Strangers on a Train Essay Example

Strangers on a Train Essay Chris Colangelo Film as an Art Form 32660 Frank Foster Strangers on a Train Word Count 1559 1. Guy Haines is a pro tennis player from Metcalf that feels tennis is not what he wants to do with his life and that politics is what he is meant for. Guy doesn’t drink or smoke much but will do so on occasion, Guy is very friendly and modest about his fame. When Guy meets Bruno on the train for the first time he doesn’t want to be around him for very long as Bruno tends to intrude into Guy’s personal life. It makes Guy upset. Guy’s wife has been cheating on him and wants a divorce and Guy doesn’t want to talk about it with Bruno. Guy has a weird sense of humor as he sarcastically says things like, â€Å"I thought murder was against the law† or â€Å"sure Bruno, sure they’re ok†. Guy has acquired a significant financial gain from his tennis playing and when he goes to Metcalf to meet with his wife to finalize the divorce, she double crosses him and literally tries to ruin his life for her personal gain. Guy gets so angry about his wife’s double crossing he tells her she will pay and while on the phone with his girlfriend, Anne Morton, he says he could strangle her or break her neck. We will write a custom essay sample on Strangers on a Train specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Strangers on a Train specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Strangers on a Train specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Even though Guy is very upset by his wife’s actions, he was alarmed to find that Bruno had killed his wife and called Bruno a crazy maniac and tells Bruno that he is going to the police, but when Bruno tells him that he will be viewed as an accessory to murder Guy regretfully agrees not to go to the police and acts like he doesn’t know anything. Guy sometimes can’t control his feelings toward Bruno and at one point punches Bruno in the face for making a seen at a party. Guy is dating Anne Mortan who is a senator’s daughter which makes him look as if he were dating her as a way into politics. Guy gets easily offended at the mention of such accusations. Guy cares about keeping Anne Morton and her family out of the mess of the murder. He also cares about keeping a good public image to help him get into politics. Guy is a bad liar. When the phone is brought to him and he finds out it was Bruno he quickly hangs up the phone and when asked who it was he said,† There must have been a mistake, it wasn’t for me†. Clearly showing suspicion by the fact that Guy is a bad liar tells a little about his character, he is just a typical honest man that likes to play tennis. . Bruno Antony is a very wealthy man from Arlington but not by his own work. His family is rich and Bruno simply lives off of his family’s wealth. Bruno is very talkative and cares about his mother who is mentally ill. Bruno likes to smoke, drink, and gamble and that is the behavior that got him kicked out of three colleges. Bruno believes that you should do everything before you die to an un realistic level. Bruno’s father thinks that Bruno is a bum and is determined to get Bruno a job if it’s the last thing he does. Bruno can’t stand that his father has so much money and insists that Bruno get a job like a normal person. Bruno often thinks about different ways to kill his father and the thought is relaxing to him Bruno even says, â€Å"I used to put myself to sleep at night figuring it all out†. Bruno is a psychotic man; he thinks and plots about murder, often creating a plan and running through it in his mind. When Bruno meets Guy on the train for the very first time he already knows everything about Guy; his tennis career, his interest in politics, his divorce, his girlfriend, everything. Bruno reads about everything and everyone. Bruno likes Guy and wants to be Guy’s friend even though Guy doesn’t seem to have any desire to be around Bruno. Bruno gets into Guy’s personal life and brings up sensitive things that he knows about. Bruno merely talks to Guy about the idea of swapping murders and even though Guy is repulsed by the idea, Bruno moves forward as if they had cut a deal. Bruno is very resourceful; he seems to always know where Guy is and how to get ahold of him. He also has no trouble finding Guy’s wife, Miriam. Bruno waits by her house, waiting for her to leave, he follows her and the two men she is with to a theme park. Bruno enjoys the thrill of the hunt. He loves following Miriam as if it were a game to him. Bruno flirts with Miriam using simple eye gestures and smiles, making it all the more easier for Bruno to complete his murder. When Bruno kills Miriam, he doesn’t just attack her from behind, he gets right up in her face and flicks the lighter to illuminate their faces, he looks right into her eyes and asks her if she’s Miriam. When she replies, he wraps his hands around her throat and strangles her to death with no remorse. When Bruno tells Guy about what he had done, Guy says he’s going to the police but Bruno quickly tricks Guy into thinking that if he goes to the police that he will be an accessory to murder as Bruno has nothing to gain by killing Guy’s wife so Guy must have convinced Bruno to kill his wife. Even though Bruno is very smart he is also very impatient. He shows himself to Guy even when he knows that Guy has police following him at all times. Bruno is under the impression that he had completed his end of the deal and Guy owes him the death of Bruno’s father. When Bruno finds that Guy has no intention of killing his father he decides to go back to the scene of the crime and plant Guy’s lighter to give the police evidence that would link Guy to the murder. Even after Bruno is shot and knows he is going to die, he still won’t admit to the murder and continues to frame Guy. 3. Guy and Bruno are very different men but they are similar in some ways. Bruno and Guy both feel that they have been wronged; Bruno by his father’s wanting him to work, and Guy’s wife cheating on him, then double crossing him and ruining his life for monetary gain. Both Bruno and Guy have money and they both want to be more in life than their current position. Guy wants to get into politics and Bruno wants to do something he feels is important. Both men are intelligent and use their intelligence to work toward their goals; Guy moving forward in his career and Bruno manipulating Guy to keep himself out of prison. Both men break the law and make foolish decisions; Bruno by killing Miriam and Guy by slipping out and ditching his police escort. 4. There are objects in the movie that link multiple characters together. The first is Bruno’s tie clip given to him by his mother. The fact that his name is on the tie clip is very important in itself because it becomes an identifier. Anne Morton notices this when Bruno talks to Guy out side when he is with Anne. Guy tells her that he has never met him before and that he was simply just a fan. But later, when at the tennis courts, Bruno introduces himself again as if they had never met. Because Anne saw Bruno’s tie clip she was certain that it was the same man and that something was up. Another object in the movie was Miriam’s glasses. After Bruno killed her he took the glasses and gave them to Guy as proof of the murder. Later in the movie, not the physical glasses themselves, but the mental image of the glasses Bruno had in his head reminded him of the murder. When seeing Anne’s sister Barbara who looked a little like Miriam, the glasses reminded him of the murder and he had a flashback to the crime. This was obvious to Barbara and when Barbara told Anne about it, she said she had noticed it too. This was one of the key pieces in Anne discovering that Bruno killed Miriam. 5. The object use for the resolution of the story was Guy’s lighter that had tennis rackets and A G engraved on it. This is very important because it clearly can be proven to belong to Guy and would put him at the scene of the crime if Bruno had placed it there. Bruno knew this and was very careful when someone asked for a light on the train. Bruno pulled out a box of matches even though he had the lighter in his hand. Bruno didn’t want anyone to see him with the lighter and it would lose its ability to link Guy to the murder. At the end of the movie the lighter was used to prove that Bruno was planning on planting the lighter on the island to frame Guy. That one single Item was what cleared Guy’s name.

How to Use $_SERVER in PHP

How to Use $_SERVER in PHP $_SERVER is one of the PHP global variables- termed Superglobals- which contain information about server and execution environments. These are pre-defined variables so they are always accessible from any class, function or file. The entries here are recognized by web servers, but there is no guarantee that each web server recognizes every Superglobal. These three PHP $_SERVER arrays all behave in similar ways- they return information about the file in use. When exposed to different scenarios, in some cases they behave differently. These examples may help you decide which is best for what you need. A full list of $_SERVER arrays is available at the PHP website. $_SERVER[PHP_SELF] PHP_SELF is the name of the currently executing script. yoursite.com/example/ /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php?atest   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php/dir/test   /dir/test When you use $_SERVER[’PHP_SELF’], it returns the file name /example/index.php both with and without the file name typed in the URL. When variables are appended at the end, they were truncated and again /example/index.php was returned. The only version that produced a different result has directories appended after the file name. In that case, it returned those directories. $_SERVER[REQUEST_URI] REQUEST_URI refers to the URI given to access a page. yoursite.com/example/   /yoursite.com/example/index.php   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php?atest   /example/index.php?atestyoursite.com/example/index.php/dir/test   /example/index.php/dir/test All of these examples returned exactly what was entered for the URL. It returned a plain /, the file name, the variables, and the appended directories, all just as they were entered. $_SERVER[SCRIPT_NAME] SCRIPT_NAME is the current scripts path. This comes in handy for pages that need to point to themselves. yoursite.com/example/   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php?atest   /example/index.phpyoursite.com/example/index.php/dir/test   /example/index.php All cases here returned only the file name /example/index.php regardless of whether it was typed, not typed, or anything was appended to it.

Increasing, Decreasing, and Constant Returns to Scale

Increasing, Decreasing, and Constant Returns to Scale The term returns to scale  refers to how well a business or company is producing its products. It tries to pinpoint increased production in relation to factors that contribute to production over a period of time. Most production functions include both labor and capital as factors. How can you tell if a function is increasing returns to scale, decreasing returns to scale, or having no effect on returns to scale? The three definitions below explain what happens when you increase all production inputs by a multiplier. Multipliers For illustrative purposes, well call the multiplier m. Suppose our inputs are capital and labor, and we double each of these (m 2). We want to know if our output will more than double, less than double, or exactly double. This leads to the following definitions: Increasing Returns to Scale: When our inputs are increased by m, our output increases by more than m.Constant Returns to Scale: When our inputs are increased by m, our output increases by exactly m.Decreasing Returns to Scale: When our inputs are increased by m, our output increases by less than m. The multiplier must always be positive and greater than one because our goal is to look at what happens when we increase production. An m of 1.1 indicates that weve increased our inputs by 0.10 or 10 percent. An m of 3 indicates that weve tripled the inputs. Three Examples of Economic Scale Now lets look at a few production functions and see if we have increasing, decreasing, or constant returns to scale. Some textbooks use Q for quantity in the production function, and others use Y for output. These differences dont change the analysis, so use whichever your professor requires. Q 2K 3L: To determine the returns to scale, we will begin by increasing both K and L by m. Then we will create a new production function Q’. We will compare Q’ to Q.Q’ 2(K*m) 3(L*m) 2*K*m 3*L*m m(2*K 3*L) m*QAfter factoring, we can replace (2*K 3*L) with Q, as we were given that from the start. Since Q’ m*Q we note that by increasing all of our inputs by the multiplier m weve increased production by exactly m. As a result, we have constant returns to scale.Q.5KL: Again, we increase both K and L by m and create a new production function. Q’ .5(K*m)*(L*m) .5*K*L*m2 Q * m2Since m 1, then m2 m. Our new production has increased by more than m, so we have increasing returns to scale.QK0.3L0.2: Again, we increase both K and L by m and create a new production function. Q’ (K*m)0.3(L*m)0.2 K0.3L0.2m0.5 Q* m0.5Because m 1, then m0.5 m, our new production has increased by less than m, so we have decreasing returns to scale. Although there are other ways to determine  whether a production function is increasing returns to scale, decreasing returns to scale, or generating constant returns to scale, this way is the fastest and easiest. By using the m multiplier and simple algebra, we can quickly solve economic scale questions. Remember that even though people often think about returns to scale and economies of scale as interchangeable, they are different. Returns to scale only consider production efficiency, while economies of scale explicitly consider cost.

Gaining Consent from Patients with Stroke Article

Gaining Consent from Patients with Stroke - Article Example There have been arguments as to whether these approaches meet the needs of these patients, since care approaches based on the current guidelines have shown deterioration of the quality of life of these patients significantly, mainly due to the loss of autonomy of these patients. This concept of loss of autonomy stands prominent since many patients with stroke lose their capabilities of communication, and in this scenario, maintenance of ethical standards in nursing care become extremely problematic. Since stroke may be associated with impairments, seeking consents from these patients in the area of care is not only an ethical requirement. Consent implies patient's participation and grants autonomy to the patient. Cohen (1991) commented that care delivered with inappropriate or inadequate consent bears the risk of inadequacy of care provision and support, and this becomes more intense in patients with stroke who are dependent and who may have perceived deterioration of mental capacity and impairment of communication due to stroke. Explanation of treatment, care, and seeking their permission to proceed with the care delivery process also ensures understanding of the individual with stroke which cannot be offered by just medical, cognitive, and functional assessments. Consent also reflects a person's thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and desires about his care. Conformity with the consent procedure allows the care processes to be responsive, flexible, person-centered, and need oriented (Keady et al. 1995). As far as nursing in neurosciences is concerned, the concept of gaining consent is applicable both for acute hospital setting and the rehabilitation setting. It is well known from the available researches that the stroke patients consider their experiences with the available rehabilitation services as less than adequate since they rarely include patients' autonomous choices. Although there are ample literature on the topic of patient autonomy, literatures examining the consent procedure in stroke patients fail to examine the issue of validity of gaining consent by neuroscience nurses adequately and beyond doubt. This clout is further aggravated by the fact that three basic ethical concepts of autonomy implied in the process of gaining consent, namely, self-governance, self-realisation, and actual autonomy are devoid of empiric evidence, although philosophical and theoretical discussions are available. Whatever empiric evidence is available mainly centre around permanent residents of nursing homes, where in reality neuroscience nurses deliver care. It is important to note that consent is related to self-determination, which is affected during or after stroke when the patient needs rehabilitation. Thus making choices about own treatment and making decisions about own health and treatment is put to test in a consent procedure, which may even include the choice of the therapist. In a patient with stroke, independence is grossly affected, and this may affect the consent in the true sense of the term. As indicated by Doyal (1997) had commented that informed consent may not be necessary in unconscious or semi-conscious patients, which often is the case in case of patients with stroke. Mangset et al. (2008) defined

Theoretical aspects of the phenomenon of child soldiers and scientific Essay

Theoretical aspects of the phenomenon of child soldiers and scientific issues related to the topic - Essay Example During colonial campaigns, armies would capture the children of prominent chieftains and raise them according to the colonial nation’s customs and laws. Nazi Germany used Hitler Youth movement to try to fight the Allied forces in the closing days of World War II. However each of these cases was isolated by time and geography. They were also exceptions to the level of armed combat which children performed. Ancient wars involved minors as charioteers and armor bearers for adult warriors. This practice can be found in the Bible. War in the middle ages was fought by strong men who had the physical strength to fight in those wars. Children were only used for support roles as they could not be participants in armed combat. The Roman army for instance required physical fitness as criteria for military service which only adult combatants could perform. Fighting with swords, spears, shields and heavy weapons required the use of adult combatants. During the middle ages, military units comprised of knights, heavy cavalry and infantry were extensively used in combat. They used armor and weapons which only adults could perform. The modern era of warfare began with the use of gunpowder. The modern nature of conflict saw the extensive use of muskets, cannons and cavalry against opponents. The weapons and training required to operate these weapons could only be performed by adult combatants. The adv ent of the industrial age also revolutionized the concept of warfare. By the twentieth century, modern armies were now using tanks, cannons, artillery, fighter jets, submarines and naval warships against each other. Again the use of children was mostly for support roles rather than combat purposes since the expertise required to train and use these weapons was only possible for adult combatants. During the middle ages, young boys were used as squires but their

Freedom Of Expression Vs Censorship Policy Media Essay

Freedom Of Expression Vs Censorship Policy Media Essay That leads to the question: Is freedom of expression the opposite to censorship policy? Based on my understanding in Broadcasting Act 1988, Ive to disagree with the statement because freedom of expression and censorship policy are both essential to a countrys development and growth. Censorship policy is a necessity to media because contents that are published through the media must always be checked and filtered in order to prevent harmful and misleading contents to reach the public. Examples are sex-related scenes, violence and gore scenes, and some to the extent of causing racial controversy among the people. It is true that the contents found in media are not 100% true and authentic; However if too much truth and info are exposed to the public, then how certain are we that the public are ready to accept all the facts? Secondly, freedom of expression is essential for a democratic country to grow and develop succeedingly without the abuse of power. Freedom of expression also allow different views and opinions to be voiced out to the public and a country such as Malaysia that has citizens of diverse race, religion, and culture can share their beliefs and be more aware. In addition, freedom of expression has many beneficial effects to society. Freedom of expression also opens opportunity for citizens to take part in decision making of the country such as the rights to vote. Furthermore, citizens can voice out their thoughts and opinion freely without being judged. We refer to freedom of expression rather than freedom of speech because it is more accurately conveyed that it does not have to be words that is said but by the acts that we did. However, freedom of expression may cause harm to others and if it is not controlled properly, libel and slander might occur and conflict will happen. A good example will be the case of Wee Meng Chee aka Namewee that has caused a racial controversy by putting a video of our national anthem with racial slur in it. So this is why freedom of expression should be controlled even though it is necessary for a democratic society. As we can see, freedom of expression and censorship policy synchronizes together and a democratic country could not grow with just one and without the other. That boils up to the point, is all this restriction and limitation really necessary and needed? I will say its very important to be able to balance both freedom of expression and censorship policy. We need to have strong moral values in order to be able to filter contents that are useful and contents that may be harmful and malicious. We the people of the country are actually the cause of all the conflict and controversy that has happened in our nation. As long as we are not educated with proper moral values and ethics, there will always be issues regarding censorship policy and freedom expression. There is a saying: With great power, comes great responsibility. Based on that quote, I believe that both freedom of expression and censorship policy can be a very useful tool if we were to use it wisely but it can also be a very destructive weapon if we do not imply wisdom in using it. There must be boundaries and limitation concerning freedom of expression because more and more individual are starting to rise up and make a stand by voicing out their opinion. It is a good thing that we are able to listen and share different views and opinion. If freedom of expression is used with the intent of helping others and bringing unity then those kinds of acts and speeches should not be blocked and restricted. A very good example pertaining to good use of freedom of expression is the issue of Martin Luther King. Quoting from his speech, he said that we should face hostility with peace. If the public can have a mature and rational thinking like Martin Luther King then freedom of expression can lead to a good thing. The government should control the public from delivering hate speech but they shouldnt restrict and stop the public from expressing honest opinion or we as a nation would always be distorted and blinded with lies. The case of Irene Fernandez has sparked up a very sensitive issue among the public. Irene Fernandez published a report on the living conditions of the migrant workers entitled  Abuse, Torture and Dehumanized Conditions of Migrant Workers in Detention Centres and she was detained and charged for maliciously publishing false news. Do you think it is fair for a woman that merely defended the rights of migrant workers to be under the longest trial in Malaysia history? Malaysia is recognized as a democratic country with variety of races, religion, and culture and Malaysia supports freedom of expression but the charge of Irene Fernandez has bring about confusion to the public. It is said that we have the freedom of expression but the arrest of Irene Fernandez has proven that we do not really have the freedom of expression rather it is just a cover up done by the government. We the people make the government so henceforth if we can grow to be a wise and developed society, then freedom of expression and censorship policy can be a channel for us to share beliefs and opinion without worrying that conflicts might spark. I will end this essay with a question. Can our voices be heard fairly despite all this restriction and limitation?

Margaret Thatcher’s “Charter Schools”

In the United States, primary and secondary public school education, undergoes continual monitoring and discussion by government leaders, educators, and parents. According to a survey, by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in 1994, 39 percent of fourth graders, 37 percent of eighth graders and 36 percent of twelfth graders, scored below average, on basic skills assessment tests, in the United States ( Finn, Ravitch 22-24 ). News coverage also tends to continuously broadcast that the United States lags behind global peers in pre-college education. For this reason, parents, governments and educators are constantly searching for new ways to improve, and overcome learning obstacles, in education. One of the new concepts emerging is the charter school. In the United States, the charter school was modeled after Margaret Thatcher's idea of a public school operating independently, while being funded by grants. A similar concept currently exists, for all public education, in New Zealand ( Finn et al. 48-52 ). In 1992, after the first charter law was passed, Minnesota opened City Academy, based on this concept. The charter focused on recruiting and teaching high school drop-outs ( Buechler 60-63 ). All charter schools, including this first one, are based on certain guidelines. Charters are created by normal citizens desiring to fill a specific need in their area, or to implement a new teaching method. The administration and teaching operate independently from most local school board rules, and funds are used only within the charter school. Any business, parent, teacher or group may apply to open a charter, provided they are not religiously affiliated or a private school already. A charter need only to submit paperwork outlining a curriculum, sponsor, and a place of operation, plus the goals they expect in their students. Local or state school boards then have the option to approve or disapprove of the charter. If the charter idea is accepted, the charter may begin recruitment of students. A contract written and signed between the charter and the school board usually lasts a few years and its renewal is based on positive results or goals achieved. There are also certain laws dealing with charters. A charter must be tuition free and open and free of any discrimination to all children in the district ( Olson Art. 64 ). Charters are almost entirely funded by state and national monies, which normally follow a student to their public school. The money instead will follow the student to his or her chosen charter. Charters are also sometimes funded by private individuals or companies. Arizona ammended their charter school law to create a one million dollar start-up fund. Most states do not provide start-up fees which cover building rental, supplies, teachers and administration, before children arrive at their doors. This creates a hardship for most charters when they first open and prevents others from ever opening (Buechler 60-63 ). As of February 1997, five hundred charter schools operated nationwide, offtering a variety of different curriculums ( â€Å"Schools† 27-28 ). In New Jersey, by creating a public boarding prepatory school, educators devised a way to begin to reach children in their teen years, at risk for dropping out of school. School director Gary T. Reece states, † We've created a safe haven here where kids can risk caring about school without suffering for it†(Cohen 16 ). The teens live in an area where schools are crowded and crime is high. ( Cohen 13 ) In Boston, three types of charters are operating within the city. City on a Hill established for high school students, adds a twist in its curriculum, by creating city hall type debates involving the students. The teens become comfortable with public speaking at a time when they usually avoid it. Another high school named Renaissance, has 205 days in the school year, plus uses integrated teaching within all the classes. Lastly, is an elementary school named Neighborhood House. This school teaches one subject within another. A writing assignment may deal with science or science may be created in art class ( â€Å"Schools† 27-28 ). Add to these examples, charters which stress technology, basic academics, smaller classes, discipline, on-line teaching, home study, whole language, afrocentism, back-to- basics, and those that cater to high-school drop-outs and gifted students. Some charters also partner with zoos, museums, businesses, unions, or community groups ( Buechler 60-63 ) . As a Principal of Harriet Tubman Village School Charter, Roger Sciarretta states, â€Å"The only thing consistent about charter schools is that they're all different. â€Å"Each one has it's own flavor and style† ( Anderson 1A+ ) . In Florida, the Charter School law was adopted in 1996 and as of the 1997-98 school year, thirty-three were operating statewide ( Saunders ). As to why it took till 1996, Betty Golzendorf, D-Jacksonville said, â€Å"If Florida is going to start Charter Schools, then they should be the best Charter Schools in the country† ( Patterson B-1 ). Charters in Florida receive 52,000 dollars as a start-up fee, to help alleviate some of the difficulties before admitting students. Charters also can apply for any funds the government grants for low income or disabilities ( MacDonald ). Ninety-five percent of student fees, usually received by a district, follow the charter student to their selected charter ( Pendleton B-1 ). Before accepting students, a Florida charter must be approved by the local school board, and if denied, may appeal to the State Board of Education ( Saunders ). A Florida charter may be created by groups of citizens, teachers, individuals or legal entities. Private schools and religious organizations are barred from forming a charter school. The charter must also, be open to all children, and follow health, safety, welfare and civil rights laws. Each district is allowed so many charters according to their population. If a district has 100,000 or more people, they may have seven charters established per year. A population of 50,000- 100,000 may create five charters per year. Populations under 50,000 people are allowed three charters per year. (Pendleton B-1 ). In Duval County, five charter schools are currently open, and all are geared towards helping middle school children. Radar Schools focuses on behavior, academics, and truancy. The Police Athletic League is housing and supporting the school (Saunders). Daniel Payne Academy stresses technological curriculum for sixth graders, two years behind grade level . The students receive individual testing, with a focus on building self-esteem and discipline. The students are also required to wear uniforms, and parental involvement is encouraged (Desmon A-1 ). Daniel Payne Academy, School of Success Academy and Empowering Young Minds, all must deal with raising student test scores to meet the Duval County Average of a 49 percentile in reading and 50 percentile in math. Because these schools focus on children in middle school that are behind grade level academically their students averages are below the county average (MacDonald ). In their creation, charters were not meant to replace the public school system. Charter supporters feel that seeking different options for schooling will enhance the current public school system. This in turn, will boost the academic standing in our nation, placing us alongside our foreign counterparts.