Nix V. Williams

Case Citation:Nix v. Williams – 467 U. S. 431 (1984) Facts: In 1968, 10 year old Pamela Powers was abducted and murdered outside of the YMCA in Des Moines, Iowa. A young boy claimed to have seen Williams, outside the YMCA carrying a bundle wrapped in a blanket with two white legs hanging out. The following day Williams, car was spotted approximately 160 miles outside of Des Moines. Additionally, several of the young girls clothing items were found. ; Along with Williams and with the blanket as described by the witness.Based upon these findings, a warrant was issued for Williams’ arrest. While a search was under way, Williams surrendered to the Davenport police, and obtained counsel. Des Moines police advised Williams counsel that they would not question him while transporting him back to Des Moines. However during transport, one of the officers began a conversation with Williams, and urged him to tell them where the body was located, so she could have a â€Å"proper Ch ristian burial. Williams conceded, and directed them to the girl’s body, which was over two miles from the closest search team. Procedural History: Williams filed a motion to suppress the evidence of the body, because it was obtained as fruit of an unlawful interrogation. The court denied this motion, and Williams was subsequently convicted by a jury of first degree murder. The trial court denied the motion, and a jury convicted Williams of first-degree murder.Williams’s state appeal was affirmed by The Iowa Supreme Court. Williams then petitioned the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa for a writ of habeas corpus, and the court reversed the conviction. The court held that the evidence should have been suppressed. During Williams’ second trial, the prosecution did not offer evidence of the interrogation; however evidence was presented in regards to the condition of the victims body.The trial court allowed this evidence, and concluded t hat the prosecution had shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the victim’s body would have been discovered without Williams’ help. Williams was again convicted by a second jury and sentenced to life in prison. Upon another appeal, the Supreme Court of Iowa affirmed the conviction and the U. S. District Court denied habeas corpus relief. The U. S. Court of Appeals reversed the district court's denial of habeas corpus. The matter then came up before the Supreme Court in certiorari.Issue: Should illegally obtained evidence become admissible in state court if it would have been ultimately discovered by lawful means? Holding: Yes. Evidence that is obtained through unlawful police conduct that would have been discovered inevitably during the course of an investigation does not have to be excluded from trial Reasoning: Justice Burger wrote the decision of the Court, joined by Justice White, Justice Blackmun, Justice Powell, Justice Rehnquist and Justice O’Conno r, and reversed the decision of the appellant court. 1. The Inevitable Discovery Rule If the prosecution is able to establish through a preponderance of evidence that the information ultimately would have been discovered lawfully, then the evidence should be allowed. It was inevitable that the body would have been found. If Williams had not led the police to the victim’s body, the search teams would have eventually discovered the body. The body was located only 2 and half miles away from where the nearest search team originally started looking. 2. ) Exclusion would not result in fairness.Evidence has demonstrated that at the time of unconstitutional interrogation, a search was already in place for the victim, and the body would have inevitably been found. This means had there not be illegal conduct by the police officers, the fairness of the trial would have remained the same. 3. ) Absence of bad faith is not required The justices held that in order to establish the admissibi lity of evidence, the prosecution does not need to carry the burden of proving the absence of bad faith to secure the evidenceConcurrence: Justices White concurred with the holdings, but added that the police officer's action was not unlawful or unconstitutional Justice Stevens, concurred with the holding, however advised that the police officer’s conduct was unconstitutional however because the body would have been discovered anyway the prosecution should be held harmless. Dissent: Justices Brennan and Marshall both dissented stating that though the inevitable discovery doctrine is constitution, the prosecution had the burden of prove that the evidence would have been discovered if an ndependent investigation were allowed to be proceed. Comments: This case resulted in the creation of the Inevitable Discovery Doctrine. However I believe that it undermines the â€Å"fruit of the poisonous tree† doctrine, and enable law enforcement misconduct. The justices stated that th e evidence supports that body would have been found with or without a confession. One might argue that a correctional officer can beat an inmate that is on death penalty to death, because he was going to be killed by the state anyway.

It Is Difficult to Remain a Strong Sense of Identity in Our Society

English Speech Hi I'm Maddy and I'm here today to explain why I think that it IS difficult to maintain a strong sense of individual identity in our society. It’s quite often very difficult to maintain a strong sense of your individual identity in this society, it’s a natural instinct for most people to want to feel acceptance into society. We all feel the need to change and leave the parts of us that make us who we are to conform to people’s expectations. Society has become a crucial influence on who we are and how we are perceived.We can never truly be our selves because of the constant fear criticism and judgement that comes with it. Everyone has something about them that makes them who they are but they feel they need to hide it from people because they fear of rejection and embarrassment. This fear can sometimes make us change how we act around certain people and we can end up forgetting who we are. In the book growing up Asian in Australia there is a story i n there about a young boy named Sunil. He tried to change his to Neil because it’s a more westernized name and he thinks it would make him fit in better.This is not the case. Changing your name won’t change who you are as a person and personally I actually like the name Sunil better than Neil anyway. Sure changing your name might stop some of the teasing but sooner or later you will realise that you don’t have to change who you are to gain friends. As Gandhi once said â€Å"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. † I think this relates to Sunil’s’ story because he ends up realising that he doesn’t need to change his name to be accepted.In the song ‘This is who I am† by Vanessa Amorosi it says â€Å"Well it's alright to be myself Now I've Learned To Stand, Well it’s OK to be just who I am I've spent years really hating me longing to be friends Now I hope that you can understand, t his Is Who I Am†. I think these lyrics are really powerful and help explain the topic that I’ve chosen to talk about. She explains that it took her years to realise who she was and that she was now okay to show everyone who she really is. I know from personal experience how hard it is to be yourself in this world.We get judged on every little thing we do, how we dress, what we say, how we present ourselves; absolutely everything. Sometimes we speak differently or dress differently to impress the people that shouldn’t matter to us, because if we have to spend hours in front of the mirror trying to change our appearance and who we usually are then these people aren’t worth our time. It’s so common in this day and age to marry someone for their looks or their wealth when really that shouldn’t matter. They should fall in love with their personality, that’s what matters the most.I think this is what makes us confused about who we are becaus e we change so often around different people that it’s so hard to maintain our own identity. This isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes losing our identity is actually good for us. It can make us open our eyes and see who our true friends are. It can make you see things from a different perspective and make you realise that life’s not about trying to impress people, it’s about accepting yourself and being whoever you want to be. In conclusion I believe that it IS hard to maintain our identity with today’s society but when we learn to accept ourselves, hopefully others will too.

Calamitatum Of The Individual

Calamitatum Of The Individual Essay In the realm of critical thinking, Abelard undoubtedly ranked highly in his day. He was an expert dialectician, philosopher and theologian, and as a result led a movement towards individual thinking. He traveled a lonely path of individuality, and when his ideas were suppressed, he found different ways to express his individuality. The beginning of his life was marked by extreme personal freedom. As his journey through life continued, he found himself compounded with innumerable restrictions. The role of monk could not change Abelard, and his individuality brought him even greater misfortune. He may forewarn others against the risks of such extreme individualism, but his life clearly shows that Abelard thought his individuality was a natural part of him, a part that was as inseparable as his faith. From the beginning of Abelards Story of my Calamities he portrays himself as an individual. The as oldest child in his family his life was intended for a military career, but as he tells us, he abandoned Mars for Minerva, denouncing the popular and glorious profession of arms for that of learning. In writing this he shows his clever and distinct way of thinking by referring to dialectic, the art of examining options or ideas logically, as a weapon of war. I chose the weapons of dialectic to all the other teachings of philosophy, and armed with these I chose the conflicts of disputation instead of the trophies of war. (p. 58, ll. 7-9). This is remarkable for the son of a soldier to make such a choice even renouncing his inheritance and pursue only intellectual advancement. Leaving home, he traveled off to school in Paris. He was welcomed for a short while, but soon found disfavor with his teacher Champeaux, the grand master of dialectic at the time, by refuting his arguments and proving himself several times to be the superior in debate. This shows Abelards superior intellect at a very early age. This is no doubt a major reason for his individuality. One of his intellectual rank finds it hard to conform to others standards, and naturally becomes a spectacle when showing his skills. This early conflict caused Abelard to leave and start his own school. Unfortunately, he could not maintain it and had to return home. Years later he was teaching in Paris again, he tells us how pupils flocked to him from every country in Europe, a statement which is more than corroborated by the authority of his contemporaries. He was, In fact, the idol of Paris, eloquent, vivacious, handsome, full of confidence in his own power to please. As he tells us, the whole world at his feet. In the Story of My Calamities, he confesses that at that period of his life he was filled with vanity and pride. I began to think myself the only philosopher in the world, with nothing to fear from anyone, and so I yielded to the lusts of the flesh. (p.65, ll.13-15). The first part of this statement is a window into what made Abelard an individual. He felt that he did not have to follow the same rules that other people did because he was superior to them. The result was a man that did things differently, for better or for worse. The second part of that statement lead Abelard down his next path of individuality, the first to cause him physical pain. To these faults he attributes his downfall, which was as swift and tragic as was everything, seemingly, in his dazzling career. He tells us in graphic language the tale of how he fell in love with Heloise, niece of Canon Fulbert. READ: Daedalus Myth And Portrait Of The Artist EssayIn the midst of his exploits he met Heloise, and in the first time writing about her in The Story of My Calamities he describes her individuality. in the extent of her learning she stood supreme. A gift for letters is so rare in women that it added greatly to her charm and had won her renown throughout the realm. (p.66 ll.15-17). This shows that Abelard valued individuality highly in others as well as in himself. He arranged an agreement with Heloises uncle to educate her, and gained access to Heloise. Their relationship encompassed the maximum in personal freedom and experimentation. They had a premarital sexual affair of unparalleled proportion. The whole affair was entirely against the rules of society at the time, and was the culmination of the progressive pattern of freedoms, turned into the abuse of opportunity. Soon after Abelards individuality and superiority caught up to him. Heloise became pregnant, and Abelard could not successfully sidestep the ethics of society again. To appease her uncle, Abelard offered him satisfaction in a form he could never have hoped for: I would marry the girl I had wronged. (p.70, ll.6-7). In this offer, Abelard showed that he was out of touch, because to marry in secret was really just an insult, and he considered it a complement of the highest magnitude. As a result of this final insult, the uncle could not contain his rage any longer, and had Abelard castrated. This very profoundly caused him pain for the rest of his life. Then Abelard embarked down his last path, but still as an individual. He made the decision to become a monk. About this decision he writes, I admit that it was shame and confusion in my remorse and misery that rather than any devout wish for conversion which brought me to seek shelter a monastery cloister. (p.76, ll.15-17). Abelard is distinguishing himself from others by demonstration that while he made a choice that others had also made, he made the choice for special reasons, reasons that are different from anyone elses. Of course, as soon as he was positioned in this monastery, he started making waves with the head of the monastery, and doing things not expected of a monk: I applied myself mainly to the study of the Scriptures as being more suitable to my present calling, but I did not wholly abandon the instruction of the profane arts in which I was better practiced. (P. 77, l.31) This aroused the envy and hatred of the other heads of school against me. (P.78, l.5) It would seem that Abelards extreme individuality led him into trouble no matter where he turned, or what endeavour he undertook. When he did apply himself to religion, he got himself into more trouble than even he expected. In his most unpopular argument he says that even though there is only one God, God did not beget Himself, even though there is the Son, the Father, and the Holy Ghost. This sets off a multitude of enemies against Abelard, and is the beginning of a very bad reputation for him. He refuses to recant anything he has said, and is forced to his own book burned. This attack on his pride was the one to cause him the most pain. Abelard is harassed at every step by enemies, and eventually he moved to the wilderness. Abelard lived there in an oratory of weeds and thatch (p.88, l. 22), while other his peers surely would have thought of him as uncivil. This shows that Abelard really just doesnt even care what anyone thinks. Soon, many eager student appeared at the wilderness spot, and a school was eventually created. Being an irrepressible individual, Abelard titles the school controversial name of Paraclete as a way of reemphasizing his beliefs about God, causing enemies to attack him. He is again forced to leave for fear of injury or death. READ: Art Of Poets EssayHis refusal to conform to the certain norms of society was consistent even when his life was endangered. It comes to the point where he states, But now Satan has put so many obstacles in my path that I can find nowhere to rest, or even to live; a fugitive and wanderer, I carry every where the curse of Cain (p.102, ll.15-17). With standing all adversity Abelard proves himself definitely a true individual Through good times and bad, that is maybe his only constant. Even though in closing Abelard says, This is my experience all the time; a poor monk raised to be an abbot, the more wretched as I have become more wealthy, in order that my example may curb the ambition of those who have deliberately chosen a similar course. (p.104, ll. 18-21), it is painfully clear that the lone path of individuality was the only route for him.

Employment Relations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Employment Relations - Assignment Example Employment relations theories The study of employment relations has led to several theory perspectives that have helped explain the nature of employment relations. The following is some of the perspectives draw. The first is Unitarianism, a perspective based on workplace conflicts between the employees and the manager. This theory explains that conflicts at the workplace are inevitable, and they should be seen as a unifier and not a dissolvent (Lloyd and Newell, 2001: 357). In the organization, the employee carries the same interest as the manager and that is to see the organization thrive. In case of disagreement the two parties agree to disagree for the benefit of the organization. The main cause for conflicts according to Bryson (2005: 1111) is a clash of personality, promotion, lack of communication skills and dissidents deviation. This can be easily solved by the management through finding the problem and solving it. In Taylor’s scientific management theory (1974:44) he s tates that employees have limited ambitions and tend to act immature and avoid their responsibilities whenever they can. Companies that choose to subscribe to Taylor’s theory set clear roles and directives on assignments undertaken at work. The approach here gives management an upper hand because it has great authority on the workers (Taylor: 1974: 47). The other theory applicable in this case is the human relations theory where workers are viewed as individuals who are self motivated and have a sense of self-fulfillment in the organization. In this theory workers are granted the autonomy to operate in a manner that they feel the job satisfaction (Gennard and Judge, 2005: 76). Organizations that adopt this approach create a self-governing environment and allow employees to govern themselves. The second set of assumption is pluralism and unlike Unitarianism pluralism believes that work conflict is necessary and healthy for the organization. Businesses are made up of different complex groups with each group carrying different interests (Daniel, 2006: 36). The management and employees are considered been in different groups here. The assumption here is that there different forms of authority making conflict inevitable. The conflict is taken as a positive factor because it is this situation that sheds light on the employee’s grievances. Conflict also forces management to come up with innovative ways to handle the disagreements. Pluralists according to Daniel (2006: 36) agree with the two competing sides because it is believed to result to amicable solutions. This is because management not only comes up with conflict solutions but also fair solutions that keep their power balanced. Dunlop’s system theory is one of the greatest approaches used by most pluralists (Hollishead et al., 2003: 19). This theory states that employment relations are made up of a wide sub-system that determines how parties involved in the work environment can keep out con flicts at the workplace. There are four elements according to Hollishead et al. (2003: 23) that are important factors in employment relations, and that are the actors, the environment, set rules and ideologies that are binding. Another theory recently drawn is the strategic choice theory

Develop a partial risk and mitigation plan Assignment

Develop a partial risk and mitigation plan - Assignment Example These are the malicious programs that are spread via the internet which damage stored information in the computers. High Attack by the malicious programs would lead to loss of information that is stored in the computers which results into a significant loss for the company. The first impact would be loss of documents while the latest would be total crushing of the ICT system. 2 Hacking The ICT students may hack the schools’ accounts, which would lead to loss of information and money. Medium If this happens, the school may lose a lot in terms of cash. This is because hackers can even clear the school fees for students with fees balances First impact may be unsustainable college due to the big losses accrued. The latest impact would be total declaration of bankruptcy of the college. Malicious programs As shown in the table, the risk associated to malicious programs is very likely to occur. Malware such as viruses, bugs and other destructive programs find their way into computers and other memory storage devices. Viruses and worms have been declared a big threat to businesses’ and institutions’ security (Brittson, Oshea & Reyes, 2011.) The last survey that was done for the 1000 fortune companies indicated that cyber crime is the most dangerous crime in businesses and institutions and that can drive an organization into a lot of losses. These disastrous programs have a very high probability of occurrence in the learning institutions. Most of the Universities today do everything online. Establishment of an ICT center would enable students to carry all the assignments and other applications through the internet especially when there is a configuration of WIFI. Since most of the students are in need of the computer facilities, they would be regular in the ICT centers to carry out their research. It is through interaction of students with computers that the ICT laboratories are exposed to the risks. This results from the various memory storage devi ces that the students insert into the computers for instance the flash disks, memory cards, diskettes, external hard drives and hard disks. These storage facilities if infected would lead to infection of the computers in the ICT laboratories. The other way through which the computers could be affected by viruses and worms, is through the downloading of non-genuine files, music, or movies from the internet. If the downloaded document of music is from untrustworthy provider it may be malicious to the stored information in the computers in the ICT center (Clough, 2010). According to Martin & Schell (2004), malware attack is always associated with the loss of information from the computers. This has been witnessed in many businesses and institutions especially in the cases of viruses and worms attack and also the hackers. For instance the attack known as Aurora which happened recently destructed a lot of information in many companies. In this attack, the hackers used techniques that emp loyed a combination of stealth programming and encrypted techniques. Through the use of this technology, the attackers traced the source codes for Adobe, Google and many

Discussion question Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 14

Discussion question - Coursework Example Therefore, VG should maintain the TSH level for eradicating any sort of work disturbance (Womenshealth, 2014). VG should consult with the doctor to know the reason of fatigue problem and test the TSH level for her body, which remained high as per the previous findings of the TSH level. From the perspective of instituting a therapy, it can be inferred that by conducting the TSH test regularly, VG can monitor the respective problem and likewise take measures for enhancing her wellbeing (Medicine health, 2015). If VG becomes pregnant, then she needs to consult with a gynecologist for further treatment and medication. On the other hand, if VG face thyroid problem, then the medication for her can be the replacement of thyroid hormones along with L-thyroxine dose. This dose has to be given at the initial stage based on medical history, age and weight of the patient (Medicine health,

South Korea's governmental tourism marketing communication strategy Essay

South Korea's governmental tourism marketing communication strategy - Essay Example Although a huge set of the government has applied marketing strategies. It still has not been possible to set the tourism industry of South Korea on a steady and continuous growth path, although there has been a huge increase in the number of inbound tourists and amount of revenues generating from this sector in recent times compared to two-three decades ago. The growth trends of tourist volume and revenues have always been fluctuating. Hence, this paper makes an attempt to examine the governmental marketing communication strategies by evaluating the opportunities they provide and the challenges they face. After evaluating the current marketing strategies this paper also provides some recommendation for future marketing communication strategy so that more tourists visit the nation in coming years. Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world. In most of the countries it belongs to the top three industries. It has become one of the fastest growing sectors and one of the key drivers of the economies. It provides huge number of employment also. Tourism in any country is influenced by a number of factors like demographical conditions, several social issues, some political drivers like General Agreement on Trades and Tariffs (GATT), agreements on forming several trade blocks, globalization, redrawing of political map, aspects of safety, security, risk factors, climatic conditions, efficiency of human resource elements of the tourism industry, new forms of tourisms, changing pattern of tourism products and so on. Some of these factors can be controlled while some others are beyond any control. Apart from all of these factors, there exists one vital factor to enhance the attractiveness of a place as a tourist destination. It is an appropriate marketing communication strategy, which plays a vital role in increasing the flow of tourists to a certain place. It could be that a particular place possesses immense natural

Conflicting Viewpoints Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conflicting Viewpoints - Essay Example However, the opponents of illegal immigration have their convincing reasons on the issue. They feel that illegal immigrants should be deported. Also, they believe that such immigrants should not be allowed to have access to social services, and they should not be granted US citizenship. They believe that illegal immigrants are criminals in nature, present a social and economic burden to the state’s law- abiding citizens as well as to the Americans that are taxpayers. My opinion on the issue of illegal immigrants is that they should be allowed to stay in the country, if they do not present any social, political or economic threat to the country. I support this view due to a number of reasons. Anyone can become an immigrant in any country. This because it is not always the wish of immigrants to be such situations. Different reasons force them to become immigrants. For instance, some become illegal immigrants due political unrest in their home country; others are due to lack of employment in their countries while others are due to natural disasters in their country of origin. In addition, a majority of the illegal immigrants end up doing the work that most American citizen will not do. For instance, very few Americans would agree to work in manufacturing industries unless they are employed at the managerial levels. Similarly, only the poor Americans would agree to work on construction sites. Those Americans found in such places are those in the foreman’s or engineer’s level. The rest of the workers are mostly from different countries or the poor Americans with no jobs. The final reason is that illegal immigrants contribute to the economic development of the country (ProCon.org, 2015). Most of the illegal immigrants can be found working in areas where other American may not work while such places are a source of income to them. For instance, if there

Law Enforcement and Citizen Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law Enforcement and Citizen Privacy - Essay Example This paper seeks to analyze and find out the effect that police have on crime. There are several conclusions that have emerged from the various studies made. One study showed that police deployment and level of crime had a reciprocal relationship. This implies that an increase say in the number of police means a reduction in crime while a reduction in the number of police encourages criminal activity. Another study revealed that though some scholars believe that increasing the number of police does not have any effect on crime levels, the truth is that it does reduce crime rates for specific criminal activities. The effect of increasing police numbers vary due to different factors such as the type of crime, police activities, environmental and social characteristics of an area (Ogilvie, Allard & Stewart, 2008). Aggressive patrols, which involve issuing citations, questioning or arresting suspicious and disorderly persons at a high rate tend to have direct and indirect effects on crime. The direct effect is that the patrols send a signal to potential offenders that their chances of arrest are higher than they are in reality. The indirect effect is that the police will be able to closely monitor citizens especially those that look suspicious. They will, therefore, have a high likelihood of finding fugitives, detecting contraband and arresting crime suspects (Sampson & Cohen, 1988). While analysts traditionally embrace the increase in police numbers as an effective way to prevent crime through deterrence and increased apprehension of suspects, empirical evidence does not support this idea. The opposition to this idea is based on the fact that not all police work focuses towards crime reduction. This means that while the police force my recruit more officers, these recruits may be deployed to departments that do not directly deal in crime prevention (Ogilvie, Allard & Stewart, 2008). A study conducted in the

Small scale action research study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Small scale action research study - Essay Example Findings V. Analysis and Interpretation VI. Conclusion and Recommendations Small Scale Action Research Study I. Introduction This research study deals with how years 1 and 2 primary school children in my school approach reading; these children are aged five to six years. The research study is aimed at not only finding out how their reading skills can be improved, but also how this relates to the previous reading levels in my school. Reading among these children has been gradually deteriorating with time. It has been characterized by several difficulties. The nature of these reading problems coincides with what most reputable scholarly researchers have already studied sometime back cons in relation to this. The nature of the problems of readers who are struggling is quite complex. Over time, study has indicated that the complexity emanates from the individual differences that are present within any group that undertakes a reading. The reading struggle among the children is characteriz ed by the different approaches, skills, and dispositions. This makes it difficult for those reading to make sense of the print. Studies continue to reveal that both poor decoding and poor comprehension are among examples of aspects that struggling readers may posses. Besides, they also have difficulties in both vocabulary and language skills (Allington and McGill-Franzen, 2009, p. 221). Since September 2010, the Early Reading Research (ERR) has been used in my school. Since the time it was introduced, I have taken note of reading improvement among the children. The schools has teaching assistants who are not only experienced, but also industrious, and have really been surprised by the steps of improvement in reading levels attained by the children up to this far. I am still not certain of the fact that the National Literacy Strategy is the best approach to reading in our schools, due to the observed worsening trend of the reading level among the children. Before the National Literac y Strategy came into force, there was another Reading programme referred to as the Early Reading Research by Essex Lea. Thus the research question in this study is how effective is the Early Reading Research (ERR) by Essex Lea in solving the reading problem of children in my school? Interest for this area of study is motivated by the outcomes of the recently carried out research by the Essex Lea and the Leverhulme Trust on the efficiency of the Early Reading Research in comparison to other reading programmes. The study was based on classroom empirical investigations that was carried out on a large scale basis coupled with small scale cases to establish how children’s learning could be impacted with various principles of instruction. Apart from establishing the most efficient methods of teaching reading, Early Reading Research was also used in examining not only the level to which age and skill reading targets could be reached by each child, but also the prevention of particul ar difficulties in reading. This research study encompasses various sections that reveal the literature review, method of data collection, findings, analysis and interpretation, and conclusion together with recommendations. II. Literature Review a. The Significance of Reading Most people do not just take reading lightly, but also they do not easily see how difficult life can be for those who have not read. Print is available at almost every place that surrounds us that is on adverts, shop names, product instructions and novels, just to mention but a

An Occurence at owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce Essay Example for Free

An Occurence at owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce Essay An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, is one of the best American short stories and is considered Ambrose Bierces greatest work. First published in Bierces short story collection Tales of Soldiers and Civilians in 1891, this story is about Peyton Farquhar, a southern farmer who is about to be hanged by the Union Army for trying to set the railroad bridge at Owl Creek on fire. While Farquhar is standing on the bridge with a rope around his neck, Bierce leads the reader to think that the rope snaps and he falls into the river, and then makes an amazing escape and finally returns to his farm, to be reunited with his wife. However the ending of the story is totally different, in fact, Farquhar is hanged and these imaginings take place seconds before his death. Ambrose Bierces trick ending succeeds because of the way he manipulated the text by changing the narrative point of view from one type to another. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is divided into three sections, with each section having a different narrative form. In the first section, the author uses dramatic narration: the story is told by no one. With the disappearance of the narrator, the reader is now the direct and immediate witness to the unfolding drama. The reader views the work from the outside. In the beginning of this story the readers are informed of all the preparations for a man about to be hanged: the set up for the hanging, the characters involved and the surroundings. The narrator gives an incredible and beautiful snapshot of the scene describing the water, the guards, and his restraints. Vertical in front of the left shoulder, the hammer rested on the forearm thrown strait across the chest- a formal and unnatural position (Bierce pg. 90, line 10). This type of narration is the least personal and the reader receives the least information on the characters thoughts and feelings. Although the author describes details, the reader has to fill the blanks as to what actions and events lead up to the situation. The reason for this type of narration in the first section of the story is to get the readers curiosity going. One wonders what Peyton Farquhar could have done to be hanged; was he alone in what he did, why is he involved in a military issue when he is a civilian? In paragraph six and seven and through the second section, the author changes his point of view to one which is third person omniscient: all knowing. The  omniscient narrator is not a character in the story and is not involved with what happens. He imposes his presence between the reader and the story and controls all the events. From an outside point of view, the narrator provides enough information to summarize, interpret and wonder. As the story evolves, the reader begins to read thoughts of the characters: Farquhar, his wife and the soldiers. The reader becomes involved in Farquhars life as the narrator summarizes his situation. The reader is told of him being a planter and owning slaves, that he is a secessionist and devoted to the Southern cause. Nevertheless, the narrator leads the reader to believe Farquhar and his wife are kind people, she fetched the water for the soldier to drink with her own white hands (Bierce pg.92, line 15) instead of ordering one on her colored slaves to do it. Farquhars principles and devotion towards the south is explained in this section and the reader gets to know who he really is. This makes the reader feel sympathetic towards him and his wife. The purpose of the omniscient narrator in the 2nd section is to give information of the characters and to get a glimpse into Farquhars life. The reader finds out how devoted his wife is to her husband. The reader can now relate to Farqhuar and understand how and why he got caught trying to destroy the bridge. Section three is intended to create suspense. Bierce wants the reader to believe that what is being described actually happens. In order for the reader to believe that what is being described is actually happening, the story must be narrated from the characters point of view (limited omniscient point of view). With a limited omniscient point of view, the narrator limits his or her ability to penetrate the mind of a single character. The reader may be shown the characters voice, feelings and thoughts through dialogue, monologue or stream of consciousness. As a result, the reader becomes more and more directly involved in interpreting the story. By using this point of view all of what Farquhar is experiencing seems so real. The advantages of the limited omniscient point of view are the tightness of focus and control that it provides. If the third section was told in an omniscient point of view, the author would have not been able to fool the reader, for he would have seen what was really happening. Seeing the whole action and knowing the soldiers thoughts would have given away the ending. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge was written in three different sections, with each having a different narrative form. The first, using dramatic point of view, describes where the action takes place. The second, omniscient point of view lets the reader comprehend the victims thoughts and actions. And finally, the third section, limited omniscient point of view creates suspense by being only in one mind. With the ability to switch from one form to another, Bierce was able to create a tale of intrigue, captivation and a twist-ending.

Critical Perspectives on Accounting Essay Example for Free

Critical Perspectives on Accounting Essay In this article Marcus Milne provides critical overview and analysis of literature devoted to establishing evidence for positive accounting theory in regards of corporate social disclosure. The central argument of the paper is that positive accounting theorists are trying to colonize social and environmental accounting research. The present article is empirical research and the author employs qualitative and quantitative data to support the claim that positive accounting theory of social disclosure has failed in its endeavor. The author’s purpose is to challenge the perceptions of positive accounting theory and to illustrate why efforts of theorists to social and environmental accounting has failed. The author focuses on the original work of Watts and Zimmerman and tends to present their concern and ideas with the lobbying behavior observed in US oil companies. The companies were claimed to be monopolists and self-interested politicians that had pursued mainly wealth transfers in the form of taxes and other political costs. For them, social responsibility is passing remark. The article is useful to my research topic as Milne suggests that modern businesses and companies should be more concerned with social and environmental responsibility as our world’s resources are not unlimited. The main limitation of the article is that only one original work is incorporated – the article presents one viewpoint without presenting multiple views on the problem. The author indicates that literature on positive accounting theory has failed to provide arguments for self-interested managers’ wealth maximizes. The article will be useful supplementary information for my research on social and environmental responsibility.

Photography boundaries and uses

Photography boundaries and uses Photography from its very beginning served in a beneficial manner to democratize portraiture, expanding its boundaries and traditional uses. It no longer remained as an exclusive privilege of the aristocracy, the only class to afford it. By expanding its periphery, photographic portraiture not only complicated its function, but raised several intriguing issues in the new domains it spread to. By far, it complicated issues of identity and self-representation. Portraiture which was a means of re-asserting social status now opened up questions of gender, sexuality, and ethnicity. So how did portraiture overcome its narrow boundaries? It is important for us here, to trace a brief history of the creation of identity in photographic portraiture because our modern vision of constructing identities has important historical precedents. The development of photographic portraiture occurs at a unique point in history the time of the Industrial Revolution in Europe and America. It thus coincided with the ascendency of the middle class into the domains of finance and culture. The newly acquired wealth of the bourgeoisie was spent lavishly on all kinds of goods, mostly in a way to emulate the lifestyle of the aristocracy. Just as a king would inscribe his victory pillar with his achievements to stand against the tide of time, the newly emerging bourgeoisie etched their arrival on the photographic paper. It is to be borne in mind that portraits were always meant for public display and enter into a dialogue with the world at large, even when they were limited to private consumption. Representing their opulent lifestyle in the portraits, the bourgeoisie at one stroke could visually affirm their social status to the world at large, as well as pose a constant challenge to the aristocratic monopoly of signs. Photographic portraiture during this time (mid 19th century) could basically be divided into the bourgeois family photo and individuals (men) of great success (not those who enjoy greater rights and privileges due to high birth). This clearly demarcated the private and the public sphere of the bourgeoisie. The middle-class ideals of the family and success were comprehensively treated in the photographic studios of the major cities where, the bourgeois body was situated within a network of cultural, social and ideological relations. Through these discourses between the body and the camera, a moral icon was being cultivated. There began to emerge a set of codes vis-à  -vis posture, expression, lighting, dress, etc which were evoking a middle-class cultural ideal. These were aimed to be an inspirational and moral source for the working classes. It was in the portrait of the family that struggles over representation of gender and interaction between the sexes began to peek its head. Although during Enlightenment there was a universal climate of liberty and equality and a general freedom for the woman, it was contested by a large majority of male thinkers. Historically significant writings of Rousseau and studies in the Encyclopaedia of the latter half of the 18th century conclude on the basis of female biological dispositions, that women are â€Å"unequal but complementary partner of men†, â€Å"the destiny of women is to have children and nourish them.† The emerging middle-class reformers and professionals by the 19th century had idealized the structure of family and pre-disposed social roles on the basis of gender, through the field of science, popular literature, sermons, etc. Let us analyze this photo belonging to the 1850s to further illustrate this view. A typical Victorian elderly couple is represented in the centre of the frame. The husband is facing the camera with a rather powerful authority which comes through in his intent vision. He is in the front, seated on a chair, and it is evident that he assumes full control of decision-making in the family. His wife on the other hand, comes across as a fragile dutiful figure on the back. It appears as if in reality, she is relegated to the background, almost without any assertive power in the family unit. It is this system of differences the camera captures that underlines the textured fabric of dominant social relations. The creation of identity in photographic portraiture is thus anchored firmly in a set of economic, political and social underpinnings. In the idealized Victorian family photo below, the family unit is presented in a ritualized display, oddly superficial in content and with the hierarchy of the domestic cult being apparently visible. The photo is of Sir Richard Strachey, a colonial administrator, soldier, botanist and engineer and his family engaged in a parlour game. In the other family photo, the male figure is seen to enact the role of the family-head, whose expressions and gestures are carefully rooted in the middle-class ideological terrain. The wife is a rather subdued entity. With passive children on display by their sides and bound to each other by cords of reciprocal love and obligation, the members of the family typified a whole new commitment to a domestic ideal. The space within which they were placed to photographed most often i.e. the photographers studio went a long way in reinforcing their social identities. It was basically a fabricated space, with various props for various occasions. Carefully altered according to needs, it served as the bourgeois drawing room, the balcony, and the like; they were symbols of middle-class recreation and leisure. Dotted with objects of art and cultivated taste, these spaces had the potential of conveying the bourgeois milieu. With the bourgeois coming into prominence and replacing the aristocracy of the ‘Ancien Regime, it was time that photography brought into the domains of visibility those so far neglected, not represented those ‘invisible. It was due to surveillance, almost, that the colonized subjects with their distinct ‘otherness or in other words ethnicity, and the labouring classes driving the capitalist machinery, came into the visual sphere. One of the striking features at a glance is how these classes are represented they are made to confront the camera, almost come to terms with its gaze. The blunt frontality shows a complete lack of sophistication which is markedly different from the cultivated asymmetries of the bourgeois pose. This middle-class awareness, that the body when carefully positioned always served as a cultural and class signifier, explains why they were never in conflict with the camera. - How has then modern contemporary photography dealt with the issue of identity in terms of gender, the public or private self or even sexuality? One of the significant changes which had occurred through the passage of time was the representation of women in photography. Be it in the workplace or on private dining table, images of women changed radically being more assertive, independent. They had over time, gained social and political rights and were enacting various roles at the same time the professional, the wife, the mother and the like. Thus representation of women in the workplace became an intense subject, especially during the time of Margaret Thatcher in Britain. But with unemployment rising to unprecedented levels during the 1980s, photography revealed shocking truths. It was found that women were mostly employed in low-paid professions or part time and faced several discriminatory practices with regard to class, gender and ethnicity at the workplace. In 1986-87, Rhonda Wilson presenting an oppositional view through her images, produced a striking series of work- drawing in heavily from popular imagery and signs and underlined with satire. In the photo below, which exploits the format of the beauty contest with sashes and higher pedestals, women with the worst weekly income levels are presented as three winners. They are represented in their professional capacities with each one holding props related to their work. Their expressions clearly reveal the irony. Thus it brought to the forefront important questions of womens role in the modern society and also in the male-dominated ‘workplace. It also revealed the sexual division of labour i.e. traditional feminine occupations being grossly underpaid. In another interesting take on the subject is Debbie Humphreys project of the 1990s Gender Crossings focussing on relationships between the sexes in the workplace. The women in this series of images, have disregarded the so-called gender boundaries and entered the domain of â€Å" mens † work. These women blend in with their male counterparts and have strangely subdued femininity. In the image below, we see three employees in a typical office environment. At a glance, it is hard to identify that the central figure is a female due to her cropped hair, guardedly crossed arms to conceal the breast and her typically male attire. The woman is flanked by one male colleague on either side who seem to be quite comfortable in presenting themselves in the particular environment. Standing firmly these men appear as intimidating to the female colleague, whose posture and expression testify to the fact. The picture raises important questions of why the female has chosen a male dress-code. Is it to be at par with the men in the profession? To legitimise her presence? In any case, the power structure of the place is clearly shown. Issues of representation become more complex when this woman professional also has to run the household. In Jacqueline Sarsbys photo-documentary series on the agricultural labour she portrays this dual role of ordinary working women in small English farms.

Greece :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Greece Geography So you want to know about Greece? Here are some highlights! Also check out the links to other sites about Greece. On this Page: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Key Facts †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Geographic Landmarks †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Points of Interest †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Major Industries †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Historical Highlights †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Population and Culture †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Books about Greece †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Links to other sites about Greece Other related pages: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  World Geography Index †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ancient Greece Key Facts  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top of Page Greece is one of the oldest civilizations, dating back over 5000 years. Population: 10 million people Geographic size: 51,000 square miles Capital: Athens Major cities and population: Athens, Patra, Piraeus, Larisa and Salonica Geographic Landmarks  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top of Page Much of Greece is mountainous and rocky terrain, with the occasional plain. The Pindus Mountains start in northern Greece and stretch south to the Gulf of Patra. In the southern part of Greece are the Peloponnesus Mountains. About 20% of Greece is made up of islands. Crete is a large island located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a popular tourist area for its beautiful mountains, coastline, and many ancient ruins.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most of the people in Greece live along the coast, or along rivers and harbors.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Points of Interest  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top of Page The people of Greece were one of the earliest civilizations. Greece still has many ancient ruins, some over 4000 years old. Greece also has many medieval churchs. This makes Greece a very popular tourist area.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Greece is also well known for its sculptures, paintings, pottery, poetry and playwriting.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Major Industries  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top of Page The land within Greece is not very productive for farming. The Greeks have struggled to build a strong economy. The standard of living in Greece is lower than other European countries. Manufacturing is becoming one of the key industries. Tourism is also very important, particularly along the Aegean Sea coast. Some farming includes wheat, fruits, vegetables, olives and grapes. Some areas support goat and sheep ranching. Fishing also continues to be an important industry.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Historical Highlights  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top of Page Ancient Greece is considered the birthplace of European civilization, dating back over 5000 years. Many of the ancient ruins date back over 4000 years, with some caves showing signs of life over 10,000 years ago. The ancient greek people may have come from northern Africa. Ancient Greece produced many philosophers and scholars, such as Socrates and Plato. These Greeks contributed significantly to our current culture. They created the first democratic government, discovered many scientific principles, and created mathematics. The Greeks also contributed to the artistic community with Homer, who wrote the Iliad and The Odyssey, and other artisans creating sculptures, paintings, pottery, poetry and playwriting. Greece :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Greece Geography So you want to know about Greece? Here are some highlights! Also check out the links to other sites about Greece. On this Page: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Key Facts †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Geographic Landmarks †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Points of Interest †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Major Industries †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Historical Highlights †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Population and Culture †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Books about Greece †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Links to other sites about Greece Other related pages: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  World Geography Index †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ancient Greece Key Facts  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top of Page Greece is one of the oldest civilizations, dating back over 5000 years. Population: 10 million people Geographic size: 51,000 square miles Capital: Athens Major cities and population: Athens, Patra, Piraeus, Larisa and Salonica Geographic Landmarks  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top of Page Much of Greece is mountainous and rocky terrain, with the occasional plain. The Pindus Mountains start in northern Greece and stretch south to the Gulf of Patra. In the southern part of Greece are the Peloponnesus Mountains. About 20% of Greece is made up of islands. Crete is a large island located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a popular tourist area for its beautiful mountains, coastline, and many ancient ruins.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most of the people in Greece live along the coast, or along rivers and harbors.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Points of Interest  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top of Page The people of Greece were one of the earliest civilizations. Greece still has many ancient ruins, some over 4000 years old. Greece also has many medieval churchs. This makes Greece a very popular tourist area.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Greece is also well known for its sculptures, paintings, pottery, poetry and playwriting.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Major Industries  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top of Page The land within Greece is not very productive for farming. The Greeks have struggled to build a strong economy. The standard of living in Greece is lower than other European countries. Manufacturing is becoming one of the key industries. Tourism is also very important, particularly along the Aegean Sea coast. Some farming includes wheat, fruits, vegetables, olives and grapes. Some areas support goat and sheep ranching. Fishing also continues to be an important industry.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Historical Highlights  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Top of Page Ancient Greece is considered the birthplace of European civilization, dating back over 5000 years. Many of the ancient ruins date back over 4000 years, with some caves showing signs of life over 10,000 years ago. The ancient greek people may have come from northern Africa. Ancient Greece produced many philosophers and scholars, such as Socrates and Plato. These Greeks contributed significantly to our current culture. They created the first democratic government, discovered many scientific principles, and created mathematics. The Greeks also contributed to the artistic community with Homer, who wrote the Iliad and The Odyssey, and other artisans creating sculptures, paintings, pottery, poetry and playwriting.

M252 81mm Mortar :: essays research papers

M252 81mm Mortar INTRODUCTION: Good morning, my name is your name and my period of instruction is on the M252 81mm Mortar. We will cover some basic mortar knowledge including nomenclatures, rates of fire, and weight. We will also cover the mission of an 81mm mortar platoon and how that platoon is configured. The purpose of this period of instruction is to provide you with basic information and working knowledge of the 81mm mortar. LEARNING OBJECTIVES:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. TERMINAL LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To familiarize you with the main   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  components and characteristics of the 81mm mortar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. ENABLING LEARNING OBJECTIVES:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. State the three main components of the mortar and their nomenclature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. State the weights of the three main components of the mortar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. State the maximum range of an 81mm mortar. METHOD / MEDIA: I will use the lecture method and the mortar you see in front of you. There will be no posttest after this period of instruction. Are there any questions about your learning objectives or the method and media? TRANSITION: Now if there are no questions for me let’s get into the nuts and bolts of this period of instruction. BODY:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  MISSION:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The 81mm mortar platoon is commonly called the battalion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  commander’s hip pocket artillery. It is called this because 81’s are foot   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  mobile, are on target faster, and more accurate than artillery. The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  mission of the 81mm mortar platoon is to provide continuous indirect   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  fire support to the infantry battalion and it’s subordinate elements in the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  offense and defense.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CHARACTERISTICS: The M252 81mm mortar is a smooth bore, muzzle loaded, high angle of fire weapon. Smooth bore meaning it has no lands and grooves like a rifle barrel. Muzzle loaded, because you insert a round into the muzzle of the cannon, allowing gravity to pull the round down, striking the firing pin. High angle of fire because it is capable of firing from within defilade, over hills, and other obstructions. COMPONENTS: The M252 81mm mortar consists of three main components, and a dovetail slot sight. They are: M253 Cannon (barrel): The M253 cannon consists of the barrel, sealed at the lower end with a removable breech plug that houses a removable firing pin. At the muzzle end is a cone-shaped Blast Attenuator Device (BAD) that is fitted to reduce noise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   M177 Mount (bipod): The M177 mount is composed of 3 main assemblies. They are: the leg assembly, the traversing gear assembly, and the barrel clamp assembly.

Cause and Effect Essay - Moving to a Large City -- Cause Effect Essays

Cause and Effect Essay - Moving to a Large City Whoosh! That is the precise sound I heard as the crazed flock of travelers headed for the train terminal. My best friend, Stacy, and I were left disoriented and understandably confused once the crowd thinned. We were at Madison Square Garden at the train terminal awaiting our train back to the hotel; it was our first trip to New York City. As one may imagine, it was a fascinating and surreal voyage into extreme urban life. It was so enthralling and exciting that afterward I felt compelled to make a permanent trek to a large city. Due to my experiences in cities like Atlanta and New York, I have an increasing desire to live in a large city because of the various forms of entertainment, myriad of transportation, and the never-ending excitement typical of such a fast-paced lifestyle. My main reason for having such a strong urge to move to a city like New York is the variety of entertainment such a city offers, such as shopping, unique eateries, and shows like concerts and musicals. During my stay in New York, I was s...

Mountain Men and The Path to the Pacific

Reading this book was like listening to tall tales told around the dancing flames of a faraway campfire. One can almost hear the Grizzly’s roar, the rushing river, the war cries of long forgotten warriors, and almost smell the mountain forests. Therein lies the key to the author’s approach to historical storytelling: in this book, as in his many other histories written for popular consumption on American western subjects, he vividly and impeccably writes gripping and detailed narratives about well researched colorful individuals on the frontiers of the nineteenth century. He successfully provides the context for these narratives with an easy to understand explanation of America’s western expansion, and seamlessly bundles the entirety into a stylishly written story. Utley focuses on the period between the Lewis and Clark Expedition in1804 and the end of the western expansion era in the 1850s. He chooses his subjects not only because they provided the critical first movement of America into it’s Far West, but because, he argues, their memoirs, maps, and knowledge of geography and the local Native Americans made future settlement possible. I found his thesis well proven. The author provides a brief historical context in each chapter and relates his subject’s adventures from the bottom up – often quoting vivid primary sources that exposes their contradictions — their courage and illiteracy, ambition and uncouthness, their hunger for adventure and appetite for violence, and their often inevitable tragic endings. Each chapter focuses on one or two colorful personalities, men with names like Crazy Bill Williams and Jeremiah Liver-Eating Johnson. The compelling personalities may not contribute to proving the author’s thesis, but they do make the book an enjoyable read. The author devotes more than just one chapter to his favorite, Jedediah Smith, a man as austere as his colleagues were abrasive, who carefully mapped and detailed his travels.   Smith perfectly embodies the author’s thesis, that the mountain men’s maps and journals were essential to the opening of the Far West. Utley believes that Smith was â€Å"point man in the contest for Oregon†[1], and did more to open the Far Western frontier than any other early pioneer did.   Utley notes that Smith was a man in sharp contrast to most other mountaineers, such as Jim Bridger, who were stereotypical mountain men, full of whiskey and gall and telling tall tales, as did Bridger, about petrified forests with â€Å"peetrified birds singing peetrified songs†.[2] Utley writes a revealing key passage about President Jefferson that delineates the book’s central approach to the subject of the Mountain Men. In 1802, Jefferson read a British trapper’s memoir about his travels in the NorthWest. Alexander Mackenzie's book inspired Jefferson to send a band of hearty men on a reconnaissance to scout the unknown Far West, â€Å"†¦to discover the continental passage, colonize the Pacific Coast and tap it’s fur resources, and establish commerce with the Orient.[3]   In Utley’s view, this was no mere reconnaissance, it was the first step in what was to be a century of nation building. Utley expands the scope of his book by elevating Lewis and Clark, who Jefferson delegated to lead this expedition into the new territories of the Louisiana Purchase, and those who later continued the Western exploration, as being more than explorers and trappers, they were expansionists who guided America to its westward boundary on the Pacific. By elevating the significance of his subjects, Utley elevates the overall importance of his book. Utley begins in 1804, with the Corps of Discovery’s expedition to survey the new lands. Frontiersmen and others familiar with the ways of the Native Americans joined Lewis and Clark’s expedition, such as John Colter, a riverboat pioneer, and George Drouillard, a hunter who was half Shawnee and fluent in Indian sign language. The Corps of Discovery mapped the new land, but they also reported a wilderness ripe for trapping and settlement. What the Lewis and Clark Expedition reported on their return enthralled the nation and fired the imaginations of Americans hungry for opportunity. The first to start the movement west were independent entrepreneurs hoping to enrich themselves by harvesting the abundant wildlife – the hunter-trappers. The book chronologically and geographically charts the progress of the mountaineers, always using the mountain men’s history of discovery, exploitation of resources, and mutual cooperation. Utley uses copious primary sources, including the detailed day-to-day diary of Jedediah Smith, who catalogued minutia, such as the changing beaver population, and high drama, such as having his scalp sewn back on to his head after a Grizzly clawed him. â€Å"If you have a needle and thread, git it out and sew up my wounds around my head,† he asked of a fellow trapper [4].   Utley quotes other primary sources, such as John Bradley, a naturalist who kept a detailed journal traveling with a trapping expedition to the Pacific led by John Jacob Astor. [5] Utley addresses what motivated these early pioneers of the Far West, quoting   Warren Angus Ferris, â€Å"Westward Ho! It is the sixteenth of the second month, A.D. 1830 and I have joined a trapping, trading, hunting expedition to the Rocky Mountains. Why, I scarcely know for the motives that induced me to this step were of a mixed complexion†¦Curiosity, a love of wild adventure, and perhaps also a hope of profit.† [6] Utley draws on primary sources to describe a run-in between Hugh Glass and a Grizzly with cubs: â€Å"He lay on his back, bleeding from gashes in his scalp, face, chest, back, shoulder, arm, hand, and thigh. With each gasp, blood bubbled from a puncture in his throat.† Glass’ companions, thinking him near death, left him and went ahead. But Glass was made of true mountain man grit. He rallied, and crawled back to civilization. Utley writes, â€Å"Berries and a torpid rattlesnake smashed with a stone provided his first nourishment. The Grand River supplied water. He dug edible roots with a sharp rock. Chance turned up a dead buffalo with marrow still rich in the bones. Later wolves brought down a buffalo calf that he succeeded in seizing. In a six-week demonstration of incredible strength, fortitude, luck, and determination, Glass crawled back to Fort Kiowa, nearly two hundred miles.† This story exemplifies Utley’s dramatic flair by using colorful characters and events in writing history designed to appeal to the mass audience. Utley addresses the social identity of the mountain men, profiling the diverse sampling of immigrants and culturally dysfunctional individuals willing to live a solitary existence, disconnected from family and community. He examines their alliances with Native tribes, occasionally even marrying into the tribe, and develops a theme that these alliances produced a significant contribution in maintaining peaceful relations, and obtaining future tribal cooperation in exploration and provisioning. Utley also recounts the annual trapper Frolics, when mountaineers gathered to sell their furs and skins to retail traders, replenish their weapons and supplies, swapped tall tales, and threw the frontier equivalent of a modern fraternity toga party. While Utley always presents colorful events and personalities, he always returns to his primary theme – that the detailed maps and knowledge that the mountain men recorded and shared with each other made it possible for others to later navigate the unknown and difficult mountain regions. That their information filled the vacuum of understanding about the new territories and directly prompted the great western expansion, revealing the best routes to cross rivers and mountain passes in summer and winter, as well as where there was relative safety and where danger was to found. In a later, secondary wave of exploration, Utley relates how one veteran mountain man, Kit Carson, led several military expeditions in the early and mid-1840s to the Far West to consolidate the government’s domain and control of the new territories. Commanded by John C. Fremont, who would become known thereafter as â€Å"The Pathfinder,† the expeditions continued and completed the Western exploration started by Lewis and Clark. Utley argues that these military expeditions promoted the great waves of emigration by wagon trains across the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Oregon and California. A note about Utley’s illustrations, mostly period artwork and primary source period maps. At first glance they seemed lifeless, but they ultimately provided something akin to a Rosetta Stone that helped this reader to comprehend the enormity what the mountain men faced and endured. The joy the author demonstrates through-out the book reveals his almost spiritual identification with his subjects and the terrain they pioneered. His enthusiasm and command of detail serves to fully engage the reader, which to me is the gift of a great history book. But as much as the book succeeds, its methodology raises questions about it’s limitations: the author is invested in his own formulaic pattern of popular storytelling, one wonders whether he is choosing his subjects for marketability over significance. The book is informative, engaging, and enjoyable, even inspiring, but its formulaic approach may remove the potential for revolutionary perspective or revealing interpretation. This may be an inevitable consequence of success for any historian, and I suppose one most historians would welcome, but it may limit the book’s scholarly potential. One additional criticism: in Utley’s view, the Mountain Men pursued commerce and produced national growth, but the narrative accepts their chauvinist behavior without judgment and accepts their cruelty virtually without comment, which many could interpret as a lack of balance. The ideal popular demographic target for this book are those who love American historical adventure: those who love John Ford’s films, or Ken Burn’s Civil War documentary, or books about Mountain Men. If one enjoyed the film about Jeremiah Johnson starring Robert Redford, this is a history book made for you. For scholars, it provides an engrossing and interesting read that doesn’t sacrifice its historical themes. For young students, it successfully presents those details that fire the imagination. In other words, its sweeping panorama deserves its sweeping audience. I enjoyed reading it, learned from it, and re [1] P.67 [2] p.173 [3] p.3 [4] p.56 [5] p.24 [6] p.149

An overview of fashion design history

IntroductionManner is a heating issue in day-to-day life, which is near to about every facet of society. As the enlargement of globalization, manner companies are seeking to more chances in international market by set uping subordinates all over the universe. Harmonizing to Helen ( 1965 ) , manner design is utilizing dedicated art in vesture and accoutrements to set up a alone manner. In today ‘s manner field, Italy is considered in the prima topographic point for its elegant and dedicated manner. However, France and Japan are besides produce first-class interior decorators who have gained international repute in manner design and set up celebrated trade names. The history of manner design could be dated back to 19th century with Charles Frederick Worth to run up label into the garments, and merely vesture created after 1858 could be considered as manner design1. During that historical period, most manner interior decorators are freelance in a family-based vesture store and supply design service to single client, which are rather different from today ‘s forte shops or high-fashion section shops. During the whole twentieth century, manner design had bit by bit been developed consistently and has become an of import industry in society. It is hence utile for analysing the manner history of 20th as a usher for the new century ‘s development. This essay will pick up specific decennary between 1940 and 1950 as the research mark.Background information of twentieth century manner designThe development of manner design in twentieth century has experienced a alone procedure. The first decennary of the century was a period to prosecute ne w component into the design ( Baudot, 1999 ) . The outgrowth of new female coevals and solid tendency in humanistic disciplines had stimulated manner design to unite new elements. The Europe tendency was still focused on elegance and grace, while U.S tendency was developed to natural manner, provided a measure from the dedicated manner of 19th century. Between1910-1919, there was a great alteration in manner design influence by Deco humanistic disciplines. The distinguishable character of Deco humanistic disciplines was the usage of heterosexual and folded line. It brought a boylike manner in the manner design to follow a conciseness manner and add some eastern elements. During following decennary, the manner design added girlish manner to the apparels and go on to maintain the young person elements in the design. Chanel ‘s manner created by combination of coat, skirt and frock privailed and expanded until presents. Another feature is the attending on athletics apparels design . There is besides manner design tendency in China with the amend of traditional cheong-sam. 1930-1939 was an of import decennary for the manner design. In reaction to the economic crisis, the patch-up skirts which represented economy appeared. Then a long skirt lap prevailed until the Second World War. The broken of war stimulated a tendency of nostalgic new Victorian manner. Another of import part of this decennary is the constitution of modern manner design standards, uniting the elements of elegance, beauty and gustatory sensation to stress the corresponding of apparels and fortunes. The following decennary, besides the mark period in the research, is 1940-1949. The epicurean manner during the war clip was restricted by jurisprudence and moral codifications. Practicality had become a standard for manner design. The pursue of map made the adult females apparels be input more male elements by the prevail of ground forces apparels and frocks. The war clip besides provided America w ith the opportunity of developing its ain manner design alternatively of wholly trusting on Europe.Purposes of the researchPresents, manner interior decorators create their original work to show their alone gustatory sensation and manner. However, they besides produce plants to follow the bing manner tendencies. They are hired by mass market makers to make apparels for work forces, adult females and kids. The most successful interior decorator trade names today are those trade names with long history, such as Chanel, Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton. It took them old ages to set up and develop their places as manner icons. In respect to the historical context, 1900-1950 is a really of import revolution in manner history, industries started more originative on the design of their apparels. Fashion design corporations have to bring forth their ain trade name with high quality and repute to last and vie in the promising market. To specify and understand what constitutes manner design a nd how manner design has emerged in today ‘s clip as topographic point the manner design in certain imperative clip periods is of import manner to understand manner industry. The purpose of this research is to present manner design in the decennaries of 1940-1950 to research the relationship between manner design and a series of factors, such as humanistic disciplines, wellness & A ; beauty, scientific discipline & A ; engineering, and so on.Fashion Design and Its Related FactorsHumanistic disciplinesBefore twentieth century, manner design is merely a inactive contemplation of humanistic disciplines. When came to twentieth century, particularly the decennary between 1940 and 1950, manner interior decorators were willing to cooperative with humanistic disciplines. They combined their design with major humanistic disciplines genre. Schiaparell ‘s desk apparels and laniate apparels are representation of super-realism ( Buxhaum, 1999 ) . During this period, the popular music tendency was bop and large set. In the dance country, swing, swing and fox-trot was in the warming place. All the tendencies in humanistic disciplines have influenced manner design deeply. All this new thoughts brought manner market into a new coevals. At this clip, endeavor were usually operation by interior decorators them or household concern.Politicss and current eventsThe most influential event during this period is the Second World War. War as an of import factor to alter the history of human being, every bit good as the development of manner design. During the decennary after the Second World War, manner design had a great transmutation. Women ‘s manner of the beginning of the decennary was masculine, and by the terminal of the decade2 it changed to highly feminine. During the war clip, the manner design manner was changed from elegance, dedicated to conciseness, while it was emphasized on feminine once more after the war. Furthermore, the pursue of practical map durin g the war clip enabled the manner interior decorator to add more male elements in planing female apparels, some even used male mode into adult females design ( Marsha, 1993 ) . The strictly limitation on dressing was besides carried out in several states, for illustration, there was a point system in Britain to curtail the dressing manner of adult females, set out a series of regulations to take adult females ‘s dressing manner ( Janet, 1977 ) . This sort of limitation non merely set on female dressing, but besides guided male ‘s manner of dressing. Male ‘s unvarying manner was most affected portion such as public-service corporation suit of Britain and victory suit of America ( Boucher, 1987 ) . The whole decennary was dominated by the wartime practical map and the after-war feminine manner.Health & A ; athleticsAfter 1945 a series of radical alterations took topographic point in athleticss clothe. First, slipover frocks, underwear and gym tops frequently used new scope of man-made fibers which suited in the early yearss of production to knitted cloths. During the 1950ss, some earlier innovations and new usage of man-made fibers peculiarly nylon combined with practical techniques developed in military vesture were introduced into civilian production. For illustration, goons that were concealed in cervix neckbands ; pockets in jacket foreparts which were designed to hive away snack nutrients ; baseball mitts with nothing pockets for ski base on ballss ; elastic inserts in the sides of ski bloomerss and stirrup straps underfoot made for pull on, draw off apparels. These characteristics are expected by us automatically today. In add-on, nylon running trunkss and cotton vests3 were adopted by jocks. Zip up parkas and parkas were taken onto the sports and athleticss field, though pant undersides frequently appeared to be uneven, they helped to maintain off the iciness. Stretch garments became rather popular by the mid 1960ss ; and one attractive advantage was the comfort factor of being able to travel with a garment.Hair & A ; beautyIn this decennary the most popular hair manners is braids curled and rolled longer. The film stars of that clip such as Veronica Lake and Lauren Bacall gave the best presentation of the long curling manners. Though seting your hair up into compact elegant up-dos was the standard manner for nuptialss and proms, this sort of occasions became rarer and rarer. World War II to a great extent influenced the beauty industry in this decennary. The manner, cosmetics used and beauty criterions were affected by the temper of sad and depression. As Ingrid Bergman showed in the 1942 film Casablanca, a typical beauty manner should seek to show serious, glamourous in a really subdued, sophisticated way4. A wholesome expression was much more acceptable than showy. The temper for surplus and flamboyancy was considered as inadequate, both because the effects of the Depression still were act uponing people ‘s life, and because a batch of American immature work forces were directing to European battlegrounds to contend and decease.CelebrityThe manner icon in this period was Rita Hayworth. The Great American Love Goddess was born in Brooklyn, New York. She represented the most stylish manner of 1940s in the films of â€Å" The Strawberry Blonde † ( 1941 ) , and â€Å" Blood and Sand † ( 1941 ) . The musicals â€Å" You`ll Never Get Ric h † ( 1941 ) and â€Å" You Were Never Lovelier † ( 1942 ) , both with Fred Astaire, â€Å" My Gal Sal † ( 1942 ) , with Victor Mature, and â€Å" Cover Girl † ( 1944 ) , with Gene Kelly, made her a musical star and a favorite pinup miss of American military mans during WWII ( Stach, 1987 ) .Science & A ; engineeringThe development of scientific discipline and engineering enable manner design develops from hand-made household workshop to the machinery production. The importance of client design began to be recognised. As the betterment of industry engineering, the off-the-rack apparels were considered to be the major issue during this period. The scientific discipline of human organic structure stimulates the constitution of comprehensive size system for apparels. The engineering besides made the fabrication of apparels divided into three classs: Haute Couture apparels, senior off-the-rack apparels and ordinary off-the-rack apparels. Meanwhile, the enlarge ment of stuffs scope provided sufficient footing for interior decorators to show their alone manner in their chef-d'oeuvres. Although the conflict broke out over the universe, new merchandises came out at the same clip. Nylonss were sold to the populace in 1940 when the conflict of Britain started. In the following twelvemonth, Nipponese attacked Pearl Harbour, and the landrover was invented in the same twelvemonth. In 1942, when the conflict of Midway and the conflict of Stalingrad broke out, T-shirt was introduced to the populace. Furthermore, the promotion of societal scientific discipline besides played great function in the manner design within the period. Peoples established positive attitudes towards beauty every bit good as manner design and were tolerance on prevailed tendencies, which enabled some subculture tendency become popular in the mainstream of the society.Decision1940-1950 was an of import period in manner design due to the influence of World War II. Affected by the war, many manner corporations closed such as Maision Vionnet and Maison Chanel, while others relocated in New York ( Turner, 1958 ) . Paris ‘s prima topographic point was still continued although Germany was taking half of Gallic fabrication and was sing relocate the original Gallic haute couture to Berlin. The religion of manner design was established and developed rapidly ( Peacock, 1998 ) . Its enomous alteration was driven by several factors include humanistic disciplines, political events, hair & A ; beauty, scientific d iscipline & A ; engineering, etc. Conduct research on this specific decennary is non merely dating back to the history, it is besides provides sufficient information for the development of manner design in the new century.Mentions:Books:Baudot, F. ( 1999 ) A Century of Fashion. London: Thames & A ; Hudson Ltd.Boucher, F. ( 1987 ) A History of Costume in West, London: Thames & A ; Hudson Ltd.Buxhaum, G. ( 1999 ) Icons of Fashion, the twentieth century. New york: Verleg.Helen, B. ( 1965 ) . The Theory of Fashion Design, New York: John Wiley and Sons.Janet, A. ( 1977 ) . Patterns of Fashion 2: Englishwomans ‘s Dresss and Their Construction c. 1860-1940, Wace 1966, Macmillan 1972. Revised metric edition, Drama Books.James, L. ( 1979 ) . The Concise History of Costume and Fashion, Abrams.Marsha, H. ( 1993 ) . The Way We Wore: Manners of the 1930s and 40s and Our World Since Then, Fallbrook Pub. Ltd.Peacock, J. ( 1998 ) Fashion Sourcebooks, the 1940s. London: Thames & A ; Hudson Ltd .Stach, L. ( 1987 ) . Hollywood and Seventh Avenue: The Impact of Historical Films on Fashion, in Hollywood and History: Costume Design in Film, Los Angeles CountyTurner, W. ( 1958 ) . The Mode in Fashion, 1942 ; 2nd expanded edition New York: Scribners.Web sites:hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Frederick_Worthhypertext transfer protocol: //www.artdesignfashion.com/timelines/hypertext transfer protocol: //www.fashion-era.com/sports_fashion_until_1950.htmhypertext transfer protocol: //www.lphouse.com/hairstyles-1940s.htm

Television and Social Capital

Television a blessing or a curse? TV or not TV? That is the question. .Television is one of the greatest and at the same time worst inventions of all times. . It is true that television can inform, inspire and create. But it can also misinform, deceive and destroy. Firstly, watching television makes people depended on laid-on entertainment. That makes them lazy and unoccupied. People used to have hobbies, read books, listen to music, go outside for walks now all of these have been replaced by television.Furthermore, our communication with the members of our family can be affected by television. Being glued to the â€Å"box† for so many hours can be really unsociable as you can’t talk and communicate with others while you are watching TV. Added to that, television promotes a fake lifestyle, which is totally irrelevant to real living. Children can easily be affected by that, as it is possible that they believe in fake life situations which can even lead to death. For exam ple, a young child jumped off his window, believing that he could fly just like superman.However, TV is not always a bad influence to us. Without television, we wouldn’t be able to experience the â€Å"visual travelling†. We can watch the Eifel Tower, the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum of Rome, the Sydney opera House in Australia and many other great buildings by just turning the TV on. Also, the information that television offers, can sometimes be vital as we need to be informed about the climate changes, the earthquakes, the wars, and a lot of other events which could lead to destructions.Moreover, there are enormous possibilities for educational programs on television. Since children love watching TV it can’t be that hard to convince them to learn through a television program. The lesson will be a lot more amusing and not so tiring as school lessons. Considering the audiovisual perspectives that TV can offer, teachers can easily be replaced by televisions ! In conclusion, the question â€Å"TV or not TV? † still remains unanswered. The negative points are as many as the positive ones. It’s up to us, then, to decide whether we are going to be watching TV or not.Television has the potential to unite communities, provide information to allow positive cultural, social and environmental change, and to create a true global village. It also has the potential to alienate, desocialise, to promote aggressive and negative behaviours, provide negative and inappropriate role models to our children, and to create negative values such as values of consumption and possession. During the past two decades there has been considerable debate on the issue of the impact of television violence on youth behaviour.Many in the television industry deny television's contribution to youth violence. The Net-generation refers to people born between 1977 and 1997. There have been many studies that identify an association between exposure to violence i n entertainment and violent behaviour, but these studies do not prove that exposure causes violent behaviour. They show that there is a risk that exposure to media violence will increase the likelihood of subsequent aggressive behaviour. This risk can be increased or decreased by a large number of other factors.Recent research into the effects of pornography and violent video/computer games is starting to draw similar conclusions, although findings suggest that pornographic films, especially those containing violence, can contribute to callous sexual behaviour and violence towards women. The relationship between what we see and what we do is extremely complex. Some of the more important variables are context in which violence is portrayed, the age of the viewer, the sex of the viewer, the ability of the viewer to differentiate between fantasy and reality, and justified and unjustified use of force.Violence on television seems to be effecting our feelings of safety within the communi ty. There is some evidence to suggest that the level of violence in television programs, films, news, may have led to an increase in fear that society is more dangerous than is actually the case. Censorship issues are difficult to resolve. What are our rights? Are they to be protected from viewing things that may be harmful to our own or our children's psyche, or are they to have the right to decide for ourselves? Censorship may also lead to the ‘forbidden fruit' phenomenon and the development of black markets.Similar results may occur if there is regulation of broadcasters. Would self-regulation work? It is well known that parental influence can be a major factor in reducing the impact that television violence will have on children. But parents need to be aware of this and need to take the time to know what their children are viewing and, at best, view programs with children in order to ameliorate the negative impacts from such viewing. Parental influence can also enhance the positive impacts of television, and can allow children to understand social systems and appropriate behaviour more fully.Parental education and awareness programs will determine how successful this approach is. One option to ensure television viewing is less damaging to children is to have media literacy education for children in all schools. The aim of this education would be to help children to critically evaluate the images, which are presented to them on an everyday basis. If we are concerned about the kind of television our children are watching, technological advances such as the ‘v-chip' (violence chip) can be programmed to block out unwanted programs from television broadcasts.Just as it is with censorship issues, new technology relies on parental involvement. Television programming is driven by commercial intent. Television appears to be harmless entertainment, but the function of global television is connected with the ideology of globalising capitalism. It appears the commercial intent is focused on distraction and cultural reformation. Television has a large social cost. Television viewing removes us from the physical reality of our current lives – and often for extended periods of time. When we watch television, we stop social interaction – conversation becomes fractious and partial, if it continues at all.While we watch television we miss the verbal interaction that allows for sharing, learning and building collective perspectives. Television changes culture in more ways than we can imagine. In the United States, half of the population now report watching television while eating dinner, and more than a third watch while eating breakfast or lunch. People in the US spend more time watching television than they do talking with their spouses (four to six times more) and playing with their children (an average of twenty minutes each day compared with four hours of television viewing).The situation is no much different in the UK wh ere 46 percent of people say that at the end of a working day all they want to do is watch television. It is, in fact, the number one leisure time pursuit in much of the developed world. ; People's absorption in television results in far less time for intimate social connectedness, which is visible not only in the home but in the broader patterns of community vitality, or social capital. Social capital is a term used to describe the overall health of social connectedness – feelings of common purpose, common identity and common commitment.Television viewing has been implicated in the collapse of positive civic participation in almost all of its forms. Since healthy communities are characterized by high levels of social capital and participation, lack of positive civic participation indicates and unhealthy communities. This is decline in civic participation reveals a clear inter-generational shift Music and Human life Music is one of the greatest creations of human kind in the course of history. It is creativity in a pure and undiluted form and format.Music plays a vital role in our daily life. It is a way of expressing our feelings and emotions. Music is a way to escape life, which gives us relief in pain and helps us to reduce the stress of the daily routine. It helps us to calm down, an even excites us in the moment of joy. Moreover, it enriches the mind and gives us self confidence. Music surrounds our lives at different moments of lives, whether we hear it on the radio, on television, from our car and home stereos.Different kinds of music are appropriate for different occasions. We come across it in the mellifluous tunes of a classical concert or in the devotional strains of a bhajan, the wedding band, or the reaper in the fields breaking into song to express the joys of life. Even warbling in the bathroom gives us a happy start to the day. Music has a very powerful therapeutic effect on the human psyche. It has always been part of our association wi th specific emotions, and those emotions themselves have given rise to great music.The origins of Indian music can be traced back to the chanting of the Sama Veda nearly 4,000 years ago. The primacy of the voice, and the association of musical sound with prayer, were thus established early in the history of Indian music. Today, music is available for us in different forms and the choice for music varies from person to person just as the reading choices vary from one another. There is folk music, classical music, devotional music, instrumental, jazz, rock music, pop music, hindi movie songs and many more.

Reaction Paper: GMRC Essay

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 As we grow older things started to change. Changes in our surroundings, people we meet every day, our own point of view in life, and our own faith. These changes affect our daily existence. As a child, we are innocent of everything, we don’t care if we get tired of just playing around for the whole day, we don’t care if our clothes get dirty, we don’t care if there is a dirt on our face, but we do get scared when our mother and father get mad on us for the mistakes that we do. But in spite of these as a child; we still give the beautiful smile without keeping any grudges deep in our heart. As a child, we are pure and innocent and there is a glow of faith to God in our child heart. As we grow older, we are starting to expose to the reality of life. Life becomes complicated. We starting to have enemies and keep grudge s in our heart, we starting to become attached to the materials things around us, we starting to disobey our parents, we starting to be weak and fall on the sin, and we started to slip away on our faith and forget that there is a loving and forgiving God that watching us. As we celebrating the Christmas season, I would like to give emphasis to our FAITH and a beautiful verse and the heart of the bible, John chapter 3 verses 16. â€Å"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.† If we give our self a time to reflect on this remarkable verse on the bible, it will really transform our faith and our life. People may asks with a lot of how, why, who, and what questions on how this verse will affects us in our faith and to our daily life. Yes indeed, people will always questions God for so many reasons but we don’t bother to reflect and to analyze our own actions to our selves, towards our love ones and to the other people, to our environment and how much we offended GOD for the many sins we committed every single day. When our great father Adam and our great mother Eve committed the biggest sin, they cut the string that binding us to God, the morta l sin that passes to the generation of all mankind. But God is so good; he works in many mysterious ways and promises to save the human race from sin. God gave his one and only begotten son Jesus Christ to us. We celebrate the Christmas because the birth of Jesus Christ gives us new hope and new  life. The births of Jesus Christ on the manger show and reflect the humility of the Son of God. Also through this humility of the son of GOD, the three wise men give homage, respect and gave different kind of gifts that only for a king. The birth of Jesus Christ rejoices our heart in gladness. The birth of Jesus Christ is knocking at a door of our hardened heart and teaching us to be a child again. A child heart that is full of hope, happiness, humility, care, love and faith. It’s amazing how God really works and show how much He care and love the human kind through his Son Jesus. God sent his son Jesus to the world to carry a greatest mission, a mission to save all mankind from sin that weaken and destroy our faith. Jesus lives a life on earth with simplicity, love and obedience to his father Joseph and mother Mary but He never f orget the greatest work that our Lord God put on his shoulders. He started to proclaim the words of the Lord. He started to travelled and performed different kind of miracles. He touches and changed the life of different people. He healed different kind of sickness that makes our earthly body weak. Jesus Christ founded the sacrament of the Eucharist. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, â€Å"Take and eat; this is my body.† Then He took a cup, gave thanks and gave it to them saying, â€Å"Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.† (Matthew 26: 26-28). At the last suffer; Jesus founded the Eucharist to share with us His life and to provide us with the commemoration of his suffering and pain. When the time of Jesus Christ came, He carries his greatest mission. He shows his humility, as his holiness and divinity are trampled upon by the people he has chosen to be his own. People spit in His face and He struck him and while other slapped him by saying that his not the Messiah. But Jesus Christ accepted every pain, mocking and humiliation that the people gave to him without talking back or complaining. Jesus Christ can ask God the Father to send angels and protect him but he chooses to suffer in obedience to the will of the Father. Jesus Christ embraced all mankind, when He stretched his hands on the cross to redeem us from our sins. Jesus Christ cross proclaims the wonder of his love to all of us. God the father willed his one and only begotten son Jesus, to die on the cross for the sins of the world for us to understand how much God and Jesus Christ love the mankind  unconditionally. As we accept Jesus Christ, true God and true man in our life, his victory on the cross teaches us to reflect on his suffering, death and resurrection in order for us to have an unfailing faith in Thy goodness that has no end. Jesus Christ led us to many beautiful lessons. He teaches us to reflect and to be strong and to hold on to our faith in the midst of present danger and fear. He teaches us to bear our cross so that we may be united to his suffering as we pass by on our earthly life and to be worthy to hope for a new life in the kingdom of God.