Surrealism in Advertising; How Beer Became Beer!! Essay Example for Free

Surrealism in Advertising; How Beer Became Beer!! Essay The intention of this essay is to analyse surrealism in advertising and apply the theoretical background of it and the psychoanalytic theory to a 2003/2004 campaign for Tooheys Extra Dry beer, made by BMF Advertising agency. The essay will try and isolate the surrealist appeal and other factors behind this campaign and explain why and how this campaign became one of the most talked-about advertisements and won the gold in Creative Planning Awards as well as silver in Advertising Effectiveness Awards in 2004. Surrealism and Advertising For the description on surrealism and its theories see appendix A. The Product. The product is beer. However, Toohey’s Extra Dry (TED) is different from other beers in many ways. Its packaging is different from other beers in its clear and tall bottle (not dark and wide as other beer bottles). It has a green label that is glued to the clear bottle diagonally instead of in a strait manner and big white dynamic letters stating the ‘Extra Dry’ brand. It is a very young brand, first brewed in 1994 instead of 18xx as other beers. However, its most distinguishing feature is its taste; it is much lighter than other beers. TED is not bitter and it is more like other RTD drinks than beer. The Campaign Tooheys Extra Dry (TED) was a growing brand, even before this campaign was released; however its growth was because of its sub premium price (Nicholas 2004). The clear, tall bottle and an easy taste of the beer could have helped, but it was believed the brand can do better. Previous advertising of TED abided the prevalent beer promotional models throughout the world, the core market being pub going males. The prevailing message was â€Å"have a go at it†. The advertisements were of weir accidents of men who did not drink this beer, and the endline was â€Å"don’t die wondering†. The research done after the campaign proved that the idea was not very successful, however the core problem was the strategy. TEDs positioning was between mainstream beers (Fosters) and premium (Heineken). Its appeal was later described by a young participant in a research group: â€Å"I like Tooheys Extra Dry. When you walk into a party carrying a six pack you don’t look like a scab [by drinking mainstream beer] and you didn’t look like a wanker [by drinking premiums]† Anon. cited in Nicholas (2004) P1 It became apparent that their target audience were young adults who like taking risks. Putting that into the account, the resulting campaign, aimed at people in their early twenties, tried a different approach. It involved an enticing product attribute that was unique, cool and youthful. The new campaigns objectives were: -Establish a connection with 18-24 years old audience -Extend the brand throughout the Australia, mainly Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, South East Queensland and other areas. -Maintain the price premium while achieving growth and increase the profit As previously mentioned, the taste of this beer is the biggest distinguishing featureits the unique selling point. By not emphasising that on its previous campaign, they have not established a truthful distinction and therefore failed. The new campaign strategy was to find out the usual dissatisfaction young (18-24) people have with beer. RTD drinks (ready-to-drink: drinks that are already mixed with spirist, for instance Smirnoff Ice, WKD, VK etc) have been becoming more and more popular and have taken some of the market away from beer. As a result, key dissatisfactions with beer were isolated in a research study. The results were: -Beer is associated with â€Å"old† masculinity i. e. Dad in a pub with his mates -Beer slows you down – it makes you fat and slow -Beer has a bitter taste – it makes it hard to drink in today’s environment that is more focused on sweeter drinks and foods. On the other hand, TED was perceived as a modern drink, drunken by men and women. It is also less filling and therefore does not have the same effect as other beers. Its lack of bitterness is its main feature and is easier to drink. This insight is what led the new campaign. The target audience was set to 18-24 olds as opposed to previous 24-29 year old adults. The goal was to change what the target audience thought of beer and establish the brand not only as the best beer, but the best alcoholic drink altogether. The campaigns proposition was that because of its unique brewing process as little of negative effects from beer can be present (mostly beer breath). This is how the campaign slogan came to be as – clean, crisp taste. This also resolved the key dissatisfaction the target market had with beer. Because of the crucial distinguishing features this campaign had to represent, a special tone of voice was consisted out of three major components. The first component was the youth fun feel that had to be established – therefore party imagery was selected. The pace of the advert had to b just right – a mixture between clubby and pub-like (spirits vs. beer). The next important thing was for the marketers to establish a ‘cool’ feel, youthfulness etc). This is why they used the soon to be famous music track. The commercial The commercial is of a tongue that leaves his owner and goes to search for a tasty beer while its owner sleeps. It goes past several dangers until it finally finds the beer at a party full of young people. It takes the beer and brings it back to his owner. Two posters and a radio commercial were part of this campaign as well. The posters and a detailed description of the commercial can be found in the appendix B. This product has only one memorable utilitarian benefit and that is its light taste. That is why the taste was the focus of this ad – symbolically represented by the tongue, which is the central figure in this add. With the tongue representing taste, this campaign did not state the facts clearly, as in: â€Å"TED has a light taste you will enjoy† but rather used imagery to reflect the product attributes. This all is typical for many surrealistic commercials, as well as the ‘hazardous odyssey’ aspect of it. The tongue was running away from the cat, got almost run over by the car and stomped on the dance floor. It’s blending the real and unreal; the real being the party and the people’s behaviour – and the unreal is obviously the renegade tongue in search of a beer. As previously mentioned, the main target audience was to appeal to young audience; therefore the surrealist appeal was chosen wisely, because of its defiance against conformism (Homer Kahle, 1989). Clubby imagery, music and passionate kissing at the party reinforced this aim. It is generally believed that non-conformism has been the most central aspect of any thing considered as ‘cool’ to the young audiences. Some psychoanalytic theory practices can be detected as well. According to the psychoanalytic theory (Hackley, 2005) and Motivational Research, real buying impulses derive from urges and drives and feelings. The perfect party environment and several sultry images insinuate sexual motives that could hide behind party experiences and alcohol consumption and consequently be the motive for purchase. Another typically surrealist feature is the exaggeration of the human form. The tongue itself is exactly that in this advert, since it can move on its own, is capable of thought and emotion while still remaining just a tongue. The most apparent emotion the tongue portrays is desire. The metamorphosis of the tongue can be explained by the Trickster theory described by Cooper and Petterson in 2000. The tongue would be the trickster; neither good, nor bad but guided by its emotions and desires. This is central to this advert, as it is the desire for the good refreshing ‘clean and crisp’ taste that forces this tongue to take all those risks just to get the Tooheys Extra Dry. The desire is the motivation for the odisseyadic journey. Conclusion The commercial is odd and free from normal association. We do not expect tongues to jump out of out mouths and search for beer. This is the product of the novelty theory assuring the audience will recollect the ad easier. These surreal techniques combined with psychoanalytic theory make the ‘TED wanting tongue’ a hero (survives danger), a partier and a rebel at the same time. The metamorphism and the surrealist technique reinforces the utilitarian claim of the product performance and its claim of ‘clean and crisp’ taste. Appendix A Surrealism is a movement that stared in the early 20th century most acknowledged in France. It is most recognisable by the paintings and other visual representations of it by painters and writers such as Salvador Dali and Bret? n. Surrealists explain the human mind in a manner not before conjured. Andre Bret? ns (1920) definition of surrealism: â€Å"Psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express – verbally, or by means of written word, or in any other manner – the actual functioning of thought. Dictated by the thought, in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern. † Homer and Kahle (1989) describe surrealism as fee of the stereotyped mental habits belonging to artists and spectator as well. The objects are free from normal association. Isolation, modification, hybridization, incongruity, provocation of accidental encounters, paradox and conceptual bipolarity are the ways through which surrealism achieves the maximum impact. In surrealism, pleasure and free will have total control over everything, including reality. Alcuaz’s (1984) premise is that surrealism as a concept is a state of mind, and attitude and a desire. Magritte, a surrealist painter believed that surrealism is an attack on societies preconceived ideas and predetermined good sence. In surrealism, desire chooses whatever it wants and pleases it; it is not bound by realistic and logical boundaries of perception. Surrealists act defiant to conformism as well. According to Homer and Kahle (1989), advertisers seek surrealist techniques because of their need to gain consumers attention, fuel their fantasies and induce new ways of thinking about previous conceptions. One of the reasons advertising of surrealism works it the so-called novelty theory. Novelty theory is based on the so-called Von Restorff Effect. This basically describes a phenomena that occurs when people are presented with novelty or unexpected items. Their recall of these items was greater and enhanced in the future. Appendix B In the beginning of the ad, we see a young man, sleeping with a woman in a bed. His face is turned towards us. Suddenly, his tongue jumps out of his mouth and embarks on a quest to quench its thirst. It moves in a way that is similar to a worm or a caterpillar. It jumps of the bed and goes down the stairs while being chased by a cat. It narrowly escapes the cat when it jumps through a rail fence and onto a road. While crossing the road it gets almost run over by a car. The tongue then enters a party full of young people. A few shots of the party are shown and we see people dancing and socialising in a crowded house. The tongue is going through the party avoiding being stomped by feet of the dancers. Then it gets stuck on a vinyl player but manages to get off. The tongue successfully manoeuvres past a couple French-kissing and discovers a huge tub full of ice containing several different alcoholic drinks. It manages to get on the edge of the bath and scout the available drinks when it notices a Tooheys Extra Dry on the far side of the tub. After a quick shot of the kissing couple, the tongue dives into the tub full of ice. The underwater environment is clear and crisp. We see the tongue swimming at the bottom of the tub, past many bottles towards Tooheys Extra Dry that is encompassed into ice but still showing its label and the recognisable green colour. The tongue then quickly grabs the bottle much like a python would its prey and jumps out of the tub with it. It then drags it out of the party back to the bedroom and onto the bed climbing back into its owner’s mouth with is main body still wrapped around the beer. This wakes the young man up and he confusingly looks at the Tooheys Extra Dry in his mouth, takes it out and examines the label. The slogan, ‘clean crisp taste’ then appears at the bottom of the screen and the ad is over. Visuals: Source: Source: Nicholas J. (2004) Source: Nicholas J. (2004). These examples used as still photos on billboards and such use surrealistic usage of the product; enforcing the notion of its utilitarian benefit: ‘The Clean Crisp Taste’. References: -Homer, M. Kahle L. R. (1989) A Social adaptation explanation of the effects of surrealism on advertising. Journal of Advertising 15(2) pp. 50-60 -Alcuaz, M. â€Å"Contemporary Idioms of Surrealism. Dreamworks 4(1) pp. 59-69 -Cooper P. Patterson (2000) The Trickster: Creativity in modern Advertising and Branding. Market Research Society Conference. Available at: http://www. warc. com/ArticleCenter/Default.asp? CType=AAID=WORDSEARCH49151Tab=A -Nicholas, J. (2004) Toohey’s Extra Dry – Licking the Beer Category. Account Planning Group Australia. Available at: http://www. warc. com/ArticleCenter/Default. asp? CType=AAID=WORDSEARCH80888Tab=A -Nicholas, J. (2004) Toohey’s Extra Dry ‘Quest’ – Beer advertising that broke the mould. Sales That broke records. Advertising Federation of Australia. Report. Available at: http://www. warc. com/ArticleCenter/Default. asp? CType=AAID=WORDSEARCH85608Tab=A -Hackley, C. (2005) Advertising and Promotion: Communicating Brands. Sage Publications: London.

Captain Murderer Essay Example for Free

Captain Murderer Essay The gleaming sunlight shone through the dense canopy, piercing his dull chocolate eyes. Edwins dark complexion absorbed the shimmering suns rays, whilst his fellow comrades blossomed vibrantly under the yellow array, and remained a shadow under the bulky oaks. The elves tracked a party of goblins for three vigorous days, hoping to annihilate their clan and finally end the chaos in the vast forest of Hallow. Their steps, as quick as a cheetah and as stealthy as a cat, manoeuvred through the harsh terrain of dense shrubs, decayed logs, and muddy foliage in search of their pray. Edwin was the first of the four to feel the rush of fatigue immersing him, and was left with a drought of energy. Now is not the time to linger comrade, we are right on their tails, stated Myrth, as his sharp eagle eyes glimpsed Edwins sudden loss of momentum. Im sorry fellow kindred, I am somewhat drained from the excess hiking, replied Edwin as he placed himself on a bare rock, gasping to fill his empty lungs with air. As he struggled for oxygen, Edwin looked down upon himself as he glimpsed expressions of displeasure amongst the others as his recovery spent precious minutes. The elves continued their hunt for the corrupted goblins, their magnificent and elegant bows gliding along their slender backs as they pass through the dense terrain. Edwin continued to trail behind due to his lack of stamina, and was continuously eyed for his incompetence. The group stumbled across a recently lit camp fire and was determined it was the goblins. We are drawing near, we must hurry! exclaimed Arwen. As the shimmering rays of the gleaming sun faded away into the glistening spark of the full moon, the elves drew nearer to their enemy. The rigorous trek continued to falter Edwin, but seemed to have had no effect upon the others. With a vague gesture of the hand for halt, Evariah spoke out in a whisper, her piercing eyes glaring in all directions, I sense the enemy nearby. Bows at the ready, the elves treaded cautiously in the dark, damp forest. All of a sudden, a brute axe shot out of the distance and was aimed straight towards Edwin. Myrths superior strength and speed enabled him to shoot an arrow of equal power to counter the anonymous blade, and it simply dropped onto the rigid ground. Out of the shadows, stepped forward a swarm of ravaging goblins with the vicious content to kill. It was an ambush! realised Arwen. Without hesitation, the elves engaged in combat, firing away graceful shots from their Elvin bows, and slashing blissfully with their glorious swords. Every shot and every slash was of perfect precision and targeted the enemys vitals, resulting in an instant kill. The elves started to struggle in holding their ground as the goblins numbers were substantially larger. As the night grew older, more blood was spilt and the elves could not maintain the goblins anymore. FALL BACK! shouted Myrth, FALL BACK! The elves swiftly evaded many of their fierce attackers and dashed into the dark, densely packed oaks. Followed closely behind, was the uproar of swarming goblins with monstrous axes in their demeaning grasp. Edwin followed Myrth and the others in escaping the large mass. As the gruesome wails grew less with every step, they were convinced that they had escaped the horrible goblins. Suddenly, a twisted cry fell upon their narrow-tipped ears and a goblin swung its sharp steel axe, piercing Edwins leg. Evariah quickly responded with a gracious swing of her divine blade across its distorted neck, and it fell instantly. Edwin roared in pain, and consequently attracted the rampaging goblins. We must flee now! exclaimed Arwen. The sound of screaming monsters gradually increased and the group grew ever more hesitant of the situation. I cannot move my leg, comrades! shrieked Edwin. He cannot make it. We do not have the strength to carry him in our current state, we must make haste! Leave him be. Arwen declared. There is no other choice Arwen is right. You will only drag us behind, agreed Myrth reluctantly. But wait! protested Edwin. However, it was too late. They made their decision. They turned their back on him. The volume of the endless wailing of goblins increased as the figures of his so called comrades dissolved behind the tall, solid oaks. Edwins insides burned in a feeling of sorrow, misery and anger. His wound was deep, but did not harm him more than his feeling of rejection. Well, well, well. Look at what we have! Elf Scum, claimed the goblin, proudly. Edwin could do nothing more but stare into the goblins red repugnant eyes and justify his comrades despicable actions. What? An elf that cant talk! Haha! laughed the goblin. Edwin made no sound but felt betrayed. He could do nothing more, his mind became obscured and blinded him the fact that he was surrounded by the enemy. He slowly panned his view in disarray, and then felt a large blunt object strike his head. Edwin woke up, and found himself in a large, foul pit, with a throbbing headache. Both his hands and feet were cuffed securely, and tried frantically to escape, but was all in vein. The sad and deprived elf sat there in the dusty corner, hugging his bare knees, asking himself, why? Heavy footsteps approached and the familiar face of the wretched goblin presented itself in front of Edwin again. Its grin revealed the black and decayed teeth behind those battered lips. What will you do with me? asked the elf bluntly. Its foul grin grew wider. Nothing, he simply replied. As an elf, you are immortal. So I am going to do nothing with you, and let you rot in that pit for the rest of eternity. The elf was not surprised, nor did he care. He simply sat there, staring at the moist soil surrounding him. After a long pause, the goblin blatantly asked, You are an elf. Why are you not as beautiful as the rest? Oh I am much more beautiful than they are. I would never have succumbed in letting one of my comrades fall behind and get captured, the elf replied, still staring into the vast shades of brown in the soil. Haha. Maybe they disowned you because of how hideous you are! laughed the goblin. Infuriated, the elf exclaimed That is a very bold statement, especially coming from the likes of you! With clenched teeth, deep breathing, and a violent glare in his eyes, the elf rose up and twisted his arms around his neck. He pulled the metal chains as tight as he could, and as the light from his dull, chocolate eyes faded away, dropped to the ground.

The Major Security Issues In Malaysia Criminology Essay

The Major Security Issues In Malaysia Criminology Essay The concept of national security involves the preparations against threats to a countrys national independence, territorial integrity and national sovereignty emanating from internal or external forces or a combination of the two. The goal of national security is to protect the core values of the state: ideology, sovereignty, territory, government regime and citizens. Buzan et al (1998) suggests that security is effected by factors in five major sectors: military, political, economic, societal and environmental.  [3]  Since the beginning of World War Two (WWII) there have been many significant events across these five major sectors, which have shaped Malaysias national security. The most significant of these events include the Japanese occupation during WWII, the communist threat during the Cold War, the Confrontation with Indonesia, the 13 May 1969 race riots and the 9/11 terrorists attacks. There are also many non-traditional threats, both internal and external across all secto rs that continue to shape Malaysias approach to national security today. The aim of this paper is to outline and critically evaluate the major security issues that have changed the outlook on, and approach to national security in Malaysia. This essay will discuss major security issues that have shaped Malaysias approach to national security since the beginning of WWII. The Japanese influence on Malaya up to WWII had been positive in terms of invigorating Malay Nationalism and brought on the idea that Asian could challenge western powers.  [4]  However, the Japanese occupation during WWII created a lasting memory for Malaysias future elite in that it shaped their thoughts regarding the need for self-reliance in terms of security and defence.  [5]  Under British rule after the War, and on the eve of an evolving nationalist movement for independence, Malaya was challenged by a serious internal security threat communist terrorists. The First and Second Malayan Emergencies and the threat of communism are significant security events in the evolution of Malaysias national security. The success of the counterinsurgency (COIN) made it an example for COIN operations around the world.  [6]  Through KESBAN and RASCOM  [7]  Malaysia had established a whole of Government approach to internal security issues, primarily focused on communist terrorists, however Malaysia was still dependent on external support against external conventional threats through the Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement (AMDA) and later the Five Powers Defence Arrangement (FPDA).  [8]   Malaysias focus on COIN operations through the Malayan Emergencies made it vulnerable to external conventional threats. Although the Confrontation with Indonesia in the 1960s and the fall of Saigon following the Vietnam War failed to perpetuate into full-scale war for Malaysia these events had two significant impacts on Malaysias outlook, and approach to national security. Firstly, as Malaysia was still reliant on the British to deal with external conventional threats through the AMDA and from 1971 the FPDA, they needed to assure national security by pursuing regional security through diplomatic means until its Defence Forces were sufficiently matured to deal with conventional threats. Malaysia was a key driver in establishing ASEAN and ZOPFAN as well as normalising ties with China and Vietnam.  [9]  Secondly, the events spurred military expansion toward developing a conventional war fighting capability.  [10]   It is difficult to determine if Malaysias continued military expansion and modernisation is the result of an Asian arms race as Soong asserts  [11]  or just the need to develop one of the smallest Defence Forces in the region  [12]  to one that is suitably self-reliant in accordance with the desires of the National Defence Policy.  [13]  Nevertheless, the development and maintenance of a credible conventional war fighting capability does little when the threat to security is from within as Malaysia was sadly to learn on 13 May 1969. The 13 May 1969 race riots are said to be one of the darkest moments in Malaysian history.  [14]  The reasons for the riots are many and varied but can be summarised as racial indifference regarding national language, Malay special rights, citizenship rights, and education policy. In essence, the tensions between the Malays and Chinese grew out of the perceived or actual threat posed to each races existence either through a lack of policy or policy itself. In terms of national security, racial tensions had been bubbling away in the background of other more conventional threats such as Communism and the Confrontation with Indonesia.  [15]  Regardless of the causes of the riots this watershed moment, Malaysian political life was refashioned, the whole notion of internal security took on another dimension,  [16]  based on race relations. Racial tensions have continued to challenge Malaysias approach to internal security with the 1998 Muslim-Hindu conflict in Kumpang Rawa, Pe nang; the 2001 Taman Medan Incident; the run-ins with HINDRAF and more recently the protests in Kuala Lumpur on 27 February 2011 regarding disparaging remarks against Malay Indians in the school text book and novel Interlok.  [17]  In sum, there were 1060 racial incidents in 2010 involving Malays, Chinese and Indians that continue to threaten Malaysias political stability and social harmony.  [18]  In so much as the 13 May 1969 was a wakeup call to significant internal security issues that threaten political stability and social harmony the fix appears to be more oriented on policing rather than policy.  [19]  Hence, a ticking time bomb remains so long as the lid of policing on the boiling pot of racial inequity has a political  [20]  flame that remains unattended. The 11 September 2001 attacks not only changed Malaysias outlook on, and approach to national security but that of the West and much of the developing world.  [21]  The threat to Malaysia from this event and later the Bali bombings in 2002 and 2005, the Jakarta JW Marriot bombing in 2003 and the 2004 Australian Embassy bombing in Jakarta was two fold. First was the fact that Malaysia, like any other country, could be a target of violent non-state actors (VNSA).  [22]  Secondly, and more alarming was that Malaysia was a predominantly Muslim state and could be linked to radical Islamic groups such as Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM) and Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and their alleged connection with Al-Qaeda. Such allegations and proof of links could erode investor confidence in Malaysia and be economically and politically devastating.  [23]  These fears were later realised when it was discovered that two of the masterminds behind the Indonesian bombings were Malaysians.  [24]  M alaysias response was to establish the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter Terrorism (SEARCCT) in July 2003.  [25]   Today there are a number of security issues that continue to shape Malaysias approach to national security. The complex overlapping claims over the resource rich Spratly Islands (and the claim to Sabah by the Philippines) has seen the Malaysian Armed Forces commit significant air, sea and troop assets in the region to defend and protect its claims, particularly on the Ardasier, Mariveles and Swallow Reefs.  [26]  Further civil (through the Maritime Enforcement Agency (MEA) and Naval sea and air assets remain committed to patrolling and enforcing Malaysias sea lines of communication and its Economic Exclusion Zones (EEZ) from piracy and illegal fishing. Stretching these security assets further are issues such as organised crime, illegal immigrants, smuggling, and sea pollution. Malaysias Navy, Airforce and MEA continue to receive sizeable proportions of the Defence and Security budgets to modernise and expand to deal with these threats.  [27]   Other non-traditional and non-military threats continue increasing and thus shape Malaysias approach to security. These include smuggling goods and services, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, communicable diseases, deviant and cult groups, extremism, refugees, ethnic conflicts, environment disasters, cyber crime and several other illegal activities that can be categorised as organised crime. These threats have seen Malaysias approach to security focus more toward non-military threats in recent years.  [28]   If there is a lesson to be relearned from the past for Malaysia regarding an approach to national security it is the need for a holistic approach as was evident with the implementation of KESBAN in response to the Second Malayan Emergency. Malaysias defence management has a clear chain of command from the National Security Council (NSC) through to the lowest rungs of the Armed Forces and Police Force.  [29]  Security management is problematic, however. Eight ministries/agencies and 12 departments are responsible for the security of Malaysia.  [30]  Thus creates the problem where interagency barriers hinder the timely application of force against a threat from a particular threat sector based on the untimely dissemination of intelligence  [31]  and generally poor coordination.  [32]  Although, there is a significant level of cooperation between individual agencies responsible for national security it is only achieved at an interagency level rather than through the chai n of command  [33]  . Conclusion There have been several major security issues that have shaped the outlook and approach to security in Malaysia since WWII. The Japanese invasion shaped thought and provided the desire for self-reliance, the Malayan Emergencies shaped and drove a whole of Government approach to national security, the Confrontation and the US withdrawal from Vietnam drove Military expansion for security and defence toward countering external conventional threats and the bloody 13 May 1969 shaped Malaysias approach back toward internal security issues. More recently, the 9/11 attacks and myriad other non-conventional and non-military threats continue to challenge and shape Malaysias approach to national security. Of note are the internal threats to security where the approach appears to be policing over policy. The author believes that unless positive and clear progress is made in these areas that racial tensions will again boil to the surface.

Atheism :: essays research papers

Atheism, from the Greek a ("without") and theos ("deity"), commonly and loosely refers to the theoretical or practical denial of the existence of a deity. The concrete meaning of atheism has varied considerably in history: even the earliest Christians were labeled "atheists" because they denied the existence of the Roman deities. In Western culture, where monotheism has been the dominant mode of religious belief, atheism has generally referred to the denial of the existence of a transcendent, perfect, personal creator of the universe. To be an atheist need not mean that one is nonreligious, for there are "high" religions, such as Buddhism and Taoism, that do not postulate the existence of a supernatural being. Monotheism has been so basic to and compounded with Western moral and philosophical beliefs as well as political institutions that until recently atheism has been widely believed to be both immoral and dangerous to society. Plato not only viewed atheism as irrational but argued that certain atheists deserved the death penalty. When Christianity finally became the dominant religion in the West, atheism and heresy were thought to be worthy of exile or death because, as Thomas Aquinas argued, it was a much more serious matter to corrupt the soul than to damage the body. Atheism was also dangerous to the political authority of Western monarchies that claimed to rest upon divine right. Even during the Enlightenment when the divine right of kings was challenged and religious toleration defended, John Locke, a staunch advocate of toleration, denied free speech to atheists on the grounds that they undermined and destroyed religion. The believability of atheism seems directly proportionate to the growth of the sciences and the emergence of humanism since the Renaissance. In the 19th century the biological sciences seemed to make theological explanations of the origins of the universe and of the emergence of humankind unnecessary. Particularly important were the writings of David Hume and Immanuel Kant, which established that attempts to prove the existence of God from the world order were invalid. In the mid-19th century, explicitly atheistic and humanistic systems of philosophy appeared. Ludwig Feuerbach, Karl Marx, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Friedrich Nietzsche were not only atheists but also militant critics of religion generally and of Christianity particularly. Modern philosophical atheism is based on both theoretical and practical reasons.

Substance Abuse :: Drug Addiction Essays

substance Abuse Substance abuse is just one of the problems facing the United States today. Even though it seems like a big problem, it actually first started in the 1800’s when the first drugs were smuggled. This only began the never ending path of illegal drugs flowing through the U.S. In the 1950’s, a therapeutic drug was introduced called Phencyclidine (PCP), later nicknamed angle dust. Doctors soon found that the drug caused hallucinogenic side effects. It was then pulled. The drug soon reappeared in the sixties and seventies. They were made by amateur chemists for an illegal drug trade. People began to smoke, inhale it, or inject it. Effects included confusion, lack of coordination, slurred speech, and blurred vision. Physical effects include: increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, drooling, fever, and muscle rigidity. An overdose can result in a coma, brain hemorrhage, and heart failure. It has been steadily declining in the U.S. Another type of drug is crack, which is a form of smokeable cocaine. This has become a serious health problem. The problem is that it’s low cost makes it more accessible to people. I is also more damaging both physically and psychologically than cocaine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the result, people were trying to get as many drugs as they could. Many soon progressed to smuggling the drugs in. The number of drugs to be smuggled into the U.S has been increasing. The first known drug smugglers were the Chinese in 1870. They began smuggling opium in merchant ship cargo and baggage. By the 1970’s drug smuggling became more of a problem for the coast guards and seizures were made while engaged in other operations. The coast guards, between 1997 to the present, had seized 540,476 pounds of cocaine, 270,060 pound of marijuana. The major high intensity drug trafficking areas are Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, New York City, and the US/Mexico border. Not only did people smuggle drugs over sea, but they would smuggle it over borders. Many thought of outrageous ways to hide the drugs. Women would sew them in their bras; drugs would be stashed under hats, in shoes, in socks, etc. Anywhere you could possibly think, people thought of it. They wer e addicted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, and marijuana all cross into the U.C hidden among eighty-four million cars, two hundred and thirty two million people, and 2.8 million trucks estimated cross the 38 ports of entry spanning 200 miles.

Eliots The Waste Land and Maddys No Past, No Present, No Future :: Wasteland Maddy Eliot Essays

T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" and Yulisa Amadu Maddy's "No Past, No Present, No Future" Time and circumstance change everything. When we are young, the world is fresh, exciting, and pure. As people age, we begin to realize how corrupt the world is. Our old center, one based on trust, breaks down. Everyone in the world is looking out for their personal well-being, not the well-being of others. With this knowledge, people’s perspectives change. Rather than trusting every thing, we question the meaning and motive behind it. Our once happy, innocent world is now polluted and depressing. All things fall apart because the center cannot hold. It must change to accommodate life’s changes. T.S. Eliot and Yulisa Amadu Maddy are two authors who deal with this theory in their writings. Eliot published "The Waste Land" shortly after World War I. The horrific war drastically changed the mentality of the world. Thousands died. The living were left with endless questions: Why did so many die? Did the life of the deceased have any meaning? What is the meaning of any persons life? These questions prove that the center of society is changing. Not long before this period, people were content. They lived their lives day to day without questioning their actions. Now, they must second-guess everything, not just daily choices, but the entire reason that they must make such choices. The war to end all wars did not end the internal battles of it’s survivors. They are confused and helpless in the wasteland left by destruction. In No Past, No Present, No Future, Maddy proves it does not take a war for things to fall apart. His story is of three men who make some life changing mistakes. These circumstances are not as globally traumatic as a war. Still, they cause each character to question his every action, just as the war caused society to question every action. Their centers change as their ways of thinking change. Each person suffers through their own internal battles. Things begin to fall to pieces while their centers transform. Sex is the catalyst for all destruction. As children, we are oblivious to it. Our bodies have not reached full maturity. Therefore, we have no desire for sexual indulgence or experimentation. The Thrills of prepubescent life come from exploring surroundings. We play and develop our personalities and imaginations. The entire time, we are learning and growing physically and intellectually.

Land Degradation and Global Warming Essay

Our planet has experienced many changes in its climate from day 1 of creation up to the present. Today, we are faced with issues concerning global warming or the average increase of temperature of Earth’s atmosphere. What causes global warming leads researchers to identify natural conditions and manmade activities that cause this phenomenon (U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2008). Land degradation is being eyed as one of the contributing factors of global warming. By definition, it is the loss of the land productivity that could be permanently or temporarily (Stocking & Murnagham, 2000). Literature Review Land degradation has been a problem for a long time. Researches are done in order to find out the most applicable solution to the affected areas. Michael Stocking and Niamh Murnaghan, in 2000, had published â€Å"Land Degradation: Guidelines for Field Assessment. † This publication consists of 8 chapters. The authors have focus on the following areas: farmers’ perspective on land degradation, definition and causes, effects and consequences to land users, soil loss, effects to production, indicators of land degradation, and the benefits of conservation. Agencies such as the Canadian International Development Agency or CIDA, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the United Nations have promoted their awareness programs regarding land degradation and global warming. With the help of these agencies, people are gaining information about the effects of natural events and some human activities to the environment. Methodology This research is mainly based on information, researches, and readings from the Internet. I have chosen Web sites from reliable agencies such as U. S. EPA, CIDA, and the United Nations in order to acquire information about land degradation and global warming. Since the Internet is also known as the information superhighway, these agencies are successful in spreading their researches and making the public aware of the increasing effect of global warming to our environment. Data Analysis California is just one of the States that promotes rainforest conservation to lessen the effect of global warming by reducing emissions from deforestation and land degradation or REDD. REDD is an state-to-state sub-national agreement that aims to promote improved forest management practices and reforestation. The parties involved in this agreement have signed the Memorandum of Understanding on 18 November 2008. (Mongabay. com, 2008) In Canada, CIDA has led the promotion to reverse the effects of land degradation. CIDA works with the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification or UNCCD. CIDA’s efforts to reverse the effects include: tree planting, sustainable irrigation, and environmental monitoring among others. (Land Degradation, CIDA, 2008) Results The effects of land degradation to Earth’s climate were not observed immediately. Now, the effects of global warming are increasingly being noticed. We have experienced El Nino and La Nina and heard news about the melting of ice in the Arctic. The processes done to counteract the effects could also take longer time before we could see the results. Discussion When the soil lost its productivity due to land degradation, trees and plants could not thrive on it. Add to this phenomenon the continuous illegal logging and deforestation activities could lead to decreased numbers of planted trees and plants. When the number of planted trees and plants continue to lessen, few trees and plants could absorb carbon dioxide, the gas that contributes to global warming due to excessive production. Carbon dioxide traps heat. Too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to an abnormal increase in the temperature of the atmosphere, thus the occurrence of global warming. The common causes of land degradation are overgrazing, deforestation, and pollution. There is a human factor in these causes. We are responsible to what is happening in our climate now. As we wait for the results of the present actions concerning global warming. It’s best to help in our own simple ways on how to prevent land degradation. One is to help promote the advocacies of the concerned agencies. Conclusion Global warming is a reality. The effects of it are tremendous and detrimental. Should global warming continue to worsen, Earth and all its tenants are in grave danger. Public awareness of the effects of global warming is deemed necessary. We are the ones who have triggered the ignition of global warming. We should also be the ones to trigger the solution. Works Cited â€Å"California Joins Effort to Fight Global Warming by Saving Rainforests. † Mongabay. com. 19 November 2008. 25 November 2008 â€Å"Climate Change. † Canadian International Development Agency. 24 October 2008. 27 November 2008 â€Å"Climate Change. † U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2008. 27 November 2008 â€Å"Land Degradation. † Canadian International Development Agency. 23 July 2008. 25 November 2008 Stocking, M. & Niamh Murnagham. â€Å"Land Degradation: Guidelines for Field Assessment. † PLEC Databases. 2000. 25 November 2008