metro News, February 6, 2015. Accessed April 6, 2015. http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/1281922/library-for-refugee-and-immigrant-children-opens-in-winnipeg/ â€Å"Winnipeg Crime Statistics† last modified April 5, 2015 http://www.winnipeg.ca/crimestat/ [1] Carter, Derwing, Ogilivie, Wotherspoon, â€Å"Prairies Region.† [2] â€Å"Prairies Region† [3] â€Å"Winnipg Crime Statistics† [4] Omidvar, Richmond â€Å"Immigrant Settlement and Social Inclusion in Canada† [5] â€Å"Prairire Regions† [6] Gyepi-Garbrah, J., Walker, R., Garcea, J. â€Å"Indigeneity, Immigrant Newcomers and Interculturalism in Winnipeg† [7] â€Å"Prairie Region† [8] â€Å"Immigrant Settlement and Social Inclusion in Canada†