There are several players that try to manage the Daintree. Some are huge NGO’s while others are smaller town councils, or even individual people, trying to make a difference. There are a variety of different threats to the Daintree. There are threats from tourism, threats from logging and deforestation, threats from a property boom leading to increased in migration, and even threats from climate change. Consequently, these threats could cause a disruption in the nutrient cycle, and cause species like the endangered cassowary to become extinct. This has caused many players to try and make a difference.

Although the whole of the wet tropics area, including the Daintree, has UNESCO world heritage status, it is still under threat. One player that is trying to stop the threats is the Wet tropics management authority. This organisation was formed in 1990 and aims to effectively manage the wet tropics area and ensure it remains as untouched as possible. This is achieved through several functions. Its major functions are to develop and implement policies and plans that allow people to integrate with the wet tropics area while protecting the biodiversity it was made a heritage site for. Its other major function is to research and monitor the site to increase knowledge on the importance of the site. These functions help to make this authority a key player in maintaining the integrity of the world heritage site.

Another key player is Douglas shire council. This local council for the region which contains the Daintree rainforest is in charge of deciding planning permissions, and in general dealing with other issues the people who live there may face. Many of their decisions were in favour of protecting the rainforest. For example in 2000, it was voted that the population of 1200 was to be slowly reduced. This would help balance economic growth in the area with biodiversity. It is also in charge of setting prices for tourists such as the price of the ferry crossing into the rainforest. Therefore this council is integral to managing the issues the locals have and balancing the economic growth of the wet tropics area, with maintaining the biodiversity the area naturally possesses.

A final player involved in managing the Daintree is Australian Rainforest Foundation. This ‘not for profit’ organisation is involved in research and education of the rainforest. It has two major projects that help them achieve them. Operation Big Bird is a scheme set up to protect endangered species such as the cassowary. This will be achieved by creating a 250Km wildlife corridor through the rainforest, allowing species such as the cassowary to move and breed in relative safety. Its second project is the implementation of ‘buy back’ schemes. These schemes ‘buy back’ land from those who originally bought it in order to protect it and reduce the available land for development. These two projects help to indicate that the role played by the ARF is to conserve the rainforest and ensure the area isn’t over developed.

A Second area under threat is mangrove forests all over the world. However a particular place which has many issues is south east Asia, particularly Thailand. Issues that face the mangrove forest mainly involve the clearance of them. Mangroves are cleared to make way for massive shrimp farms, or just plain deforestation for the wood. This has caused over 50% of world mangrove forests to be lost. The destruction of mangrove forests leads to a removal of the ecosystem. this consequently affects other species. Mangroves are a natural nursery for fish, providing safety from larger predators. The loss of mangrove forests presents a problem that needs to be dealt with. This has created many players trying to help.

The first player involved in managing the mangrove forests in Thailand is Yadfon. This is a small organisation set up in 1985 to help fishing communities. It has a ‘grass roots’ approach to achieving its aims. This means it works with the people to sort out the problems in a way that both benefits the locals, while making a significant difference. For example Yadfon helped the fishermen of Chao Mai to revive the coastal fisheries. Mangrove destruction from deforestation and loss of sea grass through the use of drag nets caused the fisheries to become less productive. However since Yadfon intervened, the issues have become much less severe.

Another player involved in the management of mangroves is wetlands international. Being another ‘not for profit’ organisation it doesn’t have the economic motivations a regular organisation would have. Instead it is interested in conservation and wise use of the wetlands. It has several  ways of achieving its aims. Through schemes such as mangrove replanting and teaching the locals effective use of water, this player has established a role in teaching the locals how to use the mangroves sustainably.  

So to conclude, in the two area discussed there are real issues that need addressing. Many players have taken up the task and have all assumed varies roles to best combat the issues. For the Daintree rainforest both state controlled organisations, and outside organisations have assumed roles to do with management and conservation of the forest. This results in a protection of the biodiversity. In the case of the mangrove forests in Thailand, a more ‘grass roots’ approach has been assumed. They have worked to restore the natural fish stocks by teaching the locals how to sustainably farm the area. Overall this has had a great impact on the biodiversity of the area. However with climate change posing a larger threat than ever, even better management may be needed in order to secure the security for these area for future generations.

The first thing that you need to remember is that you are at a slight advantage. With the current economy, companies cannot afford to pay more than minimum wage in a lot of cases, and the minimum wage for somebody who is 16 is a lot less than someone who has a degree and is now 21. Although this means that the job that you eventually gain might not have the highest rate of pay, at least you have the chance to get a job at all, which is more than can be said for a lot of people at the moment.

Your CV is the only thing that your potential employer is going to see before they decide whether to give you an intervie or not. With this being the case, it is important that you have it up to date and that it includes the qualifications that you’re the most proud of. If you have failed any of your GCSEs, there is no need for you to disclose this, however you should never directly lie if you’re asked about them. It is important that you write on your grades for English and Maths, and if there are any other results that are specific for the job then they should go on too.

Experience is what most employers are seeking these days, and this is one of the problems that many 16 year olds have. Due to budget cuts, a lot of schools don’t even have their work experience programme any more. Because of this, it is vital that you get some kind of experience working for someone. If you’re 16, then even a newspaper round would be better than nothing. It shows that you’re willing to work, and that you can commit to a job. Working in charity shops is another thing that is really good to do as it shows that you’re not just in it for the money.

The final thing that you have to do is to never give up. Apply for as many jobs as possible, and don’t get worried if you don’t get a single interview even though you’ve applied for more than 20 jobs. This is just the way of the economy, and is not a reflection on you as an individual.

                        Parents, Help Your Children Learn.

                        By Abundant Robert AWOLUGUTU

The great George Benard Shaw once wrote: “What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.”

Your child’s education is important and should not be left to chance. Education will equip the child with knowledge, life skills and new attitudes to brighten his future and make him an effective role player in society.

As a parent you have a vital role to play in providing your children with good education. You are gambling with the child’s future if you neglect this aspect of his life.

Children love toys a lot.  It is suggested that you buy educational toys for them. They can learn certain things about life by observing such objects.

Let your children attend school. Here they will be taught various subjects that will prepare them for success in life. Train your children to be readers. Help them cultivate this habit when they‘re young. Be a serious reader yourself. This positive habit of yours will most likely rub off on your children.

Encourage your children to read. Buy success nurturing books for them. Let them read widely. This will enable them learn about other people and places and make them fit into every society they may find themselves in.

You may also give them books as gifts on certain important occasions such as when they’re celebrating their birth days.

Contact the teachers who are training your child. They know your child’s strengths and weaknesses. When your child comes home with a terminal report, don’t put it away. Discuss it with the teachers. They will advise you what to do to help your child improve his performance. This approach will help the child better than raining insults on him for poor results.

You can also look for money and engage a teacher to help your child at home. On the other hand, if your child’s results were good, show appreciation by buying something good for him, for instance new shoes, a schoolbag, a set of handkerchiefs or new uniform or dress or a story book.

Don’t let your children become TV addicts. It can adversely affect their studies. To limit their viewing time, you must limit your own.

You also need to monitor your children so as to prevent them from joining the company of bad characters. Pray for your children to have godly friends.

Teach your children to appreciate the fact that they cannot be perfect in everything. Don’t rebuke them for their mistakes. Instead encourage them to learn from their mistakes and get on with their lives.

Let your children mess up. In his book, “The Rules of Life” Richard Templar wrote: “You can’t steer them right all the time or they’d never learn for themselves.” They have to learn by getting it wrong.

It is also a good practice to train your children to ask questions at an early age. Praise them for their inquisitiveness.

Teach your children to appreciate hard work. Let them understand that when they put in a lot of effort they can get better results. Hard work doesn’t kill, laziness does. They must keep on striving until they get the desired results.

As a parent, it is your responsibility to pay the education bills of your children. Children often feel upset when they are told to return home and collect school fees. Don’t let this happen to your children. Be proactive and save towards their education. Remember that education is what no one can take away from your children.

In conclusion, be an active role player in your children’s schooling. Help them learn, the future of their country is in their hands.

Mob: 0208 455 296.

            According to MSU “the ultimate goal is to maximize the general welfare,” (179). However, one could choose to simply care for themselves, their families, and their careers without intent to promote general welfare (179). The MSU could be made up of an optimal list in which virtues, motives and methods of decision making would lead a person to conduct their lives in such a way that promotes personal happiness as well as the general welfare of others (179). According to Rachels, this list would include virtues which are necessary to live well, commitments to personal relationships, the duties and demands of social roles and personal goals, and when an exception to the rules can be made (179). The list would also promote friendship and other virtues such as honesty (180). MSU also endorses an individual to create a plan using a combination of virtues, motives and methods of decision making called my best plan (180). The general goal is to create the best plan that will allow the individual to have a good life but it must also act in accordance to promote the general welfare of others as well even if that plan may not seem to directly affect everyone (180).

            While MSU is mostly concerned with creating the best outcome for everyone alike, it does not hold boundaries to the term “everyone”. To promote the welfare of everyone includes all of those in our community at the present time as well as the welfare of future generations (181). Our actions must take into consideration the immediate possible outcomes as well as the future outcomes. “Everyone” also extends to sentient animals, which are animals that have the ability to feel pain and pleasure (181). According to the MSU sentient animals also have interests that we must consider when making decisions (181).

            MSU characterizes one theory which is in contrast to the standard Utilitarian view where crime and punishment is concerned. This view is that individual deserts determine how a person is treated by others, that is, treat others as they deserve to be treated (175). A kind individual deserves to be treated with kindness whereas an individual who treats others badly deserves to be treated badly in return (175). According to MSU (176), individuals should treat others “as responsible agents who merit particular responses based on their past conduct.” In terms of punishing crime, we are treating the criminal in such a way that their previous actions have predetermined (182).

            Overall, MSU rests on sound arguments and seemingly provides answers to many of the questions left by other theories. Also, MSU provides the best solution to suit humans as we are naturally created, meaning it suits our natural tendency to be partial to ourselves and the welfare of those close to us while still remaining in Utilitarian fashion in promoting the welfare of others.

Sources

Rachels, S. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Print

I guess it’s just that it’s hard to feel protected by a short person. When you’re a little kid, your parents are like giants to you. They are the ones who can pick you up, drive you places, rock you to sleep, etc. Then as you grow up, you need them less. Girls don’t usually end up bigger than their parents, especially not the dad. Boys, however, often do end up taller and/or brawnier than their mothers. I feel like this just furthers their desire to protect the family and stand up for younger siblings and their “mamas”. They shift roles when they get bigger.

A lot of girls refuse or try to avoid dating guys that are shorter than them, especially if it’s a big gap. However, that gap doesn’t matter if the boy is taller. Girls want to feel safe, so they seek shelter in the arms of a man. Not to mention we might get a little insecure if our boyfriends weigh less than us. I actually dated a guy who was about an inch shorter than me once, (he was also a year younger), and I remember feeling like I was the one running the relationship. As much as I love to be in charge, I can’t fall in love with anyone that I can’t submit to to some extent. Being in charge just makes it easier for me to end it.

As the one who is typically the mocked, cuddled, and picked up, I feel pretty awkward when the roles are reversed. My friend George is actually pretty smart, and I sometimes do have intelligent conversations with her that at least put us on equal footing, so it feels strange to tilting my head down instead of up like I’m used to.

It works with age, too. It feels really weird to have someone younger than me leading me, looking down on me, or doing something before me. It usually makes me pretty competitive. That’s a good thing because otherwise, I would have never gotten my license.

The game takes place in the year 2277, 200 years after the Great War, on the East Coast of what used to be the United States of America, mostly in Washington, DC, Southwest Maryland, Eastern Pennsylvania and Northeast Virginia. The game play features include real-time combat and first or third person perspective, in contrast to the previous games, which were turn-based and isometric.

Setting and story

Setting

Capitol Hill

The game is set in a post-apocalyptic, retro-futuristic Washington, DC following the Great War between the US, China and other countries. The Great War was a conventional and nuclear war that occurred on October 23, 2077 and lasted less than two hours despite causing immense damage and destruction. Before the Great War were the Resource Wars, during which the United Nations disbanded, a plague rendered the United States paranoid, and Canada was annexed.

Story

The player character, known as the Lone Wanderer in-game, is a young inhabitant of Vault 101, a fallout shelter in the Washington D.C. area. The vault has reportedly been sealed for 200 years, until the player’s father, James, opens the only door to the outside world and disappears without any explanation. The Vault Overseer believes that the Lone Wanderer was involved in James’ escape, and sends the vault’s security force to arrest the player character. This leaves the player little choice but to follow James by escaping the vault, with the hope of locating James and finding out why he left.

Abandoned to rust, decay, and creeping vegetation, monuments from before the Great War still stand amidst the ruins of Downtown DC: the Capitol Building, the Jefferson Memorial and the battered remains of the Washington Monument; this desolate area is known as the Capital Wasteland. A central hub of civilization in the ruins of the former capital is Rivet City, based in and around the remains of an aircraft carrier carried far inland and beached by a catastrophic tidal wave whose waters have long since receded. Other large settlements include the towns of Megaton, Canterbury Commons, Big Town, Arefu, Tenpenny Tower and Paradise Falls. Movement between towns is done on foot through the wastes. In the Metro area rubble blocks the streets, but one can use the DC Metro tunnels. The Brotherhood of Steel community is stationed in the Citadel built in the ruins of the pre-War Pentagon. The mysterious Mr. Burke and his employer, Allistair Tenpenny, send the player on a mission of sabotage and destruction in the town of Megaton. But it is super mutants, who since emerging from their refuges have waged an unceasing war against humans to invade their territory, and the Enclave – the self-styled inheritors of the power of the United States government – under the leadership of their new President John Henry Eden and his ruthless second-in-command Colonel Augustus Autumn, who are the player’s biggest foes in the game.

Cast

• Ron Perlman – Narrator
• Liam Neeson – James, the player character’s father.
• Malcolm McDowell – Enclave President John Henry Eden
• Peter Gil – Enclave military commander Colonel Augustus Autumn
• Heather Marie Marsden – Sarah Lyons
• Erik Dellums – Three Dog
• Wes Johnson – Mister Burke
• Odette Yustman – Amata

GameplayEdit

V.A.T.S. Main article: Fallout 3 gameplay

Character systemEdit

Main articles: Fallout 3 SPECIAL, Fallout 3 perks, Fallout 3 skills

Main character creation occurs as the player experiences the character’s childhood. The player decides the character’s general appearance using a Gene Projection, conducted by the father before the mother dies. Afterwards, the father removes his surgeon’s mask to reveal a face similar to the one chosen by the player for the character; your father’s race will also be the same as your own no matter what. As a child in the Vault, the character receives a book titled “You’re SPECIAL,” whereupon the player can set the character’s seven primary aptitudes. The character receives training weapons and a Pip-Boy 3000 later on during childhood, and the player’s performance in various tests determines the rest of the attributes. Additionally, several quests inside the Vault are able to influence the player character’s relationship with his or her father. Skills and Perks are similar to those in previous games: the player chooses three Tag Skills out of 13 to be the character’s specialties. Five skills have been cut out from the game (Fallout and Fallout 2 had 18 skills). First Aid and Doctor have been integrated into Medicine, Throwing and Traps have been merged into Explosives, Steal integrated into Sneak, and both Outdoorsman and Gamble have been removed completely. The maximum level the player can achieve is level 21 (which is to be raised to 30 after purchase of the third DLC installment, along with the ability to continue your game after the main story missions are complete). The Traits from the previous Fallout installments were combined with Perks in Fallout 3, and the player can choose a new Perk each time after gaining a level.

CombatEdit

Main article: Fallout 3 combat

The Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System, or V.A.T.S., is an active pause combat system implemented in the game. While using V.A.T.S., the otherwise real-time combat is paused. V.A.T.S. also allows the gory deaths in the game to be shown in slow motion and in great detail. Attacks in V.A.T.S. cost action points, and the player can target specific body areas for attacks to inflict specific injuries. It should be noted that whilst the player receives greatly reduced damage while using V.A.T.S., it also greatly reduces a weapons condition, forcing the player to strike a balance between using more ammunition or losing guns more quickly. This trade-off allows for two very different play styles throughout the game.

ItemsEdit

Main article: Fallout 3 items

A dynamic facet of gameplay is that firearms wear out over time of use. As a weapon degenerates, its damage is reduced and it loses accuracy. However, worn out firearms of the same type can be combined to make more reliable and powerful weapons. Weapon schematics can also be found and used to create various devices such as the Rock-It Launcher that can fire various items such as lunchboxes and stuffed animals, or the bottlecap mine, made out of a Vault-Tec lunchbox, cherry bombs, sensor module and bottle caps. Along with equipping various weapons, the player can also utilize different armors and clothing that may have effects that can alter various skills. For example, a pair of mechanic’s coveralls may boost the player’s repair skill while it is worn. Armor and clothing come in two main parts for the head and body, allowing a player to wear different combinations of hats and armor as well as masks and facial clothing which can be worn with hats. Also, a player’s inventory has a specified weight limit, preventing a player from carrying too many items. Story-related or essential items like Ammunition have no weight, due to the developer not wishing to bog down inventory management. Your weight limit will increase if you increase your Strength stat in SPECIAL.

PartyEdit

Main article: Fallout 3 companions

The player can have a maximum party of three, consisting of himself/herself, Dogmeat, and a single non-player character. In addition to having Dogmeat in your party you are able to send him out on his own to search for items such as arms and ammunition, radiation medicine, and stimpaks. Dogmeat can be killed during the game if the player misuses him or places him in a severely dangerous situations such as leading him into the Deathclaw Sanctuary and he cannot be replaced, unless you buy the Broken steel add on, in which you can choose a perk allowing you to recruit Dogmeat’s puppy (Puppies!), but if the player kills Dogmeat he can acquire two followers. Dogmeat and Dogmeat’s puppies can be given stimpaks to heal them if needed. In the PC version of the game, Dogmeat can then be resurrected via console commands and will continue with the player unaffected. The player’s party can further be extended, with several temporary quest non-player characters that will stay with them until the quest related to the non-player character is completed, if their quest is never completed however, many will stay permanently with the player until killed.

KarmaEdit

Main article: Karma

The Karma system is an important feature in Fallout’s gameplay. A player’s actions, including conversation and combat choices, affects the player’s status in the game world; a player who makes good decisions is received more positively by non-player characters, and a player that makes bad decisions has the opposite reaction. Crimes can also be committed by a player, and whichever faction or group that is harmed by a crime are fully aware of the player’s action in most cases. Other factions that were not affected by the crime will not be aware of it, and since a town is usually its own faction, news of a crime committed in one town will not spread to another. Beware however, good or evil deeds will cause a bounty by the opposite alignment group. Talon Company (If you are good) or the Regulators (if you’ve been bad) will ambush you randomly, and are not bound to any particular area, they can appear anywhere in the wastes. Factions can range in size and boundaries, however, and may not be restricted to a single area. The game world itself was planned to be significantly smaller than that of Oblivion’s but is now similar in size.

Changes from previous Fallout gamesEdit

Fallout 3 in game.

• While Fallout and Fallout 2 feature turn-based combat and top-down isometric view in a 2-D engine, Fallout 3 features real-time combat and first or third person view in a 3-D engine. Fallout Tactics and the canceled Van Buren featured both turn-based and real-time combat and a top-down view.
• Perks and Traits have been merged. In Fallout and Fallout 2, Traits were chosen at character creation, and were commonly a combination of a powerful advantage and a potent disadvantage, where Perks were purely advantageous.
• In the SPECIAL character system, the number of skills has been reduced from 18 to 13, traits have been removed and perks are selected every level instead of every 3 to 4 levels.

S.P.E.C.I.A.LEdit

S.P.E.C.I.A.L stands for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck. These stats determine which kind of person your character will be.

Development historyEdit

InterplayEdit

Main article: Van Buren

Fallout 3 was initially under development by Black Isle Studios, a studio owned by Interplay Entertainment, under the working title Van Buren. Interplay Entertainment closed down Black Isle Studios before the game could be completed, and the license to develop Fallout 3 was sold for a $1,175,000 minimum guaranteed advance against royalties to Bethesda Softworks, a studio primarily known as the developer of the The Elder Scrolls series. Bethesda’s Fallout 3 however, was developed from scratch, using neither Van Buren code, nor any other materials created by Black Isle Studios. In May 2007, a playable technology demo of the canceled project was released to the public.

BethesdaEdit

Poster of Fallout 3. E3 2006 expo Bethesda stated it would be working on Fallout 3 in July 2004 but principal development did not begin until after The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was completed. Bethesda announced their intention to make Fallout 3 similar to the previous two games, focusing on non-linear game play, a good story, and true “Fallout humor.” Bethesda also stated the game is targeted for a rating of M for Mature, and would have the same sort of adult themes and violence that are characteristic of the Fallout series. Fallout 3 uses a version of the same Gamebryo engine as Oblivion, and was developed by the same team.

Between May 2 and June 5, 2007 Bethesda showcased 5 pieces of concept art by Craig Mullins on the Fallout 3 website during the countdown to the teaser. The cinematic teaser trailer for Fallout 3, consisting of the first part of the intro, was released by Bethesda Softworks on June 5, 2007, after a 30 day countdown on the Fallout 3 website. On August 2, 2007, the game’s website was opened.

ReceptionEdit

Leonard Boyarsky, one of the creators of the original Fallout, when asked about Interplay’s sale of the rights to Bethesda, said that he felt as though “our ex-wife had sold our children that she had legal custody of,” admitting that he feels very possessive of the series,[8] but also admitted that his concerns have nothing to do with Bethesda.[9] Considerable concern was also raised by some members of the series’ fan community, largely concerning major changes in game play style compared to the original games and Fallout 3’s similarity to Oblivion. The reaction from the press, however, was largely positive, with many considering the shift to first person view and real time combat an update, and with most considering the similarities to Oblivion to be a good thing.

In a review from 1UP.com, Fallout 3 was praised for its open-ended gameplay and flexible character-leveling system. Its memorable setting prompted a favorable comparison to the 2007 game, BioShock. While the V.A.T.S. system was called “fun,” enemy encounters were said to suffer from a lack of precision in real-time combat and little variety in enemy types. The review concluded that despite the game’s shortcomings, Fallout 3 is a “hugely ambitious game that doesn’t come around very often,” and one would “be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it.”[10]

Sales for Fallout 3 have thus far been very high, and figures suggest that the game has outsold all previous Fallout games (including all other spin-offs) in its first week.[11]

Fallout 3 won several awards following its showcasing at E3 2007. IGN gave it the Game of E3 2007 award, and GameSpot gave it the Best Role-Playing Game of E3 2007 award.[12][13] Following the game’s demonstration at E3 2008, IGN also gave it Best Overall RPG, Best Overall Console Game, and Overall Game of the Show for E3 2008.[14] Game Critics Awards gave the game Best Role-Playing Game and Best of Show for E3 2008.[15]

Controversies and censorshipEdit

On July 4, 2008, Fallout 3 was refused classification by the OFLC in Australia, thus making the game illegal for sale in the country. In order for the game to be reclassified, the offending content in the Australian version of the game would have to be removed by Bethesda Softworks and the game resubmitted to the OFLC.[16] According the OFLC board report, the game was refused classification due to the “realistic visual representations of drugs and their delivery method (bringing) the ’science-fiction’ drugs in line with ‘real-world’ drugs.” Despite this, Australia’s Fallout 3 was expected to be released on October 30, on par with the European version, and was delivered on time with the drug-name changes.[17]

On September 9, 2008 Bethesda vice president of PR and marketing, Peter Hines, has described the idea of a censored Australian version of Fallout 3 as a misconception. All versions of Fallout 3 no longer include real world drug references,[18] then morphine was renamed to Med-X.

Game content was edited in the German release to include less violence.”[19]

Bethesda Softworks changed the side quest “The Power of the Atom” in the Japanese version of Fallout 3 to relieve concerns about depictions of atomic detonation in inhabited areas. In non-Japanese versions, players are given the option of either defusing, ignoring, or detonating the dormant atomic bomb in the town of Megaton. In the Japanese version, the character Mr. Burke has been taken out of this side quest, making it impossible to detonate the bomb.

Also in the Japanese release, the “Fat Man” nuclear catapult weapon was renamed “Nuka Launcher,” as the original name was a reference to the bomb used on Nagasaki, Japan.

Microsoft India decided not to release the game in that country, citing “cultural sensivities”. It has been speculated that this is either because the cattle in the game are called brahmin, which is the name of the highest Hindu caste, or possibly due to the fact that the player can kill and eat the cattle, which, as it is a sacred animal, is against the principles of most Hindu sects.[20]

LeakEdit

On October 9, 2008, an Xbox 360 review copy of Fallout 3 was leaked on torrents all around the world. Bethesda Softworks reacted by closing streaming videos and YouTube videos of the leaked copy. However a large amount of information was leaked, including most of the main quest line.

ProductionEdit

DevelopersEdit

Fallout 3 development team Main article: Fallout 3 developers

The project is headed by executive producer Todd Howard. Other producers include Ashley Cheng, Gavin Carter and Jeff Gardiner. The lead designer is Emil Pagliarulo who previously worked on Thief games as well as the Dark Brotherhood quests in Oblivion. Lead level designer is Joel Burgess. Other leads are lead artist Istvan Pely and lead programmer Steve Meister. PR and marketing for the game is coordinated by Pete Hines.

See: Fallout 3 developers for a full list of known developers.

MusicEdit

Main article: Fallout 3 soundtrack

The soundtrack of Fallout 3 is comprised of two main elements: the ambient soundtrack composed by Inon Zur, who also created the soundtrack of Fallout Tactics, and songs and other musical works which are played by in-game radio stations.

ProductsEdit

Collector’s EditionEdit

The products included in the Fallout 3 Collector’s Edition. The collector’s edition of Fallout 3 features: A Vault Boy Bobblehead, The Art of Fallout 3 (which features never before seen exclusive concept art for the game), and “The Making of Fallout 3″ DVD. The entire package is contained in a Vault-Tec lunch box container.

Survival EditionEdit

Pip-Boy 3000 digital clock In addition to the above products, the Survival Edition features a life-size model of the Pip-Boy wrist computer upon whose screen is a fully functional digital clock display.

The Pip-Boy is a dashing rendition of the one you use in game. However it is made from a lightweight plastic that surprised many users. Undeterred fans put the batteries into their clocks, however many found the buttons to not be functional. Others had the clock function for a time, then turn into a flashing “12:00″ before never working again.

The piece is still considered valued amongst hardcore fans for the chance of having a Pip-Boy on their desk, however the quality of the construction, and its value as a collectible, has been put into question.

Limited EditionEdit

Fallout 3 Limited Edition There was also a limited edition of the game simply called the Fallout 3 Limited Edition that was exclusive to the UK and only available through the retailer GAME. It comes with the game and a Brotherhood of Steel power armor figurine.

Add-onsEdit

Main article: Fallout 3 add-ons

Bethesda Softworks has released five add-ons for Fallout 3:

• Operation: Anchorage
• The Pitt
• Broken Steel
• Point Lookout
• Mothership Zeta

Game of the Year EditionEdit

Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition was released on October 13, 2009 for PC, PS3, and 360; this edition includes all five add-on packs. Mothership Zeta will not be available in any disc version aside from the Game of the Year edition.

Behind the scenesEdit

• The original inspiration for V.A.T.S. was Burnout’s crash mode replays.
• In the world of Fallout, the bombs fell on October 23. Bethesda tried to coincide the release of Fallout 3 to that.
• The downtown D.C. area in Fallout 3 was twice the size at one point. The team decided it was too large and confusing and cut the area space in half. The Wasteland area was half the size, and the team felt it was too small, so the Wasteland size doubled.

GalleryEdit Box art for the PC versionBox art for the PS3 versionBox art for the Xbox 360 VersionBox art for the PC Game of Year EditionExample of the game’s graphics in SpringvaleCapital Wasteland concept artJefferson Memorial concept artRivet City concept artCapital Hill concept art

Name: Phoenix
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Bi-sexual

Eye colour: One blue, one green
Hair colour: Dark brown/black
Hair type: Wavy/curly

Height: 5’2″

Weight: 8st

Race: Human
Heritage: Irish
Religion: Agnostic
Interests: Witchcraft, playing piano, cooking, reading, tapestry.

About her:

Hailing from the Cork region of Ireland, she has a very strong Irish accent. Adopted as a baby she has never known her real parents, and to be honest, she isn’t bothered about knowing them. Happily living in solitude in the countryside of Ireland, and running Darkblood Tavern for now, she is quite happy with her lot in life. she spends much of her time playing piano, or poring over books on witchcraft trying to learn the art, and yearns for someone to teach her how to use her gift properly. For now she does not use it, as she doesn’t know how to control it.

World war II began in 1939, after many series of events that triggered the dispute between the major countries. Like all wars it could have been prevented, and Canada, a mediator between England and US could have been the one to play the key role in preventing the Holocaust. Just like all other countries Canada had its reasons not maintain the peace in Germany. The reason why Canada did take action relates to the economical problems of itself, the War fatigue present from the previous world war, and Hitler’s cunning strategies.  Much of this made it very hard to see the upcoming problems the world was to face in the 1940s.

Fascist belief was running wild throughout the world in the 1930s, many people in countries overseas such as Canada had also picked up on this belief. Hitler came to power as a dictator in 1933[1], and immediately began spreading fascism throughout the world, he took control of a devastated country and managed to make it prosper.[2] Canada, along with other European countries supported the German leader in the prosperous times of Germany. Whereas, Germany was doing so well, Canada was not. The Stock market crash of 1929, left the economy in Canada questionable[3]. Prime Minister Bennett’s attempts in resolving the Great Depression did not work, and the economical situation for Canada was the worst in history.[4]

Many countries during the rise of Germany did not have much to do to help people in other nations. There was a lack of care for the world after the crash[5]. Many people in Canada did not want to get involved in problems overseas. The Treaty of Versailles was made but not tended to, and Canada failed to follow up on it, because the Great Depression isolated Canada from the world. Such was the case for many other Allied countries. There was lack of activity also because the economy was predicted to faulter if another war was to spark. People had already seen the long lasting effects of World War I, which used up 22 billion dollars in US currency at the time. Many did not want to face such a situation again, and did not participate in anything that could cause tension between nations. It was also a major issue for Canada to participate in peacekeeping, since it did not hold much power itself and needed the help of the US to join with the league of Nations. Canada did not want to get involved with a country as powerful as Germany by itself.[6]

Most of the people who went into the First World War did not want to get involved in another long war. Even the people who were not soldiers themselves did not want such hard times to repeat for the country. This being said, if Canada was to help stop a Great War from occurring, chances were, that they might have to face possible conflict with Germany in order to do so. Many people felt that there was really no point for fighting another war, since WWI did not bring in anything for the people. It only came with a high expenditure of war, and people did not want another pointless war. The treaty of Versailles was signed to prevent the start of another war. Many political leaders truly believed that the war to end all wars, had occurred, and did not set boundaries on Hitler’s reign. Chamberlain himself resorted to appeasement with Hitler, and he himself was keen on doing anything to prevent any sort of conflict. Even letting Hitler march into three countries before resorting to war.[7]

While other countries were facing such hard times, Germany was actually booming. This was caused because of Hitler’s rise to power, and his spread of fascism throughout the country.[8] Hitler was able to manipulate the people and lead the world into false belief of Germany, leaders such as Lyon Mackenzie King were easily deceived by his personality into taking him as morally correct man[9]. No country felt that Hitler would begin a war since with the prosperity of the Germans; many countries such as Canada did not feel that Germany needed to take arms. No political leader wanted to accuse him before he actually brought war, since the problems of the people were more important[10]. If someone accused Hitler, and negotiated war, they were to be despised and reassigned by the people, which created an obstacle for any political leader who wanted to accuse Hitler. Other countries did not even know of his actions in Germany, Canada was also left in the dark. Much of the truth was revealed after the war had occurred. Many of the Jewish people who were murdered were isolated from the public, and no one had known of their deaths[11]. Hitler was in power of the media, and he controlled what information went in and out of the country thus making it very hard for other nations to know of the situations without following up on the Treaty of Versailles.

Canada did not take an active role in preventing war; this is because of times the war had taken place in. If it was in a different era without the problems that 1930s held, countries such as Canada would have taken more of a role. The world had not yet encountered a man such as Hitler in such a powerful position that people could not possibly realize the destruction that would be caused because of him. It was not very believable at that time that such acts of brutality could occur in such mass numbers. World War II was a lesson that many feel should never have to take place again. It encourages all countries to take participation in peacekeeping, and thus the UN was established.

[1] How was Hitler able to Become Chancellor in 1933?. http://www.johndclare.net/Weimar7.htm

[2] Stromberg, Roland “World War Fascism” http://www.angelfire.com/home/government/WW2.html, 2001.

[3]Rosenberg, Jennifer “The Stock Market Crash of 1929” http://history1900s.about.com/od/1920s/a/stockcrash1929.htm, 2011.

[4]Great Depression of Canada. http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/canadianhistory/depression/depression.html

[5] Ibid

[6] Canada in World War I. http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/canadianhistory/canadaatwar/war.html

[7] Mccarthy, Michael “The Big Question”. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-big-question-was-neville-chamberlain-really-the-failure-portrayed-by-history-1774449.html, 2009.

[8] Smitha, Frank “Hitler and Germany: 1927-1935”http://www.fsmitha.com/h2/ch16.htm, 2011.

[9] Library and Archives Canada “Behind The Diary.” http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/king/023011-1070.05-e.html , 2002.

[10] Dr. Henry A. Murray, Analysis of the Personality of Adolph Hitler. http://library.lawschool.cornell.edu/WhatWeHave/SpecialCollections/Donovan/Hitler/index.cfm, 2009.

[11] The Holocaust. http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/the-holocaust/the-holocaust-index-1939.htm, 2006.

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The Struggle against Stereotypes in the Media

            The use of the word stereotypes has, in recent years, become greatly associated with a negative connotation. Nonetheless, when Walter Lippmann first used the term ‘Stereotype’ he did not intend it to fully reflect a derogatory meaning. Lippmann believed that stereotypes would reflect a general understanding of the entire world along with its beliefs. As humans we naturally classify people by their differences. This is because we cannot help but to notice the array of both physical and metaphysical differences in the human population.  The objection of the certain groups of people to how they are classified by others is the reason that today we identify the term ‘stereotype’ primarily with a pejorative connotation.  The classification system Lippmann believed stereotypes would be used for no longer stands. Now stereotypes have been exaggerated beyond recognition. Currently stereotypes rarely hold true, while in which they do, they are regarded as offensive.  Much of this problem results from the media.

In recent years the media has grown rapidly. This growth is due to newly available technology such as television, movies, and the internet. These mediums have become places where people can give their opinions in a plethora of forms which will reach billions of viewers around the world. For example, it is estimated that on December 31 in 2000, over 361 million people were internet users; currently in 2011 over two billion people and counting are internet users which is over a third of the population. This growth in the internet alone was estimated at 480% (Alexa.com). This growth in the media is a result of advancing technology all over the world. This makes it inevitable that large portions of the world are exposed to stereotyping in the internet alone. Stereotypes in the media are in themselves inevitable. Since all humans have opinions, no matter how objective one tries to be, when a person submits anything to the public eye, whether it be online, written or in television, it is sure to have traces of bias which undoubtedly result in a stereotype of some kind. Although, many stereotypes are not essentially untrue or harmful many more are.

This vast expansion of the media causes stereotypes to manifest throughout the world rapidly.  It also causes for an increase in the number of stereotypes circulating about a certain niche of the population.  This without doubt results in many classifications that were originally not harmful, to become distorted to the point at which they are offensive. As the media grows and opinions circulate, new stereotypes are created every day. This over classification of individuals results in the unavoidable derogatory generalizations that arise about groups of people when others share their differentiating views about a single subject. Since it is human nature to be critical of one and other, often times the negative views of people overshadow the positive. These opinions are then jetted across the media for billions to see.

Often time’s stereotypes are the result of a prominent person in the public eye, who may represent a group of people, acting improperly.  In these cases celebrities who are closely watched by the media inappropriately acting in ways that catch the attention of the media as well as viewers. These people who may represent a group of people, are the now the source of stereotypes that came to be, due to their offensive behavior which in turn are over generalized. These generalizations now are associated with the entire group of people, who are represented by that same public figure. In these cases stereotypes are fortuitously created by people who view the people represented by the public figure the same as that public figure. These people discount the fact that all humans are individuals who can only be responsible for their own views.  Yet, this is still a great source of stereotypes in which one smaller group inadequately represents a much larger one.

Lippmann did not intend for these over classifications to become stereotypes. Yet, in today’s social media world in which everyone can contribute, stereotypes like these are certain. 

The rise in stereotypes has also prompted a rise in protests against stereotypes as well. The fight against stereotypes is predominantly fought in the classroom. The mutual agreement about stereotypes as explained in Tefllougue.com is through education.  By educating children about the diverse population of the world, children, the future of our world, will understand the bad of stereotyping. Children are targeted because not only are they the product of their education, but also because they themselves are often an outlet for stereotyping.  Since children are at their young age so susceptible to outside influence. They are not only the product of their education but, the product of their entire environment. Since the media is part of almost any youth’s environment, they are constantly exposed to subliminal messages, often involving stereotypes that encroach on their minds. For this reason children are often targeted as an important demographic in our society to educate about stereotypes. The hope of these educators is that these children will mature with an understanding of stereotypes that will allow them to spread the same message. Unfortunately these attempts are not always as effective as they could be nor, are they as wide spread as one would hope. The vast expanse of the media will always out power those that fight stereotypes. The millions that submit their opinions to the worlds view everyday will always spread biases that many times inadvertently create stereotypes. This is due to the simple fact that we are human. For this reason stereotypes will resound throughout media as long as humans still create it. It is close to impossible to prevent new and negative stereotypes from developing in the world as long as the media exists.

Although the media was predominantly responsible for the rise in stereotypes around the world is now the medium of many sources that spread discrediting messages about stereotypes. The most effective fight against stereotypes to take place so far has recently been on the thing that first helped to spread them, the media. In the last decade a countless number of shows have begun to spring up that first and foremost target stereotypes. These television shows are not however fighting stereotypes in the traditional way of education. To the contrary, these shows have themselves used an excessive amount of stereotypes in order to show the absolute absurdity of these stereotypes. These comedic shoes utilize stereotypes to discredit them with the shows audiences. While some claim that shows like these are stereotypical in themselves, many more recognize the inner comedic nature of these shows in how they portray stereotypes in order to show how trivial stereotypes are.

The National Broadcast Channel (NBC) is at the lead of such television shows. NBC comedy shows such as 30 Rock Night Live all incorporate stereotypes into the shows in an attempt to fight stereotypes in the media. 30 Rock written by acclaimed feminist Tina Fey uses an abundance of stereotypes to achieve its means.

Tina Fey the writer of the television show 30 Rock portrays her anti-stereotype views in the television show. Fey an acclaimed feminist exhibits her anti-stereotypical views in the show 30 Rock through her use of caricatures of certain societal groups as actual characters in her show. Fey utilizes many characters to accomplish this including Jack Donaghey (played by Alec Baldwin), Tracy Jordon (played by Tracy Morgan), and Elizabeth (Liz) Lemon (played by Tina Fey).

Primarily, Jack Donaghey played by Alec Baldwin a character in 30 Rock represents the stereotypical rich white man. Baldwin portrays Donaghey as every stereotype usually attributed to a rich Republican while being himself a dedicated Democrat and an outspoken activist against racism. In his portrayal of Donaghey, Baldwin like other 30 Rock stars greatly exaggerates stereotypes to show their inner absurdity.  He is also the mentor of Liz lemon (played by Tina Fey) another character in 30 Rock. Baldwin achieves this by acting as a devout republican business man whose first concern is his finances, he is over ambitious, and his emotions are suppressed. The Huffington post calls Baldwin’s work in 30 Rock “stunningly hilarious”. For example in one episode Baldwin tries to find a new celebrity face for the Republican Party. In order to do this he turns to Tracy Jordon who he manipulates for his benefit. Another example of this is when Baldwin tries to gain his new bosses favor by trying to crush his competition for the CEO seat at Cable Town (a fictional company in 30 Rock that resembles Comcast) Baldwin is a ruthless business man a Harvard and Princeton graduate and Irish catholic who tries to forget his modest beginnings. Baldwin’s hilarious portrayal of Donaghey not only discredits Stereotypes but, shows their inner hilarity.

To continue, Tracy Jordon played by Tracy Morgan, similarly discredits the stereotypes surrounding the African American community. Morgan accomplishes this through similar methods as Baldwin in which he exaggerates stereotypes to a point where they become absurd. Jordon is a caricature of the stereotypical rich African American. Jordon acquired his riches by staring in mediocre films in which he behaves rudely. In day to day life he is unpredictable often acting immature. Jordon is a stereotypical African American he irresponsible and has missed all but one of his Childs births.  As written in a article by EW.com Jordon is acts as a “child” who lives in his own “fantasy world”. Jordon’s absurdity is best seen in a scene in which he is attempting to go see his wife give birth to his fourth child. In this episode Jordon has his body guard, ‘Dot-Com’, watch over him. Jordon inevitably loses him by mistaking Dot-Com for another man. In order to get to the hospital Jordon appears on the show Cash Cab (a question show by The Discovery Channel). Jordon surprisingly answers all of the questions, by relating them to his crude past, to get to the hospital. Morgan in reality is a fierce advocate against racism.  His portrayal of Tracy Jordon masterfully depicts the stereotypes surrounding African Americans as false as well as revealing the comedic aspects of their disparity from truth.

Finally, Tina Fey also includes the character Liz Lemon, played by Tina Fey, in 30 Rock. Lemon is meant to represent the stereotypical forty year old women.  Lemon is an unstable stereotypical woman who has gone through life as an average person. She is strewn with problems that she often relies on Donaghey (Alec Baldwin) to solve. She is the writer of the show TGS, a caricature of 30 Rock within 30 Rock, in which she tries to portray her feministic views. Lemon is emotional and other stereotypical feminine problems. In Fringe Magazines review of whether 30 Rock is feminist or not, Fringe states that lemon is a caricature of the “stereotypes of sitcoms of the past”. In one episode Alec Baldwin inhales a noxious gas which causes him to envisage two other Donagheys. Both of which tell him that he will never be the CEO of a major company as long as he associates with Lemon. This is because lemon is full of problems; the he spends too much time fixing them. They tell him he needs to concentrate in his ambitions and not lemon. This is because lemon looks up to Baldwin as a mentor. In another episode of 30 Rock lemon goes to Jack Donagheys and Avery Donagheys marriage in the Caribbean. She is afraid that she will get lost, so she holds Alec Baldwin’s hand throughout the entire ceremony. This leads to her name being written on the marriage certificate and not Avery Baldwin’s. Lemon can be immature at times but is an intelligent writer.  Lemon depicts these stereotypes in order to make fun of them as well as show their inconsistency.

The television Show 30 Rock by Tina Fey airs on NBC; it is one of the most effective anti-stereotypical shows in the media. 30 rock exhibits previous stereotypes from old sitcoms in order to show their hilarity. The show pokes fun at stereotypes through having every character be a caricature of their stereotypical selves. The satire of 30 Rock is based on stereotypes in order to allow these caricatures to develop into actual elements in the world of 30 Rock. The actors on 30 Rock are all acclaimed activists who are known for their fight against stereotypes. Yet, their appearances in shows like 30 Rock, which utilize stereotypes, show the absurdity of labels like that of stereotypes.  30 Rock itself is on the edge of a new trend in the media in which the fight against fortuitous classifications continues. Tina Fey makes 30 Rock in to a microcosm of a world, in which all groups of people are represented and their stereotypes exaggerated. Through creating such diverse groups in 30 Rock, Fey shows the absurdity of stereotypes. Fey uses this microcosm to compare the stereotypes of one group to those of another to show the irrationality of stereotypes. In this way 30 Rock discredits stereotypes in manor that is hilarious while also effective. For this reason 30 Rock have received much critical acclaim and has been nominated for a record number of twenty two Emmy nominations. 30 Rock continues to diffuse stereotypes while entertaining viewers from all groups of the world.

The media is often attributed with the spread of stereotypes. Yet, in the past decade as tolerance for stereotypes has dropped greatly, Media conventions have also changed in order to fight rather than spread stereotypical messages. As many fight against stereotypes through educational means, the media has begun to take a more effective approach and use its sheer size that originally was the start of so many stereotypes, to reach billions of people to discredit thousands of stereotypes. The National Broadcasting Channel (NBC) is at the head of this trend with its much-admired show 30 Rock. Although educating our youth about the dire consequences of stereotyping is necessary. Educating the entire population through comedic shows that show the ridiculousness of stereotypes is a much more effective means.  Stereotypes have always plagued our society for generations, dividing groups of people based upon nothing more than mass generalizations, and although it is impossible to stop stereotyping entirely, the mass media has begun to, with shows like 30 Rock, discredit stereotypes throughout the globe.  

Usually it is very easy to be called a student. But maintaining the image of an ideal student is very difficult. Truly Speaking, being a student means to be an abstainer. A person must abstain from all indecencies and evils around him. He must be equipped with all human and moral Values. He who lacks these virtual has no right to be called a students.

The “Student Community” is the actual mirror of social condition. It reflects the whole condition of a society as well as the nation. In this way, the student community is the clear glimpse of their nation.

In fact, the progress of any nature depends upon its students because they are the future leaders and reformers of their nation. They are prosperity of today and expectations of tomorrow. If  they are punctual, responsible, obedient and dutiful and conscious, their nation will certainly be progressive, civilized and praise worthy. And if they are not well-trained, they will frustrate not only their future, but also the future of their nation.

Keeping into consideration, the crucial and decisive role of students it is the duty of their parents, teachers and well-wishers to grant them their due rights. As innocent youth are sentimental and imitative, they should be trained in such a way that no evil influence should be effective on their character. They must be kept under watchful guidance.

Evidently, the student life is the initial stage of character formation. This is the tender phase when the seed of one’s character is sown. Therefore their character should be moulded in such a way that they may protect themselves even in the adverse circumstances of life. Indeed character formation is the essence of life. In no circumstances should it be ignored. For, if wealth is lost nothing is lost. If  health is lost something is lost. But, unfortunately when character is lost, everything is lost and there remains nothing to be lost. Really, life without character is like a garden without flowers. character is the main essence of human life.

As students are the future and hope of their nation, they should maintain their glorious position. It is their moral responsibility to shoulder the burden of their motherland. As students, it rests with us to make our motherland “India” more and more peaceful, prosperous and worthy. “Unity in diversity”is the unique characteristic of our motherland. We have to keep our composite culture intact through all possible efforts. If all the students discharge their duty well they will certainly prove themselves the true representatives sincerity, trust, unity, discipline ethics, nationalism and  patriotism.