Free Essays on School Prayer

Should school prayer be allowed in public schools? Introduction Since this country’s establishment, there have been several debates over the issue of religious prayer in school. Religious sects and other groups feel that prayer should be mandatory in public schools; however, many people believe it to be our right to have church and state remain separate. If we allow prayer in school, then it will indoctrinate our unsuspecting children’s minds and devastate the United States Constitution. Religious prayer must not be allowed into public schools. The destruction of our constitution through prayer in schools raises a group of children with no independence of their own thoughts and beliefs. The research that is presented in this paper will prove indefinitely why the use of prayer in public schools is illegal. Government’s Position Public schools are for all children, whether Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist, Quaker, or Atheist. Schools are supported by all taxpayers and should be free of school prayer and religious observances. It is the duty of the parents and churches to instill religious beliefs. It should not be the governments’ job to help instill these religious beliefs. School prayer is a time where all children are required to pray. Justice Black sees the First Amendment as, â€Å"a guarantee that neither the power nor the prestige of the Federal Government would be used to control, support or influence the kinds of prayer American people can say† (Bach 128). When government attempts to promote, support, establish, or use religion in any way, both church and state suffer (Bach 128). Newt Gingrich’s belief on voluntary school prayer is thus, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer. Neither the United States nor any State shall com... Free Essays on School Prayer Free Essays on School Prayer For many years, American public school students have been denied the right of religious freedom that the Constitution's First Ammendment established. A section of the First Ammendment reads, "Congress shall make no law restricting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof," but yet, court rulings have, in many cases, prohibited students to take part in certain religious activities. As a result, prayer has been banned from many public schools throughout the country. Those who are pro-separation of church and state argue that prayer should be banned from public schools, but I, being a religious person, believe prayer should be allowed. The doctrine of the separation of church and state, as it has been articulated in the past years by our courts, is an inaccurate misinterpretation of the Constitution that actually provides the framework for immense violations of our First Ammendment rights. The First Ammendment was never meant to eliminate all references to God and religion from our public life or government. The most certain sign of the craziness of this doctrine is the fact that the Declaration of Independence itself can only be taught as a historical artifact rather than as a living expression of our moral identity as people. Starting a school day off with a prayer will not harm society. Prayer may be a way of allowing students to clear their minds. It gives students a peaceful way to start the day, instead of a teacher having to quiet an annoying group of students. Prayer does not only help make the transition into learning smooth, it also helps students resolve personal issues. It gives students a time every morning when they can think about values and faith to help them through life. Many students have problems, and prayer gives them time to think about their issues. Many ask, "What is... Free Essays on School Prayer Should school prayer be allowed in public schools? Introduction Since this country’s establishment, there have been several debates over the issue of religious prayer in school. Religious sects and other groups feel that prayer should be mandatory in public schools; however, many people believe it to be our right to have church and state remain separate. If we allow prayer in school, then it will indoctrinate our unsuspecting children’s minds and devastate the United States Constitution. Religious prayer must not be allowed into public schools. The destruction of our constitution through prayer in schools raises a group of children with no independence of their own thoughts and beliefs. The research that is presented in this paper will prove indefinitely why the use of prayer in public schools is illegal. Government’s Position Public schools are for all children, whether Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist, Quaker, or Atheist. Schools are supported by all taxpayers and should be free of school prayer and religious observances. It is the duty of the parents and churches to instill religious beliefs. It should not be the governments’ job to help instill these religious beliefs. School prayer is a time where all children are required to pray. Justice Black sees the First Amendment as, â€Å"a guarantee that neither the power nor the prestige of the Federal Government would be used to control, support or influence the kinds of prayer American people can say† (Bach 128). When government attempts to promote, support, establish, or use religion in any way, both church and state suffer (Bach 128). Newt Gingrich’s belief on voluntary school prayer is thus, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer. Neither the United States nor any State shall com...

The Man Who Brought Geometry to the World

The Man Who Brought Geometry to the World Much of our modern science, and astronomy in particular, has roots in the ancient world. In particular, the Greek philosophers studied the cosmos and tried to use the language of mathematics to explain everything. The Greek philosopher Thales was one such man. He was born around 624 BCE, and while some believe his lineage was Phoenician, most consider him to be Milesian (Miletus was in Asia Minor, now modern Turkey) and he came from a distinguished family. It is difficult to write about Thales, since none of his own writing survives. He was known to be a prolific writer, but as with so many documents from the ancient world, his vanished through the ages. He is mentioned in other peoples works  and seems to have been quite well-known for his time among fellow philsophers and writers. Thales was an engineer, scientist, mathematician, and a philosopher interested in nature. He may have been the teacher of Anaximander (611 BC - 545 BCE), another philosopher. Some researchers think Thales wrote a book on navigation, but there is little evidence of such a tome. In fact, if he wrote any works at all, they did not even survive until the time of Aristotle (384 BCE- 322 BCE). Even though the existence of his book is debatable, it turns out that Thales probably did define the constellation Ursa Minor. Seven Sages Despite the fact that much of what is known about Thales is mostly hearsay, he was definitely well-respected in ancient Greece. He was  the only philosopher before Socrates to be counted among the Seven Sages. These were  philosophers in the 6th century BCE who were  statesmen and law-givers, and in Thaless case, a natural philosopher (scientist).   There are reports that Thales predicted an eclipse of the Sun in 585 BCE. While the 19-year cycle for lunar eclipses was well known by this time, solar eclipses were harder to predict, since they were visible from different locations on Earth and people were not aware of the orbital motions of the Sun, Moon, and Earth that contributed to solar eclipses. Most likely, if he did make such a prediction, it was a lucky guess based on experience saying that another eclipse was due. After the eclipse on 28 May, 585 BCE, Herodotus wrote, Day was all of a sudden changed into night. This event had been foretold by Thales, the Milesian, who forewarned the Ionians of it, fixing for it the very year in which it took place. The Medes and Lydians, when they observed the change, ceased fighting, and were alike anxious to have terms of peace agreed on. Impressive, but Human Thales is often credited with some impressive work with geometry. It is said he determined the heights of pyramids by measuring their shadows and could deduce the distances of ships from a vantage point onshore. How much of our knowledge of Thales is accurate is anyones guess. Most of what we know is due to Aristotle who wrote in his Metaphysics: Thales of Miletus taught that all things are water. Apparently Thales believed the Earth floated in water and everything came from water. Like the absent-minded professor stereotype still popular today, Thales has been described in both glowing and derogatory tales. One story, told by Aristotle, says Thales used his skills to predict that the next seasons olive crop would be bountiful. He then purchased all the olive presses and made a fortune when the prediction came true. Plato, on the other hand, told a story of how one night Thales was gazing at the sky as he walked and fell into a ditch. There was a pretty servant girl nearby who came to his rescue, who then said to him How do you expect to understand what is going on up in the sky if you do not even see what is at your feet? Thales died about 547 BCE in in his home of Miletus. Edited and updated by  Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Legal and Financial Structure of Project Finance in India Essay

Legal and Financial Structure of Project Finance in India - Essay Example This paper further discusses several aspects of investment risks in India, and points out how investors can implement certain useful techniques. Finally, it offers some suggestions to overcome these challenges. Keywords: Investment, Project Finance, Investment in India, Public-Private-Partnership. Introduction: The long term financing of various types of infrastructure, industrial and public service projects are usually referred to project finance. In recent times, it has funded many large-scale natural resource projects as well as a number of high-profile corporate projects. However, similar type of financing scheme is recorded in the history of ancient Greece and Rome, the modern trend of project finance developed in last forty years. Basically this is an innovative and timely financing system. The non-recourse or limited recourse loans of project finance are mainly based upon the estimated cash flow of the project. â€Å"The key to project finance is in the precise forecasting of cash flows† (Ghersiy, 5). The assets, rights and interests of project secure the loan amount in such cases of debt. And repayment of loan exclusively depends on project’s cash flow. The balance sheet and creditworthiness of the project sponsors are secondary in it. Unlike conventional financing methods, project financing is unique. Since project financing enhances the values of some of these projects by permitting higher optimal leverage than with conventional financing.... The borrowing party has limited liability in some risky and expensive projects. Such cases are secured by a surety from sponsors. Therefore this is also known as limited recourse financing. There are many huge industrial and infrastructural projects, as already carried out successfully for certain types of project i.e. infrastructure development, mining, highways, railways, pipelines, power stations, etc. By the end of previous millennium, the private share alone in infrastructure investment varied between the lows of 9% and 13% in Germany and France and the extreme highs of 47% and 71% in the US and Great Britain, respectively (Miller & Lessard, 67). In fact, the projects that require non-recourse project financing would require significant contractual framework (Singh, 19). Moreover, the securities and borrowings are designed to be serviced and redeemed exclusively from the cash flow in non-recourse project finance. Whereas, the project sponsors or government provide undertakings t o an effect that coerce them to supplement the cash flow under assured limited conditions in limited recourse project finance. Generally, project financing is not designed for already running business rather for the large-scale innovative initiatives. Often it involves the creation of a legally independent project company financed with equity from one or more sponsoring firms and non-recourse debt for the purpose of investing in a capital asset (Esty, 213). The design of project finance is indicated in the following diagram. Figure: Project Finance Structure Source: The Institute for Public Private Partnership (Powell, 19) In present scenario, project financing emerged as an alternative to conventional financing over the world,

Global Water Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Global Water Crisis - Essay Example In a global perspective, only a small proportion of water can be regarded as fresh. It is worth noting that much of the fresh water is not physically accessible by human beings. In fact, UNEP estimates that two-thirds of fresh water is tucked in frozen glaciers, meaning, it is not readily available for human and animals consumption, as well as for agriculture. In terms of accessibility, UNEP (2010) posits that approximately 1.1 billion people lack access to water, and a further 2.7 billion experience water scarcity at least a month annually. The World Bank estimates that 80 countries experience water shortages, translating to 2 billion people lacking access to clean water. One of the factors that has contributed to the global water crisis include population expansion. Figures from the World Health Organization (2012) points that population has undeniably doubled over the recent past. Consequently, this has led to transformation of water ecosystems, coupled with loss of biodiversity. Rapid population growth has contributed to overpopulation in many parts of the world and thus many people have been forced to inhabit or encroach on water basins and other water catchment areas. Consequently, increased human population, which increased from 1.7 billion to 6.6 billion people in the last century according, has also been linked with unsustainable use of water. Population growth has been accompanied by economic development in the last fifty years, and has also been supported by subterranean water resources which are non-renewable.

New Jerse Essay Example for Free

New Jerse Essay Now this is a story all about me, when my life got twist turn upside down, if you like to take a minute just reading right here, Ill write you how I became a prince of a town called New Jersey could you find a word that rhymes with New Jersey? In East London Im born and raised on a playground is where Ive spent the most of my days chilling out, relaxing all cool and all kicking some football outside of school when a couple of guys, they were up to no good started making trouble in my neighbourhood I got in one little fight and my mum got scared and said youre moving with your aunt and uncle in New Jersey here, have this Hershey that kind of rhymes. If you didnt know Hershey is a chocolate bar that is sold in America. Although I would like to think that I was the fresh prince, my story didnt exactly start out like that. Instead of my parents sending me to my relatives because of academic problems, I went because I have been nagging them for a really long time. Im not saying that my academic level was reaching its fullest potential before I went, but the main reason I went was to have a taste of things to come. For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to live in one of those semi-detached American houses with the large front garden, golden retriever, two kids and a large garage. When most people watch American films they are focused on the storyline, but when I watch them not only am I watching the story, but also at the back of my mind I am constantly absorbing the American background. Finally in the summer of 2000 July 3rd, I got the chance to have a taste of my dream. Even though it was just a small taste, it was enough to last me however long it will take to finally move there. When my parents did decide that it was o. k. to send me there, it was there idea of making me have a taste of the real world. There idea of a taste of the real world was my idea of a taste of a dream. At the time I had just finished my GCSEs, and my grades were not that great. My parents had planned that America would change my course; I guess it did in the end but my biggest change was with my personality. When I did return I felt more confident, independent, funny and larger (thanks to those large American portions of food). Everything leading up to the day I left flew by and before I knew it I was in the airport sitting at the waiting room with my dad. I remember my dad being really calm and cool about everything, he never really got sad in front of me especially with good-bys. He told me stories about when he went to New York for the first time: Now this is a story all about your dad, back in the day I also was bad, Your old man also had the American dream, thinking that it would be so cool and supreme, I stayed there for a while to learn the truth, that America was best lived in the movies, what a poof! I never knew my dad could rap, looks as though he has a problem with finishing it as well. To sum up my dads rap; he also had the American dream being brought up on James Dean movies. Throughout his teenage years he had dreamt up an image of what America would be like, unfortunately when he stayed there, it did not match his dream. That is how my dad tells the story, but I think theres something he is not telling me. I also believe that my parents dont want me to live far away from them because they regret moving far away from their parents when they were younger. On the plane, I sat next to an empty seat, which wasnt bad as I wasnt really good with the airplane conversations. I travelled on Virgin Atlantic and the in-flight entertainment was great, they had a video screen in front of each seat with which I could play games, watch films and programmes. Anyway back onto America, I remember as we approached the New York coast I heard a passenger in the seat in front of me, look theres the statue of liberty I looked to my right out of the window and saw her. She was a bit smaller then I had imagined (in Ghostbusters 2 she was huge! ), and she was green. I never actually realised that she was green before; I always thought she was grey. I wasnt disappointed though; looking at the New York skyline for the first time was great. However I still felt as though I was in England, maybe it would change when we land. After I collected my luggage, I went through the inspection terminal where policemen checked your passports. I found this strange but the strangest was to come, when I reached the gate where my aunt would be waiting for me. Oh yeah if I didnt mention it before, I would be staying with my auntie there, like my parents were really going to let me stay there by myself.

Shrinking Middle class Essay -- essays papers

Shrinking Middle class The Incredibly Shrinking Middle Class I never thought I would find so much information on the incredibly shrinking middle class until I searched around for it on the Internet. In the United States, the middle class is put into a strange socioeconomic category. Although it is not easily defined everyone believes they belong in that class. I guess what you can do is look at it in two different ways. First ask the question â€Å"What percent of all income is distributed to the middle class at any time,† then think about â€Å"How many families obtain enough income to achieve a middle class standard of living at any point of time.† Basically these are two ways of approaching the middle class called either the percentile approach or the class share approach. What comes into my mind when thinking on how to categorize those people that belong in the middle class, I look at such things as education, race, family, income, gender and how many people are in your household. I look at it as those people who are making between $40,000 and about $85,000 to be in the middle class while the next step would be the upper middle class and then to the upper class. Maybe I am wrong here, but like I said before, everyone wants to have that â€Å"I am middle class† attitude. The most recent Census Bureau survey data shows that the share of households with incomes of $75,000 or more has doubled in the past 24 years. Other studies, however, discover that more people who depart the middle class move down than up, at least temporarily. The most often cited cause of the decline of the middle class in the United States is stagnant wages. Between 1955 and 1970, real wages adjusted and inflation rose by an average of 2.5 percent per year. Between 1971 and 1994, the average growth of real wages was 0.3 percent a year. The stagnation of wages has been especially noticeable to middle-class people, who rely very much on the money they make at their jobs. Recessions seem to hit higher income households much harder, which sends them down to the middle class. Middle-income households may or may not be more likely than higher-income households to qualify for unemployment compensation when jobs are scarce. But those who do are more likely than high-income households to receive benefits that replace a greater share of their regular wages, which helps them maintai... ...ocess. Data generated by the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve and other nonpartisan sources oppose claims commonly made. For example, data from such agencies show that differences in family income largely reflect differences in how many members of a family actually work and how hard they work. Americans in all income groups have prospered, or have failed to prosper, together. Gains by upper-income Americans have not come at the expense of middle or lower-income Americans. Nor has anyone else gained in those periods when higher-income families have lost ground. The best era in recent history for middle-income and lower-income American families was the Reagan era, which lasted from 1982 to 1989. During that period, middle-class families saw their real incomes grow by an average of 12.6 percent, while lower income families saw an average increase in real earnings of 12.9 percent. The wealth inequality debate should focus on what public policies will aid the accumulation of wealth by more, not fewer, American families. The first step American’s need to make toward transforming our consumer culture is to understand it better.

Compare how Shakespeare and Luhramann Essay

One of Shakespeare’s most well acknowledged and famous plays Romeo and Juliet was a written in such a manner which would have been liked by a wide range of audience on the Elizabethan stages. Similarly Baz Luhrumann has attempted to recreate Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet into a feature film with some touches of the 21st century to suit the modern audiences today worldwide. Throught the main themes and the prologue of the play, Shakespeare has tried to hold the audiences interest. The prologue has played a very important and central point of the whole play. Shakespeare set the scene in ‘fair Verona’ because of the simple reason that he didn’t want to offend the British audience and the Queen, as the characters are shown as very violent and short tempered. This already has a very large impact on the Elizabethans as it gives the audience a very proud feeling of being British and the also to the Queen that her monarchy is comparatively superior. Plus to show the Italian culture and the stereotypical image of the Italians, which suited the situation very well. The play was to be staged on a Elizabethan stage which was organized in such a way that the sittings would be arranged according to the class, so the Aristocrats would on separate chairs at the back of the theatre whereas the peasant would be standing in front and were named the Groundlings as the were on the ground. This proves that all ranges of audience came to watch his plays. Which means that he would have to write plays according to the taste of the Queen, the Aristocrats and the groundlings. Shakespeare created the prologue keeping in mind the audiences taste. The Prologue is written in forms of a sonnet, a trailer to what the audience was going to see. The main themes of the are summarized to give the audience a glimpse as it says â€Å"From ancient grudge break to new mutiny†, this means that there is going to Violence and blood shed leading to peace. Then it says that Romeo and Juliet will fall in love and their fate is death,†A pair of star crossed lovers will take their life†, â€Å"and â€Å"Doth with their death-marked love†, this grabs and holds the audiences attention as it tells them what’s going to happen later on so the audience stays to see how the conflicts occur. The prologue seems to unfold the entire story by referring to the â€Å"lovers† and they â€Å"doth with their death â€Å", this makes audience absorb the situation and also creates suspense among the audience In Act 1 scene 1 the story is opens in the streets of Verona. Both of the Capulet servants Sampson and Gregory are in a chatting about their enemies. During this discussions Shakespeare holds the audiences attention through using some puns and bawdy humour â€Å"Tis true and therefore women being the weaker vessels are thrust to the wall, and thrust his maids†, this kind of bawdy humour was acknowledged by all the audience, again this was a tactic to grab the audience’s attention. The dialogues in act scene 1 consisted some Stichomythia, which a was enjoyed by the audience as it is enjoyable to watch an argument and the Elizabethans would be delighted in word-plays, especially the puns and sexual humor’s. Then Benvolio from the Montague family enters and begins a â€Å"quarrel† with Samson and Gregory. â€Å"Let us take the law of our sides, let them begin†, this dispute between the two servants from the Montague and Capulet demonstrates the foolishness of the quarrel between the two families and how pointless it is and engages the audience with some humour. In the next part ahead Shakespeare creates a very different atmosphere compared to all the disputes and quarrel. Montague and his wife asks where about is his son, Benvolio then says that he has been seen walking around alone unwilling to get out, and is in love with a girl who doesn’t seem to like him, â€Å"Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love†, the language used in this line describe the mood swings that Romeo is going through. Romeo has fallen in love and feels that time flies in love, and that time drags on when there is no love in his life, â€Å"Not having that, which, having, makes them short†. The girl is the cause of Romeo’s miserable attitude who’s name is Rosaline, who doesn’t appear in any of the acts as Shakespeare wanted to keep her anonymous and create a curiosity among the audience, for another the fact that she was his past and Juliet was going to the future love and to show that Romeo was love-sick from the beginning. Romeo urges for Rosalines love and he makes his room appear as if it is night, because light represents love to him and he is out of love. The sadness in the scene is in strong contrast to love that he feels throughout the play â€Å"When then brawling love, O loving hate†, Shakespeare’s consistence use of oxymoron’s is to portray Romeo’s love-sickness, the use of contrasts continues â€Å"Misshapen chaos, well seeming forms†, to show the audience the abstract thoughts of Romeo in his â€Å"course of love†. Baz Luhrumann has used Shakespeare’s concepts combined with his direction and modern film techniques to engage today’s modern audiences. He has shortened the script, as the attention span of today’s audience is lesser than the Elizabethans. The prologue has been presented in a very differently to suit the modern concept, A women on television presenting a news which is the prologue. Luhrumannn has used television a modern source of information to convey the prologue in a more contemporary manner, as it will interest more of today’s audiences of today. The camera angle slowly intensifies into the television, as if he wants the audience to indulge themselves in to the story. This kind of cinematic techniques is a preview of the drama and violence coming up in the film. The dramatic music helps to strengthen the affect. This has been influenced by music videos to suit the younger audience. He has presented as if the whole story is smashing news on television and that it is a live coverage. When the newsreader mentions â€Å"both alike in dignity†, it shows two equal towers to show the households are alike. Baz Luhrumann symbolizes the family crest â€Å"sword† as a gun in the film to suit the modern audiences . He highlights the contrast by showing similar towers of the â€Å"two houses† with fast modern music to enhance the contrast. He then uses the scene in the petrol station to show the â€Å"ancient grudge† and the conflict between the two families. The sign, which says, â€Å"Add fuel to your fire,† predicts the further disputes. The costumes, which Luhrumann uses in the petrol station scene, distinguishes the two families, as they are modern and helps them portray the image of contemporary gangs, it also facilitates them to create an identity. The use of fast camera shots helps Luhrumann to engage the audience in the fight scene between the two families. The movie continues as it opens out on the next scene, where it demonstrates a very modern setting, with modern punk costumes to suit younger audiences taste. On the other hand he has kept the dialogues, as it is to maintain Shakespeare’s concepts. The scene with quarrel between the four members of the Capulet and Montague’s are set in a petrol station to make the quarrel more obvious and outstanding. The ‘Add fuel to fire’ sign symbolizes the ancient grudge, which breaks to new mutinity and meaning add fuel to your anger. The part where Tybolt is smoking and the use of guns also symbolizes the danger of the fight. Samson gets hit by the citizens which portrays the characterization, this means that Samson is stupid and brainless character and Gregory is in control. This implies that the characters are written to engage the audience as the characters portray a certain image and humour through that. Again Luhrumann has tried to maintain the themes of the play, which in this case would be ‘Hate’ this plays a very important role in the movie, in the film Luhrumann has shown the two differences and hatred between the families by the separations of the towers, cars, and two sides of the city. And why was there hatred? Nether of Shakespeare or Luhramann decided to explain the ancient grudge as it the point of the story. As it didn’t seem necessary for the audience to know the reason Another important theme â€Å"Love†, it is a grand passion similarly to â€Å"Hate† which has been the support of Romeo and Juliet journey. Romeo’s love for Rosaline has been portrayed in an exaggerated way in the first act, as he becomes cynical while describing her â€Å"She is rich in beauty, only poor† and â€Å"That when she dies, with beauty dies in store†. As mentioned earlier in the prologue â€Å"star crossed lovers†, which means the play is based on â€Å"Love†. Luhramann has presented the bawdy humour more physically than verbally, the shot where a woman is dancing on the streets while a man is watching her. Which leads to the scene where Romeo enters which is shot on the beach with the sunrise to show the calm but depressing atmosphere. The scene moves on to showing Romeo writing his diary, and reading his diary in his mind as he is writing, this idea of a voice over was a modern concept of Luhrumann, that grabs the audience’s attention. â€Å"For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo†, this would have been said by the Prince in the play whereas Luhrumann has changed it to show the same newsreader from the prologue ending the show with this line. The two star-crossed lovers had to give their life in order for their families to end Overall both Shakespeare and Luhrumann’s main motive was to engage their respected audiences. With different techniques Luhrumann wanted re-create the play in to a film to suit today’s audiences, keeping in mind the themes, which Shakespeare had included. The motive was fulfilled as Luhrumann tried to store the ideas to make a modern film. Shakespeare and Luhrumann both made the three main themes outlined very clearly love, hate and fate. The two star-crossed lovers had to give their life in order for their families to end their fighting. Romeo and Juliet ends with AA story of more woe (sorrow) Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

The Beatles Influence on Rock-and-Roll

The Beatles are one of the most innovative rock bands of all time. They have not only changed the way rock and roll is looked at, but also the way that the music is recorded. They have influenced the artists of the 60s and the 70s, and also many generations later and to come. Originating from Liverpool, England, the Beatles, or the Fab Four, consists of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Topping the charts in ’63 with â€Å"Love Me Do,† and bringing in the highest rated viewing in history while performing on the Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles are definitely a band that broke the sound barrier of rock and roll.They used unique sounds in their music and weren’t afraid of experimenting in the studio, they even welcomed accidental occurrences and toyed around to get the sound they were looking for. Artificial double tracking was invented during the recording of their album Revolver and also a new technique on miking strings. They paved the way for other British Bands in America and even had full-blown imitators, like the Monkees, that copied everything from their look, to the spelling error in their name, and their campaign. They also helped create a whole new genre of music called folk rock.Their influence is still seen in today’s musicians, such as the band Oasis, who compare their music constantly to the Beatles. The Beatles Influence on Rock-and-Roll â€Å"The impact of the Beatles – not only on rock and roll but on Western culture – is simply incalculable. As musicians, they proved that rock and roll could embrace a limitless variety of harmonies, structures and sounds; virtually every rock experiment has some precedent on Beatles records. † Said by the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, could not be any more wrong.The Beatles had a huge impact on not just rock and roll, but music as a whole, as well as influencing the technology used to record their music. They weren’ t afraid of experimenting and instead of producing music they produced art. Their influence is seen all over the world, but no one has come close to the fame that was Beatlemania. The Beatles originated from Liverpool, England and consists of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They first started playing shows in Hamburg, Germany as a skiffle band in 1960.In 1962 they released their first single â€Å"Love Me Do,† which reached the number one spot on U. S. charts in May of ’63. Their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February of ’64 brought in over 73 million viewers, the most in U. S. history. By April 1964, they held the first five places in the Billboard Hot 100. The Beatles were one of the biggest influences on music during the 60s and 70s. Their music, to this day, remains more widely known than any other music of the rock era. They have brought new sounds and ideas in their music and revolutionized the idea of rock and roll.Their work was always invested with originality, using unique sounds in their music, which is most dramatically seen in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. They used many studio effects on this album, including reverberation, echoes, and reverse tape effects. They experimented with sounds that no other bands used, and had great success with it. They created their own material, breaking the Tin Pan monopoly of song writing, setting in motion revolutionary changes in the music publishing industry. They wrote songs for fellow artists and even encouraged the Rolling Stones to write their own music. The Beatles were the first group to use the recording studio as a writing tool, building up complex song arrangements by multi-tracking and importing orchestral textures and avant-garde effects under the guidance of producer George Martin† (Glassman).In Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, instead of using traditional breaks in between songs, one tracked merged i nto the next, which were linked by studio talk, laughter, electronic noises, and animal sounds. They also used audio tricks involving steam organs, orchestras, sitars, and even a pack of foxhounds in full cry at the end of â€Å"Good Morning, Good Morning. The use of animal sounds were actually first used in the Beach Boys album Pet Sounds that the Beatles admired. When asked the Beach Boys where they got their innovation for Pet Sounds, the Beatles Rubber Soul album was what inspired them. â€Å"A Day In The Life,† the last song on the album, featured â€Å"what Lennon described as ‘a sound building up from nothing to the end of the world’† (Lazarescu). The song â€Å"Strawberry Fields Forever† fused two different versions of the same song and used reverse-tape cellos for an eerie effect.After George Harrison used sitar on the song â€Å"Norwegian Wood,† other bands like the Byrds, Yardbirds, and the Rolling Stones, soon followed incorporat ing Eastern-influence sounds into their work. Paul McCartney once said, â€Å"We would say, ‘Try it! Just try it for us. If it sounds crappy, OK, we’ll lose it. But it might just sound good. ’ We were always pushing ahead: Louder, further, longer, more different† (â€Å"All About Jazz†). The Beatles had complete access to Abbey Road studios free of charge, spending hours upon hours experimenting and writing music.They used the studio as an instrument in itself. They were the first band to push musical and technological boundaries. They took advantage of accidental occurrences in the recording process. You can see this in â€Å"I Feel Fine† where there is feedback and also in â€Å"Long, Long, Long† where there is a resonating glass bottle. They also deliberately toyed with situations and techniques that would further chance effects. An example of this is in â€Å"I am the Walrus,† where they used a live mixing of a UK radio broa dcast into the fade of the song, and also the chaotic assemblage of â€Å"Tomorrow Never Knows. Ken Townsend invented artificial double tracking (ADT) during the recording of Revolver because Lennon didn’t like singing a song twice. ADT is still widely used for instruments and voices; however, it is now mostly known as automatic double tracking. Other influences the Beatles had on technology were the use of close miking the strings by engineer Geoff Emerick when recording. In 1966 that was a radically new way of miking strings, and now it is common practice. The Beatles were also the firsts to use direct injection to record McCartney’s bass on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.This is done by connecting the bass to the recording console via an impedance matching DI box. The Beatles paved the way for other British bands in America. The Beatles were the first British group to break into America and since the Beatles were able to have fame in the US, they gave other British bands the possibility of making it in America. Such bands were Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and the Searchers, who were all also managed by Brian Epstein. Other British bands that followed the Beatles were the Rolling Stones, the Who, and the Yardbirds.The Rolling Stones had a raunchier dirty bad boy look, different then the clean-cut look of the Beatles. As the 1970s began, you can see the Beatles influence in artists like Elton John and Pink Floyd. In America, the most blatant imitators of the Beatles were the Monkees, who even calculatedly misspelled the name just like the Beatles. The Monkees were four actors portraying longhaired whimsical musicians; however, their music was actually performed by studio musicians. They copied the Beatles to a tee, including their campaign.Before the Beatles came to the US, their manager Brian Epstein had Capital Records spend $50,000 on a campaign, plastering posters all over the country stating, â⠂¬Å"The Beatles Are Coming,† and gave disc jockeys records of interviews with the Beatles to feel like they were actually making personalized interviews. For the Monkees, â€Å"The band’s label spent $100,000 on an ad campaign that involved seventy-six advance men, who distributed thousands of posters proclaiming ‘The Monkees Are Coming’ and provided preview records to 6,000 disc jockeys† (Szatmary 125).After the assassination of President John Kennedy, the whole country was at a low point and the Beatles brought them back to happier times, especially the folk artists. A lot of folk artists felt like the protest was over after Kennedy was killed. Kennedy was making a change in the country, but after his death, they felt like there was no more fight left in them. Bob Dylan, one of the major folk musicians of the era, just gave it all away and went towards the more electrified sounds of the Beatles.Gene Clark, who at the time was part of the folk group the New Christy Minstrels, was on tour when he first heard the Beatles song â€Å"She Loves You. † â€Å"I must have played it 40 times in the two days the New Christy Minstrels were playing that town,’ he later enthused. ‘I knew, I knew that this was the future† (Szatmary 140). Gene Clark later quit the New Christy Minstrels and formed his own band with Roger McGuinn and a few other former folk musicians. They called themselves the Byrds, misspelling it to emulate the spelling error in the Beatles.They combined Dylanese folk, vocal harmonies and Beatles music to create folk rock. Other folk bands that switched to folk rock were the Turtles, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, and Scotland’s folk singer Donovan Leitch, which Paul McCartney was featured singing with him on his song â€Å"Mellow Yellow. † One other band was Lovin’ Spoonful who owed their debt to Dylan and none other than the Beatles. When new wave and punk music started in th e late 1970s, their sound and style could still be heard in artists like the Squeeze, the Police, and Elvis Costello. Their music has spoken not only to its own time but to every generation since† (Campbell, Brody 168). In the late 1980s a new style of music called â€Å"baggy† originated from Manchester. The musical devotees sported Bealte-esque haircuts and drew heavily on the 1960s. They fused Beatles psychedelic with electronic elements taken from the simultaneously developing acid house scene. You can see the Beatles influence in the guitar style and song arrangements of the Stone Roses, guitarist John Squire cited them as one of his main influences.The mid 90s saw a whole new host of Beatles influenced bands. The band Cast, which was formed by guitarist John Powers in 1994, has Lennon-esque vocals and memorable songs, which are still reaping the rewards. In 1995 a Liverpool band called the Boo Radleys had both the Beatles pop and psychedelic styles. Songwriter/gui tarist Martin Carr told Melody Maker in 1994 that, â€Å"There's never been a time when they haven't been a part of my life† (Glassman). The Gallagher brothers, who formed the group Oasis, lived and breathed the Beatles.They even named dropped the Beatles whenever they could in interviews. They would write their own melodies and then arrange them in a Bealte-esque style, but with a rocky, attitude-dowsed edge. â€Å"It's beyond an obsession. It's an ideal for living. I don't even know how to justify it to myself. With every song that I write, I compare it to The Beatles,’ Noel Gallagher told Q in 1996† (Glassman). Of the eight years that were the Beatles, no band has received more attention from fans, musicians, and scholars. Their music tells us more about the sixties than any other band.Their influence is seen in music and even the technology used to record music. From their first album Please Please Me (1963) all the way to their last album Hey Jude (1970), n o band has seen such a diverse selection of songs, going from retro one minute to folk-influenced the next. With their use of experimentation, they have opened a whole new door to the way rock is heard, converting even folk musicians, like the Byrds, to their style of music. You can still hear their inspiration in music even in today’s bands such as Oasis. Yet no one has seemed to copy the sound that was the Beatles.

Four Little Girls essays

Four Little Girls essays When documentaries are filmed, produced, and then viewed, the audience is left with more knowledge and awareness than before having watched it. When I watch a National Geographic documentary on exploitation of indigenous peoples, I become aware of their situation and further understand the cruel world around me. Also, my emotions are stirred up. With the awareness that documentaries bring, also comes the waves of emotional buildup. This is why documentaries are most effective in grabbing an audiences attention on a subject matter having to do with exploitation, injustice, and racism; they show the cruelty and disrespect the victims are faced with. Four Little Girls, a documentary directed by Spike Lee, is an example of this. He interviews those that were involved or held knowledge of the bombing at 16th St. Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. He speaks with officials and professionals, preachers, family members and childhood friends of the four girls killed at this incident. At the same time that these interviews are going on, there are clips from the 50s and 60s of black protesters, marches, and beatings relevant to the political and social crisis of the day. Also included are picture shots of the girls, including their gravestones. Lee incorporates the ongoing Civil Rights Movement with the story of the bombing incident and the four girls that The Civil Rights Movement becomes more real to us when the protagonists are also made real. The victims parents tell the audience through their words, stories, and pictures, of who the girls were and how they lived. They also display the girls badges, awards, certificates, and Bible that one had in her pocketbook the day she was in the church basement attending The white officials, who were more or less viewed as the antagonists, spoke of that same era from their point of view. Through intercuttin...

The History and Origin of the U.S. Democratic Party

The History and Origin of the U.S. Democratic Party The Democratic Party along with the Republican Party (GOP) is one of the two dominant modern political parties in the United States. Its members and candidates- known as â€Å"Democrats†- typically vie with Republicans for control of federal, state, and local elected offices. To date, 15 Democrats under 16 administrations have served as President of the United States. Origins of the Democratic Party The Democratic Party was created in the early 1790s by former members of the Democratic-Republican Party founded by influential Anti-Federalists including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Other factions of the same Democratic-Republican Party formed the Whig Party and the modern Republican Party. The landslide victory of Democrat Andrew Jackson over incumbent Federalist John Adams in the presidential election of 1828 solidified the party and established it as a lasting political force. In essence, the Democratic Party evolved due to upheavals in the original First Party system, made up of the two original national parties: the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party. Existing between roughly 1792 and 1824, the First Party System was characterized by a system of deferential-participant politics- the tendency of constituents of both parties to go along with the policies of elite political leaders out of sheer respect for their family pedigree, military accomplishments, prosperity, or education. In this respect, early political leaders of the First Party System might be viewed as an early-American aristocracy. The Jeffersonian Republicans envisioned a locally-established group of intellectual elites who would hand down the unquestionable government and social policy from on high, while the Hamiltonian Federalists believed that the locally established intellectual elite theories should often be subject to the approval of the people. Death of the Federalists The First Party System began dissolving in the mid-1810s, possibly over the popular revolt over the Compensation Act of 1816. That act was intended to raise the salaries of Congressmen from a per diem of six dollars a day to an annual salary of $1,500 per year. There was widespread public outrage, fanned by the press which was almost universally opposed to it. Of the members of the Fourteenth Congress, over 70% were not returned to the 15th Congress. As a result, in 1816 the Federalist Party died out leaving a single political party, the Anti-Federalist or Democratic-Republican Party: but that lasted briefly. A split in the Democratic-Republican Party in the mid-1820s gave rise to two factions: the National Republicans (or Anti-Jacksonians) and the Democrats. After Andrew Jackson lost to John Quincy Adams in the election of 1824, Jacksons supporters created their own organization to get him elected. After Jacksons election in 1828, that organization became known as the Democratic Party. The National Republicans eventually coalesced into the Whig Party. Political Platform of the Democratic Party In our modern form of government, both Democrat and Republican parties share similar values, in that it is the political elites of those parties who are the main repositories of the public conscience. The core set of ideological beliefs subscribed to by both parties includes a free market, equal opportunity, a strong economy, and peace maintained by an adequately strong defense. Their most glaring differences lie in their beliefs of the extent to which the government should be involved in the daily lives of the people. Democrats tend to favor the active intervention of the government, while Republicans favor a more â€Å"hands-off† policy. Ever since the 1890s, the Democratic Party has been measurably more socially liberal than the Republican Party. Democrats have long appealed to the poor and working classes and Franklin  D. Roosevelts common man,† while Republicans have gained support from the middle class and higher, including suburbanites and the burgeoning number of retirees. Modern Democrats advocate for a liberal domestic policy featuring social and economic equality, welfare, support for labor unions, and nationalized universal health care. Other Democratic ideals embrace civil rights, stronger gun control laws, equal opportunity, consumer protection, and environmental protection. The party favors a liberal and inclusive immigration policy. Democrats, for example, support controversial sanctuary city laws protecting undocumented immigrants from federal detention and deportation. Currently, the Democratic coalition includes teachers unions, womens groups, blacks, Hispanics, the LGBT community, environmentalists and many others. Today, both the Democratic and Republican parties are made up of coalitions of many diverse groups whose loyalties have varied over the years. For example, blue-collar voters, who were for years attracted to the Democratic Party, have become Republican strongholds. Interesting Facts The symbol of the donkey for the Democratic Party is said to have stemmed from Andrew Jackson. His opposition called him a jackass. Instead of taking it as an insult, he chose to adopt this as a symbol. This, in turn, became the symbol of the Democratic Party.The Democrats hold the record for controlling both houses of Congress for the most consecutive Congresses. They controlled both houses of Congress from 1955 to 1981.Andrew Jackson was the first President of the Democratic Party; and, including him, there have been 14 Democrats in the White House. Updated by Robert Longley Sources: Aldrich JH. 1995. Why Parties? The Origin and Transformation of Political Parties in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Skeen CE. 1986. Vox Populi, Vox Dei: The Compensation Act of 1816 and the Rise of Popular Politics. Journal of the Early Republic 6(3):253-274.

Personal Development Action Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Development Action Plan - Essay Example I am confident that I have improved a lot in many aspects of learning although I must admit there are still many things I need to learn and even unlearn. In this evaluation paper, I will discuss what I have learned so far and what skills I have acquired and developed throughout my one year stay in the university. I will specifically reflect on my communication, analysis, social skills, how improved my learning and performance as well as examine my technical skills development. In any profession, communication is always a valuable tool. As an international student, this is my greatest struggle because my English communication skill is poor. Class discussions are in English so I have difficulty grasping the lessons. Consequently, I have to give extra effort to listen intently and put more hours reading so I can cope with the lessons. In addition, I cannot express myself well in English so that my self-confidence is affected. Nevertheless, I realized that I needed to force myself to improve so I watched a lot of English movies and programs which helped me with my comprehension. Therefore, I could still say that I have improved a lot. Comparing my performances during the start of the school year, I am now more able to understand native speakers and to communicate well using the English language. My vocabulary has greatly improved and so has my grammar. Another important aspect of learning wherein communication is greatly valuable is analysis. This task is not just about understanding images, symbols and numbers and solving problems but basically, it is understanding the issue or problem in order to offer the best solution. Therefore, communication skill is essential. As my English comprehension developed, I also became better in analyzing data. For instance, in my Engineering Analysis class, I learned how to create concrete mixture and computing the desired ration and proportion of materials needed for certain buildings. I also learned to calculate

Managing for future Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Managing for future - Assignment Example Part I: Analysing the environment Corporate social responsibility Tata steel is one of the firms which were the first to have a fully fledged corporate social responsibility program, not only in India but also around the world. This began with its founder in the early 20th century, who in his own words said that â€Å"In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business but is in fact the very purpose of its existence" (Srivastava, 2012, p. 20). In the current time, Tata Steel Ltd. has a well grounded corporate social responsibility program which includes community development, environmental sustainability, employee relationships etc. This has made Tata to be recognized around the world due to its pioneering in this area (Mahesh, 2001). According to Mahajan (2003), Tata Steel Ltd. today spends between 5 and 7 % of its after tax profits to facilitate corporate social responsibility activities. This is a commendable amount of money to spend in corporate soci al responsibility programs. In this case study, commissioned and selected for studying the topic of CSR by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), it becomes very clear that Tata is one of the firms which have taken corporate social responsibility in a very serious way. ... to identify the impact on the community in which the project is being carried out. This helps in influencing the way Tata Steel Ltd. operates its project especially with regard to the impact on the community and the environment. An evaluation of Tata Steel Ltd’s corporate social responsibility programs indicates its dedication in terms of making sure that its operations don’t affect the community in a negative way. However, there are a number of issues which come up as one looks closer. The first issue is that although Tata Steel Ltd. has invested a lot in corporate social responsibility programs, these programs are mostly directed towards philanthropic programs to the communities. Offering scholarships, healthcare services and other community programs is just a very small part of the problem especially for a big firm like Tata Steel Ltd (Puneet, 2011). Tata steel has activities which are very destructive to the environment and it is necessary for the firm to be able to look beyond just having philanthropic programs. Although Tata Steel Ltd. states clearly in its CSR policies that its CSR goes beyond just philanthropic projects, it does not seem so in practice (Wilson, 2012). It is possible that despite the many corporate social responsibility programs that Tata steel has, the long term effects of its operations will exceed the benefits achieved by the community through Tata’s corporate social responsibility programs. This indicates that there are issues which must be looked at in a very serious way in order to close this gap. Tata must look beyond just having good corporate social responsibility programs and look at the ways in which it can deliver a more practical and useful CSR programs. Environmental