Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, Hip

Table of Contents Introduction The book description Book organization The book in a wider context Conclusion Works Cited Footnotes Introduction The world of hip-hop is always about ‘realness’ as artists use their artistic skills to show what really happens in their surroundings and how those around them interpret these issues. In his book ‘Hip-hop Revolution: the culture and politics of Rap’ Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar, appreciates hip-hop and confronts the myths associated with the cult of authenticity where people want to associate with this hip-hop culture by adopting certain characteristics associated with hip-hop performers such as how they walk, talk and express themselves.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He addresses in this book, the positive role the hip-hop culture has pla yed in the American society while overlooking the negative stereotypes that have been associated with hip-hop as just empty noise of angry youths just complaining about their problems and situations instead of doing something about it1. In a society that is dominated by negative stereotypes in regard to race and gender and artists trying to express a sense of how they perceive real issues about race, class and gender, how does Ogbar manage to bring out the revolution that has been experienced in the world of hip-hop. He tries to answer this by answering questions such as what it means to be real as viewed by the artists and whether truly hip-hop is disintegrating the American society. This will be addressed in this book review as we look at how the author represents his views, interpretations and research about the hip-hop culture2 The book description In this book, Ogbar explores the lyrical world of rap and displays their struggle to identify what reality is to them, and where the y belong in the class, race and gender categories and how this reality is viewed by the society in America which has not been kind at all to this genre of music. Ogbar who has been born in Chicago and raised in Los Angeles, California and has studied history and African American studies, have explored the negative black images that are associated with rap and the artist’s historical and political awareness. He has gone on to display the realities of wide spectrum rap categories such as gangsta rap represented by 50 Cent, conscious hip-hop of Mos Def and ‘underground ‘ variety of artists such as Jurassic 5 and the Roots3.Advertising Looking for book review on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He strives to face the impression that is widely held in the American society that hip-hop is anti social and dangerous due to the crime focused lyrics, antisocial messages and the politics of racial words such as â€Å"nigga† presented especially by black youths. This he does by presenting these artists views about their music and what it means to them and society and its place in the society4. Ogbar represents this book with an insider love for the culture having had numerous contacts with these artists, and in his role as an adviser to many student organizations such as Black Students Association, Break dancing club, United Men of African Descent and other community organizations, majority of who are followers of the hip-hop culture. This does not, however, obscure his role as a scholar who represents views, research and interpretations with a scholarly detachment. These two aspects makes him draw reality about popular myths about black education achievements, civic involvement, crime and sexuality in the way that has not been done before about this lifestyle that so many people in our society love to hate5. Book organization Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar writes his book, Hip-Hop Revo lution: The culture and Politics of Rap with a passion of person who deeply feels this culture while at the same time criticizing it as a detached scholar in order to bring out the real issues. He arranges his book in a thematic manner with each chapter trying to address the major arguments surrounding rap music and hip-hop culture. He addresses the dialogues on race to a major extent the gender issues and the ideas of realness in regard to reality in his chapters. His themes address the expanse of the debates surrounding them rather than their depth but all the same illustrate the narrowness in which blackness is interpreted in reality. The lack of depth in these themes is seen by some reviewers as leaving vital holes in this discussion as one critic6.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Hip-Hop Revolu tion: The culture and Politics of Rap work starts by drawing a parallel between hip-hop and other types of racial cultural creations in the United States of America, thereby showing their unmistakable link with the earlier creations of black studies as it is indicated7. In Chapter one, Ogbar describes the history of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries popular works of art including the emergence of jazz, rock and roll and the 1970s cinemas which displayed the extent of black exploitation and finally the growth of hip-hop in mid 1970s in New York City8. These are the issues that created the hip-hop culture at its basics bringing to life â€Å"the real nigga† impression as it is described in9. This eventually became a very successful commercial and financial sale figure across all racial divides. This is not described in deeper details but the author clearly outlines it was behind the successful marketing of hip-hop (p. 41). This actually saw many of these rap musician s become very successful and popular not only in America but all over the world as people wanted to identify with the black youths who are making their world better despite everything, meaning history of racial segregation and its resultants social problems. Ogbar dedicates chapter two and three to race and gender respectively. In chapter three, he talks about politics and issues associated with the racial sentimentalities such as the use of the word â€Å"nigga.† In this dissection, Ogbar says that non-black MCs use or disuse of the word â€Å"nigga† in their art is now being dictated mainly by the black people10. He discusses the use and commercialization of these expressions as the coming together of black agencies to give a black label authenticity to hip-hop. He gives a look at the Latino, Asian American and white MCs, but Potter says that in this part he fails to dig deeper in the first two instead focuses on rushing out at white MCs. He says that there is a sort of solidarity between blacks and Latinos where uttering such words as â€Å"nigga† by a Latino MC is accepted by black audiences11. Here, Ogbar contradicts Rivera’s study about the relationship between African Americans and the Puerto Ricans who states that, these relationships are always strained.Advertising Looking for book review on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ogbar does not go into details about the Asian American artist in hip-hop considering that they are not popular in this genre of music. One wonders how they represent themselves in this kind of art that is largely seen as ‘black’ in a society that looks at it in this narrow perspective let alone being accepted by its followers as real. Ogbar dedicates most of his discussion on this chapter on how white MCs try to fit in the hip-hop culture with all its stereotypes. He concludes that, they manage to negotiate this rough terrain amid responses of ‘intolerable violation’ and gives an example of Eminem in his early performances which he used words such as â€Å"nigga† but they eventually become accepted amid grudgingly12. On the gender front, Ogbar discusses the good and bad images of women in hip-hop,13 by showing the perceptions people have on female MCs who display an image of either extreme soft femininity of ‘tom boy’ picture who wants to be like the boys in this trade 14. The hip-hop culture brings out a diverse category of women who either are performers, actors or models for the hip-hop culture, but in all this women have to face strong force to contend with in marketing themselves as rappers15. This is all glued to the society’s perspective of the whole culture. Ogbar has been criticized by Johnson for his apparent oversimplification of this topic in his discussion. Johnson says that he fails to look at the uncertainties that come with video modeling for women and its implications and he also fails to answer the question of whether it has the potential to result into its future. It is also true that he would have at least given some insight into how these women are faring, and whether like their male counterparts a sign of success exists for them and whether we can look at women in hip-hop as viably marketable. He could also have given examples of their struggles to be accepted into this culture and the ir insight into the society’s view of them as a lost cause or women who want to be like their male counterparts instead of celebrating femininity in their works. Ogbar calls his fourth chapter in his work â€Å"Rebels with a cause: Gangstas, militants, Media, and the Contest for Hip-Hop†16 to show the misunderstandings that the society has about this form of art. The society displays an unfounded moral panic over hip-hop according to Ogbar, while all this time what it should address is the culture war and hypocrisies highlighted by this art. Hip-hop has raised a lot of attention mainly not because of the issues addressed but because of its supposed contribution to the downfall of today’s youths due to the indecency it displays. While Ogbar chooses to say that it is a culture of war and a lack of willingness to understand on the part of the society, I find some of the rap songs really deserving of the society’s wrath due to the content of the rhymes and vi deos that they contain. Vulgar language and dances, however, blind the society, can easily corrupt the youths especially those that have other underlying social problems. 17Ogbar, however, uses statistics to argue his point on the influence of hip-hop on youths by citing increasing graduate degrees, drop in teenage pregnancies in the last two decades and increased political awareness among the youths. Here, he wants to challenge the view that black youths are passive and uncritical listeners to national issues affecting them. Again, Ogbar fails to link clearly these statistics to the influence of rap music and the irony of their critics can also not credit bad influence of rap on the social problems the youths have been having18. The last chapter, â€Å"Locked Up: police, the Prison Industrial Complex, Black Youth, and Social Control†, Ogbar discusses the changing trends in the lyrics of rap music. He offers a strong criticism about the stories that portrays blacks as cop kil lers, but fails to look at the underlying issues in violence not only between the police and blacks but also those involving blacks and blacks19. He discusses the protests on court cases involving blacks and the role of black music labels in putting pressure on such cases as they involve blacks and police officers. He says this trend of rap creations changed to black people killing other black people and eventually the focus was shifted to the prison environment, but still talks about the gangster code of honor20. This has had the impact of society changing the focus on social political debate in regard to the realities that black people face, as these forces change. In this chapter Ogbar demonstrates how the social political changes in America are looked at within the confines of black stereotypes as portrayed in hip-hop culture and that is how revolution has occurred21 The book in a wider context While Ogbar represents a lot of experience about hip –hop culture in this book , he gives a somehow one sided story, on the artists and their fans point of view, and fails to do an analysis of what a cross sectional group of people may view this culture. He does not also seem to remove himself completely from the play of the lyrics of rap music and the truth it represents. He focuses on what the artists say in the lyrics and fails to look at the production on its whole. What the artists say in their music may not be what they are. While it is true that the gangster rappers may be forced to live their work due to the demands of their fans and the culture itself, and the fact that what they sing is the real situation, it still has a lot of room for creativity and play. He gives an example of such rappers who grew up in the lower income bracket and families in the inner city slums but, now live in fairly stable families and neighborhoods and have college degrees yet their rap presentations are those of gangsters. An example of this outside Ogbars book is Snoopy D oggy Dog, who is doing really well but still his music has gangster connotations. However, it would be paradoxical if Ogbar was to imply that these rappers cannot be some other people in the society while at the same time doing their gangster raps and this is where lyrical analysis really brings problems. This is the reason some scholars have gone beyond lyrical analysis to focus on field work, archival research and critical cultural analysis of impacts of hip-hop22. Ogbar manages in this book to give an overview of the development of rap music and hip-hop culture especially in the last fifteen years. This brings to life the expressions and experiences of a particular group of young people in our country, who through rap music express their views on a wide variety of issues ranging from congressional hearings, controversial artists, cultural issues and conflicts and political issues with boldness and incisiveness. This boldness surrounds the need to talk about prominent controversie s about race, class and gender. This controversy is displayed very well by male artists such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and 50 Cents whose origins in poor, urban environments are the real controversy. If one does not display these three bones of contention their being â€Å"real† is questioned23. Ogbar says in a later interview with a library website, Rorotoko that he got inspiration for this book from his experience and love for hip-hop since he was young, he tried rapping and break dancing while at the same time, he did hip-hop graffiti tagging. This is expended as he eventually became a scholar of history especially in the field of African American studies and hip-hop. Major criticism for his works on rap music and its influence on the society has been on the influence of its violent and vulgar lyrics on the youth especially the African American youth. He uses raw data from government agencies to show that in 2005, black youth high school graduate rate was record high despite the ir being highest consumers of hip-hop even though they are not majority consumers of rap music24. He also cites the 2006 educational achievement gap between blacks and whites being the narrowest of all time and this trend has been maintained. He also gives statistics of the dropping cases of teenage pregnancies with the 2005 being the lowest in history. In the civic awareness and participation, he says that the 2002 midterm elections saw the number of black 18-29 year old youth voters being highest among the white, Latino and Asian American in the country. In terms of crime, he cites the 2004 ever low black homicide rates at its least from 1940s25. The major problem as Ogbar says, facing African American people is the prison industrial complex which has the highest number of inmates than in any other country. African American forms the majority in these prisons making up nearly half of those incarcerated. In regard to this, the last chapter is devoted to discussing the stories that emerge from these institutions which are better represented through hip-hop and show how they affect not only black people and their families but also on the whole society. This is demonstrated in the art form through rappers posing behind bars, playing music videos in prison environments and making hip-hop magazines available in prisons. The main aim of this chapter as Ogbar states is to offer new perspectives on the discussions on the culture of hip-hop and show the main aim of the book itself which is to focus on the main debates in the public domain26. Ogbar says that his main aim of the book is not to engage those in the hip-hop debates, he wanted to give voice to the center of the debate; the rappers who eloquently criticize those involved in the maligning debate of hip-hop. The book looks at the hip-hop groups and what their views on the culture, and what the reality of life is. It gives space to groups such as Jurassic 5, Roots and Mos Def who has developed their own standar ds on what hip-hop is all about and which is far from other commercial rappers such as Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and young Jeezy. All these contribute to the discussion of what social issues are to them. Conclusion Ogbar, in this book explores the culture and politics of hip-hop debate while at the same time giving a wide historic context and use of references from other works to present his analysis. He looks at rappers who have made a mark in the society while at the same time being successful and their contributions. He also looks at the policies, activism, race, gender, class and intellectual contribution to the hip-hop culture. This is presented in a manner that is easy to understand for all people in order to gain a deeper understanding of what really this is, and its diversity in the American society. This will also give those who do not understand hip-hop and understanding into the range of expressions among rapper artists. Ogbar, also gives an account of history that is geared tow ards drawing a parallel between Harlem renaissance that happened in the 1920s and the hip-hop revolution which he hopes will be used in the exploration of gender, class and race issues in future. This is also gives a good exploration of the historical debates focusing on African Americans on the socio-economic and demographic fronts in the last forty years especially in regard to young people. This, however, does not go down criticized as by some scholars say that he should move from lyrical analysis due to its limitations to include field work, research and analysis of cultural aspects touching on hip-hop and its impacts. Works Cited Anderson, Elijah. Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner  City. New York: W. W. Norton Company, 2000. Bynoe, Yvonne. Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture. USA: Greenwood Press,  2006. Cobb, William. To the Breakof Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetics. New  York: New York Universtiy Press, 2006. Forman, M urray and Mark Neal. Thats the joint: the hip-hop studies reader. United  States of America: Routledge, 2004. Johnson, Imani. â€Å"Review of Ogbar, Jeffrey Ogbonna Green, Hip-Hop Revolution: The  Culture and Politics of Rap.† 2008. H-Net Reviews. 8 October 2011 https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=14673. Ogbar, Jeffrey. Black Power: Radical Politics and African American Identity. USA: JHU  Press, 2004. Ogbar, Jeffrey. On his book Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap. Washington: University Press of Kansas, 2009 Perkins, William. Dropping Science: Critical Essays on Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture.  USA: Temple University Press, 1996. Perry, Imani. Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop. USA: Duke  University Press, 2004. Potter, Russel. Spectacular vernaculars: hip-hop and the politics of postmodernism.  New York: SUNY Press, 1995. Rabaka, Reiland. Hip Hop’s Inheritance:From the Harlem Renaissance to the Hip Hop  Femin ist Movement. United States of America: Lexington Books, 2010. Rivera, Raquel. New York Ricans in the Hip-hop Zone. Unted States of America: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Romano, Renee. The civil irhts movement in American memory. United States of America: University of Georgia Press, 2004. Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America  (Music Culture). United States of America: Wesleyan, 1994. Rose, Tricia. The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop– and Why It Matters. United States of America: Basic Civitas Books, 2007. Footnotes 1 Perry, Imani. Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop (USA: DukeUniversity Press, 2004) 40. 2 Romano, Renee. The civil irhts movement in American memory (United States of  America: University of Georgia Press, 2004) 11. 3 Cobb, William. To the Breakof Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetics (New  York: New York Universtiy Press, 2006) 102. 4Forman, Murray and Mark Neal. Th ats the joint: the hip-hop studies reader (United States of America: Routledge, 2004) 43. 5Potter, Russel. Spectacular vernaculars: hip-hop and the politics of postmodernism (New York: SUNY Press, 1995) 25. 6 Forman and Neal 17. 7 Bynoe, Yvonne. Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture (USA: Greenwood Press,  2006) 186. 8 Ogbar, Jeffrey. Black Power: Radical Politics and African American Identity (USA: JHU Press, 2004) 89. 9 Anderson, Elijah. Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City (New York: W. W. Norton Company, 2000) 18. 10 Ogbar, Jeffrey. On his book Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap. (Washington: University Press of Kansas, 2009)152. 11 Ogbar, Jeffrey. On his book Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap. (Washington: University Press of Kansas, 2009) 153 12 Ogbar, Jeffrey. On his book Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap. (Washington: University Press of Kansas, 2009) 66. 13 Ogbar, Jeffrey. On hi s book Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap. (Washington: University Press of Kansas, 2009) 103. 14 Perkins, William. Dropping Science: Critical Essays on Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture (USA: Temple University Press, 1996) 205. 15Ogbar, Jeffrey. On his book Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap. (Washington: University Press of Kansas, 2009) 98. 16 Ogbar, Jeffrey. On his book Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap. (Washington: University Press of Kansas, 2009) 103. 17 Rabaka, Reiland. Hip Hop’s Inheritance:From the Harlem Renaissance to the Hip Hop Feminist Movement (United States of America: Lexington Books, 2010) 12. 18 Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America (Music Culture) (United States of America: Wesleyan, 1994) 14. 19 Ogbar, Jeffrey. On his book Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap. (Washington: University Press of Kansas, 2009)153. 20 Ogbar, Jeffrey. On his book Hip-Hop Re volution: The Culture and Politics of Rap. (Washington: University Press of Kansas, 2009) 156. 21Rose 14. 22 Anderson 29. 23 Rose, The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop–and Why It Matters 19. 24 Romano 24 25Forman and Neal 49. 26 Potter 20. This book review on Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap was written and submitted by user Cannon Ortega to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

buy custom Mark Haddon essay

buy custom Mark Haddon essay Research indicates that Mark Haddon was born in 1962 in Northampton. He graduated in 1981 with a BA in English at Merton College, Oxford. He then graduated in Literature in English in Edinburgh University for his Masters. Mark Haddon is a renowned illustrator, screenwriter and author. Apart from his bestselling novel The Curious of The Dog in The Night-Time, mark Haddon has written other books some of which include the Boom, The Red House, The sea of Tranquility and The Real Porky Philips. The Red House is about Richard who is a wealthy medical doctor. He invites for a week of vacation his separated sister Angela plus her amily. Richard has inherited a stepdaughter after remarrying. On the other hand, Angela has three children who seem unfamiliar to her sometimes and an incompetent husband. The Novel is set for 7days of bitterness and guilt. Another of his books, The Boom is about two young best friends, Jim and Charlie. They believe that in the staffroom their teachers talk smack about them. They then bang hard the staffroom and consequently discover their teachers are aliens. In the Sea of Tranquility, Haddon highlights his childhood, appeal with the accomplishment of humankinds initial landing on the moon in 1969. In the tale, the boy has a picture of the solar system and coordination on his wall and daydreams of the intrigues of being in astronaut. Collective with this storyline are details on landing, counting exciting tidbits; for example, the footprints left there will stay for millions of years because of lack of rain and wind on the moon. Another of his novels is The Real Porky Philips. This novel is about an overweight young boy who is very sensitive. After playing the role of a genie in a play in school, he gains courage that enable him to affirm his real personality. Indeed, Haddon is a revered and renowned writer and these are just a few of his numerous literary works. Buy custom Mark Haddon essay

Lever vs. Leverage

Lever vs. Leverage Lever vs. Leverage Lever vs. Leverage By Maeve Maddox A lever is a simple tool, a bar of iron or a sturdy length of wood that may be used to move or dislodge something heavy. Leverage is the mechanical advantage gained by a person using a lever. According to Archimedes, the power of a lever is formidable: â€Å"Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world.† –Archimedes A simple verb that means â€Å"to use a lever† is lever: Dig out a hollow which is larger than the base of the keystone and roll this rock into place. Use the crowbar to lever it into its final position. Each wedge in the row is pounded until a thin crack forms between the wedges and the rock can be levered apart. The noun from lever is leverage: the mechanical advantage gained by the use of a lever. A figurative meaning of leverage is â€Å"an advantage for accomplishing a purpose.† Price-conscious renters have no leverage [with landlords]. The West has far more economic leverage over Russia at this moment than it does military possibilities. The only negotiating leverage that most players had was to hold out at contract time, refusing to play unless their conditions were met. The OED’s first documentation of leverage as a verb is dated 1937: â€Å"Acey leveraged the arm upward.† By 1957, the form leveraged was in use to refer to buyouts and holding companies. In terms of finance, leverage means â€Å"to speculate financially on borrowed capital expecting profits to be greater than the interest that must be paid on the borrowed money.† A â€Å"leveraged buyout† is the buyout of a company by its management with the help of outside capital.† The word leverage appears in so many contexts now, both as noun and verb, that sometimes a reader must think carefully in order to know if it’s a noun meaning advantage or borrowing, or a verb meaning to lever, to supplement, to provide, or something else. Here are some examples: Hillshire Brands expects to focus on continuing to invest in its business, reducing leverage over time and pursuing opportunistic acquisitions. Alex Okosi [is] a key figure in the creation and production of world class African TV content for Africa. With this, he has built a successful platform for brands to leverage on. 5 Real Ways To Leverage Social Media Likes Are Not  Profit How Corine LaFont Leveraged Her Small Business Book Award Sometimes the prepositions that follow the verb leverage are redundant or just don’t make sense: One should leverage off of the previous work in completing this project.† President Margee Ensignwill lead faculty membersto deliberate on how to leverage on Nigeria’s huge human and natural endowments to win the national war against poverty and illiteracy. Bond Investors Looking For Bigger Returns Are Increasingly Relying To Leverage Writers might want to consider relinquishing leverage to the corporate wheeler-dealers for their exclusive use to refer to borrowing and buyouts. Plain old lever still has its uses as a verb. As for leverage as a noun, advantage can replace it in most figurative contexts. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of PhrasesOne Fell SwoopWhen to Spell Out Numbers

The Kent State University Shootings And The Boston Massacre Essay

The Kent State University Shootings And The Boston Massacre - Essay Example These lines printed in bold on the front pages of national newspapers and magazines dated May 5, 1970, conveyed the essence of what had happened during Kent students' protest against the war in Vietnam and the U.S. invasion to Cambodia. The Cambodian invasion took place in late April of 1970. According to the statement of President Nixon broadcasted nationwide on April 30, 1970 the goal of the invasion was to attack the Viet Cong headquarters located on Cambodian territory. The first protests followed the next day after Nixon's statement. Hundreds of American students, whose anti-war sentiment was the highest as compared with other social groups protested in their campuses across the country. Kent State University campus was also involved in the anti-military demonstrations. The protests peaked on Monday, May 4, when several hundreds students of Kent State University gathered at noon to declare their disapproval of the U.S. military policies in Asia2. By strange coincidence the Kent State University shootings bore frightening resemblance to another prominent event of the U.S. history, namely the Boston Massacre of 1770. The Massacre occurred on March 5, 1770 between a group of Boston citizens and British troops. A group of British soldiers shot five colonists during a public protest action against the Townshend Acts and the excessive presence of British troops in Boston and New York. The soldiers, struck by snow and ice balls thrown by the crowd, fired into the demonstrants killing five and wounding half a dozen people3. The first thing one might notice about these two events is striking similarity of dates and numbers. Separated by almost exactly two centuries both shootings occurred in the spring, and both cases produced nearly the same number of victims. In-depth analysis of the historical background of the shootings, comparison of the implications produced by them and examination of their impact on the society reveals even more interesting details. The second half of 20th century was marked by a series of events that determined the modern visage of American society. Nuclear disarmament movement and Civil rights movement in the USA of the late 1950s - early 1960s, Anti-Vietnam War movement in the USA and worldwide of the mid 1960s - early 1970s, students movement in the USA of the mid 1960s - early 1970s, women's movement in the USA that began in the late 1960s and soon spread to Europe - these are only most notable examples of such events. The shootings at Kent University went down in history as the turning point of the Vietnam War era. In those days the nation was torn by deep cultural and political conflict. Richard Nixon won the 1968 election promising to end the Vietnam War, but failed to stick to his promise. Instead, the first draft lottery since World War II was announced followed by the invasion into Cambodia that made the war even more intensive. Thousands of American students responded to the increased risk of being d rafted by protests and demonstrations setting the stage for the Kent University shootings4. The historical background of the Boston Massacre was characterized by a number of similar features, though the context was totally different. Political and economic

Florence Regarding Investment Appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Florence Regarding Investment Appraisal - Essay Example Capital budgeting is primarily undertaken when investment outlay is done for a long period. In the context of this paper, the investment will be done in heavy machinery and the project period is 5 years. Payback period denotes the time period that is absorbed by the project for recovering the total cost of the project. Payback may not be the primary technique but it is an important technique that determines whether a firm should undertake a particular project. The criterion is that when projects are compared on the basis of payback period, a project with shorter payback period is selected (Sangster, 1993; Cooper, Cornick and Redmon, 2011). The calculated payback period for each project is as follows: It was calculated that project A required the least amount of time followed by project B and project C respectively. In other words, Project B requires 0.52 years or about 6 months more than project A. From the perspective of payback period, project A can be recommended over the other pr ojects as it takes the shortest amount of time to recoup the initial outlay (Sangster, 1993). Accounting rate of return is often considered as the true measure of profitability with respect to a project in capital budgeting as it not only take into account the net cash inflow but also focuses on expected net earnings from each project with respect to the fund invested initially. This technique works on the notion that earnings instead of generally cash flow are better measure of success of an investment. A project with higher accounting rate of return is generally considered as the superior choice (Kida, Moreno and Smith, 2001). The calculated accounting rate of return of each project is as follows: It is important to discuss the reason for using incremental revenue prior analyzing the outcome.  

Two wheeler Industry in India Essay Example for Free

Two wheeler Industry in India Essay It has been more than 50 years now that bikes have been ruling the Indian automobile sector. In 1955, the Indian government needed sturdy and reliable motorcycles for its Army and police to patrol the rugged border highways. The first batch of 350cc Bullet the super bike in India of all times, from the Royal Enfield Company of UK were received and assembled at Chennai. Since then, bikes in India have been flourishing as a two wheelers segment, and Indian bikes gaining on popularity all across the world. Talking of bikes cc, bikes having four-stroke engines are thought to be more fuel efficient motorbikes. They are the main reason for the growth of motorbikes in India as a segment. Indian bikes market share is about 81. 5% of the total two wheeler market in India. Three-fourth of the total exports in the two wheeler automobile industry is made in the motorcycle segment. Exports are made mainly to South East Asian and SAARC nations. India is the manufacturer of some of the best bikes in the world. Hero Honda, Kinetic Motor, TVS Motor, LML India are some of iconic bike manufacturers in India. There are cheap motorcycles that comprise the commuter bikes segment, as well luxury bikes like sports bike in India for the new age bikers. Ever year, a series of latest bike launch keep the sector buzzing. Kawasaki Ninja, Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS, and Honda Unicorn Dazzler are some of the latest motorcycle models that have made news in the recent past. Besides, there are also a number of new bikes in India that are awaiting a launch in the near future 3. Big Players This section provides detailed information on every bike manufacturer in India, features of motorcycles, motorcycle parts, and cheap motorcycles. 3. 1 Bajaj Auto Established in 1945, Bajaj Auto Ltd. was incorporated as a trading company. Till 1959, they imported scooters and three-wheelers from Italy and sold them in India. The company got a production license in the year 1959 and fastened a technical collaboration with Italian PIAGGIO in 1960. Bajaj Auto Ltd. is one among Indias top ten companies in terms of market capitalization and among the top five in terms of annual turnover. The company started producing scooters in the year 1961 and followed three-wheelers production in 1962. Its collaboration with Piaggio expired in 1971 and since then, their scooters and three-wheelers are being sold with the brand name â€Å"BAJAJ†. Maharashtra Scooters Ltd. , a Company with 24% equity participation by the Company and 27% participation from Maharashtra State Governments Western Maharashtra Development Corp. was formed in the year 1975 under the Horizontal transfer of technology policy. The first production unit is located at Satara, Maharashtra. The unit continues to collect scooters from CKDs supplied by the Company. These scooters are marketed through the Companys distribution network and under the Companys brand name. In 1984, the second production plant was set up at Aurangabad, Maharashtra. This plant started scooter production in 1986, three-wheeler production in 1987 and scooterettes and motorcycle facilities were commissioned in 1990 1991 respectively. Today, the company has become a market leader with annual production in excess of 1. 35 million units which was about 4000 units in 1961. |TWO WHEELERS | | MOTORCYCLE | |Bajaj Discover 150 DTSi |150 CC | |Bajaj Avenger |180 CC | |Bajaj CT 100 |99. 27 CC | |Bajaj Discover DTSi |135 CC | |Bajaj Kawasaki Caliber |111. 6 CC | |Bajaj Kawasaki Boxer |111. 6 CC | |Bajaj KB 125 |123 CC | |Bajaj 4S Champion |99. 35 CC | |Bajaj Platina |99. 27 CC | |Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS |135CC | |Bajaj Pulsar DTS-Fi 220 CC |220 CC | |Bajaj Pulsar DTSi | | | · Pulsar 180 DTS-i UG |180 CC | | · Pulsar 150 DTS-i UG |150 CC | | · Pulsar 200 Cc |200 CC | | · Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi |220 CC | |Bajaj Wind 125 |124. 6 CC | |Bajaj XCD |125 CC | |Bajaj Discover DTS-Si 100cc |100 CC | |Bajaj Pulsar 220 S |200CC | | SCOOTERS | |Bajaj Bravo |145 CC | |Bajaj Chetak |145. 45 CC | |Bajaj Classic SL |145. 45 CC | |Bajaj Legend |150 CC | | SCOOTERETTES/MOPEDS | |Bajaj Blade DTSi |100 CC | |Bajaj Cagiva CRX |145 CC | |Bajaj Fusion |145 CC | |Bajaj Kristal DTSi |100 CC | |Bajaj M 80 Electronic |74. 08 CC | |Bajaj Rave |74. 08 CC | |Bajaj Safire |74. 4 CC | |Bajaj Spirit |100 CC | |Bajaj Sunny |59. 86 CC | |Bajaj Sunny Spice |59. 86 CC | |Bajaj Wave DTSi |109. 7 CC | 3. 1. 1 SWOT Analysis Lets analyze the position of Bajaj in the current market set-up, evaluating its strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities available. Strengths: ? Highly experienced management. ? Product design and development capabilities. ? Extensive R D focus. ? Widespread distribution network. ? High performance products across all categories. ? High export to domestic sales ratio. ? Great financial support network (For financing the automobile) ? High economies of scale. ? High economies of scope. Weaknesses: ? Hasnt employed the excess cash for long. ? Still has no established brand to match Hero Hondas Splendor in commuter segment. ? Not a global player in spite of huge volumes. ? Not a globally recognizable brand (unlike the JV partner Kawasaki) Threats: ? The competition catches-up any new innovation in no time. ? Threat of cheap imported motorcycles from China. ? Margins getting squeezed from both the directions (Price as well as Cost) Opportunities: ? Double-digit growth in two-wheeler market. ? Untapped market above 180 cc in motorcycles. ? More maturity and movement towards higher-end motorcycles. ? The growing gearless trendy scooters and scooterette market. ? Growing world demand for entry-level motorcycles especially in emerging markets 3. 2 Hero Honda Motors Hero Honda Motors Ltd. is a result of the joint venture between Indias Hero Group and Japanese Honda Motors Company in the year 1983. This joint venture has not only created the worlds single largest two wheeler company but also one of the most successful joint ventures worldwide. Hero Honda is globally known of being the most fuel-efficient and the largest CBZ selling Indian Motorcycle Company. This is a relationship so harmonious that Hero Honda has managed to achieve indigenization of over 95 percent, a Honda record worldwide. The company is committed to provide the customer with excellence. A rich background of producing high value products at reasonable prices led the worlds largest manufacturer of motorcycles to collaborate with the worlds largest bicycle manufacturer. During 80s, Hero Honda became the first company in India to prove that it was possible to drive a vehicle without polluting the roads. They company possess three manufacturing units based at Dharuhera, Gurgaon and Haridwar are capable to produce 4. 4 million units per year. They introduced new generation motorcycles that set industry benchmarks for fuel thrift and low emission. The unique features like fuel conservation, safety riding courses and mobile workshops helped the group reach in the interiors of the country. Well-entrenched in the domestic market, Hero Honda Motors Ltd. turned its attention overseas, and exports have been steadily on the rise. Over the years, the Company has received its share of accolades, including the National Productivity Councils Award ( 1990-91), and the Economic Times Harvard Business School Association of India Award, against 200 contenders. The gross sales of Hero Honda by March end2008 was 33,371,43 Crores. |TWO WHEELERS | | MOTORCYCLES | |Hero Honda Achiever |Hero Honda CD Dawn |Hero Honda CD Deluxe | |Hero Honda CD 100 |Hero Honda CD 100 SS |Hero Honda Glamour | |Hero Honda Glamour |Hero Honda Splendor |Hero Honda Passion Plus | |Glamour |Splendor + | | |Glamour FI |Super Splendor | | | |Splendor NXG | | |Hero Honda Sleek |Hero Honda CBZ X-TREME |Hero Honda Karizma | | | |. Karizma ZMR FI | |Hero Honda Hunk | | | | SCOOTERETTES/MOPEDS | |Hero Honda Pleasure |Hero Ankur |Hero Gizmo | |Hero Panther |Hero Puch Automatic |Hero Sakhti 3G | |Hero Stepmatic |Hero Street |Hero Winner | |Hero Stepmatic |Hero Puch Automatic |Hero Sakthi 3G | |Hero Winner | | | 3. 2. 1 SWOT analysis 3. 3 TVS Motor TVS Motor is a leading and trusted two wheeler company began with the vision of TVS Scooty. The founder of the Sundaram Clayton Group, the late T. S. Srinivasan to design, develop and produce an affordable moped for the Indian family. This vision was realized in 1980 when TVS 50, Indias first two-seater moped rolled out of the factory at Hosur in Tamil Nadu, Southern India. The company has been known for its ruggedness and reliability. TVS 50 was successful and it has smoothened the way for many successes for TVS Suzuki even before its launch in the market. The TVS 50 XL is especially designed for individuals who want economy fused with sporty looks. Recently new XL Super With a 70 cc high-tech Power Pack is all set to redefine the category of mopeds in the country. The Suzuki Samurai was launched for the time conscious urban commuter. The Max 100 R was engineered for those who demanded strength and ruggedness. Along with them all, Suzuki Shogun was for those who wanted raw power. TVS Motor has continually worked on innovating the motorcycle segment along with two wheeler range. The Suzuki Shaolin, developed by TVS Suzuki is Indias first 5 speed, 140 cc motorcycle. Another example of the company success is TVS Scooty, a 60 cc Scooterette which keep one step ahead of its time in India. TVS Motor has been coveted 2 IT awards, one of them is bagging the SAP ACE 2008 award for Customer Excellence and the other one is 2008 Symantec South Asia Visionary Award. Along with this, it is the first company in the world to be honored with The Deming Prize for Total Quality Management. In September 2008, the company has got 19% growth for registering total two wheeler sales of 137,246 units . The company is the third largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India and ranks among the top ten globally. The company was the first in India to launch 2-seater 50cc moped and 100cc Indo-Japanese motorcycles. At present TVS Apache, TVS Victor, TVS Scooty, TVS Centra and TVS Fiero are the popular bikes in Indian market. In all, team TVS has triumphed each and every race and rally in the country from the road to racetrack, with each of the TVS bikes being a winner. And each time the Team TVS has won on the track or off it, our customers have secured a better product for their personal transportation. |TWO WHEELERS | | MOTORCYCLES | |Suzuki Hayabusa 1300 |Suzuki Intruder M1800R |Suzuki GS 150R | |TVS Apache RTR FI |TVS Centra |TVS Fiero | | | |TVS Fiero F2 | | | |TVS Fiero FX | |Suzuki Max 100 |Suzuki Max 100R |Suzuki Samurai | |Suzuki Shogun |Suzuki Shaolin |TVS Flame | |TVS Victor |TVS Star | | |TVS Victor GLX |TVS Star | | |TVS Victor GX |TVS Star City | | |TVS Victor Edge | | | | SCOOTERETTES/MOPEDS | |TVS Scooty Streak |TVS Scooty |TVS XL | | |TVS Scooty ES |TVS XL Super | | |TVS Scooty Pep |TVS XL Super HD | | |TVS Pep Plus | | |TVS XL Super |TVS XL Super HD |Scooty Teenz Electric | |TVS Apache RTR |TVS Spectra DX/AX | |.

Parodies of Victorian Lifestyle Essay -- Alices Adventures in Wonderl

Parodies of Victorian Lifestyle in Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found      Ã‚     Ã‚  "It is no accident that the grotesque style in literature tends to be prevalent in eras marked by radical change and stress.   Such was the Victorian period, within which a whirl of social, economic, and religious change took place . . ." (Chang par. 2). This distorted writing can be unquestionably seen in the works of Lewis Carroll, namely his world famous pieces, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There (commonly known as "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass").   In several instances throughout the Alice books, Carroll mocks Victorian lifestyle.   These parodies can be seen in Victorian growth and self-discovery, inventions, education, nutrition and drugs, and social classes.    The Victorian times were that of self-discovery and seeking order in the universe, so naturally it makes sense when Alice is not really sure of who she is.   The Caterpillar cannot accept Alice's lack of self-awareness when she states that she is unsure of whom she is.    "Who are you?" said the Caterpillar.   This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation.   Alice replied, rather shyly, "I -- I hardly know, Sir, just at present -- at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then."   "What do you mean by that?" said the Caterpillar, sternly.   "Explain yourself!"   "I ca'n't explain myself, I'm afraid, Sir," said Alice, "because I'm not myself you see" (Alice in Wonderland ch. 5).    Alice concurs with several different characters in her two trips to wonderland.   "As Alice learns a gre... ...in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." The Victorian Web (1995): four paragraphs. On-line. Internet. 18 April 2002. Available: http://www.landlow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/carroll/polisner.html    Voughon, Wendy. "Victorian Class Prejudices in the Alice Books." The Victorian Web (1993): one paragraph. On-line. Internet. 18 April 2002. Available: http://www.landlow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/carroll/aiwl2.html    Weber, Anya. "Food, Drink, and Public Health in the Alice Books." The Victorian Web (1995): four paragraphs. On- line. Internet. 18 April 2002. Available: http://www.landlow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/carroll/weber.html    Wong, Susan. "Class in the Garden of Live Flowers" The Victorian Web (1995): four paragraphs. On- line. Internet. 18 April 2002. Available: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~ifdean/carroll/wong1.html

Functional Assessments and Intervention Strategies Essay

Dewolfe (1997) discusses the relevant points on the book written by Reichle and Wacker (1997) about the effective approaches in terms of assessing challenging behaviors; and what are the intervention strategies that could be employed in order to decrease the risks for the development of a challenging behavior. According to Reichle and Wacker (1997), the most effective venue for the assessment of challenging behavior could be conducted in natural environments such as â€Å"home, school and local community† (para 2). Also, another key factor that must be kept in mind with regards to changing children’s challenging behavior is the idea that when one wants to change a behavior of a particular child, it necessarily follows, that the behavior of those people around her should also be changed. Effective interventions are also very relevant most specially the rate, quality and the effort that is given on the reinforcement (para 3). Reichle and Wacker (1997) also emphasized that Communications Based Interventions are the best approach in terms of dealing with challenging behavior (para 4). Such a type of intervention should be followed by a functional assessment that should be able to understand the child very well. In effect of this, what will one have is a communication based approach that perfectly matches the need of the child. The facilitation of an intervention program has been emphasized by Reichle and Wacker (1997) has to be conducted in natural settings. As such, the traditional notion that interventions should be normally done in clinics are no longer that patronized. Discussion The rate in which challenging behavior has been increasing now a days is understandable. On the advent of the 21st century where everything is in set to be in fast paced, most parents tend to forgot their responsibility to their children. On the first part of this paper, the author was able to enumerate the different causes and various risk factors of challenging behavior. In a nutshell, one could see that majority of the causes stem out because the mother fails to take care of her child during the prenatal stage and even during the early years of the child. Fox, Dunlap and Powell (2002) emphasized the necessity of early intervention during childhood in order to prevent the development of challenging behavior. In addition with this, the perception that problematic behaviors among toddlers and preschool-age children should not be dismissed as mere effects of his or her development stage. Rather, parents should be vigilant to see the patterns and the rate in which challenging behaviors occur and significantly think of a plan in order to address such a problem. The case of June is a good example on how a child develops challenging behavior during her life. June is perceived to be raised in a broken family. It could be implied that the source of family income is solely shouldered by her mother, hence leaving her and her siblings with small amount of time. In addition with this, the fact that June has two other siblings that her mother have to take care and worry about, further decreases the chance that June could be given appropriate attention and guidance. It is clear from the history of June and her other siblings that they somehow share the same patterns of behavior. Although the author could not completely distinguish if such is the result of how they are reared or maybe how did their mother take care of herself during pregnancy; but it could be seen that such a pattern of behavior is clearly evident to be existing within her family circle. The manner in which June was assessed, intervened and treated in her school could be seen as one of the most effective steps in which one could deal with challenging behavior. The team used a Communications Based Intervention (Reichle and Wacker (1997) in order to deal with the problem. One could recall that the manner in which the teacher talked to June allowed her to express her feelings and also allowed her to tell stories that upset her within the family and also within the school. In addition with this, the assessments that were made to June are done in a natural environment, such as her school. It could be recalled that various attempts are also made by June’s residential and community program placements, but such proves to be null. As such, the author perceived that the assessment at the school, wherein June spends mostly her time is a very effective approach because not only that she will be able to properly relate with her peers, such an approach will also pave the way for more understanding and willingness to support among her teachers. Reicle and Wacker (1997) emphasized the need of other people to also change their behaviors if they wanted to help a child with challenging behavior. It could be significantly noted that Laursen (2005) claimed that the team that is taking care and assisting June has also made an effort to make her educators understand the depth of her problem and how their support could help her to overcome her challenging behavior. In relation with this, the author wanted to introduce the notion of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) of Fox, Dunlap and Powell (2002) in order to change challenging behaviors among children. The PBS is tailored to meet the specific needs of the child and also takes into careful consideration all of the contexts in which problems with regard to challenging behaviors emerge. The model devised by Dunlap and Fox (1999) as cited from Fox, Dunlap and Powell (2002) creates an Individualized Support Program (ISP) that seeks to help the family and the child’s care givers in order to change his or her difficult behavior. The ISP model revolves on two major steps which is the functional assessment and the person centered planning. The functional assessment focuses on accumulating detailed information about the child’s behavior, activities, and other contexts that could be helpful for the family, taking into consideration the cause and effects of a particular behavior. Consequently, the person-centered planning centers on the expression of the child’s dreams and other challenges that the child perceived to have within his or her family. After such, a behavior support plan will be created which is perfectly in accordance to the specific needs of the child.

A Dirty Job Chapter 25

25 THE RHYTHM OF LOST AND FOUND The Emperor was camped in some bushes near an open culvert that drained into Lobos Creek in the Presidio, the land point on the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate where forts had stood from the time of the Spanish, but had recently been turned into a park. The Emperor had wandered the city for days, calling into storm drains, following the sound of his lost soldier's barking. The faithful retriever Lazarus had led him here, one of the few drains in the city where the Boston terrier might be able to exit without being washed into the Bay. They camped under a camouflage poncho and waited. Mercifully, it hadn't rained since Bummer had chased the squirrel into the storm sewer, but dark clouds had been bubbling over the City for two days now, and whether or not they were bringing rain, they made the Emperor fear for his city. â€Å"Ah, Lazarus,† said the Emperor, scratching his charge behind the ears, â€Å"if we had even half the courage of our small comrade, we would go into that drain and find him. But what are we without him, our courage, our valor? Steady and righteous we may be, my friend, but without courage to risk ourselves for our brother, we are but politicians – blustering whores to rhetoric.† Lazarus growled low and hunkered back under the poncho. The sun had just set, but the Emperor could see movement back in the culvert. As he climbed to his feet, the six-foot pipe was filled with a creature that crawled out and virtually unfolded in the creekbed – a huge, bullheaded thing, with eyes that glowed green and wings that unfurled like leathery umbrellas. As they watched the creature took three steps and leapt into the twilight sky, his wings beating like the sails of a death ship. The Emperor shuddered, and considered for a moment moving their camp into the City proper, perhaps passing the night on Market Street, with people and policemen streaming by, but then he heard the faintest barking coming from deep in the culvert. Audrey was showing them around the Buddhist center, which, except for the office in the front, and a living room that had been turned into a meditation room, looked very much like any other sprawling Victorian home. Austere and Oriental in its decor, yes, and perhaps the smell of incense permeating it, but still, just a big old house. â€Å"It's just a big old house, really,† she said, leading them into the kitchen. Minty Fresh was making Audrey feel a little uncomfortable. He kept picking at bits of duct-tape adhesive that had stuck to the sleeve of his green jacket, and giving Audrey a look like he was saying, This better come out when it's dry-cleaned or it's your ass. His size alone was intimidating, but now a series of large knots were rising on his forehead where he'd smacked the doorway, and he looked vaguely like a Klingon warrior, except for the pastel-green suit, of course. Maybe the agent for a Klingon warrior. â€Å"So,† he said, â€Å"if the squirrel people thought I was a bad guy, why did they save me from the sewer harpy in the train last week? They attacked her and gave me time to get away.† Audrey shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. They were supposed to just watch you and report back. They must have seen that what was after you was much worse than you. They are human, at heart, you know.† She paused in front of the pantry door and turned to them. She hadn't seen the debacle in the street, but Esther had been watching through the window and had told her what had happened – about the womanlike creatures that had been coming after Charlie. Evidently these strange men were allies of a sort, practicing what she had taken on as her holy work: helping souls to move to their next existence. But the method? Could she trust them? â€Å"So, from what you guys are saying, there are thousands of humans walking around without souls?† â€Å"Millions, probably,† Charlie said. â€Å"Maybe that explains the last election,† she said, trying to buy time. â€Å"You said you could see if people had one,† said Minty Fresh. He was right, but she'd seen the soulless and never thought about their sheer numbers, and what happened when the dead didn't match with the born. She shook her head. â€Å"So the transfer of souls depends on material acquisition? That's just so – I don't know – sleazy.† â€Å"Audrey, believe me,† Charlie said, â€Å"we're both as baffled by the mechanics of it as you are, and we're instruments of it.† She looked at Charlie, really looked at him. He was telling the truth. He had come here to do the right thing. She threw open the pantry door and the red light spilled out on them. The pantry was nearly as big as a modern bedroom, and every shelf from floor to ceiling and most of the floor space was covered with glowing soul vessels. â€Å"Jeez,† Charlie said. â€Å"I got as many as I could – or, the squirrel people did.† Minty Fresh ducked into the pantry and stood in front of a shelf full of CDs and records. He grabbed a handful and started shuffling through them, then turned to her, holding up a half-dozen CD cases fanned out. â€Å"These are from my store.† â€Å"Yes. We got all of them,† Audrey said. â€Å"You broke into my store.† â€Å"She kept them from the bad guys, Minty,† Charlie said, stepping in the pantry. â€Å"She probably saved them, maybe saved us.† â€Å"No way, man, none of this would be happening if it wasn't for her.† â€Å"No, it was always going to happen. I saw it in the other Great Big Book, in Arizona.† â€Å"I was just trying to help them,† Audrey said. Charlie was staring at the CDs in Minty's hand. He seemed to have fallen into some sort of trance, and reached out and took the CDs as if he were moving through some thick liquid – then shuffled away all but one, which he just stared at, then flipped over to look at the back. He sat down hard in the pantry and Audrey caught his head to keep him from bumping it on the shelf behind him. â€Å"Charlie,† she said. â€Å"Are you okay?† Minty Fresh squatted down next to Charlie and looked at the CD – reached for it, but Charlie pulled it away. Minty looked at Audrey. â€Å"It's his wife,† he said. Audrey could see the name Rachel Asher scratched into the back of the CD case and she felt her heart breaking for poor Charlie. She put her arms around him. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Charlie. I'm so sorry.† Tears splattered on the CD case and Charlie wouldn't look up. Minty Fresh stood and cleared his throat, his face clear of any rage or accusation. He seemed almost ashamed. â€Å"Audrey, I've been driving around the City for days, I could sure use a place to lie down if you have it.† She nodded, her face against Charlie's back. â€Å"Ask Esther, she'll show you.† Minty Fresh ducked out of the pantry. Audrey held Charlie and rocked him for a long time, and even though he was lost in the world of that CD that held the love of his life, and she was outside, crouched in a pantry that glowed red with cosmic bric-a-brac, she cried with him. After an hour passed, or maybe it was three, because that's the way time is in grief and love, Charlie turned to her and said, â€Å"Do I have a soul?† â€Å"What?† she said. â€Å"You said you could see people's souls glowing in them – do I have a soul?† â€Å"Yes, Charlie. Yes, you have a soul.† He nodded, turning away from her again, but pushing back against her. â€Å"You want it?† he said. â€Å"Nah, I'm good,† she said. But she wasn't. She took the CD out of his hand, pried his hands off of it, really, and put it with the others. â€Å"Let's let Rachel rest and go in the other room.† â€Å"Okay,† Charlie said. He let her help him up. Upstairs, in a little room with cushions all over the floor and pictures of the Buddha reclining amid lotuses, they sat and talked by candlelight. They'd shared their histories, of how they had come to be where they were, what they were, and with that out of the way, they talked about their losses. â€Å"I've seen it again and again,† Charlie said. â€Å"More with men than with women, but definitely with both – a wife or husband dies, and it's like the survivor is roped to him like a mountain climber who's fallen into a crevasse. If the survivor can't let go – cut them loose, I guess – the dead will drag them right into the grave. I think that would have happened to me, if it wasn't for Sophie, and maybe even becoming a Death Merchant. There was something bigger than me going on, something bigger than my pain. That's the only reason I made it this far.† â€Å"Faith,† Audrey said. â€Å"Whatever that is. It's funny, when Esther came to me, she was angry. Dying and angry – she said that she'd believed in Jesus all her life, now she was dying and He said she was going to live forever.† â€Å"So you told her, ‘Sucks to be you, Esther.'† Audrey threw a cushion at him. She liked the way that he could find the silliness in such dark territory. â€Å"No, I told her that He told her that she'd live forever, but He didn't say how. Her faith hadn't been betrayed at all, she just needed to open to a broader understanding.† â€Å"Which was total bullshit,† Charlie said. Another cushion bounced off his forehead. â€Å"No, it wasn't moo-poo. If anyone should understand the significance of the book not covering everything in detail, it should be you – us.† â€Å"You can't say ‘bullshit,' can you?† Audrey felt herself blush and was glad they were in the dim orange candlelight. â€Å"I'm talking faith, over here, you want to give me a break?† â€Å"Sorry. I know – or, I think I know what you mean. I mean, I know that there's some sort of order to all this, but I don't know how someone can reconcile, say, a Catholic upbringing with a Tibetan Book of the Dead, with a Great Big Book of Death, secondhand dealers selling objects with human souls, and vicious raven women in the sewers. The more I know, the less I understand. I'm just doing.† â€Å"Well, the Bardo Thodrol talks about hundreds of monsters you will encounter as your consciousness makes its journey into death and rebirth, but you're instructed to ignore them, as they are illusions, your own fears trying to keep your consciousness from moving on. They can't really harm you.† â€Å"I think this may be something they left out of the book, Audrey, because I've seen them, I've fought with them, wrenched souls out of their grasp, watched them take bullets and get hit by cars and keep going – they are definitely not illusions and they definitely can hurt you. The Great Big Book isn't clear about the specifics, but it definitely talks about the Forces of Darkness trying to take over our world, and how the Luminatus will rise and do battle with them.† â€Å"Luminatus?† Audrey said. â€Å"Something to do with light?† â€Å"The big Death,† Charlie said. â€Å"Death with a capital D. Sort of the Kahuna, the Big Cheese, the Boss Death. Like Minty and the other Death Merchants would be Santa's helpers, the Luminatus would be Santa.† â€Å"Santa Claus is the big Death?!† Audrey said, wide-eyed. â€Å"No, that's just an example – † Charlie saw she was trying not to laugh. â€Å"Hey, I've been bruised and electrocuted and tied up and traumatized tonight.† â€Å"So my seduction strategy is working?† Audrey grinned. Charlie was flustered. â€Å"I didn't – I wasn't – was I staring at your breasts? Because if I was, it was totally by accident, because, you know – there they were, and – â€Å" â€Å"Shh.† She reached over and put her finger on his lips to shush him. â€Å"Charlie, I feel very close to you right now, and very connected to you right now, and I want to keep that connection going, but I'm exhausted, and I don't think I can talk anymore. I think I'd like you to come to bed with me.† â€Å"Really? Are you sure?† â€Å"Am I sure? I haven't had sex in fourteen years – and if you'd asked me yesterday, I'd have told you that I'd rather face one of your raven monsters than go to bed with a man, but now I'm here, with you, and I'm as sure as I've ever been of anything.† She smiled, then looked away. â€Å"I mean, if you are.† Charlie took her hand. â€Å"Yeah,† he said. â€Å"But I was going to tell you something important.† â€Å"Can't it wait till morning?† â€Å"Sure.† They spent the night in each other's arms, and whatever fears or insecurities they had been feeling turned out to be illusions. Loneliness evaporated off of them like the steam off dry ice, and by morning it was just a cloud on the ceiling of the room, then gone with the light. During the night someone had picked up the dining-room table and cleaned up the mess Minty Fresh had made when he crashed through the kitchen door. He was sitting at the table when Charlie came down. â€Å"They towed my car,† said Minty Fresh. â€Å"There's coffee.† â€Å"Thanks.† Charlie skipped across the dining room to the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down with Minty. â€Å"How's your head?† The big man touched the purple bruise on his forehead. â€Å"Better. How're you doing?† â€Å"I accidentally shagged a monk last night.† â€Å"Sometimes, in times of crisis, that shit cannot be avoided. How are you doing besides that?† â€Å"I feel wonderful.† â€Å"Yeah, imagine the rest of us all bummed about the end of the world, not being cheerful.† â€Å"Not the end of the world, just darkness over everything,† Charlie cheerfully said. â€Å"It gets dark – turn on a light.† â€Å"Good for you, Charlie. Now ‘scuse me, I got to go get my car out of impound before you start with the whole ‘if life gives you lemons you make lemonade' speech and I have to beat you senseless.† (It's true, there is little more obnoxious than a Beta Male in love. So conditioned is he to the idea that he will never find love, that when he does, he feels as if the entire world has fallen into step with his desires – and thus deluded, he may act accordingly. It's a time of great joy and danger for him.) â€Å"Wait, we can share a cab. I have to go home and get my date book.† â€Å"Me, too. I left mine on the front seat of the car. You know those two clients I missed – they're here. Alive.† â€Å"Audrey told me,† Charlie said. â€Å"There's six of them altogether. She did that p'howa of undying thing on them. Obviously that's what's been causing the cosmic shit storm, but what can we do? We can't kill them.† â€Å"No, I think it's what you said. The battle is going to happen here in San Francisco and it's going to happen now. And since you're the Luminatus, I guess this whole thing is riding on your shoulders. So I'd say we're doomed.† â€Å"Maybe not. I mean, every time they've almost gotten me, something or someone has intervened to pull out a victory. I think destiny is on our side. I feel very optimistic about this.† â€Å"That's just because you just shagged the monk,† said Minty. â€Å"I'm not a monk,† said Audrey, bounding into the room with a sheaf of papers in hand. â€Å"Oh, shit,† said the Death Merchants in unison. â€Å"No, it's okay,† Audrey said. â€Å"He did shag me, or, I think more appropriately – we shagged – but I'm not a monk anymore. Not because of the shagging, you know, it was a preshag decision.† She threw her papers on the table and climbed into Charlie's lap. â€Å"Hey, good-looking, how's your morning going?† She gave him a backbreaking kiss and entwined him like a starfish trying to open an oyster until Minty Fresh cleared his throat and she turned to him. â€Å"And good morning to you, Mr. Fresh.† â€Å"Yes. Thank you.† Minty leaned to the side so he could see Charlie. â€Å"Whether they were here for you, or for our clients who didn't die, they'll be back, you know that?† â€Å"The Morrigan?† said Audrey. â€Å"Huh,† said the Death Merchants, again in chorus. â€Å"You guys are so cute,† Audrey gushed. â€Å"They're called the Morrigan. Raven women – personifications of death in the form of beautiful warrior women who can change into birds. There are three of them, all part of the same collective queen of the Underworld known as the Morrigan.† Charlie leaned back from her so he could look her in the eye. â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"I just looked it up on the Internet.† Audrey climbed out of Charlie's lap, picked up the papers on the table, and began to read. â€Å"‘The Morrigan consists of three distinct entities: Macha, who haunts the battlefield, and takes heads of warriors as tribute in battle – she is said to be able to heal a warrior from mortal wounds in the field, if his men have offered enough heads to her. The Celtic warriors called the severed heads Macha's acorns. She is considered the mother goddess of the three. Babd is rage, the passion of battle and killing – she was said to collect the seed of fallen warriors, and use its power to inspire a sexual frenzy for battle, a literal bloodlust. And Nemain, who is frenzy, was said to drive soldiers into battle with a howl so fierce that it could cause enemy soldiers to die of fright – her claws were venomous and the mere prick of one would kill a soldier, but she would fling the venom into the eyes of enemy soldie rs to blind them.'† â€Å"That's them,† said Minty Fresh. â€Å"I saw venom come from the claws of the one on the BART.† â€Å"Yeah,† Charlie said, â€Å"and I think I remember Babd – the bloodlust one. That's them. I have to talk to Lily. I sent her to Berkeley to find out about them, but she came back with nothing. She must have not even looked.† â€Å"Yeah, ask her if she's seeing anybody,† Minty Fresh said. To Audrey: â€Å"Did it say how you kill them? What their weaknesses are?† Audrey shook her head. â€Å"Just that warriors took dogs into battle to protect against the Morrigan.† â€Å"Dogs,† Charlie echoed. â€Å"That explains why my daughter got the hellhounds to protect her. I'm telling you, Fresh, we're going to be okay. Destiny is on our side.† â€Å"Yeah, you said that. Call us a cab.† â€Å"I wonder why of all the different gods and demons in the Underworld, the Celtic ones are here.† â€Å"Maybe they're all here,† Minty said. â€Å"I had a crazy Indian tell me once that I was the son of Anubis, the Egyptian jackal-headed god of the dead.† â€Å"That's great!† Charlie said. â€Å"A jackal – that's a type of dog. You have natural abilities to battle the Morrigan, see.† Minty looked at Audrey. â€Å"If you don't do something to disappoint him and mellow his ass out, I'm going to shoot him.† â€Å"Oh yeah,† Charlie said. â€Å"Can I still borrow one of your big guns?† Minty unfolded to his feet. â€Å"I'm going outside to call a cab and wait, Charlie. If you're coming, you better start saying good-bye now, because I'm leaving when it gets here.† â€Å"Swell,† Charlie said, looking adoringly at Audrey. â€Å"I think we're safe in the daylight anyway.† â€Å"Monk shagger,† Minty growled as he ducked under the doorway. Auntie Cassie let Charlie into their small home in the Marina district and Sophie called off the greeting hump of devil dogs almost as soon as it started. â€Å"Daddy!† Charlie swept Sophie up in his arms and squeezed her until she started to change color; then, when Jane came out of the kitchen, he grabbed her in his other arm and hugged her as well. â€Å"Uh, let go,† Jane said, pushing him away. â€Å"You smell like incense.† â€Å"Oh, Jane, I can't believe it, she's so wonderful.† â€Å"He got laid,† Cassandra said. â€Å"You got laid?† Jane said, kissing her brother on the cheek. â€Å"I'm so happy for you. Now let me go.† â€Å"Daddy got laid,† Sophie said to the hellhounds, who seemed very happy at hearing the news. â€Å"No, not laid,† Charlie said, and there was a collective sigh of disappointment. â€Å"Well, yes, laid,† and there was a collective sigh of relief, â€Å"but that's not the thing. The thing is she's wonderful. She's gorgeous, and kind, and sweet, and – â€Å" â€Å"Charlie,† Jane interrupted, â€Å"you called us and told us that there was some great danger and we had to go get Sophie and protect her, and you were going on a date?† â€Å"No, no, there was – is danger, at least in the dark, and I did need you to get Sophie, but I met someone.† â€Å"Daddy got laid!† Sophie cheered again. â€Å"Honey, we don't say that, okay,† Charlie said. â€Å"Auntie Jane and Auntie Cassie shouldn't say that either. It's not nice.† â€Å"Like ‘kitty' and ‘not in the butt'?† â€Å"Exactly, honey.† â€Å"Okay, Daddy. So it wasn't nice?† â€Å"Daddy has to go to our house and get his date book, pumpkin, we'll talk about this later. Give me a kiss.† Sophie gave him a huge hug and a kiss and Charlie thought that he might cry. For so long she had been his only future, his only joy, and now he had this other joy, and he wanted to share it with her. â€Å"I'll come right back, okay?† â€Å"Okay. Let me down.† Charlie let her slide to the floor and she ran off to another part of the house. â€Å"So it wasn't nice?† Jane asked. â€Å"I'm sorry, Jane. This is really crazy. I hate that I put you guys in the middle of it. I didn't mean to scare you.† Jane thumped him in the arm. â€Å"So it was nice?† â€Å"It was really nice,† Charlie said, breaking into a grin. â€Å"She's really nice. She's so nice I miss Mom.† â€Å"Lost me,† Cassandra said. â€Å"Because I'd like Mom to see that I'm doing okay. That I met someone who's good for me. Who's going to be good for Sophie.† â€Å"Whoa, don't jump the gun, there, tiger,† Jane said. â€Å"You just met this woman, you need to slow down – and remember, this comes from someone whose typical second date is moving a woman in.† â€Å"Slut,† Cassie murmured. â€Å"I mean it, Jane. She's amazing.† Cassie looked at Jane. â€Å"You were right, he really did need to get laid.† â€Å"That's not it!† Charlie's cell rang. â€Å"Excuse me, guys.† He flipped it open. â€Å"Asher, what the hell have you done?† It was Lily. She was crying. â€Å"What the hell have you let loose?† â€Å"What, Lily? What?† â€Å"It was just here. The front window of the shop is gone. Gone! It just came in, ripped through the shop, and took all of your soul thingies. Loaded them into a bag and flew away. Fuck, Asher. I mean FUCK! This thing was huge, and fucking hideous.† â€Å"Yeah, Lily, are you okay? Is Ray okay?† â€Å"Yeah, I'm okay. Ray didn't come in. I ran into the back when it came through the window. It wasn't interested in anything but that shelf. Asher, it was as big as a bull and it fucking flew!† She sounded like she was on the edge of hysteria. â€Å"Hold on, Lily. Stay there and I'll come to you. Go in the back room and don't open the door until you hear me, okay.† â€Å"Asher, what the fuck was that thing?† â€Å"I don't know, Lily.† The bullheaded Death flew into the culvert and immediately fell to all fours to move through the pipe, dragging the bag of souls behind him. Not for much longer – he would not crawl much longer. The time had come, Orcus could feel it. He could feel them converging on the City – the City where he had staked his territory so many years ago – his city. Still, they would come, and they would try to take what was rightfully his. All of the old gods of death: Yama and Anubis and Mors, Thanatos and Charon and Mahakala, Azrael and Emma-O and Ahkoh, Balor, Erebos, and Nyx – dozens of them, gods born of the energy of Man's greatest fear, the fear of death – all of them coming to rise as the leader of darkness and the dead, as the Luminatus. But he had come here first, and with Morrigan, he would become the one. But first he had to marshal his forces, heal the Morrigan, and take down the wretched human soul stealers of the City. The satchel of souls would go a long way toward healing his brides. He marched into the grotto where the great ship was moored and leapt into the air, the beat of his great leathery wings like a war drum, echoing off the grotto walls and sending bats to the wing, swirling around the ship's masts in great clouds. The Morrigan, torn and broken, were waiting for him on the deck. â€Å"What did I tell you?† Babd said. â€Å"It's really not that great Above, huh? I, for one, could do without cars altogether.† Jane drove while Charlie fired out phone calls on his cell, first to Rivera, then to Minty Fresh. Within a half an hour they were all standing in Charlie's store, or the wreckage that had been Charlie's store, and uniformed policemen had taped off the sidewalk until someone could get the glass swept up. â€Å"The tourists have to love this,† Nick Cavuto said, gnawing an unlit cigar. â€Å"Right on the cable-car line. Perfect.† Rivera was sitting in the back room interviewing Lily while Charlie, Jane, and Cassandra tried to sort through the mess and put things back on their shelves. Minty Fresh stood by the front door, wearing shades, looking entirely too cool for the destruction that lay strewn around him. Sophie was content to sit in the corner and feed shoes to Alvin and Mohammed. â€Å"So,† Cavuto said to Charlie, â€Å"some kind of flying monster came through your window and you thought this would be a good place to bring your kid?† Charlie turned to the big cop and leaned on the counter. â€Å"Tell me, Detective, in your professional opinion, what procedure should I use in dealing with robbery by a flying monster? What the fuck is the SFPD giant-fucking-flying-monster protocol, Detective?† Cavuto stood staring at Charlie as if he'd had water thrown in his face, not really angry, just very surprised. Finally, he grinned around his cigar, and said, â€Å"Mr. Asher, I am going to go outside and smoke, call in to the dispatcher, and have her look that particular protocol up. You have stumped me. Would you tell my partner where I've gone?† â€Å"I'll do that,† Charlie said. He went into the office with Lily and Rivera and said, â€Å"Rivera, can I get some police protection here at my apartment – officers with shotguns?† Rivera nodded, patting Lily on the hand as he looked away. â€Å"I can give you two, Charlie, but not for longer than twenty-four hours. You sure you don't want to get out of town?† â€Å"Upstairs we have the security bars and steel doors, we have the hellhounds and Minty Fresh's weapons, and besides, they've already been here. I have a feeling they got what they came for, but the cops would make me feel better.† Lily looked at Charlie. She was in total mascara meltdown and had smudged her lipstick halfway across her face. â€Å"I'm sorry, I thought I would handle it better than this. It was so scary. It wasn't mysterious and cool, it was horrible. The eyes and the teeth – I peed, Asher. I'm sorry.† â€Å"Don't be sorry, kid. You did fine. I'm glad you had the sense to get out of its way.† â€Å"Asher, if you're the Luminatus, that thing must be your competition.† â€Å"What? What is that?† Rivera said. â€Å"It's her weird Gothy stuff, Inspector. Don't worry about it,† Charlie said. He looked through to the door and saw Minty Fresh standing at the front of the shop, looking at him, shrugging, as if saying, Well? So Charlie asked: â€Å"Hey, Lily, are you seeing anyone?† Lily wiped her nose on the sleeve of her chef ‘s coat. â€Å"Look, Asher – I, uh – I'm going to have to withdraw that offer I made you. I mean, after Ray, I'm not sure I really ever want to do that again. Ever.† â€Å"I wasn't asking for me, Lily.† Charlie nodded toward the towering Fresh. â€Å"Oh,† Lily said, following his gaze, now wiping her eyes with her sleeves. â€Å"Oh. Fuck. Cover for me, I've got to regroup.† She dashed into the employee washroom and slammed the door. Rivera looked at Charlie. â€Å"What the hell is going on here?† Charlie was going to try to come up with some kind of answer when his cell phone rang and he held up his finger to pause time. â€Å"Charlie Asher,† he said. â€Å"Charlie, it's Audrey,† came the whispered voice. â€Å"They're here, right now. The Morrigan are here.†

Free Essays on The Effects Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Through The Ages

The Effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Soldiers through the Ages. Through the history of humanity we have waged war on each other. These wars have been fought in the names of religion, governments, personal vendettas and just plain foolishness. But there has always been one terrible side effect of war that was largely ignored or falsely interpreted and that is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or Shell Shock. The actual name of the disorder has gone through many changes as time has progressed, due to different theories on how it occurred and how it affected certain people. These names include; Exhaustion , Railway Hysteria , Soldier’s Heart , Shell Shock and Combat Fatigue . Although the names have changed, the overall definition of this disorder has not. In the â€Å"PTSD Manual†, a manual used by the military more or less as a handbook in the field for commanders and medics, it defines PTSD as; â€Å"A psychological condition experienced by a person who had faced a traumatic event which caused a catastrophic stressor outside the ranges of usual human experience (an event such as war, torture, rape, or natural disaster)† (Mil Vet PTSD Manual). PTSD was first officially recognized by the government in the early 1800 when it called â€Å"exhaustion†. They realized that soldiers had been showing extreme signs of stress after battles in the War of 1812. But this puzzled doctors because soldiers back then were not supposed to show signs of stress of fear in battle, because of the patriotism they were supposed to feel for their country. However, as we know today they were suffering terribly due to lack of treatment. In 1876 Dr. Mendez DaCosta published a paper on Civil War combat vets diagnosing â€Å"Soldier’s Heart†, showing that the usual symptoms were extreme startle responses, hyper-vigilance and heart arrhythmias. During the 1900’s WWI was in full swing and thousands of soldiers were coming home strick... Free Essays on The Effects Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Through The Ages Free Essays on The Effects Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Through The Ages The Effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Soldiers through the Ages. Through the history of humanity we have waged war on each other. These wars have been fought in the names of religion, governments, personal vendettas and just plain foolishness. But there has always been one terrible side effect of war that was largely ignored or falsely interpreted and that is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or Shell Shock. The actual name of the disorder has gone through many changes as time has progressed, due to different theories on how it occurred and how it affected certain people. These names include; Exhaustion , Railway Hysteria , Soldier’s Heart , Shell Shock and Combat Fatigue . Although the names have changed, the overall definition of this disorder has not. In the â€Å"PTSD Manual†, a manual used by the military more or less as a handbook in the field for commanders and medics, it defines PTSD as; â€Å"A psychological condition experienced by a person who had faced a traumatic event which caused a catastrophic stressor outside the ranges of usual human experience (an event such as war, torture, rape, or natural disaster)† (Mil Vet PTSD Manual). PTSD was first officially recognized by the government in the early 1800 when it called â€Å"exhaustion†. They realized that soldiers had been showing extreme signs of stress after battles in the War of 1812. But this puzzled doctors because soldiers back then were not supposed to show signs of stress of fear in battle, because of the patriotism they were supposed to feel for their country. However, as we know today they were suffering terribly due to lack of treatment. In 1876 Dr. Mendez DaCosta published a paper on Civil War combat vets diagnosing â€Å"Soldier’s Heart†, showing that the usual symptoms were extreme startle responses, hyper-vigilance and heart arrhythmias. During the 1900’s WWI was in full swing and thousands of soldiers were coming home strick...

Good Pandora Stations for Homework and Studying

Good Pandora Stations for Homework and Studying Almost everyone has a smartphone these days, and with it comes the ability to rock out to music whenever the mood strikes. Since Pandora Internet Radio is probably the most well-known place to grab free music on the go, and tons of students love to listen to music while they study, it only stands to reason that people might need some advice about choosing the best Pandora stations for studying and homework. Genre Pandora Stations When you log in to Pandora, you can choose an artist, a genre, or a song to get started. A musical genre is simply a style of music. Rock is a genre. So is punk. So is jazz. Pandoras site does have genres such as country and classical and hip-hop, and it also has a set of genres that have more to do with the overall emotional flavor of a collection of music rather than a particular genre. Pandora has a comprehensive and frequently updated genre list that you can browse to get started. Since researchers are at least agreed that quieter music without lyrics is the most conducive music to study to (barring no music at all), here are a few genre Pandora stations that may be ideal for you to study by. Some are instrumental only, and they cover a wide range of musical styles. Instrumentals Fifteen million listeners cant be all wrong: in Pandoras Instrumentals genre youll find everything from Dr. Dre to bluegrass to techno to jazz. These instrumentals are basically tracks from some of the top names in the business without the words to mess with your brain space; theres even a specific station called Instrumentals for studying. Quiet Tracks Willing to risk some lyrics? Pandora has three muted genres that might work for you. Pandoras Wind Down genre includes a collection of stations such as the Buddha Bar, with surreal lyrics, modal harmonies, and a slow-moving bass line. The Chill genre contains stations that are mostly acoustic playlists, with an emphasis on calm, sedate music. Styles range from coffeehouse-style folk music to pop music versions to classics, country, and indie channels. Pandoras Easy Listening channels include the light side of movie soundtracks, show tunes, cool jazz, solo piano, and light rock. New Age and Classical Pandoras New Age genre has several channels perfect for taking your anxiety over that deadline down a notch or two. Here youll find music suitable for relaxation, spa, ambient, and a whole range of subareas of New Age music types: instrumental, acoustic, solo piano, and beats. Just dont fall asleep. The Classical genre has a number of good channels that might trip your studying trigger: classical guitar, symphonies, renaissance, baroque. A  Classical for Studying Radio  channel promises a New Age aesthetic and an overall meditative sound. and a channel for Work might also do the ticket. In the End, Its All Between the Ears Its quite possible that some people do better with background music: people have different tastes, different study habits, and different ways of handling noise and distraction. Surveys of students themselves often say music helps them concentrate, keeps them company, alleviates boredom, and helps them learn faster. With free music sources like Pandora and Spotify, selecting the exact music you need might actually be a distraction in itself. Is Music While Studying Even a Good Idea? A few scientific studies have been conducted on the effect of music or other background noise on maintaining concentration. Most report that the best studying environment of all is silence. Since all music processing uses cognitive capacity, the theory goes, listening to music could impair task performance involving your brain. Most of the studies, however, have been relatively unsystematic and somewhat inconclusive, because so much depends on an individual students preferences and study habits, and the enormous number of musical genres available. If students study with music playing, they seem to perform better when the music is calm and they dont engage with the music. In other words, dont sing along, for example, or dont pick music that you either dont like or like too much. Your emotional response to music does add to the distraction value: music that is too stimulating or too sleep-inducing will also be a distraction. So: if you are the kind of student who needs music as a background to study, to act as white noise to keep other peoples voices or the radiators banging or personal worries out of your head, keep it low enough that you wont actually pay much attention to it. If you find yourself singing along, change the station. Sources Cassidy, Gianna, and Raymond A.R. MacDonald. The Effect of Background Music and Background Noise on the Task Performance of Introverts and Extraverts. Psychology of Music 35.3 (2007): 517-37. Print.Furnham, Adrian, and Lisa Strbac. Music Is as Distracting as Noise: The Differential Distraction of Background Music and Noise on the Cognitive Test Performance of Introverts and Extraverts. Ergonomics 45.3 (2002): 203-17. Print.Hallam, Susan, John Price, and Georgia Katsarou. The Effects of Background Music on Primary School Pupils Task Performance. Educational Studies 28.2 (2002): 111-22. Print.Kotsopoulou, Anastasia, and Susan Hallam. Age Differences in Listening to Music While Studying. 9th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition. University of Bologna, 2006. Print.Kotsopoulou, Anastasia, and Susan Hallam. The Perceived Impact of Playing Music While Studying: Age and Cultural Differences. Educational Studies 36.4 (2010): 431-40. Print.Umzdas, Serpil. An Analysis of t he Academic Achievement of the Students Who Listen to Music While Studying. Educational Research and Reviews 10.6 (2015): 728-32. Print.

Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 22

Reflection Paper - Essay Example It also gives me an idea of the consequences on my goals of the decisions I make. In a way, the process helps us to become mature because it the process teaches us to become responsible in our choices and decisions. Above all, the process enhances our chance to become successful in our undertakings as it seeks to articulate our objectives and measure our performance accordingly allowing us to apply remedial measures for our shortcomings. My mission statement is a reflection of my goals as well as my values and the realistic talents that I have to realize those goals and objectives. My goals are aligned to my values and I believe that this is necessary so that I would persevere to achieve my goals. Having a goal that does not reflect my values would make me less motivated to push myself and more likely, such goal/s will not be achieved. Most of the time, goals are lofty and difficult to achieve. But they are really made that way to be lofty so even if we do not achieve them in full, we still made good with ourselves. My personal statement is basically an articulation of my values as expressed in my goals and objectives. It states who and what I am through the intention of the things that I intend to do and accomplish. Of course I would like to be successful in my personal career, take care of my future family and contribute to the greater good of society. In the process, I also would like my family to be proud of me. I also would like my parents to have the satisfaction that their sacrifices for me were all worth it. In a personal level, I also would like to enjoy the process of learning and improvement. Learning after all is not just to get grades but also to understand the world around me. It is also to develop new skills so that I will be better equip to face the world when I become a professional. I also would like to get use to the idea that I am achieving the goals that I have set for