Free Essays on Musical Influences Today

are from this song that is called Optimistic. It reveals to me that if I set a goal and look forward to that goal I can achieve it. The Sounds of Blackness is a talented group of African Americans who exercised their talents to enlighten others that we put our minds to it and we made it happen, so why can’t you. This song means a lot to me because it keeps me thinking and helps me to realize that â€Å"no matter how hard reality seems, just hold on to your dreams.† If everyone listened to that song mayb... Free Essays on Musical Influences Today Free Essays on Musical Influences Today Musical Influence When I hear or see other artists and groups publicized, I feel that they don’t have a meaning behind their words except money, big houses, sex, and fancy cars, and the only reason why they have those material possessions is because of you and me and our faithful contributions to their record label. I think an artist should come out with more positive lyrics because this country is falling apart. See what they fail to realize is that everyone is listening to the words and not just the tight beats. The people of the USA only thinks of money and how fast they can make it, without looking at the long-term effects it have on our country. The children are growing up far too quickly, and I blame it on music and television. When you turn on a music video what do you see? I see a man with lots of â€Å"bling, bling†, cursing, pulling out guns, and women half clothed with no self-respect. How about when you turn on the radio what do you hear? Rap is very popular right no w. I remember a time when you couldn’t curse on the radio. Now, they don’t sensor out as many words and all you hear them rap about is what they got. I am glad Nas came out with a positive song like â€Å"I can†, it shows that some people still do care and realize that people are listening to what they are saying. My most influential musical group is Sounds of Blackness. The first most positive song that I actually listened to the words are from this song that is called Optimistic. It reveals to me that if I set a goal and look forward to that goal I can achieve it. The Sounds of Blackness is a talented group of African Americans who exercised their talents to enlighten others that we put our minds to it and we made it happen, so why can’t you. This song means a lot to me because it keeps me thinking and helps me to realize that â€Å"no matter how hard reality seems, just hold on to your dreams.† If everyone listened to that song mayb...

Thirteen Rules of Basketball - James Naismith

Thirteen Rules of Basketball - James Naismith Basketball is an original American game invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891. He designed it with rules of its own. These are the rules published in January 1892 in the school newspaper where he instituted the game. The rules set out a game that is a non-contact sport played indoors. They are familiar enough that those who enjoy basketball over 100 years later will recognize it as the same sport. While there are other, newer rules, these still form the heart of the game. Original 13 Rules of Basketball by James Naismith 1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.Current rule: This is still a current rule, except that now the team isnt allowed to pass it back over the midcourt line once they have taken it over that line. 2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist.Current rule: This is still a current rule. 3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man running at good speed.Current rule: Players can dribble the ball with one hand as they run or pass, but they cant run with the ball when catching a pass. 4.  The ball must be held by the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.Current rule: Still applies, it would be a traveling violation. 5.  No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitution shall be allowed.Current rule: These actions are fouls and a player may be disqualified with five or six fouls or get an ejection or suspension with a flagrant foul. 6.  A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5.Current rule: Still applies. 7.  If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul).Current rule: Instead of an automatic goal, sufficient team fouls (five in a quarter for NBA play) now award bonus free throws attempts to the opposing team. 8.  A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do no touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.Current rule: In the original game, the basket was a basket and not a hoop with a net. This rule evolved into the goaltending and defense pass interference rules. Defenders cant touch the rim of the hoop once the ball has been shot. 9.  When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.Current rule: The ball is now thrown in by a player from the opposite team of the player who last touched it before it went out of bounds. The 5-second rule is still operative. 10. The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have the power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.Current rule: In NBA basketball, there are three referees. 11.  The referee shall be the judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals, with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.Current rule: Timekeepers and scorekeepers now do some of these tasks, while the referee determines ball possession. 12. The time shall be two fifteen-minute halves, with five minutes rest between.Current rule: This varies by the level of play, such as high school and collegiate. In the NBA, there are four quarters, each 12 minutes long, with a 15-minute halftime break. 13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner.  Current: The winner is now decided by points. In the NBA, five-minute overtime periods are played in case of a tie at the end of the fourth quarter, with the point total at the end determining the winner. If still tied, they play another overtime period. More: The History of Basketball and Dr. James Naismith

Personal Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Narrative - Essay Example I was not very silly as I used to perform in most of my classes when I decided to. Despite my small body and young age, I used to do things unimaginable to me while at high school. I was known all over St Lawrence Academy for mischievousness. Even the director of the school knew me even though it was very difficult for the director to have known anyone unless he or she was a performer in class and would occasionally meet the director during coffee hours organized by the school in their honor. Mine was a mixture of both, known majorly for bad and partly for academics. If one would tell me that school is a center for transformation, I would agree with him because it is though schooling that I got transformed. I usually had to wait for the opportune times to lay down my targets. This I often did with a lot of surety and accuracy which never missed the targets once laid on their paths. I remember once organizing to lay down the director on his way to school for blackmailing me and my fri ends before the morning assembly. It was an embarrassing moment for me and my friends when the director made the announcement live open before the assembly that we had peed in front of his office at night. We did not know that the director’s office had been fitted with CCTV cameras when we went pee in from of his office for scorning us on the previous assembly. I did not know that I would again come back and work in this school again and be answerable to the man I peed in front of is office. To be liked once again by the man who scorned and rebuked me occasionally before people and made sure that everyone heard about it as he covered my presumed good image with his usual abuses. The director told us to call our parents to school and threatened to dismiss us from the school if we didn’t do so. We called our parents and the director started narrating the story and even produced the cameras showing the slides with our images carrying out our hideous undertaking. It was of course and embarrassing situation before my parents who knew how innocent and hard working young man. My father whipped me for the first time and probably lost trust in me. My mother could not say anything but just kept mum. She did not tell me how bad I am neither did she tell me of anything bad that I ever did even when I went back home after the school had closed that semester. I performed rather well but she never said anything concerning that. I could not configure what was actually going on in her mind, whether she thought I was wrong or right only lay with her. My father is a man who does not hide anything and for any bad done by anyone, he would scorn and punish at the point of the offense. Life with my father was a rather difficult one even though at times we used to appreciate his efforts for making us follow the straight path and for being very friendly at times especially when we did something good. Life however made me change my bad characters and become a good man as I can call it today. I went to college after finishing my high school and life was not just very easy on my side, it was rather rougher than I had expected. The stories of good life and personal control were just amazing and I actually longed for it. Leaving my home for college was just an imaginable, I thought I would have full control over my life, do whatever I wanted at any time. The contrary however awaited me at college. My father almost forgot me and always assume that I am a grown up

Global markets and local cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global markets and local cultures - Essay Example He further states that these processes are inevitable and irreversible. He states that for those countries opposing it, it will be extremely hard for them to operate in an increasingly global world as they are to be alienated and investment drawn and taken elsewhere by the electronic herd (Friedman 106-58). He states that it just but a matter of time before this alienation chokes them forcing them to accept the rules. On the other hand Friedman states that the meaning of golden in the phrase attaches the merits that come with accepting the rules. He states that for those countries that will abide by them, huge investments will go their way thereby becoming rich economically. In regards to protests in Seattle, Friedman stated that protesters were targeting the wrong body and doing so using wrong tools. He called protesters â€Å"†¦protectionist trade unions and yuppies looking for their 1960’s fix†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Besteman and Gusterson 282). He states that W.H.O is just bu t a product of globalization and that it acts according to global rules. The current world is one without walls in form of borders, politics and other types of barriers to international relations. As such there is need to replace walls with rules that govern global relationship which brings about the roles of W.H.O.

Independence Day Essay Example for Free

Independence Day Essay â€Å"India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.† Honourable Chief Guest, teachers and all my dear friends. This day 15th August of every year is a golden day engraved in the history of the world. We won our freedom on this date and it is a day of celebration. As we celebrate it hoisting the flag, playing our National Anthem with fervor, singing and rejoicing, we need to recall the past to remember and pay homage to the builders of our nation. My dear friends, we are the privileged lot to have been born in a free India. We are able to breathe in a land that is free from the day we were born. If at all we want to know the pangs of agony of being slaves under a foreign rule, we must ask our elders born before 1947. It was indeed a Himalayan task for every Indian in those days to fight against those powerful giants – the British rulers. We must not allow those hard times and struggles fade away from our memory. Hence it is befitting for us to celebrate such a National festivals and recall those heroic deeds of our National heroes. We remember them today. Right from Mahatma Gandhi to the many patriotic leaders to whom we owe our gratitude. As we regard those martyrs who laid their precious lives for our sake, we must not ignore the common people who sacrificed their lot for the good cause. There were farmers, land lords, businessmen, teachers, writers, poets and students who helped the land achieve the long cherished dream of being free from foreign rule. Today we have travelled a long way in the path of free India. We have proved ourselves worthy of freedom. We are considered as the largest democracy in the world. How proud we were when Sushil Kumar won the silver medal in 2012 London Olympics or when The Indian Cricket Team lifted The ICC Champions Trophy? We are proud of it and feel very happy about all these positive aspects. But can we afford to be blind to the black clouds surrounding us? Let us question ourselves have we used our freedom in the right manner? If so, why should there be so many problems facing our motherland that threaten its existence? Be it terrorist attacks or the blight of corruption; these are the dangers that threaten us all. Well what can a mere student do at this juncture? Should we go catch the terrorists? Should we fight against the corrupted politicians? Or should we take over the country by waging another war for  freedom? No, we are not expected to do anything that brings turmoil to our land. We must keep observing things around us. We will have our own day. Before that, let us do our duty of preparing ourselves to be well-educated citizens of tomorrow. Let us do our duty sincerely and study hard to achieve a goal that is to be responsible citizens of India who believe in their country. Today we require youngsters with lot of energy. Illiteracy is our first enemy for a democratic nation. Let us get rid of illiteracy and become informed citizens who take India to a bright future. Jai Hind

Roe v Wade Essay -- Abortion History Illegal Legal Pregnancy Essays

Roe v. Wade   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever wondered how abortion came to be legal? It was decided in the Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade. The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision was a major landmark in not only the abortion issue, but also in American government.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1970, Norma McCorvey, a single and pregnant woman in Texas wanted to get an abortion. The state laws of Texas at that time stated that it was illegal to have an abortion in Texas. Even though the state told her that she could go to one of the four states in which abortion was legal to have the procedure done, she decided that she could not afford to travel to another state to receive the procedure. Norma McCorvey decided that she would sue the state of Texas, claiming that her constitutional rights were being taken from her. She then changed her name to the pseudonym â€Å"Jane Roe† to protect her right of privacy. The district court found that Roe did have grounds to file the suit against the state of Texas. They ruled on the grounds that the abortion laws in Texas infringed on the first, fourth, fifth, ninth, and fourteenth amendments of the constitution. The first amendment states that, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances† (http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Amend.html). The fourth amendment states that, â€Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized† (http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Amend.html). The Fifth Amendment states that,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  be a witness against himself,... ...them to a bigger risk of being pressured into an unwanted abortion. Many women are pressured from their male partner, physicians, parents, or others. 2. The question, â€Å"When does life begin†? was an unanswered question in 1973. Now there are answers that say that life begins at conception. 3. People need to protect unwanted children after they are born. Women should no longer be forced to dispose of unwanted children by ending human life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether you believe in legalized abortion or not, the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade has definitely changed the way most American women treat unwanted pregnancies. It will be interesting to see what changes may occur from the next â€Å"Roe† case. Bibliography â€Å"Is Cerebral Palsy Ever a ‘â€Å"Choice’?† Lifeissues.net. 2000. 31 July 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . Palmer, Gary. â€Å"Roe V. Wade Exposed. 22 Jan. 2003. Alabama Policy Institute. 31 July   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2004. . Pavone, Frank. Interview. Interview with Dr. Philip Ney. 16 Jan. 2001. 31 July 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . â€Å"Roe v. Wade†. The case. 22 Jan. 1973. 12 July 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  . â€Å"Roe v. Wade – Then and Now.† Reproductiverights.org. Jan. 2003. 9 July 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  .

Philippine Literature Essay

1. AWIT is a form of Filipino poetry. Its literal translation into English is â€Å"song,† although in the context of poetry, it is closer to the narrative. Ang awit ay isang uri ng tulang pasalaysay na binubuo ng tig-aapat na taludtod ang bawat saknong, na ang bawat taludtod ay may lalabindalawahing pantig, at ang tradisyonal na dulong tugma ay isahan (aaaa, bbbb, cccc, at iba pa). Karaniwang paksa ng awit ang pakikipagsapalaran ng bayani, ngunit ang iba’y tumatalakay din sa mga alamat at relihiyosong tula. Sa pag-aaral ng batikang mananaliksik Damiana L. Eugenio, ang â€Å"awit† ay walang ikinaiba sa â€Å"korido†, maliban lamang sa bilang ng pantig sa bawat taludtod. Ang awit, gaya ng korido, ay nagtataglay ng tatlong elemento. Una, ang pag-iibigan. Ikalawa, ang relihiyoso at pangangaral. At ikatlo, ang kahima-himala at kagila-gilalas 2. PROPAGANDA is a form of communication aimed towards influencing the attitude of a population toward some cause or position. Propaganda is information that is not impartial and used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda, often by presenting facts selectively (thus possibly lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or using loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. Propaganda can be used as a form of ideological or commercial warfare. 3. KKK – Katipunan Samahà ¡ng Kataà ¡staasan, Kagalanggalang Katipunan ngÃŒÆ' mgÃŒÆ'à ¡ Anak ngÃŒÆ' Bayan Formation July 7, 1892 Extinction May 10, 1897 President Deodato Arellano (1892-1893) Roman Basa (1893-1895) Andrà ©s Bonifacio (1895-1897) Headquarters Tondo, Manila; Kawit, Cavite Newspaper Kalayaan *The Katipunan (abbreviated to KKK) was a Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish Filipinos in Manila in 1892, whose primary aim was to gain independence from Spain through revolution. The society was initiated by Filipino patriots Andrà ©s Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, and others on the night of July 7, when Filipino writer Josà © Rizal was to be banished to Dapitan. Initially, the Katipunan was a secret organization until its discovery in 1896 that led to the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution. The Tagalog word â€Å"katipunan,† literally means ‘association,’ comes from the root word â€Å"tipon,† a Tagalog word meaning â€Å"gather together† or â€Å"society.†[4] Its official revolutionary name was Samahang Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang Katipunan ngÃŒÆ' mgÃŒÆ'a Anak ngÃŒÆ' Bayan[1][5] (English: Supreme and Most Honorable Society of the Children of the Nation, Spanish: Suprema y Venerable Asociacià ³n de los Hijos del Pueblo). The Katipunan is also known by its acronym, KKK. The organization has no affiliation with the racist group known as the Ku Klux Klan who are also associated with the acronym â€Å"KKK†. Being a secret organization, its members were subjected to the utmost secrecy and were expected to abide with the rules established by the society.[4] Aspirant applicants were given standard initiation rites to become members of the society. At first, membership in the Katipunan was only open to male Filipinos; later, women were accepted in the society. The Katipunan had its own publication, Kalayaan (Liberty) that had its first and last print on March 1896. Revolutionary ideals and works flourished within the society, and Philippine literature were expanded by some of its prominent members. In planning the revolution, Bonifacio contacted Rizal for his full-fledged support for the Katipunan in exchange for a promise of rescuing Rizal from his detainment. On May 1896, a delegation was sent to the Emperor of Japan to solicit funds and military arms. The Katipunan’s existence was revealed to the Spanish authorities after a member named Teodoro Patià ±o confessed the Katipunan’s illegal activities to his sister, and finally to the mother portress of Mandaluyong Orphanage. Seven days after the Spanish authorities learned of the existence of the secret society, on August 26, 1896, Bonifacio and his men tore their cà ©dulas during the infamous Cry of Pugadlawin that started the Philippine Revolution 4. KORIDO isang uri ng panitikang pilipino, isang uri ng tulang nakuha natin sa impluwensiya ng mga Espanyol. Ito ay may sukat na walong pantig bawat linya at may apat na linya sa isang saknong. Ang korido ay binibigkas sa pamamagitan ng pakantang pagpapahayag ng mga tula. 5. PLAY is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. Plays are performed at a variety of levels, from Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater, to Community theatre, as well a University or school productions. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed or read. The term â€Å"play† can refer to both the written works of playwrights and to their complete theatrical performance. 6. SHORT STORY is a brief work of literature, usually written in narrative prose.[1] Emerging from earlier oral storytelling traditions in the 17th century, the short story has grown to encompass a body of work so diverse as to defy easy characterization. At its most prototypical the short story features a small cast of named characters, and focuses on a self-contained incident with the intent of evoking a â€Å"single effect† or mood.[2] In doing so, short stories make use of plot, resonance, and other dynamic components to a far greater degree than is typical of an anecdote, yet to a far lesser degree than a novel. While the short story is largely distinct from the novel, authors of both generally draw from a common pool of literary techniques. 7. ESSAY is generally scholarly pieces of writing giving the author’s own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of an article, a pamphlet and a short story. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. 8. DECALOGUE ( EMILIO JACINTO ) Bonifacio realized that in order to strengthen the katipunan, the  members had to be disciplined and indoctrinated with the ideals of the revolutionary society. In his â€Å"Katungkulang Gagawin ng mga Z. Ll. B.† (â€Å"The Duties of the Sons of the People†), Bonifacio listed down the rules of the Katipunan which constitute a decalogue: I. Love God with all your heart. II. Bear always in mind that the love of God is also the love of country, and thiis, too, is love of one’s fellow-men. III. Engrave in your heart that the true measure of honor and happiness is to die for the freedom of your country. IV. All your good wishes will be crowned with success if you have serenity, constancy, reason, and faith in your acts and endeavor. V. Guard the mandates and aims of the K.K.K. as you guard your honor. VI. It is the duty of all to deliver, at the risk of their own lives and wealth, anyone who runs great risks in the performance of his duty. VII. Our responsibility to ourselves and the performance of our duties will be the example set for our fellow-men to follow. VIII. Insofar as it is within your power, share your means with the poor and the unfortunate. IX. Diligence in the work that gives sustenance to you is the true basis of love — love for your own self, for your wife and children, and for your brothers and countrymen. X. Punish any s coundrel and traitor and praise all good work. Believe, likewise, that the aims of the K.K.K. are God-given for the will of the people is also the will of God. 9. SEMI AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOVEL An autobiographical novel is a form of novel using autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fictive elements. The literary technique is distinguished from an autobiography or memoir by the stipulation of being fiction. Because an autobiographical novel is partially fiction, the author does not ask the reader to expect the text to fulfill the â€Å"autobiographical pact†.[1] Names and locations are often changed and events are recreated to make them more dramatic but the story still bears a close resemblance to that of the author’s life. While the events of the author’s life are recounted, there is no pretense of exact truth. Events may be exaggerated or altered for artistic or thematic purposes. Novels that portray settings and/or situations with which the author is familiar are not  necessarily autobiographical. Neither are novels that include aspects drawn from the author’s life as minor plot details. To be considered an autobiographical novel by most standards, there must be a protagonist modeled after the author and a central plotline that mirrors events in his or her life. Novels that do not fully meet these requirements or are further distanced from true events are sometimes called semi-autobiographical novels. Many novels about intense, private experiences such as war, family conflict or sex, are written as autobiographical novels 10. DIMASALANG Jose Rizal used the penname Laong Laan in the 1890s when he wrote poems and articles for La Solidaridad, then the Propaganda Movement’s strongest voice. Literally translated it means â€Å"reserved for a long time† and figuratively it means â€Å"laging handa† or â€Å"ever ready.† Dimasalang was the pseudonym of Jose Rizal that he adopted when he entered Freemasonry in 1883. He widely used this pseudonym in his articles in 1990’s. Literally [ hin] di masalang means â€Å"untouchable† in Taal Tagalog.

Anowa- Whose Fault?

African Women Writers Tragic Responsibility Anowa is the second, last, and most accomplished play written by Ghanaian playwright, poet, short-story writer, and novelist Ama Ata Aidoo. Anowa was first published in 1970 and had it’s British premiere in London in 1991 (Enotes, 2013). It tells the story of a young African woman named Anowa. She is not like any of the other traditional women in the town. Anowa likes to make her own choices and lives by her own opinions. The elders call her stubborn, she won’t marry any of the sturdy men in the town, she laughs at her own jokes, listen to her own tales, and follows her own advice (67).They all believe her vision is clouded. Her mother, Badua, wishes to see her marry a man and her father could care less what she does. She ends up meeting a man, Kofi, in the village and falls in love with him. She irrationally runs off with him and marries him. She completely disowns her family and begins a life with Kofi. Over time, they fall away from each other do to communication issues and fertility issues. Due to the massive pain and heartache from the situation, Kofi and Anowa both kill each other in the end. There is debate within the text about who was at fault for the tragic ending.Many say that Anowa was the sole reason for their suicides. Although everyone in the society is at fault. Anowa’s parents, Anowa, Kofi, and the traditional society are at fault. Badua has spoiled Anowa for most of her life. She has allowed her daughter to act and think as she wishes. Badua states, â€Å"how can she come to any good when everyone is always gossiping about her? † (70). The mother is at fault for allowing her child to let her mind run free as a child and into her adolescence. She wanted her daughter to have control and then when she had it and chose to be with Kofi, her mother became very controlling and angry.As Badua complains to Osam, Anowa’s father, about her daughter not finding a husband, Osam writes her complaining off by saying that his only duty was to create children (71). Osam goes on to explain that he wanted her to become a priestess. Badua would not listen to him. She covered her ears and explained that priestess’ are not people; they are too much like Gods they interpret, they don’t feel and they have no shame (72). Osam is at fault because he avoids the situation. He doesn’t care what Anowa chooses and he doesn’t care to listen to his own wife.On page 78, Osam states his view about Anowa being immature. Even though he knows this, not once did he do anything to make her a more â€Å"mature† woman (78). On page 91, Badua states how she should have â€Å"taught (Anowa) to marry a man. † It is ironic considering she doesn’t have a great marriage and chose a man who doesn’t care. Badua and Osam are to blame for Anowa’s behavior. Anowa plays a massive role in the tragedy. Although she is not the only one t o blame, she is by far one of the main reasons for the suicides. There is nothing wrong with her wanting to think and choose on her own.Yet she chooses a man she met off the street; A man whom many find to be unsuitable for any woman in town. When she meets him, she has her legs and her breasts exposed (69). While Kofi and Anowa were swooning in the village, a woman looked back at them and falls over. They both laugh, finding the situation hilarious, but it shows the low maturity level they both have (69). When Kofi proposes, Anowa runs home and is screaming in the streets. Badua tells her she is marrying a â€Å"fool,† a â€Å"watery male. † Badua explains to Anowa that â€Å"marriage is like a piece of cloth†¦it’s beauty passes with wear and tear. She was trying to explain that what counts is what is on the inside, not the outside. Anowa immediately responds with, â€Å"I don’t care! † (77). She is being childish and impulsive. She isn†™t thinking about what is best for her. She is thinking about her own desires and is being selfish. No one in the story truly knows what is right or wrong. After she runs off with Kofi, she constantly argues with him. She states that she doesn’t need any protection and that she can take care of herself. She believes she can do everything on her own. She is ignorant. Kofi responds with realism but she always wants to fight him regardless.There are times when Kofi wants to enlighten her with a new concept, such as medicine, but she immediately shoots him down. She is not open-minded and isn’t willing to sacrifice anything for him (85). Yet she expects everyone else and Kofi to be open-minded. Anowa will talk to herself about Kofi rather than just talking to Kofi about what’s going on in her head. If she does not get her way, she exaggerates her emotions, like saying she was going to â€Å"cut her throat. † (90). For years, she knows she is unhappy and tha t she sees no future for herself with him.Instead of confronting that, she fights Kofi and rebels against everything he chooses. Anowa’s immaturity is seen even at the end of the book when she calls in everyone from town to tell of Kofi’s decision to kick her out of the house and to expose him of his infertility and lack of masculinity (121). You can’t blame people for not having the correct answer to everything, but it’s obvious that Anowa is partly to blame. Throughout the whole story, Kofi plays the victim. He manipulates the situation to make it seem as if he isn’t at fault for anything and that he has made all the best choices he thinks he could have made.Just like Anowa, he talks to himself often about the problems within their relationship and how he feels but they never communicate those things together. When Anowa speaks her mind, Kofi asks who told her that information, as if she couldn’t think for herself. Kofi only lives by what other people say is right or wrong, rather than listening to himself. Anowa wants to keep working but he thinks they have the right to rest. He never makes a compromise with her stating that she could work if she really wanted to. Kofi can tell that Anowa is unhappy but he could care less.He does nothing to make her feel happier. From the beginning of the story, the question of his masculinity is evolving. The old women explains how he â€Å"combs his hair too much. † (80). When Anowa begins to notice they are not able to have children, she believes she is at fault. When she offers to find Kofi another woman. This is the normal tradition for their culture, yet he becomes annoyed at her help. This is one time in the story where he chooses not to follow traditional ways. At one point, he wants to buy men and Anowa does not like this idea.She states that she doesn’t need help from other men. Kofi says, â€Å"if you don’t, I do. † (90). Which is still not a g ood explanation or reason for buying them. He explains that they will be helpers and that they won’t be â€Å"carrying† him or anything of that sort. By the end of the book, these men are carrying him. â€Å"But the Kofi of the trade in slavery, who ultimately depends on slave labor, is the Kofi of the excess that corrupts the soul. The new Kofi, who has made a pact with the devil of material success no matter at whose cost, is already dead long before his suicide† (Ngugi wa Thiong’o).Over time, Kofi begins to dress better and is always with the men he bought. He sees a doctor at one point in the story and finds out that he is unable to have children. Even though he has this information, he still blames Anowa as if it was her fault they couldn’t have children. He never tells her that he is the one with the issue. Anowa brings up the issue again towards the end of the book. She says she wants to find him another wife to have children with and he get s mad at her. Anowa has an epiphany and asks, â€Å"Are you dying? † (117).She realizes that he is the one with the fertility problem and has keeping it from her. She states that his has â€Å"exhausted his masculinity,† that he is â€Å"dead wood. † (122). She does all of this in front of everyone in the community. She humiliates him and he runs off and shoots himself. She then drowns herself soon after. Everyone in the story was blaming everyone else. They all had different reasons and different opinions about who was to blame for the tragedy. Due to Anowa’s untraditional spirit, many of the people blamed her for everything. The truth of the matter is that everyone in the story was at fault.No one wanted to communicate properly, no one was disciplined correctly, everyone had a huge ego and no one was willing to work anything out. Everyone was irrational and immature. Everyone is to blame for the suicides. Bibliography Literature of Developing Nations fo r Students,  ©2013 Gale Cengage. Retrieved at: http://www. enotes. com/anowa. Ngugi wa Thiong’0. Ama Ata Aidoo: A Personal Celebration. April, 2012. Retrieved at: http://www. newafricanmagazine. com/features/culture/ama-ata-aidoo-a-personal-celebration. Aidoo, Ama Ata, Anowa, Longman Group, 1970.

Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition

Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition Many theorists have come up with different definitions of cognition. Whether it is in education or psychology, the word cognition has continued to elicit much attention from people seeking to understand the working of the human brain. While trying to examine the effects that the internet has on human cognition, I sought to know the real meaning of cognition from a psychological point of view.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the many definitions that I encountered, the one that I found most intriguing was one by psychologist Kendra Cherry who describes cognition as â€Å"the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension, including thinking, knowing, remembering, judging and problem solving.† (Cherry) According to Cherry, these are â€Å"higher-level functions of the brain† and they include speech, thoughts , observations and even planning. (Cherry) The definition might sound complicated to most people but what Cherry and other psychologists are trying to say is that cognition from a psychological point of view deals with the information processing part of the mind. This processing of information can also be extended to include how the mind applies knowledge and how our preferences can change owing to the knowledge that the mind possesses. The reason why I am saying that acquiring knowledge can lead to change of preferences is because the cognitive processes can be innate or artificial, and it can even be cognizant or unconscious. This is in accordance with Cherry’s observation who states that the cognition process incorporates â€Å"higher-level functions of the brain.† By higher, what is being insinuated here is that the cognitive process can lead a person to make â€Å"unconscious† decisions that they would otherwise not have made without an outside influence. I f we ignore the natural part of the cognitive process, we are left with the artificial aspect, which is my main area of concern. In short, what I am trying to say is that the information that we gather from various sources can affect the way we understand, think, remember, judge, or even the way we solve problems. In order to understand this point in a deeper way, I would like to look at the internet and its effects on human cognition. (Wilson Keil 201) In order to understand how the internet affects human cognition, I sought the help of two renowned authors Clay Shirky and Nicholas Carr.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In their respective books titled Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age and The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, both authors seem to dwell on cognition although they arrive at different conclusions. In his book t itled The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, Carr claims that each one of us has a reason to be worried for constantly wanting to â€Å"Google† something up simply because we could not remember it off head. Carr claims that our constant desire to check out our e-mail, send some â€Å"tweets† or even check out our favorite blog instead of reading a book is a reason for concern. Well, Carr does not claim that the reason why this has to get us worried is because we waste our precious time doing so but instead he claims that the constant deluge with the electronic media is apparently changing the way our brain is wired. (Carr 23) In short, what Carr is trying to politely say is that every time we are trying to decide which Web page to settle on, respond to those flashy online advertisements, or even try to check what is latest on Facebook, we are actually depleting our neurological ability to memorize facts or concentrate long enough to completely assimila te what we read. According to Carr, the older generation who lived before Google revolutionized our lives paid more attention to their fellow men. What is shocking is Carr’s observation that this same generation, which has now been overtaken by Goggle, has changed and now it finds it hard to concentrate on the interests of their fellow men. Throughout The Shallows, Carr cites enough academic research to dispel any doubts in the minds of those who think that he is anti-technology. (Carr 26) A study that Carr quoted showed that the more links an editorial has, the lower the understanding of the reader. As though this is not intriguing enough, the author quotes another study showing that our brains tend to place much value on information simply because it is latest. What is even more shocking is the finding of a research presented by Carr, which shows that the brain of a person who has been surfing the internet takes a longer time to register traces of caring on a neurological s can. (Carr 32) What Carr concludes on this study is that The more distracted we become, the less able we are to experience the subtlest, most distinctly human forms of empathy, compassion, and emotion. (Carr 35) I strongly believe that Carr’s observation is the same artificial aspect of the cognitive process that Cherry presents in her definition. This is because I cannot possibly get a plausible way to explain Carr’s observation other than in Cherry’s words that these are â€Å"higher-level functions of the brain.† (Cherry) Carr claims that the internet has rather obliterated people’s working memory and now they have to rely on the website to select the information that is incorporated into their long-term memory and approaches.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While the mind of a person reading a book refl ects on what is important at its own speed, the â€Å"Netizens brain† as Carr puts it has to choose in a rapid and random manner. As a result, this diminishes our aptitude to maximize the input, and we become monotonous â€Å"consumers of data.† This clearly explains why on occasion it becomes hard to keep concentration after spending much time browsing the Web. (Carr 46) In order to give us something we can relate to, Carr gives us the example of Twitter whose very motto â€Å"Discover what’s happening right now† is an indirect ad for a â€Å"neurological heroin† that coaches ones brain to be distracted further. Well, let us forget Twitter for a moment, which after all has not caught up with each one of us and think about Google. According to Carr, while Google’s initiators may actually believe in their avowed goal to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful, (Carr 48) what they are actually doing is to literally bring distraction in to people’s lives. Although Carr believes the Internet has revolutionized how we find information, he cautions us that it might become a potentially dangerous drive to groupthink. In arriving at this conclusion, he relies on the findings of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders Stroke, which suggests that sampling different Websites makes people more likely to rely on conventional ideas and solutions rather than challenging them with original lines of thought. (Carr 58) I believe this fits the description of cognition outlined by psychologist Kendra Cherry in that the internet has affected the way we speak, think, observe or even plan our daily lives. (Cherry) Another author who addresses the issue of the internet and its effect on human cognition is Clay Shirky. In his book titled, Cognitive Surplus, Shirky introduces a new perspective on the link of social change and the internet. In an explanation that almost fits the book’ s topic, Shirky begins by claiming that Americans have experienced a â€Å"surplus of time† in the recent past. According to Shirky, this surplus time has always been in existence but it took the emergence of new technology and the social media for Americans to use the spare time in a more innovative and helpful approach.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Indeed, Shirky equates this surplus time to the 1700s Gina Craze where people did away with the consumption of beer and wine and instead concentrated with the consumption of gin. Further, the author claims that in the recent past people have been concentrating on watching sitcoms to fill in their free time. Currently, young people according to Shirky are spending most of their free time in interactive sources of media such as You Tube, Facebook, Twitter and My Space. (Shirky 21) Well, may be this does not appear to any of us as an issue of cognition. However, Shirky changes the whole scenario when he claims that the internet has made the â€Å"unpredictable events to become predictable† (Shirky 24) In essence, what Shirky is trying to tell us is that the internet makes us to begin behaving in a predictable way. To reinforce his argument, the author gives us an example of a case where people are in a rush to buy surplus pizza simply because someone said that all the pizza woul d be gone. In short, the internet has transformed the way we do things and how we respond to every day issues. (Shirky 28) According to Shirky, the social media is creating cognitive innovative solutions for man’s problems where television had previously failed. In order to keep confusion at bay, Shirky gives an example of a situation where a drunk can decide to buy beer and drink it at home or simply go to a pub and enjoy his favorite beer with other patrons. According to the author, this is what happens with social media since one can decide to watch television at home or decide to interact with other â€Å"viewers† via You Tube. (Shirky 31) In summary, Nicholas Carr’s new book tries to prove that human thinking changes with the technology we use and the technology we use changes our thinking and consequently our lifestyle. In fact, the essence of the book can be summed up in this quote â€Å"Every intellectual technology embodies a intellectual ethic, a set of assumptions about how the human mind works or should work.† (Carr 39) On the other hand, Clay Shirky’s book argues that the internet has turned us from â€Å"passive users in to active producers† thus transforming the world in to a democracy. Unlike television that produces little results, Shirky claims that the internet as a medium has brought positive meaning to people’s â€Å"surplus time.† (Shirky 41) If we match what Shirky is trying to say with the views expressed by Carr in The Shallows, we tend to get different meanings but in essence, both authors are presenting the same argument but in different reporting. I believe that Shirky’s observation largely denotes a paradigm of the social building of technology. Although there are relics created for specific social groups, most of these relics according to Shirky are apparatus for social change. With the innovations of publications, it is now possible to obtain the press at any place an d the public can participate in any ongoing debate. While Shirky agrees that the social media provides an avenue for social change, he disputes claims that the media is something that we consume but rather tries to prove that it is something we use. (Shirky 51) In their books, both Nicholas Carr and Clay Shirky have addressed the issue of the internet and its effect on human cognition in different ways. In The Shallows, Carr is of the opinion that the Web has interfered with the thinking pattern of people. Instead of relying on their minds to make conclusions, Nicholas Carr alleges that today’s society tend to turn to the media for a solution to their problems. (Carr 61) On his part, Clay Shirky agrees with Carr that the internet has interfered with the way we do things but quickly adds that this change has been for better and not for worse as Carr concludes. In order to prove his point, Shirky gives examples of previous happenings to prove that what is happening with social sites is nothing but a kind of â€Å"new surplus.† (Shirky 12) Personally, I tend to agree more with Nicholas Carr opinion since he goes to great pain to prove his points by citing credible researches done on the subject. Additionally, Carr gives a step-to-step analysis of how the internet ends up affecting our cognitive process in the end. Unlike Shirky who only tries to prove why the internet is a new â€Å"form of surplus† in our lives, Carr uses the book to show how the different tools that we use affect our brains. At the end of everything, Carr ends up bringing out the true meaning of cognition as outlined by Cherry. Conclusion Both Nicholas Carr and Clay Shirky’s books fit the description of cognition as outlined by psychologist Kendra Cherry. Although the authors give different conclusions on their findings, they all agree that the internet ultimately interferes with the mental processes involved in the manner in which people gain knowledge. In staying i n line with Cherry, both authors agree that in light of the internet people now look at things in a different perspective and they are now more informed. Even to a skeptic like Clay Shirky who does not entirely agree with Nicholas Carr that the internet has changed the way people think, his observations fall in line with Cherry’s description when it comes to making judgments and solving problems. The issue of cognition is not a new theory in the society. Throughout history, people have tried to come up with different definitions for this word. With the emergence of technology, psychologists have tried to come up with new definitions to match the people’s changed status. According to these new definitions, cognition is described as the mental processes involved with how man reacts and addresses the issues surrounding him. Most authors have emerged trying to prove that the internet, which has become the new way of life, has greatly interfered with the way people react an d address issues around them. However, other theorists have also come up trying to prove that what is happening with the internet is nothing but another big break in people’s life. However, these opposers have failed to provide tangible evidence to prove their point thus making their observations invalid. Carr, Nicholas. The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, 2010. W.W. Norton, 2-100. Print. Cherry, Kendra. What is Cognition?, 2011. Web. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognition-2794982 Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age, 2010. Penguin Press, 3-72. Print Wilson, Robert Keil, Frank. The MIT encyclopedia of the cognitive sciences, 2001. MIT Press, 201-202. Print.

6 Good Reasons to Study English Grammar

6 Good Reasons to Study English Grammar If youre reading this page, its a safe bet that you know English grammar. That is, you know how to put words together in a sensible order and add the right endings. Whether or not youve ever opened a grammar book, you know how to produce combinations of sounds and letters that others can understand. After all, English was used for a thousand years before the first grammar books ever appeared. But how much do you know about grammar? And, really, why should anybody bother to learn about grammar at all? Knowing about grammar, says David Crystal in The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (Cambridge University Press, 2003), means being able to talk about what it is we are able to do when we construct sentences  - to describe what the rules are, and what happens when they fail to apply. In the Cambridge Encyclopedia (one of our Top 10 Reference Works for Writers and Editors), Crystal spends several hundred pages examining all aspects of the English language, including its history and vocabulary, regional and social variations, and the differences between spoken and written English. But its the chapters on English grammar that are central to his book, just as grammar itself is central to any study of language. Crystal opens his chapter on Grammar Mythology with a list of six reasons to study grammarreasons worth stopping to think about. Accepting the ChallengeBecause Its There. People are constantly curious about the world in which they live, and wish to understand it and (as with mountains) master it. Grammar is no different from any other domain of knowledge in this respect.Being HumanBut more than mountains, language is involved with almost everything we do as human beings. We cannot live without language. To understand the linguistic dimension of our existence would be no mean achievement. And grammar is the fundamental organizing principle of language.Exploring Our Creative AbilityOur grammatical ability is extraordinary. It is probably the most creative ability we have. There is no limit to what we can say or write, yet all of this potential is controlled by a finite number of rules. How is this done?Solving ProblemsNonetheless, our language can let us down. We encounter ambiguity, and unintelligible speech or writing. To deal with these problems, we need to put grammar under the microscope and work out what w ent wrong. This is especially critical when children are learning to emulate the standards used by educated adult members of their community. Learning Other LanguagesLearning about English grammar provides a basis for learning other languages. Much of the apparatus we need to study English turns out to be of general usefulness. Other languages have clauses, tenses, and adjectives too. And the differences they display will be all the clearer if we have first grasped what is unique to our mother tongue.Increasing Our AwarenessAfter studying grammar, we should be more alert to the strength, flexibility, and variety of our language, and thus be in a better position to use it and to evaluate others use of it. Whether our own usage, in fact, improves, as a result, is less predictable. Our awareness must improve, but turning that awareness into better practiceby speaking and writing more effectivelyrequires an additional set of skills. Even after a course on car mechanics, we can still drive carelessly. Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said, Like everything metaphysical the harmony between thought and reality is to be found in the grammar of the language. If that sounds a bit too lofty, we might return to the simpler words of William Langland in his 14th-century poem The Vision of Piers Plowman: Grammar, the ground of all.

Collaboration in Advanced Practice Nursing Essay

Collaboration in Advanced Practice Nursing - Essay Example Nies, Cook, Bach, et.al. (2009) tell us that measuring health care outcomes is important. However, to do this, there must be a common definition of what a care delivery outcome is. To help provide that definition, as well as identifying potential outcomes relevant to advanced practice, a concept analysis has been done. Walker and Avant originally brought about the use of concept analysis for nursing. They wanted to bring a common language to the many concepts that nursing used in their professions. A concept analysis should be done at anytime that a concept is not clear and well understood. There are other methods which can be used, concept synthesis and concept derivation. Concept synthesis is used when there are concepts that require development based on evidence that has been presented (McEwen & Wills, 2007). When concept derivation is used it usually comes from a perspective as there is little available to lead the researcher in the right direction. There are several steps identified in McEwen and Wills, (2007) in performing a concept analysis. ... The concept selected as stated earlier is "Concept analysis of outcomes for Advanced Practice Nursing.". The authors relayed the determination of their aims and purposes for the analysis to the reader through the use of a historical approach to outcomes and definitions to help define the concept and the language to be used. The history tells the reader that outcomes have been measured since the time of Florence Nightingale and that those outcomes at that time were mortality and morbidity, post op days, complication rates etc. Then there was benchmarking and outcomes became more defined from several perspectives, including those of clinical, economical, medical and humanistic. Many of those same things are used now including symptom control, rehospitalization, dissatisfaction, frequency of any particular service and safety. Definitions were given to us by these authors to assure that the reader was using the same language. There is discussion to say that the term outcome is used in a variety of contexts and that it is not always used in the same concepts therefore, unless defined, it may be difficult to use. The author tells us that for the use of this analysis the work outcome means coming out of or resulting from the use of a process (Nies, et.al., 2009). An outcome may also be a consequence, aftereffect, aftermath, issue or event. Defining attributes in this concept analysis were defined as the characteristics of a concept that recurs in the usage of a term (Nies, et.al., 2009). Outcomes are the end result. Outcomes require some action to produce and within that action there must be a temporal component that provides an end result. In giving a model of outcomes it was determined that it would include an event, a

People, Management & Organisations Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

People, Management & Organisations - Case Study Example It is clear from the case study that Cox’s Container Company is suffering from several internal issues related to the workplace culture and organizational behaviour. It is highly important for an organization to adopt and implement effective change management process in order to overcome the current issues and challenges. However, it is highly important for the Cox’s Container Company to implement change management process in the organizational culture in order to enhance strategy development and decision making process. In addition to this, it will help the organization to overcome the current issues that is affecting the profitability and business performance of the organization. This case analysis will outline and analyze the current internal issues and problems related to the organizational structure, organizational behaviour and work culture of the company. In addition to this, this report will discuss about motivation and change management theory that can be imple mented in the management of the organization in order to overcome the issues. Lastly, the study will provide some recommendation plans in order to overcome the current issues. Being one of the leading and profitable organizations, the management of the Cox’s Container Company failed to overcome the organizational behaviour related issue. The organization was founded by Harold Cox. This part of study will outline and analyze the problems that are affecting the business performance of the organization. The management of the organization was following family ownership structure. It can be considered as the consideration, adoption and implementation of the centralized decision making process. The organization faced several issues due to the adoption of centralized decision making process. It is highly important for an organization to ensure effective strategy development and decision making process in order to overcome the issues (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010, p.73). Poor