November

November Im on the train home to Philadelphia. Currently: four women run my lifeSZA, Solange Knowles, Sappho, my mother. Schoolwork saturated the first two weeks of November, and then last week was suddenly too free. Now its Thanksgiving break. Next week will be absurdly busy, and I am not looking forward to it. A few things that happened in November: I spent a day giving math problems to seventh-grade girls. A friend from high school visited me. I boarded a plane to New York, spent a day interviewing there, and then almost missed my flight back to Boston. I grew restless and finished two books. I grew restless and bought two more. I spent way too much time with my head buried in booksfrigid weather, 4:30 PM sunset1, overlong reading list; it was bound to happen. Here are some snippets from the past month. (Ive kind of been following my own schedule and not doing many student-life related things because of the time constraints imposed by the rest of my life. Welp.) Sappho At some point in the semester, it occurred to me that I owe a lot to ancient Greece, to Pythagoras and Euclid and Zeno and Ptolemy. They are people who made math fundamental and rigorous. I imagined Id read some classical philosophy this semester. Instead, I am reading a 2007 book2 that tells me to distrust Platonic forms and simplified models. I am reading Sappho3 instead of Socrates. So much for philosophy. books/making time to read/coping with life I read a lot before coming to MIT but stopped during my freshman year, mostly because I was trying to throw myself into being A Well-Adjusted College Student. I was doing standard freshman things and standard rebellious thingsmaking friends, baking spontaneously, going sledding, walking around Boston aimlessly with friends, dying my hair pink, dancing at parties, disowning parts of my previous self. It was a lot of fun, but in April I started to miss all the dimensions of my personality Id thrown out in order to follow new friends around. I felt, in addition, that we were constantly doing things to be sensational. It was a lot of fun, but we were not really getting to know each other. I spent my freshman spring unhappily, largely by my own doing. I felt disconnected from student life. I spent too much time completing perfect schoolwork. The social dynamics of my living group stressed me out, and I was unhappy that I read only textbooks and wrote only proofs. So I spent the summer running around Hong Kong and slowly getting back into the swing of reading and writing. I came back to MIT refreshed. I moved to a more diverse place. And I made a commitment with one of my friendseach week, we meet for an hour and do nothing but read. Usually we end up staying for much longer than an hour. In a similar way, I committed to working out: gym, twice a week, with a friend. This is, apparently, the most effective way for me to get things doneby making commitments with other people. Its much easier for me to justify skipping a workout when all thats at stake is my long-term health (clearly not that important), but when you add a friend whos at the gym waiting for mewell, I cant just not show up, can I? I love my friends. Where would I be without them? As a side effect, spending this much time with people one-on-one has led to much stronger relationships. My grades have dropped this semester; my schoolwork is no longer perfect. I am not really doing badly in classesI am just not doing as well as before. But I am also so happy, though prioritizing my happiness often makes me uncomfortable. Heres what my best friend, Jenn, said about this at one particularly desperate point: . She puts it so well. Where would I be without Jenn? SZA/Solange Spending time with books means spending time with music. My playlist for the month includes some sad songs at the periphery of RB. It sounds almost like a breakup playlist, which is apt because November has indeed been a breakup with good weather and good grades. None of these songs have anything to do with MIT; theyre just to set a mood. Listen if youd like. playlist My mother keeps texting me emojis. I cant wait to see her. gratitude Every Thanksgiving, I go through the motions of expressing gratitude for my friends and family, but this year, I think I finally understand what it really means to be thankful. I apologize if that sounds cheesy or ungrateful or plain dumbI just feel more than ever as though I am being propped up by the people around me in some tangible way. I finally opened my life up to tumult, and I realized, over and over, that I could rely on my friends and family to help me when I struggled. Im thankful for them. I am also thankful for this blog. Thank you if you have sent me emails. Thank you if you havent but are still here reading. Thank you, world, for being so good to me these past few months. :) 1 I always pledge my allegiance to the northeast U.S., but I wonder if the chapped skin and the static electricity and low spirits of winter are really worth the quaintness and the pace of life and all the other enjoyable aspects of life here. 2 The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb 3 If Not, Wintertranslated by Anne Carson, who writes some delicious poetry herself, if youre into that kind of thing. As for Sapphoonly fragments of her work survive. Whats most impressive to me is that her poetry remains poignant and intense even when half the words have been lost to the elements, even without musical accompaniment from the lyre.

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Essay - 1296 Words

Civil Liberties (And how they differ from civil rights) If the fires of freedom and civil liberties burn low in other lands, they must be made brighter in our own. If in other lands the press and books and literature of all kinds are censored, we must redouble our efforts here to keep them free. If in other lands the eternal truths of the past are threatened by intolerance, we must provide a safe place for their perpetuation. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1938 (Isaacs 66) Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to be free from unreasonable searches of your home, the right to a fair trial, the right to marry, and the right to vote are all examples of Civil Liberties that every American is guaranteed under the Bill of†¦show more content†¦Civil liberties are basic freedoms granted to individuals in the Bill of Rights. Individual freedom can survive only under a system of law by which both the supreme and the governed are bound. Such a system of fundamental laws, Civil rights are constitutional guarantees, which mean they are granted to individuals with the body of the Constitution in the form of amendments. Many civil rights were granted after the Constitution was written, but civil liberties were included in the Constitution since their adoption in the Bill of Rights in 1791. One of the main reasons that the Puritans sailed to America to was to escape religious persecution. They were actually being physically beaten because of their religious beliefs. America began with a government based on religious beliefs. It developed into a government, which condemned those who did not believe in the Puritan beliefs. For example, one had to believe in the Puritan religion and attend church to vote and become a member of the Puritan society. This practice further developed into a situation in which you were beaten or killed if you did not believe in the Puritan religion, the exact reasons they had originally fled from England. It took a group of men to deduce what liberties were guaranteed and which were not, to avoid mistakes made by puritans and others in history. Men like Thomas Jefferson, who argued that the sole purpose of government was to protect our individual rights. TheShow MoreRelatedCivil Liberties And Civil Rights1081 Words   |  5 Pages1 McGahey 3 Megan McGahey Sherry Sharifian GOVT 2305 71430 20 September 2017 Civil Liberties vs. Civil Rights In the U.S. most use the terms Civil Liberties and Civil Rights interchangeably; although they both protect the freedom of citizens they do this in different ways. 2 Civil Liberties are limitations placed on the government. These are things the government is restricted to do, by the constitution. Things that could interfere with personal freedom. 3 For example, the 1st amendment says thatRead MoreCivil Liberties And Civil Rights1083 Words   |  5 Pages2017 1 Civil Liberties vs. Civil Rights 2 Civil Liberties are basic rights and freedoms that we are guaranteed by the government. You can find them in the Bill of Rights and in the Constitution. Civil liberties are liberties that we as Americans feel safe to interpret on the daily basis. 3 Some civil liberties include, the right 4 for free speech, the right to privacy, the right to remain silent in a police interrogation, the right to be free from unreasonable searches of your home, the right to aRead MoreCivil Rights And Civil Liberties1025 Words   |  5 PagesProfessor Sharifian Government 2305 September 28th, 2017. 1 Civil rights vs Civil liberties 1. 2 Define Civil Liberties; then define Civil Rights. How are they similar? How do they differ? Which civil sequence has more influence on your life as you know it to be now? Why do you believe this to be so? Civil rights and civil of liberties have regularly been the discussion of different locales throughout the years. In the achievement of social liberties and freedoms, laws and statutory arrangements have mustRead MoreCivil Liberties Vs Civil Rights1134 Words   |  5 Pages2017 SLO 1 Civil Liberties vs Civil Rights Democracy in simple sense is understood as rule of people. As said by Abraham Lincoln,† democracy is government of the people, by the people, for the people†. In democracy all the power is seized by the people but, still we find many cases in different parts of the world that the political leaders and government officials and their families having more rights and power as compared to regular people. The violation of civil liberty and civil rights by the governmentRead MoreCivil Liberties And Civil Rights1149 Words   |  5 PagesWhat Role Does Our Civil Liberty and Rights Play In Our Government System? Have you ever put some thought into how our Civil Liberties and Civil Rights work in our system or even attempt to figure out what they are? Our government system comprises Civil Liberties and Rights that are similar in ways and different in others, but one of them can have the most influence on your life. 1 Civil Liberties and Civil Rights are rights that we have as Americans. Civil Liberties are basic rights and freedoms thatRead MoreCivil Rights And Civil Liberties1157 Words   |  5 PagesSharifian 01 Oct. 2017 Civil rights and civil liberties Every citizen of the country is bounded and benefited with the freedom of Civil rights and Civil liberty. Civil right is the right of the citizen to be equally and fairly treated by the government, written in the 14th Amendment. Civil right moment was mainly focused only on the slaved, African American people. Then civil liberties firstly, not only protected the rights of African American people, it also included the right of gay, lesbian and femaleRead MoreCivil Liberties And Civil Rights1500 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment One: Civil Liberties v. Civil Rights Linsey (Lins) Morgan - Student ID: 3104067 GOVT - 2305 - 71063 Northlake College Had I been born a mere 60 years earlier, I would likely be in jail. Before discussing the U.S. Supreme Court decision which has preserved my freedom, I would like to examine the nature of civil rights and civil liberties. Next, we will look at some of the historical context which would have found me jailed. Lastly, we will conclude by looking at the impact of the U.S. SupremeRead MoreCivil Liberties And Civil Rights1318 Words   |  6 Pageschanges in order to protect the rights of U.S. citizens. Moreover, these changes have occurred by much insistence and court cases from the people. Out of these changes, civil rights and civil liberties have erupted in order to protect the lives of citizens even more. Who we are as citizens of the United States can be characterized by the concept of civil rights and civil liberties, the idea that the constitution protects the major rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights, marginalized groups, the secondRead MoreCivil Liberties And The Civil Rights 902 Words   |  4 Pagescountry. This is where our civil sequences: Liberties and Rights, keep our country intact. 1 Both Civil Liberties and Rights are granted and defined in the Constitution. We must continue enforcing our civil sequences to maintain order for ourselves, our states, our government, and our nation. Civil Liberties focus on our basic freedoms as Americans and Civil Rights are concerned with rights regarding the treatment of an individual. 2 Definitely a Civil Liberty is ‘the basic right to be free from unequalRead MoreCivil Liberties And Civil Rights960 Words   |  4 Pagesvoting are very important aspects of shaping the government. Without certain civil rights being granted by the government, these important rights of expression and suffrage would not exist. There is a difference between civil liberties and civil rights in relation to the government. Civil liberties refer to an individual’s unalienable freedoms that cannot be taken away by political intervention. On the other hand, civil rights are provided by the government in order to promote equality. This ideology

Gandhi and the Journey of Independence - 2191 Words

Intorduction In History, we have always learned about heroes, leaders, and people who made accomplishments that in a way have changed the world. We live for what others have done. Any courageous step taken by an individual in order to achieve a goal, a belief, and seek for a right, comes only from a person with leadership, huge spirit, and greatness. We have always looked back at leaders in our history that have made life easier for us. For that, I would like to write about an extraordinary personality that has achieved a big, difficult step for the good of Indians. Mohandas Gandhi is considered for many people the man of the century. This poor man has done what powerful political rulers couldn’t do. The Mahatma had fought and joined many†¦show more content†¦He dedicated himself to plan for the self rule. He asked all Indians to resist the British rule and to fight nonviolently as other Indians did in South Africa. He first motivated Indians to form and join nonviolent protests a nd strikes. â€Å"Prisons began to fill with thousands of men and women who refused to co-operate with the British government. They refused to pay unfair taxes and refused to work in government jobs. They were beaten and thrown into horrible jails. Sometimes they were killed.† (Schaaf, 2000) Later, Gandhi himself was imprisoned. The Amritsar Massacre After he was released, he declared a new Satyagraha. As thousands of followers started their disobedience, the British stated the Rowlatt Acts against the revolutionaries. He thought that such a demonstration would lead into a positive solution, but it led into huge massacres and fights with the British soldiers. As Indians resisted against the Act, the British soldiers were ordered to shoot on the rebellions, which led to the Amritsar Massacre, â€Å"The killing of 379 Indians (and wounding of 1,200) in Amritsar, at the site of a Sikh religious shrine in the Punjab in 1919.† (Tiscali.com, 2006) Second campaign against British Following this disaster, Gandhi started a huge non-cooperation with the British government by boycotting the British goods, as well as the English language. He taught Indians to make their own clothes instead of buying the British ones, leading to theShow MoreRelatedGandhi and the Journey of Independence2184 Words   |  9 Pagespersonality that has achieved a big, difficult step for the good of Indians. Mohandas Gandhi is considered for many people the man of the century. This poor man has done what powerful political rulers couldn’t do. The Mahatma had fought and joined many Indians against the British Rule. Not giving up for years, he succeeded in gaining independence. This Essay will talk about Gandhi’s journey of leadership and Independence. It will first briefly talk about his youth and education, and then it will discussRead MoreGandhi Heros Journey Essay936 Words   |  4 PagesMahatma Gandhi once said, â€Å"You must be the change you wish to see in the worl d†. This shows that Gandhi believed in peaceful change. Gandhi was well known in India by many people. People were inspired by his ways and would stand by him in peaceful protesting. A lot of people believed in Gandhi as a hero. Just as well, Percy Jackson from the Lightning Thief is a known hero for stopping world WWIII between the gods. Both Gandhi and Percy Jackson follow the path of the hero s journey because they reRead MoreHero Comparison Essay: Odysseus vs Gandhi1619 Words   |  7 Pagesof heroes, epic heroes and modern heroes. Odysseus, one of the most famous epic heroes ever, will be compared to Mahatma Gandhi, a modern day hero, to see if there really is a large gap separating the two types. However, one thing is certain, modern heroes can be identical to epic heroes if they are larger than life, embody the ideals of their culture, embark on a perilous journey, and possess super-human, prominent characteristics. Epic heroes are always larger than life; however, modern day heroesRead MoreGandhi s Effect On The Independence Of India1713 Words   |  7 PagesOn March 12, 1930 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more widely known as Mahatma Gandhi, began his famous salt march to the sea. Gandhi’s salt march was an act of civil disobedience, or satyagraha, which loosely means â€Å"truth-force†, against the rule of the British government over India at the time. This march was Gandhi’s way of fighting rejecting the tax that the British government had put on salt for the Indian people. Gandhi’s act of marching to the sea to produce salt sparked motions and revolutionsRead MoreResearch Paper On Mahatma Gandhi792 Words   |  4 Pages Mahatma Gandhi Intro: Mahatma Gandhi was the primary leader of India’s Independence movement, He was the person who thought about India, and gave all the rights that India deserved, when the great britain took over India. Mahatma Gandhi was born on the 2nd of october, 1869, in a village called porbandar, gujarat, India. Mahatma Gandhi had an early life struggle, he had a south african journey, he created a salt march, he did all of this just for India’s Independence. Mahatma Gandhi’s real nameRead MoreProfile Of A Positive Leader1124 Words   |  5 PagesProfile of a Positive Leader – Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, addressed as ‘Bapu’ or ‘the father of the nation’ in India, was born on 2nd October 1869 in Porbandar district, in the state of Gujarat. He is known to be one of the most influential leaders in the history. As a child, Gandhi was very curious and intelligent. As a result, he was accepted to study at the University College London where he successfully completed his degree in law and became a barrister. He then returned to IndiaRead MoreGandhi : A Leader Of India s Movement1186 Words   |  5 PagesMohandas Gandhi was born in Porbandar, the present-day state of Gujarat in India, in the year 1869. He was raised by his father and his exceedingly religious mother who worshipped the Hindu god Vishnu and was influenced by Jainism, a religion that practiced self-discipline and nonviolence. Gandhi grew up exercising these same religions and followed Jainism to the point where he fasted and meditated regularly, practiced nonviolence, and was a vegetarian. These values that he grew up with becameRead MoreMahatma Gandhi : A Of A Privileged Caste1315 Words   |  6 PagesMohandas, better known as Mahatma Gandhi was born into a privileged caste in Pordandar, Gujarat, India. He was raised into a non-violent branch of Hinduism from his Mother’s side. Throughout his childhood he stayed true to his beliefs and religious rules, including avoiding things like meat and wine. Gandhi led a selfless, altruistic life, and through these powerful moral principles, he helped lead India to full independence in 1947. Growing up, Mohandas was the only one of the four children inRead MoreIndian Independence1255 Words   |  6 Pages22, 2010 Indian Independence India, in the 18th century was ruled by the British for two centuries. The Indians wanted freedom from the British. British looted and caused fights in India and treated them with no respect. The Indian Independence was caused by British Imperialism. The British wanted to take over India, but India wanted freedom as well since it’s their country not the British. Although politics and nationalism were important causes of the Indian Independence Movement, the mostRead MoreMahatma Gandhi and The Salt March Essays1427 Words   |  6 PagesIn an effort to help free India from the British rule, Mahatma Gandhi once again contributed to a protest against salt taxes, known as the Salt March. This protest advocated Gandhi’s theory of satyagraha or nonviolent disobedience as the nation came together on March 12, 1930 to walk the 241 miles long journey to the shores of Dandi to attain salt. Although some Indians criticized Gandhi for not achieving direct independence from the R aj or British rule, Gandhi’s execution of the Salt March helped

Egamova transfigered night Free Essays

The time of first World War, a young enthusiastic man enlists as a volunteer gunner in the artillery as he has reached an impasse and sees war as a remedy. In a bar he comes across his fellow soldier, a surgeon lieutenant for whom war is an impasse, as he is trying to avoid sober realization of detrimental consequences of his civic duty by getting drunk. A lot of problems can be observed in the passage, but the most evident and tricking one is the irretrievable effect the brutality and gore of the war produces on human psychic, which comes as a quite contradictory fact since the narrator presumes that the war saved his life. We will write a custom essay sample on Egamova transfigered night or any similar topic only for you Order Now To provide a profound feeling of that horrible days routine life the author inflates his text with parallel constructions, simple sentences and abundant use of lexical units representing negative connotation; these are (morbid despair, impasse, ferocious concentration, detest, etc. ) so it becomes clear that a war is by no means a remedy which the narrator was so desperately trying to find. What is more, when analyzing George’s discourse a reader realizes the ambiguous nature of a war as his character is quite dual – despite all the redundancy of negative description of his appearance (ill-looking, ugly, fairly drunk, hunched over) and the absolute hopelessness in his talk (l want to go somewhere cold and dark, God preserve me from sanity) George still possessed of sinners energy which indicates to the fact that he has something background to fight or and that gives him this very kind of energy to overcome all the harsher, brutality and intoxication of that odious war. In the light of all this, any reader must not be influenced only by the superficial sense of the text, but go deeper to reveal the genuine authors message, inasmuch as any war is not merely a succession of human dying but also a glorious ground of evoking patriotism and marvelous bases for tear-jerking love stories. How to cite Egamova transfigered night, Papers

Truman Show Essays - Entertainment, Comedy, English-language Films

Truman Show Manipulation and delusion are at the heart of the movie The Truman Show. Carefully crafted, this movie portrays television and its producers as producing a fake environment with a real person designed to appeal to the American masses. The smooth packaging lulls the audience into being in on the joke, but perhaps the joke is on the audience to even sit through the almost two hours of bland entertainment. In fact, the story of Truman Burbank is small town boring, taking place on Seahaven, a diminutive island. Truman believes that he is an insurance broker with a loving wife, Meryl, a nice suburban home, and a best friend. Slowly through a series of unusual events, Truman becomes aware that this quiet, tame life is a fraud. Everyone on the island is not true not his wife, friend, mother, and the father he thought dead- all are actors playing a role performing as told by the producers. Ironically, it is the malfunction of another media form, the radio, which helps clue him in to the fact that his every move is being broadcast. The media corporation promoting The Truman Show and Cristof, the TV producer, are shown focused on the job to create entertainment for the mass market, even if seeing the dull life of Truman is their definition of entertainment. Does filming a real life make for exciting viewing? Generally, no, although one has only to remember the millions of views fascinated by the sight of O.J. Simpson in a white Bronco traveling down Los Angeles freeways, to realize that there are some moments in real life where the public is interested in seeing the moment to moment happenings. Certainly, television is capable of being able to bring that immediacy into the viewers space. But most viewers are interested in excitement in their entertainment, which translates into the format and content of the news as well as direct entertainment. It is difficult to imagine that television viewers would have watched Truman grow up over almost three decades when even the most engrossing soap can not sustain a third of that time period. Perhaps there is a message here about the content of television. Much of what appears daily on television is boring. Every season, television producers try to sort through what programs will capture the audience once they define who that audience is. The Truman Story television audience is presumed stupid for being engrossed in the everyday life of an everyday person perhaps the subtle question is Truman representing them? (Or us?) Why is Christof, the producer of this empty story, considered brilliant for reflecting this vacuum of television programming? Christof is the epitome of the concept of television media executives selling products to an audience, and securing directly, or indirectly as in The Truman Show (where product promotion arises from the use of products by the residents of Seahaven), commercial sponsors to pay for the air time. Christof manipulates all of the components of Trumans life, and the movie audience feels that they too are being manipulated into a sense of compassion for the sadness of the sameness and falsehood of Trumans life. If there is a positive note about this movie, it is that the Jim Carreys performance as Truman is good. We, the audience, find ourselves part of this interplay of media mediums, and there is a feeling of boredom are we the problem? But Carrey is not the problem. He is a professional actor who tries to create comedy in what is a sad story on many fronts. Carrey becomes Truman; it is we the audience who should walk out on ourselves.

5th Symphony in E minor, Tchaikovsky Essay Example

5th Symphony in E minor, Tchaikovsky Essay Example 5th Symphony in E minor, Tchaikovsky Essay 5th Symphony in E minor, Tchaikovsky Essay My Experience with the SIS Orchestra Concert 3: Tchaikovsky On the 28th April 2011 1 participated with the Iowa state orchestra on the last performance for the year. The orchestra included works by Tchaikovsky. The orchestra performed the 5th Symphony in E minor. This piece is in sonata form, which has a theme that is heard throughout the piece. The overall trajectory of the Tchaikovsky 5th reminds the listeners to Beethovens 5th symphony as they were both during the times of war and it is illustrated in both symphonies. This piece is a reflect example of a Romantic-era symphony colorful, complex and above all, passionately emotional. The symphony has four movements which consist of a fast, slow, dance and another fast movement. The theme of this piece is heard throughout this piece. The first movement is the Andante- Allegro con anima begins with a lengthy slow introduction, entering darkly with a funeral character on the clarinet. In sonata form the subject enters gently with the repetitive brevity of a Russian dance, building in intensity. The development section is quite short and concentrated with the recapitulation necking in, in the bassoons. The coda recedes into the deeps, presaging the mood of the next movement. Following the first movement is the Andante cantabile which has a tender, expressive melody played by the French horn that sounds almost like a love song. But then the original theme suddenly and rudely interrupts the reverie, as though we were able to break away from our troubles for a short time, this theme is a reminder that we are still in war and that darkness is still upon us. This movement is in a standard ternary form with the A section in D major and the B section in F# then a restatement of A section with different orchestration. Leper K. 12 The third movement called the Vales: Allegro moderate begins like a graceful, pastoral waltz. Once again, it feels as if our hero has escaped from fates cruel clutches. This time, the illusion of safety lasts for nearly the entire movement, creeping into the coda the known criminal, the main theme, sneakily imitating the Id ©e Fixed in the Ball movement of the Symphony Fantasies as if it was hiding in the bushes all along. The movement ends hurriedly, before the motto can do any damage. The return of the motto theme in the 3rd movement preceded by a waltz in major key, strikes the listener as a reminiscent of the tragic opening of the symphony. Movement was probably the most challenging movement to play as the id ©e fixed is almost taking over and the whole orchestra is playing loud and the violins are going crazy almost delusional. In this movement Tchaikovsky transposes the fate or id ©e fixed theme from the dusky, moody key of E minor to the bright sunshine of E major, and the transformed melody blossoms into a triumphant march. Its as if Tchaikovsky is telling us that humans cannot ignore or escape from their fate, but they can overcome their circumstances and transform them into something brighter and better. This is one orchestra work that illustrates abilities color in all the instruments and also has the biggest horn solo in orchestral horn repertoire. Overall the orchestra did a wonderful Job with this work. Dry Harrison says It was the kind of performance we musicians want and crave for every concert, but we all know that it doesnt always happen that way.

Fraud Definition and Examples

Fraud Definition and Examples Fraud is a broad legal term referring to  dishonest acts that intentionally use deception to illegally deprive another person or entity of money, property, or legal rights. Unlike the crime of theft, which involves the taking of something of value through force or stealth, fraud relies on the use of intentional misrepresentation of fact to accomplish the taking. Fraud: Key Takeaways Fraud is the intentional use of false or misleading information in an attempt to illegally deprive another person or entity of money, property, or legal rights.In order to constitute fraud, the party making the false statement must know or believe that it is untrue or incorrect and intended to deceive the other party.Fraud may be prosecuted as both a criminal and civil offense.Criminal punishments for fraud can include a combination of prison, fines, and restitution to victims. In proven cases of fraud, the perpetrator- a person who carries out a harmful, illegal, or immoral act- may be found to have committed either a  criminal offense  or a  civil wrong. In committing fraud, perpetrators may be seeking either monetary or non-monetary assets by deliberately making false statements. For example, knowingly lying about one’s age to obtain a drivers license, criminal history to get a job, or income to get a loan may be fraudulent acts. A fraudulent act should not be confused with a â€Å"hoax,†- a deliberate deception or false statement made without any intention of gain or of materially damaging another person. Perpetrators of criminal fraud may be punished by fines and/or imprisonment. Victims of civil fraud may file lawsuits against the perpetrator seeking monetary compensation. To win a lawsuit claiming civil fraud, the victim must have suffered actual damages. In other words, the fraud must have been successful. Criminal fraud, on the other hand, can be prosecuted even if the fraud failed. In addition, a single fraudulent act may be prosecuted as both a criminal and civil offense. Thus, a person convicted of fraud in criminal court may also be sued in civil court by the victim or victims. Fraud is an extremely serious legal matter. Persons who believe they have been the victim of fraud, or have been accused of committing fraud, should always seek the expertise of a qualified attorney. The Necessary Elements of Fraud While the specifics of laws against fraud vary from state to state and at the federal government level, there are five essential elements necessary  to prove in court that a crime of fraud has been committed: A misrepresentation of a material fact:  A false statement involving a material and pertinent fact must be made. The gravity of the false statement should be adequate to substantially affect the victim’s decisions and actions. For example, the false statement contributes to a person’s decision to purchase a product or approve a loan.Knowledge of falsehood:  The party making the false statement must know or believe that it is untrue or incorrect.Intent to deceive:  The false statement must have been made expressly with the intent of deceiving and influencing the victim.Reasonable reliance by the victim:  The level to which the victim relies on the false statement must be reasonable in the eyes of the court. Reliance on rhetorical, outrageous, or clearly impossible statements or claims may not amount to â€Å"reasonable† reliance. However, persons known to be illiterate, incompetent, or otherwise mentally diminished may be awarded civil damages if the perpe trator knowingly took advantage of their condition. Actual loss or injury suffered:  The victim suffered some actual loss as a direct result his or her dependence on the false statement. Statements of Opinion vs. Outright Lies Not all false statements are legally fraudulent. Statements of opinion or belief, since they are not statements of fact, may not constitute fraud. For example, a salesman’s statement, â€Å"Madam, this is the best television set on the market today,† while possibly untrue, is an unsubstantiated statement of opinion rather than fact, which a â€Å"reasonable† shopper might be expected to disregard as mere sales  hyperbole. Common Types of Fraud Fraud comes in many forms from many sources. Popularly known as â€Å"scams,† fraudulent offers may be made personally or arrive through regular mail, email,  text messages,  telemarketing, and the internet. One of the most common types of fraud include is  check fraud, the use of paper checks to commit fraud.   One of the main goals of check fraud is  identity theft- the gathering and use of personal financial information for illegal purposes. From the front of every check written, the identity thief can get the victim’s: name; address; phone number; bank name; bank routing number; bank account number; and signature. In addition, the store may add more personal information, such as date of birth and driver’s license number. This is why identity theft prevention experts recommend against using paper checks whenever possible. Common varieties of check fraud include: Check Theft:  stealing checks for fraudulent purposes.Check Forgery:  signing a check using the actual drawer’s signature without their authorization or endorsing a check not payable to the endorser, both usually done using stolen checks. Counterfeit checks are considered the equivalent of forged checks.Check Kiting:  writing a check with the intent of accessing funds that have not yet been deposited in the checking account. Also referred to as â€Å"floating† a check, kiting is the misuse of checks as a form of unauthorized credit.Paper Hanging:  writing checks on accounts that are known by the perpetrator to have been closed.Check Washing:  chemically erasing the signature or other handwritten details from checks in order to allow them to be rewritten.Check Counterfeiting: illegally printing checks using information from the victim’s account. According to the  U.S. Federal Reserve, American consumers and businesses wrote 17.3 billion paper checks in 2015, four times the number written in all of the  countries of the European Union  combined that year. Despite the trend toward debit, credit, and electronic payment methods, paper checks remain the most often-used way of making large payments for expenses like rent and payroll. Clearly, there is still plenty of opportunity and temptation to commit check fraud. Federal Fraud Through the  United States Attorneys, the  federal government  prosecutes and punishes various types of fraud specifically identified under federal statutes. While the following list includes the most common of these, there is a wide range of federal, as well as state, fraud crimes. Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud:  using regular mail, or any form of wired communications technology, including telephones and the internet as part of any fraudulent scheme. Mail and wire fraud are often added as charges filed in other related crimes. For example, since the mail or telephone are typically used in attempting to arrange bribes of judges or other government officials, federal prosecutors may add charges of wire or mail fraud in addition to charges of bribery and corruption. Similarly, wire or mail fraud charges are often applied in prosecution of  racketeering and RICO Act  violations.Tax Fraud:  takes place whenever a taxpayer attempts to avoid or evade paying federal income taxes. Examples of tax fraud include knowingly underreporting taxable income, overestimating business deductions, and simply not filing a tax return.Stock and Securities Fraud:  typically involves the selling of stocks, commodities, and other securities through deceptive practices. Examples of securities fraud include  Ponzi or pyramid schemes, broker embezzlement, and foreign currency fraud. The fraud usually occurs when stockbrokers or investment banks convince people to make investments based on false or exaggerated information, or on â€Å"insider  trading† information not available to the public. Medicare and Medicaid Fraud:  usually takes place when hospitals, healthcare companies, or individual healthcare providers try to collect illegitimate repayments from the government by over-billing for services, or by performing unnecessary tests or medical procedures. Penalties for Fraud Potential penalties for conviction of federal fraud typically involve prison or  probation, stiff fines, and repayment of fraudulently-acquired gains. Prison sentences can range from 6 months to 30 years for each separate violation. Fines for federal fraud can be very large. Convictions for  mail or wire fraud can bring fines of up to $250,000 for each violation. Frauds that harm large groups of victims or involve large sums of money can result in fines of tens of millions of dollars or more. For example, in July 2012, drug maker Glaxo-Smith-Kline pleaded guilty to falsely branding its drug Paxil as being effective in treating depression in patients under age 18. As part of its settlement, Glaxo agreed to pay $3 billion to the government in one of  the largest health-care fraud settlements in U.S. history. Recognizing Fraud in Time The warning signs of fraud vary according to the type being attempted. For example, telemarketing calls from unknown callers telling you to â€Å"send money now† in order to take advantage of a special offer or claim a prize may be frauds. Similarly, random request or demands for a Social Security or bank account number, mother’s maiden name, or a list of known addresses are often signs of identity theft. In general, most offers from companies or individuals that sound â€Å"too good to be true† are signs of fraud. Sources Legal Dictionary: fraud.  Law.com.Basic Legal Concepts / Fraud.  Journal of AccountancyFraud- Burden of Proof: Washington Civil Jury Instructions.† Westlaw