The Greek philosopher Aristotle defined tragic drama as "a power capable of raising pity and fear, or terror. . . to purge the mind of these passions. . . to temper and reduce them. . . by reading or seeing those passions imitated," i.e. tragedy gnaws at one's emotions, thus bringing about a release, or purgation, when the tragic figure is triumphant or victorious over his oppressors or the object of his frustrations. Edgar Allan Poe's short stories of terror, based on supernatural or psychological manifestations, continue to be highly praised by a select group of readers. This paper examines Edgar Allan Poe's many "tales of terror," such as "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Black Cat," "The Premature Burial" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" and shows the use of tragic drama.

The aim of this study will be to determine what effect regime type has on a nation's tendency to engage in diversionary conflict. This study will discuss the theoretical reasons, which would propel or dispel a liberal or illiberal regime's propensity to use force, examine what trends the empirical studies have shown regarding regime type, discuss some specific anecdotal case studies, and lastly discuss the potential benefits and pitfalls of diversionary theory as a policy base for both liberal and illiberal regimes. This paper will examine the existing literature on diversionary theory, devoting attention to its overall theoretical basis, the slightly different concept of scapegoating, and scrutinize some of the numerous empirical studies, which have examined Diversionary Theory from the statistical realm. Two of the key aspects which Diversionary scholars attribute the phenomena to, Electoral Politics and Economic Downturn will be evaluated. The relative absence of elections in illiberal regimes will be discussed as well as the effect this variable may have on the regimes need for the support of the public. In addition some individual case studies of conflicts, which are historically codified as diversionary, will be examined in relation to economic downturn.

In a modern American culture that struggles for identity, the thought that my authentic self is important is a somewhat foreign concept. Outside of the labels of what I do for a living, who I am married to, how many partners I have had, or what I do on the weekends to give my life excitement, individuals fill counselors office searching for confirmation that an authentic self is important and valuable. This paper reviews Dr. Phil's book Self Matters, which is an examination into how a person can discover that his authentic self matters, i.e.: is important and valuable. To clearly identify this goal, the shoot-from-the-hip Dr. dug into the matters of self, those events and choices that have left their lasting mark on our consciousness, and have participated in shaping us into who we are today.