Urban Legends :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Urban Legends      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The subject of this report focuses on the phenomenon known as Urban Legend. Urban Legend, henceforth referred to as UL, is well known in the arena of folklore and other sorts of stories passed down through generations; however, it is relatively new to the world of literary composition as a legitimate genre to be analyzed and studied in texts by experts of literature. In fact, if it had to be labeled, UL would be considered a sub-genre of folklore by many of the experts. These stories are known as "modern oral folklore - typically a tall tale with a frisson of comeuppance of horror, related as having actually happened to a 'friend of a friend'" (Clute & Grant, 1997). UL is also considered to be very similar to myth and fantasy.    I originally became very interested in this phenomenon after seeing the film Urban Legend several years ago. My curiosity on the subject matter was rekindled when Stacey Burleson presented on "Legend" in our class. To be quite honest, I did not realize that UL was considered as being part of a genre of literature until Ms. Burleson's presentation. This newfound interest in the subject, as well as a desire to dig beyond the surface of the subject matter, is the reason I chose this topic. In doing this research, I realized that I have been participating in UL's every since I was a young boy. The simple fact that I never used the term "urban legend" is why I thought I was so unfamiliar with this subject area. During my childhood, my family and peers always referred to these legends as "campfire stories". It was not until college, when I saw the previously mentioned movie, that I associated the term with the countless stories I had heard and told to others.    According to Jan Harold Brunvand, considered by many to be the leading expert in the field of UL and fantasy folklore, UL's are "stories that are too good to be true. And are events that happen to a friend of a friend, or 'FOAF'."(Brunvand, 1999). Also, most of the time, the stories are told in such a believable manner because the storytellers themselves believe the story, or at least the probability that the actions in the stories could take place.

Perception of Time

We often brag about the technological and scientific developments of today's modern society and how we benefit from these advancements. The barriers that were once created because of the diversity in culture were brought down by the modern trend of globalization. Culture is society's main foundation that is deeply rooted in our native land. Culture is a broad term encompassing tradition, ways, and means of leaving, traits and values. Every individual belongs to a certain culture to which he has to fit his activity, values, and attributes. Everyone is raised within the confinements of his or her own culture and brought up by beliefs, traditions, values, and traits which conform to the standards set by the culture that has long been intact in our society. The line of conflict between humans with regards to their culture starts when what is culturally acceptable to us may not be acceptable to others. Even science that we used to think is universal and adheres to generally accepted human principles is predominated with the culture of the people from the western hemisphere (Bartholomew 36). Some behaviors that do not comply with the standards of a certain culture are often remarked as an abnormality or deviance. Thus, even though science applies universal scientific principles, it is never neutral in determining what is deviant or abnormal and what is not (Bartholomew 36). It can never really explain why some cultures do certain practices that are not culturally accepted in other countries. We used to separate behaviors and label them as normal, moral and legal. Other traits, practices and rituals that do not fit in what is accepted in our culture are recognized as otherwise. These activities reflect a person's prevailing norms, values, and beliefs that he adheres to at a particular time and place (Bartholomew 36). The psychological aspect that is responsible for the discrepancies in people's culture and how it affects our perception is cultural relativism. Cultural relativism is a theory of knowledge that is responsible for the person's judgment on what is deemed as acceptable. This judgment is anchored to his or her beliefs, values, and attitudes that are shaped by the culture he or she was accustomed to (Bartholomew 37). Hence, the culture of individuals influences their perception on things around them. They view things according to their existing beliefs and values. Time is also perceived differently in many cultures. Individuals see time differently today than the people in the past used to ages ago. Through the invention of time devices, the people of modern times are able to track time by the hour, by the minute, by the second, and even by the millisecond. Thus, the people’s perception of time molds them and their minds. The ancient people were only aware of the fundamental time—the night and day. They used to determine time by making interpretation of the celestial and heavenly bodies. Through the use of these methods, humans also acquired an understanding of the future. They perceived the future in terms of contingencies of cause and effect relationship. People were able to utilize their environment to develop a perception of time. Their ancient clocks and calendars were the daily motion of the sun and moon, as well as the season changes (Falk n. ). In 1895, H. G. Wells' book, The Time Machine, was made available for the public. Wells' fiction novel opens to people the possibility of traveling through time. The idea seemed impossible, but well-known Albert Einstein explained that attaining the ability or means to travel to the future or to the past is not improbable (Gott 8). Einstein proposed his theory special relativity in 1905, describing the possibility of time travel based on the descr iption of how time is measured differently by moving and still observers. It is further strengthened by his mathematics professor Hermann Minowski, looking at time mathematically as the fourth dimension (Gott 8). With all the psychological differences explained by cultural relativism, the different perception of time in each culture and society, and the possibility to travel through time, a clear, if not precise, definition of perception of time can be attained. 2. 0 Sources Edwin A. Abbot in Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions provides an overview of a two-dimensional world and guides his readers through some of the implications of life in two dimensions. Meanwhile, Robert Bartholomew, in his article â€Å"Borderlands: Deviance, Psychiatry and Cultural Relativism,† explores the problem with cultural relativism, basically defined as the principle in which the belief of an individual is analyzed and interpreted in relation to the individual's own culture. Ray Bradbury in â€Å"A Sound of Thunder† warns us that traveling to the past can be dangerous. Antonio Damasio, in his article â€Å"Remembering When† explains the concept of mind time. Dan Falk's â€Å"Past, Present, Future PERCEPTIONS OF TIME THROUGH THE AGES† presents differences in perceiving time through different ages. Richard J. Gott, in his book Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time, discusses applications of time machine, wherein time travel is possible and how time travel can be explained in terms of physics and quantum mechanics. Dorinne K. Kondo in her article â€Å"On Being a Conceptual Anomaly† presents her experiences as a Japanese American woman. Robert Levine in A Geography of Time: The Temporal Misadventures of a Social Psychologist analyzes what it means to live beyond time or by time event. Richard E. Nisbett in his book The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently†¦ and Why confronts conjectures of well-known philosophers with a different take on human thought influenced by cultural ideologies and principles. The videotaped program Only Human presents few experiments which were created to learn various aspects of human behavior. The book How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Ag e by Theodore Schick, Jr. and Lewis Vaughn provides strange assertions and ideas abound in culture to illustrate the rational assessment of any claim. Finally, the videotaped program Time Travel shows that space is curved, time is relative, and time travel is theoretically possible. 3. 0 Results People live by the underlying rules and principles in the society where they belong. They adhere to the maxims and dogmas that have long been in existence. They pattern their everyday life according to these unwritten rules that governing the society. To conform to the traditional beliefs and values is to live harmoniously with the other people. People coexist in a society that must adapt and do what is culturally accepted to avoid being ostracized by the general public. . 1 Perception As mentioned earlier, cultural relativism explains the people's differences in perception. People’s judgment differs from one another because they pattern things according to their cultural preferences. If something fits their criteria as prescribed by their culture, then it is acceptable for them. Standards set by culture create cultural diversity in the world. According to Richard Nisbett, Westerners and East Asians looked at things differently resulting in dissimilarities in understanding. This is due to the difference in environment, social structures, philosophies, and educational background. In addition, it was discovered that Asian thought is holistic or a functional relationship of parts and the whole. They do not much rely on formal logic or categories. In comparison to the Westerners, people from the west mostly rely on formal logic to understand their behavior. In Dorinne Kondo’s article, â€Å"On Being a Conceptual Anomaly†, she relays her experiences upon conducting a research in Japan. She was raised as an American so she had a difficult time adjusting herself on the ways of living in Japan. This is because the Japanese perceive White people as different and offensive (Kondo 524). During the course of her stay in Japan, she had to learn their traditions, values, and most of all, their practices to be able to cope up with the new environment she was in. There came a point when she saw herself differently, not as the observer on the immersion she was doing but as part of the participants in her research. There is an existing dilemma brought by cultural relativism especially in the field of mental health. Psychiatry is a branch of psychological science that deals with human behavior. Through psychiatry, we are able to find out if we have acquired any psychological disorders. Basis on the diagnoses on such behavioral disorders is human behavior only without in-depth consideration of the underlying social, cultural, and political circumstances that brought up such behavior (Bartholomew 38). Examining closely the behavior of people's conformity to a group is discovering the power and influence of the majority in a certain society (Only Human n. p) Psychiatry can be considered as the most debatable branch of medicine. There is a necessary clarification on the term mental illness. â€Å"Illness† denotes an impairment or injury on any body's part. People who were diagnosed with mental illness do not have any injury, but only suffering living difficulties (Bartholomew 38). Based from the ideas discussed by Nisbett and Kondo, an American may experience difficulty adapting to an environment different from his usual environment and therefore may be tagged as mentally ill by the Japanese, or it could be the other way around. This just shows that there is an existing conflict brought about by cultural relativism. Due to the diversity of culture, there is no strong fundamental basis on what is a behavioral disorder. 3. 2 Time In a world where time is considered as a necessity while many of us try to squeeze in the tasks that we have to accomplish with the little time that we have, it is fascinating, and at the same time important, to learn how time was viewed and used through the course of human civilization. Across the centuries, humans have looked and treated time differently the way their ancestors used to perceive time. At present, there is an international standard of telling time and it is universal, for every nation adheres to that standard. Due to the rotation of the earth, people experience differences in time—when it is day in the east, it is nighttime in the west. Humans have developed a biological clock or circadian rhythm based on the daily activities and lifestyle of a person. This clock is located in the hypothalamus of one's brain. This is responsible for how a person’s body perceives time. For instance, it is nighttime in his or her biological clock if he or she feels tired and sleepy (Damasio 36). When the region of the brain that is highly important for learning and recalling new information is damaged, a major disturbance occurs in a person’s innate ability to place events in a chronological sequence. This is what happens to amnesiacs or people suffering from amnesia. They lose the ability to estimate the passage of time in different scales (Damasio 36). Amnesia is a permanent damage on the brain's hippocampus, a part of the brain essential to memory, and the temporal lobe, a region of the brain that serves as a two-way communication with the rest of the cerebral cortex. Damage in the hippocampus hinders the creation of new memories. Patients with an impaired hippocampus are known to have anterograde amnesia. They are unable to hold factual memories for longer than one minute. On the other hand, the amnesiacs that are unable to retrieve long-term memories are diagnosed with retrograde amnesia, which is characterized by an impaired in temporal lobe (Damasio 36). Amnesiacs do not have awareness of the correct time, which makes it difficult for them to place events in the right chronological order and store new factual memories. This deficiency greatly affects their way of living and their social interaction. The idea of time travel has not escape the imaginative minds of people. In 1895, H. G. Wells published the book The Time Machine, which opened the idea of time travel to the public. The proposition seemed so impossible but the physicist Einstein attempted to explain the possibility of such phenomenon through physics (Gott 8). In 1905, Einstein developed his theory of special relativity and explained how time is measured differently by still and moving objects. Einstein's mathematics professor Hermann Minowski expanded his theory and told that time could be treated mathematically as the universe's fourth dimension (Gott 8). If their proposition is correct, their theory would allow humans to travel back in time or go forth to the future. However, Ray Bradbury stated the dangers of time travel to the past and the possible effects to the present once the course of history is altered. Hence, the events that happened in the past cannot be touched for it will greatly affect the current circumstances. 3. 3 Perception of Time. Time is treated also differently in every culture. The differences in perception of things could be attributed to the cultural relativism aforementioned. Awareness of time is very important to humans. Today, we are paid by the hour and our daily routines are based on time. Our early ancestors utilized everything that can be found in their environment to be able to tell time. They used the daily motions of the moon and sun. Assuming an unconventional movement of the celestial bodies resulted in certain phenomena, they were able to perceive the future through a cause-and-effect relationship (Falk n. p). For example, the Babylonians had their way of foretelling events by means of hepatoscopy, which involves sacrificing a liver. They believed that through this ritual, the gods allow them to foresee the future (Schick and Vaughn 97). Different cultures developed various methods and devices to determine time. For instance, the Romans developed the calendar, which was by Pope Gregory XIII. The perception of time could also be considered necessary in one's cultural requirements. This is evident in the empires established in Latin America. These empires dictated how to regulate time in order to fix civil, agricultural, and religious dates. On the other hand, Muslims, maintain strict daily routine of timely prayers to keep track of time (Falk n. p). Today, we treat time as inanimate, passing in a constant rate. We are all considered as slaves of time. We can never hasten up or slow down the passage of time. However, this was not the case for the Maya, as time is organic for them. According to the Mayas, time can be stretched, shrunk, or even overpowered by human activity. In fact, many cultures perceived time as organic in nature. In these cultures, time was told through human activities and not through the constraints of a clock or a calendar (Falk n. ). 4. 0 Discussion In light of the findings provided by the sources, the existence of various traditions, beliefs, and values anchored to their culture has created a disparity in people’s perception. People act in accordance to their culture and society where they live. Behavior and action against the prevailing norms will be perceived by other people as a deviatio n or as a mental illness. This disparity in perception of right and wrong could be attributed to cultural relativism, or the difference in cultural beliefs and values. Throughout history, people have developed their perception of time. Our ancestors used conventional tools and devices to be able to tell time. Through the use of astrological components, they were able to acquire an understanding of the future events through cause-and-effect relationship by connecting a certain lunar or solar manifestation that resulted in certain events. Perception of time greatly depends on the brain’s functioning. An impairment of certain regions of the brain responsible for holding and storing memories and sequencing events in a chronological order deeply affects an individual’s perception of time. An example of this brain disorder is amnesia. Amnesiacs have an incorrect perception of time due to their ailment. The idea of time travel that seems unworkable was made theoretically possible by Einstein. In his theory of special relativity, he explained that the treating time as the universe's fourth dimension can make time travel possible. Still, there are dangers in traveling back to the past because it may alter the course of events and the present situations. There is no universal perception of time. Time is perceived differently in various cultures. Some culture perceive it as inanimate, others treat it as organic that can be controlled by human activity.

Family Values Are Not Contradictory to Personal Choice as Well as Self-Fulfillment Essay

With the collapse of the traditional family mode and the accelerated development of the capitalist world, the world has changed significantly. According to John Dewey, â€Å"The significant thing is that the loyalties which once held individuals, which gave them support, direction, and unity of outlook on life, have well-nigh disappeared† (Individualism—Old and New, 1962). And the situation remains the same in the 21st century. There has been more flexibility on lifestyle and people are no longer under the pressure—or under less pressure –of forming a family. Some people choose to devote their whole self to what they want to do, claiming that carrying out family values will prevent themselves from choosing what they really want and affect the process of realizing self-fulfillment. There has been a heated debate on whether family values are contradictory to personal choice as well as self-fulfillment. This essay will consider arguments in support of family values conflicting personal choice as well as self-fulfillment, and then point out the problems of these statements. It will set forth reasons why family values are not contradictory to personal choice as well as self-fulfillment. Many people claim that people are not free to make personal choice because of family values, especially in a society dominated by Confucius culture, where several generations live together and filial piety as well as blood relationship is appreciated; however, this is not true. In Confucius culture, rather than love relationships between couples, much weight is put on the affection between family members. As Lin Yutang said in â€Å"The Chinese family ideal†, this affection contributes to a feeling of obligation which amounts to a deeply religious attitude. This leads some people to suspect that family members may have to sacrifice their own opportunities or even personal life for the advantage of the whole family, which negatively affects their pursuit of self-actualization. Generally speaking, this statement is true. Nevertheless, it is insufficient in the sense that it ignores the implications of affection between family members and wrongly interprets Confucius family mode. Chinese philosophers make the passion between husband and wife the very basis of a normal human life so much that they regard it as the very foundation of all normal human life (Lin Yutang, 1937). Besides, Confucius culture starts out with a belief that man exists as a member of family unit and no one exists completely alone. So, by emphasizing the affection between family members, Confucius culture regards one’s achievement the glory of his own and at the same time the glory of his family. In other words, the whole family will stand out if one member needs help, which means it is possible to facilitate his chase of self-fulfillment with the resource from the whole family. It can be inferred that with family values, how much easier it is for one to fulfill himself once he makes the decision. Family values play an important role in facilitating one’s pursuit of self-fulfillment, especially in a family appreciating Confucius culture. It has been argued by some that one evidence showing how family values are against personal choice as well as self-fulfillment is the unattainable balance between career and family; yet this statement is problematic. With the accelerated pace of city life in modern society, many people have failed to maintain a job and a family at the same time. And in most of the follow-up of these cases, men turn to career and have to spend little time with family members while women sacrifice their career to stay at home and look after the whole family, and more and more young people turn to a personal choice of remaining single in the name of pursuing self-fulfillment, instead of celebrating family values by marrying a spouse and having children as what people did in the old days. However, although the dilemma of modern citizens does exist, the statement above is no longer correct, for it is the result of misunderstanding. As Immanuel Kant introduced in his philosophical system, freedom is not about doing what we want according to instinct, but about realizing our free will by controlling our instincts. Therefore, family values are not to blame for restraining our choices as we are not free to our choices in the first place. People should face the fact that their time is limited and be aware of their unlimited choice of way of self-fulfillment. This means, to work for long hours to support the family is an admirable method to value the family and fulfill themselves as well. From my point of view, family values and personal choice as well as self-fulfillment are so tightly connected with each other that we cannot even separate them. Self-fulfillment is realized through a series of personal choices, and personal choice depends heavily on the influence of family values. Because the personal choice one makes is never fully personal. It is affected by numerous external factors, for example, the economic and political environment, the inter-person relationship as well as the mainstream values, and he justifies and weighs these factors using his beliefs which are influenced by his family values. On top of this, whatever the social environment and cultural background, the universal family values contain the concepts of flexibility, communication, compromise and unconditional love. Healthy family values are intended to make the family a positive and supportive place for members, facilitating their personal choices as well as self-fulfillment. After analyzing the arguments presented here for both sides of this question, it can be contended that family values are not contradictory to personal choice as well as self-fulfillment. People’s belief for family values can be a strong support for one to realize his ambitions in the sense that the whole family will be his backing. And one’s pursuing for self-fulfillment can be another admirable way to celebrate family values. Family values, personal choice as well as self-fulfillment are actually interactive factors positively affecting each other.

Free Essays on Geographical Information Systems

Geographical Information Systems What Is a GIS? A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer-based tool for mapping and analyzing things that exist and events that happen on earth. GIS technology integrates, via the Internet, common database operations such as query and statistical analysis with the unique visualization and geographic analysis benefits offered by maps. These abilities distinguish GIS from other information systems and make it valuable to a wide range of public and private enterprises for explaining events, predicting outcomes, and planning strategies. This would be a very tedious and slow process without the speed and efficiency of the Internet. The Internet allows huge global companies to maintain a single database that can be accessed from branches around the world and maintained locally free from manipulation. The major challenges we face in the world todayoverpopulation, pollution, deforestation, and natural disasters have a critical geographic dimension. Whether siting a new business, finding the best soil for growing bananas, or figuring out the best route for an emergency vehicle, local problems also have a geographical component. With the use of the Internet, companies will have the power to create maps, integrate information, visualize scenarios, solve complicated problems, present powerful ideas, and develop effective solutions like never before. GIS is a tool used by individuals and organizations, schools, governments, and businesses seeking innovative ways to solve their problems. Mapmaking and geographic analysis are not new, but a GIS performs these tasks better and faster than do the old manual methods. And, before Internet technology, only a few people had the skills necessary to use geographic information to help with decision-making and problem solving. Today, GIS is a multibillion-dollar industry employing hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. GIS is taught in schools, colleg... Free Essays on Geographical Information Systems Free Essays on Geographical Information Systems Geographical Information Systems What Is a GIS? A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer-based tool for mapping and analyzing things that exist and events that happen on earth. GIS technology integrates, via the Internet, common database operations such as query and statistical analysis with the unique visualization and geographic analysis benefits offered by maps. These abilities distinguish GIS from other information systems and make it valuable to a wide range of public and private enterprises for explaining events, predicting outcomes, and planning strategies. This would be a very tedious and slow process without the speed and efficiency of the Internet. The Internet allows huge global companies to maintain a single database that can be accessed from branches around the world and maintained locally free from manipulation. The major challenges we face in the world todayoverpopulation, pollution, deforestation, and natural disasters have a critical geographic dimension. Whether siting a new business, finding the best soil for growing bananas, or figuring out the best route for an emergency vehicle, local problems also have a geographical component. With the use of the Internet, companies will have the power to create maps, integrate information, visualize scenarios, solve complicated problems, present powerful ideas, and develop effective solutions like never before. GIS is a tool used by individuals and organizations, schools, governments, and businesses seeking innovative ways to solve their problems. Mapmaking and geographic analysis are not new, but a GIS performs these tasks better and faster than do the old manual methods. And, before Internet technology, only a few people had the skills necessary to use geographic information to help with decision-making and problem solving. Today, GIS is a multibillion-dollar industry employing hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. GIS is taught in schools, colleg...

Alactraz essays

Alactraz essays Imagine yourself existing in a dirty, smelly, cold prison cell that has water dripping down the walls from the ceiling and hardly ever seeing daylight. If you were a guest at Alcatraz, that is exactly what you would experience. Alcatraz was a Federal Prison located in the San Francisco Bay. It was built on a twelve acre, solid rock island, one mile from the main land. There were no roads or bridges built to get there. The only access was by boat. The name Alcatraz means Pelican or strange bird. The reason it was named that was because when it was being built it had a lot of strange birds on it. It was built in 1933 as a federal maximum security prison. But prior to Alcatraz being built it had been a military prison and before that an Indian Reservation. There have been several famous inmates who served time at Alcatraz. A short list would include Al Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Robert "Birdman" Stroud. Al Capone was convicted of mass murder after ordering his gang of mobsters to gun down 9 members of a rival mobster family execution style. It was said to be the most brutal mass murder in history. He was held at Cook County Jail in Chicago until arrangements could be made for his transfer to Atlanta. On May 4, 1932 he started his prison sentence there. It was not until August of 1934 that he was transferred to Alcatraz. He spent 4 1/2 years there. It wasnt an easy time for "Big Al". He got in a fight with another prisoner and was put in isolation for eight days. He was also stabbed with a pair of shears while he was getting his hair cut. After being diagnosed with a terminal disease in 1938, he was transferred to Terminal Island Prison in Southern California to serve out the remainder of his sentence. He was released in November of 1939 and died in his Palm Beach Mansion on January 25, 1947. George "Machine Gun" Kelly got his name by waving around a machine gun, threatening to blow everybodys he ...

Fake US Soldiers Robbing Women Online

Fake US Soldiers Robbing Women Online The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) warns that women in the U.S. and around the world are being scammed by persons pretending to be U.S. soldiers deployed in war zones. CID warns that these fake soldiers promises of love and devotion only  Ã¢â‚¬Å"end up breaking hearts and bank accounts.† According to CID, the pretend heroes sink so low as to be using the names, ranks and even pictures of actual U.S. soldiers - some killed in action to target women 30 to 55 years old on social media and dating web sites. We cannot stress enough that people need to stop sending money to persons they meet on the internet and claim to be in the U.S. military, said Chris Grey, Army CIDs spokesman in a press release. It is heartbreaking to hear these stories over and again of people who have sent thousands of dollars to someone they have never met and sometimes have never even spoken to on the phone. According to Grey, the scams typically employ clever, romantically worded requests for money to help the fake â€Å"deployed soldier† buy special laptop computers, international telephones, military leave applications, and transportation fees needed to keep the budding â€Å"relationship† going. Weve even seen instances where the perpetrators are asking the victims for money to purchase leave papers from the Army, help pay for medical expenses from combat wounds received, or help pay for their flight home so they can leave the war zone, said Grey. Victims who get worried and ask to actually talk to the fake soldiers are typically told the Army does not allow them to make phone calls or that they need money to help keep the Army internet running. Another common thread, according to Grey is for the soldier to claim to be a widower raising a child or children on their own. These perpetrators, often from other countries, most notably from West African countries are good at what they do and quite familiar with American culture, but the claims about the Army and its regulations are ridiculous, said Grey. Report Them All forms of financial fraud, which is exactly what these fake, love for money soldiers are trying to pull, can now be reported through the StopFraud.gov website Military Leave is Always Earned, Never Bought No branch of the U.S. military charges service members money for permission to take leave. Leave is earned, not purchased. As the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command recommends: Never Send Money - Be extremely suspicious if you are asked for money for transportation costs, communication fees or marriage processing and medical fees. In addition, be very suspicious if the person you are corresponding with wants you to mail anything to an African country. Where to Turn Them In If you suspect or know you have been victimized by a fake soldier scammer, you can report the incident to the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Out of a concern for the safety and privacy of their servicemembers, all branches of the U.S. military have removed their web-based, online personnel locator services. Scams Targeting Veterans, Military Personnel, and Retirees In another despicable outgrowth of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the IRS warns of email phishing scams targeting veterans, current military personnel, and retirees receiving VA disability benefits. The emails falsely claim that individuals currently receiving disability compensation from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) may be eligible to obtain additional funds from the IRS. The emails come from a bogus outfit calling itself Defense Finance and Accounting Services, and while the email address ends with a â€Å".mil† domain, it is not a legitimate government military email address. The email promises the victims that by sending copies of their VA award letters, income tax returns, 1099-Rs, Retiree Account Statements, and DD-214s to a colonel at an address in Florida, they can receive additional money from the IRS. Of course, as the IRS points out, they cannot and will not. In fact, by giving the non-existent â€Å"colonel† the personal financial information shown on the requested documents, the victims could face financial disaster. To avoid falling victim to this or similar scams, the IRS reminders taxpayers to watch out for the following: Fictitious claims for refunds or rebates based on false statements of entitlement to tax creditsEmails from unfamiliar senders asking for personal informationInternet solicitation that direct individuals to toll-free numbers and then solicit Social Security numbers or other personal information The IRS never contacts taxpayers by email. The IRS initiates most contacts with taxpayers through regular mail delivered by the United States Postal Service.

Legalizing Euthanasia Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legalizing Euthanasia - Article Example From the discussion euthanasia has been regarded as that which promotes dignified deaths for patients and that protects patients from unnecessary suffering and pain. The practice has been found to be one that though inexpensive, it gives so much power to healthcare givers, fails to respect the sacredness of life, and patients’ right to live, reduces the effectiveness of palliative care, increases the number of involuntary and non voluntary euthanasia and demoralises healthcare givers from providing quality end of life care to terminally ill patients. The arguments against this practice are definitely more and stronger than those in support of the practice. This paper has strongly put the stand that euthanasia should not be legalized and that palliative care is the most efficient and ethically appropriate way of reducing suffering and pain in terminally sick patients. Legalizing Euthanasia Introduction Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, is defined as the act of intentionall y taking away the life of another human being with an aim of reducing the pain and suffering of that person (Larson, 2004). The practice of euthanasia is one that has escalated a lot of debates not just in America, but in other parts of the world as well with different groups and persons arguing for and against the practice. As the debates increases, some of the regions and states such as Oregon have gone ahead to legalize the practice of euthanasia with some others strongly opposing its legalization. This paper provides my views on the legalization of euthanasia, an act which I strongly oppose. Argument The word euthanasia is a Greek word for the phrase ‘good death’. With this, the practice has always been viewed by some as that which ends the suffering and pain of a patient and that which brings him relief as a result (Larson, 2004).However, this is not necessarily the case. The practice has been attributed to a number of benefits. I believe these benefits, however, c annot in any way be used to justify its legalization putting into consideration that some of them are still questionable. One of the key reasons that supporters of euthanasia give for supporting the act is that the practice allows the patient to die a dignified death. According to these supporters, giving a dignified death to the patient is better than leaving them to suffer in pain for an unknown period of time. This argument is, however, not sufficient to support the legalization of euthanasia. Palliative care serves the role of ensuring that patients are able to comfortably and peacefully live during the last days of their lives. In this case, palliative care can be said to be an effective way through which pain and suffering can be reduced to the lowest possible levels. The provision of good end of life care according to Foley & Hendin, (2002) is a better choice over euthanasia. Almost every form of pain can be decreased through medication and other forms of care, hence, mercy k illing should not an only means to reducing pain in patients. This view is further supported by the American Medical Association (AMA) which strongly stands in opposition to mercy killing. According to this body, it is evident that there is need for all patients to receive quality end of life care but not to have them undergo euthanasia. According to the AMA, nurses and other healthcare givers play the significant role of treating and keeping people alive. Going against that commitment to save life by taking away life questions their integrity and breaks patient- doctor trust. AMA strongly believes that giving alternative care and treatment during the last years of a patient’s life will be a good way of reducing the need for euthanasia, a reason why they introduced