Thursday, May 21, 2020

The Truth Behind Those Megalodon Documentaries

What can you say about a TV documentary in which the suspiciously good-looking lead protagonist--marine biologist Collin Drake—comes up empty in a Google search? Or, for that matter, his equally attractive marine biologist pal Madelyn Joubert, who joins him halfway through the show, and whom a cursory web search easily demonstrates not to exist? And, not to belabor the point, a TV show that starts with suspiciously staged-looking video footage of a charter boat capsizing off the coast of South Africa, and no references can be found about this accident (in which three passengers were supposedly killed) from reliable online news sources? I dont know much about charter boats, but I do know that people whose ship is in the process of sinking do not take the trouble to center their subjects on frame. (See also 10 Things Megalodon Could Swallow Whole, a review of Megalodon: The New Evidence, and an article explaining why there are no giant sharks alive today.) Welcome to the world of the Discovery Channel and its inaugural Shark Week special, Megalodon - The Monster Shark Lives, which first aired on Sunday, August 4, 2013.  I usually steer well clear of Discovery programming, but since I know more about Megalodon than the average person (see my articles 10 Facts About Megalodon and Megalodon vs. Leviathan - Who Wins?) I felt compelled to tune in. Im shocked that a major TV channel with a supposedly educational purview can get away with this drivel, in which Collin Drake (whoever he is in real life) pursues his theory that that charter boat was rammed by a living Megalodon. Were taken through various pieces of evidence--sonar sightings, Nazi-era photographs, whale carcasses washed up on the beach--but if Discovery is brazen enough to manufacture its talking heads out of whole cloth, what is the point of assessing the reliability of these details? I dont want to get into a debate about whether real, live Megalodon sharks are prowling the shores of southern Africa--after all, its impossible to prove a negative, and people will believe what they want to believe. On first airing, I was also willing to entertain the teensiest bit of doubt that Collin Drake and Madelyn Joubert were who they said they were (though they certainly looked, acted and talked unlike any scientists Ive ever met in real life, a judgment confirmed when it was later revealed that Collin Drake was actually played by a third-string Australian soap actor.) But I am saddened by the prospect that millions of unsuspecting people allow themselves to be educated by the Discovery Channel, which apparently cant stoop low enough to procure its ratings, and doesnt care how many schoolkids it misinforms in the process. Say what you will about Megalodon, but it couldnt help being a soulless, uncaring killing machine--youd think someone at the supposedly more evolved Discov ery Channel would have a conscience! (Apparently unashamed by the critical backlash against Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives, Discovery aired an even more egregious sequel, Megalodon: The New Evidence, in July 2014, about which you can read in Megalodon: The New Evidence - Dont Believe Everything You See.)

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Analysis Of `` Family Strong `` Approved And Paid For By...

In the political ad titled â€Å"Family Strong† approved and paid for by Hilary Clinton, Clinton is shown as a strong female leader that is very involved with not only her family but the wellness of all people. Throughout the advertisement Clinton is shown speaking about why family values matter in politics. Hilary Clinton skillfully uses plenty of rhetoric via pathos, ethos, logos, and kairos to captivate her audience. Clinton shows the audience her empowering leadership and delicate motherly grace that the nation craves. The question potential voters are inquiring: Is Hilary Clinton the right candidate for president? The advertisement successfully depicts Clinton as the right candidate to become the next President of The United States. Pathos was used to engage the audience’s emotions and hook the reader in to the subject. Hilary Clinton’s advertisement successfully portrays the use of pathos by talking about the hardships her mother went through as a child, one being that her mother was abandoned and mistreated at eight years old. Clinton’s use of pathos instilled sympathy, empowerment, and encouragement into the brains and hearts of the audience. This key rhetorical technique encouraged the audience to feel that although she was abandoned, Hilary’s mother still taught her to fight for what she believes in. As Hilary Clinton stated, â€Å"My moms life, and what she went through are big reasons why standing up for kids and families became such a big part of my life.† (Clinton).Show MoreRelatedFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesDesign Senior Media Editor Senior Photo Editor Production Management Cover Design Cover Credit George Hoffman Lise Johnson Sarah Vernon Amy Scholz Laura Finley Dorothy Sinclair Sandra Dumas Susan McLaughlin Kevin Murphy Laura Ierardi Allison Morris Hilary Newman mb editorial services David Levy  ©Michael Eudenbach/Getty Images, Inc. This book was set in 10/12 ITC Legacy Serif Book by Aptaracorp, Inc. and printed and bound by Courier/Kendallville. The cover was printed by Courier/Kendallville. ThisRead MoreHuman Resources Management150900 Words   |  604 Pagesmost of the fastest-growing occupations percentagewise are related to information technology or health care. The increase in the technology jobs is due to the rapid increase in the use of information technology, such as databases, system design and analysis, and desktop publishing. The health care jobs are growing as a result of the aging of the U.S. population and workforce, a factor discussed later. Chapter 1 Changing Nature of Human Resource Management 5 FIGURE 1—1 The 10 Occupations with

Evil Doers or Evil Genes Free Essays

Antisocial personality disorder s a mental health condition In which a person has a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others. This behavior Is often criminal. Like all personality disorders, antisocial personality disorder Is a deeply Ingrained and enduring behavior pattern, manifesting as an Inflexible response to a broad range of personal and social situations This behavior represents an extreme or significant deviation from the way In which the average Individual In a given culture relates to others. We will write a custom essay sample on Evil Doers or Evil Genes or any similar topic only for you Order Now This behavior pattern tends to be stable. It may not cause sub]ectlve distress, but does cause problems In social performance. Individuals with antisocial personality disorder often are divorced, have alcohol/drug abuse, anxiety, depression, unemployment, homelessness, and criminal behavior. However, some Individuals with this disorder rise to high posltlons of power In society by becoming masters ot manipulation and deceit. In childhood, these individuals usually have oppositional defiant disorder, towards parents and eachers which develops into conduct delinquency in adolescence. This delinquency takes the torm ot reckless thrill-seeking, physical violence towards people or animals, and law-breaking. Most adolescent delinquents grow out ot this behavior as they enter adulthood. However, those that increase their delinquent behavior as they enter adulthood have their diagnosis changed from conduct disorder to antisocial personality disorder. In adulthood, these individuals become more antagonistic. They show an exaggerated sense of self-importance, insensitivity towards the feelings and eeds of others, and callous exploitation of others. Their increased manipulativeness, callousness, deceitfulness, and hostility repeatedly puts them at odds with other people An individual diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder needs to meet the following criteria, Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest. Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure. Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead. Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults. Reckless disregard for safety of self or others. Consistent Irresponsibility, as Indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations Lack of remorse, as Indicated by being Indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another. Three percent of the population, or about 8,100,000 individuals In the united states have antisocial personality disorder. The National comorbldlty survey, which used DSM-III-R criteria, found that 5. 8% of males and 1 . 29t of females showed evidence of a Ilfetlme risk for the disorder. Prevalence estimates wlthln cllnlcal settings have varied from 39t to 30%, depending on the predominant characteristics of the populations being sampled. About ot men and ot women in the population have this disorder. Although in later adulthood, the more outward and aggressive symptoms ot ASPD may diminish and the person remain, thereby affecting the individual’s role in society as well as all those who come n contact with him/her. The disorder tends to occur more often in men than in women, and in people whose predominant role model had antisocial features. The incidence of antisocial personality is higher in people who have an antisocial biological parent, parents with histories of drug and/or alcohol abuse and who physically and/or emotionally abused the individual during childhood. Abandonment may have been an issue for the person with ASPD Antisocial personality disorder is probably caused by a combination of factors. Having any of these characteristics oes not necessarily mean that a person has antisocial personality disorder. Influences from the environment can impact the onset of this disorder. A chaotic family life contributes to the development of this personality disorder, especially where there has been little supervision from parents or other adult role models. The disorder also may be more common where the community is not supportive or provides little reward for positive behavior. Genetic or biological factors. Researchers have found certain physiological responses that may occur more frequently in people ith antisocial personality disorder. For example, they have a comparatively flat response to stress. They seem to get less anxious than the average person. Some researchers have found changes in the volume of brain structures that mediate violent behavior. People with this kind of brain function may thus have more difficulty restraining their impulses, which may account for the tendency toward more aggressive behavior. Neurobiologists cannot say with certainty that these variations in brain structure are a cause of antisocial personality. The variations could easily be he result of life experiences that are more common in people with this personality disorder rather than a cause. The cause of this disorder is unknown however, genetics and environmental factors influence its development. I believe that personality makes each individual special and consists of thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Personality is forged during childhood via the interplay of genetics and environmental factors. Problems with inherited genetics or the early environment, such as significant exposure to abuse and/or violence, make it more likely that a ersonality disorder such as ASPD will develop. Therefore, I believe in order to understand the cause of ASPD, both genetics and the environment need to be explored. Dr. Martha Stout, in her book, â€Å"The Sociopath Next Door,† explains that a genetic predisposition for sociopath may already present at birth for some people. Determinations regarding how this increased risk for ASPD become expressed come from an individual’s life experiences. We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals, but in The Sociopath Next Door, Harvard psychologist Martha Stout eveals that a shocking 4 percent of ordinary people†one in twenty-five†has an often undetected mental disorder, the chief symptom of which is that that person possesses no conscience. How to cite Evil Doers or Evil Genes, Papers