Plantation Society and Creolization Essay

The ‘self-image is the key to human personality and human behaviour. Change the self image and you change the personality and the behaviour. (Maxwell Maltz) Sociology is a systematic way of studying the social world. It seeks to discover the causes and effects of intercommunication and interaction that in social relation. While the functionalist provided a static view of society. Functionalism views society like a biological organism. The parts or institutions of the organism or society function appropriately to ensure the whole structure works efficiently and effectively. They believe that the whole has greater power than the individual parts. The three main aims and objectives of functionalism are to maintain order, stability and equilibrium in society. (Functionalist and Marxist Perspective) Max Weber (1864-1920), a German sociologist and a contemporary of Durkheim’s, also became a professor in the new academic discipline of sociology. Weber also believed in social actions as an action responsible by the individual. He believed that the individual need to take account for his own actions to be considered social. Weber defined social action as an action that an individual takes and attaches meaning and is conscious of the action. The individual must also take into consideration how others react to their actions. If the individual is not conscious of their action then it cannot be termed as social action and if they do not pay attention to the reaction of others for their action then it’s not social. On the stand point of the socialist, they need to find out the meaning of the action of the individual. From this, Weber took on the realization of social actions into social interactions – the interaction of individuals. He did not take into account religion, family, work or school. Marx, on the other hand believed that social actions leaned heavily on economic structures, but Weber did not agree because he believed they influenced the response of the action. Weber also had his views on religion as an influence on social action. He believed that religion stemmed what is called the spirit of capitalism or protestant ethic. Religion once believed that since they were the only true religion that they had no worries and will always be saved. Protestants came in with the idea opposite to this belief and then changed people’s perception of being saved. They then believed that financial success is a blessing from God and so began living frugal lives, investing money to make more money. Hence this brought about the view of capitalism. On the other hand, Weber however had a different view on social actions as to functionalism. Functionalism believed that society is a whole unit made up of interrelated parts that work together. Functionalism believed that for a society to work in harmony they must work together as a whole. Durkheim believes that society is composed of many parts, each with its own function. When all the parts of society fill in their function, it’s a normal state. If they do not then it’s abnormal or pathological. This major difference of these perspectives of society is their level of analysis which is micro-sociological and macro-sociological. Micro-sociological examines small scale patterns of social interaction which is the view of interactionism, whereas macro sociological examines large scale patterns of society which is the view of functionalism. The micro-sociological aspect of society, like Weber, believes in the individuals and what influences or causes their actions and the reactions of others based on the actions. The macro-sociological aspect, like Marx, believes in the larger picture of society as a whole with each part working together to achieve a function. Both functionalism and social interactionism has their varied views of gangs in society. Functionalism does not support gangs because it makes society unstable. Functionalism believes in society as a whole which makes it stable. Functionalism looks at gangs and how they contribute to or detract from society. Gangs contribute to society since they classify people into different identifiable groups, provide an example of defiance, and inspire the development of institutions of social control and total institutions. They detract from society in that they separate individuals from the main stream of society and there is a lack of social integration. Socialists like Weber, would look deeper into the reason behind gangs. Gangs, although part of society, but not considered a part of society since it has no function which shapes a stable society. Gangs are made up of small groups of people as little and three individuals. According to The Oxford Study Dictionary, â€Å"A gang is a number of workmen working together or a band of people going about together or working together, especially for some criminal purpose. † They form a gang for a reason and act upon it. Their action is as a result of their beliefs and they are accountable for their actions. It becomes a social action as the reaction of gangs form a negative part of society as determined by many. The social action, as Weber describes, gives a better understanding of gangs, since functionalism looks at gangs as a negative part of society. Social interactionism views gangs as a means to society achieving a goal, whether negative or positive. They look deeper into the individuals who make up the gang and the purpose of the gang. People in our poor urban Caribbean centers will be encouraged to join gangs because they are unable to achieve socially accepted goals through legitimate means. Gangs could be seen as innovators or achieving social goals through an illegitimate process. Individuals in the Caribbean join gangs for a variety of reasons, example for identity recognition that is achieving a level of status that cannot be achieved within the society; for protection because gang members protect their members; fellowship or brotherhood since gangs serves as an extension of the family where the members are called their brother; intimidation and peer pressure as being forced to join a gang to prove a point; the fact that gangs causes the individual to feel important especially if this is lacking at home; where they actually join a gang to perform criminal acts since they are assured protection and profits of the group. Because of the vast reasons for joining a gang, it is to be considered mainly by the socialism since they look into the reasons or underlying meaning behind the action of the individual. In the Caribbean people join gangs for many reasons and since Weber look at the action behind the individual for their action I think he best explain a better understanding of why people in the Caribbean join gangs. According to The Jamaican Gleaner people join gangs for a sense of purpose, belonging and value, hence the individual reasoning behind it all. We all face the ills of society yet only a few join gangs yet the majority does not. We are all a byproduct of our environment; however we do have an individual choice of conformity. So, what makes a few join and the majorities abstain. It boils down to the individual’s reaction to the situation that propels them to join a gang. Weber’s social action theory of one’s own individual conscious choice of joining a group is the driving force here. True, society does affect one’s actions to act in a certain way but if this provides a better understanding of why people in the Caribbean join a gang why not the majority join a gang? Why only a few join gangs in the Caribbean? I believe that it is the individual own personal conscious decision to join a gang provides a better understanding. Weber looks deeper into why the individual join a gang. If it is the society then according to Durkheim our society should be in a pathological state since the majority does not join a gang. The problem in the family is the one major driving force behind young people joining gangs. They do so for a sense of belonging according to the Jamaican Gleaner. The individual own conscious decision come to play here as to why they join a gang. They do so in an effort to fill in the void. The gang provides them with a new family and brotherhood. Peers pressure people to conform to a certain way of life and a gang is no different. One’s peers are part of the people whom they associate with because they are at school or workplace and so forth. Peers tend to have a great influence on the individual decision they are face with on a daily basis, so they have to make that choice of succumbing to the pressure or overpowering it. They must each make that conscious choice in accord with Weber theory of social action. As mentioned in the introduction, Greg is an example of why people join a gang for protection. Greg was well on his way of making a conscious decision to join a gang; again leading to the point that people make an individual reason for joining gangs in the Caribbean. In conclusion, It is my belief that both the functionalist who believes that society should work as a whole, one unit and the sociologists who states that its all about the action of the individual both contribute to the way people behaviour and the impact each theory has on society.

Activision Blizzard

Company History and Profile Activision and Blizzard Entertainment have been longstanding brands within the gaming industry for some time. Activision started out in 1979 as the world’s first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles such as Atari, Nintendo, and Sega, in addition to developing both gaming and business applications for personal computers. One of their earliest major hit games was Pitfall, which was designed for the Atari 2600 series gaming console. This project was so successful; it resulted in the production of several clones, including stand-up arcade games. After losing a multi-million dollar judgment on damages involving a patent infringement, Activision went through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and reorganization in 1991. It was during this time when they decided to concentrate solely on a video gaming production strategy, eventually developing popular games such as Sonic, Guitar Hero and the current Call of Duty Series. From 1997 to 2007, Activision acquired multiple companies geared towards strengthening their position relative to their gaming strategy, but have also kept their foot in the door for expanding their market into other entertainment ventures. Beginning in 1998, Activision launched strategic partnerships with comic and movie producers Marvel Entertainment, Disney Interactive, and LucasArts Entertainment. In 2001, Activision acquired the rights to the Columbia Pictures’ feature film Spider-Man, and had signed a multi-year publishing agreement between DreamWorks SKG in 2003. Blizzard Entertainment began in 1991 as a company called Silicon & Synapse, also designing games for Sega-Genesis, Super Nintendo, and DOS- and Mac- compatible games for personal computers. The company established the Blizzard Entertainment label in 1994, when they became one of the most popular and well respected makers of computer games. Blizzard’s main focus is on creating well-designed, highly enjoyable entertainment experiences, and by doing so, has maintained a reputation for quality within the gaming industry. Released in 1994, Warcraft: Orcs and Humans became their first in a series of role-play strategy games to win accolades as one of the best games of that year. Multiplayer computer games were still relatively new at this time, and Blizzard began to take advantage of the opportunities that this niche had to offer. They are now the leader in the field of massively multiplayer online games (MMORPG), with more than 11. 5 million monthly subscriptions. Blizzard has additionally developed a trio of popular PC games, including the Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo series, creating a culture that champions both productive and experimental creativity which inspires devoted players. Jeff Green, editor-in-chief of the online gaming magazine 1Up. om notes, â€Å"[Blizzard people] are essentially design geniuses, making games easy enough for casual players and deep enough to attract and hook hard-core players. Simple to learn, difficult to master is the holy grail of game design, and Blizzard does this every single time. † In late 1998, Blizzard Entertainment became a subsidiary of the French conglomerate Vivendi, grouped into its Vivendi Universal Games division. From 2000 to 2007, Blizzard Entertainment released several games under their trilogy series, consistently exceeding sales projections and becoming the unprecedented leader within the gaming industry. On December 2, 2007, it was announced that Activision would be acquired by Vivendi, with Vivendi contributing its gaming division plus a cash investment, in exchange for a majority stake in the new group. In 2008, Vivendi Games merged with Activision, using the Blizzard brand in naming the resulting company, Activision Blizzard. SWOT Analysis Strengths Activision Blizzard’s balance sheet was initially considered to be its most valuable strength when the merger between the two companies transpired; however, this was not necessarily the case. The apparent strategy was to rely on Blizzard Entertainment as a cash cow to finance the merger. With Blizzard Entertainment having more than $3. 3 billion in cash and short term investments, and no debt at the time, it had the flexibility to obtain more intellectual property and talent, and thus further help to strengthen the new company. Reeling from a series of legal actions against them, and suffering income losses in both 2008 and 2009, Activision Blizzard has finally begun to turn around their financial status, and is beginning to gain ground relative to their balance sheet. More on this matter will be discussed in the financial section of this paper. The revenue stream should only be getting smoother with the merger of Blizzard and Activision. The combined company is not as dependent as other gaming companies on console upgrade cycles for generating the majority of its revenue and earnings. Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, as a subscription service, helps to also keep the revenue stream smoother than normal. With a large and popular range of titles, Activision Blizzard can ask for, and receive more shelf space than competitors at retail outlets that sell their products, such as GameStop and Wal-Mart. Getting the product in front of consumers with favorable shelf placement is just as important in the gaming industry as it is in the grocery industry, and Activision Blizzard uses this strategy to their advantage. Weaknesses Activision Blizzard has had a previous history of difficult relations with developers. The recent firings and defections of product developers from Infinity Ward, producer of the hit release â€Å"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2† is a primary case in point. Also, legal issues have been a tremendous weakness and liability for the company. Who owns what, and what is agreed upon at times are contentious issues. The ex-Infinity Ward executives claim control of the â€Å"Modern Warfare† brand line. Additionally, the musical group No Doubt sued Activision Blizzard, claiming that their images were being used for any song in â€Å"Band Hero†, contrary to what they said had been agreed to. Opportunities At the past E3 conference for the gaming industry, current Activision-Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick noted that â€Å"There is a $3 billion used game market that we do not participate in. The only true competition within this realm is GameStop, who would potentially suffer losing a large portion of their current market status if Activision Blizzard decided to enter this segment of the market. Activision Blizzard also has strong franchising capabilities. Even in the middle of a recession, gamers are willing to pay for the newest releases and additions related to their games. A winged horse â€Å"pet† for World of Warcraft, priced at $25, was estimated by some reports to be bringing in as much as $2. 5 Million per hour for a period last spring. Activision Blizzard has the capabilities to take advantage of this phenomenon through franchising markets. The mobile gaming medium is wide open; Activision Blizzard successfully released a mobile version of â€Å"Guitar Hero† for Apple’s iPhone. It would appear that scaled-down versions of their most popular games are on the horizon to be produced for smartphones and iPads. With Activision Blizzard’s branding, they have a tremendous repertoire of brands and licenses that can be franchised or published for various markets, including clothing, toys, collectibles, comics and books, and even syndicated movies or cartoons. Threats Mobile gaming is probably their biggest threat, due to small studios being able to reach a multitude of people through inexpensive downloads to smartphones. This will certainly create a more competitive atmosphere in the very near future. Games with long franchise lives can also be a burden on the company. A good case in point would be their â€Å"Guitar Hero† game, which is getting old, with sales beginning to drop and stall. Consumer Affairs cites a â€Å"continued decline in the music genre† as the primary reason given by the company for dropping the game. Activision Blizzard, as a quality control measure, is retiring some of their lesser grossing games to concentrate on more revenue productive and newer versions of such games as â€Å"Call of Duty†, â€Å"World of WarCraft†, and â€Å"Diablo†. SWOT Conclusion When looking at the collective elements contained within the SWOT analysis, it is apparent that Activision Blizzard began their merger rather sluggishly. This could be attributed to differences in corporate cultures or their need to address and resolve pending legal issues as quickly as possible, so that finances are readily available to fund future ventures. Opportunities abound in the realm of on-line gaming, franchising, and partnerships or joint ventures with various companies in a diverse range of markets, and it would be in their better interest to take advantage of these given opportunities in utilizing a differentiation strategy that delivers both tangible and intangible attributes. Blizzard Entertainment has been at the forefront of this type of strategy long before their merger, with such features as Battle. net forums for its customers to chat, exchange ideas and strategies, and submit feedback on given games. Each day hundreds of gamers post new ideas and petitions in Battle. net forums while there are always assigned personnel on Blizzard’s behalf to read and respond to them. By infusing a culture of having gamers as employees, coupled with the feedback it gets from its Battle. net forums, they are capable of using this data in designing or making improvements on their current games in real time as well as future games. They additionally hold several events annually for their gaming customers to interact with and launch new products. BlizzCon (in the United States) and the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational (held in various other countries) are major events that showcase their talent and customer oriented initiatives. With Activision coming on board, they have taken a major step in creating a company that is virtually one with the gaming community on both a consumer level as well as a personal level, which should be a viable recipe for success, regardless of which direction they choose to go. Five Forces Analysis Barriers to Entry †¢There are little to no barriers to entry. Popular games are being developed at a rapid pace throughout the industry. †¢Activision Blizzard posses an advantage, however, with their scale and catalog of games, in addition to third-party developer relationships. †¢Their main advantage relative to this issue lies in their manufacturing and distribution capabilities. Threat of Substitutes †¢There are currently no close substitutes for games such as â€Å"Call of Duty† and â€Å"World of WarCraft†, however, new games always have a potential of becoming popular, depending upon their format, story line, and general audience appeal. Other types of entertainment could also be classified as substitutes, such as music and movie videos, but it is unlikely that they would surpass the popularity of Activision Blizzard’s more popular games. Power of Buyers †¢With on-line distribution capabilities becoming the norm, buyer power is diminishing. †¢Activision Blizzard allows for â€Å"real time† consumer feedback through various forums, which gives them a differential advantage when developing new games due to the uniqueness of the industry. Power of Suppliers †¢Activision Blizzard relies primarily on in-house talent to design and evelop their games. †¢Supplier power is medium, primarily because developers and console game producers need Activision Blizzard as much as it needs them. Rivalry Among Sellers †¢Activi sion Blizzard is the leading MMORPG developer relative to on-line gaming, and they will continue to focus on this platform as a primary revenue stream. †¢They also lead the console gaming market, and have begun a quality control model to ensure a consistent and sustainable competitive advantage through innovation and development of quality products. Gaming is not the only business within the entertainment industry, but it serves a well-proportioned demographic, to say the least. With making a distinction between gaming and entertainment, one can see a more obvious picture developing relative to the merger between the two companies. In joining two major players with hit franchises together, Vevendi is expecting to realize a major coup within the entertainment side of this merger by taking advantage of Activision’s relationships with major motion picture production companies. And with social gaming on the rise with the launch of smart phones, there is another consideration to make within the gaming realm. With the trend towards digital distribution growing, this should continue to drive down costs, which will also open the field to potentially more on-line players. Activision Blizzard faces numerous hurdles when speaking in terms of their competitive advantage in both the gaming and entertainment industries, but to be the dominant player in both industries, one must be resourceful and innovative by nature. This is truly where both companies have dominated in the past by comparison, and will most certainly be the catalyst for a rebound performance in the future, or even a new entry into other markets as well. Key Success Factors †¢Diversified partnerships with licensing or franchising companies †¢Large inventory of product, which in turn gives them a larger portion of retail shelf space †¢New product releases (Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo) †¢Leader in on-line gaming subscriptions (MMORPG) Corporate culture of gamers throughout company structure, coupled with collective talents of game designers †¢Designs and develops their own gaming platforms †¢Interactive consumer portals for input and feedback on their products (Battle. net, BlizzCon, Blizzard Worldwide Invitational) Financial Analysis Despite Activision Blizzard experiencing a couple of net losses in 2008 and 2009, the company is doing well when compared to its competitors. Its operating margin was 10. 55% in 2010, with a 5 year margin of 9%, versus its average competitor earning 9% in 2010 and average margin of 12% (according to wikiwealth. om). The 2010 net deficit in retained earnings shows that Activision Blizzard has not been profitable over its existence. While cash flow margins have been higher than its competitors at 15% over the past 5 years, versus its competitors 11% average value, there is not a large amount of cash flow for which the company can pay its operating bills, as its working capital was negative both in 2009 (at $423 million) and $1,030 million in 2010, and its liquidity ratios were less than 2. Within operations, the company has begun to manage its inventory and accounts receivable better, as its days of inventory decreased from 30 to 19 days, resulting in a better turnover from 12 in 2009 to 19 in 2010; along with the average collection period going from 63 days in 2009 to 52. 5 days in 2010. Blizzard Entertainment, one of the three segments within the company, earned approximately 35% of its total net revenues, but yielded over 60% of operating income from operations, making it the most profitable segment of the company. Keeping that in mind, it would be beneficial for them to concentrate on increased sales within this given department (on-line subscriptions) to facilitate a greater increase in revenues. As a side note, a lot is riding on Activision Blizzard’s release of their new Call of Duty console game for the holiday season. With last year’s Black Ops having sold a record $360 million in its first day, this new release could make or break their holiday season revenues. If sales do well for this holiday season, the company has the potential to enter the new year having a much greater advantage over their competition, by far. Analysis of Competitive Position Although the merger of Activision Blizzard got off to a slow start, things now appear to be on track for the current year, and their outlook seems to be in a much better financial and competitive positioning than for their three previous years. The ability to generate a sustainable and consistent revenue stream, while also keeping costs down, is one of their greatest strengths, and should continue, considering their rapidly diversifying portfolio of partners and strategic alliances. Given Activision’s partnerships and alliances prior to their merger with companies such as Marvel, Disney Interactive, LucasArts, and Dreamworks; coupled with Blizzard’s partnerships with various vendors in the apparel, toy, and collectible markets, Activision Blizzard has built a strong foundation through their broad differentiation strategy, which affords them a greater advantage of maintaining their number one position within not only the gaming industry, but opens the doors to other venues as well through licensing and franchising opportunities. The company’s diversity is a critical advantage, because it allows them room for expansion and cross-selling opportunities across various platforms or markets. Additionally, Activision Blizzard is beginning to increase their presence in China, partnering with Netease, which is considered to be one of the best eastern on-line gaming companies to date. This opportunity will allow them to distribute their StarCraft, World of WarCraft, and Call of Duty series games to an eagerly-awaiting population within that country. Activision Blizzard’s new release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 this past week resulted in the biggest launch of any console game ever, and is seen as crucial to their strategy of releasing fewer, better quality game titles each year. CEO Bobby Kotick commented that within the first 24 hours of release, 6. 5 million units were sold within North America and the U. K. , for a total of $400 million dollars. He is noted as saying, â€Å"We believe the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time in any medium, and we achieved this record with sales from only two territories†. This surpassed last month’s release of Electronic Arts’ five million units of Battlefield 3 by 1. 5 million units, which is their closest competitor to date in the console gaming industry. The above noted quality control strategy is just another addition to their value chain activities, in conjunction with the previously mentioned Battle. net and BlizzCon forums, which affords them a real-time advantage when designing and launching games or addressing consumer issues and concerns. By doing so, Activision Blizzard maintains a proficiency in performing their core competencies, and continues to build and evolve their competitive advantage in this area. This is one of the primary reasons that Activision Blizzard has consistently held the top ranking, in addition to their model MMORPG platform that grows in subscriptions monthly. Activision Blizzard’s portfolio of digital and console games usually attracts more hardcore gamers than casual gamers. This is a decisive advantage in an economic downturn particularly, because Activision Blizzard’s sales are not as profoundly affected when there is a decrease in consumer spending. When potential customers have limited disposable income, they need to be assured of the quality of what they are spending their hard-earned dollars on. The Activision Blizzard brand is quite often strong enough to convince a repeat customer of the quality of a new game. Additionally, with upgrades in digital distribution, the ability for companies to offer their products and services in digital form is becoming a necessity. Activision Blizzard is well aware of this occurrence, and has continuously been moving towards this higher-margin business model for quite some time. In fact, they already derive a good portion of their income as a percentage of revenues from this model, which is a great advantage over their competitors. They continue to broaden their subscription model, with an emphasis on direct distribution of its products to consumers. This also reduces income loss through having to pay out royalties to retailers and on-line gaming hosts. Project Beachhead, a new group formed within Activision Blizzard, will be bringing their hit series Call of Duty franchise into a subscription-based service in which consumers will pay Activision Blizzard directly to use a premium content that is included. Activision Blizzard is in a leading position to take advantage of this business model, considering that they have some of the most popular franchises in the world. As a point of reference, World of WarCraft currently has 11. 5 million subscribers paying fifteen dollars a month to play. Add to that the 7 million daily Call of Duty users, and one should be able to derive their true profit-making potential in this forum. Over the past twelve months, Activision Blizzard has generated just under $4. 8 billion in revenue and $800 million in operating profit, for an operating margin of almost 17% (according to Gurufocus. om), but this is actually an understatement of just how much money they are currently generating. Their growth through acquisitions and partnerships is likely to continue well into the future, where they continue to buy key franchises. As part of these acquisitions, they place a value on intangible assets (such as brands) that they purchase. They then expense these intangib les, which have no basis in accounting circles, but most certainly impact their cash flow. After adjusting for these â€Å"non-cash† expenses and other write-offs, Activision Blizzard has actually earned $1. 4 billion in operating profit, for an operating margin just under 30%. Relative to disadvantages, Activision Blizzard stands to lose some market ground due to new â€Å"casual† and social games coming out, such as Angry Birds and Farmville, but it is actually the ease of distribution from tablet devices such as the iPad (digitized games) that could cause their competitive advantage to erode somewhat. This is particularly why they are concentrating on their current business model. Recommendations Activision Blizzard’s marketing strategy is more a model for the industry, as they have partnered extensively, but selectively, with various companies and brands to diversify and expand their exposure and profitability. They have a proven track record with their on-line (MMORPG) gaming capabilities, and generate a large percentage of revenue from such. As a result, they should actively pursue this growing segment of the gaming industry, to which they are already the leading model. They should also continue their broad differentiation strategy relative to partnerships and strategic alliances, as this has proven to be quite successful for them since even before their merger. Our group recommends stepping out of their â€Å"comfort zone†, so to speak, and to begin looking at new ways to expand their brands and licenses. With this in mind, we recommend that they explore what we consider to be a â€Å"natural† transition for their gaming brands in particular, that of producing animated movies and syndicated cartoons. This actually aligns with a comment made by CEO Bobby Kotick not too long ago, in that he noted the potential of there being a StarCraft movie in the near future, which is based on one of their more popular MMORPG games. As of 11 November, their parent company (Vivendi SA) purchased EMI music group for $1. 9 billion dollars. Already owning a 26 percent market share of the music industry with Universal Music Group, Vivendi now owns an additional 9 percent, not to mention the rights to songs by such groups as the Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Coldplay, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Not only is this considered a coup within the music industry, but it could also play out relative to our recommendation, as it now gives them a solid foundation in choosing a select grouping of soundtracks for movie productions that can be targeted for various demographics ranging in ages from Baby Boomers to Gen X’ers. Our research indicates that to produce a movie, it would take an investment of approximately $200 million in revenue to do so (Negative Cost = Development Cost + Pre-Production Cost + Production Cost + Post-Production Cost). This is generally an accepted estimate of the total production cost, from the planning and development phase, to pre-production, into production or filming, and then to post-production (which includes marketing and advertising). Naturally, this estimate varies, according to several factors such as where the movie is filmed and produced, who stars in it, distribution, etc. Not only does Activision Blizzard maintain such a potential to take on a project such as this, their parent company (Vivendi) as well as several alliances and partnerships would be more than willing to share such a project cost with them, much like their current gaming model. Keeping that in mind, it would be another transition (still) to follow such companies as Pixar, Amblin, LucasFilms, and Dreamworks, which all began as production companies from one or two major film hits. Whether StarCraft would be a box office smash is anybody’s guess, but if it were, the residual revenue alone from merchandising and franchising toys, clothing, and other products sold could potentially offset the initial cost considerably, not to mention the interest it would draw from a new generation of gamers. In developing their own production company, Activision Blizzard is ensuring that their brands stay marketable well into their more mature phases, while also maintaining control of production costs and opening the door once again for profitable partnerships in future endeavors within one more market niche of the entertainment industry. References Blizzard Entertainment Inc (2010) http://blizzard. com/us/inblizz/profile. html Cavelli, Earnest (December 23, 2008). â€Å"World of Warcraft Hits 11. 5 Million Users† http://www. ired. com/gamelife/2008/12/world-of-warc-1 Coleman, Freddie (2010). Why Blizzard is a Renowned Game Developer. http://ezinarticles. com/? Why-Blizzard-is-a-Renowned-Game-Developer&id=3584114 Consumer Affairs (2 Feb 2011) The Tour is Over for â€Å"Guitar Hero† Fans. www. consumeraffairs. com/news04/2011/02/the-tour-is-over-for-guitat-hero-fans. html Morris, Chris (2008). â€Å"Blizzards Perfect Storm† http://www. forbes. com/2008/06/30/videogame s-blizzard-morris-tech-personal-cx Moser, Jason (2011). Activision Blizzard’s Edge May Be Smaller Than You Think† http://www. fool. com/investing/general/2011/01/31/activision-blizzards-edge-may-be-smaller-than-you-. aspx The Motley Fool- Activision Blizzard: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats http://www. fool. com/investing/general/2010/06/15/activision-blizzard-strengths-weaknesses-opportuni. aspx The Cost of Making a Hollywood Movie (2010) www. anomalousmaterial. com/movies/2010/03/the-cost-of-making-a-movie Vivendi Will Buy EMI Recorded Music Unit for $1. Billion (Bloomberg Businessweek 11 November 2011) http://news. businessweek. com/article. asp Magic Formula Stock of the Week: Activision Blizzard (10 October 2011) http://www. gurufocus. com Universal’s $1. 9 B EMI Deal: In a Digital World, Market Share Counts for Less (Reuters. com 13 November 2011) http://www. reuters. com â€Å"Call of Duty’ Sales Hit $400 Million (The Wall Street Jour nal- Jarzemsky and Rubin, 12 November 2011) http://online. wsj. com

A New Ending to the Lord of the Flies

Instead of coming at me, like I thought he would he ran the opposite direction and started screaming at the top of his lungs. By now the fire was out of control; it was racing down the mountain side, faster than fast. I started to run again, this time I was running toward the beach. â€Å"I need to get the littluns to safety† I said to myself. I ran and ran to the beach and went to grab the conch were it should have been; but I stopped myself. The conch is gone just like Piggy. Shattered, into a million pieces. I fell to the ground with exhaustion and grief. I could feel the heat of the fire coming nearer and nearer. As Jacks hunters came closer to me I heard them chanting a different chant. I could have sworn that I hear Jack screaming in pain. Someone burst out of the trees, screaming in pain. â€Å"Jack,† I said to myself as I looked to see if I was right. Sure enough I was right, but this was worse than I imagined, he was on fire! Half of his body was burnt. He looked at me with a sad, hurt look. He ran past me and jumped into the ocean. Jack never resurfaced, and I wasn’t about to go and get him. I heard more screaming behind me. I knew they were coming after me so I ducked down and tried to not move. Maybe they won’t notice me. It must have been ten minutes before I heard any noise coming out of the forest. But as everyone gathered around me it became silent. â€Å"Is everything all right? † I heard a somewhat familiar voice say. I looked up to see who was talking. I started to talk, but as I saw who it was my mouth just stayed open. â€Å"Dad? † I said in unbelief. â€Å"I knew it. † I yelled as I got up and ran to him. He stared as if I was dead. Maybe I am dead and this is all a dream. As I jumped in to his arms I was assured that I was alive when he caught me. He whispered in my ear. â€Å"Ralph? Is that you? † â€Å"YES! † I yelled â€Å"it is me! † I said more quietly. I started to cry out of relief. Dad started to cry too. â€Å"I thought you were dead! † he said barely above a whisper. â€Å"Well, how many of you are there? † he asked getting up and putting me down. â€Å"Um, I really don’t know. There are a few kids dead. † I said the last part a little quieter. â€Å"Well than, who is the leader. Roger was standing next to me. When dad said this, I half expected him to claim the glory, and I was going to let him. Instead he backed up, as did all the other kids. Roger spoke up, â€Å"Ralph is the leader. † He said this with a sound of remorse. â€Å"Ralph? How could you let this happen? † dad sounded surprised that I could let everything get so out of hand . â€Å"I tried to keep everything under control, but when jack got mad and left, everything went out of hand. You can’t honestly think that I could keep control over twenty some boys. I said this and started to cry. â€Å"Well then I guess we should get you boy’s home. † My dad said with a look of guilt on his face. I don’t blame him, though. On the ride home I couldn’t help but ask how mom is. She is fine apparently. I can’t wait to see her. Dad said she couldn’t get over the fact that I was gone. When we made sure that every one was home and good, we made our way home. As we arrived to the house I was reminded of the day I left here some time ago. As I burst through the door to start my life over.

International law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International law - Essay Example nst peace if it â€Å"takes place or occurs in the context of or is associated or linked with† an armed conflict, if the perpetrators are â€Å"aware of true or factual circumstances that led to the existence of† the said armed conflict.1 The armed conflict might involve either non-international or international characters. The non-international conflicts occur when â€Å"protracted armed violence among organized armed groups and governmental authorities within a given State or Nation.†2 Internal conflicts or disturbances, for example riots and the sporadic The Article 7(1) as clarified in the Rome Statute indicates that any prohibited acts are crimes against humanity â€Å"when carried or committed as part of a systematic or widespread attack directed towards or against any the civilian population, with full knowledge of the attacks.† Prohibited acts constitute to crimes against humanity if the attacks were â€Å"systematic or widespread;† there were â€Å"attacks† consisting of multiple commissions of prohibited acts; the attacks were â€Å"directed against civilian populations;† and the attacks were carried out â€Å"in the furtherance of State or pursuant to or organizational policies.†4 Boko Haram is Nigerian homegrown radical Islamist insurgency group, whose name in Hausa translates to â€Å"Western education is forbidden†. The terror group has abducted more than 500 girls and women from the northern regions of Nigerian as from 2009; the group has perpetrated countless human rights abuses against their hostages in captivity. The 2014, April 14th abduction of 276 girls from Chibok’s secondary school in, rural town in the Borno State, gave the much-needed spotlight on their increasing scourge (HRW, 2014). There are limited efforts in investigating and prosecuting Boko Haram personnel implicated in violations of the human rights law. However, since 2009, the Nigerian security forces have successfully arrested many people suspected to be involved in Boko Haram’s

Body Politics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Body Politics - Coursework Example The mothers influence their daughters to begin thinking about how they could shape their bodies. According to the article, a section of mother complains about their body appearance in front of the children (Heidi). Notably, weight tops the list of the complaints. Heidi asserts that a huge percentage of women intend to lose. The women associate heavy weights to poor body shape. The article raises an interesting question whether the contemporary culture places emphasis on only women’s physical attributes and disregards the body shapes of men. The complaints about the body shape are prevalent in the society. Women seem to focus more on their appearance. Edlin and Eric contend that some women skip meals in order to attain the perceived right image (50). It appears that the world tends to promise girls and women that the societal judgment is based on their looks. The girls have learned to be self-critical, and will do everything to keep their image presentable (Heidi). The article connects well with the lecture for this week. Notably, the article shows that body image is a concern of one gender. The contemporary body fashion seems to be small-breasted, slimness, and narrow-hipped. Flabbiness is associated with poor body shape. The media have affected the women’s perception of their body configuration. In essence, the article has extended on what was covered in the lectures about the women’s preoccupation with their image. Heidi , Stevens. â€Å"When moms dis their own looks, their daughters are listening-too well†. Chicago Tribune 21 May 2014. Web. 6th Nov 2014

Analyzing Data in a Mixed Methods Research Essay

Analyzing Data in a Mixed Methods Research - Essay Example The study will involve comparing student achievement levels using quantitative analysis of academic results and qualitative survey findings but the qualitative component will in addition seek to identify if there are any underlying differences in student interest and motivation. One hundred participants will be drawn from the student population of Northcentral University School of Education with an equal number of students studying online and studying in classrooms. Online learning as opposed to face-to-face traditional classroom learning became a possibility with the advent of computer networks, most notably the Internet. It usually takes place over a distance, in which case it is a form of ‘distance learning’, or it can be combined with the traditional methods either in-class or remotely, in which case it is known as ‘mixed-mode’ or ‘blended learning’. For this study, the researcher proposes to examine online learning by comparing it to traditional classroom learning with a view to ascertaining whether it leads to any greater achievement among online students. A brief background of the study overviews the rise and growth of online learning pointing out that it is roughly commensurate with the growth of the Internet and online educational technologies. The problem statement highlights the concern among providers of online education and the complications involved in making comparisons between online and traditional learning and justifying the former in the face of counter evidence showing no significant differences. The purpose statement sets out the purpose of the study by detailing the aim, method, control variables and sample characteristics. This is followed by the theoretical framework, which is a prelude to a full literature review and sets the proposed study in context by mentioning other studies that have previously made similar comparisons. The research questions formally define the precise questions that will be

Business Strategy and the Economic Environment of Business Assignment

Business Strategy and the Economic Environment of Business - Assignment Example The European skies are leading in having one of the most competitive arenas. Airlines like Ryanair have in a huge way mastered this market and have as a result become quite successful over the years. This paper to a huge extent will look into Ryanair and how it has evolved and the internal and external factors which have shaped it. It will also focus on the ways in which the management has moved the airline forward and the directions are taken to expand it. The other focus is on its operations in relation to core competencies, strategic directions, competitive advantages and other relevant strategic decisions are taken. All these will be merged in various sections where they will be highlighted as they fall under the airline’s strategic practices. Ryanair’s history, as well as its present position in the airline business, is quite impressive. According to Miriam (2010) since 1985 it has reined the European skies overcoming competition from big airlines like British Airways. It is now one of the biggest airlines in the continent with passenger traffic of more than 66 million annually as per the 2009 end year results. The airline expects to have passenger traffic of not less than 73 million in 2010. It spans its services to over 25 countries and operates at least 1400 daily flights to over 160 destinations (Stefanie 2007). It also boasts of a huge fleet of aircraft of not less than 250. It is amazing to know that this airline started with only one aircraft with a capacity to carry 15 passengers in 1985. At this time its route was Waterford to London and by 1987 it had expanded to more destinations in Europe (Ryanair 2010). This was however made possible by the fact that the company had purchased a jet aircraft that was no t only fast but efficient. There was immense growth during its first 6 years of operations which were curtailed in 1990. This year remains in the history books and in the minds of many that worked for the company more so in the management positions.  Ã‚  

Food Safety Requirements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Food Safety Requirements - Essay Example Organizations used to implement wrong storage practices that would often lead to the food ingredients spoiling while under production but to meet their profit obligations they will go on to introduce the harmful products into the market. Based on statistics from CDC, approximately forty-eight million people fall sick in the United States of America alone from foodborne diseases. Out of the forty-eight million people, one hundred and twenty-eight thousand die annually due to foodborne diseases that are majorly caused by food contamination. With the new rules, FDA can take action before the products are introduced into the market thus saving numerous lives that would have been endangered by harmful food substances. Ideally, the food industry is one of the most delicate sectors that require strict regulation since it directly impacts on the health and well-being of the consumers. Safety was always the driving force that guided the industry but with increased competition and advancement in technology, companies are now aiming at maximizing their profits at the expense of the well-being of the consumers. The law comes at an opportune moment when the world is gaping with the issue of Genetically Modified Organisms. The debate on GMOs has been on-going for a considerable period and still, there are not substantive steps that have been made to regulate the use and safety of these products. Typically, the American market is the one that is infiltrated with the largest percentage of GMO products in the entire universe.

Planning,Control, and Risk Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning,Control, and Risk - Research Paper Example In 2011, Steve Jobs unveiled the iCloud, which is an online storage for music, files, photos and software in place of MobileMe. The company is also looking forward to the environmental issues that emerge during the production process. Thus, the company has come up with the initiative of reducing the carbon emission during the production process. In spite of the rise in the revenue of the company over the years, the greenhouse gas emissions have reduced by 15.4% since 2008 in terms of per dollar revenue (Apple Inc., 2012). Rate of Return Apple Inc. is a US based company and, therefore, deals in the US dollar value. Internationally, dollar is considered to be the standard scale in understanding the present status of the market. Therefore, both local as well as parent currency returns for Apple Inc. would be in terms of the US dollar. If the company invests in developing countries where the market is huge, then the foreign direct investments made by the Apple Inc. will turn out to be fr uitful, as the exchange rates of foreign currencies with respect to US dollar are variable over the market. On taking a closer look we can observe that, as per the present US market, the rest of currencies of the countries in which Apple has invested are of a comparatively lesser valuation. Thus, a deviation occurs with the gross margin and the net sales of the company when computation is done in terms of other foreign currencies. As inflationary pressures are faced by the economy at large, it is quite normal that exchange rate fluctuations occur. So the risk of exchange fluctuations still remains even if the company makes majority of its investment in the US dollar. Since the company has generated a maximum return from Asia Pacific, there remains a probability that the foreign direct investment made in this region of the world will tend to bring about more returns for the company. The market of Asia Pacific still remains untapped in a lot of sectors which, if invested in, can gener ate profitable returns for the company. However, before investing in FDI’s, Apple Inc. needs to measure all the elements of the financial statement operating in functional currency. The company should also translate the current exchange rate from the functional currency to the reporting currency. Most importantly, the company should be able to assess the economic changes that are responsible for affecting the exchange rates over the net investment. The changes that are generally observed are on each item of assets and liability of the company over the years (FASB, 2012). Role of Accountants in Managerial planning process The accountant of an organization has a very important role in the operations of the company, based on which the managerial decisions are taken. In the process of accounting, the details of the most useful data related to the transaction of the business are recorded. If the accounting seems to have flaws, the decisions taken by the management may go against t he success of the company. However, if all the rules of financial recording of a company are taken into consideration in the accounting of the organization, the managerial decisions taken on its basis may turn out to be fruitful for the company. The most vital role of an accountant is maintaining the books of accounts for the future planning of the organiz

Managerial Accounting Paper Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Managerial Accounting Paper - Coursework Example An investor would invest in the company when he finds it profitable for the long term or the short-term period. A company is profitable for the long term or the short term if it uses the available resources efficiently. To find that whether a company is using the resources efficiently or not, a researcher has to analyze the financial statements of the company. Along with this, the strategies taken by the company will also need to analyze. The vision, mission and goals of the company tell about the strategies that they are going to take in the future. Analyzing the financial position and the strategies taken by the company, an analyst can suggest the investor about his investing strategies in future. For investing in a company, the investor has to check the current trends in the industry. ... The researcher will analyze the performance of the company of past few years, the strategies taken by the company and the company’s performance from the industry perspective. The Investor’s Objective There are many types of investors in the market and their objectives are not same all the time. Some investors only aim for the short-term growth. For short-term gain the investors may trade inside a single day, i.e. they may buy and sell the stock in a single day. They can trade the stocks monthly basis. Their decision mainly based upon the movement of the stocks prices in a short term and the decision of the mass. When a huge number of investors sell a stock then these type of investors speculate that the stock price is likely to decrease and he also sells the stock. However, there are also other types of investors, who invest in a company for the long term. The objective of the investors is growth of the stock. They invest in a company for the long term. In this case, th e client of the researcher is the second type of investor. He prefers to invest for the long term. The researcher has selected the company BHP Billiton for analyze whether to invest more in the company or not. The researcher will analyze two situations i.e. the investor already holds the share of the company and the investor has not invested in the company until now. It will be recommend to the investor whether or not to invest in the company. BHP Billiton BHP Billiton is a company, which has formed in the year 2001, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The company was the merger of Anglo-Dutch Billiton Plc and the Australian Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited. The company has a major office in the United Kingdom for the management purpose. The company is in the metals and mining

Different Cultural Identities Dilemma Essay Example for Free

Different Cultural Identities Dilemma Essay The memoir Farewell to Manzanar, written by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, tells of her experience at Manzanar internment camp after the Pacific War broke out. During the internment of Japanese-Americans, their living standards fell drastically; moreover, they faced Japanese and American values and identity conflicts. It was hard for these Japanese Americans to maintain two different cultural identities for several reasons. In the first place, they suffered from racial discrimination. In the 1940s, mainstream society and the government discriminated against Japanese Americans who were viewed as potentially dangerous people who might betray the US. Thus, Japanese Americans found it was hard to be accepted by others in America. In addition, they largely insisted on their own cultural identities. They were not willing to give up Japanese identities after arriving in America. Chinese immigrants would like to get together and formed Chinatown for the same reason. In the article, Two worlds, one family, Jen Maldonado was imposed on pressure by her Taiwanese friends who insisted on Chinese culture, when she wanted to develop a cross-cultural relationship with an American. It is hard to successfully balance two different cultural identities because of racial discrimination and the adherence to peoples former culture as will be shown using evidence from Farewell to Manzanar, Two worlds, one family and my personal observations. In the 1940s, Japanese-Americans suffered from racial discrimination; thus, they had a hard time getting into mainstream society and balancing their cultural identities. The government never showed full trust towards these immigrants who were viewed as threats to American national security. In order to supervise Japanese-Americans and prevent any potential danger, the government relocated Japanese Americans to internment camps, which exacerbated cultural conflicts and undermined basic human rights. The racist decision that the government made led Japanese Americans to feel that they were incompatible with American culture. Because of the racial discrimination the government initialized, many Japanese immigrants thought they were i nsulted, and so they struggled to accept their American identities. Some of them even wanted to get rid of American identities and went back to Japan. As a result, racial discrimination threatened their American identities. Houston and her friend Radine shared many qualities in common and became the best friends. Although they were socially equal, they were treated in completely different ways because of racism. Houston was not culturally accepted by mainstream society as Radine was. Boys were more likely to ask Radine to the dances, even though they flirted with Houston. Houston was barred from sororities, but Radine was admitted to join them. Houston said that, Watching, I am simply emptied, and in the dream I want to cry out, because she is something I can never be(172). Houston never stopped attempting to retain American identity; however, prejudice of her oriental characteristics obstructed her effort. She looked forward to fulfilling her American identity, but she was too helpless and powerless to challenge enormous racial discrimination, Other than prejudice against Japanese-Americans, another reason that caused people from different cultures to struggle to balance two cultural identities was adh erence to their own culture. After arriving at the continent and staying there for years, many Japanese immigrants still considered that they were more Japanese than American. They were not willing to give up their own culture, and so they confronted cultural conflicts. A minority of people in the camps labeled members of the Japanese American Citizens League inu for having helped the army arrange a peaceful and orderly evacuation(67). Inu meant collaborator or informer in Japanese. The hatred towards these pro-American Japanese immigrants and disrespectful insult words revealed their strong belief in Japan and hostility towards America. To people’s surprise, the authors father who stood up to defend the point of view that immigrants should be loyal to American government was assaulted and condemned by his peers. Although these pro-Japan immigrants had been in America for many years, they still insisted that they were more Japanese. It was the thought that some Japanese Americans were not capable of integrating into American culture and balancing two identities. Chinatown exemplified that Chinese immigrants insisted on their own culture. Chinese immigrants were viewed as a group of conservative and un-American people after they first came to America. They showed keen interests in preserving Chinese culture, but they would not adapt themselves to American society. Therefore, their refusal to give up Chinese identity led to their isolation and failure to balance two cultural identities Their adherence promoted the formation of Chinatown, a Chinese world in alien countries. In the article, Two worlds, one family, Jens Taiwanese friends started giving her grief for dating an American. They were strict about Chinese culture and rejected the cross-cultural marriage. Jen was also warned that she needed to stick with someone from her own culture.' By this, her friends hoped that Jen could retain her Chinese identity by narrowing down her dating range. However, many cases had proven that the cross-cultural marriage played an important role in balancing different cultural identities. When people with different cultural backgrounds decide to form cross-cultural families, they build a bridge of cultural communication. Thus, her friends thoughts undermined cultural exchange. To conclude, it is hard to successfully balance two different cultural identities. Racial discrimination stopped Japanese Americans from balancing their cultural identities. In the wartime, the mainstream society held hostility towards these immigrants, and so they were isolated by the majority. Moreover, some peoples adherence to their former culture became the obstacle of integrating into American society. Chinese always struggled to have cross-cultural communications proceed effectively and successfully due to their insistence on Chinese identity. In the article, Two worlds, one family, Jen was hoped that she could date Chinese persons by her friends. However, their insistence seemed to be stubborn because it blocked effective communication between people from different cultural backgrounds. In order to balance two different cultural identities, people should be more lenient with newcomers and more open to new culture.

Social Psychology Essay Example for Free

Social Psychology Essay War represents a complex phenomenon with can be conceptualized through multiple perspectives, including an historical, a sociological and a psychological point of view. This type of organized aggression is inherent to human nature, and can be observed since the dawn of humankind, characterizing both civilized and primitive societies. Wars and armed conflicts in general, radically disrupt the normal course of life and human behavior and may exert detrimental effects on physical and mental health and social and financial well-being (Piachaud, 2007). War deprives individuals and communities of major human and material resources and eventually leads to the breakdown of societal structires, giving rise to states of chaos and anarchy (Pedersen, 2002). Given that aggression constitutes a primal human instinct, wartime is a period where aggressive actions frequently reach extreme levels and are usually rationalized by some kind of ideological manifesto. During war, otherwise ordinary and sensible people may be engaged in various atrocities and display unnecessary or extreme cruelty in the name of several racial, religious, political social or other values and beliefs. In the last few decades, the breakdown of communism in Eastern European countries has led to a significant shift in the spheres of global domination and to major modifications in international relationships. As a result of these radical geopolitical changes, the world community has witnessed many bloodstained regional armed conflicts, including the wars in former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Sudan and Uganda. It is estimated that almost 30% of the world population is currently engaged in or experiencing the impact of some form of war. In recent years, the majority of political ideologies has gradually lost significant ground and has been substituted by national, racial and religious ideologies (Jost, 2006). These emerging ideological contructs have proven a useful tool in governments’ premeditated agendas to fanaticize people, rationalize war and violence and manipulate public opinion. However, despite these historical transitions, major financial interests and the struggle for power and profit remain the deeper causes of most armed conflicts worldwide. The civil war in former Yugoslavia in the 1990s was a regional conflict which rattled the Old Continent and lead to a series of major geopolitical changes. In the battlefields of former Yugoslavia, former neighbors and friends were turned intro enemies, a process which progressively set in motion the vicious circle of violence. That war was founded on people’s religious and national differences and was characterized by unprecedented atrocities. The Srebrenica massacre represents a hallmark of civil war wildness and according to the Institute for War and Peace, it probably constitutes the larger scale genocide in European ground since the World War II. In this event, a significant percent of the Srebrenica male population were brutally killed by Serbo-bosnian troops and the rest inhabitants, including women, children and elderly civilians, were forced to leave their homes. In a similar vein, during the first decade of the current century the international community has been witnessing the consequences of the civil conflict in Darfur between Sudanese of Arabic and of African origin. This war has been characterized by unspeakable ferociousness and multiple episodes of mass murdering and genocide have been officially reported. It is roughly estimated that the Darfur conflict has so far lead to the death of almost 400,000 people and the violent displacement of even more and despite the truce recently signed by both sides, hostilities have never actually ceased in the region. The armed conflicts in former Yugoslavia and Darfur, among people living in close contact, in some instances among friends and relatives, has shed valuable light to the mechanisms through which war dehumanizes and lets loose the most destructive instincts and tendencies residing in human beings. Modern research in the field of social psychology has systematically attempted to describe and eluminate normal and abnormal human behavior at times of war and societal turmoil. Most sociologists agree that war is triggered by the desire to dominate over other people. This desire is rooted in the perception of oncoming threats against autonomy and existence. People attack and wish to eliminate other people, when they perceive them as threats to their psychological, financial and physical existence and prosperity. In this respect, even attackers and torturers may feel that they justifiably defend themselves, their families and their most fundamental beliefs through their unspeakable actions (Summerfield, 1997) Social psychology suggests that war is a massive phenomenon of organized and rationalized aggression, which may provide alibi for people to commit the most atrocious crimes in the name of just cause. During war, violence becomes blind, victims are deprived of their human characteristics and qualities and these processes enhance the act of destruction and murder. It is much easier to torture and murder people when the victims are viewed as inferior, worthless or evil and dangerous. Leaders who wish to manipulate the public opinion into advocating for war are systematically engaged in demonizing propagandas. In addition, during war, murderers and torturers have the opportunity to hide their criminal behavior in the anonymity of the mob, under the confusion and total disruption of everyday living provoked by the war state. Commonly in wartime, social systems, including lego-judiciary procedures, are disrupted and chaos prevails (Summerfield, 1997). Under these circumstances, individuals who commit crimes in wartime are rarely held accountable, especially when they are in the winning party and their aggression is addressed towards the enemies. Research has consistently shown that the social context plays a significant role in the generation of massive violence and social influences may shape individual behaviors. War crimes and mass murders are not necessary the illogical actions of psychopathic personalities. These animosities are usually being committed by ordinary people who find themselves under extreme conditions. Any person is capable of exhibiting extreme and violent behaviors when facing threats to his/her survival and autonomy. In addition, individuals are vulnerable to the influence of the mob and can be easily carried away in actions and behaviors which violate any known moral and societal rule (Raafat et al, 2009). These vulnerabilities commonly serve as vehicle for the spreading of several racial and religious prejudices which ultimately lay the foundations of all kinds of racist ideologies. The presence of financial adversity and sociopolitical instability may further contribute to the strengthening of racist beliefs and subsequently a significant portion of society may eagerly support or even actively participate to inhumane actions of destruction including ethnic cleansing and genocide, abolishing any sense of morality and humanity. Experiencing or witnessing war atrocities, either as a victim or as a perpetrator, may have significant psychosocial negative consequences on individuals. Several investigations have shown that war victims may suffer from a variety of psychopathological symptoms, mainly post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Moreover, torture and extreme violence have emerged as significant predictors of psychological disturbance (Steel et al, 2009). Children appear extremely vulnerable to the detrimental effects of war either directly or indirectly exposed to combat related traumatic experiences (Peltonen et al, 2010). These negative sequelae may manifest themselves late and last for many years following the resolution of the conflict. Apart from the psychosocial impact on civilians, research has recently reveal that soldiers and war veterans who have witnessed or participated in tortures, rapes and mass murders, may also suffer from a variety of psychological difficulties including post-traumatic stress disorder, mood disorders, psychotic disorders and substance abuse (Gaylord, 2006). In addition, veterans frequently complain of vague somatic symptoms, poor general health and disturbed quality of life (Levy et al, In a recent study by Killgore et al (2008), veterans who have been exposed to significant human trauma and have killed during combat displayed, after deployment, major risk-taking behaviors including alcohol abuse, verbal and physical violence. War veterans and especially those engaged in extreme violence, may suffer from moral trauma which adversely affects all aspects of human living (Litz et al, 2009). Aggressive behaviors constitute a self-perpetuating phenomenon where being a victim of violent abuse may lead either to attitudes of further self-victimization or to patterns of abusing and aggressive behavior towards others. In wartime, the basic rules that normally govern the harmonious coexistence and cooperation of individuals within the social context are fundamentally challenged and people’s actions are guided by the instinct of self-preservation. In any case, the display of extreme violence by ordinary and otherwise sensible individuals during war may be the result of previous victimization and abuse or may represent a misguided attempt of self-defense against an actual or imaginary danger. The international community has increasingly exhibited a marked sensitivity towards victims of genocide and has repeatedly advocated the exemplary punishment of war criminals, starting from the Nuremberg Trial and reaching the more recent events in Srebrenica and Darfur. However, there is still a great amount of skepticism, given that its motivation may not always be entirely humanitarian, but also political and strategic, given that international forums and organizations occasionally display selective and carefully designed humanitarian concerns which conveniently fit certain governments’ tactical aims. It is common knowledge that the conviction of war criminals has never proven panacea in society’s attempts to control aggression and prevent armed conflicts and war-related crimes. In addition, taking official military actions to impose peace and protect civilians has always been an issue of much debate and major controversy in the context of political and ethical discussions (Deutscher, 2005). The resolution of these controversies possibly lies in the hands of unbiased scientific research in the field of humanitarian disciplines. Sociological and psychological research may provide useful insight in the causes, mediators and consequences of massive violent behaviors, which could guide the implementation of prevention strategies. Instead of designing holy crusades and seeking skape-goats to curse and condemn, governments and policy makers should also focus on the fact that a large part of the society has been exhibiting marked tolerance or even active participation in atrocities and extreme cruelty during war. This observed societal consent in massive destruction and aggression should alarm the public opinion and possibly constitutes a major humanitarian concern and a potential target for intervention. Although the concept of individual responsibility can not be entirely discarded as non-existent in periods of war and anarchy, there is a growing awareness that in grievous times different dynamics govern human behavior and these processes should be taken into consideration when implementing preventive measures. Individuals function in an entirely different way when they are part of a larger group and especially when this group operates according to the mentality of a mob. To eliminate evil, society should conceptualize violence as an inherent characteristic of living creatures in the struggle for physical and psychological survival and try to understand its origin and mediating factors, without blinders, prejudices or anathemas. Only when the mechanisms underlying organized violence and war cruelty are fully described, analyzed and comprehended, one can begin to hope that nations and people will eventually obtain immunity to the manipulations performed by tyrants and demagogues, and as a consequence the heavy toll of war on humanity may finally start to weaken. References Deutscher, M. (2005). The responsibility to protect. Med Confl Surviv, 21(1); 28-34. Gaylord, K. M. (2006). The psychosocial effects of combat: the frequently unseen injury. Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am, 18(3); 349-57. Jost, J. T. (2006). The end of the end of ideology. Am Psychol, 61(7); 651-70. Levy, B. S. Sidel, V. W. (2009). Health effects of combat: a life-course perspective. Annu Rev Public Health, 30; 123-36. Litz, B. T. , Stein, N. , Delaney, E. , Lebowitz, L. , Nash, W. P. , Silva, C. Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: a preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clin Psychol Rev, 29(8); 695-706. Pedersen, D. Political violence, ethnic conflict, and contemporary wars: broad implications for health and social well-being. Soc Sci Med, 55(2); 175-90. Peltonen, K. Punamaki, R. L. (2010). Preventive interventions among children exposed to trauma of armed conflict: a literature review. Aggress Behav, ;36(2); 95-116. Piachaud, J. (2007). Mass violence and mental healthtraining implications. Int Rev Psychiatry, 19(3); 303-11. Raafat, R. M. , Chater, N. Frith, C. (2009). Herding in humans. Trends Cogn Sci, 13(10); 420-8. Steel, Z. , Chey, T. , Silove, D. , Marnane, C. , Bryant, R. A. van Ommeren, M. 2009). Association of torture and other potentially traumatic events with mental health outcomes among populations exposed to mass conflict and displacement: a

Anabolic Steroids: Types, Applications and Implications

Anabolic Steroids: Types, Applications and Implications THE SCOPE AND HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF DOPING IN SPORTS: ANABOLIC STEROID USE IN WEIGHTLIFTERS AND TEENS AND THEIR EFFECTS. KOJO O. KUNTU-BLANKSON INTRODUCTION There have been many definitions for doping. The current official definition of doping is given based on the World Anti-Doping Code as follows: â€Å"Doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the anti-doping rule violations set forth in Article 2.1 through article 2.8 of the World Anti-Doping Code.† Doping can also be defined as the deliberate or inadvertent use by an athlete of a substance or method banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other related organisations, to gain unfair advantage or to enhance performance. Performance-enhancing substances have been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine by societies around the world, with the aim of promoting vitality and strength.[1]. The use of gonadal hormones pre-dates their identification and isolation. Medical use of testicle extract began in the late 19th century, while its effects on strength were still being studied.[2] Testosterone, the most active anabolic-androgenic steroid produced by Leydig cells in the testes, was first isolated in 1935 and chemically synthesized later in the same year. Synthetic derivatives of testosterone quickly followed. By the end of the following decade, both testosterone and its derivatives were applied with varying degrees of success for a number of medical conditions. It was not until the 1950s, however, that athletes began to discover that anabolic steroids could increase their muscle mass. According to sports physician John Ziegler, the first confirmed use of an anabolic steroid in an international athletic competition was at the weightlifting championships in Vienna in 1954, when the Russians weightlifters used testosterone.[5] Sport goes beyond a measure of athletic excellence and the winning of trophies and medals. Sport is an integral thread in the fabric of society and enriches our daily lives. Most of us have a favourite sport we play or follow with a passion be it soccer, rugby, swimming, cycling, athletics, winter sports or our national games of hurling, football and handball. The most honourable among us are perhaps those who have competed in sport and hold true its finest principles. True winners are those who achieve their goals through talent, skill, training, motivation and rising to all the challenges their sports present. Increasingly, however, a win at all costs ethos that undermines the very integrity of sport has entered the arena and a new game is at stake, the dangerous and sometimes deadly game of doping. Some ergogenic drugs used by athletes are categorized into blood boosters, diuretics, lean mass building, masking drugs, painkillers, sedatives and stimulants. Blood boosters e.g. erythropoietin, increase the athlete’s blood oxygen-carrying capacity, above its natural capacity, giving the athlete unfair advantage over his/her non-doping colleague in endurance games like marathons, swimming, cycling etc. Diuretics help eliminate fluid from the body. Athletes who need to maintain a certain weight level for competition could use these to decrease their weight. They can also be used as masking agents because they dilute urine and decrease the likelihood of detecting the presence of other drugs. Lean mass builders increase the growth of the body’s muscle. This category includes several different classes of drugs, particularly, the more popularly known anabolic steroids which’s the focus of this review and human growth hormone. These are used in strength games like weightlifting, shot put, discus throwing etc. Methods of doping include blood doping and gene doping. Blood doping can be either autologous or homologous transfusi ons, to help to improve their blood-oxygen carrying capacity. Advancements in gene therapy for medical reasons mean potential cheats might seek to undergo procedures to modify their genes to enhance their physical capabilities. Doping in sports is a huge societal problem. No longer limited to elite athletes, it is increasingly found in amateur and school sports that teens or adolescents in their early or mid-puberty are engaged in. The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AS) is perceived by the media, by segments of the sports medicine and athletic communities, and by the public to have grown to epidemic proportions. Unfortunately, the incidence and prevalence of AS use among elite, amateur, and recreational athletes is poorly documented. BODY STEROIDS Steroids are any of numerous naturally occurring or synthetic fat-soluble organic compounds having as a basis seventeen carbon atoms arranged in four rings. Steroids are important in body chemistry and include steroid hormones such as the gonadal or sex steroids (which include androgens e.g., estrogens and progesterone), corticosteroids (glucocorticoids, and mineralocorticoids); vitamins of the D group; and the sterols, including cholesterol, the main building block of the steroid hormones in the body. ANABOLIC STEROIDS Anabolic androgenic steroids commonly called roids, juice, hype or pump, are synthetic derivatives of testosterone, which is the primary male sex hormone, but is also present in the female. They are a class of drugs that are legally available only by prescription and are prescribed to treat a variety of conditions that cause a loss of lean muscle mass. They produce anabolic activity by increasing protein synthesis, epiphyses closure of long bones during puberty, enlargement of larynx and vocal cords, improvement of red cells number, reduce body fat and androgenic activity (enhanced secondary sexual characteristics). These compounds can produce a significant increase in muscular size and physical strength in both males and females and therefore used in sports and bodybuilding (weightlifting) to enhance strength or physique. They can be either oral or injectable. The oral ones include: Anadrol (oxymetholone), Oxandrin (oxandrolone), Dianabol (methandrostenolone) and Winstrol (stanozolo l). The injectable ones include: Deca-Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate),Durabolin (nandrolone phenpropionate), Depo-Testosterone (testosterone cypionate) and Equipoise (boldenone undecylenate). HOW ANABOLIC STEROIDS ARE TAKEN Anabolic steroids are either taken by mouth or injected into a muscle. The orals, as they are called, are ingested tablets or capsules. These forms are reportedly more toxic to the liver. Often the orals are taken in conjunction with injectable forms. The injectable forms are known as oils or waters. The oils refer to the long-acting types. They are injected into a muscle, usually the buttocks, and the steroid is released slowly over time. Typically, these drugs are injected only a couple of times a week. The waters are short-acting forms. Again, these are injected, usually in the buttocks, but they work much faster and are eliminated much more quickly. There are two ways for anabolic steroids administration. Oral steroids are highly potent and are excreted fairly rapidly from the body due to short metabolic half-lives, (usually within weeks). So, oral steroids are the first choice for athletes who want to rapidly improve their performance and try to escape showing positive results o n drug tests. These drugs, however, are the most toxic and have more side effects. Injectable steroids are less potent and generally exhibit delayed uptake into the body, especially if they are oil-based diluents. They have less liver toxicity than oral steroids, but they are being less used by athletes because of having detectability in drug tests for long periods. It should be noted that doses used by athletes often greatly exceed doses recommended for legitimate medical reasons, causing the potential for even greater negative consequences. Moreover, many athletes will use more than one anabolic steroid simultaneously. There are three common regimens practiced by anabolic steroid abusers: cycling, stacking and pyramiding. In cycling, the athletes take the steroid for six to twelve weeks and then stops for ten to twelve weeks. The steroid can be oral or injectable and doses are often ten to hundred times higher than standard therapeutic dose. Stacking is the use of more than one anabolic steroid at a time to break through response plateaus that often occurs. About forty percent of steroid abusers use this kind of regimen, presenting a high risk for central nervous system. Athletes can sometimes start with low dose of anabolic steroids, increasing the dose over a period of weeks, and then gradually tapering off before ending the regimen. This is known as pyramiding. MECHANISM OF ACTION OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS The ergogenic effects of anabolic steroids use are valued for three main mechanisms of action: They shift the nitrogen equilibrium to the positive side for better utilization of ingested protein and the increased retention of nitrogen. Although temporary and needing a high-protein complementary diet, this effect helps the body to build muscles. The formation of a steroid-receptor complex in skeletal muscle stimulates the RNA-polymerase system which, in turn, increases protein synthesis in the cell. Anabolic steroids compete for glucocorticoides receptors, resulting in an anti-catabolic effect by blocking the protein synthesis inhibition which physiologically occurs after exercises due to glucocorticoides liberation. Frequently, an euphoric and more aggressive behavior are experienced by anabolic steroids users, stimulating them to practice more and without fatigue for longer periods. ANABOLIC STEROID AND SPORTS: WINNING AT ANY COST. To excel in athletic competition is admirable. Most high school, college, amateur and professional athletes participate in sports for the opportunity to pit their abilities against those of their peers, and to experience the satisfaction that comes from playing to their potential. Others do so to satisfy a desire for recognition and fame. Unfortunately, that creates some atheletes who are determined to win at any cost. And, they may use that determination to justify the use of anabolic steroids, despite evidence that these drugs can inflict irreversible physical harm and have significant side effects. Dietary supplements and ergogenic agents, including anabolic steroids, are common components of present-day bodybuilder and weightlifter training regimens. Prior reports of anabolic steroid use suggest polypharmacy and high doses of injectable agents. Anabolic steroid use among weightlifters and bodybuilders continues till date. For almost three decades, athletes have been supplementing their strength program with anabolic steroids to enhance their performance. To be sure, anabolic steroids are effective supplements to strength training programs, but there is no doubt that the consequences can be deleterious. The number of athletes who abuse anabolic steroids is unknown. Many athletic associations ban their use, including the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Olympics, so few athletes are willing to admit that they use these drugs. The NFL tests its athletes for illicit use. Players who test positive face suspension and, upon testing positive a second time, are expelled from the League. MLB players are tested once a year, and if they test positive they can be suspended for up to ten days. If a player tests positive after the first test, they can be suspended without pay for up to one year. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Sports Medicine condemn the use of anabolic steroids for enhancement of sports performance or body building. WHY SOME ATHLETES ABUSE ANABOLIC STEROIDS Believing that anabolic steroids can improve competitiveness and performance, uninformed or misguided athletes, sometimes encouraged by coaches or parents, abuse these drugs to build lean muscle mass, promote aggressiveness, increase body weight, to improve ones physical appearance and as self-medication to recover from injury. HOW ATHLETES OBTAIN ANABOLIC STEROIDS Athletes may obtain banned medicines from physicians, pharmacists, retail outlets, health and lifestyle magazines, gymnasiums, coaches, family members, fellow athletes, the internet and the black market. Many doctors may prescribe unwittingly for what they trust is a genuine complaint, 10, 14 16 and there are no controls on mail order and internet sales. TESTING PROCEDURES The advent of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry in the early 1980s transformed the success of drug testing.Moreover the new age of gene transfer technology (GTT) will gradually render dope testing control systems obsolete; GTT will increase muscle growth by as much as 28%.4 Doping is a major ethical, educational, financial, health and management problem and governments have a poor track record in controlling its spread.25 TEEN/ADOLESCENT USE OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS Increasing numbers of adolescents are turning to steroids for cosmetic reasons. The common link among them is the desire to look, perform and feel better at almost any cost. Users-and especially the young-are apt to ignore or deny warnings about health risks. If they see friends growing taller and stronger on steroids, they want the same benefits. They want to believe in the power of the drug. EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC STEROID USE IN WEIGHTLIFTERS AND TEENS Although anabolic steroids can boost physical performance, promote aggressiveness on the field, increase body weight, improve ones physical appearance and as self-medication to recover from injury, they have side effects that can impair athletic performance and also affect the quality of life abusers. Many athletes take anabolic steroids at doses that are much higher than those prescribed for medical reasons, and most of what is known about the drugs effects on athletes comes from observing users. While the total impact of anabolic steroid abuse is not known, health care providers have observed the following problems in the blood, liver, heart, skeleton, skin and immune systems of users especially weightlifters. Cholesterol patterns associated with coronary heart disease, obstructed blood vessels, or stroke are some of the problems associated with the blood. In the heart, increased cholesterol eventually leads to high blood pressure. Impaired liver function, Peliosis hepatitis (blood -filled cysts that can rupture and cause liver failure) and tumours are observed in livers of weightlifters (both men and women) who abuse anabolic steroids. Bone growth is among the body processes that can shut down with steroid use. Adolescents/teens on anabolic steroids may find their muscles bulking up, but bone growth stops with premature fusion of the epiphysis (growth centre) of long bones. The result is permanently stunted growth. There is risk until bones stop growing. Appearance of, or increasing acne and other skin rashes or ailments, male pattern baldness, edema (water retention/swelling), striae (stretch marks) are also observed on the skin. The immune system is also compromised when abusers share hypodermic needles infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and hepatitis B virus to administer these steroids. By sharing needles, syringes or other equipment, a person becomes a high risk for HIV transmission. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS (Aquired Immunodeficien cy Syndrome). Abusers also experience psychological problems like Mood swings, aggressive (even violent behaviour), depression, psychotic episodes, mania and addiction. Since anabolic steroids are derived from testosterone, they can have profound effects on the hormone levels of both male and female abusers. In men, these problems can cause any of the following problems: Temporary infertility or sterility (reversible), altered sex drive, prostate enlargement, and increased prostate cancer risk, gynecomastia, priapism, shrinkage of the testicles,reduced levels of testosterone, abnormal sperm production. Health care providers have reported the following problems in women: Increased risk of cervical and endometrial cancer, increased risk of osteoporosis, temporary infertility or sterility (reversible), altered sex drive, birth defects in future children, changes in fat distribution, growth of facial and body hair, deepening of the voice, shrinkage of the breasts and uterus, clitoral enlargement, menstrual irregularity. Changes in the male reproductive system are often reversible, if anabolic steroids have not been abused for a long period of time. Unfortunately, some of the changes in women are not reversible. Prolonged abuse of anabolic steroids very often results in physical addiction. Abusers must undergo a strict, medically-supervised withdrawal program. There are social consequences of committing anti-doping rule violations (ADRV). Sanction may include: loss of sponsorship deals, loss of income, wiping out of previous achievements, damaged relationships with friends and family, i solation from peers and sports and damage to future career prospects. ENDING THE ABUSE OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS Athletes who are really serious about their health and sports and aim to improve their physical strength, performance and appearance can keep the following tips in mind: Train safely, without using drugs, eat a healthy diet, get plenty of rest, set realistic goals and be proud of themselves when they reach them, seek out training supervision, coaching and advice from a reliable professional, avoid injuries by playing safely and using protective gear.

Habits That Hinder Thinking :: essays research papers fc

John and Julie, your two best friends, have just read an article about the death penalty. It explains the reasons why death by lethal injection is a legitimate punishment for certain crimes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Julie reads the article, she strongly agrees with what the author has to say. â€Å"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,† she imagines. Without examining the ideas that are involved, she’s satisfied with everything the article says because, â€Å"It’s only fair.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John, on the other hand, is deeply offended before he’s even finished reading the article. He leans heavily on the feeling that God has the only power to decide someone’s fate, not man. â€Å"It’s not right to interfere with another person’s existence on Earth,† he thinks to himself as he keeps reading.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What Julie and John don’t know is that they’ve both used some habits that hinder thinking to come up with their opinions. They both had strong initial feelings about the death penalty. And they both finished with those same feelings because they were the most satisfying. But Julie and John failed to try to learn about their opposing opinion. Without even realizing it, they both became victims of thobbing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henshaw Ward termed thobbing for considering and evaluating ideas. â€Å"The term combines the th from thinking, the o from opinion, and the b from believing† (qtd. in Ruggiero 53). You can be aware of when you are thobbing by paying close attention to your initial opinions, especially the ones that are very strong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many habits that can hinder one’s thinking, causing their mind to fall victim to thobbing. Julie and John both used conformity and resistance to change, and rationalizing habits when coming up with an opinion about the death penalty article.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The Art of Thinking, Ruggiero states that â€Å"harmful conformity is what we do instead of thinking in order to belong to a group or to avoid the risk of being different. Such conformity is an act of cowardice, a sacrifice of indepedence for a lesser good(49).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Julie and John may have been conforming when they developed their opinions about the article on the death penalty. They had probably dealt with the argument before and were exposed to other people’s opinions. Then when they came across this article, they were most satisfied with the belief they were familiar with. They remembered the other people’s attitudes and conformed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John belongs to a church where he practices his belief in Christianity.

Fried Green Tomatoes Human Nat :: essays research papers

Coping with situations within FRIED GREEN TOMATOES Human Nature, it’s our instinct, our reaction, our thoughts, and our ability to make decisions. It has been examined from every conceivable angle. It has been scrutinized, interrogated, glorified and even corrupted by every medium in the world, but none so extensively as the written word. Literature has explored every component of human nature from pride to envy and insecurity to depression. Fannie Flagg’s novel FRIED GREEN TOMATOES pays particular attention to human nature and specific ways we choose to cope with the situations that life places before us. Flagg explores humor, nostalgia, and avoidance as common examples of how, not only her characters, but humans in general confront the circumstances surrounding their lives. Humor is and integral part of human nature. It has the ability to lighten almost any situation and put people at ease. Humor is a common bond between any person on earth, from the very wealthy to the impoverished. Idgie Threadgoode is the perfect emb odiment of humor. Her wisecracks and tall tales helped her to face a number of less-than-comfortable situations throughout the novel. A prime example of her use of humor was with Smokey Lonesome. When Smokey first comes into the cafà © for a bite to eat, he is so nervous that he can’t stop shaking and he most certainly cannot eat. Idgie, seeing his discomfort, introduced herself and proceeded to tell Smokey a joke. “On November, a big flock of duck, oh, about forty or more, landed right smack in the middle of that lake, and while they were sitting there, that afternoon, a fluke thing happened. The temperature dropped so fast that the whole lake froze over, as solid as a rock, in a matter of three seconds. One, two, three, just like that…. They just flew off and took the lake with ‘em. That lake is somewhere in Georgia, to this very day…'; Idgie’s exaggerated use of humor allowed the wanderer to settle down and relax. Later, when her nephew Buddy jr. is run over by a train and loses his arm, Idgie once again uses her sense of humor to help him look at the situation from a lighter side. “When he was little and there was somebody new in the cafà ©, Idgie would bring him in and have him tell this long story about going fishing on the Warrior River, and he’d get them all caught up in the story and the Idgie would say, ‘How big was the catfish Stump?