The Tragedy Of Hamlet Essays (914 words) - Characters In Hamlet

The Tragedy of Hamlet Annonymous Disillusionment. Depression. Despair. These are the burning emotions churning in young Hamlet's soul as he attempts to come to terms with his father's death and his mother's incestuous, illicit marriage. While Hamlet tries to pick up the pieces of his shattered idealism, he consciously embarks on a quest to seek the truth hidden in Elsinore; this, in stark contrast to Claudius' fervent attempts to obscure the truth of murder. Deception versus truth; illusion versus reality. In the play, Prince Hamlet is constantly having to differentiate amongst them. However, there is always an exception to the rule, and in this case, the exception lies in Act 2, Scene 2, where an honest conversation (sans the gilded trappings of deceit) takes place between Hamlet and Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern. Via the use of prose and figurative language, Shakespeare utilizes the passage to illustrate Hamlet's view of the cosmos and mankind. Throughout the play, the themes of illusion and mendaciousness have been carefully developed. The entire royal Danish court is ensnared in a web of espionage, betrayal, and lies. Not a single man speaks his mind, nor addresses his purpose clearly. As Polonius puts it so perfectly: And thus do we of wisdom and of reach^? By indirections find directions out Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 71-3 The many falsehoods and deceptions uttered in Hamlet are expressed through eloquent, formal, poetic language (iambic pentameter), tantamount to an art form. If deceit is a painted, ornate subject then, its foil of truth is simple and unvarnished. Accordingly, when the pretenses of illusion are discarded in Act 2, Scene 2, the language is written in direct prose. Addressing Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet pleads with them to deliver up honest speech about the intent of their arrival: [offer up] Anything but to th' purpose. Act 2, Scene 2, Line 300 In a gesture of extreme significance, in a quote complementary to Polonius' aforementioned one, Hamlet demands: Be even and direct with me whether you were sent for or no. Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 310-11 Being the bumbling fools they are, Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern disclose their intentions and purposes to Hamlet, revealing the King and Queen's instructions. Thus does truth prevail in this passage. For this reason, the whole passage is devoid of the artful poetic devices that are used in the better portion of the play. The recurring motif of corruption also appears in the passage. Due to the wicked internal proceedings in the state of Denmark (e.g. murder, incest), Shakespeare implies that the whole state is soiled, which in turn has a direct negative consequence in the grand universal scheme of things. Imagery of warped and distasteful plants, in place of the traditional aesthetically correct beautiful flowers in a garden, serves to further reinforce the degeneration theme: 'Tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely. Act 1, Scene 2 Essentially, all of life, and all that was good and beautiful in life (e.g. the garden) is sullied. Hamlet, the disillusioned idealist, continues with the motif when he disheartenedly declares: the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory^? -Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 321-2 [the air] why, it appeareth nothing to me but a fouled and pestilent congregation of vapors. -Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 325-6 The above lines represent Hamlet's cosmic view on the planet. He finds the world to be empty and lifeless, dirty and diseased, and his particular place in it to be desolate and lonely. Indeed, he feels so isolated and entrapped in his native land that he says: [the world is a prison] A goodly one, in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one o' th' worst. -Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 264-6 This view of the world exemplifies the micro/macro concept, where Denmark is the micro manifestation of a prison for our hero. The taint of micro Denmark leads to repercussions that in turn affect the whole universal order, leading to the consequence of the world itself becoming the macro manifestation of a prison in Hamlet's eyes. Further along in the same paragraph, Hamlet offers up his opinion on man, extolling his virtues and excellent qualities (what a piece of work is man^?). Yet, it is tremendously ironic, that the ideal type of man Hamlet is describing is nowhere to be found in the play. Hamlet himself is indecisive, unable to take action, Claudius is a slave to his lusts and passions, Polonius is a simpering, servile old fool, and Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern are mindless ninnies. Quite simply, no true man as Hamlet describes him exists in the play. As a result of this dismal realization,

Have you ever been to a country Essays

Have you ever been to a country Essays Have you ever been to a country Essay Have you ever been to a country Essay Have you ever been to a country where our past is in the present and our present is going to be in the future? Nepal is an undeveloped country and it is one of the â€Å"ten unprosperous countries† (Tessa Feller) in the world. Nepal is one of the most religious countries and is the only official Hindu state in the world. Nepal was only introduced to the world in 1951. Before that, Nepal was under the rule of the Rana’s, who did not allow any tourist to enter. Now, Nepal is once again a monarchy. Since then, Nepal is being introduced to many modern equipment and settlements. It is very depressing for Nepal, having to face this situation when it has many tourist attractions, and many people would like to visit a society completely different from their own. The poor economy of Nepal is holding its true potential from shining. By donating, the economy can grow and children can have a proper education. Since, tourists live in poor conditions when in Nepal, companies can invest to make hotels and make a large profit from it.Tourism is Nepal’s most important industry, although it has â€Å"suffered from the Maoist conflict† (Tessa Feller). Nepal’s tourists range from two-hundred thousand to four-hundred thousand every year. The main reason why people visit Nepal is because it is a completely different society than their own. Since Nepal was only introduced to the world in 1951, many people don’t know about it. It is a society under the progression of modernizing, but is still in the past. Also, Nepal has many attractions such as the Himalayas containing eight of the ten highest mountains in the world. The Himalayas are not just high mountains which are climbed to prove someone’s ability; they are mountains sacred to gods. Many people visit to catch a glimpse of the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest. These mountains bring publicity and money to Nepal.TV’s and computers give happiness and entertainment to people all across the world, but in countries like Nepal this type of entertainment cannot be afforded by the country. Nepal is one of the ten poorest countries in the world. There are no TV’s, no internet and there only â€Å"public washrooms where everyone can see you† (Tessa Feller). The â€Å"GDP per capita income for Nepal is only $1000† (CIA World Factbook). In Canada, families spend around $1000 in one month. How can people expect Nepalese to spend $1000 in a year?This is why most people in a family, including children work and this can cause many illnesses. â€Å"Nepal exports carpets, clothing, leather goods, jute goods, grains for $830million (does not include unrecorded trades with India), and they import gold, machinery equipment, petroleum products and fertilizer for $2.389billion.† Nepal’s import is three times more than there export, which is why they had a â€Å"debt of 3.07 billion in March 2006† (CIA World Factbook) and the debt, is still increasing. Until the debt is paid off, it is going to be hard for Nepal to modernize and our present can only be seen in Nepal’s future.Waking up in the morning wet and cold. In Nepal many people live in poor conditions. It is very â€Å"cool up north and subtropical in the south† (Let’s Visit Nepal). Since, the economy is poor the living conditions are also poor. Many children and adults suffer from these conditions. â€Å"There a re around seven major infectious diseases in Nepal including HIV/AIDS. There are around sixty-one thousand people living with HIV/AIDS and around three thousand one-hundred people died because of it. Around sixty-two out of one thousand babies die.† (CIA World Factbook) Also Nepal lacks in education. Only children over fifteen can read and write (48.6 % of population can read and write). The donations of people are needed to save many lives in Nepal. Remember, a baby shouldn’t be blamed for something it didn’t do.Tourism brings money and publicity, but it lacks quality. The economy is very poor causing the country to be undeveloped. Also, there are poor living conditions, which affect children in many ways. Donation and investment of companies and others can increase the economy and help develop it. Also, it can save many lives! Be a friend to those people who suffer from these poor conditions. A friend in need is a friend indeed. :

African American Culture Essay Example for Free (#4)

African American Culture Essay ? Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Africans in America to practice their cultural traditions, many practices, values and beliefs survived and over time have incorporated elements of European American culture. There are even certain facets of African American culture that were brought into being or made more prominent as a result of slavery; an example of this is how drumming became used as a means of communication and establishing a community identity during that time. The result is a dynamic, creative culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on mainstream American culture and on world culture as well. After Emancipation, these uniquely African American traditions continued to grow. They developed into distinctive traditions in music, art, literature, religion, food, holidays, amongst others. While for some time sociologists, such as Gunnar Myrdal and Patrick Moynihan, believed that African Americans had lost most cultural ties with Africa, anthropological field research by Melville Hersovits and others demonstrated that there is a continuum of African traditions among Africans in the New World from the West Indies to the United States. The greatest influence of African cultural practices on European cultures is found below the Mason-Dixon in the southeastern United States, especially in the Carolinas among the Gullah people and in Louisiana. African American culture often developed separately from mainstream American culture because of African Americans’ desire to practice their own traditions, as well as the persistence of racial segregation in America. Consequently African American culture has become a significant part of American culture and yet, at the same time, remains a distinct culture apart from it. History From the earliest days of slavery, slave owners sought to exercise control over their slaves by attempting to strip them of their African culture. The physical isolation and societal marginalization of African slaves and, later, of their free progeny, however, actually facilitated the retention of significant elements of traditional culture among Africans in the New World generally, and in the U. S. in particular. Slave owners deliberately tried to repress political organization in order to deal with the many slave rebellions that took place in the southern United States, Brazil, Haiti, and the Dutch Guyanas. African cultures,slavery,slave rebellions,and the civil rights movements(circa 1800s-160s)have shaped African American religious, familial, political and economic behaviors. The imprint of Africa is evident in myriad ways, in politics, economics, language, music, hairstyles, fashion, dance, religion and worldview, and food preparation methods. In the United States, the very legislation that was designed to strip slaves of culture and deny them education served in many ways to strengthen it. In turn, African American culture has had a pervasive, transformative impact on myriad elements of mainstream American culture, among them language, music, dance, religion, cuisine, and agriculture. This process of mutual creative exchange is called creolization. Over time, the culture of African slaves and their descendants has been ubiquitous in its impact on not only the dominant American culture, but on world culture as well. Oral tradition Slaveholders limited or prohibited education of enslaved African Americans because they believed it might lead to revolts or escape plans. Hence, African-based oral traditions became the primary means of preserving history, morals, and other cultural information among the people. This was consistent with the griot practices of oral history in many African and other cultures that did not rely on the written word. Many of these cultural elements have been passed from generation to generation through storytelling. The folktales provided African Americans the opportunity to inspire and educate one another. Examples of African American folktales include trickster tales of Br’er Rabbit and heroic tales such as that of John Henry. The Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris helped to bring African American folk tales into mainstream adoption. Harris did not appreciate the complexity of the stories nor their potential for a lasting impact on society. Characteristics of the African American oral tradition present themselves in a number of forms. African American preachers tend to perform rather than simply speak. The emotion of the subject is carried through the speaker’s tone, volume, and movement, which tend to mirror the rising action, climax, and descending action of the sermon. Often song, dance, verse and structured pauses are placed throughout the sermon. Techniques such as call-and-response are used to bring the audience into the presentation. In direct contrast to recent tradition in other American and Western cultures, it is an acceptable and common audience reaction to interrupt and affirm the speaker. Spoken word is another example of how the African American oral tradition influences modern American popular culture. Spoken word artists employ the same techniques as African American preachers including movement, rhythm, and audience participation. Rap music from the 1980’s and beyond has been seen as an extension of oral culture. Harlem Renaissance [pic] Zora Neale Hurston was a prominent literary figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Main article: Harlem Renaissance The first major public recognition of African American culture occurred during the Harlem Renaissance. In the 1920s and 1930s, African American music, literature, and art gained wide notice. Authors such as Zora Neale Hurston and Nella Larsen and poets such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen wrote works describing the African American experience. Jazz, swing, blues and other musical forms entered American popular music. African American artists such as William H. Johnson and Palmer Hayden created unique works of art featuring African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance was also a time of increased political involvement for African Americans. Among the notable African American political movements founded in the early 20th century are the United Negro Improvement Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Nation of Islam, a notable Islamic religious movement, also began in the early 1930s. African American cultural movement The Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s followed in the wake of the non-violent American Civil Rights Movement. The movement promoted racial pride and ethnic cohesion in contrast to the focus on integration of the Civil Rights Movement, and adopted a more militant posture in the face of racism. It also inspired a new renaissance in African American literary and artistic expression generally referred to as the African American or â€Å"Black Arts Movement. The works of popular recording artists such as Nina Simone (Young, Gifted and Black) and The Impressions (Keep On Pushin’), as well as the poetry, fine arts and literature of the time, shaped and reflected the growing racial and political consciousness. Among the most prominent writers of the African American Arts Movement were poet Nikki Giovanni; poet and publisher Don L. Lee, who later becam e known as Haki Madhubuti; poet and playwright Leroi Jones, later known as Amiri Baraka; and Sonia Sanchez. Other influential writers were Ed Bullins, Dudley Randall, Mari Evans, June Jordan, Larry Neal and Ahmos Zu-Bolton. Another major aspect of the African American Arts Movement was the infusion of the African aesthetic, a return to a collective cultural sensibility and ethnic pride that was much in evidence during the Harlem Renaissance and in the celebration of Negritude among the artistic and literary circles in the U. S. , Caribbean and the African continent nearly four decades earlier: the idea that â€Å"black is beautiful. † During this time, there was a resurgence of interest in, and an embrace of, elements of African culture within African American culture that had been suppressed or devalued to conform to Eurocentric America. Natural hairstyles, such as the afro, and African clothing, such as the dashiki, gained popularity. More importantly, the African American aesthetic encouraged personal pride and political awareness among African Americans. Music [pic] Men playing the djembe, a traditional West African drum adopted into African American and American culture. The bags and the clothing of the man on the right are printed with traditional kente cloth patterns. African American music is rooted in the typically polyrhythmic music of the ethnic groups of Africa, specifically those in the Western, Sahelean, and Sub-Saharan regions. African oral traditions, nurtured in slavery, encouraged the use of music to pass on history, teach lessons, ease suffering, and relay messages. The African pedigree of African American music is evident in some common elements: call and response, syncopation, percussion, improvisation, swung notes, blue notes, the use of falsetto, melisma, and complex multi-part harmony. During slavery, Africans in America blended traditional European hymns with African elements to create spirituals. Many African Americans sing Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing in addition to the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, or in lieu of it. Written by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900 to be performed for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the song was, and continues to be, a popular way for African Americans to recall past struggles and express ethnic solidarity, faith and hope for the future. The song was adopted as the â€Å"Negro National Anthem† by the NAACP in 1919. African American children are taught the song at school, church or by their families. Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing traditionally is sung immediately following, or instead of, The Star-Spangled Banner at events hosted by African American churches, schools, and other organizations. In the 1800s, as the result of the blackface minstrel show, African American music entered mainstream American society. By the early twentieth century, several musical forms with origins in the African American community had transformed American popular music. Aided by the technological innovations of radio and phonograph records, ragtime, jazz, blues, and swing also became popular overseas, and the 1920s became known as the Jazz Age. The early 20th century also saw the creation of the first African American Broadway shows, films such as King Vidor’s Hallelujah! and operas such as George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Rock and roll, doo wop, soul, and R;B developed in the mid 20th century. These genres became very popular in white audiences and were influences for other genres such as surf. The dozens, an urban African American tradition of using rhyming slang to put down your enemies (or friends) developed through the smart-ass street jive of the early Seventies into a new form of music. In the South Bronx, the half speaking, half singing rhythmic street talk of ‘rapping’ grew into the hugely successful cultural force known as Hip Hop. Hip Hop would become a multicultural movement. However, it is still important to many African Americans. The African American Cultural Movement of the 1960s and 1970s also fueled the growth of funk and later hip-hop forms such as rap, hip house, new jack swing and go go. African American music has experienced far more widespread acceptance in American popular music in the 21st century than ever before. In addition to continuing to develop newer musical forms, modern artists have also started a rebirth of older genres in the form of genres such as neo soul and modern funk-inspired groups. Dance [pic] The Cakewalk was the first African American dance to gain widespread popularity in the United States. [pic] African American dance, like other aspects of African American culture, finds its earliest roots in the dances of the hundreds of African ethnic groups that made up African slaves in the Americas as well as influences from European sources in the United States. Dance in the African tradition, and thus in the tradition of slaves, was a part of both every day life and special occasions. Many of these traditions such as get down, ring shouts, and other elements of African body language survive as elements of modern dance. In the 1800s, African American dance began to appear in minstrel shows. These shows often presented African Americans as caricatures for ridicule to large audiences. The first African American dance to become popular with White dancers was the cakewalk in 1891. Later dances to follow in this tradition include the Charleston, the Lindy Hop, and the Jitterbug. During the Harlem Renaissance, all African American Broadway shows such as Shuffle Along helped to establish and legitimize African American dancers. African American dance forms such as tap, a combination of African and European influences, gained widespread popularity thanks to dancers such as Bill Robinson and were used by leading White choreographers who often hired African American dancers. Contemporary African American dance is descended from these earlier forms and also draws influence from African and Caribbean dance forms. Groups such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have continued to contribute to the growth of this form. Modern popular dance in America is also greatly influenced by African American dance. American popular dance has also drawn many influences from African American dance most notably in the hip hop genre. Art [pic] Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City by Henry Ossawa Tanner 1859-1937 From its early origins in slave communities, through the end of the twentieth century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States. During the period between the 1600s and the early 1800s, art took the form of small drums, quilts, wrought-iron figures and ceramic vessels in the southern United States. These artifacts have similarities with comparable crafts in West and Central Africa. In contrast, African American artisans like the New England–based engraver Scipio Moorhead and the Baltimore portrait painter Joshua Johnson created art that was conceived in a thoroughly western European fashion. During the 1800s, Harriet Powers made quilts in rural Georgia, United States that are now considered among the finest examples of nineteenth-century Southern quilting. Later in the 20th century, the women of Gee’s Bend developed a distinctive, bold, and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional African American quilts with a geometric simplicity that developed separately but was like that of Amish quilts and modern art. After the American Civil War, museums and galleries began more frequently to display the work of African American artists. Cultural expression in mainstream venues was still limited by the dominant European aesthetic and by racial prejudice. To increase the visibility of their work, many African American artists traveled to Europe where they had greater freedom. It was not until the Harlem Renaissance that more whites began to pay attention to African American art in America. [pic] Kara Walker, Cut, Cut paper and adhesive on wall, Brent Sikkema NYC. During the 1920s, artists such as Raymond Barthe, Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, and photographer James Van Der Zee became well known for their work. During the Great Depression, new opportunities arose for these and other African American artists under the WPA. In later years, other programs and institutions, such as the New York City-based Harmon Foundation, helped to foster African American artistic talent. Augusta Savage, Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and others exhibited in museums and juried art shows, and built reputations and followings for themselves. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were very few widely accepted African American artists. Despite this, The Highwaymen, a loose association of 27 African American artists from Ft. Pierce, Florida, created idyllic, quickly realized images of the Florida landscape and peddled some 50,000 of them from the trunks of their cars. They sold their art directly to the public rather than through galleries and art agents, thus receiving the name â€Å"The Highwaymen†. Rediscovered in the mid-1990s, today they are recognized as an important part of American folk history. Their artwork is widely collected by enthusiasts and original pieces can easily fetch thousands of dollars in auctions and sales. The Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s was another period of resurgent interest in African American art. During this period, several African-American artists gained national prominence, among them Lou Stovall, Ed Love, Charles White, and Jeff Donaldson. Donaldson and a group of African-American artists formed the Afrocentric collective AFRICOBRA, which remains in existence today. The sculptor Martin Puryear, whose work has been acclaimed for years, is being honored with a 30-year retrospective of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York starting November 2007. Notable contemporary African American artists include David Hammons, Eugene J. Martin, Charles Tolliver, and Kara Walker. Literature [pic] Langston Hughes, a notable African American poet of the Harlem Renaissance. African American literature has its roots in the oral traditions of African slaves in America. The slaves used stories and fables in much the same way as they used music. These stories influenced the earliest African American writers and poets in the 18thcentury such as Phillis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano. These authors reached early high points by telling slave narratives. During the early 20th century Harlem Renaissance, numerous authors and poets, such as Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Dubois, and Booker T. Washington, grappled with how to respond to discrimination in America. Authors during the Civil Rights era, such as Richard Wright, James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about issues of racial segregation, oppression and other aspects of African American life. This tradition continues today with authors who have been accepted as an integral part of American literature, with works such as Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and Beloved by Nobel Prize-winning Toni Morrison, and series by Octavia Butler and Walter Mosley that have achieved both best-selling and/or award-winning status. Museums The African American Museum Movement emerged during the 1950s and 1960s to preserve the heritage of the African American experience and to ensure its proper interpretation in American history. Museums devoted to African American history are found in many African American neighborhoods. Institutions such as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and The African American Museum in Cleveland were created by African Americans to teach and investigate cultural history that, until recent decades was primarily preserved trough oral traditions. Language Generations of hardships imposed on the African American community created distinctive language patterns. Slave owners often intentionally mixed people who spoke different African languages to discourage communication in any language other than English. This, combined with prohibitions against education, led to the development of pidgins, simplified mixtures of two or more languages that speakers of different languages could use to communicate. Examples of pidgins that became fully developed languages include Creole, common to Haiti,and Gullah, common to the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. African American Vernacular English is a type variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of the American English language closely associated with the speech of but not exclusive to African Americans. While AAVE is academically considered a legitimate dialect because of its logical structure, some of both Caucasians and African Americans consider it slang or the result of a poor command of Standard American English. Inner city African American children who are isolated by speaking only AAVE have more difficulty with standardized testing and, after school, moving to the mainstream world for work. It is common for many speakers of AAVE to code switch between AAVE and Standard American English depending on the setting. Fashion and aesthetics [pic] A man weaving kente cloth in Ghana. Attire The cultural explosion of the 1960s saw the incorporation of surviving cultural dress with elements from modern fashion and West African traditional clothing to create a uniquely African American traditional style. Kente cloth is the best known African textile. These festive woven patterns, which exist in numerous varieties, were originally made by the Ashanti and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. Kente fabric also appears in a number of Western style fashions ranging from casual t-shirts to formal bow ties and cummerbunds. Kente strips are often sewn into liturgical and cademic robes or worn as stoles. Since the Black Arts Movement, traditional African clothing has been popular amongst African Americans for both formal and informal occasions. Another common aspect of fashion in African American culture involves the appropriate dress for worship in the Black church. It is expected in most churches that an individual should present their best appearance for worship. African Americ an women in particular are known for wearing vibrant dresses and suits. An interpretation of a passage from the Christian Bible, â€Å"†¦ very woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head†¦ â€Å", has led to the tradition of wearing elaborate Sunday hats, sometimes known as â€Å"crowns. † Hair Hair styling in African American culture is greatly varied. African American hair is typically composed of tightly coiled curls. The predominant styles for women involve the straightening of the hair through the application of heat or chemical processes. These treatments form the base for the most commonly socially acceptable hairstyles in the United States. Alternatively, the predominant and most socially acceptable practice for men is to leave one’s hair natural. Often, as men age and begin to lose their hair, the hair is either closely cropped, or the head is shaved completely free of hair. However, since the 1960s, natural hairstyles, such as the afro, braids, and dreadlocks, have been growing in popularity. Although the association with radical political movements and their vast difference from mainstream Western hairstyles, the styles have not yet attained widespread social acceptance. Maintaining facial hair is more prevalent among African American men than in other male populations in the U. S. In fact, the soul patch is so named because African American men, particularly jazz musicians, popularized the style. The preference for facial hair among African American men is due partly to personal taste, but because they are more prone than other ethnic groups to develop a condition known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, commonly referred to as razor bumps, many prefer not to shave. Body image The European aesthetic and attendant mainstream concepts of beauty are often at odds with the African body form. Because of this, African American women often find themselves under pressure to conform to European standards of beauty. Still, there are individuals and groups who are working towards raising the standing of the African aesthetic among African Americans and internationally as well. This includes efforts toward promoting as models those with clearly defined African features; the mainstreaming of natural hairstyles; and, in women, fuller, more voluptuous body types. Religion While African Americans practice a number of religions, Protestant Christianity is by far the most popular. Additionally, 14% of Muslims in the United States and Canada are African American. Christianity [pic] A river baptism in New Bern, North Carolina near the turn of the 20th century. The religious institutions of African American Christians commonly are referred tocollectively as the black church. During slavery, many slaves were stripped of their African belief systems and typically denied free religious practice. Slaves managed, however, to hang on to some practices by integrating them into Christian worship in secret meetings. These practices, including dance, shouts, African rhythms, and enthusiastic singing, remain a large part of worship in the African American church. African American churches taught that all people were equal in God’s eyes and viewed the doctrine of obedience to one’s master taught in white churches as hypocritical. Instead the African American church focused on the message of equality and hopes for a better future. Before and after emancipation, racial segregation in America prompted the development of organized African American denominations. The first of these was the AME Church founded by Richard Allen in 1787. An African American church is not necessarily a separate denomination. Several predominantly African American churches exist as members of predominantly white denominations. African American churches have served to provide African American people with leadership positions and opportunities to organize that were denied in mainstream American society. Because of this, African American pastors became the bridge between the African American and European American communities and thus played a crucial role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Like many Christians, African American Christians sometimes participate in or attend a Christmas play. Black Nativity by Langston Hughes is a re-telling of the classic Nativity story with gospel music. Productions can be found a African American theaters and churches all over the country. Islam [pic] A member of the Nation of Islam selling merchandise on a city street corner. Despite the popular assumption that the Nation represents all or most African American Muslims, less than 2% are members. Generations before the advent of the Atlantic slave trade, Islam was a thriving religion in West Africa due to its peaceful introduction via the lucrative trans-Saharan trade between prominent tribes in the southern Sahara and the Berbers to the North. In his attesting to this fact the West African scholar Cheikh Anta Diop explained: â€Å"The primary reason for the success of Islam in Black Africa†¦ onsequently stems from the fact that it was propagated peacefully at first by solitary Arabo-Berber travelers to certain Black kings and notables, who then spread it about them to those under their jurisdiction† Many first-generation slaves were often able to retain their Muslim identity, their descendants were not. Slaves were either forcibly converted to Christianity as was the case in the Catholic lands or were besieged with gross inconviences to their religious practice such as in the case of the Protestant American mainland. In the decades after slavery and particularly during the depression era, Islam reemerged in the form of highly visible and sometimes controversial heterodox movements in the African American community. The first of these of note was the Moorish Science Temple of America, founded by Noble Drew Ali. Ali had a profound influence on Wallace Fard, who later founded the Black nationalist Nation of Islam in 1930. Elijah Muhammad became head of the organization in 1934. Much like Malcolm X, who left the Nation of Islam in 1964, many African American Muslims now follow traditional Islam. A survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations shows that 30% of Sunni Mosque attendees are African Americans. African American orthodox Muslims are often the victims of stereotypes, most notably the assumption that an African American Muslim is a member of the Nation of Islam. They are often viewed by the uneducated African-American community in general as less authentic than Muslims from the Middle East or South Asia while credibility is less of an issue with immigrant Muslims and Muslim world in general. Other religions Aside from Christianity and Islam, there are also African Americans who follow Judaism, Buddhism, and a number of other religions. The Black Hebrew Israelites are a collection of African American Jewish religious organizations. Among their varied teachings, they often include that African Americans are descended from the Biblical Hebrews (sometimes with the paradoxical claim that the Jewish people are not). There is a small but growing number of African Americans who participate in African traditional religions, such as Vodou and Santeria or Ifa and diasporic traditions like Rastafarianism. Many of them are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean and South America, where these are practiced. Because of religious practices, such as animal sacrifice, which are no longer common among American religions and are often legally prohibited, these groups may be viewed negatively and are sometimes the victims of harassment. Life events For most African Americans, the observance of life events follows the pattern of mainstream American culture. There are some traditions which are unique to African Americans. Some African Americans have created new rites of passage that are linked to African traditions. Pre-teen and teenage boys and girls take classes to prepare them for adulthood. They are typically taught spirituality, responsibility, and leadership. Most of these programs are modeled after traditional African ceremonies, with the focus largely on embracing African ideologies rather than specific rituals. To this day, some African American couples choose to â€Å"jump the broom† as a part of their wedding ceremony. Although the practice, which can be traced back to Ghana, fell out of favor in the African American community after the end of slavery, it has experienced a slight resurgence in recent years as some couples seek to reaffirm their African heritage. Funeral traditions tend to vary based on a number of factors, including religion and location, but there are a number of commonalities. Probably the most important part of death and dying in the African American culture is the gathering of family and friends. Either in the last days before death or shortly after death, typically any friends and family members that can be reached are notified. This gathering helps to provide spiritual and emotional support, as well as assistance in making decisions and accomplishing everyday tasks. The spirituality of death is very important in African American culture. A member of the clergy or members of the religious community, or both, are typically present with the family through the entire process. Death is often viewed as transitory rather than final. Many services are called homegoings, instead of funerals, based on the belief that the person is going home to the afterlife. The entire end of life process is generally treated as a celebration of life rather than a mourning of loss. This is most notably demonstrated in the New Orleans Jazz Funeral tradition where upbeat music, dancing, and food encourage those gathered to be happy and celebrate the homegoing of a beloved friend. Cuisine [pic] A traditional soul food dinner consisting of fried chicken, candied yams, collard greens, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. The cultivation and use of many agricultural products in the United States, such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, sorghum, grits, watermelon, indigo dyes, and cotton, can be traced to African influences. African American foods reflect creative esponses to racial and economic oppression and poverty. Under slavery, African Americans were not allowed to eat better cuts of meat, and after emancipation many often were too poor to afford them. Soul food, a hearty cuisine commonly associated with African Americans in the South (but also common to African Americans nationwide), makes creative use of inexpensive products procured through farming and subsistence hunting and fishing. Pig intestines are boiled and sometimes battered and fried to make chitterlings, also known as â€Å"chitlins. Ham hocks and neck bones provide seasoning to soups, beans and boiled greens (turnip greens, collard greens, and mustard greens). Other common foods, such as fried chicken and fish, macaroni and cheese, cornbread and hoppin’ john (black-eyed peas and rice) are prepared simply. When the African American population was considerably more rural than it generally is today, rabbit, possum, squirrel, and waterfowl were important additions to the diet. Many of these food traditions are especially predominant in many parts of the rural South. Traditionally prepared soul food is often high in fat, sodium and starch. Highly suited to the physically demanding lives of laborers, farmhands and rural lifestyles generally, it is now a contributing factor to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes in a population that has become increasingly more urban and sedentary. As a result, more health-conscious African-Americans are using alternative methods of preparation, eschewing trans fats in favor of natural vegetable oils and substituting smoked turkey for fatback and other, cured pork products; limiting the amount of refined sugar in desserts; and emphasizing the consumption of more fruits and vegetables than animal protein. There is some resistance to such changes, however, as they involve deviating from long culinary tradition. Holidays and observances [pic] A woman wearing traditional West African clothing lighting the candles on a kinara for a Kwanzaa celebration. As with other American racial and ethnic groups, African Americans observe ethnic holidays alongside traditional American holidays. Holidays observed in African American culture are not only observed by African Americans. The birthday of noted American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr has been observed nationally since 1983. It is one of three federal holidays named for an individual. Black History Month is another example of another African American observance that has been adopted nationally. Black History Month is an attempt to focus attention on previously neglected aspects of the African American experience. It is observed during the month of February to coincide with the founding of the NAACP and the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, a prominent African American abolitionist, and Abraham Lincoln, the United States president who signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Less widely observed outside of the African American community is Emancipation Day. The nature and timing of the celebration vary regionally. It is most widely observed as Juneteenth, in recognition of the official reading of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865 in Texas. Another holiday not widely observed outside of the African American community is the birthday of Malcolm X. The day is observed on May 19 in American cities with a significant African American population, including Washington, D. C.. One of the most noted African American holidays is Kwanzaa. Like Emancipation Day, it is not widely observed outside of the African American community, although it is growing in popularity within the community. African American scholar and activist â€Å"Maulana† Ron Karenga invented the festival of Kwanzaa in 1966, as an alternative to the increasing commercialization of Christmas. Derived from the harvest rituals of Africans, Kwanzaa is observed each year from December 26 through January 1. Participants in Kwanzaa celebrations affirm their African heritage and the importance of family and community by drinking from a unity cup; lighting red, black, and green candles; exchanging heritage symbols, such as African art; and recounting the lives of people who struggled for African and African American freedom. Names African American names are often drawn from the same language groups as other popular names found in the United States. The practice of adopting neo-African or Islamic names did not gain popularity until the late Civil Rights era. Efforts to recover African heritage inspired selection of names with deeper cultural significance. Prior to this, using African names was not practical for two reasons. First, many African Americans were several generations removed from the last ancestor to have an African name since slaves were often given European names. Second, a traditional American name helps an individual fit into American society. Another African American naming practice that predates the use of African names is the use of â€Å"made-up† names. In an attempt to create their own identity, growing numbers of African American parents, starting in the post-World War II era, began creating new names based on sounds they found pleasing such as Marquon, DaShawn, LaTasha, or Shandra. Family When slavery was practiced in the United States, it was common for families to be separated through sale. Even during slavery, however, African American families managed to maintain strong familial bonds. Free, African men and women, who managed to buy their own freedom by being hired out, who were emancipated, or who had escaped their masters, often worked long and hard to buy the members of their families who remained in bondage and send for them. Others, separated from blood kin, formed close bonds comprised of fictive kin; play relations, play aunts, cousins and the like. This practice, perhaps a holdover from African tradition, survived Emancipation, with non-blood family friends commonly accorded the status and titles of blood relations. This broader, more African concept of what constitutes family and community, and the deeply rooted respect for elders that is part of African traditional societies may be the genesis of the common use of the terms like â€Å"aunt†, â€Å"uncle†, â€Å"brother,† â€Å"sister†, â€Å"Mother† and â€Å"Mama† when addressing other African American people, some of whom may be complete strangers. Or, it could have arisen in the Christian church as a way of greeting fellow congregants and believers. Immediately after slavery, African American families struggled to reunite and rebuild what had been taken. As late as 1960, 78% of African American families were headed by married couples. This number steadily declined over the latter half of the 20th century. A number of factors, including attitudes towards education, gender roles, and poverty have created a situation where, for the first time since slavery, a majority of African American children live in a household with only one parent, typically the mother. These figures appear to indicate a weak African American nuclear family structure, especially within a large patriarchal society. This apparent weakness is balanced by mutual aid systems established by extended family members to provide emotional and economic support. Older family members pass on social and cultural traditions such as religion and manners to younger family members. In turn, the older family members are cared for by younger family members when they are unable to care for themselves. These relationships exist at all economic levels in the African American community, providing strength and support both to the African American family and the community. Politics and social issues Since the passing of the Voting Rights Act, African Americans are voting and being elected to public office in increasing numbers. As of January 2001 there were 9,101 African American elected officials in America. African Americans are overwhelmingly Democratic. Only 11% of African Americans voted for George W. Bush in the 2004 Presidential Election. Social issues such as racial profiling, the racial disparity in sentencing, higher rates of poverty, institutional racism, and lower access to health care are important to the African American community. While the divide on racial and fiscal issues has remained consistently wide for decades, seemingly indicating a wide social divide, African Americans tend to hold the same optimism and concern for America as Whites. In the case of many moral issues such as religion, and family values, African Americans tend to be more conservative than Whites. Another area where African Americans outstrip Whites in their conservatism is on the issue of homosexuality. Prominent leaders in the Black church have demonstrated against gay rights issues such as gay marriage. There are those within the community who take a more inclusive position most notably, the late Mrs. Coretta Scott King, and the Reverend Al Sharpton, who, when asked in 2003 whether he supported gay marriage, replied that he might as well have been asked if he supported black marriage or white marriage. Neighborhoods African American neighborhoods are types of ethnic enclaves found in many cities in the United States. The formation of African American neighborhoods is closely linked to the history of segregation in the United States, either through formal laws, or as a product of social norms. Despite this, African American neighborhoods have played an important role in the development of nearly all aspects of both African American culture and broader American culture. Due to segregated conditions and widespread poverty some African American neighborhoods in the United States have been called â€Å"ghettos. † The use of this term is controversial and, depending on the context, potentially offensive. Despite mainstream America’s use of the term â€Å"ghetto† to signify a poor urban area populated by ethnic minorities, those living in the area often used it to signify something positive. The African American ghettos did not always contain dilapidated houses and deteriorating projects, nor were all of its residents poverty-stricken. For many African Americans, the ghetto was â€Å"home† a place representing authentic blackness and a feeling, passion, or emotion derived from the rising above the struggle and suffering of being of African descent in America. Langston Hughes relays in the â€Å"Negro Ghetto† (1931) and â€Å"The Heart of Harlem† (1945): â€Å"The buildings in Harlem are brick and stone/And the streets are long and wide,/But Harlem’s much more than these alone,/Harlem is what’s inside. Playwright August Wilson used the term â€Å"ghetto† in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1984) and Fences (1987), both of which draw upon the author’s experience growing up in the Hill district of Pittsburgh, an African American ghetto. Although African American neighborhoods may suffer from civic disinvestment, with lower q uality schools, less effective policing and fire protection. There are institutions such as churches and museums and political organizations that help to improve the physical and social capital of African American neighborhoods. In African American neighborhoods the churches may be important sources of social cohesion. For some African Americans the kind spirituality learned through these churches works as a protective factor against the corrosive forces of racism. Museums devoted to African American history are also found in many African American neighborhoods. Many African American neighborhoods are located in inner cities, These are the mostly residential neighborhoods located closest to the central business district. The built environment is often row houses or brownstones, mixed with older single family homes that may be converted to multi family homes. In some areas there are larger apartment buildings. Shotgun houses are an important part of the built environment of some southern African American neighborhoods. The houses consist of three to five rooms in a row with no hallways. This African American house design is found in both rural and urban southern areas, mainly in African-American communities and neighborhoods. African American Culture. (2018, Nov 09).

Performance and Reward Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Performance and Reward Management - Assignment Example Organizations need HR data in order to make rational and informed decisions for adequate performance management. In order to make sure that hardworking employees are rewarded and disloyal and unproductive employees are penalized, it is imperative that HR data is collected and maintained. Such data includes but is not limited to employees’ attendance, their productivity in terms of goal achievement, their discipline and conduct, and their professional growth and skill development. Having detailed recorded information of all these aspects enables the managers to quantify the results and ensure that the resources are adequately utilized for the benefit of the organization. Collecting data related to employees’ performance helps HR admin in rational decision making. Resources in an organization are limited. In order to achieve organizational goals, it is essential to assign these resources proportionately among the employees considering their needs and past performance. HR admin needs employees’ performance data during the performance appraisal process. This data helps HR admin reach the decisions of promoting certain employees and demoting others, offering increments to certain employees and decrements to others, and selecting employees to be sent as expatriates to other countries. Data related to sick absences is needed by the HR admin not only for monitoring the productivity of employees but also to ensure the provision of adequate medical care to the employees. An employee with a lot of sick absences clearly displays signs of poor productivity and wastage of time and resources. Besides, the organization might incur significant costs in paying the increased insurance premiums for such employees. It is the responsibility of the HR admin to watch out for employees who are using organizational resources for personal gains and report them to the top management. Electronic record storage, as the name implies, is the storage of information in a

Potential and Actual Effects of Political Events on Trade Essay

Potential and Actual Effects of Political Events on Trade - Essay Example The alignment is such that the economic activities of people are improved or that self-interest is created leading to lack of development. Political activities in various countries such as in France and Germany have had significant impacts both to the society and to the production process. In Afghanistan for instance, most of the distribution and trade events are interrupted due to substantial collisions between the politicians and their parties. However, this depends on the way such activities are conducted. In other regions, the events are so peaceful and no interference in the security is witnessed, leading to improvements in the economic sectors. Political activities in any given state are characterized my rallies, forums, banners, large audiences of people and sometimes fights, insecurity and other inhumane acts (Deutsch & Coleman, 2010). A country in the Middle East such as Afghanistan may face different potential and actual effects in the trading sector in the event of politic al upraising. These effects may be diverse and even spread to influence other neighboring countries with which it sources goods and services leading to low economic output. Potential and Actual Effects of Political Events on Trade Sector in Afghanistan The potential effects influence different issues within the trade sectors such as the distribution, production, exports and even the consumption of goods and services. The outcomes fall in different categories involving economy, environment, governance, administration and even corruption. Patronage- politics influences the stands and powers of an individual especially if such an individual has a high standing in the government. This is the favor given to supporters and involves changes in the administration official to those such a power wants. It normally taken as payment to the supporters and majorly a form of corruption where the people elected in the offices lack competence and skills. Political events cause patronage and influenc es trade through improper management and low output in the activities. Poor management of resources arises because most officials are selected for loyalty rather than ability and mainly from a particular group (Janis & Mann, 2007). Political results therefore determines in most cases the officials in the government, and this is evident in Romania a state in Europe where rapid changes of officials in the public sector took place once a new government was formed. Corruption- Political activities lead to introduction of officials sometimes with less skill or even lacking integrity. In the trading sector, corruption becomes a disease leading to economic distortions through direction of resources for public investments to capital projects for individuals. An increase in the bribes and kickbacks is observed, and the public officials increase the technical complexities of projects so as to obtain funds. As a result, investments are falsified and the prices of conducting business rise due t o risks of detection, costs of negotiating with officials, illicit payments and risks of breach. In such cases, competition is blocked, and inefficient firms take charge of the market distorting trade on the overall. Insecurity- political events are accompanied by riot from opposing groups or even disagreement by people on a particular candidate. Still, opposition of the elected power may arise leading to

History of African American Music Essay Example for Free

History of African American Music Essay The history of African American music has been characterized by a mixture among various forms of music. Country blues, urban blues, New Orleans Jazz, Bebop, big-band jazz, and rhythm and blues, have all influenced each other profoundly. These influences flowed back and forth among the various forms. But, black gospel music had only a very limited effect on popular styles, until a few church-trained artists, such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles, began to incorporate gospel styling into their popular work. The result is usually described as soul music, a mix of blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel voices. But, if Ray Charles was one of the originators of soul music, Aretha Franklin reshaped it, by bringing even more of her gospel background to bear on secular love songs (Wade and Picardie 27). By combining popular elements with her stunning voice, her great musicianship, and the feeling for a song that she learned in church, Aretha became one of the greatest soul singers to ever live. Aretha Franklin is a well-known pop, RB, and gospel singer. She has been nicknamed â€Å"The Queen of Soul† and is an internationally known artist and a symbol of pride in the African American community. Her popularity soared in 1967 when she released an album containing songs â€Å"I Never Loved a Man†, â€Å"Respect†, and â€Å"Baby I Love You. † Throughout her career she has achieved fifteen Grammy Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Legend Awards, and many Grammy Hall of Fame Awards. In 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock Roll Hall of Fame. Time magazine chose her as one of the most influential artists and entertainers of the 20th century. She sang at Dr. Martin Luther King’s funeral and at former President Bill Clinton’s inaugural party. Although she has all these accomplishments and awards there are other reasons that have driven Franklin to fame and landed her on the front cover of Time magazine on June 28, 1968. The reasons I believe allowed Aretha Franklin to become so successful are the following: Her family’s involvement with religion, the inspiring people that surrounded her, and the pain she suffered. It is clear that because her family’s involvement with religion would be one reason why Aretha Franklin became as famous as a Gospel singer. Some people would say that her love for religion is unbelievable, but after researching her childhood it is very believable. Her father, Reverend Clarence LaVaugh Franklin lived in Shelby Mississippi and preached while living the life of a sharecropper. As soon as he had enough money, he would move to Memphis, Tennessee to become a pastor of two churches. After a couple of years he attended LeMoyne College, and he studied Education and English Literature. With his education he was able to bring a more liberal view to his preaching’s. Then he moved the family to Buffalo, New York. When he had the resources, he moved the family again to Detroit, Michigan were he settled and became a pastor of a churched called New Bethel Baptist Church. He quickly became one of the most famous pastors in the city of Detroit. Aretha was two years old when they made their final move, she would grow up here and grab the emotion of Church and incorporate it into her music. Aretha Franklin’s mom, Barbara V. Skaggers, served as choir director and pianist. Aretha describes her mom as â€Å"a Superb singer, her voice was clear and distinctive†. (Franklin and Ritz, 6) Her parents taught her how to sing with great pride. This was a big issue because the late ‘50s, early ‘60s was a time of turmoil for African Americans. Her father especially tried to instill pride into her. He was a Civil Rights activist and he was a close colleague with Dr. Martin Luther King. With her parents keeping her involved in Church she was bound to become one of the world’s greatest singers. At around age 12, the father recognized Aretha’s talent as a singer. So he took her on the road with his traveling gospel show. This was important because it shows the kind of support Aretha received from her family. It was said, â€Å"She was a spellbinding performer at the age of fourteen. † (Franklin, 3) So her family really supported and inspired her to become a gospel singer. What also made her a great artist was that she had inspiring people all around her. Aretha grew up in Detroit which at the time was a rousing city or a city of hope for the African Americans running away from the brutality of the South. Though Detroit still had its problems such as race riots, many famous musicians grew up there. Also since New Bethel Baptist Church was so prominent, many musicians and political leaders used Reverend Franklin’s pulpit as a platform to sing or speak to the Black’s of Detroit. Aretha was introduced to classical music by Smokey Robinson’s sister Sylvia Burston. She listened to well known local DJ’s like Ruth Brown and Senator Brystal Brown. When Aretha was younger, she would ride her bike to the local park, and on her way home she would stop by a night club where you could here B. B. King perform. She says, â€Å"You could hear the soft sound of his guitar all the way to the sidewalk (Franklin and Ritz, 22). National and local political leaders would give there speeches. Speakers such as Dr. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. , Dr. Martin Luther King, and Reverend Jesse Jackson would speak powerfully to the church. Aretha was directly influenced by Miriam Anderson, Sammy Davis, and Roy Wilkins. Detroit was overflowing with talent and speakers which I believe also contributed to Aretha’s success. Pain was probably what really drove Aretha Franklin’s success. As stated before, Franklin’s family was highly religious and was continually involved in the Church. But that doesn’t mean that she hadn’t been through a tremendous amount of pain. Early in life her mother and father got a divorce. The father was better suitable to raise Aretha and her four Siblings. The mother moved to Buffalo, New York and tried to make regular visits to see her children. She was supported her children in the best way she could, but when Aretha needed her, she still was not reachable. Matters became worst a few years later when Aretha’s mom dies of a stroke. Aretha described her mom by saying â€Å"she was the absolute lady† (Smith, 3). At age 15 she had her first child and two years later another would come. But Aretha still wanted to go out and be with friends, so her grandmother usually babysat for her periodically. In a time when Black Activism, Feminism, and Sexual Liberation were high, she needed to provide for herself. So when Aretha was old enough and was ready to start performing, she hired a man named Ted White to be her manager. He later became her husband. In the future she would divorce him for a famous actor which would end in divorce, too. Even though in 1968 to 1969, Franklin’s career was rising rapidly. She was still described by her Producer Jerry Wexler as â€Å"a person whose depressions runs deeper than the sea† (Ritchie Unterberger, 3). Then one of Franklin’s highest admirers, gospel giant Mahalia Jackson died. Right after her death a extremely emotional gospel album was released my Aretha â€Å"Amazing Grace† This record was considered to be one of the most emotional records of its time. Much of the pain that Aretha suffered was not really publicized, but still it had to be one of the reasons for her to have such a powerful voice. Aretha Franklin was a successful artist and still inspires musicians today. Her voice is still described as incredible. She has all the awards that she needs to show her talent. Works cited Franklin, Aretha, and David Ritz. Aretha: From These Roots. New York: Villard, 1999. Print. Carroll, Jillian. Aretha Franklin. Chicago: Raintree, 2004. Print.

Driving that Train, High on :: Short Stories Drugs Addiction Papers

Driving that Train, High on. . . "If I could do one line today and not be an addict, I would,'" Melissa said when she was sober and knew she could not handle cocaine. But when she was face to face with the candy for the first time in almost a year, she didn't care whether or not she would become an addict again. Knowing the devastation the drug would cause, knowing one line would bring back all the pain again, she still wanted it more than her education, more than her family, she would have given everything for it, all over again. Sitting at the table, hair pulled back in a pony tail, dressed in a sweater and chinos, (she had really cleaned herself up from a year ago) Melissa drank her beer as if it were going out of style. Watching her friend exchange money for a bag, she had to ask "Can I have a line?" "Melissa, I know you want one, but can you do one and not get hooked on it again?" "Yeah, sure." "I don't want to be the one who gets you all fucked up." "If I couldn't handle it I would tell you, I swear." Melissa walked back to the party, now anxious, and took a seat in her chair. This time she wasn't worried about drinking her beer. The only thing she now thought about was getting that line. She kept him in her sight, the way parents keep an eye on their young children to make sure they don't take off somewhere. If he left, she wouldn't get a line. She wanted that line. "Just one, it won't do anything." "I will in a second, wait until we get back to your house." "It's safe here, no one cares, let's go in the bathroom, no one will know." "Just wait, Melissa." She walked away again. She didn't realize it but she went up to him every five minutes for the rest of the night. "Can I have a line?" "Can I have that line?" "Can I have that line now?" Before she knew it everyone was in the back room, snorting coke. No one would give her a line. She got pissed off and snuck out the sliding glass door.

Ethos Logos Pathos

Ethos Logos Pathos BY watermelon Everyone knows about the gas prices rising, and Assurance uses that to there advantage. Raise you hand if you would pay for gas today if you knew the price was going down tomorrow. Who would right? We need to use gas every day and we pay so much to buy it. Most people like to save money but only when it's convenient. Assurance has made saving money easier than ever on a product we buy every week. Thesis Statement: Assurance states that with the Flocculates, the gas price predictor this will no longer be a problem. Ethos- credibilityObserving the element of ethos in this ad is pretty easy. Aside from flashing there logo a couple times in the ad, Assurance, a company well known for changing the way we use smart phones and computers to purchase the necessities of life, like car insurance. They were the first company to make it possible to purchase car insurance yourself without an agent. They are always looking for innovative ways to keep helping their c ustomers skip the middleman. They are building on their reputation for providing good online applications by now providing the Flocculates. PathosThis Assurance commercial lacked in pathos, or emotion. The ad focused more on ethos and logos. That is one thing I would change about this commercial. But on the other hand the commercial wasn't aimed towards kids, they aren't the ones buying car insurance. But that's beside the fact that this commercial lacked pathos. Logos This ad was a good example of logos- persuading an audience with reason. We all know we need gas to carry on our daily lives and Assurance made it simple. Its logic to wait a day to get gas cheaper. It Just doesn't make sense to pay more than you have to.And Assurance seed that logic to make a great commercial. Lets not forget to mention they said you could tell the future by using their product. Conclusion To wrap it all up they did great in two of the three categories of ethos pathos and logos. Even though they didn 't incorporate pathos in their commercial they still made a great ad. By observing the elements of ethos logos and pathos we can see that Assurance did a great Job in marketing their product to their audience. Next time your watching an ad keep these tactics in mind because they might Just be persuading you more than you think

Blood bank management system Essay

1. Introductions BLOOD BANK MANAGEMENT is a software application to maintain day to day transactions in a blood bank. This software help to register all the donors, Blood collection details, blood issued details etc. Blood banks collect, store, and provide blood. Typically, these banks collect blood from voluntary blood donors. The banks then sort blood by type, check blood to  make sure it is free of disease and then store it for future use. The main mission of a blood bank is to provide life-saving blood to hospitals and other health care facilities. Blood cannot be created by any means, it can only be collected from the Humans i.e. donors. A blood bank is a bank of blood or blood components, gathered as a result of blood donation, stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion..to satisfy blood necessity, to buy, sale and stock. 1.1 Purpose Online Blood Bank is aims serving for human welfare. We have all the information, you will ever need. Many people are here for you, to help you, willing to donate blood for you anytime. We have done the entire job, rest is yours. Search the blood group you need. You can help us by registering on Online Blood Bank if you are willing to donate your blood when needed. As a proud member of Blood Bank and a responsible human being, you can help someone in need. So donate blood in online. 1.2 Scope Blood Bank is aims serving for human welfare. We have all the information, you will ever need. Many people are here for you, to help you, willing to donate blood for you anytime. We have done the entire job, rest is yours. Search the blood group you need. You can help us by registering on Online Blood Bank if you are willing to donate your blood when needed. As a proud member of Online Blood Bank and a responsible human being, you can help someone in need. So donate blood in bank. In this project mainly 3 modules are there. 1. Admin 2. Donor 3. Acceptors 1. Admin: This module focuses on the both donors & acceptors. Each member in a donor & acceptor is given a user id and password, which identifies him  uniquely. The member is given a login form. he enters the login details user id and password. .. The options given to †¢ Maintain donor details †¢ Maintain referral once †¢ Update donor details †¢ View Experiences †¢ Logout Change Password Whenever a user wants to change his / her password he can select the change password option. The system displays the form, which asks him for his old password and new password. The system then compares the old password with the existing password in the database†¦ 2. Donor: Each member in a Donor is given a user id and password, which identifies him uniquely. The member is given a login form. he enters the login details user id and password. .. The options given to a each member in a staff are Change password Find a Blood group Why donate blood who needs blood Find a Donor Refer a friend Logout 3. Acceptor: In this you can store the information about Acceptors. Change password Find a blood group. Who needs blood Logout? Software requirements: Operating System: Windows XP Front End: NET (Active Server Pages, Visual basic ,Java Script) Back end : Sql Server Hardware requirements : MINIMUM P-IV SYSTEM 512 RAM 40 GB HDD 1.3Definitions Donor The person who donate the blood Accepter The person who accepts the blood Transfusion An act of transfusing donated blood, blood products, or other fluid into the circulatory system of a person or animal. 1.4References http://www.bharatbloodbank.com http://www.lionsbloodbank.net/ 1.5 Overview The first section tells about introduction of blood bank management system and its scope. The remaining sections of this document provide a general description, including characteristics of the users of this project, the product’s hardware, and the functional and data requirements of the product. General description of the project is discussed in section 2 of this document. Section 3 gives the functional requirements, data requirements and constraints and assumptions made while designing the E-Store. It also gives the user viewpoint of product. Section 3 also gives the specific requirements of the product. Section 3 also discusses the external interface requirements and gives detailed description of functional requirements. Section 4 is for supporting information. Now the description of SRS is follow:- Section 1. 1.Introduction 1.1 Purpose 1.2 Scope 1.3 Definitions 1.4 References 1.5 Overview Section 2. 2.Overall Description 2.1 Product Perspective 2.2 Product Functions 2.3 User Characteristics 2.4 Constraints Section 3. 3. Specific Requirements 3.1 External Interfaces 3.2 Functions 3.3 Performance Requirements 3.4 Logical Database Requirements 3.5 Design Constraints 3.6 Assumptions and Dependencies

Internal Memorandum Essays

Internal Memorandum Essays Internal Memorandum Essay Internal Memorandum Essay Internal Memorandum Name: Course: Date: Internal Memorandum To: From: Re: Issue Mr. Blake was watching the super bowl game on at the residence of Jessie Smith and his wife on 2-7-2011. Mr. Blake and two other guests were on the couch watching TV and packing a white powdered substance into small bags. Police officers who responded to the Smith’s home for noise complaint stated that they observed Mr. Blake and his friends packing the white powder through the large living room window of Jessie Smith’s home. Since the Police officer saw this in plain view while responding to the complaint, Mr. Blake’s drug charge is admissible according to the Criminal Statutes provided by the Firm’s Law Librarian. The relevant criminal procedure is that if a police officer reasonably suspects that a person has committed, is committing or is about to commit a felony or a Penal Law misdemeanor, the officer is authorized to stop, question and frisk that person. The officer’s personal observation gave them a reasonable suspicion of criminal activity t aking place in the house. â€Å"Procedural criminal law sets forth the rules and laws to be followed from the investigative stage of a crime to the arrest, trial, and sentencing of the defendant. The fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures† (Garland 2009, p.36). Rule The Possession of a Controlled Substance can be either a felony or misdemeanor under the DC code. Controlled substances may include drugs like heroin, marijuana, and firearms that are not registered. According to the misdemeanor DC Code Citation:  §48-904.01,  §48-904.08 criminal statutes provided by the firm’s law librarian states two elements for the misdemeanor level of offense, which are: 1) The defendant possessed a controlled substance. 2) The defendant did so knowingly and intentionally. This means he did it consciously, voluntarily, and on purpose, not mistakenly, accidentally, or inadvertently. From the observations of the responding officers, they witnessed both of these elements stated above. Part two of the Possession of a Controlled Substance under the felony offense: DC Code Citation:  §48-904.01and the charge elements are: 1) The defendant distributed a controlled substance. To distribute means to transfer or to attempt to transfer an item to another person’s possession. The government need not prove that the defendant received or expected to receive anything of value in return after the transfer has taken place. 2) The defendant distributed the controlled substance knowingly and intentionally. This means consciously, voluntarily, and on purpose, not mistakenly, accidentally, or inadvertently. 3) When the defendant distributed the controlled substance, he was at least 21 years of age as is required by law. 4) When he distributed the controlled substance, the person to whom the controlled substance was distributed to be under 18 years old and, therefore, was a juvenile. 5) The amount or quantity of the controlled substance distributed was 30 grams or more. Analysis The officers stated that they also observed Mr. Blake pass over a white powdery baggie to another person standing near the couch. Therefore, this makes the charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance admissible because they observed Mr. Blake pass over the white powder-filled bag to someone else in the room intentionally. He voluntarily not mistakenly distributed the controlled substance to another person. So according to the facts and Criminal Statutes provided by the Firm’s Law Librarian, the Possession of a Controlled Substance charge in this case is admissible and, therefore, considered a felony. The facts presented meet the requirements set out in the DC Code for the drug evidence. The possession of an unregistered firearm charge should NOT be admissible. This charge should not be accepted because the responding police officers did not witness the guns in the possession of Mr. Blake, the defendant. After entering the home, they observed the guns sandwiched in between t he cushions of the couch near the location Mr. Blake was seated, but he is not the owner of the home and was not in possession of the firearms at the time. This is the reason why the police officers do not have enough probable cause to pin the unregistered firearms on Mr. Blake. If nobody else in the home admits to owning the unregistered firearms, then the homeowner should be held liable for the charges of Unregistered Firearm. This is because the firearms were found in their home. According to the DC Criminal Statutes, this can be either a Felony or a Misdemeanor. Mr. Blake does not meet the requirements for any of the elements of this offense or the supplied case laws. This means that Mr. Blake cannot be accused of the possession of unregistered firearms (Werle et al, 2005). Conclusion From the collected evidence, it can be concluded that Mr. Blake is admissible for the drug possession charges but not the possession of firearm charges’. Blake is admissible for the drug charges because the police witnessed the criminal drug activity going on through the window of the home, while responding to that home for a noise complaint. Mr. Blake is not liable for the firearm charge because police do not have valid proof that the unregistered firearms found in the house belongs to Mr. Blake. The unregistered firearms could belong to any of the other occupants in the home during the super bowl game when the arrest took place. References Garland, N. M. (2009). Criminal law for the criminal justice professional. New York: McGraw-Hill. Werle, G. (2005). Principles of international criminal law. The Hague: TMC Asser Press.

Invention and Discovery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Invention and Discovery - Essay Example Invention is of our making while discovery is what we can learn of God's making. How can we tell I suggest there is this first and most simple difference. A discovery is something someone else can test for himself and find out if it is true or not. An invention is something that is true only because of the inventor. (...) Science is therefore a discipline of discovery while engineering is a discipline of invention. And if we compare the findings of science and what we can learn from engineering, we discover that science is always surprising while engineering is always explicable." (Brownpanda, 2006). Even though there is a thin line between discoveries and inventions, the factors stated by Brownpanda are very convincing since discoveries can be associated to science and inventions to engineering. In this case, the difference is quite clear. Brownpanda makes the following assertions in order to find the difference between discoveries and inventions: "I want to suggest something further. Discovery, if we touch upon truth, will always reveal the divine intelligence. And this divine intelligence has certain characteristics: its laws are always simple, its consequences are always amazing, its forms are always beautiful, and while it can be appreciated by all, it is always beyond our understanding. Invention, however wonderful, can always be picked apart and understood. It is often complicated. Take for example a car, it is essentially an internal combustion engine. But there are so many other bits to it and each of the bits is there to solve a specific and particular problem. Take an animal, in contrast. On the surface, it appears simple. You can easily draw anaologies between the animal or human body and the car. But what makes an animal or a human being is not the body but the fact that they are alive. And the reason why they are alive is because they came from another living thing." (Brownpanda, 2006). On the other hand, Fll explains the difference between inventions and discoveries as follows: "Discovery means that the laws of nature exist in a defined form, totally independent of humans or anybody else below the level of an almighty being, and that there is a possibility to discover them in total (if there is a finite number of natural laws) or at least in parts and to describe them in some language (including the language of mathematics). Maybe we find only parts, or we see the laws coarse-grained (i.e. in some approximations), but it is out there to be discovered." (Fll, n. d.) So there is a point of connection between Brownpanda and Fll when they associate discoveries to the divine intelligence or God's making. Klint finds that discoveries and inventions are differentiated through another point of view as stated below: "In the natural sciences there is a conceptual tool to make a distinction between discovery and invention: discoveries are embodied in nature while inventions are embodied in artefacts. Notions such as reality'' and observation'' are used to explain that the instruments--being artefacts--used during experiments lead to valid conclusions that are independent from the actual instruments being used." (Flint, 2006). Regarding the different ways of knowing, there are 4 distinct ways of getting knowledge: sense perception, language,

This will be an evidence based appraisal of an aspect of your practice Essay

This will be an evidence based appraisal of an aspect of your practice and include making recommendations for nursing practice a - Essay Example 1472). Fall-related injuries are seen in about 15% to 50% of patients – these injuries include fractures or lacerations. Moreover, falls often cause fears of falling and it subsequently causes activity restriction and prolonged hospital stay (Schwendiman, p. 1472). Different factors have been considered as possible contributory causes for falls, including, an aging population, rising patient acuity, nurse shortages, an inefficient staff, and similar factors (Hendrich). Measures to prevent falls have been implemented by various hospitals in their clinical setting; however, for the most part, these methods have not been able to significantly reduce the rates of falls. This paper shall explore different ways by which nurses can prevent inpatient falls. It shall answer the question: according to evidence-based practice, what are the efficient nursing interventions which can be applied to prevent inpatient falls. Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted for this paper. First, a manual library search of the school library was carried out – searching medical and nursing journals for published studies in relation to falls and the prevention of falls. This search covered the past five years: January 2006 to December 2010. Relevant studies were set aside for further evaluation. Next, an internet search was carried out through the following databases: Medline, PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and other nursing journals. The Medline database was used because it presented a reliable database of medical and nursing related peer-reviewed researches from a variety of nursing and medical journals. The Cochrane database was chosen because it has the widest and most extensive database for peer-reviewed medical and nursing-related researches. This database yielded studies which were used for this assessment. Finally, Google scholar was also used because it is one of the fastest databases to search. It stores all academic journals and studies from a wide-range o f topics. Moreover, it has search properties which were chosen in order to specify the search process and ensure reliable search results. A Google scholar search was carried out in order to facilitate the search process. The following search words and combinations were entered into the search engines: falls prevention; inpatient falls prevention; elderly falls prevention, and similar combinations. Studies falling within the 5 year period were set aside for further evaluation. Each study were then critically analysed based on the following elements: reliability of authors, peer-review process, publication in a reliable peer-reviewed journal, validity of research methods, reliability of results, and validity of general research process. Results: Based on the search results, there were 10 studies which fulfilled the criteria for this research topic. Various studies presented methods for the prevention of falls. Some of these methods were evaluated depending on effectiveness and impact on clients. In a paper by Schwendiman, et.al., (p. 1472), the authors carried out a serial survey study in order to evaluate in-patient fall rates and injuries before and after the implementation of an interdisciplinary falls prevention program (IFP) in a 300-bed urban public hospital. In the process of research, the authors were able to establish that falls often lead to negative consequences like injuries,