Belonging speech free essay sample

Good morning/Afternoon teachers and students today I will be showing you how a sense of belonging or not belonging greatly influences an individual’s identity. A change in identity occurs when belonging is found through meaningful, intimate relationships, with senses of place, community, safety and familiarity. The free verse novel, The Simple Gift, composed by Steven Herrick, the dramatic fairy tale film, Edward Scissor hands, directed and created by Tim Burton and the novel Matilda composed by Roald Dahl, all explore the concepts of belonging and relationships through the strong use of literary techniques; and focus on a changing Identity as a base for belonging. All texts have significantly different perspectives of belonging and identity. Edward yearns to belong and become part of society’s conformity and routine, whereas Billy aspires to a life of solitude and self-reliance and Matilda tries to belong somewhere in her life. Billy is a misfit in high school, having no significant relationships and a heartless abusive father, the ‘old bastard’. We will write a custom essay sample on Belonging speech or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Before he embarks on journey for belonging, it is evident that he lacks a sense of belonging at home and in his community. Billy describes his home house as ‘Deadbeat no hoper shithole lonely downtrodden house in Long lands road, Nowheresville’. This string of informal negative description emphasizes Billy’s emotional isolation and dislocation within his community. His missing sense of belonging gives him the identity of an outcast, which proves belonging or not belonging greatly influences an individuals’ identity. Billy’s escape from his town, Nowheresville to Bendarat coincides with his discovery of relationships, acceptance and nourishment from strangers. Herrick has used the characterization of Billy’s father figures to portray his desire to belong. When Billy first escapes his town, and we first see the weather motif, mirroring Billy’s belonging to place, the rain is personified as Billy describes it as ‘hitting you in the face with the force of a father’s punch’. This metaphor shows why Billy needed to escape from his abusive tyrant father, and his lack of intimate relationships and belonging. Herrick later utilizes the characterization of Ernie and Irene, total strangers who through altruism and kindness offer him refuge and simple gifts. Ernie starkly contrasts Billy’s father, and introduces the motif of gifts, which influences Billy’s selfless nature. Irene, the librarian, offers Billy empathy and doesn’t judge him. The two characters of Ernie and Irene have anagrammatic names, because they were both designed to serve the same purpose -offer the simple gift of kindness and altruism. Billy’s relationship with these characters fosters his change of identity to a much more caring person. Although Billy’s sense of not belonging is evident, he finds places of isolation, safety and familiarity throughout The Simple Gift. His makeshift home, a train carriage becomes his home and provides him with sense of belonging to place. Billy describes the train carriage as a ‘cave’ and ‘a hotel’. He classifies it as a cave because it protects him from the elements and furthermore as a hotel because it is not his permanent residence. His places of belonging and refuge greatly influence his identity. Further on in The Simple Gift, Billy discovers true belonging is found through meaningful, emotionally nourishing relationships. Billy’s relationship with Old Bill is one of the most important, as they give each other purpose, safety and nourishment. Billy explains â€Å"that’s why I help Old Bill, for no reason other than he needs it; this shows Billy’s altruism through the use of simple gift motif. Billy develops another significant relationship with Caitlin, a wealthy girl who is ‘smart enough to realise none of this means anything’, because like Billy, she values a lack of material possessions, and dislikes the identity associated with being wealthy. Billy’s relationship with Caitlin provides him with a sense of belonging to friendships. Edward scissor hands tells us a story about an artificial man, ‘Edward Scissor hands’, who was made by a lonely inventor who lived on top of a hill near a small town. Long after his inventor’s death, Edward is brought into society by Meg, a local resident and encounters many new and interesting things as he attempts to belong in civilisation. This film explores concepts of belonging to groups or communities and a sense of belonging in relationships shown by Edward’s endless struggle to find clarity and purpose. A sense of isolation can come from ones difference to others, whether it is physical mental or spiritual. Edward’s hands made out of sharp scissors are iconic of his separation from the rest of society. They create a physical barrier between him and others which greatly limit the amount of physical contact Edward can have with others and the rest of the world and in turn creates a sense of isolation. This is carefully and noticeably communicated by Burton by the use of colour and contrast, specifically Edward’s initial costume is completely black leather, decorated with metal studs and rings. His hair is jet black and very messy and his face is pale white. This along with Edward’s mansion, a dark place riddled with cobwebs and falling apart, so far away from society, juxtaposes fantastically with the bright and vibrant colours of the town, the houses and the clothes and outfits of the townspeople. He in fact only finds a sense of belonging when he is shown kindness and outreached by Meg. She gives him clothes to wear, which although do not seem to break his theme of darkness and dullness, do still symbolise his inclusion and belonging in their society. She also offers him purpose by letting him use his scissors to trim her garden hedges. The novel Matilda is a clear representation of the concept of belonging the ideas that are conveyed in the film are relevant to belonging by how they are displayed. From the start of the novel you come to realise that Matilda doesn’t relate or isn’t able to connect to her family. This is demonstrated in the quotes â€Å"Are you in this family? † â€Å"Mmmm†¦.. Hello are you in this family† â€Å"I’m fed up with all this reading! You’re a wormwood, you start acting like one! Now sit up and look at the TV† this quotes tells us that Matilda loves reading but her family love watching television so the father questions her belonging to the family. Matilda finds a sense of familial belonging with Miss Honey. When Matilda first enters her classroom she gets as strong sense of belonging with her teacher because she is drawn by her warm, kind hearted nature. These three texts have all shown a sense of belonging or not belonging greatly influences an individual’s identity. Throughout all these texts the use of literary techniques and all focus on changing identity. Thank you for listening. Belonging Speech free essay sample To me belonging is a sense of enlightenment felt when an individual gains an understanding of themselves in relation to others and the wider world. To actually feel as if we belong, we must first accept ourselves and be accepted by others. A real sense of belonging can be determined by self-acceptance and acceptance by a group. However, when difficult situations are experienced, an individual may gain a sense of belonging through self-acceptance alone. This is clearly represented in the novel, ‘The Passage’, written by Justin Cronin, the poem, ‘St. Patricks College’, composed by Peter Skrzynecki and the film, ‘The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’ directed by Stephen Chbosky. These three texts clearly reflect how one would belong through self-acceptance. ‘The Passage’ is a post-apocalyptic thriller about an ancient vampiric disease that destroys society and leaves only a handful of people alive including Amy, the protagonist, who incidentally holds the key to the survival of the human race. We will write a custom essay sample on Belonging Speech or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The main protagonist, Amy, with specific reference to chapter 23, is travelling the apocalyptic landscape of America where she gains a certain self-acceptance due to the difficult situation that she is dealing with. The difficult situation being that Amy is scientifically immortal and has kept to living on her own and ultimately, surviving on her own. Cronin reveals â€Å"It was summer again and she was alone. Alone with no one but the voices she heard, everywhere and all around. † To us, it reveals how alone Amy really is and ultimately how she has come to accept herself for what she is. This revelation of Amy’s has come from the situation she has had to deal with and in a way, grown up with. The situation being that the world has ended, she is immortal and she has no one to belong with. Due to the difficult situation that Amy is in she has had to draw her own sense of belonging from herself as opposed to feeling as if she belongs with other people. For Skrzynecki in ‘St. Patricks College’ he has had to accept himself, like Amy, though a difficult situation is faced he has still been able to feel a sense of belonging with himself. Skrzynecki feels â€Å"Like a foreign tourist,† whenever he attends St. Patricks College or whenever he is among others who attend St. Patricks College. This highlights the feelings of Skrzynecki and how he as an individual feels as though he does not belong with them. Skrzynecki even reveals that he is â€Å"Uncertain of† his â€Å"destination†. This yet again implies how much Skrzynecki does not belong at St. Patricks College or in that case with any other student who attends St. Patricks College. Obviously, this situation has forced Skrzynecki to adapt to his surroundings of the College and learn to accept himself to feel the sense of belonging that isn’t really expressed within the text. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’ is a film set in the early 1990’s and addresses the problems that Charlie, the main character, faces while attending high school after his best friend from middle school had committed suicide only months before hand. For anybody, being a semi-depressed teenager is a difficult situation to be in; Char lie faces this during the entire film all the way up to the very last moments. At the beginning of the film while we hear Charlie’s voice over of him writing his first letter to his â€Å"friend† he talks of alienation from his ex-middle school friends such as Susan. Charlie writes â€Å"I thought maybe my old friend Susan would want to have lunch with me† but because of Charlie’s extremely difficult situation that he is dealing with Susan â€Å"doesn’t like to say hi† to Charlie anymore. The use of voice over in this scene creates a connection between the audience and Charlie and provides sufficient evidence of how alienated Charlie is among his peers. Charlie even admits â€Å"If my English teacher is the only friend I make today, that would be sort of depressing. † This emphasises how alienated Charlie is and how much he doesn’t fit in. Due to this being a difficult circumstance for Charlie he has learnt to belong with himself even though he feels he does not belong with anyone else. In ‘The Passage’, Amy faces her situation head on which in Chapter 23 reveals that, in a way, Amy has been forced to see belonging as an unimportant aspect of her life. This has pushed Amy to accept herself and disregard the need for others. We learn this when Amy is thinking to herself when she thinks â€Å"Are we the all? For I have seen no one, no man or woman, in all the years and years. Is there no I but I? During this moment Amy is feeling a negative connection with the Virals, the vampires, she concludes her thoughts where Cronin writes â€Å"Go now, she thought, and closed her eyes; and when she opened them again she found she was alone. † Cronin pieces together Chapter 23 with finesse and understanding of Amy. He was able to show us two things: the first is that Amy did not want to belong with anyone as she feared for their safety and the second was that even though we must be accepted by others to belong, we are able to belong if we are to accept ourselves if we are involved with a difficult situation. For Skrzynecki in ‘St. Patricks College’ he also finds belonging an unimportant aspect of his life while he attends the College. This might not be as bad as Amy’s situation but to Skrzynecki it is still daunting. Skrzynecki â€Å"†¦ stuck pine needles Into the motto On my breast. † This shows the lack of caring for the motto and in turn the College. As Skrzynecki doesn’t really care for the College belonging obviously does not matter as much as Charlie from ‘The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’ wants to belong. For Skrzynecki saying, â€Å"The Lord’s Prayer In Latin, all in one breath† was a feat clearly showing his disregard for the significance of The Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is clearly connected to the College for religious reasons and because Skrzynecki misses the significance of the prayer it proves that Skrzynecki didn’t want to necessarily belong. Due to Skrzynecki being alone and feeling excluded from the college he has had to rely on his own self-acceptance to feel his own sense of belonging. ‘The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’ is a film where the main theme is belonging. Charlie reflects just that and begins to accept the fact that he is a â€Å"wallflower† and feels a sense of belonging with himself. Aside from this, Charlie wants to feel included, he wants to belong and eventually he feels that with Sam and Patrick. At Charlie’s first party Patrick makes a toast to Charlie of which Charlie questions with â€Å"what did I do? † where Patrick responds â€Å"you didn’t do anything, we just wanted to toast our new friend† this conveys a sense of belonging among the audience as well as Charlie and the other characters. This is different from Amy in ‘The Passage’ and Skrzynecki in ‘St. Patricks College’ because they do not want to belong or don’t feel the need to whereas Charlie wants to belong and wants to fit in. Accompanying this is the use of camera angles. When the camera is facing Charlie it is in a high angle position showing Charlies vulnerability and when it points at Patrick it’s a low angle position demonstrating the importance of Patrick. This is a clear representation of how one would feel a sense of belonging when they are accepted by others as well as how one would feel a sense of belonging when they accept themselves. To feel as if you belong, you must accept yourself and be accepted by others but when dealing with difficult situations you can rely on self-acceptance to feel as if you belong. This is without a doubt clearly represented in ‘The Passage’, ‘St. Patricks College’ and ‘The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’. These three very similar texts all show how a sense of belonging can be determined by self-acceptance and acceptance by a group. However, when difficult situations are experienced, an individual may gain a sense of belonging through self-acceptance alone. Belonging speech free essay sample Belonging is the perceptions held by individuals, which enables them to be inherently connected and to develop an affinity with themselves as well as an intimate bond with place. I believe I have learnt that belonging is the most basic human desire, a part of the human condition. In order to achieve true belonging, however, many feel the need to belong to a particular place. In Peter Skrzynecki’s poem Migrant Hostel, and in a feature article in the Sydney Morning Herald titled All at sea in a leaky boat, the concept of belonging to self as a human desire is explored through displacement. Displacement is a fundamental aspect of not belonging but it is a human desire to try to belong and have a connection with place. The title of Migrant Hostel shows the context of Skrzynecki’s own experience in Parkes Migrant Hostel in NSW from 1949-51. Time and place are established in the poem expressing the values and attitudes in this contextual time period. We will write a custom essay sample on Belonging speech or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"Comings and goings/†¦newcomers/†¦busloads/†¦sudden departures/†¦who would be coming next. † This list of phrases is associated with the transitionary environments, which thousands of migrants experienced after WWII. This technique creates the sense of dislocation felt by the migrants through the use of words describing the uncertainty they felt in their lives. â€Å"Comings and goings† juxtaposing each other and creating a paradox that suggests there is no permanence or belonging to this place. All at sea in a leaky boat reinforces the displacement experienced by the lack of emotional connection to place. Published in 2008, the text allows for a continuity of a similar theme of displacement over time, therefore expressing the similar attitudes and supporting the thesis for the human condition to desire a sense of belonging to place. The text reads â€Å"†¦will remain imprinted forever†¦ the scent of hope and stench of despair. † This juxtaposition felt by displaced immigrants separates their â€Å"hope† for a sense of belonging and their â€Å"despair† as an effect of displacement. The audience understands that displacement creates the feeling of not belong and in doing so prevents the most common human desire to be at peace with Oneself and with ones surrounding, in fact, to belong. The article is backed up by statistics to further enhance the point. â€Å"20,000 people made the perilous attempt†¦spending weeks, months, years†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The high modality in this extract reflects the persuasive motive of the author. The use of emotive language in this highly subjective form enhances the effect, shown through repetitive connotations to provoke the senses: â€Å"†¦acrid smell/†¦urine and exhaustion/†¦sucked dry/†¦the deep drone of boat engines. † Both texts are highly emotive, creating a sense of displacement and describing the difficulty of individuals not being able to belong not only to place but to community and most importantly to themselves. As Simon Sinek explained â€Å"The most basic human desire is to feel like you belong. † Though these texts and the close area study of ‘belonging’ I have learnt that to be basically human is to have a desire to belong, to place and therefore to oneself.

One Figurehead Against the Other essays

One Figurehead Against the Other essays Along with being a personal narrative of a man ¡s journey to overcome sin, the Inferno also is a cascading allegory of the Medieval interpretation of the relationship between good versus evil and the afterlife. It is on the allegorical level that one infers that hell is representative of sin, with Satan as definitive sin at Hell ¡s center. This conjecture of Satan ¡s allegorical meaning is supported in the Inferno as shown by,  ¡Now see the face of Dis! This is the place where you must arm your soul against all dread ¡ (Canto XXXIV, 20-21). Further analysis of this interpretation of the Dark Lord later in the text shows that there is a perversion of the Catholic Holy Trinity present within him. Dante ¡s use of this perversion, rather than simply being a mockery God as many of the sinner ¡s punishments mock their sins on earth, is allegorically representative of how sin, or the ultimate sin in the case of Satan, is a perversion of God ¡s perfect image and grace. When the poets reach the last depth of Cocytus, Dante presents his image of Satan to the reader in a way that clearly perverts the Catholic Trinity and the image of the Christian God. Under Catholic Doctrine, Lucifer was originally an angel of God, who, like earthly men, was created in God ¡s image. This premise is presented early on in the Bible,  ¡Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let him rule over all the earth ¡KGod created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them ¡ (NIV, Genesis. 1:26-27). Lucifer was cast into hell to be eternally tormented for his insolence against the Father and his lust for the throne of heaven. Dante takes this background and shows Satan, the representation of ultimate sin, as a grotesque, demonic figure with the same features of the angel that he was, though lacking the angelic form of those features. This is stated in the Inferno as,  ¡If he ...

Mr Cod Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Mr Cod - Essay Example The company manages its operations through specialised American machinery to international standards, but with a difference. Mr Cod has its roots firmly targeting British sentiments and maintains a high quality that is synonymous of its service. Mr Cod's special Fish and Chips and other famous chicken products are, in the opinion of its staunch supporters and existing franchisees, superior to any multinational competitor. Mr Cod is the brainchild of Mr John Brewer, a pioneer of fast food franchising in the UK, and a former director of Kentucky Fried Chicken. He became a founder member of the British Franchise Association in 1977, and a founder member of the British Fast Food Federation in 1978 (Mr. Cod, Mr. Cod Background and History, www.mrcod.com). The fast-food industry has seen a remarkable upward trend in recent years in the UK. It was estimated that this business industry, which, if coffee shops were included, was valued at around 10.78bn, in 2005, an increase of 4% to the corresponding period the previous year. It's quite easy to predict the cause for this growth pattern. With globalisation come opportunities. Its not just here in the UK or in Europe, but the world itself is becoming one big union. China was the first to break the communist jinx and follow a path to liberalisation and open market. This opened the floodgates and multinational companies took advantage of the benefits of cheap labour and raw materials to establish and expand their market presence there. It didn't take long for other Asian countries to recognise the benefit of liberalisation. Soon others joined the bandwagon to economic freedom and FDI. Perhaps one might wonder what this has got to do with the fast food industry. Time! Just about everyone competes with the other for space. Fast-paced and time restrained, the people who make things happen, have just no time to share the table with their colleagues and family. Gone are the days when families got together on weekends over a barbeque and had fun. Today, the world is fast-paced. Only those who have the inclination and dedication for fast-paced life, survive. Breakfasts during transit, business meetings over lunch, and late dinner are a part of an executive's life. Liberalisation and globalisation has brought countries closer to each other. With more and more conglomerates setting up their business in other countries, competition has become stiff. Time is money and people just don't seem to have the time to sit over a cup of coffee with a paper in their hand. This phenomenon has created opportunities for hoteliers and other like-minded entrepreneurs as well. Fast food for the fast-paced! Just about every corner of the street is occupied by a burger or hot dog vendor making a decent income by sunset. Welcome to the world of fast foods. This tradition has caught the imagination of almost all people

Business communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Business communication - Essay Example f the experience that you have procured amid your time in therapeutic deals there are a few profession ways to consider where you will have the capacity to utilize this experience specifically. Inside of a pharmaceutical organization you may have the chance to move into any of the accompanying parts: Specialist Representative - Hospital Sales, Biotechnology, NHS Liaison P.R. Preparing - Central or Regional area Field Management - 1st line deals administration Product Management - Specialist showcasing If you move into the pharmaceutical administration division there are different roads to consider. Promoting, Medical Education, P.R. Preparing, Recruitment Whatever parkway you picked, the beginning preparing that you get as a therapeutic agent will be major in building your future vocation. Graduates with applicable capabilities in life sciences, drug store, pharmaceutical, nursing or dentistry. Newcomers typically get a starting period (up to six months) of extreme preparing, after which they may shadow experienced deals staff before beginning to take a shot at their own. Medical delegates are the key purpose of contact in the middle of pharmaceutical and therapeutic organizations and medicinal services experts, advancing item mindfulness, noting questions, giving guidance and presenting new items. Ctb.ku.edu. (2015). Chapter 10. Hiring and Training Key Staff of Community Organizations | Section 5. Developing Personnel Policies | Main Section | Community Tool Box. Retrieved 23 June 2015, from

Business Plan for AAA International Travel Services Ltd Essay

Business Plan for AAA International Travel Services Ltd - Essay Example The products and services that the business is going to launch differ from that of their competitors. All other travel firms offer different services to customers based on available budget and resources. AAA travel services will provide services based on customers’ preferences. Although all packages have been designed already in accordance with the schedules and available resources, but the firm can bring little changes in the packages in accordance with the needs and demands of the customers. For example, if a customer asks for a ten days trip to some Eastern country and the firm offers an eight days package, then the company will change the schedule and package accordingly but the customer will have to pay some extra amount to the firm because of modifications. The firm will also provide best available accommodation to its customers. â€Å"Comfortable hotels and accommodation facilities play a very important role in popularizing any tourist destination† (Ahliya 2008, p. 1).ii. Target MarketTarget market is the group of people that a company wants to target for the sale of products and services. For AAA Travel Services company, the target market for the firm will cover a large number of local and international customers. The company is located in an area where travel companies are also operating there business activities, so there is also a tough competition in place. Many external and internal factors can affect product innovations, business process innovations or their combination.... The international department will play the lead role. It will include branch office, ticketing services, business office, and direct sales stores. Following is the business structure of the firm: b) The Product Following are the products and services that the firm will provide to its customers: i. Gaps in Market The products and services that the business is going to launch differ from that of their competitors. All other travel firms offer different services to customers based on available budget and resources. AAA travel services will provide services based on customers’ preferences. Although all packages have been designed already in accordance with the schedules and available resources, but the firm can bring little changes in the packages in accordance with the needs and demands of the customers. For example, if a customer asks for a ten days trip to some Eastern country and the firm offers an eight days package, then the company will change the schedule and package accor dingly but the customer will have to pay some extra amount to the firm because of modifications. The firm will also provide best available accommodation to its customers. â€Å"Comfortable hotels and accommodation facilities play a very important role in popularizing any tourist destination† (Ahliya 2008, p. 1). ii. Target Market Target market is the group of people that a company wants to target for the sale of products and services (Tatum n.d.). For AAA Travel Services company, the target market for the firm will cover a large number of local and international customers. The company is located in an area where travel companies are also operating there business activities, so there is also a tough competition in place. However, the range of the

Arguments Against Censorship in Music

Arguments Against Censorship in Music Have you ever wondered why radios have to bleep everything? Or why some CDs can’t be sold in stores? Or why there’s a little â€Å"Parental Advisory† sticker on some albums? If you answered â€Å"yes† to any or all of these questions, then stick around, because for the next 5 minutes, I am going to explain to you why the censorship on our music is way too harsh. Censorship in music should be reconsidered because of many points such as political views, the fact that musicians are willing to fight for their own music, and most of all, freedom of speech! There’s a song that comes to mind when I think about political censorship. A song called â€Å"Not Ready To Make Nice† by The Dixie Chicks. The song won three Grammies in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals. The song is about how they, the band, felt about the invasion of Iraq, and the responses to their position on this situation. Natalie Maines, the main vocalist of the group, was quoted as saying that â€Å"[they] don’t want this war, this violence, and [they’re] ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.† Some of the lines in the song are about the death threats that the band had received in 2003. â€Å"How in the world can the words that I said send somebody so over the edge that they’d write me a letter saying that I better shut up and sing or my life will be over.† Another line in the song â€Å"it’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her daughter that she ought’a hate a perfect stranger,† refers to an incident where a mother is actually egging on her young child to say to the band â€Å"screw ‘em!† Think about that. The next song that I think of is American Idiot by Green Day. From the beginning, this song was opposed by most people in the US because of the open lyrics that express the author’s feelings towards President George W. Bush, and certain political issues. Some believe that the song is â€Å"anti-American† because of the title. However, if you actually listen to the lyrics, you might see how patriotic the song really is. The title refers to the authors’ opinion of how politicians these days are telling people what to do, buy, and believe, and how they’re constantly dooped by all these commercials and campaigns that eventually turn is into, for lack of a better term, â€Å"American Idiot†[s]. In the song, the singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, says that he doesn’t want his nation to become idiots, and doesn’t want to be â€Å"part of a redneck agenda†, and doesn’t want this country to be hated because of decisions made by the gov ernment. â€Å"Welcome to a new kind of tension, all across the alienation.† For this next topic, let me give you some background information. The committee that labels CDs as â€Å"inappropriate† and put the Parental Advisory stickers on CDs is called the Parents Music Resource Center, PMRC. It was founded in 1985 by Tipper Gore. It was created with a goal of â€Å"increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed [by an unknown source] to be violent, have drug use or be sexual.† The people to whom I will be referring to are John Denver, a famous musician during the 70s, and Dee Snider, the lead singer for the band Twisted Sister. These people were called to a senate hearing about the PMRC, and stated their opinions on the topic. John Denver had prepared an official statement for the hearing. After he had given his statement, he spoke off the record, saying â€Å"in my experience, sir, all over the world, one of the most interesting things about music that young people are listening to, is it gives us as adults a very clear insight as to what is going on in their minds. We can know what they’re thinking by listening to the music they surround themselves with.† To me, this totally makes sense. It’s an easy way for parents to communicate, and understand what their children are feeling, and thinking. He goes on to talk about â€Å"the troubled children† he’s talked to, and the troubles they have about â€Å"an inability to communicate with their parents.† This would all be fixed if parents could just understand what their kids are feeling and thinking by just listening every once and a while. This next man, Mr. Dee Snider, is quite an amazing and humble man. He starts out his official statement by saying, â€Å"I am 30 years old, I am married, I have a 3 year old son. I was born and raised a Christian and I still adhere to those principles. Believe it or not, I do not smoke, I do not drink, and I do not do drugs.† Does this sound like a man who needs to be censored? I didn’t think so. In his statement, Mr. Snider talks about how he was attacked three different times because of his music. The first one, Tipper Gore had written an article in a Long Island newspaper where she â€Å"claimed one of [his] songs, ‘Under the Blade,’ had lyrics encouraging sadomasochism, bondage, and rape.† He actually talks about those lyrics and says that the lyrics are about the fear that people get before they go into surgery. Attack number two, Twisted Sister’s song â€Å"We’re Not Gonna Take It† was labeled as rated V because of â€Å"v iolent lyrical content,† when Snider assures everyone that â€Å"there is absolutely no violence of any type either sung about or implied anywhere in the song.† Lastly, Mr. Snider was accused of sexism because of a T-shirt Tipper Gore thought she saw. In response to this, Snider says â€Å"we have always taken great pains to steer clear of sexism in our merchandise, records, stage show, and personal lives.† Clearly, the PMRC is trying to make up stories to get their way. â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† These are the exact words of the first amendment of the Bill of Rights. Basically, congress can’t make any laws saying that people can’t speak their minds. If you ask me, congress has done just that by censoring our music. I think that music is the most important and powerful form of expression that both entertains and informs. So, why hide it? Moral values? Racial implications? Fear? The actual censoring of music began in the 1950s when traditional conservative values were part of the peoples’ mindset. People during that time believed in those morals, and strived to determine what is â€Å"acceptable† for people to listen to. By the end of the 1950s, members of the society witnessed many young adults and teens expressing new attitudes about topics like sex and drugs. This movement started breaking down the â€Å"traditional moral order† in many ways, but especially in music. It may seem off that race would be a factor in music censorship, but it actually is a huge problem, especially in the 50s and 60s when rhythm and blues was first introduced to the world. Some older white people believed that RB was a threat that corrupted the young people who listened to it, and that it promoted â€Å"immoral behavior.† This prompted authorities to take action. An example of these actions; after receiving a myriad of angry letter from listeners, a Chicago radio station promised to censor â€Å"any controversial music, especially RB†. A more recent example of racial censorship in music would be MTV refusing to play music videos from black artists. During a live interview in 1983, famous musician David Bowie asked, â€Å"Why are there practically no black artists on the network?† Good question, Mr. Bowie. I’m sure everyone else was thinking the same thing. â€Å"Censorship is based on fear.† A fear that music will affect us negatively. A fear that music will prevent us from achieving a morally acceptable life. A fear that society will change significantly. Not for the better. The people who decided to censor OUR music are afraid of the unknown, and our music seems to hold that unknown and uncertainty. There’s a song from 1975 called â€Å"The Pill† by Loretta Lynn that was censored on many radio stations for more than 10 years after birth control pills became popular. People did this because they were afraid of the unknown, and thought that all their kids would start acting out, and going out of control. So, all these people who are afraid of our music just try to cover up the problem instead of facing it like adults. To end this speech, censorship in music should be reconsidered because of many points such as political views, the fact that musicians are willing to fight for their own music, and most of all, the freedom of speech. Now, instead of leaving it like this, I’m going to leave you all with a quote from R. Andre Hall. â€Å"From the Vietnam War to today’s Iraq War, and from the advent of the sexual revolution to today’s â€Å"culture wars,† music is recognized as a potential source of power to change values, ideas, and beliefs- as well as to influence actions. Those who fear this change try to stop it by censorship, even when, as history has shown us, censorship is futile when change is inevitable.†

Death of a Salesman Essay

What techniques does Arthur Miller use to highlight the conflict between past and present in Death of a Salesman? How do these techniques also demonstrate his main themes? Death of a Salesman is set in a time when the capitalist system is changing. It is set in the late 1940s, not long after the Wall Street crash in 1929. Willy Loman is unable to adjust to these changes and therefore, there is conflict between the past, where his dreams were achievable, and the present, where he has fallen foul of the capitalist system and is no longer any use to the firm. These conflicts are personified in Willy, and Arthur Miller uses a number of techniques to highlight this. The techniques Miller uses represent Willy’s mind and they distinguish between past and present. These theatrical methods also help to demonstrate the main themes in Death of a Salesman. These theatrical methods include music, lighting, wall-lines, scenery, the use of leaves and also use of costumes. In my essay I plan to explain what each method conveys to the audience and show how Miller uses these methods effectively to highlight the conflicts. Music is used to highlight significant points and themes in the play. Also, the type of music sets the mood for a scene. It creates atmosphere and conveys to the audience the emotions of the characters. Also, silence can highlight a particular scene. The absence of music means that the audience focuses entirely on the conversation taking place. In Death of a Salesman, flute music is heard constantly throughout the duration of the play. It bridges the play, as it is heard both at the beginning and the end. The flute music evokes a faraway, idyllic world, representing the past. It also represents a contrast between Willy and his father. Willy’s father was a pioneer; he made flutes and sold his own products. Willy, on the other hand, has to sell other people’s goods to make a living. A good example of music being used to set the scene is at the beginning of the restaurant scene. The lights have blacked out signifying the end of the previous scene ‘Suddenly rollicking music is heard. ‘ This is setting the mood of the scene for the audience. It shows that the atmosphere is happy and lively. This is to show the mood of the present time. It is a contrast to the past. By having rollicking music, Miller is highlighting this contrast. This links to the theme of Happy and shows more of an insight into his character. Happy has chosen this restaurant and it shows the kind of life he lives, and this is a contrast to Willy.

Baroque Oratorio

Oratorio, which literally means â€Å"hall for prayer†, strictly refers to the musical setting usually pertaining to religion having a storyline. Usually, the text or story is based on religious books such as bibles. It is like an opera minus the scenery, costumes and actions, but has a lot of recitative. In addition to this, at some time, the forms and styles that is present in the oratorio is almost fairly accurate than that of the opera and focuses greatly on chorus (Boynick, 1996, February 1).Handel’s â€Å"Hallelujah Chorus† from his oratorio â€Å"The Messiah† features elements such as basso continuo, homophony, combined instrumental-vocal forms, and a pleasant harmony. Basso continuo refers to the sustaining of either the bass or and the keyboard instrument. This would result to the development of a continuous accompaniment. Furthermore, this is notated with a new music notation system. Homophony refers to the use of one melodic voice while being ac companied by instruments. Handel used a musical technique called the text-painting.It is a technique wherein the melody mimics its lyrics. Melodic rhythm can be observed in â€Å"Hallelujah Chorus†. The rhythm kept changing wherein the word â€Å"hallelujah† was sung in so many different ways. The rhythm of the piece in macro- and microbeats is â€Å"Bah-Bum Bum Bah; Bah-Bah Bum Bah† (Runfola and Taggart, 2005). Handel’s â€Å"Hallelujah Chorus† is still popular nowadays because it is often heard in churches. In addition to this, Handel’s â€Å"Hallelujah Chorus† continues to change or adapt with the generation.There are variations of this piece that becomes familiar to everybody, especially those who are really religious. The piece is also intriguing that it states a story from the bible in a way that excites the audience. References Boynick, M. (February 1, 1996, October 10, 2000). Musical Forms: Oratorio. The Grove Concise Dictiona ry of Music Retrieved February 3, 2008, from http://w3. rz-berlin. mpg. de/cmp/g_oratorio. html Runfola, M. , & Taggart, C. C. (2005). The Development and Practical Application of Music Learning Theory. USA: GIA Publications.

Free Essays on The Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam, which stands at 726 feet, was the world’s tallest dam at the time of it completion in 1935. It took just four years (1931-1935) to build this massive structure. Although larger dams have been built it still ranks as one of the tallest. The dam is located between Nevada and Arizona along the Colorado River. This massive dam was the idea of President Herbert Hoover. The structure’s name was changed from Boulder Dam to the Hoover Dam in honor of him. The need for a dam had been seen for over two decades, so in the early 1920’s site testing began for this great project. Many thought that by controlling the Colorado River they could provide hydroelectric power to many areas out west. This added power was needed due to the extreme growth of Las Vegas and Southern California. Many bids were made on the price of the dam, but in the end it was the Six Companies Inc. who won the project. They estimated the dam to cost $48,890,955. Although they were anxious to start construction it could not be done until transportation to and from the site was established. Thus the first project was to lay roads and railroads to transport the many materials to the site. The next step was to reroute the Colorado River until the dam could be completed. Six Companies built four tunnels through Black Canyon, and then lined these tunnels with concrete. A temporary dam was then constructed to push the river into these tunnels. After the river was â€Å"moved† out of the way special men called â€Å"high scalers† were called in. The men chosen for this job came from all different types of backgrounds, but all had the same thing in common: they were agile and unafraid to swing out over empty space with only a slender rope holding them up. This work was some of the hardest and most dangerous work on the project. The men would descend into the canyon with only small tools and a water bag. Next jackhammers, that weighed 44 pounds, would be lowered to th... Free Essays on The Hoover Dam Free Essays on The Hoover Dam The Hoover Dam, which stands at 726 feet, was the world’s tallest dam at the time of it completion in 1935. It took just four years (1931-1935) to build this massive structure. Although larger dams have been built it still ranks as one of the tallest. The dam is located between Nevada and Arizona along the Colorado River. This massive dam was the idea of President Herbert Hoover. The structure’s name was changed from Boulder Dam to the Hoover Dam in honor of him. The need for a dam had been seen for over two decades, so in the early 1920’s site testing began for this great project. Many thought that by controlling the Colorado River they could provide hydroelectric power to many areas out west. This added power was needed due to the extreme growth of Las Vegas and Southern California. Many bids were made on the price of the dam, but in the end it was the Six Companies Inc. who won the project. They estimated the dam to cost $48,890,955. Although they were anxious to start construction it could not be done until transportation to and from the site was established. Thus the first project was to lay roads and railroads to transport the many materials to the site. The next step was to reroute the Colorado River until the dam could be completed. Six Companies built four tunnels through Black Canyon, and then lined these tunnels with concrete. A temporary dam was then constructed to push the river into these tunnels. After the river was â€Å"moved† out of the way special men called â€Å"high scalers† were called in. The men chosen for this job came from all different types of backgrounds, but all had the same thing in common: they were agile and unafraid to swing out over empty space with only a slender rope holding them up. This work was some of the hardest and most dangerous work on the project. The men would descend into the canyon with only small tools and a water bag. Next jackhammers, that weighed 44 pounds, would be lowered to th...

discovering truths essays

discovering truths essays How do human beings make decisions? What triggers a person to take action at any given point? Have you ever found yourself asking these questions? An attempt to make sense of these questions can be as easy as studying psychology or the science of the soul. While many people have contributed greatly to the science that seeks to understand human behavior it takes dedication to specialize in this area of work. Completely and exclusively learning, understanding, studying, and explaining the answer to these questions can only be understood by a true psychologist. Psychologists study the behavior of individuals and groups to understand and explain their actions. They specialize in a wide variety of areas. Experimental psychologists concentrate on human behavior as well as rats, monkeys, and pigeons. Environmental psychologists study the influence of environment on people. Clinical psychologists work in mental hospitals or clinics or maintain their own practice. The psychologist field I wish to pursue a career in is a counseling psychologist, who helps people with daily problems concerning their personal, social, educational, and vocational life. Along with the few I have named there are many other types of psychologist professions. Each psychologist contributes by applying his or her own knowledge and expertise to the field of psychology. Becoming a Psychologist is no easy task. A masters degree in psychology takes about 2 years of schooling. It qualifies a person to assist psychologists in the same field. However without much schooling and training opportunities are limited. Your best bet is to get a doctoral degree, which takes anywhere from 5 to 7 years it, is required for employment as a licensed clinical psychologist. Advancement in this field is limited due to how far you pursue schooling but, most psychologists with doctoral degrees venture out on their own after several y ...

Alzheimers Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alzheimers Disease - Essay Example Alzheimer’s disease is defined as a progressive, degenerative brain disorder manifested by memory loss, impaired thinking, difficulty in finding the right word when speaking, and personality changes and which eventually lead to cases of dementia (Harvard Health Publications, 2009, p. 2). Continual loss of nerve cells and synapses and decreasing levels of neurotransmitters which are crucial to memory, mental functions, and relaying of complex messages to the nerve cells in the body affects not only the cognitive aspect but also the activities of daily living and one’s personality. The prevalence rate of diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease is approximately more than five million and by 2050, 11 to 16 million of the American population will be probably diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease; that is, one in eight people ages 65 and above is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease cause financial and emotional strain to families and is estimated to have caused the nation a $148 billion health costs annually (Lu & Bludau, 2011, 3). When a person was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, it usually takes 8-10 years to death. Because there is no cure or prevention for the disease, it is essential that different warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease are noted in order to prompt early diagnosis and care and to temporarily stabilize or delay worsening of symptoms through drug interventions. In line with this, the Harvard Health Publications (2009) identified seven warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease, which includes: trouble remembering things starting from short-term memory such as a new acquaintance then progressing to loss of long-term memory such as recognition of family members; mood or personality changes (very angry to sad, socially-outgoing to withdrawn, and signs of depression); trouble completing ordinary tasks such as simple tooth brushing; difficulty expressing thoughts particularly in language (e.g. ringer for telephone); impaired judgments such as inability to balance a checkbook; di sorientation manifested by losing track of date and time; and unusual behavior like wandering in the community (p. 3).

Barriers of Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Barriers of Communication - Essay Example In the time when every organization is trying hard to gain competitive advantage, appropriate use of time is one of the factors that makes a difference and provides an organization with an edge over the others (Grasso, Golen, and Burns, 2005, p. 37). Overcoming barriers to communication not only saves time, but it also makes it easier for the management to implement any kind of change any time, and saves the resources that are otherwise consumed in conveying information. The most detrimental barriers to the achievement of goals and objectives vary from one organization to another depending upon a range of factors. These factors include but are not limited to the location of organization, its culture, the size and nature of business, and the socio-economic circumstances prevailing in the region. To identify its most detrimental barriers, an organization should review its past performance and trace the roots of the problems that it has encountered. For some organizations, it might be barriers to communication, whereas for others, it might be barriers to change, lack of funds, or culture