Music Lyrics Do Not Promote Violence - 1697 Words

Music Lyrics being NON-VIOLENT Rap music can be considered a style of art, and a way for the artists to express feelings through their words on paper. However, there are quite a few rap artists that get criticized for their lyrics. In my essay, I want to discuss why rappers use certain lyrics in their music and why people shouldn’t believe that it causes violence among the younger generations. People shouldn’t censor the music just because of violent, vulgar and abusive messages it promotes to the world. I believe in my own mind, that there is a reason for these types of lyrics that rap artists use and I will simply explain those reasons in this essay. Rap has been called one of the most important music forces to emerge in two decades.†¦show more content†¦Another reason why rappers shouldn’t be criticized is because the world was violent long before rap was invented, and it is not rap music that is making the world more violent then it is already. I str ongly believe that people have the freedom of choice to listen to rap music and if you don’t like what rap artists talk about, then you do not have to listen to the music. If people didn’t have a choice that would be one thing, but as long as people have a choice to do or not to do something then they shouldn’t try to criticize it. To me, rap music is more than a strain. It is the reflection of horrible suffering, struggle and pain of the ghetto life. I feel that art reflects life, so I ask myself why aren’t the National Black leaders like Delores Tucker, more concerned about where the source of rap music exists than the work denuding these types of harsh conditions(SIRS 1993). â€Å" I think that kids know the difference between right and wrong, music and reality. They know it’s not right to go kill somebody and if there driven to that, that’s not the fault of the music,† says Jon Shecter, editor of The Source, a rap magazine(SIRS 19 93). If the people throughout the world that criticize gangster rap music would begin to really care then they would try to find and fix the conditions that this art of music comes from and stop criticizing the artist. In otherShow MoreRelatedRegulating Children And Teen s Music Choice1343 Words   |  6 PagesRegulate Children and Teen’s Music Choice Music is prevalent and can be heard in a plethora of places such as, grocery stores, on the radio, and even on commercials. There are thousands of different genres of music that all serve the same purpose. Music varies all over the world and it is undeniable that it is very influential. It has the power to bring people together, put people in a good mood, bring back memories and inspire. Although music can be a positive influence by triggering happiness andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Hot Nigga Essay1590 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"coolness.† They played the song for me and as I paid attention to the lyrics, I noted its constant mention of violence and I wondered if they did as well. While I initially found the lyrics of the song â€Å"Hot Nigga† disturbing, very quickly I realized that although my cousins proclaimed their love for this â€Å"cool† song and repeated the phrase â€Å"About a week ago† with reckless abandonment, they seemed to lack awareness of the rest of the lyrics. This became evident when I asked them to sing it, and the onlyRead MoreNegative Effects Of Pop Music1706 Words   |  7 Pages What makes children abusive ? Is it the lyrics of the music ? Is music really the target for children and teen behavior ? In my opinion , yes . Lyrics today in popular music glorifies the wrong thing to promote the selling of their music . In the society we live in today kids and teens are being influenced and guided by the wrong path of the choices of music they listen to such as hard core rap for example. Artists of popular music doesn’t put their focus on younger children , their focus isRead More Pop-Music - Beating and Killing Women Essay976 Words   |  4 PagesPop-Music - Beating and Killing Women nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What would happen if you found out that a certain type of food was bad for you; would you stop eating it? Similarly, if you found out a certain type of music was bad for you; would you stop listening to it? Wouldn’t you need proof before you make a decision? John Hamerlinck, a freelance writer in St. Cloud, Minnesota uses this article, â€Å"Killing Women: A Pop-Music Tradition†, to make his major point of how popular music is theRead MoreEssay about Negative Effects of Music on the Mind1093 Words   |  5 PagesToday many people believe that violent music has aggressive and hostile reactions in children, because those who listen to aggressive music often act aggressively too. Brad Bushman, Professor of Psychology and Communication Studies at the University of Michigan, in his article Media violence and the American public in American Psychologist for 2001 says, that measuring such correlation (between agressive music and its consequences in re al life) in laboratory studies would clearly be unethical,Read MoreRaps Extremely Powerful Influence Essay1163 Words   |  5 PagesRaps Extremely Powerful Influence Rap music has been a part of this world since the 1960’s, and it has gone through hundreds of different stages in its time. However, the number one thing that people think of when they hear rap music is crime, violence, alcohol, drugs and other negative influences. Despite these common beliefes on what rap music is about, it can be an extremely positive influence. Educating the youth and community about the bad things happening around us and how they’re affectingRead MoreRap and Moral Character Essay741 Words   |  3 Pagescritics have railed against the alleged harms of rap music. It is misogynistic and promotes violence (especially toward women), crass materialism, and street crime. Virtually all of the arguments about rap focus on its alleged effects—harmful or, occasionally, beneficial. Yet such arguments are difficult to prove. While not suggesting we abandon approaches like this, the focus on effects ignores another important moral argument—rap music is both a sign of and contributes to a form of corruptionRead MoreThe Music Of The Hip Hop1673 Words   |  7 Pagesin the United States popular and around the world. â€Å"Love, love me do, you know I love you, I’ll always be true, so please, love me do, whoa, love me do† The Beatles. â€Å"Love Me Do† was recorded in 1962 by The Beatles. â€Å"Love Me Do† a favorite for the lovers of oldies music. The writing of this â€Å"great philosophical song† Paul McCartney states, he writes about his then girlfriend. The difference from both â€Å"Rappers Delight† and â€Å"Love Me Do† Sugarhill Gang was much more of a freestyle poetry and The BeatlesRead MoreThe Start Of Hip Hop1094 Words   |  5 PagesThe start of hip hop began as creative lyrics. Young urban youth expressing themselves creatively through rhymes spoken to music. A time when groups gathered and had a good time with no fear of violence erupting. However as hip hop evolved, the lyri cs changed and it began to take a turn for the worse. The lyrics are no longer a positive outlet to express the problems the youth face, it is no longer â€Å"a compelling distraction from the turmoil of inner-city life† (Green 47). Rap has a huge followingRead MoreThe Impact Of Rap Music On Today s Society867 Words   |  4 PagesThe impact of rap music in today’s society is extremely substantial. Many Americans listen to rap music, even though different rap artist discuss various issues in their songs, it may influences their fans to do the same. A large amount of rap music contains explicit lyrics that describe illegal activities, aggression, and sexual content. Researchers from Iowa State University and the Texas Department of Human Services found that aggressive music lyrics increase aggressive thought and feelings, might

The Importance Of Religious Differences - 1524 Words

After an overnight flight and a six hour time shift, our Calvary Church delegation received warm greetings at Lyon Saint-Exupery Airport in France, a seventy minute flight southeast of Paris and a sixty minute drive to our home-base city of Grenoble. Later that afternoon we were in the heart of Historical Grenoble on a historical city tour. Sometime afterward, Missionary Roy asked how many Muslims did you see in town? I answered, Not very many. We saw a lot more last year. About 50% of those you saw today, were Muslims, he countered. Roy was teaching us to observe people as a missionary. Most of them were wearing western clothing but last visit, closer to the beginning of Ramadan, many more followed the Islamic dress code. I†¦show more content†¦This youth camp seeks to minister to French youth families throughout the summer. Many hands make light work. With our group we finished some simple work projects saving the staff a lot of time and received some training about Islam from our ministry partner. In the afternoon we climbed, by SUVs, the rest of the way up the mountains to a ski resort town, Les Deux Alps (The Two Alps) [elevation 5,400 ft]. Someone erected a cross at the other end of town which overlooks the snow capped mountains [elevation 11,800 ft] in the background. Back in Grenoble for the rest of the week we were beginning our primary ministry, prayer walking. Before doing ministry in any area we surrounded the area in prayer one or more days in advance. We prayer walked in three areas. First, in a poorer immigrant Islamic neighborhood of apartment buildings where drug dealers hang out. There is a ministry which Roy participates in which holds a kids club during the school year. At the end of the year a carnival is put on for the kids and a big barbeque for them and their parents. A couple of days after the prayer walk we formed groups of three, two Americans plus one translator, went to the doors of families whose children participate in the club and passed out invitations. One group was invited in. WhileShow MoreRelatedIsrael And Palestine Conflict Between Judaism And Islam1568 Words   |  7 PagesIsrael and Palestine The conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis is largely a religious conflict. Even though religion, ethnicity, territory, and politics are inextricably interwoven, the conflict is largely fueled and driven on by the religious rift between Judaism and Islam. Without the religious component of a Jewish state and the religious identity of the Palestinians clashing against one another, perhaps the conflict would still have emerged out of territorial or nationalistic disputesRead MoreA Study On The s Las Meninas ( The Maids Of Honor )1595 Words   |  7 Pagessubject matter similarities and differences worth making note of, most specifically the presence of duality in focus within the paintings. The first painting is 17th century art from India, Bichitr’s piece depicts Jahangiri being seated among an hourglass shape, giving a book to the Sufi Shaikh, a religious figure, while those below him are the Ottoman Sultant and King James I of England. The piece exhibits the choice by Jahangir to give the book to the religious figure rather than the politicalRead MoreReligion and Spirituality in the Workplace Essay1680 Words   |  7 PagesToday there are over 900 religious employee resource groups, according to the International Coalition of Workplace Ministries (Caà ±as Sondak, 2010). These affinity groups can help encourage religious understanding by offering panel discussions that educate employees on their beliefs. By allowing open discussion, answering religious questions and creating an open, welcoming religious environment in the workplace employees can better relate to one another through shared religious principles (Caà ±as SondakRead MoreEthics And Standards Fo r Professional Psychology1264 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ethics Behind a Spiritual and Religious Use in a Therapeutic Setting Ophelia Lee Kaplan University Ethics and Standards for Professional Psychology Professor Peter Lenz May 4, 2015 This paper addresses the complexity of spirituality and religion in a therapeutic setting. This paper includes examples and information regarding upholding the Ethics Code while using religion and spiritual reasoning in psychology. It addresses the issues of a multi-faith setting, information and researchRead MoreAssess the Reasons Why Young People Seem to Participate in Religious Activity Less Than Older Generations923 Words   |  4 PagesShown in recent statistics, is that younger people, who are over 15 (as children under this age are usually forced by parents), do not participate in religious activity as much as the older generation – excluding the over 65s group, this is usually because they cannot get to church easily due to ill-health and disabilities. Brierley supports the idea of an older generation by showing that the average age of church goers in 1979 was 37 which increased to 49 in 2005, clearly showing a trend towardsRead More A Guard on Religious Freedom Essay 765 Words   |  4 Pages Persuasive Essay #1 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A Guard on Religious Freedom In the eyes of our founding fathers, few things seemed as important as the separation of church and state. The first amendment grants all Americans the freedom to subscribe to any religion they wish and promises that the government will not promote any religion above any other. Although the separation of church and state and the freedom of religion are firmlyRead MoreTaking Advantage of Diversity to Strenthen a Business907 Words   |  4 Pagesencompasses acceptance and respect, it means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple toleranceRead MoreHan China vs. Mauryan/Gupta India Essay1132 Words   |  5 PagesAnalyze similarities and differences in methods of political control in the following empires in the classical period. Han China (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) Mauryan/Gupta India (320 B.C.E.-550 C.E.) During the Classical period, Han China and Mauryan/Gupta India developed many methods of political control. Although these empires were located in different geographic regions, they both used social hierarchy, language, bureaucracy, and religion as a means of political control. Many of ClassicalRead MoreThe Old Testament1235 Words   |  5 Pageswere desperate to know the truth, and the teachings of the God and hence prophets aided these longings of theirs. Religious ritualism, social injustice, and idolatry were the three areas in which the prophets emphasized in their preaching and filled the hearts and minds of their believers with it. Prophets were enlightened and blessed beings that had much knowledge about the religious matters and their teachings are of still very significant and valid. The Bible instructs numerous cases of the SocialRead MoreImportance Of Christian Ecumenical Movements And Interfaith Dialogue1573 Words   |  7 Pages The importance of Christian ecumenical movements and interfaith dialogue in Australia post World War II is of great significance to the broader Australian society. It plays a great role in uniting and celebrating the differences and recognising the similarities of the religions, as well as appreciating the uniqueness of the various religions. Ecumenism and interfaith dialogue have been an important feature due to a range of reasons including the abolishment of the White Australia Policy, the arrival

The Limited Omnipotence in Dr. Faustus free essay sample

When an audience looks at Christopher Marlowe as a writer in Doctor Faustus, they might believe the play is a discussion on religion. The discussion in Faustus is the decision of what to believe in, whether it may be a polytheistic or monotheistic religion. Dr. Faustus represents mans discontent with being human and the struggle of accepting the lack of omnipotence and omniscience. In Faustus, he is repeatedly questioned on his belief in his knowledge of magic, good, and evil. Faustus wants all this power and ability but to achieve this he must have knowledge in the power or religion. However, Faustus’s downfall is not his power but his knowledge in the power he possesses which is in the end limited. As one can see in Stephen Orgel’s Essay Magic and Power in Doctor Faustus, Orgel points out that Faustus did not really bargain much in his deal with the devil and he really did not know what to ask for in the end. He has all this great knowledge but he is not ambitious enough to really embrace the power he has just been given. In this brilliant play by Marlowe, he challenges the audience to look within and choose whether having great knowledge leads to a fulfilling destiny. In the beginning of the play, the audience finds Faustus in his study, going over logic, medicine, law, religion, and magic. In the play, he only studies these subjects half way thinking he understands what he is reading by receiving all the knowledge but not really grasping the whole picture. For example, when looking at religion Faustus reads in the Bible from Romans 6:23 â€Å"The wages of sin is Death†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Faustus stops in the middle of the verse and concludes that when we sin we must die an everlasting death. However the rest of the verse goes â€Å" †¦but the gift of God is eternal life,† Faustus knows that studying leads to knowledge of the truth, but if he only concludes on only half of the subject knowledge is nothing because of the truth he wants to believe. Faustus’ narrow-minded conception is his great downfall. As Orgel puts it, â€Å"Faustus himself is a hero and a clown because he has unbounded ambition and an insufficient imagination. † Faustus insufficient imagination is shown when he dives into magic. Magic deals with the body, the intellect, and the infatuation on material things; which is a retreat from reality and responsibility. This power has no rules it is a free will power to do whatever, whenever. Faustus’ greed for power to live in an indulgent life leads him astray to make the pact with the devil. When summoning Mephistopheles he expresses his desire to live a fulfilled life, to be the emperor of the world, to control nature and to obtain the full knowledge of the universe. Orgel states, â€Å"The fantasies of unlimited power are consistently scaled down in the play; until they finally seem to represent something that really ought to be obtainable do you have to make a pact with the devil just to get a decent job or someone to go to bed with? Orgel has a point because the unlimited power ends up having so many rules and regulations to follow. Faustus initial instincts in the beginning of the play when presented with the dark magic power are altruistic. Before Faustus makes his deal, he proclaims â€Å"I’ll have them wall all Germany with brass, / And make swift the Rhine, circle faire W ittenberg. / I’ll have them fill the public schools with silk,/ Wherewith the students shall be bravely clad. / I’ll levy soldiers with the coin they bring,/And chase the Prince of Parma from our land,/ And rein sole king of all the provinces. The promise of restoration for the people of Germany, for the reclaiming of his homeland from an emperors and the church’s rule are all empty promises. Everyone one time or another wanted to do something great for someone else but it turns out to be something very different, which leads to a big disaster. Faustus has all great intentions however; his selfless ambitions eventually become selfish for his own personal enjoyments. One of Faustus’ ambitions is to become emperor freeing the people from the reign of Prince Parma. A heroic gesture at first until Faustus decides he does not want to be the emperor but be the emperor’s entertainer. After saving making a big fool of the pope and saving Bruno, the emperors pick for the next pope, Faustus’ uses this gesture as an inside invitation to get close to the emperor. Does he forget the power he has because he could be emperor in a blink of an eye then everyone would want to be on â€Å"Great Faustus† good side? However, Faustus uses his power for entertainment by conjuring the spirits of past great emperors like Alexander the Great, and the great emperor Darius. This allusion almost put the emperor into frenzy because he looks up to these great emperors. Faustus also plays a trick on Benvloio because he was in disbelief of Faustus’ magic. The emperor’s court believes that Faustus is doing all theses trick by himself but Mephistopheles is really the one doing all of these magical things according to Faustus desire. Because Faustus gave his soul to the devil, Mephistopheles does not care what Faustus does because after his contract is up, Faustus souls is Mephistopheles. Faustus greatest desire is not ruling the world its revenge, and sexual subversion from religion. Faustus eventually wants a wife but Mephistopheles will not allow that because marriage is a sacred (godly) thing. This is just one example of how Mephistopheles led Faustus astray from the real power and truth. Mephistopheles substitute for Faustus desire for a wife is a promise to bring a new girl everyday only for Faustus sexual pleasure. However, Faustus does not settle with a real women but a figure of a women. The figure of a woman meant a mere image that cannot be touched or loved just some image to admire. In Faustus final hours he requests to see Helen of Troy but he cannot touch her at all because she is a spirit in figure. If Faustus were smart, he would not let this rule stand in the way because he believes to have power over Mephistopheles so if Faustus wants Helen of Troy to sleep with he gets it. The audience can see Faustus ambitions being twisted to more ambitions that are not committed to a particular thing; he wants to fly, to go to Rome, to be invisible, to humiliate the pope, to be mischievous without consequences. Eventually all Faustus wants is to study the knowledge of the universe which Mephistopheles brings him all the books in the entire world to study. Faustus has a lack of imagination but maybe it is not imagination but his scholarly lack of originality. In the end does Faustus make a great bargain with the devil was it a waste of twenty-four years? Audiences can agree that Faustus becomes immature with his power so his bargain seems to be a waste of time. If it is true that, doctrinally, Faustus cannot repent, it is a doctrine that Faustus is either unaware of or denies. What he says, several times, is that he is afraid to repent, afraid that the devils will tear him to pieces if he does-as if this were worse than, or different from, being carried off to hell . In the final moment of frustration, seeing Christ’s blood stream in the firmament and convinced that ‘One drop would save my soul,’ Faustus calls out ‘I will leap up to my God: who pulls me down? The play is in this respect much more a temptation than a warning We see that we could do it better, make bargain and get away with it, have the world and have repentance too. The greatest danger is not damnation, its human envy. For all the play’ talks of power, its principle theme is survival.

Knowledge, Power, Wisdom, Truth, And The Like Essays - Epistemology

Knowledge, Power, Wisdom, Truth, and The Like Everyone has heard the idiom ?knowledge is power.? In fact, it has become a clich? in our culture. But is this statement true? What exactly is the relationship between knowledge and power? Are the two independent of each other? Or are they mutually exclusive? Are there times when one must defer to the other, making one of them superior to the other? Or, perhaps, is wisdom a more important attribute than knowledge? Aside from the issue of knowledge and power is the issue of truth and power. Is there a difference between something being held as true and the actual truth? Is there only one truth, or are there many contradicting truths? In order for something to be true, must it be accepted by those in power? Conversely, must those in power acknowledge the truth in order to remain in power? No one knows for sure who first coined the phrase ?knowledge is power?, but one can suppose that it was someone who greatly valued education and learning. It can also be imagined that this person was a student of the world around him, as he noticed that although ignorant people came into power by bloodline or some other matter, it was intelligent people who would wrest the power away from the ignorant and be more likely to retain it. He noticed that the association between knowledge and power is very closely related. If one was to try to gain power by taking it from someone else, knowledge was a necessary tool. The person attempting to gain power must be knowledgeable of the circumstances surrounding him or her, and he or she must have the knowledge of how to correctly react to changes in the surrounding political environment. Shrewdness is often an essential element involved in a person wrenching power away from the leader. Since shrewdness is defined as being ?intelligent, worldly- wise and clever,? it is obviously ineffective without knowledge. Once power is obtained, knowledge is not cast aside. Rather, it must be improved upon constantly in order to retain the power. It can be said that one does not need much knowledge to posses power, however, it would be errant to state that one does not need knowledge in order to gain or retain power. Although the relationship between knowledge and power is so closely intertwined, are there circumstances in which either knowledge or power must defer to the other? Well, a look back at history serves as the best guide to this question. Throughout history there have been numerous occasions in which knowledge has deferred to power. This mainly occurs when the powers that be have an absolute control, as Machiavelli describes in his book The Prince. For example, when the Roman Catholic Church ruled the known world in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, they censored and suppressed knowledge constantly. They were able to do so because their power was all encompassing. They controlled the religious aspect of the people's lives, and they also ran every facet of the local governments. Because they controlled everything, they had the power to instill fear into the people. As a result of this unimpaired power, the people had nowhere to turn for justice. Although knowledge has succumbed to pow er on many an occasion, one would be hard pressed to find an instance of power giving in to knowledge. I know I sure had a terrible time trying to find an example of this. Then it occurred to me why I couldn't find such an occurrence: power will never be willingly relinquished because of knowledge; rather, it will only be surrendered to a more physically superior power. After all, if the point of power is to be in control, then the entity in power won't give up the desirable power unless physical harm is imminent. Ideas and knowledge are the beginning footsteps in overthrowing a power, but these alone are never enough. This notion of ideas and knowledge being used to obtain power brings up another very important concept. Is knowledge the only thing needed, or is it just the starting point? I believe that wisdom is just as, if not more important than the actual knowledge. The dictionary

Sicilian Proverbs, Sayings, and Expressions

Sicilian Proverbs, Sayings, and Expressions Sicilian is a Romance language mainly spoken in Sicily, an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea. The language is distinct from Italian, though the two languages have influenced each other and some people speak a dialect that combines elements of both. If you are ​traveling to Sicily or one of its nearby islands, you will want to familiarize yourself with some common Sicilian proverbs and expressions. Faith Like the rest of Italy, Sicily has been hugely influenced by the theology and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. The language is filled with expressions related to faith, sin, and divine justice. Ammuccia lu latinu gnuranza di parrinu.Latin hides the stupidity of the priest. Fidi sarva, no lignu di varca.Faith is salvation, not the wood of a ship. Jiri n celu ognunu và ²; larmu ccà ¨, li forzi no.Everyone wants to go to heaven; the desire is there but the fortitude is not. Lu pintimentu lava lu piccatu.Repentance washes away sin. Lu Signiuruzzu li cosi, li fici dritti, vinni lu diavulu e li sturcà ¬u.God made things straight, the devil came and twisted them. Zoccu à ¨ datu da Diu, nun pà ² mancari.What is given by God, cant be lacking. Money Many Sicilian proverbs, like those in English, are expressions of financial wisdom and advice that have been passed down through the ages, including recommendations about buying, selling, and living within ones means. Accatta caru e vinni mircatu.Buy good quality and sell at the market price. Accatta di quattru e vinni dottu.Buy at the cost of four and sell at the cost of eight. Cu accatta abbisogna di centocchi; cu vinni dun sulu.Buyer beware. Cui nun voli pagari, sassuggetta ad ogni pattu.Who doesnt intend to pay, signs any contract. La scarsizza fa lu prezzu.Scarcity sets the price. Omu dinarusu, omu pinsirusu.A wealthy man is a pensive man. Riccu si pà ² diri cui campa cu lu so aviri.One who lives within his means can be said to be rich. Sà ¬ggiri prestamenti, pagari tardamenti; cu sa qualchi accidenti, non si ni paga nenti.Collect promptly, pay slowly; who knows, in case of an accident, youll pay nothing. Unni ccà ¨ oru, ccà ¨ stolu.Gold attracts a crowd. Zicchi e dinari su forti a scippari.Ticks and money are difficult to pluck out. Food Drink Sicily is famous for its cuisine, and its no surprise that the language has several sayings about food and drink. These will surely come in handy when youre out dining with family and friends. Mancia cudu e vivi friddu.Eat warm and drink cold. Mancia di sanu e vivi di malatu.Eat with gusto but drink in moderation. Non cà ¨ megghiu sarsa di la fami.Hunger is the best sauce. Weather Seasons Like other Mediterranean destinations, Sicily is known for its mild climate. The only unpleasant time of year might be February- the worst month, according to one Sicilian saying. Aprili fa li ciuri e le biddizzi, lonuri lhavi lu misi di maju.April makes the flowers and the beauty, but May gets all the credit. Burrasca furiusa prestu passa.A furious storm passes quickly. Frivareddu à ¨ curtuliddu, ma nun cà ¨ cchià ¹ tintu diddu.February may be short but its the worst month. Giugnettu, lu frummentu sutta lu lettu.In July, store the grain under the bed. Misi di maju, mà ¨ttiti n casa ligna e furmaggiu.Use your time in May to stock up for winter. Pruvulazzu di jinnaru crrica lu sularu.A dry January means a filled hayloft. Si jinnaru un jinnarà ­a, frivaru malu pensa.If it isnt wintry in January then expect the worst in February. Una bedda jurnata nun fa stati.One beautiful day doesnt make a summer. Miscellaneous Some Sicilian expressions are common in English, too, such as  batti lu ferru mentri à ¨ cudu  (strike while the iron is hot). The sayings below can be used in a variety of situations. A paisi unni chi vai, comu vidi fari fai.When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Batti lu ferru mentri à ¨ cudu.Strike while the iron is hot. Cani abbaia e voi pasci.Dogs bark and oxen graze. Cu vigghia, la pigghia.The early bird catches the worm. Cui cerca, trova; cui sà ¨cuta, vinci.Who seeks, finds; who perseveres, wins. Cui multi cosi accumenza, nudda nni finisci.Who starts many things,  finishes nothing. Cui scerri cerca, scerri trova.Who looks for a quarrel, finds a quarrel. Di guerra, caccia e amuri, pri un gustu milli duluri.In war, hunting, and love you suffer a thousand pains for one pleasure. È gran pazzia lu cuntrastari cu du nun pà ´ vinciri nà © appattari.Its insane to oppose when you can neither win nor compromise. Li ricchi cchià ¹ chi nnhannu, cchià ¹ nni vonnu.The more you have, the more you want. Ntra greci e greci nun si vinni abbraciu.Theres honor among thieves. Nun mà ¨ttiri lu carru davanti li voi.Dont put the cart before the horse. Ogni mali nun veni pri nà ²ciri.Not every pain comes to harm you. Quannu amuri tuppulà ¬a, un lu lassari nmenzu la via.When love knocks, be sure to answer. Supra lu majuri si nsigna lu minuri.We learn by standing on the shoulders of the wise. Unni ccà ¨ focu, pri lu fumu pari.Where theres smoke, theres fire. Vali cchià ¹ un tistimonà ¬u di visu, chi centu doricchia.The testimony of one eyewitness is worth more than the hearsay of a hundred.

Italian Verbs and Expressions Followed by Prepositions

Italian Verbs and Expressions Followed by Prepositions If youve learned how to conjugate Italian verbs, youll soon discover that theres another important part of the grammatical puzzle to master: what simple prepositions (preposizioni semplici) follow certain Italian verbs and expressions. In Italian, for example, there are certain verbs and expressions followed by a preposition such as a,  di, per, and su. Below are several tables that include Italian verbs and expressions followed by specific prepositions, as well as verbs followed directly by the infinitive. Italian Verbs and Expressions Followed by the Preposition A A. Before a Noun or Pronounassistere a- to attend​assomigliare a- to resemblecredere a- to believe indare noia a- to botherdar da mangiare a- to feeddare fastidio a- to botherdare retta a - to listen todare torto a - to blamedare la caccia a- to chasedare un calcio a- to kickdare un pugno a- to punchfare attenzione a- to pay attentionfare bene (male) a- to be good (bad)fare piacere a - to pleasefare vedere a- to showfare visita a- to visitfare un regalo a- to give a present togiocare a- to play a gameinteressarsi a- to be interested inpartecipare a- to participate inpensare a- to think aboutraccomandarsi a- to ask favors ofricordare a- to remindrinunciare a- to give upservire a- to be good forstringere la mano a- to shake hands with​tenere a- to care about B. Before an Infinitiveabituarsi a- to get used toaffrettarsi a- to hurryaiutare a- to helpcominciare a- to begincontinuare a- to continueconvincere a- to convincecostringere a- to compeldecidersi a- to make updivertirsi a- to have a good timefare meglio a- to be better offfare presto a- to do fastimparare a- to learnincoraggiare a- to encourageinsegnare a- to teachinvitare a- to invite tomandare a- to sendobbligare a- to obligepensare a- to think aboutpersuadere a- to convincepreparare a- to prepareprovare a- to try ones mindrinunciare a- to give upriprendere a- to resumerisucire a- to succeedsbrigarsi a- to hurryservire a- to be good for Verbs of Movement Aandare a- to gocorrere a- to runfermarsi a- to stoppassare a- to stop bystare a- to staytornare a- to returnvenire a- to come Italian Verbs and Expressions Followed by the Preposition Di A. Before a Noun or Pronounaccorgersi di- to notice, realizeavere bisgono di- to needavere paura di- to be afraiddimenticarsi di- to forgetfidarsi di- to trustinnamorarsi di- to fall in loveinteressarsi di- to be interested inlamentarsi di- to complainmeravigliarsi di- to be surprisednutrirsi di- to feed onoccuparsi di- to planpensare di- to have an opinion aboutpreoccuparsi di- to worry aboutricordarsi di- to rememberridere di- to laugh atsoffrire di- to suffer fromtrattare di- to deal withvivere di- to live on B. Before an Infinitiveaccettare di- to acceptammettere di- to admitaspettare di- to wait foraugurare di- to withavere bisogno di- to needcercare di- to trychiedere di- to askconfessare di- to confessconsigliare di- to advisecontare di- to plancredere di- to believedecidere di- to decidedimenticare di- to forgetdubitare di- to doubtfingere di- to pretendfinire di- to finishordinare di- to orderpensare di- to planpermettere di- to permitpregare di- to begproibire di- to prohibitpromettere di- to promiseproporre di- to proposeringraziare di- to thanksapere di- to knowsmettere di- to stopsperare di- to hopesuggerire di- to suggesttentare di- to attemptvietare di- to avoid Verbs Followed by the Preposition Su contare su- to count ongiurare su- to swear onreflettere su- to ponder onscommettere su- to bet on Verbs Followed Directly by the Infinitive amare- to lovedesiderare- to withdovere- to have to, mustfare- to makegradire- to appreciatelasciare- to let, allowpiacere- to likepotere- to be ablepreferire- to prefersapere- to know howvolere- to want Impersonal Verbs basta- it is enoughbisogna- it is necessarypare- it seems Note: These verbs may be followed directly by an infinitive.

Rerum Novarum, especially its treatment of Socialism and Capitalism Essay

Rerum Novarum, especially its treatment of Socialism and Capitalism - Essay Example Consequently, it gives an opinion on the protection of property owned by individuals. The church promotes certain elements of capitalism while denouncing the extremist of the same ideology. The church gives socialism some sense of accommodation, though, only to the confines of providing collective support to the people, who are disadvantaged in terms of resource acquisition. However, most of the tendencies are of socialism are not championed and agitated for by the church. While the church encourages the state protection of property, it does not comment on social aspects that are owned collectively by the Society (Novarum 7). The state is viewed only as an agent of the rich, which is a characteristic of capitalism. Socialism does not promote the essence of work and wages a system that the church vehemently talks against. Reference is given to the works of the apostle Paul, who championed the essence of the work. To this end, socialism does not give much prominence as it is done for

Discussion 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Discussion 6 - Essay Example Aristotle also explained that keeping corruption at bay can help in combating regime degradation. Individual should not practise corruption in order to ensure continuity in the society. When individuals put corruption at bay magistrate will do fair judgment to the people. The factors explained by Aristotle do not help in preventing corruption because individuals learn from those in power. Corruption has been taking place in the society through learning. The people in office teach the new employee on how to increase their earning. Observation of the factors explained by Aristotle can not help in combating corruption because the government systems plays big role in influencing corruption. People are underpaid and they have to find survival means. Lessons which have contemporary relevance are things like education about constitution. When people grow up trained or educated in respect to constitutional demands they will comply with the rule of law and stay away from evil and

Puerto Ricans and black Americans Essay Example for Free

Puerto Ricans and black Americans Essay In his memoir â€Å"Down These Mean Streets†, Piri Thomas searches for belonging in the racially stratified American nation of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Thomas explores how his race as well as his physical appearance compels him to seek identification with black Americans. Throughout the narrative Piri struggles with his father’s privileging of whiteness and rejection of their visible black racial heritage. Piri questions his father’s abandonment, as he sees it, of their racial identity and of Piri as he attempts to navigate the United States process of assimilation. While Piri struggles with his rejection by larger society as a Puerto Rican, he is conscious that he has another avenue open to him, identification as a black American, and despite his father’s objections he deliberately explores that option as a way to find some sense of belonging and acceptance. Piri was born at Harlem Hospital and is raised in East Harlem where he learns to identify himself along racial and ethnic lines with the other Puerto Ricans and black Americans that make up his world. When his father moves the family beyond Piri’s comfort zone to Italian turf, just a few blocks away, Piri becomes aware of himself as an outsider. For the first time, Piri must face the dilemma of being a darker-complexioned Puerto Rican and being labeled as black. At this point in his young life, Piri’s identity is firmly rooted in a Puerto Rican heritage reinforced by his mother’s desire to return home to the Caribbean. Piri remembers his mother’s sentiments: â€Å"Momma talked about Puerto Rico and how great it was, and how she’d like to go back one day, and how it was warm all the time there and no matter how poor you were over there, you could always live on green bananas, bacalao, and rice and beans. ‘Dios mio,’ she said, ‘I don’t think I’ll ever see my island again† (Thomas 9) Piri’s mother serves as a guide that emphasizes her homeland in Piri’s imagination. Although Piri’s family has no hope of ever returning to Puerto Rico, Piri holds onto his Puerto Rican identity and firmly resists anyone’s labeling of him as black American. Another factor in his resistance to a black identification is the white appearances of his mother, sister, and brothers. Piri shares the darker complexion of his father who negates his African heritage by stating that his dark complexion is due to ‘Indian’ blood and even on occasion exaggerates his Puerto Rican accent to emphasize his ethnic difference from black Americans. Even at a young age Piri recounts feeling as though his dad favored his lighter-complexioned siblings and treated him in a harder and rougher manner: â€Å"Pops, I wondered, how come me and you is always on the outs†¦How come when we all get hit for doing something wrong, I feel it the hardest? Maybe ‘cause I’m the biggest, huh? Or maybe it’s ‘cause I’m the darkest in this family† (Thomas 22). As a child Piri can already sense the difference in the way his father treats him. As an adult he confronts his father about his behavior and associates his bitterness toward him to the racial self-hatred that his father experiences after his arrival in the United States. In an interview, Thomas acknowledges that although he was conscious of the difference in his appearance at home, it was outside of the home and initially at school where he felt the real impact of being Afro-Latino (Hernandez, 5). In his memoir it is after his father moves Piri outside of his comfort zone again and crosses boundaries by moving his family to a majority white community in Long Island that Piri begins to experience exclusion by his peers. At a school dance after he overhears a group of white students expressing disgust and resentment at his audacity in asking a white girl to dance with him, he comes to understand his outsider status at school and refuses to return, which eliminates his only educational resource for obtaining higher paying legal employment later on in life. In addition, Piri recounts another instance in Long Island when he was treated as a trespasser also because of his expressed romantic interest in a white woman. In this situation a white man bombards him on a train with racial epithets for being accompanied by his white girlfriend. In anger Piri transfers his hate for his racial predicament to his girlfriend during sex. He remembers, â€Å"In anger, in hate, I took out my madness on her† (Thomas 90). Piri’s actions following this racist experience complement his father’s use of white women to ease the pain of racism. Piri associates his father’s marriage to his white mother and later infidelity with another white woman as an attempt to nullify his blackness. Piri does not verbally claim that this is the motivation for his father’s attraction to white women. However, Piri acutely senses that Poppa correlates whiteness to superiority and advancement because of his father’s harsher treatment of him in comparison to his fairer siblings and the gradual removal of his family from the barrio and communities of color. Sanchez hypothesizes that while in Puerto Rico, â€Å"Poppa protects himself against his ancestral black blood by marrying Piri’s mother, whose white skin gives him racial privilege and cultural capital† (122). From his father, Piri learns to use white women as a tool to ease his own racial discomfort. Piri is attracted to a fair-complexioned Puerto Rican woman named Trina who becomes his girlfriend. However, unlike his mother who rejects the notion of racial privilege among her family members, Trina is aware of the power position she holds as a white Latina. After a party, Trina comments on her position and the privileges it allows her, â€Å"I can drink anytime I want to†¦After all, I’m free, white, and over the age† (Thomas 112). Piri picks up on her claim to racial privilege and the difference Trina acknowledges between their disparate situations within the American racial hierarchy. In response to Trina’s drunken statements, Piri attempts to assert a dominant position over her by punching her in the face but instead he injures his hand. Facing racial discrimination as black men is a disempowering and emasculating experience for Piri and his father. Affirming superiority over women is one way that they are able to reaffirm their masculinity and reject a black identification. The association of â€Å"black† with the position of inferior social status in the United States and the correlation between women and inferiority in Puerto Rico converge within the context of the Puerto Rican American experience to equate black to woman. Asserting superiority over women aid Piri and his father in rejecting a black identity. Claiming this position over white women in particular implies that they are capable of transgressing a racial line that black men cannot. In Thomas’s narrative, female characters are repeatedly used by Piri and other men to assert their own masculinity and superiority over women and therefore, through substitution, to assert their humanity and negate their inferior racial status. In his narrative, Thomas juxtaposes his family’s home in Babylon, Long Island to Harlem in order to portray Long Island as the mainstream American community that he is excluded from and Harlem as a peripheral community to the dominant one that rejects him. After Piri realizes he is the victim of racial discrimination at a job interview, he decides that he will no longer pursue employment and acceptance in mainstream American society. Instead he finds self-employment and comfort selling and using drugs while living in Harlem. Thomas writes: â€Å"But I was swinging in Harlem, my Harlem, next to which Babylon was like cotton candy white and sticky, and tasteless in the mouth† (Thomas, 105). Thomas contrasts Harlem to Long Island: the former where he finds belonging and safety among the racially marginalized and underground drug culture where he can alleviate the pain of non-belonging and the latter as exclusionary and unwilling to allow him to pursue upward mobility through legal societal structures. Despite the handful of lessons that Piri picks up from his father that allow him to retain some sense of self and manhood in the United States, Piri is furious at his father for abandoning him by rejecting the racial plight of Afro-Latinos and aligning himself with whites and a non-black Puerto Rican identity that causes him to exaggerate his foreign origins and deny any African ancestry. Piri confronts his father and expresses his anger at him for rejecting their shared racial identity before he leaves his family on a journey to the southern states: â€Å"Poppa, don’t you know where you at? Or are you seeing it, Poppa, and making like it’s not there†¦You protect your lying dream with a heavy strain for a white status that’s worthless to a black man† (Thomas 151). Even though Piri leaves home without his father’s support, he has already internalized several of his father’s coping strategies for dealing with American racism which he attempts to employ during his travels and which help lead him to his own survival strategies. Ironically, although he criticizes his father for emphasizing his foreign status as a Puerto Rican, it is the same device that Piri makes use of in the south. Piri’s brother Jose has the white appearance that Piri and his father both covet. Because of this, Piri believes that his father favors Jose and his other fair-complexioned siblings. He is jealous of Jose’s relationship with their father and the ease with which he is capable of assimilating among the white community in Long Island, which represents mainstream America. Because of this, Jose with his white skin, nearly blond hair and blue eyes, represents the image that Piri once felt he embodied but learns that he does not. In an effort to try to gain some sympathy from his family about his racial position, he attempts to force Jose to see how he is like him and that they share the same African ancestry. In a discussion with Jose about his plans to go on a journey south with his friend Brew, Piri is determined to make Jose aware that his black skin is also a part of his brother’s heritage. In an angry response, Jose defends his claim to whiteness and insists that Piri is making the choice to identify as black: Jose’s face got whiter and his voice angrier at my attempt to take away his white status. He screamed out strong, ‘I ain’t no nigger! You can be if you want to be. You can go down South and grow cotton, or pick it, or whatever the fuck they do. You can eat that cornbread or whatever shit they eat. You can bow and kiss ass and clean shit bowls. But – I –am white! † (Thomas 145) Jose’s outburst reveals his understanding that being black is identified with the lower rungs of the socio-economic hierarchy. However, what he does not realize is that whereas he has the power to choose a racial identity, whether it is white, black, or Indian, Piri does not. Piri’s visible racial difference hinders him from assimilating into mainstream America, being socially accepted by whites, or pursuing economic mobility in the same fashion as Jose. Jose explains away Piri and their father’s dark skin by suggesting that in addition to their Spanish ancestry they also have some Native American blood. Native American heritage is seen as an alternative to the black and white binaries used in the United States and allows an individual a place above that of black Americans in the American racial hierarchy. Jose explains away Piri’s dark skin to his white friends by claiming a Spanish and Indian mixture, however Piri rejects this identification in favor of an Afro-Latino identity. Despite the racial rejection that Piri experiences by his father and brother, Piri comes to terms with his blackness partly through his friendship with two black Americans, Crutch and Brew. In a conversation about the racial politics of the south, Crutch piques Piri’s curiosity about the south by describing a similar dilemma to the one that Piri faces: Places like Georgia and Mississippi and Alabama. All them places that end in i’s an’ e’s an’ a whole lotta a’s. A black man’s so important that a drop of Negro blood can make a black man out of a pink-asshole, blue-eyed white man. Powerful stuff, that thar white skin, but it don’t mean a shit hill of beans alongside a Negro’s blood (Thomas, 120). Crutch describes to Piri the historical assignment of mixed-raced people to the black race, even if an individual’s ancestry is mainly of European origin. The image conveyed reflects Piri’s own background growing up with family members with the light hair, skin and eyes of Europeans. Crutch’s description of the importance that â€Å"a Negro’s blood† plays in assigning individuals to racial categories in the south initiates Piri’s interest in traveling there. His journey south serves as a quest to gain an understanding of the racial issues that plague him and his father. Although his father has abandoned Piri to experience life as a black man on his own, Piri continues on his travels with his father as an underlying motivator to discover a place of racial belonging that they both can fit comfortably into. In his southern travels, Piri feels more heavily the weight of his skin color in instances such as when he is forced to sit in the back of the bus despite his remonstrations that he is Puerto Rican or when he is refused service at a whites only restaurant. Despite his initial proclamation that he is interested in going to the south to discover his own identity as a black man and the socio-political constraints of that position, Piri continues to assert his difference and racial privilege as a Latino in the same manner as his father. Without his father’s guidance, Piri completes his travels down south and through other adventures before deciding to make Harlem his home, which is the only place where he really feels as though he belongs. Brown comments on Piri’s return to Harlem: â€Å"Only on the streets of Spanish Harlem, with his boys, does Piri have a sense of ‘home,’ even when he is strung out on heroin and literally homeless, crashing with whomever he can† (Brown, 33). Piri doesn’t make that transition to black American nor does he find a way to assimilate into mainstream America. In contrast to his father, he chooses to return to Harlem, a marginalized community on the fringe of mainstream culture where he is comfortable with his Afro-Latino identity and where he finds belonging among the same streets where he felt accepted during his youth. Piri remembers that the â€Å"world of the street belonged to the kid alone. There he could earn his own rights, prestige, his good-o stick of living. It was like being a knight of old, like being ten feet tall† (Thomas 107). The gangs and streets serve as Piri’s community as a youth; however, once he grows older, the drug underworld is where he turns to alleviate the pain of not belonging. The youth gang culture that Thomas romanticizes in his memoir has grown to unprecedented heights and takes on a new life in the writing of the subsequent generations. BIBLIOGRAPHY Thomas, Piri. Down These Mean Streets. New York: Vintage Books, 1967 Sanchez, Marta E. â€Å"La Malinche at the Intersection: Race and Gender in Down These Mean Streets. † PMLA. 113. 1 (Jan 1998) : 117-128. Brown, Monica. Gang Nation: Delinquent Citizens in Puerto Rican, Chicano, and Chicana Narratives. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2002 Hernandez, Carmen Delores. â€Å"They Have Forced Us to Be Universal†. Interview with Piri Thoma, 5/6 Mar. 1995. Retrieved from http://www. cheverote. com/reviews/hernandezinterview. html , June 4, 2009

Death of A Salesman :: essays research papers

Amidst Willy's late-night yelling, Charley, a neighbor and friend of the family, enters from outside, wondering what all the commotion is about. He starts a card game with Willy in order to settle him down. Out of friendship, he offers Willy a job after hearing about his problems as a salesman. Willy is quick to take offense at this offer, saying that he already has a good job. Later, when Willy brings up the subject of Biff, Charley advises Willy to give up on his son. â€Å"When a deposit bottle is broken you don't get your nickel back,† Charley asserts. Yet Willy is not willing to let go of his illusions about his sons' potential for success. Soon, Willy begins to confuse Charley with his brother, Ben. This leads to a flashback of sorts to a scene with Willy and Ben. It seems Ben and his father left to make their fortunes sometime in Willy's early childhood, leaving Willy and his mother behind. It's obvious that Willy idealizes Ben because he has â€Å"made it† in the world. Willy is remorseful that he didn't take his brother up on his offer to run his business in Alaska. That was an opportunity of a lifetime, Willy admits. Yet Ben has little time to spend with his little brother. Willy, excited that Ben is there to give advice to his sons, forces Biff and Happy to listen to their Uncle Ben, hoping that they will learn his business techniques and strike it rich themselves. In this way, Willy sees the potential success of his sons as the only remaining hope of being successful himself. It all seems quite simple to Ben. He tells Biff and Happy, â€Å"Why, boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich.† This ideal, however, proves to be unattainable by Willy and his sons when Willy's desperate struggle for success and happiness is never achieved.

Reading for Pleasure Can Be Better Develped in Imagination and Language Sklls Than Watching Tv

Today, I will talk about an ancient city of China—Langzhong. My purpose in giving this presentation is to show you detailed geographic features of Langzhong, and recommend this famous place to you for travelling, so this presentation will have two parts, that is geography and tourism. Different from big modern cities, ancient cities can offer tourists an incredible variety of special sights and activities. This city is often referred to as a famous historical town. It’s one of the best preserved ancient towns in China. Langzhong city is a 2300-year-old city located in Nanchong, Sichuan Province.It is located in the north-east of the Sichuan basin and the middle reach of the Jialing River. The city is known as the wonderland of Sichuan. In terms of the geography of Langzhong, it is best to imagine the area as a main center surrounded by countless mountains and rivers with the northern part is higher than the southern part. Langzhong has plenty of natural resources such a s water resources, mineral resources and open space. Langzhong’s numerous rivers also ensure that our whole country has a major source of hydroelectric power. The government is also reclaiming these open spaces to improve agriculture.What’s more, Langzhong is rich in oil, gas, and gold. When people refer to Langzhong, they always talk about its long history. It was given the title of the best preserved ancient city around the world by the United Nations. As a travelling destination, Langzhong has something to offer almost every visitor. The first place that gives me a deep impression is Huaguang Tower. Huaguang Tower is also named Southern Tower or Zhenjiang Tower. It was first built in the Tang Dynasty, but it suffered several fires and was rebuilt repeatedly by past dynasties.The existing tower was renovated in the sixth year of the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. The base of the tower is 5 meters high and the total height is 25. 5 meters. With a three-layered ro of, the tower seems tall and straight as well as elegant and delicate. It has unique architectural features of the Tang Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, winning the reputation of â€Å" the number one tower of Langyuan Garden†. In addition, few Langzhong sites are as impressive as the pavilion of Prince Teng, you can climb the pavilion to see the whole scenery of Langzhong City.The famous Chinese poet DuFu wrote an essay to praise this tower’s elegance and uniqueness highly–â€Å"The mountain is cloud-kissing, and people ascend it to enjoy a distant view. † If you want to know a lot about Chinese history and you are interested in the Han Dynasty, you can’t miss the chance to visit the Temple of Zhangfei. This temple has a history of 1700 years. It is well-known for its striking architecture, beautiful calligraphy, exhibition, and long history. Langzhong city is also famous for its examination hall.This hall was a special place for the imperial competi tive examination, which selected the most talented people and sent them to the emperor. Langzhong was called the town of number one scholars because it had so many geniuses who made great contribution to the entire world. What’s more, my favorites are the ancient streets and ancient houses. The preservation of the ancient city is a precious legacy for our whole world. Historians can learn a lot from this city. As for me, when I walked into the city, I simply wanted to spend a whole day strolling along the streets with my best friends.You can also take a boat to enjoy the scenery of Langzhong city along the Jialing River. This city is more peaceful than Lijing ancient city. Another thing the city has to offer is its excellent food. You can have a barbecue at night and drink specially-made plum wine or a beverage made of vinegar, both of which are delicious. The chafing dish has local features that are totally different from what I have ever eaten. That’s why I really wa nt to recommend it to you. There are some Langzhong’s tourist attractions, now, I want to talk about my trip to Langzhong. On that trip, I travelled with five friends.It was the first time that we took a trip without parents. We had to arrange everything in advance, but to be honest, it was hard to depend on ourselves completely. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the trip and had great fun with my friends. We could visit any place we are interested in without a touring party. I think you can imagine how free we felt. In fact, I was not very close with two of those guys. Although we were classmates in middle school, we lost contact with each other after we graduated. After those five days, we had already become close friends and talked all the time.Yes, this trip was an valuable experience for me. Because of it, I understand it is difficult but important to be independent, I find it is so good to have such kind friends and I have fallen in love with this ancient city. It was just a five day long trip, but it becomes an precious part of my life. I know I will cherish it forever. That’s my speech. I hope everyone has learned something about Langzhong ancient city from it. If you want to experience the atmosphere of ancient China with your best friends, Langzhong is the place to do it! Thank you for your time.

Myrtle Wilson Themes of Class and Wealth Essay

We get the feeling that Myrtle Wilson is not an especially smart woman. Strung along by Tom, Myrtle is convinced that he loves her and would leave his wife for her if he could. The whole bit about Daisy being a Catholic and not believing in divorce is, as Nick points out, not remotely true. Because she is unhappy in her marriage to George, Myrtle is drawn to Tom for certain specific reasons. George is passive, but Tom is controlling and authoritative. Myrtle puts up with Tom’s physical abuse because she equates it with masculinity – a quality that in her mind is lacking in her husband. She even yells at George, â€Å"throw me and down and beat me, you dirty little coward!† Myrtle also adds to the novel’s themes of class and wealth. She insists that she married below her caste, that she believed certain things about George until they got married and it was too late, he borrowed a suit for the wedding, for example. Since Myrtle is quite obviously below the Buchanan’s class (yet another reason she goes for Tom), Fitzgerald ridicules her for insisting that she is above her husband. Myrtle has many hopes and Myrtle never really loved Tom but just wanted his money. She called his house during dinner to talk to him without even thinking that he might get caught. She does not respect him at all except for when she wants something. When she and Tom are at the party at the apartment, she disrespects Daisy and Tom hits her in the nose. Myrtle only wants to get away from the poor life with George and live more luxuriously with another man. She hopes that someday that Tom will leave Daisy and they can live together. The nature of Myrtle Wilson is apparent at the party in the apartment. Even though alcohol is prohibited during this time, she drinks freely. She also says that when she first met Tom Buchanan, she was attracted to him by his suit. Myrtle says, he had on a dress suit and patent leather shoes and I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. Myrtle is materialistic and she was very impressed with the expensive suit Tom had on. This meeting made her think even less of George because he had to borrow a suit for their wedding. Myrtle Wilson is a woman stuck in a bad marriage that can lone think of the higher part of society. She wants to have a rich husband and an expensive lifestyle. Her dream of such a lifestyle eventually leads to her demise.

Free Essays on Alexander Grahm Bell

Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone grew out of his research into ways to improve the telegraph. His soul purpose was to help the deaf hear again. Alexander Graham Bell was not trying to invent the telephone, he was just trying to help out people in need. Young Alexander Graham Bell, Aleck as his family knew him, took to reading and writing at a precociously young age. Bell family lore told of his insistence upon mailing a letter to a family friend well before he had grasped any understanding of the alphabet. As he matured, Aleck displayed what came to be known as a Bell family trademarkan expressive, flexible, and resonant speaking voice. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the inventor spent one year at a private school, two years at Edinburgh's Royal High School (from which he graduated at 14), and attended a few lectures at Edinburgh University and at University College in London, but he was largely family-trained and self-taught. He moved to the United States, settling in Boston, before beginning his career as an inventor. With each passing year, Alexander Graham Bell's intellectual horizons broadened. By the time he was 16, he was teaching music and elocution at a boy's boarding school. He and his brothers, Melville and Edward, traveled throughout Scotland impressing audiences with demonstrations of their father's Visible Speech techniques. Visible Speech was invented by their father but he didn’t have much luck with it. It is a technique were ever sound that comes out of a persons mouth can be represented with a visual character. In 1871, Bell began giving instruction in Visible Speech at the Boston School for Deaf Mutes. Attempting to teach deaf children to speak was considered revolutionary. Bell's work with his deaf students in Boston would prove to be a watershed event in his life. One of his pupils, Mabel Hubbard, was the daughter of a manGardiner Greene Hubbard who would go on to play a vital role in... Free Essays on Alexander Grahm Bell Free Essays on Alexander Grahm Bell Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone grew out of his research into ways to improve the telegraph. His soul purpose was to help the deaf hear again. Alexander Graham Bell was not trying to invent the telephone, he was just trying to help out people in need. Young Alexander Graham Bell, Aleck as his family knew him, took to reading and writing at a precociously young age. Bell family lore told of his insistence upon mailing a letter to a family friend well before he had grasped any understanding of the alphabet. As he matured, Aleck displayed what came to be known as a Bell family trademarkan expressive, flexible, and resonant speaking voice. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the inventor spent one year at a private school, two years at Edinburgh's Royal High School (from which he graduated at 14), and attended a few lectures at Edinburgh University and at University College in London, but he was largely family-trained and self-taught. He moved to the United States, settling in Boston, before beginning his career as an inventor. With each passing year, Alexander Graham Bell's intellectual horizons broadened. By the time he was 16, he was teaching music and elocution at a boy's boarding school. He and his brothers, Melville and Edward, traveled throughout Scotland impressing audiences with demonstrations of their father's Visible Speech techniques. Visible Speech was invented by their father but he didn’t have much luck with it. It is a technique were ever sound that comes out of a persons mouth can be represented with a visual character. In 1871, Bell began giving instruction in Visible Speech at the Boston School for Deaf Mutes. Attempting to teach deaf children to speak was considered revolutionary. Bell's work with his deaf students in Boston would prove to be a watershed event in his life. One of his pupils, Mabel Hubbard, was the daughter of a manGardiner Greene Hubbard who would go on to play a vital role in...

Virtue is spelled Virtue

Virtue is spelled Virtue Virtue is spelled Virtue Virtue is spelled Virtue By Maeve Maddox Looking for tips on how to remove wallpaper, I found this headline on the HGTV page: How to Remove Wallpaper: Patience Is a Virture Curious to see if this was a common misspelling, I did a Google search and came up with 133,000 hits for virture. Many of them were from comments and forums where people often type quickly and may be forgiven for typos. Most occurred in the adage patience is a virtue. However, numerous examples of the misspelling occur in contexts in which the correct spelling was almost certainly in front of the writers eyes. Is A Virture Bags, Tote Bags, Messenger Bags This example is from an ad selling printed tote bags. The bags are printed with a message that says something or other is a virtue. The word is spelled correctly on the bags, which are pictured under the misspelled header. I dont knowwhen they decidedto make a virture out of SELFISHNESS. This quotation, presumably copied from a speech, appears on a political ad. Interview with Ronald Sandler, Author of Character and Environment: A Virture-Oriented Approach to Environmental Ethics This heads an article at the Columbia University site. The title on the pictured book cover is Character and Environment: A virtue-oriented approach to environmental ethics. Love Is a Virture This is a photo caption under a picture of what appears to be a poster. The words Love is a Virtue are on the photo itself. Copying words correctly is a virtue. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Words with More Than One SpellingA While vs AwhileUsing Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm

Constitution Acts of 1867 and 1982 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Constitution Acts of 1867 and 1982 - Essay Example Thus, it becomes all the more important for the main Bill of Rights of a country, which for Canada equal to the Constitution Acts of 1867 with amendments made to it in 1982, to represent the correct division of power between the Federal and Provincial governments. The constitution Geographically, Canada is divided into three territories and 10 provinces. It supports two distinct main ethnic groups, the Quebecois who are well versed in French and the rest who communicate in English. The division of power would involve consideration to both the minority French-Canadians and the majority of the English speakers. Thus, some legislative authority must be granted to provinces while most of it is retained by the Federation, as is customary for a government system of this kind. It is for this reason that s. 91 to 95 of the 1867 constitution award legislative powers for both federal and provincial jurisdictions. S. 91 deals with the legislative authority of the Federal government whereas s. 9 2 pertains to the same at the provincial level. Moreover, all the residuary powers that have not been assigned to the provinces may also be dealt by the Parliament, which is allowed to â€Å"make laws for the peace, order, and good government of Canada, in relation to all matters not coming within the classes of subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the provinces† (Constitution Act 1867, s. 91). Provincial responsibility also deals with sources of energy which are non-renewable (s. 92A) and education (s. 93) while s. 94 relates to the dealings with property and civil rights (new at the time the Constitution Act 1867 was enacted). Thus, while the English speaking majority is correctly represented in the Parliament, the Federal government enjoys enough power constitutionally in order to uphold the rights of the minorities. Division of power is scribed clearly in certain cases to the provincial government, such as in the cases of handling prisons, prop erty and education but in other cases such as that of immigration policies and agriculture, power is shared between the federal and provincial jurisdictions (s. 95). This ensures two things, the first being the adherence to the British system of Parliament, which enables correct representation of all the minorities in the State and saves them from unjust policies that a majority might impose upon them. The concurrent presence of the federal and provincial governments, on the other hand, allow for cultural diversity to exist in the various provinces without being majority centric. Due to the presence of the latter, the French Canadians are awarded the same level of liberties as their English speaking majority consequently ensuring that their individual rights are protected, at least in theory. However, the existence of these two systems, where the country is represented by a Prime Minister who is in charge of a Federation, creates vagueness in division of power. In matters of adminis tration of justice, for example, the constitution allows the Parliament to enact legislation dealing with â€Å"criminal law, except the constitution of courts of criminal

Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Vietnam War - Essay Example In U.S. eyes, the Vietnamese were a passive and uninformed people, totally unready for self government" (Herring, 13). A survey of New York Times articles published during the First Indochina War revealed that the U.S. foreign policy analysis, media and public overwhelmingly concentrated on the French perspective of the conflict. Little attention was given to the Vietminh perspective or to the perspective of the French backed government of South Vietnam. This viewpoint continued until 1949 when China's civil war ended and the Communist took control of China. Shortly after taking control Mao Zedong, the Communist leader acknowledged the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) and the Soviet Union quickly followed suit. After that, the U.S. media placed a greater emphasis on Cold War rhetoric when dealing with Vietnam. As noted, the Cold War mindset permeated much of American culture during this time period; "it was an age of ideological consensus, and this was true above all in foreign p olicy" (Hallin, 50). At the conclusion of the First Indochina War, the U.S. ... From 1957-1961 the U.S. attention shifted heavily on Vietnam's fate in relation to the turmoil in Laos and Cambodi as well as to the Soviet threat. This perception dominated the public opinion, media and U.S. foreign policy well into President John F. Kennedy's Administration. THE VIETNAM WAR (1955-1975): ANALYSIS OF EVENTS On August 5, 1964, Congress considered the Southeast Asia Resolution, commonly called the "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" (Johnson, 118). After two days of debate it passed the Senate by a vote of 88-2 and the House by a resounding 416-0 (Johnson, 118). It was a resolution to deliberately allow the United States a broad hand in protecting peace and security in Southeast Asia. A second section asserted that "peace and security in southeast Asia" was vital to American national security and therefore the president, acting in accord with the Charter of the United Nations and as a member of the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), would "take all necessary steps, including the use of armed force," to assist member states of SEATO "in defense of [their] freedom" (Young, 109). Finally, the resolution would expire when the president determined "peace and security had returned to the area" (Young, 109). It could also be terminated by a subsequent congressional resolution. On March 8, 1965, 3,500 Marines landed at Da Nang. In May the first United States Army units arrived (Westmoreland, 124). With air attacks against both North and South Vietnam being launched from bases in the South, airfields were a logical target for forces from the National Liberation Front, the Communist guerrillas fighting against the South Vietnamese, and no one placed much confidence in the protection from the forces of the Army of the Republic

Applying a Lence of The Wire, Season 4 Research Paper

Applying a Lence of The Wire, Season 4 - Research Paper Example They carry the burdens of problems supposedly faced by their parents but because a father is in jail or a mother has nothing to do but get into her addictions, the children who are supposed to stay in school and think about nothing else but their lessons, instead, stay on the streets to sell drugs and earn. With such kinds of life, the students are exposed to hardships that pressure them to cheat in order to survive and consequently apply it in school. To the police, the students are just like their parents, drug dealers and cheaters who are threats to the peace and order of the community. They know they are selling drugs and they are watched like adults. Sometimes, they are also made as assets when the opportunity arises. They know they are tough so that even if they are young, they play rough with them. The kids’ parents look up to them to take responsibility in their families. For instance, Michael is expected to provide for the family’s needs and in the eighth episode of season 4, he even gives his mother money (34:37) instead of the mother giving him what he needs. The familial and environmental backgrounds of the children demand them to become tough as they are and lost interest in schoolwork. However, to the teachers, the children are still children and human beings. Although most of them are failing in their classes, the teachers like Prezbo, do their best to let the children learn. The sad thing is; there ar e also teachers who look at the situation differently. As one teacher said, it is not about the kids but it was about Prezbo surviving (37:25). The conversation came up when Mr. Rolan Pryzbylewski, also known as Prezbo, brought to the attention of the other teachers the very high percentage of failing students who were not yet able to do basic mathematical applications their age mates are performing. The reply was implied, that he should just let his students pass. One teacher suggested that he should not teach

The Demise of Woolworths

The Demise of Woolworths Research Proposal Title: The Demise of Woolworths Abstract: This report focuses on the reasons for the downfall of nearly century old retail Woolworths. This report will deals with the financial aspects of this company which led to such a tragic end. The financial aspects of Woolworths will be evaluated with the help of Key Financial Indicators and Ratios which will be taken into consideration while arriving at a conclusion. The introduction to Key Financial Indicators and Ratios and their calculations respectively, will be demonstrated as the research progresses. Methodology and Analysis of this research will depend on these Key Financial Indicators and Ratios of Woolworths and then the conclusion of this report will be reached. Introduction: An introduction to Key Financial Indicators and Ratios. Below are a few Indicators and ratios on which any companys finances are evaluated to conclude how healthy a business or a company is. Balance Sheet: ‘ It is a financial statement that lists the assets, liabilities and equity of a company at a specific point in time and is used to calculate the net worth of a business. (Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82186.html) Profit Loss Statement: ‘The purpose of the Profit Loss Statement is to present the income and expense items for a business, grouped according to the nature of the transaction, in a manner that allows the user to easily review the income, expenditure and profitability of the business. (Source: http://www.sasb.wa.gov.au) Key financial indicators and ratio are determined through the information contained in both Balance sheet and Profit Loss account. The Key Financial Indicators are: †¢ Net Turnover: This is the Net turnover against investment. †¢ Net Operating Profit or Loss, as a percentage of net turnover †¢ Profit or Loss before Taxes as a percentage of net turnover †¢ Return on Equity †¢ Return on assets †¢ Equity to assets †¢ Return on Investment †¢ Return on Capital Equity †¢ Net Gearing Gearing Ratios (Source: http://www.rahoitustarkastus) Background: An Introduction to Woolworths: Frank Woolworths started a retail store in Britain 99 years ago i.e, in 1909 and called his store F.W Woolworths. He was an American retailer, who started his retailing career in 1879 in America. First retail outlet of Woolworths in Britain was on Church Street in Liverpool. The very concept of Woolworths was clear right from the beginning; it sold everything from merchandise to household from three pence onwards to six pence. The idea behind the Woolworths pricing was to introduce a low cost retail store, where people can buy almost everything under one roof for as low as six pence. Woolworths was already a strong competitor to the existing retail stores in Britain. The Evolution of Woolworths then took place and this retail store was an instant hit in Britain, after a decade there was a new store opening every 17 days. The other speciality of Woolworths was the concept of pick ‘ n mix which was a completely new concept to British high streets, this was also a result to Woolworths becoming an instant hit in Britain. It was the first retail chain in Britain , and so it did keep the pace with the rapidly growing consumer demand. It also constantly kept updating its fashion products, merchandise, and entertainment. From its first inception till the very recent times, it had undergone numerous ups and downs in its business. In Late 90s Woolworths started to slip from its position in the London Stock Exchange, and the share prices were decreasing constantly, giving a chance to its competitors in this new generation to build a strong position in the market of retail chain. After this Woolworths failed to meet the changing customer demands and hence its market was taken over by a number of new competitors in the market. Woolworths is still familiar and fondly remembered as a 99 year old retail chain but, as the customer demands changed which proved that Woolworths couldnt keep the pace with the changing customer needs and finally ended itself in an unrecoverable position. This impact was even more intense because of the credit crunch. Aims: †¢ To investigate if business operations of Woolworths led to its demise. †¢ To investigate if the financial condition of Woolworths, led to its demise Objectives: †¢ To indentify if there was an operational failure, that led to Woolworths demise †¢ To identify if the financial condition of Woolworths, led to its demise. Research Questions: †¢ To what extent business operations of Woolworths influence its demise? †¢ Was the demise of Woolworths predictable from the companys financial situation before its demise? Methodology: The data will be collected from different sources like newspapers, journals, reports of the financial status of the company before the downfall. Companys Balance sheets will be collected to identify if there were any short comings in the companys finances that led to its demise. Key Financial Indicators and Ratios will be explained in brief and the formulae for calculating the ratios will be explained as they are in the theories. Also the articles on the same will be collected. The data collected will be purely financial data or the data which indicate the financial status of the company. Reports, journals and articles will be collected to understand how Woolworths failed as a business after 99 years of its first inception. Different views of the authors, writers and public will be taken into consideration while evaluating the data. Data will be collected to focus on the operations of Woolworths and its effects on Woolworths demise. Data will collected to analyse how Woolworths operated before the demise and nearing its demise. The overall aspects of operations that will be focussed are marketing, sales, business strategy as a whole group in order to analyse the operations of Woolworths. Analysis: After the data has been collected from the above mentioned sources, it will be evaluated by comparing it with the concepts like Key Financial Indicators and Ratios in theories, textbooks and other journals, and then a conclusion will be reached. The analysis of the companys balance sheets of last three years will be put through this rigorous comparison against the ideal financial situation described in theories and textbooks and will be then evaluated to reach to a conclusion. The data from the reports and journals will be evaluated through different key business strategies and other aspects of business like Marketing etc to reach to a conclusion whether or not Woolworths could change itself to the changing needs to the consumers. The other reports from various authors will help us to investigate whether there were one or more reasons for its downfall. This will also help the argument in the case of Woolworths downfall by authors and writers in different sources. The operations of Woolworths will be gauged in terms of business planning, customer service, marketing, competition, various sales techniques and overall business strategy. Definitions and the theories of the above mentioned topics by authors and textbooks will be used as the reference to evaluate the efficiency levels in operations of Woolworths. Woolworths operations will be studied in detail from the data sources and will be compared to the business operations theories by authors to evaluate the efficiency in operations of Woolworths and then a conclusion will be reached. Conclusion: To be Obtained. Bibliography: †¢ Streetwise Financing the Small Business: Raise Money for Your Business at Any Stage of Growth, By Charles H. Green. Published by Adams Media, 2003. †¢ Results: How to Assess Performance, Learning, and Perceptions in Organizations, By Richard A. Swanson, Ed Holton, Elwood F. Holton. Published by Berrett-Koehler, 1999 †¢ Finance for Non-Financial Managers: A Briefcase Book, By Gene Siciliano. Published by McGraw-Hill Professional, 2003 †¢ The Basics of Finance: Financial Tools for Non-Financial Managers, By Bryan E. Milling. Published by iUniverse, 2003. †¢ The Essentials of Finance and Accounting for Nonfinancial Managers, By Edward Fields. Published by AMACOM Div Mgmt Assn, 2002. †¢ International Business: Environments and Operations, By John D. Daniels, Lee H. Radebaugh, Michael Payne. Published by Addison-Wesley, 1995. †¢ The Disaster Recovery Handbook: A Step-by-step Plan to Ensure Business Continuity and Protect Vital Operations, Facilities, and Assets, By Michael Wallace, Lawrence Webber. Published by AMACOM Div Mgmt Assn, 2004. †¢ Intro to Business: Finance, Marketing, Operations, Management, By Les Dlabay, James L. Burrow, Steven A. Eggland, Jim Burrow. Published by Thomson South-Western, 2005. †¢ Operations Management in Business, By Andrew Greasley. Published by Nelson Thornes, 1999. †¢ Hoovers Handbook of World Business 2004: Profiles of Major Global Enterprises, By Hoovers, Incorporated, Hoovers, Incorporated. Published by Hoovers, Incorporated, 2004. †¢ Business Review Weekly: BRW, Published by Business Review Weekly, 2006. †¢ The Revitalisation of Woolworths Case Study, By Dennis Turner, Australian Graduate School of Management Centre for Corporate Change, Centre for Corporate Change. Published by Centre for Corporate Change, 1992. †¢ Remembering Woolworths: A Nostalgic History of the Worlds Most Famous Five-and-Dime, By Karen Plunkett-Powell. Published by St. Martins Press, 2001. †¢ http://www.rahoitustarkastus.fi/NR/rdonlyres/FA79ECF5-B480-4109-92FA-DF81C51B9477/0/20313L4.pdf †¢ http://www.sasb.wa.gov.au/DataStore/files/Categories/Financial%20Reporting%20Requirements/Financial%20Reporting%20Policy_Explanatory%20Notes%20as%20of%2013.11.2006.pdf †¢ http://www.tec.govt.nz/templates/standard.aspx?id=1222 †¢ http://www.tec.govt.nz/templates/standard.aspx?id=1223 †¢ http://www.businessfinance.com/books/workbook/BusinessFundingWorkbook028.htm †¢ http://www.startribune.com/business/37143589.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU †¢ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/recession/3528082/History-of-Woolworths.html †¢ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/3482687/Woolworths-a-brief-history-in-pictures.html †¢ http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article5237402.ece †¢ http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/offline-shopping-misc/woolworths/1051087/ †¢ http://www.publishinggame.com/art_whysmallbusinessesfail.htm †¢ http://www.captureplanning.com/articles/69960.cfm? †¢ http://www.allbusiness.com/business-planning-structures/business-plans/1440-1.html

Empirical Formula of Magnesium Oxide :: essays research papers

Empirical Formula of Magnesium Oxide Date: Aim: The aim of this experiment was to determine the empirical formula of magnesium oxide. Equipment:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Balance  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crucible and lid  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bunsen burner  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Magnesium ribbon (0.2g)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Steel wool  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crucible tongs  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pipe clay triangle  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tripod Procedure: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obtain a clean, dry crucible and lid, then heat them for approximately 5 minutes over a Bunsen burner 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Clean the surface of a 20 cm strip of magnesium ribbon using steel wool 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coil the magnesium ribbon, so that it fits into the crucible 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weigh crucible and lid on a balance, and record the mass 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Place magnesium ribbon into crucible, replace the lid and weigh once more 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heat the crucible and its content with the lid off until the magnesium begins to glow 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Replace the lid and heat the crucible strongly 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Continue to heat the crucible, occasionally lifting the lid with tongs to provide oxygen for the reaction 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When all magnesium has reacted, remove the lid and heat strongly for 5 minutes 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Replace crucible lid and allow to cool 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reweigh the crucible with its contents and lid Observations: Once the magnesium was in the crucible and was being heated by the Bunsen burner, it glowed for a brief time. It then caught fire before the lid was placed on top. When it came into contact with the oxygen, the magnesium started glowing extremely bright, and intensely white. The glow became orange after some time. The magnesium ribbon then turned white. Results: Mass of crucible and lid  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  29.9 g Mass of crucible, lid and magnesium  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  30.1 g Mass of magnesium  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.2 g Mass of crucible, lid and magnesium oxide  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  30.3 g Mass of magnesium oxide  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.4 g Mass of oxygen combined with magnesium   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0.2 g Questions: 1. a) The mass of magnesium which reacted was 0.2 grams. b) The mass of oxygen that combined with the magnesium was 0.2 g. 2. What is the empirical formula of magnesium oxide? Mg0.2 g0.224.310.0080.0081=2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  O0.2 g0.2160.01250.0081.56 =3 Thus the empirical formula of Magnesium Oxide is Mg O . 3. Why are the crucible and lid heated at the beginning of the experiment before being weighed? The crucible and lid are heated at the beginning of the experiment before being weighed so that any moisture in the crucible is burned away. Moisture is heavy, and thus it can change the results of the experiment, as we only want the weight of magnesium and the magnesium oxide. 4. What are the possible sources of error in this experiment? Possible sources of error in this experiment include the inaccuracy of measurements, as correct measurements are vital for the experiment. The loss of magnesium oxide smoke can also be counted as a possible source of error: if you should lose some of the smoke, there would be a less amount of magnesium oxide than expected at the end of the experiment.

Interpretivists Approach to Suicide

Suicide is a phenomenon understudied in early 1960’s. One of the reasons was due to Durkheim’s ‘‘Le Suicide’’ (1897) had been widely ruled in sociology. Durkheim used a scientific approach to study the causalities of suicide. It was believed that there was little more to study on suicide. However, interpretivists such as Douglas criticised Durkheim’s study as not being reliable due to the fact he used quantitative data. Douglas believed that he failed to take into account society is constructed through people's interactions and all statistics are social construct.Interpretivists seek to find the reasons of suicide by find how society is socially constructed through the social interactions between people in society. Recently, there has been a new interpretive approach which has formed new explanation significantly diverse explanations to Durkheim's positivistic approach. Although interpretivists approaches have produced a more valid meani ng to suicide as some may say, it is still flawed. Douglas classification of suicide was trough social meaning through revenge,self-destruct,sympathetic,guilt etc.He believed that suicide was a way of responding by try to solve a problem. He looked at categorizing suicides according to their social meanings because the causes and responses to suicide vary from society to society. Douglas criticised Durkheim’s study of suicide rates based on it’s methodological grounds. He argued that suicide statistics hardly lacked any form of validity mainly because it could be misinterpreted by the coroner’s verdict.For example, Durkheim suggested that suicide rates were low in Catholic countries due to high social integration. Douglass criticised this he would say that as for Catholics suicide is a mortal sin families would put pressure on coroners to reach an alternative verdict and the suicide figures were low due to inaccuracies. Douglas sees suicide statistics as the res ult of negotiations between the different parties involved which can lead to distorted statistics.He thus says that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t useful in society because the statistics were based on coroner’s interpretations (therefore suicides are socially constructed) and so his study wasn’t reliable. He suggests it is more important to look at the meaning of suicide. He also suggested that we need to study them with qualitative methods and use case studies. However he denies that suicide could be explained by external factors. In this case, Douglas theory was considered invalid as he failed to show any kind of evidence to back his research.Atkinson (1978) believed that coroners had a common sense theory of suicide. They categorise suicide based on information from this theory; they consider four types of evidence relevant for reaching a verdict and if the evidence matches the incident then it is considered suicide. Their verdicts are based on sui cide notes, location and circumstances, life history and finally the mode of death. Atkinson also criticises Durkheim’s method of studying suicide, he identified that different cultures imply different interpretations for suicide.For example, he studied four English and Danish coroners and gave them the same case studies . He found that the Danish coroners are much more likely to come to a verdict on suicide based on probability of balance, whereas the English coroners looked for evidence to reach to a conclusion if a suicide was intent. Furthermore, Jean Baechler argued that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t useful because suicide can’t be explained wholly in terms of external factors. Not everyone whose business fails, or whose spouse dies, or who is a protestant in an urban area, kill themselves.Thus, to Baechler, suicide must always be at least partially explained through ‘personal factors’ that are particular to an individual and this is n’t possible with the use of official statistics – he thought that it would be more useful to study individual suicide cases and to categorise them – therefore suggesting that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t particularly useful in society because it was impossible to find the true meaning behind the suicides using only statistics.On the other hand, however, Steve Taylor criticises both Douglas and Baechler for failing to recognise the value of Durkheim’s work. He criticises Douglas for contradicting himself. At some points Douglas implies that suicide statistics can never be reliable since its always a matter of judgement whether a death is a suicide, but at other times he suggests that causes of suicide can be found; it’s difficult to see how this can be true if its impossible to be certain whether an act is a suicide.Commenting on Baechler, Taylor points out those individual cases often fit a number of categories, depending on the interpretation the researcher makes of the victim’s motives, and there is no reason to believe that these interpretations are any more reliable than suicide statistics. From this he suggested that suicides could be classified into four types such as thantation, submissive, sacrifice and appeal. Taylor approach is useful as it combined both qualitative and quantitative methods making his study both reliable and valid.However, Taylor has received a lot of criticism over the fact he used a lot of secondary data and is unaware of the inaccuracies it contained. It has also been shown that in reality you cannot simply classify suicide into four types. In conclusion, there are many criticisms against Durkheim’s study on suicide which suggest that it is not suitable to study the causalities of suicide and maybe the interpretivists. We should instead examine the interpretive theories of suicide.However, Hindess argues that such writers, whilst criticising the social constructi on of suicide statistics, simply ask us to believe that their interpretations of the â€Å"reality† of suicide are more valid than Durkheim's. He also states that interpretivists have no evidence to support their approach on suicide and simply want us to believe in their interpretations which are no more useful then Durkheim’s study on suicide. Nevertheless, Durkheim’s study was published in the 19th century so maybe it isn’t useful in modern industrial society as the results may not generalise to contemporary society.