What is the significance of fire in Faulkner's Barn Burning Essay

What is the significance of fire in Faulkner's Barn Burning - Essay Example sis, and such practice is still in continuance today where individuals and scholars are attempting to analyze a piece of literature to identify different symbols, themes, and moral lessons from it. This paper is attempting a similar attempt of analyzing one of the most popular works of William Faulkner: ‘Barn Burning’ (Faulkner, pp. 1-47), and will endeavor to identify the significance and representation of the ‘fire’ in this tale of acceptance and self-discovery. Brief review of this piece of literature has indicated that Sarty has played the leading role in this story while his father depicts an unconstructive role due to, and in protest of the upper classes of the Civil War. In specific, Abner Snopes is father in this story that cherishes the moment of destruction of others’ barns that he burns to protest against aristocrats (Faulkner, pp. 11-12). In this story, the author has attempted to portray different aspects of the relationship of father and son, as the leading character of the story confronts two sides: his father’s and truth’s. In such theme, the author has played a significant role by using the symbolized notion of ‘fire’ at various places of the story. Although fire is a factual object, however, the notion of fire symbolizes anger of the father, as well as his impudence and effrontery for property, and specifically, barns of other people. In this way, the author has attempted to use the symbol of fire to explain hidden messages in the story, as the approach is clear from the very start of the story that begins with fire of a barn and ends with the same. In personal opinion, brief review of the story indicated that leading character’s obsessive affection to his family (Millgate, pp. 271), especially to his father is also related to the notion of ‘fire’, as story shows that Sarty trusted his father in the beginning and continued to think that fires will end soon; however, the story ended with another fire from his father. In

African American Press Essay Example for Free

African American Press Essay ?â€Å"We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. Too long has the public been deceived by misrepresentation of things which concerns us dearly,† written on the front page of the first African-American owned newspaper, Freedom’s Journal. Freedom’s Journal was published on March 16, 1827 by a group of free African-American men in New York City. Freedom’s Journal was published the same year slavery was abolished in New York and was used to counter racist commentary published in the mainstream press. Samuel E. Cornish and John B. Russwurm served, respectively, as its senior and junior editors where they worked together to publish four-page, four-column weekly newspapers. Though The Freedom’s Journal was not the first African-American paper published, it was the first Africa-American owned newspaper. Freedom’s Journal consisted of news on current events, anecdotes, editorials and used to address contemporary issues such as denouncing slavery, advocating for black people’s political rights, the right to vote, and speaking out about lynching. Cornish and Russwurm desire were to give African-Americans the freedom to voice their thoughts, ideas and opinions. They sought to improve conditions for more than 300,000 newly freed men and women living in the North. They fulfilled this desire, by employing 14 to 44 agents each year to collect subscriptions. Each agent was paid $3 a year for their work. To encourage black achievements Freedom’s Journal featured biographies of celebrated black figures and continued to promote better living conditions by printing schools that were open to blacks, job offering and housing listings. Freedom’s Journal, eventually, circulated 11 states, the District of Columbia, Haiti, Europe and Canada before ceasing publications in 1829. During that time, Russwurm became the sole editor of Freedom’s Journal, after Cornish resigned in 1827. Russwurm began to promote the Colonization Movement which was frowned upon by majority of the newspaper’s readers. The Colonization Movement was a movement that was conceived by members of the American Colonization Colony where they began repatriating free African-Americans back to Africa. When the Freedom’s Journal shifted in complete support of colonization, it lost most of its readers and in March 1829 Freedom’s Journal ceased publication. Even though Freedom’s Journal existed for two years, its two years of existence helped spawn other papers. Since then, African American press has evolved and has substantially increased in the population over the years. After Freedom’s Journal, African-Americans had begun establishing and owning newspapers. It began May 1829, when Cornish attempted to revive the Freedom’s Journal under the name The Rights of All, however, the publication was not successful and failed after a year. David Walker, hired as an agent for Freedom’s Journal, became a well known, anti-slavery writer which was inspired by his experience with Freedom’s Journal. In 1830, Walker’s published his most famous publication known as Appeal which called for slaves to rebel against their masters, â€Å"†¦they want us for their slaves, and think nothing of murdering us†¦therefore, if there is an attempt made by us, kill or be killed†¦and believe this, that it is no more harm for you to kill a man who is trying to kill you, than it is for you to take a drink of water when thirsty,† (Walker). Another attempt at publication, Samuel Cornish, along with, Philip Bell, and Charles Bennett Ray launched The Weekly Advocate, January 1837. Later, the men changed the name to The Colored American March 4, 1837. The Colored American main purpose was to strengthen the moral, social, and political elevation of colored people as well as emancipation of slaves. The Colored American became well-known in the North because of the wide spread support of abolitionists, African-American churches and local abolition societies, and Caucasian allies. The Colored American published 38 articles, becoming an important paper of its time. The last edition of The Colored American was published on Christmas day in 1841. Other early African American newspapers include the Provincial Freeman, published in 1854, which was the first African-American owned newspapers to be published in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. The North Star was an anti-slavery newspaper published in 1847 by Frederick Douglas. He later agreed to merge it with the publication Liberty Party Paper with Gerrit Smith creating the Frederick Douglass’ Paper, in Rochester, New York. The National Era was published in Washington, D. C. in 1847 by the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. The Liberator was probably the best-known publication during the era, published by William Lloyd Garrison in Boston between 1831 and 1865. Other anti-slavery newspapers of note include the Friend of Man, published weekly for the New York State Anti-Slavery Society from 1836 through 1842. The Emancipator, originally known as Genius of Universal Emancipation, was one of the first anti-slavery newspapers published in the United States by Benjamin Lundy in 1819 and National. Anti-Slavery Standard established in 1840. All of these newspapers advocated for the abolition of slavery and for the civil rights of all African Americans. By the start of Civil War, more than 40 black-owned and operated papers had been established throughout the United States. After the end of the Civil War, more than 100 newspapers were beginning to publish. Many of the major African-American owned publications include, Baltimore Afro-American, also known as The Afro, was founded by a former slave, John H. Murphy, SR. , in 1892. Today, The Afro is the longest-running African-American, family-owned newspaper in the United States. The Chicago Defender was founded by Robert Sengstacke. Abbott on May 5, 1905. The Chicago Defender included writing pieces from the well-known Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks and Willard Motley. The Pittsburgh Courier an African-American newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1910. The Pittsburgh Courier became the most widely circulated newspaper in America for African-Americans. During its peak, the Pittsburgh Courier circulated around 450,000 publications, with more than 400 employees in 14 cities. The Pittsburgh Courier discussed major issues impacting African-American communities. It campaigned against segregation and poverty, and promoted the social advancement of blacks. In the 1930s, the Pittsburgh Courier urged Black voters to vote Democrat, creating a political alliance that still exist to this day. Other publications includes, The Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001), Atlanta Daily World (1931–2003), Cleveland Call Post (1934-1991), Los Angeles Sentinel (1934–2005), New York Amsterdam News (1922–1993), and Norfolk Journal and Guide (1921-2003). With African-American newspaper publication on the rise, organizations to help promote the publication began to form to support African-American journalist. In 1940, Robert Sengstacke Abbott, founder of Chicago Defender, along with other African-American publishers, organized the National Negro Publishers Association. The members of the National Negro Publishers Association worked together, â€Å"harmonizing our energies in a common purpose for the benefit of Negro journalism†, (Sengstacke). Today, the National Negro Publishers Associations is composed of more than 200 black newspapers in the United States and the Virgin Islands. In 1975 in Washington D. C. , 44 African-American journalists founded the National Association of Black Journalists. The National Association of Black Journalist’ purpose was to provide quality programs and services to and advocate on behalf of black journalists. These organizations are still going strong today and have contributed greatly to the African American population. Today, there isn’t a firm count of how many African American newspapers circulating the United States, however, according to Allied Media Corporation, an ethnic marketing firm, they have listed 250 newspapers in circulation. The National Newspaper Publishers Association, better known as the Black Press of America, assist in the publication of African-American owned newspapers, counts more than 200 black-owned newspapers as its membership. As you can see, since the Freedom’s Journal, the number of newspaper publications has increased. It began with the main purpose being that Africa-Americans would stick together to fight the constant oppression they were under. Now that we don’t see African-American oppression, as we did then, publications has different focal points. Many of the newspapers provide news and insight on African-American culture, including a variety of perspectives from leaders, celebrities, trendsetters and great minds from the African-American community. The Freedom’s Journal created a new stepping stone for the African-American population. It provided the platform for issues and concerns pursuant to ensuring our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and to preserve a legacy of black conservatism for generations to come. References 2, M. A. (n. d. ). Early African American and Anti-Slavery Newspapers | Marjory Allen Perez. Genealogy Family History | Search Family Trees Vital Records . Retrieved August 1, 2013, from http://www. archives. com/experts/perez-marjory/early-african-american-and-anti-slavery-newspapers. html Black Newspapers Listing | The Network Journal. (n. d. ). Black Business | Black News, Career Ideas for Black Professionals. Retrieved August 1, 2013, from http://www. tnj. com/lists-resources/black-newspapers-listing David Walker, 1785-1830. Walkers Appeal, in Four Articles; Together with a Preamble, to the Coloured Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly.

What is Illiteracy? :: Illiteracy Essays

What exactly is illiteracy? An adult or adults with a reading incapacity, a lack of knowledge of a subject, and/or a error in speech or writing according to Encarta World English Dictionary is a person or persons with illiteracy. Ronald Nash the author of an on-line article entitled â€Å"The Three Kinds of Illiteracy† he describes the three different types of illiteracy. Nash explains in detail cultural, moral, and functional illiteracy in his article. Cultural illiteracy defined by E.D. Hirsch Jr. is to possess the basic information needed to thrive in the modern world (Nash). Moral illiteracy is not being taught or lacked the education and understandings in religious or spiritual beliefs (Nash). Functional illiteracy refers to the inability of an individual to use reading, speaking, writing, and computational skills in everyday life (Literacy Center for the Midlands). Functional illiteracy is probably the most familiar and known to the public out of the three.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Functional illiteracy is measured on a scale of five levels. Level one is an adult or adults who can read a little, but not well enough to fill out an application, read a food label, or a simple story to a child (NIFL: National Institute for Literacy- Frequently Asked Questions). Level two adult or adults can perform more complex tasks such as comparing and contrasting a situation (NIFL: National Institute for Literacy- Frequently Asked Questions). Level three to level five adult or adults usually perform the same types of more complex tasks on increasingly lengthy and dense texts and documents (NIFL: National Institute for Literacy- Frequently Asked Questions).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to the A Untied Way Agency web page posts on-line article entitled The Scope of Illiteracy in this Country, 23% of adults who were surveyed by the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), were at level one illiteracy. 25%- 28% of the adults surveyed were at the second lowest level, that is level two (The Scope of Illiteracy in this Country). This information was released to the public in September 1993, but the survey was complete in 1992 (Literacy Center for the Midlands-Facts on Illiteracy). This survey measured three areas that included: pose, documentation, and quantitative proficiency (Literacy Center for the Midlands-Facts on Illiteracy).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Through many studies it has shown that illiteracy has a significant impact on the economy (Economic Impact of Illiteracy in this Country). The American Council of Life Insurance reports that three quarters of the Fortune 500 companies provide some level of remedial training for their workers (Economic Impact of Illiteracy in this Country).

Cultural Profile

Cultural Profile Culture is said to be a universal of shared beliefs, values and norms that guide a particular group of people through everyday life. Culture does not only shape and mold a country on a national level but it also molds many businesses within that country as they build their own norms, beliefs and values as it pertains to different aspects of conducting their business in a culture. In order for a business to be successful one must first understand how national and business culture differ and how it relates to work goals and this is addressed by Hofstede’s model of national culture.Hofstede uses five dimensions of basic cultural values. The first one is power distance which refers to what people expect regarding equality among others. The second is uncertainty avoidance which a typical reaction to a certain situation that is seen as dangerous or different. The third dimension is individualism which refers to the relationship in society between an individual and a group. Masculinity, the fourth dimension is what is expected about gender roles and lastly is the long-term orientation which refers to the way people see and value time.I will be making references to the data from Jamaica which is similar to Belize in several ways given that Belize is not in the list of countries in the Hofstede Centre. From the graph, the score for power distance was 45 which means that the Jamaicans are independent and a hierarchy is only for convenience as power is decentralized and managers depend on team members experience and their participation is welcomed in the decision making process of the business. Compared to the United States who had an even lower score of 40 shows that they do not view inequality as something good and they do not support the authoritarian leadership style.For individualism, Jamaica is considered to be a collectivistic society with a score of 39. This means that family, social class, organization and team takes priority over an indiv idual and this is the foundation of long-term commitment to the parties involved which in most cases are extended family and close friends. Compared to the United States who scored a high of 91, this means that they believe that everyone is responsible for themselves and individual’s achievements and good performance is beneficial in gaining rewards in the workplace.This brings out the aggressiveness in Americans. Next was the masculinity score of 68 for Jamaica and 62 for the United States. This shows that both countries are considered as a masculine society with Jamaica a little bit more masculine. This means that men are seen as the dominant and assertive and that we should live to work which is more important than even the family. A masculine society sees success, advancement and money as important factors in one’s life. The fourth dimension was that of the uncertainty avoidance where Jamaica had a low score of only 13.This implies that Jamaicans tend to be go for more flexibility as they allow subordinates to make more on their job choices, they are more relaxed and they encourage less rules and regulations which cause more freedom for subordinates. The United States, even though scored higher than Jamaica, score is still a low 46. Americans is more open to ideas and opinions of others as the allow freedom of expression and they too encourages less rules and regulations. Lastly, was the dimension of low-term orientation where Jamaica has no score so far.The United States however, has a low score of 29 which means that their orientation is short-term and they are use profit and loss statements to measure the performance of a business. They believe that immediate rewards such as higher pay and promotions are necessities in a business. Jamaicans like Americans are seen as a monochronic culture. Some of their traits are that they are committed to their job, they are serious about time commitments and so show great emphasis on being prompt. They have a tendency to do one thing at a time and often times stick to their plans.On the other hand their are polychronic people and they tend to be more committed to human relationships and if possible they achieve their objectives. They tend to do many things at once and it is easy for them to change plans. Polychronic people are mainly from northern and western Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. Jamaicans are known to be direct and say what they mean which is considered to be a people of low-context language. They are action-oriented and they value logic and facts which they based their decisions on rather than their intuitions. Jamaicans are very explicit in their contracts which often times conclude negotiations.Belizeans and Jamaicans are very close in culture and based on this fact, the data collected was very helpful in determining how I would create a company culture over time. I believe that in order to make both myself and my subordinates comfortable and to get the maxi mum performance their will have to be some compromise. I am a born Belizean so I am very familiar with the culture and is verse with what is expected. Over the years I had changed some of my traits as far as business and so some of the traits that I have adopted from being here in the United States I would definitely want to implement in my business in Belize.Employees would be selected from the Belizean population who will be facilitated with sales training. The senior manager would have to display leadership qualities to as enforce a break away from being so laid back and relaxed. I would use promotions and pay increase as motivational tools for my employees and I do believe that since they are more verse with what is in demand that it is important for me to welcome ideas and suggestions from the employees and allow them to be apart of the decision making of the business. 100 75 50 Jamaica (similar to Belize) 25 United States 0 PDI IDV MAS UAI LTO

The Analysis And Application Of The Balance Sheet

Financial accounting is one of the most popular major in the world. In the study of accounting, people must know and use expertly the three accounting statement, balance sheets, cash flow, and income statement. It is the most basic and useful skill in one’s career of accounting. But in the four basic financial statement, the balance sheet or called statement of financial position is the only one which describe a single point in time of a business’ calendar year.â€Å"In financial accounting, a balance sheet or statement of financial position is a summary of the financial balances of a sole proprietorship, a business partnership, a corporation or other business organization, such as an LLC or an LLP. Assets, liabilities and ownership equity are listed as of a specific date, such as the end of its financial year. A balance sheet is often described as a snapshot of a company's financial condition. †(Williams,Jan R,ibid,2008)Therefore, this essay will force on the ba lance sheet, it can help student understand the balance sheet better.A standard company balance sheet has divide into three parts: assets, liabilities and ownership equity. â€Å"The main categories of assets are usually listed first, and typically in order of liquidity. †(Daniels, Mortimer ,1980) â€Å"Assets are followed by the liabilities. The difference between the assets and the liabilities is known as equity or the net assets or the net worth or capital of the company and according to the accounting equation, net worth must equal assets minus liabilities.†[Williams, Jan R,2008]†Another way to look at the same equation is that assets equals liabilities plus owner's equity. Looking at the equation in this way shows how assets were financed: either by borrowing money (liability) or by using the owner's money (owner's equity). Balance sheets are usually presented with assets in one section and liabilities and net worth in the other section with the two sections â€Å"balancing†. A business operating entirely in cash can measure its profits by withdrawing the entire bank balance at the end of the period, plus any cash in hand.However, many businesses are not paid immediately; they build up inventories of goods and they acquire buildings and equipment. In other words: businesses have assets and so they cannot, even if they want to, immediately turn these into cash at the end of each period. Often, these businesses owe money to suppliers and to tax authorities, and the proprietors do not withdraw all their original capital and profits at the end of each period. In other words businesses also have liabilities.†[wikipedia, balance sheet]A balance sheet summarizes an organization or individual's assets, equity and liabilities at a specific point in time. We have two forms of balance sheet. They are the report form and the account form. Individuals and small businesses tend to have simple balance sheets. [the original, 07,15,2007] L arger businesses tend to have more complex balance sheets, and these are presented in the organization's annual report. [Microsoft Corporation balance sheet, June 30, 2004] Large businesses also may prepare balance sheets for segments of their businesses.[Global Financing]A balance sheet is often presented alongside one for a different point in time (typically the previous year) for comparison. [Balance sheet comparing two year-end balance sheets] â€Å"A personal balance sheet lists current assets such as cash in checking accounts and savings accounts, long-term assets such as common stock and real estate, current liabilities such as loan debt and mortgage debt due, or overdue, long-term liabilities such as mortgage and other loan debt.Securities and real estate values are listed at market value rather than at historical cost or cost basis. Personal net worth is the difference between an individual's total assets and total liabilities. †[Personal balance sheet structure] â⠂¬Å"A small business balance sheet lists current assets such as cash, accounts receivable, and inventory, fixed assets such as land, buildings, and equipment, intangible assets such as patents, and liabilities such as accounts payable, accrued expenses, and long-term debt.Contingent liabilities such as warranties are noted in the footnotes to the balance sheet. The small business's equity is the difference between total assets and total liabilities. †[Small Business Administration] There are anther type of balance sheet is US small business balance sheet. It is a small business balance sheet lists current assets such as cash, accounts receivable, and inventory, fixed assets such as land, buildings, and equipment, intangible assets such as patents, and liabilities such as accounts payable, accrued expenses, and long-term debt.Contingent liabilities such as warranties are noted in the footnotes to the balance sheet. The small business's equity is the difference between total ass ets and total liabilities. Guidelines for balance sheets of public business entities are given by the International Accounting Standards Board and numerous country-specific organizations/companys. â€Å"Balance sheet account names and usage depend on the organization's country and the type of organization. Government organizations do not generally follow standards established for individuals or businesses.†[Personal balance] If applicable to the business, summary values for the following items should be included in the balance sheet:[16] Assets are all the things the business owns, this will include property, tools, cars,Current assets,Cash and cash equivalents, Accounts receivable,Inventories,Prepaid expensesfor future services that will be used within a year,Non-current assets (Fixed assets),Investment property, such as real estate held for investment purposes,Intangible assets,Financial assets (excluding investments accounted for using the equity method, accounts receivabl es, and cash and cash equivalents), Investmentsaccounted for using the equity method, Biological assets, which are living plants or animals.Bearer biological assets are plants or animals which bear agricultural produce for harvest, such as apple trees grown to produce apples and sheep raised to produce wool. [Epstein, Barry J. ; Eva K. Jermakowicz ,2007] the liabilities is include: Accounts payable, Provisionsfor warranties or court decisions,Financial liabilities (excluding provisions and accounts payable), such as promissory notes and corporate bonds,Liabilities and assets for current tax,Deferred taxliabilities and deferred tax assets,Unearned revenue for services paid for by customers but not yet provided. Further more The net assets shown by the balance sheet equals the third part of the balance sheet, which is known as the shareholders' equity.It comprises:Issued capital and reserves attributable to equity holders of the parent company (controlling interest), Non-controlling i nterestin equity. Formally, shareholders' equity is part of the company's liabilities: they are funds â€Å"owing† to shareholders (after payment of all other liabilities); usually, however, â€Å"liabilities† is used in the more restrictive sense of liabilities excluding shareholders' equity. The balance of assets and liabilities (including shareholders' equity) is not a coincidence. Records of the values of each account in the balance sheet are maintained using a system of accounting known as double-entry bookkeeping. In this sense, shareholders' equity by construction must equal assets minus liabilities, and are a residual.Regarding the items in equity section, the following disclosures are required: Numbers of shares authorized, issued and fully paid, and issued but not fully paid, Par valueof shares, Reconciliation of shares outstanding at the beginning and the end of the period, Description of rights, preferences, and restrictions of shares, Treasury shares, incl uding shares held by subsidiaries and associates, Shares reserved for issuance under options and contracts, A description of the nature and purpose of each reserve within owners' equity The last part in this essay will introduce Balance sheet substantiation. ‘Balance Sheet Substantiation is the accounting process conducted by businesses on a regular basis to confirm that the balances held in the primary accounting system of record (e. g. SAP, Oracle, other ERP system's General Ledger) are reconciled (in balance with) with the balance and transaction records held in the same or supporting sub-systems.Balance Sheet Substantiation includes multiple processes including reconciliation (at a transactional or at a balance level) of the account, a process of review of the reconciliation and any pertinent supporting documentation and a formal certification (sign-off) of the account in a predetermined form driven by corporate policy. Balance Sheet Substantiation is an important process that is typically carried out on a monthly, quarterly and year-end basis. The results help to drive the regulatory balance sheet reporting obligations of the organization. Historically, Balance Sheet Substantiation has been a wholly manual process, driven by spreadsheets, email and manual monitoring and reporting.In recent years software solutions have been developed to bring a level of process automation, standardization and enhanced control to the Balance Sheet Substantiation or account certification process. These solutions are suitable for organizations with a high volume of accounts and/or personnel involved in the Balance Sheet Substantiation process and can be used to drive efficiencies, improve transparency and help to reduce risk. Balance Sheet Substantiation is a key control process in the SOX 404 top-down risk assessment. ’[University of Victoria (Canada) balance sheet accounts] To sum up, it can be seen that the balance sheet have a lot of point, it worth to resea rch, to think deeply. The balance sheet is the first step of your accounting career, it also is the skill which will follow you whole accounting career.

Slavery Reparations Are Wrong essays

Slavery Reparations Are Wrong essays Ladies and gentlemen: I don't believe that anyone in this chamber would move to disagree with the idea that slavery was an atrocity, committed from the depths of the darkest parts of the human sole. Cruelty is the readiness to give pain to others or lack of concern for their suffering. Pertaining to exactly what the white man did to the black slaves. Slavery was not an institution of neither economical nor a paternalistic system. It was a brutal, inhumane abuse of mankind. Africans were seized from their native land, and sold into lives of servitude in a foreign land. Indeed, it was a tragedy on such a scale that cannot be measured nor quantified. And it is this very notion of tragedy, which speaks to the matter of reparations for slavery. To be quite blunt, reparations, even if they may be deserved, are not feasible under any system or economic tangent. Not only would such an undertaking not remedy the situation, but it would sink Africa and her people deeper into the cycle of poverty and oppression that they have so struggled to free themselves from. While the arguments against reparations may seem shallow or self-serving to advocates of such a system, upon examination, the logistics of what to give, and whom to distribute it to, preclude any potential benefits of such a system of indemnity and requite. The point of the following critique is not to say that Africans were not mistreated, nor that they are not worthy of reparations, but that perhaps reparations are not an adequate solution to this situation, and certainly will only serve to worsen. Aside from any philosophical or idea-based arguments against reparations, there exist a number of logistical barriers to repaying blacks for their suffering. Immediate questions arise in the realm of distribution - it is intuitive that such reparations would be difficult to distribute, much less to decide how much, or where to place the funds or assistance. The question...

The Basic Characteristics of Effective Writing

The Basic Characteristics of Effective Writing Experiences in school leave some people with the impression that good writing simply means writing that contains no bad mistakes - that is, no errors of grammar, punctuation  or spelling. In fact, good writing is much more than just correct writing. Its writing that responds to the interests and needs of the readers and reflects  the writers personality and individuality. Basic Characteristics of Effective Writing Good writing has a clearly defined purpose.It makes a definite point.It supports that point with specific information.The information is clearly connected and arranged.The words are appropriate, and the sentences are concise, emphatic, and correct. Good writing is the result of a lot of practice and hard work. This fact should encourage you: it means that the ability to write well is not a gift that some people are born with, not a privilege extended to only a few. If youre willing to work, you can improve your writing. Most professional writers - those people who make writing look easy - will be the first ones to tell you that often its not easy at all: There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly: sometimes its like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.(Ernest Hemingway)If I have anything to say to young writers, its stop thinking of writing as art. Think of it as work. Its hard physical work. You keep saying, No, thats wrong, I can do it better.(Paddy Chayefsky, interviewed by John Brady in  The Craft of the Screenwriter. Simon Schuster, 1981)One is never happy. If a writer is too happy with his writing, something is wrong with him. A real writer always feels as if he hasnt done enough. This is the reason he has the ambition to  rewrite, to publish things, and so on. The bad writers are very happy with what they do. They always seem surprised about how good they are. I would say that a real writer sees that he missed a lot of opportunities.(Isaac Bashevis Singer, quoted by Valerie Wells in Isaac B. Singer on Writing, Life, Love and Death. [Miami]  Sun-Sentinel, August 4, 1991) Writing is just work - theres no secret. If you dictate or use a pen or type or write with your toes - its still just work.(Sinclair Lewis) Dont be discouraged by the thought that writing rarely comes easily to anyone. Instead, keep in mind that regular practice will make you a better writer. As you sharpen your skills, youll gain confidence and enjoy writing more than you did before.

Explaining the Invention of the Jigsaw Puzzle

Explaining the Invention of the Jigsaw Puzzle The jigsaw puzzle- that delightful and perplexing challenge wherein a picture made of cardboard or wood has been cut into differently shaped pieces that must be fit together- is widely thought of as an entertaining pastime. But it didn’t start out that way. Believe it or not, the birth of the jigsaw puzzle was rooted in education. A Teaching Aid Englishman John Spilsbury, a London engraver and mapmaker, invented the jigsaw puzzle in 1767. The first jigsaw puzzle was a map of the world. Spilsbury attached a map to a piece of wood and then cut out each country. Teachers used Spilsburys puzzles to teach geography. Students learned their geography lessons by putting the world maps back together. With the invention of the first fret treadle saw in 1865, the ability to create machine-aided curved lines was at hand. This tool, which operated with foot pedals like a sewing machine, was perfect for the creation of puzzles. Eventually, the fret or scroll saw came to also be known as the jigsaw. By 1880, jigsaw puzzles were being machine crafted, and although cardboard puzzles entered the market, wood jigsaw puzzles remained the bigger seller. Mass Production Mass production of jigsaw puzzles began in the 20th century with the advent of die-cut machines. In this process sharp, metal dies for each puzzle were created and, operating like print-making stencils, were pressed down on sheets of cardboard or soft woods to cut the sheet into pieces.   This invention coincided with the golden age of jigsaws of the 1930s. Companies on both sides of the Atlantic churned out a variety of puzzles with pictures depicting everything from domestic scenes to railroad trains.   In the 1930s puzzles were distributed as low-cost marketing tools in the U.S. Companies offered the puzzles for special low prices with the purchase of other items. For example, a newspaper ad from the period trumpets the offer of a $.25 jigsaw of the Maple Leaf hockey team and a $.10 theater ticket with the purchase of Dr. Gardner’s Toothpaste (normally $.39) for just $.49. The industry also created excitement by issuing â€Å"The Jig of the Week† for puzzle fans.   The jigsaw puzzle remained a steady pastime- reusable and a great activity for groups or for an individual- for decades. With the invention of digital applications, the virtual jigsaw puzzle arrived in the 21st century and a number of apps were created allowing users to solve puzzles on their smartphones and tablets.

Financial Assistance for a Struggling Student Essay

Financial Assistance for a Struggling Student - Essay Example It is a part of the five year plan to cut $39.7 billion in total from the $71.5 billion student-aid programs. The first impact of the bill being applicable from 1st July, a student borrowing loan after 1st July will be offered rates of 6.8 percent compared to 1.5-2.5 percent rates they enjoyed and have raised questions among the students such as, " Who is responsible" , "How I am going to pay these loans", "Why me" etc. Teneya Morman a junior majoring in MARKETING from N. C. Central when interview said, "I'm a junior in school but after my senior year my education will be more expensive because of the changes in the financial arena. I may not be able to attend. This change will be negative because it will make students not focus on their grades but on money that has to be paid back for my education. It will have a negative affect on the black community because we are the people who don't have the funds to pay." Another graduate student in Computer Information Systems Donnell Williams says, "Graduate school is a sacrifice for many students. They have to be willing to either foot the bill or work hard to secure financial resources. In other words, it is really unfortunate as graduate school becomes more of a gateway to satisfiable employment and career options, now this is another obstacle."

American Society and Culture in Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American Society and Culture in Film - Essay Example It would not be a mistake to suggest that the course heavily relies on several concepts that are used to design a framework for a detailed analysis of the cinema. Thus, the concept of historical as well as industrial contexts is engaged in order to show the diachronic value of films. Ideology is a notion which is used to translate the messages that are being sent. A genre is an important term which defines the place of a movie in a general perspective. Cinematic codes shed light on the way actual scenes, the building units of movies, are created. Visual politics explain the content of messages that are conveyed by the movies. The first concept that will be analyzed in great detail is historical context of a movie. It is quite obvious that cinema should be regarded as one of the forms of art, in spite of the fact that it is rather young if compared to others. Nevertheless, the popularity of it is big and resulted in the fact that movies became â€Å"an alternative to such established pastimes as the music hall, vaudeville, professional sports, and the saloon† (Jarvie, 1997, 249). As one can easily see, out of the pastimes which were named in the quote above, only professional sports survived. This means that movies should not be regarded as some kind of senseless entertainment, but rather an important act of aesthetic interaction between various parts of society – the function which the above-mentioned pastimes used to fulfill. One would make no mistake suggesting that watching a movie may be regarded as a modern equivalent of listening to folklore stories since both engage a person in an aes thetic dialogue and teach a certain lesion. The only difference is the extent to which image is used. In addition to that, movies often were used as a means to convey important messages, for example, in the movie The Great Dictator the directors designed aesthetics in a way to reflect the contemporary situation in Nazi Germany. What is more important is that at the present moment there is a clear distinction between watching a movie and going to a cinema.

The film Black Swan explores and critiques cultural ideas concerning Essay

The film Black Swan explores and critiques cultural ideas concerning women - Essay Example In many ways, the ballet is the epitome of the misogynist fantasy, women who are represented as virginal and without sexuality, but with every movement of every muscle highlighted and visible. The great choreographer, George Ballanchine, wanted his ballerina’s to have no weight, to eat nothing, and to appear to be children rather than grown adults. Within the framework of the ballet, the dream of female fragility is played out through extremes of physical contortion and athleticism, which is presented to seem as if it is not. The film, Black Swan (2010), provides context for the nature of the life that women lead. Woman have always been constrained to live through the expectations put on them by society, trying to meet impossible standards without true recognition for how impossible the expectations that have been put on them are to meet. The expectation of perfection, the need to be all things, creates a pressure that often turns inward into self-mutilation and destructive be haviors. In the case of the lead character in Black Swan (2010), the critique on the culture of women explores the nature of striving for perfection and the dangers that lurk within the struggle to meet the expectations that are impossible to achieve. ... ecretaries for organizations, and do little within the home towards maintaining the daily chores, women are not allowed that luxury to let go of any sphere without facing failure. The ballerina, is first, an athlete. She performs on her toes, each movement of each muscle under her control so that she can turn, fly, twist, and land without appearing to be putting in any effort. She must be in peek condition, but her body must be starved of any body fat and lean without the bulge of muscle. Her representation is frail and fragile upon the stage, despite the strength and prowess that is required to create the dance. Her life is a contrast of needs, her impossible task set to see her fail. Few can achieve the balance, and all those who cannot, step away feeling like failures. The most notorious relationship in the recent history of the ballet is that between the choreographer George Balanchine and the ballerina Gelsey Kirkland. Kirkland wrote a book that described her experiences with Ba lanchine as he pushed his dancers to perform. He would tell his dancers â€Å"must see the bones†, â€Å"eat less†, and â€Å"eat nothing† (Freidler and Glazer 15). He led his dancers in what Kirkland is quoted as calling a â€Å"concentration camp aesthetic† (Gordon 124). Kirkland suffered from bulimia and anorexia nervosa, as well as drug addiction from taking pills to balance her lack of nutrition and energy. Her experience was painful, stressful, and full of the turmoil that women face as they strive to balance on their toes and be all things in the process. The metaphor of the ballet provides a rich textual dialogue about the difficulty of being a woman in today’s society. Unfortunately, as much as it is a metaphor it is also an explicit truth that the expectations in the ballet are

ICE Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ICE Paper - Essay Example ty in Facebook continues to increase after the guarantee that Facebook is on the lookout for security lapses and always striving to enhance privacy controls. The fact that Facebook works with other security experts to ensure that its privacy controls are updated is proof that the company puts the privacy of its users in the forefront. In the article Our Commitment to the Facebook Community, Zuckerberg says, â€Å"We also work with regulators, advocates and experts to inform our privacy practices and policies† (Tow 1). Consequently, Facebook pursues new privacy monitoring standards as reviewed by the industry players. There are also agreements that Facebook participates in which create frameworks on how internet services company ought to approach security concerns in the U.S and other countries around the globe. It shows that Facebook recognizes the need to keep alert as the internet is prone to changes that may make privacy controls at one time outdated. There is a need to lia ise with other industry players and experts so as to identify the privacy loopholes and devise ways to handle them appropriate. In the end, the biggest beneficiaries are the users as their privacy concerns are taken care of. Facebook has the privacy concerns of its users every time. It conducts security and privacy access checks every day to enhance the experience of the users. Zuckerberg asserts, â€Å"We do privacy access checks literally tens of billions of times each day to ensure were enforcing that only the people you want see your content. These privacy principles are written very deeply into our code† (Tow 1). It is the concern of the user that the material he or she posts be only accessible to intended people. There emerge loopholes that hackers explore to access materials that users want to keep private. The privacy checks are meant to identify these loopholes and acts immediately to seal them. Facebook conducts the checks on a daily basis to handle any emerging problems as early as

Chemistry central journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chemistry central journal - Essay Example A prediction was made successfully five out of seven times (Schmuker, de Bruyne, Hà ¤hnel, and Schneider, 2007) on an odorant’s activity. Presently the field is not error proof. Although the study of ORNs and SARs between odorant and activated receptor has grown in recent years, much is left to learn. This study could only predict tested: models by recording in vivo receptor neuron responses to a new set of odorants and successfully predicted the responses of five out of seven receptor neurons. Correlation coefficients ranged from 0.66 to 0.85, demonstrating the applicability of our approach for the analysis of olfactory receptor activation data. (Schmuker, de Bruyne, Hà ¤hnel, and Schneider, 2007) ORNs to 47 ORNs in response to stimulation with odorant molecules† (Schmuker, de Bruyne, Hà ¤hnel, and Schneider, 2007). The responses of the Drosophila ORNs to forty-seven odorants were measured by electophysiological in vivo recordings from de Bruyne, Foster, and Carlson 2001 study â€Å"Odor coding in the Drosophila antenna.† In this 2001 study, the activity in a given compound was classified as â€Å"active’, ‘inactive’, or ‘uncertain’, depending on the spike rate it elicits in the ORN† (de Bruyne, Foster, and Carlson, 2001). The ‘uncertain’ data was not used when training the ANNs for specific ORNs for this study. Then Schmuker, de Bruyne, Hà ¤hnel, and Schneider (2007): trained 30,000 ANN models per ORN, selected those with the highest predictive power, and used them to predict ORN responses to 21 compounds, which were subsequently tested in vivo (in the following referred to as "test data"). We also assayed ten compounds that had already been tested in the previous study. The MATLAB Neural Network Toolbox was used for ANN modeling, employing backpropagation training with a gradient descent algorithm as implemented in MATLABs traingdx function. (Hertz, Palmer, and Krogh, 1991) A well-trained, well-generalizing model will have a high

ICE Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ICE Paper - Essay Example ty in Facebook continues to increase after the guarantee that Facebook is on the lookout for security lapses and always striving to enhance privacy controls. The fact that Facebook works with other security experts to ensure that its privacy controls are updated is proof that the company puts the privacy of its users in the forefront. In the article Our Commitment to the Facebook Community, Zuckerberg says, â€Å"We also work with regulators, advocates and experts to inform our privacy practices and policies† (Tow 1). Consequently, Facebook pursues new privacy monitoring standards as reviewed by the industry players. There are also agreements that Facebook participates in which create frameworks on how internet services company ought to approach security concerns in the U.S and other countries around the globe. It shows that Facebook recognizes the need to keep alert as the internet is prone to changes that may make privacy controls at one time outdated. There is a need to lia ise with other industry players and experts so as to identify the privacy loopholes and devise ways to handle them appropriate. In the end, the biggest beneficiaries are the users as their privacy concerns are taken care of. Facebook has the privacy concerns of its users every time. It conducts security and privacy access checks every day to enhance the experience of the users. Zuckerberg asserts, â€Å"We do privacy access checks literally tens of billions of times each day to ensure were enforcing that only the people you want see your content. These privacy principles are written very deeply into our code† (Tow 1). It is the concern of the user that the material he or she posts be only accessible to intended people. There emerge loopholes that hackers explore to access materials that users want to keep private. The privacy checks are meant to identify these loopholes and acts immediately to seal them. Facebook conducts the checks on a daily basis to handle any emerging problems as early as

International Relations Theory and Global Economy Essay

International Relations Theory and Global Economy - Essay Example International Relations Theory and Global Economy Global economy is the combination of all the economies of the world’s countries. The valuation of the world economy can be arrived at by representing it in a certain currency like the US dollars. Each country experiences a trade cycle where the rate of growth of expenditure, incomes and production changes over a period of time. The duration and effects of these cycles are dynamic simply because the structure of the economy is developing. This may be caused by theoretical relationships between different variables, for example, unemployment and inflation which might have changed. This poses many challenges to policy makers as they try to control the economy and meet their objectives. Taking the economic growth of a country, for example the U.K., and analyzing how it has been for the past years, it is possible to know that the country has experienced many shortcomings to date. Notably, the UK has experienced recession and boom periods in the process of its economic development. J ust to highlight some key areas contributing to the growth of the U.K economy, one is strong consumption. Consumer spending has contributed positively and has had positive effects to the economy like, absorbing some of the weaknesses of the export and investment sectors. However, this has not come so easily because it has its limitations, which include increased debts and increase in rentals. Low investment in capital equipment has also led to growth in the economy as some of these major investments were left to the private sector to cover.3. Growth of the economy globally has main stages like the economic boom. A boom is a situation that occurs when gross domestic product grows faster than the trend growth rate. At this period, aggregate demand is high, and businesses increase production and employment. Due to high demand, prices may also increase which translates to cost push and inflation in demand. Demand for imports increases because of high marginal propensity of importation a mong customers. Revenues from tax increase as more people are in employment and earning, hence, they spend more money. In addition, company realizes high profits as production increases, thus, increasing sales due to high demand in turn leading to high investment. Labor is used exhaustively at minimal costs, that is, no extra labor is needed. The other economic cycle is the economic recession which is a decrease in national output4. Every aspect of the economy is restrained to its maximum. This is a period where the economy is operating below its breakeven point. As the negative part of the economy, it can lead to increased unemployment, low income per head, international insecurity as many become jobless increased bad debts and the end result of all this is conflicts. The table below gives an illustration of the economic growth of the UK and inflation rate in the country for the past few years; Resource: http://www.economicshelp.org/images/macro-graphs/econ-growth-inflation-dec-201 1png.jpg Further still, global economy has attracted the centre stage in international politics of late. Politicians cannot do without bringing the issue of economic growth and fall to the world as they try to appeal to the world to consider them in election to top seats. They lay down structured policies on how they are going to deal with the monster

Aegis Case Analysis Essay Example for Free

Aegis Case Analysis Essay The main question posed in this case is whether Aegis management should continue the relationships with their partners ProPack and POMS, and if they decided to continue with the relationships, how to structure them more effectively. Operating in a slumping economy, Aegis was worried about their level of sales resulting from the partnerships they had entered into. The main goal for Aegis when entering into both partnerships was to bolster sales, and neither company had accomplished that. With the possibility of terminating either relationship, Aegis would have to find another strategy for improved sales. With the absence of this strategy, it will be more productive for the company to restructure their existing relationships. Looking at this case through the concept of strategic alliances will help to find a strategy that will pull Aegis out of its downhill slide. For both relationships, Aegis has entered into licensing and distribution agreements. POMS and ProPack have combined their name with Aegis for separate products, as well as working together to distribute each other’s products. Unfortunately, in this situation economies of scale will not work to lower costs because of the nature of the product and the industry Aegis is competing in. Aegis and its partners have developed a product that is the technological standard for its category, but can continue to add value to the product, making it desirable and useful in the future. In my opinion, the best way to increase the benefits of these relationships is to foster an environment of trust and communication to operate in. This may mean revisiting the contracts that are in place to redefine what each entity wants out of the agreement, and the best way to go about creating sales. If they can do this effectively I believe the companies will work better together, creating more value for potential customers. This will result in an increase in sales for their products.

Organism Adaptions over Time

Organism Adaptions over Time An adaptation is a feature that is very commonly seen in a specific population because it provides some improved functionality. Adaptations are well suited to their pertaining function and are made by natural selection. Evolution is the actual process of when some organisms change their form over a long period of time to adapt to certain environment that they live in, to be able to defend themselves against other animals like predators, to camouflage or sometimes for no scientifically explained reason. This essay will be discussing specific organisms on Earth that have evolved to be able to adapt to their living conditions and how and why their changes had happened. The first organism that is going to be discussed is the actually the Polar Bear. This is more of a basic example of what evolution is like and has a really valid and scientifically proven reason. The Polar bear had originated from the Brown bear. This happened when some Brown bears were separated from their pack when traveling and they had to adapt to the cold environment they were left in. Eventually the weaker ones had died and the stronger bears learn to adapt to their environment and eventually their fur would turn white. The whiteness in their fur would help with them camouflaging in the snow and ice that surrounded them to protect and hide them from predators and and keep them warm from the freezing temperatures. The second organism that will be discussed is actual the whole species of the whale. The whale has undergone major changes and phases of evolution. The original ancestors of whales are actually terrestrial animals. Scientists believe that whales evolved from animals like wolves which as we all know, were land animals who walked on all fours. The reason behind this change is due to changing land masses overtime. The textures and risings and fall of the lands on Earth due to earthquakes is what caused this change for wolves to develop fins and flippers and eventually turn into whales, of course taking many lifetimes for this to happen. Another organism on planet Earth that has undergone evolution is actually the cactus. I will be discussing how once leafy and normal plants became a cactus. It is known that actually the Pereskia, a genus which contained seventeen species of leafy shrubs and trees is where the first known sights of cactus development began and how plants made this change to adjust to the dry environment that some of them lived in. Since it was so dry and rain ever hardly made its way to the plants they began to change their structure to be able to contain water within them to drink off of and survive. This is a really good example of an organism evolving because it shows the cause and effect of how and why it made its change and the pricks on the outer side of the cactus to also protect it from other animals that may want to feed of the cactus such as birds, lizards and insects. The fourth example of an organism on Earth developing its evolution for adaption is the lizard known as the skink. This animal actually, within its embryo within its egg has somehow learned to give itself another layer of calcium on its body. This was done by the minerals within the sand that it was surrounded by in the beaches it used to and still thrives in. This was done so once hatched it would be able to get used to its sandy environment and be able to use this calcium to gain the vitamins and nutrients it needs as ian infant to survive. The skink still remains as a really thriving species of lizard in modern day and this is because of the calcium it hadÂÂ   absorbed when it was young. The fifth and final example of an evolution taking place for the sole purpose of adaptation of an organism that is actually currently evolving as speak and this organism is known as. As we all know climate change is currently upon us and the Tawny Owl from Finland is what I am talking about. This owl is actually varying in colors. There are three different types of colors for this owl, brown and pale grey. The pale grey owls have learned to survive within the winter time because they can easily blend in with some of the snow sides of their habitat but as for the browner owls they had a hard time with this. But thanks to climate change, survival is on their side, the species has been evolving itself and more specifically, the grey owls have been dying. The brown owls can now blend into anything brown, which is a common color of branches that are visible on hotter days. Survival of the fittest is what was called for and the brown Tawny owl is the definition of that. All five examples are provided with cause of adaption and an extra introduction which was not required was provided to provide a general and more clear idea of what will be discussed.

religion :: essays research papers

I do not feel that I should participate in the â€Å"Pay it Forward† assignment. This assignment is telling us to go be nice to people and we will get a good grade. If we don’t do anything nice, we will not receive a good grade. I do not feel like anybody should be forced to do something nice, if they have to be forced, they shouldn’t do it at all. If it is not done for the correct reasons, it doesn’t mean anything. I do nice things for people. If I am in the mood and feel that I should help somebody out, I will, but I will not give them a paper and turn it in to the teacher for a grade. How impersonal is that? If I receive a paper from somebody during this project, I will not feel grateful that they performed an act of kindness for me because it is not for the right reasons. Their act of kindness is for a grade in religion class. Besides the â€Å"Pay it Forward† project has almost nothing in common with the movie. In the movie the little boy, Trevor, decided that he should change the world. His idea about how to do it is a good theory, but it will never work as well as anyone would hope it would. In the movie he saves a homeless man, and he took him home and gave him some money, food, and a place to sleep. He did not have to do anything at all. If I remember correctly, that assignment in the movie was for extra credit. Today we received an assignment that is worth a very healthy sum of points for the second nine weeks. Why should we have to be given grades to be nice to each other? Has the world gone that bad? Having to basically bribe or force people to be courteous to others. That, in my opinion is wrong. This project has a good purpose but I don’t feel that it is the right thing to do. People should be nice to each other all the time, not just when we get points for it. I feel obligated to go and do good and be the nicest person I can be, but I would rather be nice to someone and feel the gratification that would follow that act. I do

Play It as It Lays

The Victim And The Oppressors Play it as it lays, a novel written by Joan Didion is a great example of how life can overwhelm someone’s emotions. It is a story about an amateur actress whose life has had emotional changing experiences since she was young. Play it as it lays takes us on a journey with this young woman and her incapacitated life. The main character, Maria, finds herself aimlessly engaging in activities reluctantly due to the lack of control she has over her life. Maria’s family is one aspect of life she is detached from. Maria is separated from her husband Carter Lang. Together; they have one child named Kate. The fact that Maria and Carter are separated seems to evoke feelings of helplessness for Maria. She is left alone and resorts to memories for comfort. Feelings of vulnerability and constraint seem to be a reoccurring theme in her life. Maria has no control over Kate. Due to medical conditions from birth, Kate must be under constant medical supervision. Living under medical supervision is what is normal for Kate. As a result, Maria is left feeling dismal because there is nothing she can physically do to help her daughter. Maria has a sense of being in control when she drives the freeways. Maria drives the freeways everyday in the summer, with no intention of arriving anywhere. She can speed up or slow down as she likes and travel any direction she wants. Unless she is driving on the freeway by ten, Maria’s rhythm of the day will be thrown off. One day when she drives past her usual turning point, Maria drives too far and she is thrown of her normal schedule. On the way back from her drive, Maria encounters darkness and traffic. This is uncomfortable for Maria because she cannot drive as she wants and in turn loses her freedom. After that day she stops driving the freeway unless she needs it to get somewhere. The people involved in Maria’s social life control and deceit her. Maria is easily coerced in to situations. A major example is when a producer named BZ tells Maria he will take her to a party. Although Maria shows signs of hesitance, BZ uses ridicule to make her feel uncomfortable and reply with only, â€Å"I’ll see you at seven-thirty. † (Didion 16) In this situation, Maria is mocked directly and she does nothing to defend herself. Another leading example of oppression is when Carter tells Maria to get an abortion if she wants to keep Kate. Maria subjects her body to dangerous surgery performed by someone she does not know personally because of an ultimatum with Carter. Throughout this whole process Maria is the least in control of her own body. After being insulted, traumatized, and kept distant from her daughter we find Maria is the victim of oppressors in her life. Do you believe she is responsible for what happens to her? Maria’s passive attitude about life effectively leaves her not living energized. So she idly moves though tasks and commands from her family and friends. Work Cited Didion, Joan. Play It As It Lays. New York: Farrar, Staus, Giroux, 2005. Print

911

Monday 19th October English course work Ross Kemp in Afghanistan and 9/11 documentaries By Sophia Howkins Introduction:- In this essay I am going to compare both documentaries about Ross Kemp in Afghanistan and the 911 crash. Both of these documentaries are related as they both started because of the same reason. They are based on the real drama on the attack and life in the army. The war began on October 7, 2001; the aim of invasion was to find Osama Bin Laden. British and the U. S military launched in response to the 11 attacks in September, The 911 happened on Tuesday 11th September 2001 in the morning in the United States.Genre:- The first ever documentary was made in France 1895, there was no sound or colour it was just a moving image there was no editing used just a long take of a film. The word documentary comes from the word evidence and realistic approach means long takes filming life in true form and formative approach means editing montage (more aesthetically pleasing). Do cumentaries now are more formative approach not a realistic approach because they have more equipment to edit the documentary. Mock documentaries have caused scepticism in an audience so when it comes to true documentaries the audience don’t believe them.But most documentaries are based on true stories e. g. filming wildlife. Documentaries are thought to be educational and boring to some people. Ross Kemps documentary in Afghanistan is a typical documentary because of the subject war/political this documentary uses both formative approach and realistic because it has some editing in. And it is a moderated documentary; this documentary has informal interviews, the location of the shooting on a held hand cam, synchronous sound recording and voice over the filming. Context:-The film called Ross Kemp in Afghanistan is based on the war happening today, it is over the 9/11 attack on the twin towers. It has carried on over all these years and it started in 2001 and is still ongoing. The British army’s aim for the attack was to find Laden. The documentary Ross Kemp in an Afghanistan was Directed by John Conroy and Anuar Arroyo (2nd series) Produced by Matt Bennett. The two series involved Kemp and a small embedded film crew following troops fighting in Helmand Province, documenting their part in the ongoing Herrick.In the first series Kemp and his crew participate in the Vikings initial training in Britain for the deployment. They then visit the unit during their six month tour, filming both lives at rest and on fighting patrols in Helmand. The series finally covers their return to the UK. In the follow up series Kemp returns to Afghanistan to assess how the conflict has changed since his first visit in 2007. During the filming of the first series, in one engagement the crew were pinned down by fire from the Taliban, with Kemp nearly dying with bullets passing within inches.In filming the second series, Kemp runs into a possible minefield. The show was p raised for the closeness and realism of the battle footage, and is believed to be the first documentary of its kind filmed in. Audience:- The audience of this documentary is young lads who are deciding to join the army or who are already in it. The age audience is 16 to late 30’s. Audience has changed over the years because documentaries use more popular subjects which are attractions a younger audience. Typical audience over the years are mainly people who enjoy watching documentaries.Documentaries either educate or a hobby. Viewers may have a hobby and like to watch documentaries what interest them or schools use them for educational reasons. Narrative:- Ross Kemp in Afghanistan is about Ross Kemp the journalist and narrator doing a documentary on the war in Afghanistan. The documentary is about the soldiers lives in the war, how they miss their families and friends, the impact on the soldier’s families, the soldiers mental/physical health and how they work out and t rain and finally how the Afghanistan civilians feel about living in a war zone!This documentary is trying to show us that army life is not that good. When you watch the documentary it shows how lucky we are to have stuff which they don’t have or aren’t very good e. g. a shower and bed. It also shows that being in the army is quite scary because you don’t know if you’re going to live through the day or if you’re not going to see your family again. This documentary is being told by Ross Kemp and his filming crew, the crew films it life and Ross Kemp is the narrator. The British Army and the Taliban are involved in the war.I think this documentary is unique because it is actually educating us and showing us what it is really like in the war and it should teach people not to take advantage of what they have got. Representation:- There are many different groups represented in the text the first being the British Army. The British Army in this documentar y are being represented as strong and willing to fight for our country. It’s no all fun and happiness. The soldiers are hit emotionally because of what is happening around them. At the beginning they felt scared, act childish. By being in the army they change the way they act and think.The soldiers can’t wait to put all there training into action in the war zone. In this documentary the army are fighting for their country and the civilians of Afghanistan. When there on patrol they are grown-up and professional but in the documentary after their time on patrol when Ross Kemp interviewed them they were thinking of leaving the army because now they know it isn’t all fun being in the army. Their families have to keep strong for their soldiers. In the documentary there families were described to be nervous and anxious and loyal they don’t leave them they stick by their soldiers.The documentary had a mother interviewed about her 19 year old son who died on patr ol she was strong, devastated and distraught but she gave Ross Kemp a video of how her son died to go in the documentary. The civilians in Afghanistan were prepared to negotiate with the British Army but they never gave to much information because they were scared some think will happen to them. The cautions for the civilians are that they are in a middle of a battle zone. The Taliban’s were described as very tactical, strong well a d trained. Media Language:- Camera shots/lighting:-I am going to talk about a range of camera shots. Firstly in shot 1 the section uses both formative approach and realistic approach. It was a bird’s eye view shot and it showed that the land was deserted nothing was to be seen. The main focus more or less was central it showed how powerful a machine gun really is. The powerful feeling is emphasised because the weapon is closest to the camera. Secondly, shot 3 was a close up of Ross Kemp on the ground lying down. This shot made you feel clau strophobic and it gives you the Idea of the closeness of the soldiers and how they rely on each other a lot.Unlike shot 1 this shot does not use deep focus as Ross Kemp is to remain the central focus of this camera shot. We are faced with montage of shots of weapons, action shots, training and frontline Shot 4 was a medium long-shot. Ross Kemp and the soldiers was on the helicopter and the door was down the light was shining through and Ross Kemp walked out. The light was bright and it represented heaven or walking through the tunnel of death or as some people will say walking into the unknown because they don’t know what is going to happen once they step outside the helicopter.The connotations are to this shot is that it’s like death because they use the helicopter to take bodies back to England. In shot 7, it the mis en scene is contradictory uses an extreme close-up of a barbed wire this could have represented danger/keep-out or it was like representing prison for t he Afghanistan civilians or maybe it could be protecting them from danger. The barbed wire is dark and gloomy but there was a beautiful sunset behind the barbed wire. The lighting uses juxtaposition between the darkness/ danger of barbed wire and natural beauty of the sunlight.Costumes/Props/Sounds The costumes for this documentary where mainly army uniform which is mainly good because it camouflages the soldiers because the colours are beiges and browns and creams because of the desert colours. They will be recognised by their blood type which is sewed on to there arm of the uniform mainly because if they get killed they can be recognised There are lots of weapons in this documentary and whenever they’re in shot there in centre to look more powerful the weapons become the uniform.The documentary uses synchronous sound (Recording, happening with action) volume sounds increased to be more powerful and that your there and fear the feelings of the soldiers. The shouting of the s oldiers emphasises the chaos. Context:- The 9/11 documentary was based on the attack on the twin towers. The 9/11 attack were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. The location’s of the attacks were New York city Arlington County, Virginia and near Shanks Ville, Pennsylvania.The types of attack were Aircraft hijacking, Mass murder and Suicide attack. It killed 2,976 victims and 19 hijackers and injured 6,000. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D. C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanks Ville in rural Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D. C.There were no survivors from any of the flights. Audience:- The audience for this docume ntary is a little bit different to the audience from Ross Kemp in Afghanistan, mainly because this documentary is more aimed at firemen or young people wanting to join the services but the Ross Kemp is for soldiers. Narrative:- 9/11 was originally based on a probe fire fighter called Tony. The documentary was meant to be about a boy becoming a man from his job at an early stage into it. The directors for this documentary were two brothers called Jules Naudet and Geodeon Naudet.They didn’t mean to record the 9/11 attack. It was an accident. The plane was that low it caught everyone’s attention, including the two brothers filming. Planes are never seen around the area of the twin towers. This documentary has real live footage from the horrific terrorist attack. There is emotional footage and interviews with fire fighters who showed their feelings about the attack. A number of them said ‘they would have to learn to love the job again’ because of what they all had to go through, digging to find either dead people or survives.Everybody lost someone or someone’s close to them because of the attack 9/11 but even though the firemen thoughts were about the safety of their family, they were still determined to save other civilians with the help of the support of the public. Most of the fire fighters had flashbacks of what happened that very day. In the documentary, throughout the attack on the twin towers news broadcasts were shown on the news, either from the location or pictures from the viewers. They were edited to fit the documentary to show different sides of the attack.The 9/11 and Ross Kemp in Afghanistan have some similarities. They both used hand held cameras to shoot the action happening around them. In the Ross Kemp documentary they had a helmet camera too. Also they both shoot on the location which the documentaries are about. Both firemen and soldiers while being interviewed questioned their jobs after and while the attack were happening. On the other hand both documentaries have some differences, while the firemen and soldiers were being interviewed they both had different approaches. The 9/11 used formal interviews.They interviewed the eye witness after the attack but in Ross Kemps documentary the interviews were informal they recorded on the location while the attack was happening. Both of the documentaries have different cultures for example the two French narrators expressed their emotions by hugging and kissing each others heads but the American firemen just hugged each other and shacked each others hands. They showed their emotions differently. Representation:- There are many different groups represented in the 9/11 documentary. The first being New York firemen from ladder 1.At the beginning they were relaxed and joked around with Tony teasing him. On the job they was represented as serious, brave and professional firemen, while the attacks were happening they seemed shocked, distraught and sel fless fore example one firemen leaned over one of the film-makers to keep him safe and he didn’t care about him self. He risked his own life to protect another civilian. All of the firemen were very emotional and had open feelings after the attack. Secondly the civilians who were represented as disbelief and shocked, people idn’t have a clue what was going on, Felt helpless that they couldn’t do nothing, They also felt concern for others around or in the buildings but for them self’s too. Thirdly the film-makers, they shared the same emotions as the civilians such as scared, helpless and they also panicked but they were brave and for the others they put on a straight face. Also they was respectful because there were two people on fire and they never filmed it but they said’ to my left there are two people on fire it doesn’t feel right to film it’.They were professional because they focused on filming and let the film-maker take over. The filming was by two brothers which had different culture to the American. Their emotions are more open than the American’s. They were loyal, loving and caring towards each other. The Ross Kemp in Afghanistan and the 9/11 have a few similarities. They both risked there life’s and are seen as hero’s or angles but also they joke around but remain professional when it counts. The documentaries were both filmed on the location and they both risked their lives to get real footage of the war and attacks.Also the both documentaries have some differences. The firemen are there to save life’s and put out fires but the soldiers are there to kill there targets and protect the civilians of the country there fighting. The firemen are more emotional than the soldiers because if someone died in the army in the war zone they have to leave the dead soldier and carry on with the job but the firemen will carry them or take them to safety. The 9/11 attack was unexpected bu t the Ross- Kemp was planned. Media Language:- Camera Shots:-Camera shot one is a pan shot of the people in the street around the twin towers. This shot shows how the attack effected everyone even tourists. Also it showed all the different life styles from business men to mothers. This shot allows the audience to see the twin towers and how it affected everyone there. This camera shot is a worm eye view shot. This shot shows how large the twin towers and buildings around are but at this point none of the towers had been touched yet. This shot gives us an impression that the twin towers are powerful and the status is looking up at them.Camera shot three, is a close up of the firemen. The reason for this shot is to show the emotions of the firemen, which were shocked and anxious. Also to show their expressions, this shot could represent the firemen asking god for help or they were looking up to heaven, also it could suggest death! This camera shot is of the American flag. It is a medi an low angle shot. This shot of the flag could represent power, pride for the country or maybe it’s a symbol. When the flag was shown it was meant to show joy and pride but after the attack the joy died.Tony the probe had to raise the flag everyday and pull it down every night to show respect, that they still think about there friend who died in a fire trying to save someone. After the attack on the twin towers Tony had to pull down the flag to show joy that none of his brothers died from the firehouse but he didn’t want to raise or pull it down again because of all the death that happened that day. Camera shot five is of both twin towers but one has already had the plane crash into it. This shot is a median long shot it also has some mis en scene in it, there’s smoke paper and mist in this shot.The paper is flying around in the air coming down to the ground and settling also the smoke shows confusion because people couldn’t see where they were going but there was daylight through the top of the sky before and after the attack. There was blue sky one side and the other side dear focus onto one tower at this moment the other tower wasn’t touched at this stage. The paper and ashes could show and look like bodies burnet. The paper could also indicate to being confetti but confetti is to celebrate and it represents happiness but in this documentary it’s about death. Camera shot 6 is a long shot of after the attack.All of the people who were in the attack looked the same because of the ash, this could suggest that everyone is the same underneath but also it could show that all of the civilians have experienced the same thing. While the ash was falling down to the ground it looked like snow this is ironic because snow is associated with Christmas which Is a time of good will and cheer. Costumes/ Props:- Again the 9/11 only had one costume. Which was the firemen’s uniform, wearing this uniform it gave the firemen sense of pride and a sense of unity and togetherness, because in the 9/11 documentary the firemen talked about being brothers.The uniform also was protective in case of an emergency. It also gave them power wearing the uniform, the people of New York and from all over looked up to the fire-fighters for all there hard-work and effort. If the firemen got lost or hurt they wear badges with there fire stations and ladder they work at so people can recognize the fire-fighters, this is similar to the soldiers from Ross- Kemp documentary and the way they have the regiment and battalion they belong to, on their uniform. Compare to the soldiers the way that their uniform gives them a sense of pride and unity.The civilian’s clothes reflected that there were people from all over the world from different cultures and countries. This emphasises how it had an impact on everyone not just New-York civilians. The clothes of the civilians mirrored the destruction of the twin-towers as clothing got torn and tatty further on in the documentary. There were some props. Mainly there was paper floating in the sky from the building also there was business men with brief-cases and woman with shopping bags and pushchairs plus cameras and phones from all of the civilians.

Heard and unheard music of Casablanca Essay

While Casablanca is one of the most know, satirized and often many lines repeated, the unsung hero of the movie is its music. Everyone knows â€Å"As time goes by†, but after seeing the movie can you think of any other music from this classic. People who have seen Casablanca dozens of times ( my father ) in their life can only remember â€Å"As time goes by†. This song brings back the happy memories of Ilsa and Rick in Paris. When Rick tells Sam not to play that song, is it possible that Rick never wants to remember the good times with a woman he will never see again or his alcoholic self destructive nature depriving himself of any happiness. Ilsa on the other hand wants to remember the good times and that is why she asks Sam to Play it. In the scene following Rick’s refusal to sell Laszlo the letters of transit, the German officers start singing a German song Die Wacht Am Rhein. Victor Laszlo never one to let the Germans get the upper hand asks the band to play La Marsellaise. Many in the crowd sing along to La Marsellaise as well as Laszlo. The German officers try in vain to out sing the crowd, but with their small numbers and their Nazi cause, the French Anthem wins the day. Shortly after this, Major Strasser orders Captain Renault to close down Rick’s. Two competing songs bring the closure of our heroes night club, a pivotal point in the movie, and few if any can remember the names of the 2 songs nor even hum a few bars. This scene also places Victor Laszlo on top of Major Strasser’s list of things he needs to clean up in Casablanca. So why is it that 2 epic anthem’s, such a critical part of this film goes unheard and a song like â€Å"As time goes by† is sung, hummed and quoted so often. It is my belief that â€Å"As time goes by â€Å" brings back the memories of the good times and Die Wacht Am Rhein and La Marsellaise bring up the confrontation that many go to the movies to forget. The next time I see Casablanca, I will be humming â€Å"As time goes by.

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy - Essay Example Reagan claimed that most people did not understand the functioning of Nicaragua, as they only knew it as a Marxist country but many were not for the idea of exchange of money and weapons and this made it difficult for the U.S to bring in funding (Bermann, Page 9, 1996). The Reagan Doctrine was out to offer both covert and overt support to resistance movements and anti-communists guerrillas so as to have the governments backed by the Soviet governments in Asia, Latin America and Asia. The doctrine was designed to cut down on the general Cold War strategy administration. After Reagan’s election in the year 1981, he decided to support the resistance revolutions in countries like Angola, Nicaragua, Afghanistan and Cambodia. In May 1982, Reagan approved a document which was referred to as, U.S National Strategy, which its main purpose was stop and overthrow the development of soviet management and the presence of armed forces worldwide, and also to increase the cost of support that was being provided by the soviet and increase the use of rebellious rule at the same time collaborating with the terrorist. Reagan started a campaign for the community to support his plans by using some of the strong statements to prove it. For example in 1985, he said that the U.S citizens were not to lose faith in those who were able to risk their lives for their country worldwide even in the dangerous continents like Afghanistan (Burns, page 89, 1999). One year down the line, he stated that America was going to support both morally and substantially those who were ready to fight for the freedom of their nation even if it included dying. Reagan’s destructive policies and measures caused much damage in many countries. The exploitation and management of the banks by the U.S for example that was practiced in Nicaragua led to the decimation of its economy. War on the Sandinista national liberation front was funded by the administration that the congress played a role in suppor ting it. This was a war that several terrorist from Nicaraguan, which was referred to as Contra, fought and its main aim was to conquer the Sandinistas who after the 1979 revolution, took over power (Flanagan, page 25, 2000). In 1981, was the year that establishment of Contra forces started and Reagan funded the Central Intelligence Agency by authorizing the release of large sums of money. There was also the generation of extra money from illegal sales of weapons to Iran which was channeled to the Contras. These illegal actions were later known in Iran Contra Affair in the month of November in 1986, which led to condemnation and conviction of his staff. The collapse of the FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional) in the 1980s was as a result of the U.S continuous hostility. The victory of the contra military was not the cause of the fall of the Sandinista, but it was because of the U.S economic blow, the restrictions on trade and the social and economic attack of the nation. President Daniel Ortega finally accepted that he was defeated in the 1990 elections due to the persistent economic failure and handed over the government to the conservative who emerged the winners (Oberdorfer, page 71, 1999).. The elections however were not held as a result of Reagan’s pleas but to others efforts especially President Oscar Arias. He was the one who held the negotiations of a peaceful handover

The Liberation Of Women's Bodies In Modern China Research Paper

The Liberation Of Women's Bodies In Modern China - Research Paper Example Attitude towards foot binding varied in accordance with family status. While great families favored foot binding, lesser families often followed them in imitation (Hong 2013, p.48). The historical evidence shows that the foot binding as a custom flourished in between the 10th and the 20th centuries and many women practiced it even after it was outlawed in 1912 thinking that it would bring good suitors for their daughters. Mothers impressed upon their daughters that the mark of a woman’s attraction reside more in her character more revealed in the bind of her feet than in the face of physique with which nature had endowed her (Blake 683). A very significant thing to note that ‘Her selection in marriage was the task of her prospective mother-in-law, whose criterion for a good daughter-in-law was the discipline that the bound foot represented’ (Pruitt 22). This throws light on the fact the young women during this period were denied the right to think freely and indep endently and were under chains. Aesthetic appreciation of the small foot was the major driving force for the practice of foot binding in China; foot binding was also promoted to sustain male erotic interest and was regarded as an effective tool to maintain gender distinctions and to ethnically differentiate civilized Chinese from northern barbarians (Mackie 1996, p.1002). The proposed study is conducted on the grounds that foot binding was very common among the Chinese people for a long time and it was once regarded as a symbol of beauty. But it is evident that the foot binding caused for everlasting pain for the womenfolk and they were merely treated as a tool for sex, disregarding their individuality and potentiality as a working class.