Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Review of “Bowling for Columbine”
Evaluation criteria
"Bowling for Columbine" is a documentary film so i want to set my evaluating criteria as follows
- accuracy of the historical events
- strength of social problem
- the film's ability to touch audiences
- expert's evaluation
- educational effects
- logical development of story
- messages that it gives us
Review
“Bowling for Columbine” treated some accurate historic events about gun and violence in American society. We can encounter these kinds of events anywhere especially in America. For this reasons, many people can sympathize with the movie. I think this movie reflects well our thinking, acting, and life.
This movie also tells us that every year about 11,127 people die in America because of firearms. The number of victims is extremely high compared to other countries and most of them are ordinary people. This statistic suggests that everyone is vulnerable and this country is very fearful. What does it mean? Michael Moore may want to give audience some strong massages that you also can be a victim of firearms. As a result, he may insist that they need to take a certain steps to counter gun and violence.
At the beginning of this films, Michael Moore visit and get a gun from a bank, which gives a gun if someone deposits some money at the bank. At this scene, he asked a guy who might be a bank clerk.” I have a first question. Can I have a gun in a bank?” He evidently want to make sarcastic remarks. And then, he visits a weapon manufacturing company in Denver,the city where the Columbine High school is located. And he tries to reveal some relationships between environment and violence. He also interviews some people. Through these interviews, he tries to inform us that the US is plagued by gun-related circumstances.
Actually, I didn’t like documentary films because most of them, which I have seen, are too boring. But “Bowling for Columbine” was absolutely not. I can hardly believe it is documentary film; it contained additional factors that general movies have such as pleasure, rage, sorrow, and joy. After I saw the movie, I could understand why some experts give it high praise. Moreover, I strongly believe that its role was ample to make policy-makers amend gun- and violence- related policy and regulations. I like this movie and Michael Moore. From today I am a fan of Michael Moore.
"Bowling for Columbine" is a documentary film so i want to set my evaluating criteria as follows
- accuracy of the historical events
- strength of social problem
- the film's ability to touch audiences
- expert's evaluation
- educational effects
- logical development of story
- messages that it gives us
Review
“Bowling for Columbine” treated some accurate historic events about gun and violence in American society. We can encounter these kinds of events anywhere especially in America. For this reasons, many people can sympathize with the movie. I think this movie reflects well our thinking, acting, and life.
This movie also tells us that every year about 11,127 people die in America because of firearms. The number of victims is extremely high compared to other countries and most of them are ordinary people. This statistic suggests that everyone is vulnerable and this country is very fearful. What does it mean? Michael Moore may want to give audience some strong massages that you also can be a victim of firearms. As a result, he may insist that they need to take a certain steps to counter gun and violence.
At the beginning of this films, Michael Moore visit and get a gun from a bank, which gives a gun if someone deposits some money at the bank. At this scene, he asked a guy who might be a bank clerk.” I have a first question. Can I have a gun in a bank?” He evidently want to make sarcastic remarks. And then, he visits a weapon manufacturing company in Denver,the city where the Columbine High school is located. And he tries to reveal some relationships between environment and violence. He also interviews some people. Through these interviews, he tries to inform us that the US is plagued by gun-related circumstances.
Actually, I didn’t like documentary films because most of them, which I have seen, are too boring. But “Bowling for Columbine” was absolutely not. I can hardly believe it is documentary film; it contained additional factors that general movies have such as pleasure, rage, sorrow, and joy. After I saw the movie, I could understand why some experts give it high praise. Moreover, I strongly believe that its role was ample to make policy-makers amend gun- and violence- related policy and regulations. I like this movie and Michael Moore. From today I am a fan of Michael Moore.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Review of Final Report of the Committee
Review of
Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina
Most of American may still remember the fearful incident, 9/11 attact on WTC. After the catastrophe most people have consistently and unanimously been saying “that we should do everything we can do never to meet again this kind of incidents in America”. So they have done, I think, almost everything they could do. For example, they established a new Department, many relative commitees, and a lot of institudes to support security and disaster related policies. Externally they seemed to have done to prepare for disasters.
Eventhough, they were blamed in the process of responding Hurricane Katrina, caused catastrophic damage along the coastlines and killed 1,418 people, because of the failure of the government's response. Finaly on September15, 2005, the House of Representatives approved Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina. And the committee investigated into (1) the development, coordination, and execution by local, State, and Federal authorities of emergency response plans and other activities in preparation for Hurricane Katrina; and (2) the local, State, and Federal government response to Hurricane Katrina. On February15, 2006, this report was released and said that “If 9/11 was a failure of imagination, then Katrina was a failure of initiative. It was a failure of leadership.”
This report designated that (1) the failure of complete evacuations led to preventable deaths, great suffering, and further delays in relief. (2) Critical elements of the National Response Plan were executed late, ineffectively, or not at all. (3) DHS and the states were not prepared for this catastrophic event. (4) Massive communications damage and a failure to adequately plan for alternatives impaired response efforts, command and control, and situational awareness. (5) Command and control was impaired at all levels, delaying relief.
(6) The military played an invaluable role, but coordination was lacking. (7) The collapse of local law enforcement and lack of effective public communications led to civil unrest and further delayed relief. (8) Medical care and evacuations suffered from a lack of advance preparations, inadequate communications, and difficulties coordinating efforts. (9) FEMA logistics and contracting systems did not support a targeted, massive, and sustained provision of commodities. 1)
According to this report, almost all governments involved this incident committed very serious responding errors. I can’t believe why this kind of policy and government failures happened widely here in America, the most advanced county in the world. Moreover, they have enforced their organizations and systems to cope well with disasters. In 2002, they created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and placed FEMA, conducted many of the federal policies related to the management of emergencies, including preparedness, mitigation, disaster response, and recovery, within the new department. And they made a new federal level operation protocol, National Response Plan (NRP) and National Incident Management System (NIMS). The NRP describes the structure and mechanisms for coordinating federal support during emergencies. 2)
In addition to, this crisis was not only predictable, it was predicted. And they even did a simulation practice, named Hurricane Pam, to scale the damages and respond to predicted Hurricane Katrina. These days Information technology is very important to manage disaster effectively. They could get the information whenever, whatever, wherever they want. Why couldn’t they mange the incidents pretty well?
Like this view point, many popular mass media pointed out government failures. Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post Staff Writer, reported that Hurricane Katrina exposed the U.S. government's failure to learn the lessons of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as leaders from President Bush down disregarded ample warnings of the threat to New Orleans and did not execute emergency plans or share information that would have saved lives, according to a blistering report by House investigators.3) Radley Balko in Foxnews identified that Sept. 11 is no longer the most catastrophic failure of government in my lifetime. Its response to Hurricane Katrina is. Government at all levels, run by both parties, regardless of race, inexcusably failed to secure the safety of the people of New Orleans. The lesson here is not the failure of one party or the other. The lesson here is the failure of government.4) CBS news quoted the report and noted that "At every level – individual, corporate, philanthropic, and governmental – we failed to meet the challenge that was Katrina." 5)
After Sept.11 attack, the U.S. government’s policy outcomes were splendid not only in quality but in quantity. In these circumstances they didn’t control the disaster adequately.
Many specialists in the world have wondered why they couldn’t mange well the disaster.
If America couldn’t mange well this kind of disaster, nobody can do it in the world. So I would like to say that there seems to be something serious problems behind a veil more than reported. Actually I expected this report to reveal more than as is.
References
1. Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and
Response to Hurricane Katrina / Report by the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina (page 3-5)
2. National Response Plan / December 2004 / Department of homeland security (page1)
3. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/11/AR2006021101409.html
4. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168732,00.html
5. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/13/katrina/main1308008.shtml
Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina
Most of American may still remember the fearful incident, 9/11 attact on WTC. After the catastrophe most people have consistently and unanimously been saying “that we should do everything we can do never to meet again this kind of incidents in America”. So they have done, I think, almost everything they could do. For example, they established a new Department, many relative commitees, and a lot of institudes to support security and disaster related policies. Externally they seemed to have done to prepare for disasters.
Eventhough, they were blamed in the process of responding Hurricane Katrina, caused catastrophic damage along the coastlines and killed 1,418 people, because of the failure of the government's response. Finaly on September15, 2005, the House of Representatives approved Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina. And the committee investigated into (1) the development, coordination, and execution by local, State, and Federal authorities of emergency response plans and other activities in preparation for Hurricane Katrina; and (2) the local, State, and Federal government response to Hurricane Katrina. On February15, 2006, this report was released and said that “If 9/11 was a failure of imagination, then Katrina was a failure of initiative. It was a failure of leadership.”
This report designated that (1) the failure of complete evacuations led to preventable deaths, great suffering, and further delays in relief. (2) Critical elements of the National Response Plan were executed late, ineffectively, or not at all. (3) DHS and the states were not prepared for this catastrophic event. (4) Massive communications damage and a failure to adequately plan for alternatives impaired response efforts, command and control, and situational awareness. (5) Command and control was impaired at all levels, delaying relief.
(6) The military played an invaluable role, but coordination was lacking. (7) The collapse of local law enforcement and lack of effective public communications led to civil unrest and further delayed relief. (8) Medical care and evacuations suffered from a lack of advance preparations, inadequate communications, and difficulties coordinating efforts. (9) FEMA logistics and contracting systems did not support a targeted, massive, and sustained provision of commodities. 1)
According to this report, almost all governments involved this incident committed very serious responding errors. I can’t believe why this kind of policy and government failures happened widely here in America, the most advanced county in the world. Moreover, they have enforced their organizations and systems to cope well with disasters. In 2002, they created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and placed FEMA, conducted many of the federal policies related to the management of emergencies, including preparedness, mitigation, disaster response, and recovery, within the new department. And they made a new federal level operation protocol, National Response Plan (NRP) and National Incident Management System (NIMS). The NRP describes the structure and mechanisms for coordinating federal support during emergencies. 2)
In addition to, this crisis was not only predictable, it was predicted. And they even did a simulation practice, named Hurricane Pam, to scale the damages and respond to predicted Hurricane Katrina. These days Information technology is very important to manage disaster effectively. They could get the information whenever, whatever, wherever they want. Why couldn’t they mange the incidents pretty well?
Like this view point, many popular mass media pointed out government failures. Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post Staff Writer, reported that Hurricane Katrina exposed the U.S. government's failure to learn the lessons of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as leaders from President Bush down disregarded ample warnings of the threat to New Orleans and did not execute emergency plans or share information that would have saved lives, according to a blistering report by House investigators.3) Radley Balko in Foxnews identified that Sept. 11 is no longer the most catastrophic failure of government in my lifetime. Its response to Hurricane Katrina is. Government at all levels, run by both parties, regardless of race, inexcusably failed to secure the safety of the people of New Orleans. The lesson here is not the failure of one party or the other. The lesson here is the failure of government.4) CBS news quoted the report and noted that "At every level – individual, corporate, philanthropic, and governmental – we failed to meet the challenge that was Katrina." 5)
After Sept.11 attack, the U.S. government’s policy outcomes were splendid not only in quality but in quantity. In these circumstances they didn’t control the disaster adequately.
Many specialists in the world have wondered why they couldn’t mange well the disaster.
If America couldn’t mange well this kind of disaster, nobody can do it in the world. So I would like to say that there seems to be something serious problems behind a veil more than reported. Actually I expected this report to reveal more than as is.
References
1. Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and
Response to Hurricane Katrina / Report by the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina (page 3-5)
2. National Response Plan / December 2004 / Department of homeland security (page1)
3. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/11/AR2006021101409.html
4. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168732,00.html
5. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/13/katrina/main1308008.shtml
Thursday, February 16, 2006
verbs and expressions in the article
address a variety of topics
addresses an academic field
addresses the behavioral components
issues
outlines the issues
discuss cultural issues
features articles
identifies issues, problems
mention that
implies
raises questions(issues) about
seems , guide
addresses an academic field
addresses the behavioral components
issues
outlines the issues
discuss cultural issues
features articles
identifies issues, problems
mention that
implies
raises questions(issues) about
seems , guide
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
an essay describing steps for writing a literature review
Literature reviews are written to provide a review of the current knowledge in a particular field. So in order to write literate reviews, we need to compile some imformation in a specail field, to evaluate the information, and then to integrate the studies together. It is imperative that when we evaluate the studies we have to get some critical thinkings.
If we just descrive reseacher's insists of ideas, the reviews is worthless. Therefor writing a literature review is kind of a difficult task.
When you write literature reviews, you always try to keep in mind that the literature review should provide the context for your research by looking at what work has already been done in your research area. A mere summary of other people's work is not a good literature reviews. To write a good literature, we always try to think of some questions such as what is purpose, current theories, and common knoledge. etc?
Finnaly, we can say that the structure of literature reviews are consist of three main parts- introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction part, we can say what we are going to say. In the body part, we can tell the story by developing, arguing and presenting the main points. And lastely at the conclusion we can say the summaries of the reviews .
If we just descrive reseacher's insists of ideas, the reviews is worthless. Therefor writing a literature review is kind of a difficult task.
When you write literature reviews, you always try to keep in mind that the literature review should provide the context for your research by looking at what work has already been done in your research area. A mere summary of other people's work is not a good literature reviews. To write a good literature, we always try to think of some questions such as what is purpose, current theories, and common knoledge. etc?
Finnaly, we can say that the structure of literature reviews are consist of three main parts- introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction part, we can say what we are going to say. In the body part, we can tell the story by developing, arguing and presenting the main points. And lastely at the conclusion we can say the summaries of the reviews .
Friday, February 10, 2006
A summary of the essay
State lotteries contribute to the American society in many ways by developing education
systems, relieving tax burden, and creating jobs. Therefore many states in America use the lotteries that provide much funds for state gorvernment, so a lot of money can be invested in some social development projects like education systems. As a results, many jobs are produced. Moreover, state legistrators need not impose much tax on citizens. Like this there are many positive functions in the lotteries business but it also true that many people still have some negative aspects in the business. In conclusion, if the lotteries revenue is wel l administrated, state lotteries are very useful to our society and people.
systems, relieving tax burden, and creating jobs. Therefore many states in America use the lotteries that provide much funds for state gorvernment, so a lot of money can be invested in some social development projects like education systems. As a results, many jobs are produced. Moreover, state legistrators need not impose much tax on citizens. Like this there are many positive functions in the lotteries business but it also true that many people still have some negative aspects in the business. In conclusion, if the lotteries revenue is wel l administrated, state lotteries are very useful to our society and people.
