How to Steal a Million Dollars

Fraud Examination Unit 9 6/2/12 How to steal a million dollars Mr. Seneca Stunton was an accountant clerk for a company called Carlton Chemical. Seneca had no formal education for accounting. His experience was for a smaller company which he exceled at book keeping. He accepted the job with Carlton Chemical and he was on the track to excel and have a great career. His supervisor was just in Seneca’s position, so Seneca was pretty happy to see that there were advancement opportunities within the company. Seneca approached his job with commitment and enthusiasm.He was married and with his wife and his own kids they had a total of seven children. Seneca’s duties were accounts receivable collections, posting payments, resolution of customer service inquires and maintenance of the accounts receivable ledgers. Patrick Dawley was the owner; he started the business over thirty years ago. Carlton Chemical sells chemicals to large and small business and they use it for raw materi al. The company was growing, Patrick looked on what really drove sales was how effective the operation is, like keeping accurate order taking, billing and collections, timely deliveries and great customer service.Patrick was viewed as a problem solver. There was not a problem too small for him to figure out. He had the ability to look at the problem and see the solution. Patrick was the only one who really had accuses to the money, all transactions had to go to him to approve. Every week he held detailed meetings about the money and unpaid bills. He looked over the statements on a regular basis. There was not really too much that got passed him so when he found out the ARs was not correct and there was more outstanding bills then he thought there was really surprised him.Seneca was taking one person’s larger payments and was putting it to other customer’s outstanding bills. He was doing this for over a great deal of time. Which created a huge landslide of problems for the company, and when all the audits was said and done there was around two million dollars missing. This investigation took a very long time and they could not find where the money went. They investigated Seneca’s life style and he did not over spend or live outside his salary, and everything they could do pointed that there was no money stolen. So they were stumped where the money went.There was however inappropriate discounts given to the customers. There were some complaints about this from the customers, but the company did not follow up on it. Carlton Chemical did recover a little of the money from customers that were willing to pay some of their bills, and from the insurance that the company has. After all this they were still one million dollars down. This was a unique problem that the company faced. The biggest thing that allowed Seneca to do this was the lack of supervision. Patrick looked at all the statements that where involved directly with the money.He did not think to keep track of the outstanding payments since that could not allow someone to directly steal from the company. Even thou Seneca had no control nor did he touch money he still was in charge of the bills. He did not steal from the company directly but he did use other payments to pay the past due. Which then created the first payments to be late and so it was a huge snowball effect. In no time at all there were so many past due bills. I think Seneca did this because he simply did not like addressing the customers about their bills. So he came up with this idea.

Additional Duties of Phlebotomist Essay

-Urine specimen obtained after a thorough cleansing of the glans penis (males) and the labia and urethral meatus (females). -Following the cleansing procedure, the patient passes the first portion of urine into the toilet, stops and collects the mid-portion in the specimen container. -This provides a sample that is less contaminated by epithelial cells and bacteria (normal flora). Methods of Urine Collection See more: Is the Importance of being earnest a satirical play essay CATHETERIZED SPECIMEN -Specimen of choice for patient suffering from urinary retention. (Patient cannot void voluntarily) -The specimen is collected under sterile conditions by passing the catheter through the urethra into the bladder. -The specimen is used for BACTERIAL CULTURE. -If routine urinalysis is requested, culture should be performed first to prevent contamination. SUPRAPUBIC ASPIRATION -Involves urine collection directly from the bladder by puncturing the abdominal wall and the bladder using a needle syringe. -Since the bladder is normally sterile, it is primarily used for bacterial cultures and for infants to whom contamination is unavoidable. -The only specimen acceptable for both aerobic and anaerobic urine culture. -Can be used for cytological analysis of urine Urine Culture -Samples collected by MSCC, Catheterized & Suprapubic aspiration can be used for AEROBIC CULTURE. -The only urine collection method acceptable for ANAEROBIC CULTURE is SUPRAPUBIC ASPIRATION. -COMMERCIALLY available plastic urine collection bags with hypoallergenic skin adhesive. -Also referred as wee bag. Uses chain of custody (COC) which refers to the process that provides documentation of proper sample identification from the time of collection to the receipt of laboratory results. The COC is a standardized form that must document and accompany every step of drug testing, from collector to courier to laboratory to medical review officer to employer. DRUG SPECIMEN COLLECTION -Required volume of urine 30-45 ml -The urine temperature must be taken within 4 minutes from the time of collection to confirm the specimen has not been adulterated. -The temperature should read within the range of 32.5C to 37.7C. -Recollection of a second specimen as soon as possible will be necessary in the following cases: Urine temperature outside the recommended range

Bathsheba and Farmer Boldwood Essay

How does Hardy present the idea ‘the pain of love’ in his depiction of the relationships between Bathsheba Everdene and Sergeant Troy, and Bathsheba and Farmer Boldwood? Thomas Hardy, born in 1840, divided his works into character and environment, romance and fantasies and novels of ingenuity, in which case Far from the Madding Crowd is in the first category. The original works were in the form of a series in the Cornhill magazine, which was so successful he was able to give up his job (as an architect) and devote his time entirely to writing. Hardy is known for his controversial novels such as Jude the Obscure, but his best work is the world renowned Far From the Madding Crowd, which expresses the journey of Bathsheba Everdene and her loyal farmer, Gabriel Oak, who encounter love but at the terrible price of death and despair. This, perhaps reflecting the tragic loss of his own wife in 1912, sixteen years before his own death, in 1928. Bathsheba and Sergeant Troy’s first meeting outside the Fir Plantation, Troy flirts and compliments Bathsheba, by taking more time then is necessary to untie the knot that binds them. Bathsheba, however she appears to be quite uncivilized towards him, â€Å"Thank you for the sight of such a beautiful face! He said. ‘Twas unwillingly shown† she replied, stiffly. This unkind manner attracts Troy to her and ignites a relationship between them, where Troy’s flirtatious and dishonest ways, already expressed in their first meeting, are destined to destroy it. Troy’s display of swordsmanship in Chapter 28, indicates another example of the pain of love, in which Bathsheba must sacrifice her own safety to be with Sergeant Troy. Though Bathsheba, at first, oblivious to her near death, due to her believing Troy’s lie that the sword was blunt. Though Bathsheba does not object to him kissing her at the end of the chapter, after being made aware of his dishonesty. The relationship of Bathsheba and Troy, already beginning to fail due to Troy’s insensitive and lying persona, is made no easier by Fanny’s part in their lives. Ironically, it was her mistake, which brought together Bathsheba and Troy in the first place, unintentionally, and, unknowingly aided in the downfall of Bathsheba and Troy’s relationship. For example, when Fanny meets Troy, though by accident, Troy tries to convince Bathsheba she is unknown to him, however Bathsheba begins to have doubts, especially after seeing a lock of hair in his watch, that was not hers. The argument that followed the discovery of the hair also lead to Troy leaving Bathsheba, to secretly meet with Fanny, and the next time she hears of Troy he is assumed dead. This expresses Hardy’s pain of love theory exactly, for Bathsheba who fell so quickly in love with Troy, and married him soon after, now expresses little feeling towards him leaving. For example, in chapter 48, `Bathsheba underwent the enlargement of her husband’s absence, from hours to days, with a slight feeling of surprise and relief, yet neither sensation rose †¦ `. Soon after the discovery of Troy’s apparent death, Boldwood immediately steps onto the scene to offer his hand in marriage. The first time Bathsheba saw Boldwood was at the market, however Boldwood did not pay attention to her presence, unlike all the other men. Bathsheba’s vanity, encouraged by Liddy, caused her to send a Valentine to Boldwood in the attempt to get him to notice her and partly as a joke, with the accidental seal of â€Å"Marry Me†. Boldwood, having received the Valentine, become besotted with Bathsheba and soon called on her to accept the invitation of marriage. Though the answer of course was not what he expected. â€Å"I didn’t know†¦ I ought never to have dreamt of sending that valentine – forgive me, sir – it was a wanton thing which no woman with any self respect should have done. If you will only pardon my thoughtlessness†¦ † Farmer Boldwood replied†¦ â€Å"No, no, no. Don’t say thoughtlessness! †¦ You torture me to say it was done out of thoughtlessness†¦ This outburst again shows the reader that Hardy can express the theme `the pain of love` so vividly. However, Boldwood does not stop and continues to express his want to have her. For example, â€Å"I may think of you? Yes, I suppose you may And hope to obtain you? No – do not hope! Let us go on†. This obsessiveness driven by the act of Bathsheba’s valentine proposes another effect of love. At the end of chapter 19, Hardy tells us that Boldwood is almost spellbound by Bathsheba and by her leaving, he comes out of this stupor, â€Å"like the pain of a wound†¦ † Another of Hardy’s pain of love themes. Boldwood’s appearances from then on are stopped due to the arrival of Troy, who Boldwood at once is jealous of and wishes to extract him from their (Bathsheba and Boldwood’s) lives. The deal he tries to accomplish with Troy is of course a failure, however it proposes that Boldwood would do (or should I say ‘pay’) so much to expel him, and further expand his relationship with Bathsheba. His love for her, the reader could interpret as, is almost insane and compulsive. This is perfectly described in Chapter 53, where Boldwood begins to talk to himself. â€Å"I hope to God she comes, or this night will be nothing but misery to me! O my darling, my darling, why do you keep me in suspense like this? † However that is not the most important part of the chapter because of course this is the climax to the whole story and the final effects that love can have on somebody. ‘A strange voice came from the fireplace – a voice sounding far off and confined, as if from a dungeon. Hardly a soul recognized the thin tones to be those of Boldwood. Sudden despair had transformed him. ‘ Boldwood, at the realization of the return of Troy, and the conclusion that Bathsheba cannot be his, had the devastating affect of forcing him to take action. In the form of a bullet. Aimed at Troy. His love for Bathsheba perhaps deluded him into it, showing that the pain of love has lead one man to his death and another to the noose. However we know that sentence was not carried out, life imprisonment instead, though in a way just as bad as the loss of life some could argue. Hardy is clearly well adept into conveying the pain of love as a theme, though not the main theme of the story. Hardy presents the idea of ‘the pain of love’ clearly in the two relationships that Bathsheba experiences, even in Oak’s relationship with Bathsheba, his offer of marriage is turned down, and not accepted till the end of the book. Bathsheba’s relationship with Troy and Boldwood differ quite drastically. Boldwood is the calm farmer enticed by Bathsheba, and driven to killing another man. Troy is the dashing sergeant who seduces Bathsheba and causes their marriage to disintegrate due to his lies and deceit. Bathsheba also reacts differently to the two men. To Boldwood she thinks she is not good enough for him, and is almost scared of his persistence- ‘She was frightened as well as agitated by his vehemence’ She also taken aback by Troy, ‘Ah! There was a time Frank, when it would have taken a good many promises to other people to drag you away from me. ‘ She also is now quite sad to be married, preferring the unmarried version of him when it was dashing swordplay and romantic courting and love. However it is not the case with the married Troy, â€Å"What do you regret? † He asked. â€Å"That my romance has come to an end†, she relied. The pain of love that the characters encounter, i. e. Boldwood’s hopeless love for Bathsheba, and Bathsheba’s own foolish love for Troy, and the final act leading to Troy’s (perhaps deserved) death, are all excellently and elaborately depicted by the most English of English novelists, in one of the most English of great English novels.

Definition of Good and Evil Essay

The nature of good and evil one of humanities never ending conflicts since the beginning of time. For instance in the novella â€Å"Heart of Darkness† by Joseph Conrad explores the issues surrounding imperialism, and centers Marlow the main character. The conflict between good and evil is particularly evident throughout the story. In following the novella you begin analyzing and thinking theories for instance: â€Å"people are inherently evil and it’s expressed in varieties of forms†, or â€Å"people are inherently good, but become corrupted by society and other outside forces†. In my perspective I’m in position of â€Å"people are inherently good, but become corrupted by society and other outside forces† I do believe they’re people who are inherently good but influenced negatively by society and endure on evil. I stand on this position because in â€Å"Heart of Darkness† Marlow expresses â€Å"The word ? ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse. By Jove! I’ve never seen anything so unreal in my life. And outside, the silent wilderness surrounding this cleared speck on the earth struck me as something great and invincible, like evil or truth, waiting patiently for the passing away of this fantastic invasion. † (Conrad 368) This quote Marlow clarifies that he’s in this situation because of the white man’s pursuit for ivory which caused death and greed; in which it proves the point of good people influenced by evil forces. Another example of this is in Part III in â€Å"Heart of Darkness† when Marlow and Kurtz finally meet each other through the steamship’s departure from the Inner Station. Here Marlow describes his developing relationship with Kurtz in terms of intimacy and betrayal. Marlow also indicates that the Africa natives are responsible for Kurtz’s current condition of evilness and cruelty. Finally in the end after Kurtz dies his last words were â€Å"the horror, the horror† I believe Kurtz is referring to the darkness in his heart or emptiness, also being a failure of his destiny. Chinua Achebe feels differently about the novella â€Å"Heart of Darkness† mainly because its concept of evil. She expresses that â€Å"The Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as â€Å"the other world,† the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where a man’s vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked by triumphant bestiality† in other words evil. Achebe also disliked the fact how the African natives were perceived as ignorant and simply just faded into the background. Achebe concluded by stating â€Å"realized that no easy optimism was possible. And there is something totally wrong in offering bribes to the West in return for its good opinion of Africa. † In conclusion Africa was where colonist evil dwelled in â€Å"Heart of Darkness†. Evil in which takes the form of imperialism, hypocrisy, ambiguity, and moral confusion. In which case proves my theory people are inherently good, but become corrupted by society and other outside forces. You can fallow Marlow in the novella in how he is forced to align himself with either the hypocritical and malicious colonial bureaucracy or the malevolent Kurtz. This will assure the reasons why the nature of good and evil is one of humanities never ending conflicts.

Cyber law Essay

The problem of identity theft has become one of the fastest emerging phenomenal crimes in America and has inevitably been increasing exponentially worldwide (McDonald, 2006). It is a fraudulent act of acquiring the legally certified personal identifiers and other personal information essential to carry out impersonation to obtain merchandises, services and crimes (McDonald, 2006). And being a high-reward low-risk activity and an equal-opportunity crime, it could victimize anyone regardless of age, class and race (McDonald, 2006). It is likely a full package undertaking which offers an easier way of committing crimes, while providing lucrative returns and living in anonymity and minimal jeopardy of detection (McDonald, 2006). Identity theft is far different from a mere crime. It is a tailored crime from established crimes of forgery, check and credit card fraud, counterfeiting, computer scam, impersonation, and pick-pocketing (McDonald, 2006). However, the most challenging face of identity theft is its potential to international terrorism (McDonald, 2006). Accordingly, identity theft crimes are under the jurisdiction of various agencies. Among the agencies associated to such crime includes the local police, FBI, Postal Inspection Service, Secret Service, Homeland Security, motor vehicle departments, and local government agencies (McDonald, 2006). Various coping mechanism were later on initiated. Conversely, police, victim assistance advocates, and private agencies worked independently, without looking at each others roles or collaborating to develop a wide-range and valuable means of answering and counteracting such crime (McDonald, 2006). With the United States Congress’ enactment of the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998, Pub. L. 105-318, 112 Stat. 3007, a basic foundation on identity theft was established. It classified identity theft as a federal crime when a person deliberately uses credentials of another person, with no legal authority to commit or aid any illegal action that normally constitutes a violation of Federal, State or local law (McDonald, 2006). It also called for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to institute a clearinghouse for information and statistics on identity theft (Dworaczyk, 2004). However, this federal statute rarely prosecutes violations of state laws. Most laws regarding such crimes focuses on three subjects such as criminal penalties for particular offenses, prerequisites for the credit industry to incorporate specific information in credit reports or to limit the right to credit and credit reports, and personal data confidentiality (Dworaczyk, 2004). Existing laws respond to identity theft by providing criminal penalties for particular offenses. And such laws and suggestions for further changes are largely intended to trim down incidents of identity theft by enhancing identification of cases during such occurrence, and to facilitate further investigation and prosecution (Dworaczyk, 2004). In December 2003, another effort of the Congress to solve identity theft marked through the enactment of a law on credit transactions (Dworaczyk, 2004). In July 2004, the federal government furthered the identity theft laws by amending additional and extended prison sentences in relation to particular federal crimes (Dworaczyk, 2004). Identity theft crime hold an utmost punishment of 15 years imprisonment, a fine, and criminal forfeiture of private property used to execute the offense. As of June 2001, 43 states had already enacted statutes creating identity theft a crime. Such statutes enforce various penalties for identity theft. Normally, the penalties are base on the total dollar amount of damage resulting from the theft. Thefts concerning minor losses are considered as misdemeanors, while larger financial losses are regarded as felonies of different degrees (Foley, 2003). Local police ought to verify whether such a statute exists and what that statute provides. Other states are also taking into consideration of having related laws on such crime. Victims of such crime are also protected under federal and state law. Victims are entitled to have protections from being accountable for illegal undertakings, or other illegitimate behavior conducted by identity thieves (Newman, 2004). More so, they also received rights concerning the truthfulness of their credit reports. In Texas, laws addressing identity theft centers on compelling agencies to provide security alerts and freezes. Such action increases the avenue for identity theft prosecution and limiting showing credit card and Social Security numbers (Dworaczyk, 2004). In Connecticut, the state enacted the Public Act 03-156 in 2003, which forced regulated penalties for identity theft violations, established measures to aid victims; and required businesses to modify certain procedures to hinder identity theft. Other statutes relevant with identity theft are the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA), and the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act (Dworaczyk, 2004). The FCRA (Codified at 15 U. S. C.  § 1681 et seq. ), standardizes the compilation, dissemination, and use of consumer credit information. However, the foundation of customer rights to credit was structured and formulated alongside with the FDCPA or the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. And being an amendment to FCRA, the FACTA, Pub. L. 108-159, 111 Stat. 1952. , provided provisions to help lessen identity theft crimes, such as the capacity for a person to put alerts on their credit records if such crime is assumed, thus making falsified applications harder to execute. The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, Pub. L. 108-275, 118 Stat. 831, on the other hand, characterizes penalties for identity theft crimes (18 U. S. C. Sec. 1028A (a)). It also furthers providing penalties for those that hold information in conducting the crime, not considering if they themselves essentially use the information to take an identity. In 2003, Chief Darrel Stephens of North Carolina Police Department conducted a survey on the degree of preparedness of major police organizations. It showed that there were no standardized and effective law enforcement practices in the rising cases of identity theft (McDonald, 2006). In February of the same year, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), together with the Division of Public Safety Leadership (DPSL) at Johns Hopkins University, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) conducted a project to scrutinize identity theft issues and provide recommendations for a national strategy for policy makers and to classify best procedures for practitioners (McDonald, 2006). The components that comprise the national strategy for law enforcement includes specific actions on the following areas: partnerships and collaboration, reporting procedures, victim assistance, public awareness, legislation, information protection and training (McDonald, 2006). Moreover, in May 2006, an Executive Order signed by the President emphasized the creation of an Identity Theft Task Force, focusing to acquire a harmonized strategic plan to fight identity theft. Specifically, it was created to provide sound recommendations on improving the efficacy of the federal government’s actions in areas of recognition, prevention, detection, and prosecution (McDonald, 2006). It is notable that substantive efforts were carried out by the government in combating the growing number of identity theft crimes. Nonetheless, a lot of changes and reforms ought to be done. And enhancing the training for law enforcement officers and prosecutors was just one part of the picture to acquire a full understanding of the problem of identity theft. With a very limited data on law enforcement efforts regarding identity theft, it would be difficult to achieve a better view on the nature of the crime. The working unit then considered incorporating further surveys and statistics like the National Crime Victimization Survey. It also looked to evaluate U. S. Sentencing Commission data on related cases, pursue federal prosecutions and the quantity of resources spent, and perform target surveys to enrich law enforcement information on identity theft response and prevention activities (Dworaczyk, 2004). It is indeed impossible to have all personal information confidential; therefore, eradicating completely such crime of identity theft would be difficult. Newman (2004) identified local factors that could be done to minimize or prevent identity theft, which is divided into two sections: prevention and victim assistance. In terms of prevention, among the specific responses include the following: 1. Improving business understanding of their accountability to guard employee and client records. To protect records and databases, businesses could institute security procedures by developing a comprehensive privacy policy with liable information-handling. Consistent staff training and orientation on appropriate information protection and employee background checks could also help. 2. Information and education campaign on information protection. The internet provides a wide array of information on identity theft. And to maximize information dissemination, tap the various community organizations such as schools, community centers and organizations, consumer advocacy groups, neighborhood associations, and other community service groups. 3. Working hand-in-hand with government and various organizations to watch over private information. Although, awareness on identity theft had increased considerably, organizations should still support efforts to lessen the function of social security numbers as identifiers, which is very usual on health insurance cards. Agency personnel ought to be regularly reminded of the possible risks in negligent use of private information. 4. Operating with local banks to persuade credit card issuers to accept better security measures. Working closely with local banks would make it simple to set up actions for victims to repair the harm done, and have the accounts working again. Influence local banks and businesses to pressure credit card companies to verify credit card purchases by asking for additional ID, encourage customers to have passwords or attach photographs or other authentication indicators on credit accounts, and adopting better identity verification when changes are indicated with his or her credit report. 5. Tracking delivery. Product and document deliveries are fulcrum to identity theft. Building a good relationship with delivery companies and postal inspectors could be helpful to trace items to thieves. Post office and delivery companies could instruct staff members to take note of deliveries to houses that are unoccupied or up for trade, notice license renewal and credit card reports that turn to unknown addresses and also to preserve various application records. However, in terms of victim assistance, possible actions could be summarized into: 1. Moving with the victim. Being an emotionally and psychologically upsetting crime, an open communication between the victims and the police could be the key. Law enforcers ought to recognize how consumers are protected, and offer victims with educational materials that could clarify their rights and the ways on how to assert them. Police must write an incident report and provide the victim a copy of his own to avoid any trouble in filing an affidavit. The victim should acquire the Identity Theft Victim Guide. This summarizes how to prepare for the investigation procedure and the possible steps to take. Also, propose a written draft of the case to be prepared by the victim, which includes all the relevant information that could be used. Update also the victim on how the procedure of being â€Å"behind the scenes† of a fraud investigation would be like. More so, ensure that the victims comprehend and exercise their rights under the federal laws and record the complaint information into the FTC’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse. 2. Formulating a plan to avoid or curtail the harm of identity theft. In cases, where personal records or employee and client databases have been violated, police and other law enforcers must operate promptly to lessen the opportunity the thief has to exploit the stolen identities. Employees could be given information packets on technical know-how’s to read credit reports and safeguard their identities and minimize further damage. Workshops for employees also provide helpful information. REFERENCE IACP National Law Enforcement Policy Center. 2002. Identity Theft. Concepts and Issues Paper. Washington St. , Alexandria. Economic Crime Institute. 2003. Identity Fraud: A Critical National and Global Threat. White Paper. A Joint Project of the Economic Crime Institute of Utica College and LexisNexis.. http://www. ecii. edu/identity_fraud. pdf (accessed June 8, 2007) Graeme R. Newman, 2004. Identity Theft. Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem- Specific Guides Series No. 25. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U. S. Department of Justice, http://www. cops. usdoj. gov/mime/open. pdf? Item=1271 (accessed June 8, 2007) Kelly Dworaczyk, 2004. Combating Identity Theft. Focus Report. House Research Organization. Texas House of Representative, http://www. hro. house. state. tx. us/focus/identity78-18. pdf (accessed June 8, 2007) L. Foley. 2003. Enhancing Law Enforcement–Identity Theft Communication. Identity Theft Resource Center. http://www.. idtheftcenter. org (accessed June 8, 2007) Phyllis P. McDonald, 2006. A national strategy to combat identity theft. Johns Hopkins University. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U. S. Department of Justice, http://www. securitymanagement. com/library/identity_theft1006. pdf (accessed June 8, 2007)

Explain how understanding culture can clarify and affect the reading Essay

Explain how understanding culture can clarify and affect the reading of a text - Essay Example In doing this, culture affects and often clarifies the reading of such texts as is portrayed in the analysis of Oedipus and The Iliad below. The two are among the greatest literatures of the ancient Greek. The literatures capture various cultural features of the ancient Greek societies and therefore require an understanding of the early Greek culture to comprehend. The Iliad for example is set during the Trojan War (Homer 23). War was a central cultural feature that enabled societies to interact as they resolved their conflicts. The ambience of wars at the time was different from the contemporary wars. As a cultural feature, understanding the nature of the ancient Greek wars enables an audience understand the book since the wars would clarify the types of weapons the people used and the severity of the wars. The epic poem voices tales of clashes and the events preceding the war. The quarrels between King Agamemnon and Achilles help portray the cultural feature of the ancient Greek societies. Another cultural trait in the tragedy Oedipus the King is prophecy. Set in the ancient Greek society the mythology portrays the effects of prophecies in an individual’s life. The prophecies were vital aspects of life since they affected the lives of everyone including the King (Sophocles 12). The portrayal of prophecy presents an ultimate conflict in the story between the will and destiny. As such, understanding the ancient Greek culture becomes essential in understanding the story. The prophecy in the story clarifies the actions of Oedipus who accidentally kills his parents thereby fulfilling the prophecy. The act leads to other subsequent occurrences the play. Culture helps clarify relationship between the events thus implying that culture helps develop the conflict that sustains the story. The role of an Individual in the course of destiny is a theme in both ancient books. Additionally, the authors portray harsh societies in both books a feature that

Are social media and increasing access to virtual reality altering our Essay

Are social media and increasing access to virtual reality altering our social interactions and expectations - Essay Example The social/cultural and ethical aspects that I will concentrate on pertain to privacy issues and the development of friendships, as well a social circles on-line. These are activities that Americans previously loved to do in real time using physical interaction but has now migrated to virtual settings within the context of social media. 3. What are the opponents of your position likely to claim? My opponents will be most likely to claim that social media has enhanced the social lives of people and allowed for a greater degree of friendship development since social media is used as a world wide connectivity and discussion tool. 4. What is your response or reason that suggests your opponents are incorrect? Simply put, we may have a large friends list in our social media accounts but we do not really know anything about them. Social media creates shallow friendships that do not last beyond a shared interest in a particular activity. These are simply friendships suggested by the social m edia based upon our perceived likes and dislikes. 5. Cite at least TWO outside resources that support your position and one that expresses the objection to your position. Two outside sources that support my position will come from Jay Baer's article â€Å"Social Media, Pretend Friends, and the Lie of False Intimacy† along with Kathleen C. and Anuhea R.'s â€Å"Free Speech: Benefit or Liability?†. ... For those living far apart from friends, postal mail was the way to go in terms of keeping in touch. Needless to say, making and keeping friends during the time of our parents really required effort in order to get to know each other and stay in touch. but all of that changed with the advent of social media. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, all of these social channels allowed for instant connectivity among friends. It also allowed people to make friends with other people based upon shared likes and interests. The time had come for the rise of easy contact and making friends all over the world. Sadly, even though social media has created an excellent virtual reality setting that allows us to interact across the seas, it has also altered our social interactions and expectations in a negative manner. This paper will look at two of the main reasons for the negative influence of social media over our lives and methods of interacting with people as opposed to those who believe that social medi a has provided a tremendous benefit to our social interactions using various articles and journals that support and opposed the issue respectively. Let me start off this discussion with the reasons that people say social media has positively affected our social interaction and expectations. Proponents of social media say that the instant communication allowed by the system makes part of the conversation by allowing them to participate in discussions rather than talking at them (Folkens, Dave â€Å"3 Ways Social Media is Changing Public Relations†). By allowing people to have their say via social media, the group interaction helps to remove the communication barriers that used to exist for people during the infancy of the internet. As such, the internet has become a