Social Media

Introduction Advancement in technology has provided an opportunity for the development of new forms of technologies. Social media, which has become a reality through the employment of technology, is a term used to refer to various internet networks that allow people to interact, as well as share ideas and opinions in different remote locations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Examples of these social media include facebook, twitter, MySpace, and LinkedIn amongst others. Social media has revolutionalized the way people interact. Social Network It is only around 40 years since digital technology was invented. However, the changes that have been experienced are overwhelming. One of the potentials that digital media has realized is in its social network. This platform has turned the world into a global village besides making life much easier as people can communicate and interact anywhere in real time. The first kind of network was Myspace.com. Thomas Anderson and Chris Dewolfe created this network in August 2003 (Khristopher, 2008, p. 24). Since its creation, it has attracted approximately 200 million users in America and worldwide. Users can use their email addresses to post pictures, videos, and information about their personal status and issues in life such as political affiliation, hobbies, careers, marital status, and annual incomes just to point a few. Facebook Another social media that has become popular is facebook. Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes created this network (Khristopher, 2008, p. 25). The three were students at the Harvard University when they came up with this idea. They successfully managed to launch the network in their dormitories at the University. At that moment, they targeted University students since the network was applicable or operational on a college-administered email address for registration. In 2006, the creators successfully managed to roll out their network to worldwide users who had an e-mail account (Khristopher, 2008, p. 24). When facebook allowed users to open their facebook account, News Corp had acquired MySpace.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Then, it had captured 106 million users. Other networks began to surface, which included blogs, LinkedIn, and twitter among others. As technology advanced, these networks have been used to link people in different areas of the world. The users of facebook can create their own profiles that are customized with facts and any information they want. Photos can also be attached to the profiles. They enhance the interface besides adding aura in the interaction process. The users of the platform have continued to expand over time. The major use of these networks was to communicate and share opinions and ideas. However, as the digital technology continues to advance, users have also expanded. The platform enables them to interact and make new friends. Many people have met friends through the networks that have influenced their lives positively. According to Ingrid (2010), facebook has provided an opportunity for people to meet with different people from different cultural backgrounds (p. 265). The platform has changed the lives of many across the world. A good example is Sarah Fielding, a social worker. The platform helped her develop her writing skills that elevated her towards becoming a good writer. She received support and motivation through a friend in the social media who advised and trained her to become a good writer (Ingrid, 2010, p. 265). This move is therefore a clear indication of the magnitude these social media are doing to the society. Twitter Sacks and Graves (2012) affirm that the complexities in the network diffusion require that students be trained on social media usage (p. 80). Tw itter is one of the social media networks that are popular among students. However, many of these students lack skills and knowledge to use the platform in their interaction. For instance, one of the benefits of twitter is that it allows users to send their messages quickly. Users need to keep their message short and precise because the word limit is 140 characters. Therefore, having knowledge on such attributes ensures that the networks are used well in the required manner. These networks may be abused or used in the wrong way that may cause career-damage to the students. This may arise due to issues such as using the platform for finding opposite sex friends and or communicating about immoral messages. Therefore, education is paramount.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Advantages of the Social Media A message can be transmitted to many users within few seconds. This has therefore helped to speed up communication. In the past, communication that involved two parties at a distant arrived late. Sometimes, the message became obsolete upon arrival (Brydon, 2010, p. 6). This platform has changed this case. Nowadays, companies are using the platform to market their products to potential customers across the world. This stands out as a strategy that many companies have resorted to due to low cost, higher transmission speed, and the huge number of people who are accessing the internet and using the social media. Social Media Issues: Is it Secure? Even as the popularity of these social media increases, many questions have arisen concerning the security of using the networks (Abbe, 2011, p. 34). The identity of the account holder is one of the issues that raise concerns. Many cyber crimes are omitted using information from facebook. For example, a person can impersonate another and solicit money from the unsuspecting users. These cases have been on the r ise since the networks emerged. An individual can create an account with false information. This has made people commit crimes of all manners in the social media. Another issue that has arisen is whether a journalist or any third party has the prerogative to use information of an individual posted on the profile (Khristopher, 2008, p. 24). The issue is unclear. It has stirred mixed reactions from members of the public. Those opposed argue that the consent of the person should be granted before using such information. On the other hand, those proposing argue that, once an individual has decided to post information on the profile, the information can be used by anybody. Social Media: Its Impact to People’s Lives These platforms therefore have both advantages and disadvantages that need to be looked into to ensure that they provide better services without risking or putting the life or the identity of an individual at risk. In the digital technology, most networks in social medi a came into the limelight in 2003. Since then, the number has increased at a tremendous rate (Khristopher, 2008, p. 24). The coming of this media was right because this was the time that the living standards of people had gone down due to economic problems. They have made communication easier and cheap as people can socialize and share information across the world in any location.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The technology was the right initiative that resonated with the current living styles among many young people who are always optimistic wanting to learn more about what is happening across the world. This social media has turned the dreams of such young people into reality as they can learn and share what is happening around the world at their homes in real time. The creators of these networks therefore provide motivation to millions of young people who indeed can explore opportunities in digital technology to innovate new technologies to spur economy forward (Moore, 2010, p. 179). The outcome of these technologies has also motivated the creators to aspire for more ways of making them even better. The networks have rocked the world: they have reshaped the way people communicate and share information. How Technology Influences the Development of Social Media Emerging digital technologies played a fundamental role in the development of social networks. The creators used the existing t echnologies in coming up with their own technologies. For instance, the three creators of facebook used the existing college email account to enable fellow students to register and share information amongst them. Therefore, the available technologies were fundamental in bringing the ideas of the social networks into reality. The internet platform was already in operation. Therefore, they pegged their ideas on such platforms in coming up with the idea of social media such as MySpace, LinkedIn, and facebook amongst others (Khristopher, 2008, p. 25). What to put in Place to Improve Social Media Services Social media is an important case in the development of digital technology that is worth studying. Already, various researchers have begun their studies on social networks. The platforms required a lot of understanding to ensure that they are used appropriately for good and not destructive reasons. The potential of technology to cause harm is evident. Therefore, a study on the best stra tegies to curb such loopholes is important. As far as I am concerned based on my experience with the use of social media, there are various things that need to be looked into to ensure that the media does not cause harm to the users. Security measures should be enhanced. Information requested by the service providers should be kept confidential to avoid access by third parties. This stands out as one of the fundamental things that need to be looked into in the future to guarantee security when it comes to the use of these social media. Furthermore, there should be precise international laws and regulations that concern the use of media. People should not use the platform to cause animosity or mayhem with others. Such communication should be tracked with the culprits being identified and persecuted. The increased rate of user-falsifying personal information should be factored in. These issues, if corrected, will influence the future of social media positively. People innovate through various ways. Some innovate through default, others do it through research while others too invent through experience. Conclusion In conclusion, advancement in technology has changed the way people carry out their businesses. The creators of these network technologies like facebook and MySpace had an idea of what they wanted to achieve. Therefore, they finally managed to succeed in fulfilling their dreams. Therefore, through the social media, the digital world is one of the highest achievements that technology has brought. People can share information, photos, research, entertainment, market their business, and any other activity that the platform can support. The innovation was appropriate and important. However, there is still the need for more efforts to ensure that these platforms are well managed to guarantee their future reliance. Reference List Abbe, E. (2011). The buzz on social media. Writer, 124(3), 34-55. Brydon, D. (2010). Social Media’s Research Potential. Engli sh Studies in Canada, 36(4), 4-8. Ingrid, T. (2010). Social Network Analysis and the Language of Sarah Fielding. European Journal of English Studies, 4(3), 265. Khristopher, B. (2008). Social networking sites. The Quill, 96(1), 24-26. Moore, M. (2010). Adaptation and New Media. Adaptation, 3(9), 179-192. Sacks, M., Graves, N. (2012). How Many Friends Do You Need? Teaching Students How to Network Using Social Media. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(1), 80-88. This essay on Social Media was written and submitted by user Vaughn H. 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. 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The Lovers by Marguerite Duras

The Lovers by Marguerite Duras In this paper we are going to analyze, to try to look deeper or even may be to feel the main ideas, concerns, themes of the famous novel of Marguerite Duras The Love. In order to do this, we have to stop a little on the personality of the author, this is really important for understanding the style and main ideas of the novel. She was born in Saigon French Indochina. Later on she decided to take up law in the native county of her parents – France, but instead developed her talent as a writer. She wrote a number of novels, plays, short stories, was the director of several films, but her best selling book was The Lover ( L’Armant in French). This novel was translated into 43 languages and in the year 1984 it received the Prix Goncourt reward. There was also a movie shot after this novel, the director of which was Jean-Jasques Annaud. Some time later, Duras also published another book, which was a little bit different from the first one under the name – LArmant de l a Chine du Nord. Mostly her works were of an unusual style and full of romanticism. She was considered to belong also to Nouveau roman literally movement in France. The Lover is without double an autobiographical novel and there are some facts confirming this. For example the real lover of the author was also Chinese and his name was Lee. The last information that she received about him was that he became born Christian and that he really loved his family. He died at the same city where they met for the first time. The main heroine of the novel is 15, the same was the age of Duras when she had this love affair. The book is written in an unusual manner, not presenting the chronological sequences of the events and thoughts, this is more a collection of memories, feelings and dreams. The novel mixes up the present events with the past events. The short book of around 100 pages looks like an experiment, due to its style of recollecting ideas and images. At the very beginning the reader is not able to catch the thread of narration, however, really quickly he is amazed by novel. The author perfectly shows how human mind can rapidly recollect the events of the past and mix them with the present surrounding world. The memories seem to be so deep and so emotional that a person would never be able either to forget them or to get rid of them. The novel is absolutely far from simple romantic stories with happy ends, somehow it seems even to break the limits of the permitted relations for such a young girl, but this never makes it perfunctory or obscene. The story is told from the third person and then suddenly from the main heroin herself. This also contributes probably to the feeling that there are two worlds: the usual one, most people used to believe in living in and the other subtle and hidden world of persons desires and feelings. Happiness is hardly separated from violence, love and hated are mixed up, thus neither the themes nor the message of the novel are simple and transparent. The story is told in the way that sometimes there is a feeling that you are listening to a person who is talking in the state of hypnosis. Certainly the main portion of attention is drawn from the very beginning till the end of the story to the young girl, who is always sad, sad because of the situation in her family, because of lack of tender and real love from her mothers side, because of her responsibility for the youngest brother, later because of her involvement into the life of a grown up woman. She belongs to a French family, but living in Indochina, the status of the family is rather poor and low due to the death of the father. From one side this is still a very young a little naive girl, she is not able to have an affair based on pure sexual relations without falling in love. On the other hand, in many senses, this is a mature personality, psychologically older than her physical age. But it is not possible to state whether she is so wise or just gets into such situation only due to her curiosity. At the school, which she attends, other girls and she herself are not much interested in taking care of lepers, the cholera stricken. From the very beginning we have to pay attention to the appearance of the girl, because it is the same dual as her inner world: she has plaits and funny man’s hat, but on the other hand, her transparent dress and shoes make her look like a young prostitute. Thus there is also a contrast, because she is not stunningly beautiful and at the same time, when somebody looks at her he can not just pass by without noticing her ugly beauty. And exactly dressed like this she is noticed by a wealthy Chinese guy, who in a way is a contrast to her, to her clothes, appearance, manners, status. Actually, he could probably find another girl or woman who would be right for him, but he could not stand the temptation to have this one. And he starts conversation with her, though in reality the conversation seems not appropriate, she is far from his business and his compliments she accepts with childish easiness. When the girl agrees to be taken to Saigon by him, it is again not quite clear, weather she just wants to check her charms and ability to attract mens attention, or she is in really interested in this man. Maybe she is just sick and tired of her family situation, of lack of interest and care towards her and is looking to get it from a stranger. Concerning the young man and his motives for the relations with a girl, it is also hard to judge only from one side, he was probably fascinated by her image, by her youth, by her feelings, however there was no intention from his side to marry her, although he was desperately wishing to see her and to be with her. As their relations continue to develop, the girl falls in love, most likely she didn’t expect it and she didn’t want it, as she wanted first of all to be loved, but in reality she gives her body and a part of her soul to a man, who became her lover. In the event that happened after the restaurant, we again come across the duality common for the novel. On the one hand the lover hits and rapes the girl, she feels pain, humiliation, but on the other hand there is some kind of cathartic pleasure for her. Before the situation seemed to be under her control, now the man got what he wanted without her permission. But when she makes him pay the same sum of money that he would have to pay to the prostitute if he had sex with her, and he paid, in a way she manages to take her power back. The man is obsessed by the girl, not however wanting to marry her. Once the girl says that the real reason for her to be with him was money, the reader feels that it is not in this way, she probably doesnt love him deeply, but she is without doubt also attracted to him and nothing is so simple as just money. She maybe chose him for more important mission than being her man or her husband, she chose him as a person who would help her and push her to be reb orn from her old life into new one. At the end of the story it is absolutely clear that there will be no usual happy end, and that they won’t be together and would have to part sooner or later, but they still have love for each other, which is probably far from that classical feeling described by poets and shown in melodramas, but if they are strong enough to part, that doesnt mean that their love was not deep enough and that many year later the lover will not appear in the life of a writer, saying that he still loves her. At least Duras wrote the book later, when she was a quite famous writer. Overall, The Lovers is a deeply emotional, sensitive and subtle story about a man and a girl, about their love and the power of this love, about the psychological fight and about erotic desires. In a way it can be also called a feminist novel, because it mainly underlines the strength of a very young girl, woman, who has little or even no idea about relations between men and women and still she is able to attract and somehow even to control a man who is much older than she.

Quintilian - Marcus Fabius Quintilianus

Quintilian - Marcus Fabius Quintilianus Influence: A first century A.D. Roman who came to prominence under Emperor Vespasian, Quintilian wrote about education and rhetoric, exerting a strong influence in the schools the Romans spread throughout the Empire. His influence on education continued from his day until the 5th century. It was revived briefly in the 12th century in France. The Humanists at the end of the 14th century renewed interest in Quintilian and a complete text of his Institutio Oratoria was found in Switzerland. It was first printed in Rome in 1470. Birth of Quintilian: Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (Quintilian) was born c. A.D. 35 in Calagurris, Spain. His father may have taught rhetoric there. Training: Quinitilian went to Rome when he was about 16. The orator Domitius Afer (d. A.D. 59), who held office under Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero, taught him. After his teachers death, he returned to Spain. Quintilian and the Roman Emperors: Quintilian returned to Rome with emperor-to-be Galba, in A.D. 68. In A.D. 72, he was one of the rhetoricians to receive a subsidy from Emperor Vespasian. Illustrious Pupils: Pliny the Younger was one of Quintilians students. Tacitus and Suetonius may also have been his students. He also taught Domitians two grandnephews. Public Recognition: In A.D. 88, Quintilian was made the head of the first public school of Rome, according to Jerome.Source:Quintilian on the Teaching of Speaking and Writing. Edited by James J. Murphy. 1987. Institutio Oratio: In c. A.D. 90, he retired from teaching. He then wrote his Institutio Oratoria. For Quintilian, the ideal orator or rhetorician was skilled in speaking and also a moral man (vir bonus dicendi peritus). James J. Murphy describes the Institutio Oratoria as a treatise on education, a manual of rhetoric, a readers guide to the best authors, and a handbook of the moral duties of the orator. Although much of what Quintilian writes is similar to Cicero, Quintilian emphasizes teaching. The Death of Quintilian: When Quintilian died is unknown, but it is thought to have been prior to A.D. 100. Go to other Ancient / Classical History pages on Roman men beginning with the letters: A-G | H-M | N-R | S-Z

Human Elephant Conflict. Human Invasion Into The Wilderness Essay

Human Elephant Conflict. Human Invasion Into The Wilderness - Essay Example The article by Perera (2009) reported in Gajaha points out that most Asian nations are facing a drastic decline in the number of elephants. Similar trend was visible in Africa where the number of elephants declined from over 5 million to anywhere between 470,000 and 630,000 in a matter of hundred years. Thus, while the African elephants are termed ‘near threatened’ by the IUCN Red List, their Asian counterparts are classified ‘endangered’ by the Red List of the World Conservation Union (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, 2011). However, before blaming humans for all these, it is necessary to look into the numbers of yearly manslaughter by elephants. According to Handwerk (2005), nearly 500 people are killed by elephants in a year, and the number is on rise year by year. Thus, it becomes evident that there is a conflict between men and elephants. This work looks into the various factors behind the conflict and the various ef fects of the conflict. Human invasion into the wilderness- the first reason It is pointed out by Nelson et al (2003) that one reason for increased elephant-human contact is the changes in land use. People started converting forest land for crop cultivation, settlement, and livestock grazing. The scholars make the observation that as human landscape reached such areas which were previously occupied by wildlife, there is higher chance for human-elephant conflict. Another point comes from Houghton (1994). ... Then, elephants move towards the farmlands and settlements in the near vicinity for water. There are many more reasons in the pipeline. According to Lahm (1996), one reason is logging. As already noted, elephants live on secondary vegetation and successional forest. When logging occurs, the cleared land gives birth to thick growth of secondary vegetation. Thus, elephants tend to move to these newly developed areas for food. Yet another vital point as put forward by Kangwana (1995) is that increased human interference leads to the development of canals and cattle fences. When such developments block the natural migration routes of elephants, and when humans settle along the boundaries of such protected areas, the possibility of human-elephant conflict increases. Also, there is the revelation from Naughton et al (1999) that as the economic situation of people has improved, there is a considerable decline in tolerance to elephant presence. There is a totally different aspect of the issu e explored by Anderson and Grove (1987). According to them, there are various factors that lead to the development of enmity in humans towards elephants (ibid). The most important factor is the development of national parks by governments. Such parks tend to exclude the local people making them feel alienated from the entire plan. As a result, the area becomes ‘frozen’ in a short while. So, the local people start resenting the wildlife, and dominant wild animals like elephants are the main victims of this hostile attitude. The scholars argue that this resentment is exacerbated by the feeling that the animals have access to such political, economic, and land advantages which are inaccessible for the native people (ibid). Yeager and Miller

Main factors of seismic vulnerability of buildings and how the Essay

Main factors of seismic vulnerability of buildings and how the assessment of the vulnerability of buildings could be used for as - Essay Example 1.3. Large Settlements in Seismic Areas There is a large population that lives in seismic vulnerable areas and the buildings there are more prone to earthquakes because of aging and lack of maintenance. 1.4. Non-Engineered Constructions Non-engineered construction is very much prone to seismic vulnerability as the buildings will not have good engineering techniques that would save them from seismic waves. 2. Seismic Vulnerability Assessment can be used for assessing the seismic impacts in an urban area. Urban area consists mainly of those buildings that are vulnerable to earthquakes and hence are damaged or poorly maintained. For example, a lot of urban area damaged â€Å"occurred in vulnerable houses in every earthquake experienced by Italy in the post-war period, and particularly during the Friuli and the Irpinia earthquakes† (Cozzi, Menoni, Pergalani & Petrini 2003:4). The vulnerability assessment of seismic activity in urban areas and the application of proper solutions to counter these damaging activities can be helpful in reducing the causalities and destruction (Agrawal & Chourasia 2008) and economic loss caused by future earthquakes, according to Vicente et al. (2010).

Prices of gasoline Essay Example for Free

Prices of gasoline Essay With the prices of gasoline fast approaching $3 per gallon, the effect is already causing deep pocket holes in most American homes. A survey carried out by Reuters in Washington discovers that Americans are already planning to reduce their driving. This is causing pains and hardship for most of homes, factories and, manufacturing companies that must use gasoline in larger quality. The reason of this increase in the price of gasoline is linked majorly to the high rising cost of crude oil. There are several costs that go into producing and delivering of gasoline. These include the cost of the crude oil to refiners, refining costs and profits, distribution and marketing costs, and federal and state taxes. The cost of the crude oil hovers close to 50 per cent of the cost of a gallon of gas, taxes comprise about 25 per cent, and the remaining costs average almost 30 per cent. An explosion at a refinery in Big Spring, Texas was cited as one of the reasons for a rapid increase of crude oil prices to a record high over $100 a barrel. Also the unsettled nature of the oil producing regions of the world is one main cause of increase in the prices of gasoline. The Niger Delta problems and political instability in Nigeria, war in Iraq as well the supply problems in Iran. Most importantly, the increase in gasoline has affected the cost of living. A survey carried out by Reuters has indicated that 58% of Americans now go with public transport. We can not also overlook the fast raising price in food. This is as a result of the high cost of production which the companies are paying. The sensitive role played by gasoline in the American economy and the subsequent increase in prices has affected every aspect of an average American and this will continue if the Federal Government does halt stockpiling for the time being. In conclusion, the rising increase in the demand of gasoline by the global market having contribute to this present state, the Government should be working on developing other sources of enery. this will help resolve the continues increase in the price of gasoline in America now and in the future. Thanks Reference: †¢ Food and fuel America. (Thursday, February 21, 2008) Gasoline Price Soar Higher.

Hayden Carruth :: essays research papers

Hayden Carruth Scrambled Eggs & Whiskey is Hayden Carruth's most recent collection of works. Published in 1996, it reflects a dark, boozed washed view of the world throw the eyes of a 76- year-old man. His works reflect his personal experiences and his opinion on world events. Despite technical merit Carruth works have become depressing. Hayden Carruth is a child of the depression born in Vermont in 1921 where he lived for many tears. He now lives in upstate New York, where he taught in the Graduate Creative Writing Program at Syracuse University, until his recent retierment. He has published twenty-nine books, mostly of poetry but also a novel, four books of criticism, and anthologies as well. Four of his most recent books are Selected Essays & Reviews, Collected Longer Poems, Collected Shorter Poems, 1946-1991, and Suicides and Jazzers. He edited poetry for, Poetry, Harper's, and for 20 years The Hudson Review. He has received fellowships from the Bollingen Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, most recently in 1995, a Lannan Literary Fellowship. He has won many awords including the Lenore Marshall Award, the Paterson Poetry Prize, the Vermont Governor's Medal, the Carl Sandburg Award, the Whiting Award, the Ruth Lily Prize, the National Book Award and The National Book Critics' Circle Award for Collected Shorter Poems, 1946-1991. In "Another" Carruth comments on the goal of poetry. He begins by dismissing truth and beauty; "Truth and beauty were never the aims of proper poetry and the era which proclaimed them was a brutal era." -Another The era mite have been brutal but "truth and beauty" where and still are a large part of "proper poetry". The collected works of William Shakespeare and Robert Frost both have great deal of truth and beauty in their works as well as the tragic ordeals in life while Carruth only sees the brutality of life. Carruth goes on to name the goal of poetry as: "...let justice be primary when we sing,..." -Another Even though he's primary goal is justice this collection of poems seems to be one long complaint about injustice. It is easy to agree with Carruth in the "Quality of wine" when he says "this wine is really awful, " unlike the poet, it is his unremitting winning that is awful. Like self commentary Carruth writes: "Language is defeated in the heavy, heavy day. Limp lines on the page like grass mown in the meadow." -The Heaviness This utter heaviness can be seen in the horrific poem "The Camp, " all 21 verses of it lament man's hardness of heart. In the second verse, a lighter through reads, "As the kittens were born

Our Dreams

Each of us has many dreams and in fact they are a sign that we are alive, we exist and we are going forward despite the situation we live in. My dreams, like every young person, are countless. When we had midterm break my boyfriend fulfilled this long dream as a gift for Valentine's Day. We visited Venice and Bergamo. Our` hearts and souls are still there with the beauty that surrounds us. There everything is like in the movies I've seen with the difference that when you get up, you look around and realize you're part of the Italian breeze, your heart starts to beats as it wants to jump in order to enjoy beauty and intoxication with you. I'm still really excited even when I remember my experience. I can tell each destination separately for days. The one I chose to tell you is our last destination – Venice. The magic that conceals this magical place causes every visitor to yearn to return again and again there. The small, narrow streets have preserved the charm of the past times, bringing warmth, love and romance to tourists. I remember when we arrived at the boat at dusk. We went right in San Marco Square. The majesty of the basilica, pigeons and music of the symphony orchestras of every restaurant made everything in us dancing. We continued our tour around the island with a visit to all the sights, and for me The most beautiful place was the Bridge of Sighs. There I received my first Italian rose, which I keep to this day. The view provokes us a warm sigh and a desire to stop the time and to stay there forever. In the evening we were in a small restaurant at the Grande Canale, drinking red wine and enjoying the sunset. Love, Italy and Venice really go hand in hand. This country makes an unforgettable gift to every visitor by donating memories of eternal beauty, intoxication, romance and love. Once you have visited Italy, there is a warmth in your heart that keeps trembling and leaves the feeling that you have forgotten something and you have to go back and look for it.

Is Atticus a good father? Essay

However, I think that they were acting somewhat childish. In reverse, Atticus is definitely an excellent role model and a good father for Jem and Scout. Firstly, Atticus raised two children – Jem and Scout on his own and was always there for them. He was affectionate with his children and he was always ready with a big hug when they needed comfort. Also, he was a loving and caring father who cared about their education and tried to use as much time as possible out of his packed work schedule to teach them how to read. Moreover, he spent father-child bonding time with them by reading stories to them at night. Secondly, he taught his children about morals and values patiently. He guided them with everyday lessons in life. He set such a good example for his children, even when it means risking his safety. Obviously there was a case where he defended Tom Robinson though no one else would. This shows that he was showing his children that everyone deserved to be treated equally regardless of their skin colours and that one must do what is right even when that means doing something difficult. Thirdly, he taught his children valuable lessons through trivial incidents. For instance, he accepted payment in any form that his clients were able to give it, e. g. turnip greens, stove wood and hickory nuts, etc. It shows that he was teaching his children that money meant less than helping one’s human beings and that all people regardless of income or status deserved his help and friendship. Fourthly, although he allowed his children to play and explore freely, he was also a firm disciplinarian who always taught his children to think of how their actions will affect others and gave suitable punishments to them. For example, when Jem damages the camellia bushes of Mrs. Dubose, Atticus advised him to say sorry to such an old and sick lady. Mrs Dubose then punished him by asking him to read to her every afternoon for two hours. Atticus used this experience to teach Jem what real â€Å" courage† meant and focus on the principles of life and respects while upholding fairness and justice. To conclude, although Atticus is not a perfect father, he was very responsible and easily gained trust of Jem and Scout, which is something essential in every parent-child relationship.

Ancient Syrian Facts and History

Ancient Syrian Facts and History In antiquity, the Levant or Greater Syria, which includes modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestinian territories, part of Jordan, and Kurdistan, was named Syria by the Greeks. At the time, it was a landbridge connecting three continents. It was bounded by the Mediterranean on the west, the Arabian Desert on the south, and the Taurus mountain range to the north. The Syrian Ministry of Tourism adds that it was also at the crossroads of the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Nile. In this vital position, it was the hub of a trade network involving the ancient areas of Syria, Anatolia (Turkey), Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Aegean. Ancient Divisions Ancient Syria was divided into an upper and lower section. Lower Syria was known as Coele-Syria (Hollow Syria) and was located between the Libanus and Antilibanus mountain ranges. Damascus was the ancient capital city. The Roman emperor was known for dividing the emperor into four parts (the Tetrarchy) Diocletian (c. 245-c. 312) established an arms manufacturing center there. When the Romans took over, they subdivided Upper Syria into multiple provinces. Syria came under Roman control in 64 B.C. Romans emperors replaced the Greeks and Seleucid rulers. Rome divided Syria into two provinces:Â  Syria Prima and Syria Secunda. Antioch was the capital and Aleppo the major city of Syria Prima. Syria Secunda was divided into two sections, Phoenicia Prima (mostly modern Lebanon), with its capital at Tyre, and Phoenicia Secunda, with its capital at Damascus. Important Ancient Syrian Cities Doura EuroposThe first ruler of the Seleucid dynasty founded this city along the Euphrates. It came under the Roman and Parthian rule, and fell under the Sassanids, possibly through an early use of chemical warfare. Archaeologists have uncovered religious venues in the city for practitioners of Christianity, Judaism, and Mithraism. Emesa (Homs)Along the Silk Route after Doura Europos and Palmyra. It was the home of the Roman emperor Elagabalus. HamahLocated along the Orontes between Emesa and Palmyra. A Hittite center and capital of the Aramaean kingdom. Named Epiphania, after the Seleucid monarch Antiochus IV. AntiochNow a part of Turkey, Antioch lies along the Orontes River. It was founded by Alexanders general Seleucus I Nicator. PalmyraThe city of palm trees was located in the desert along the Silk Route. Became part of the Roman Empire under Tiberius. Palmyra was the home of the third century A.D Roman-defying queen Zenobia. DamascusCalled the oldest continually occupied city in the word and is the capital of Syria. Pharaoh Thutmosis III and later the Assyrian Tiglath Pileser II conquered Damascus. Rome under Pompey acquired Syria, including Damascus.Decapolis AleppoA major caravan stopping point in Syria on the road to Baghdad is in competition with Damascus as the oldest continually occupied city in the world. It was a major center of Christianity, with a large cathedral, in the Byzantine Empire. Major ethnic groups The major ethnic groups that migrated to ancient Syria were Akkadians, Amorites, Canaanites, Phoenicians, and Arameans. Syrian Natural Resources To the fourth millennium Egyptians and third millennium Sumerians, the Syrian coastland was the source of the softwoods, cedar, pine, and cypress. The Sumerians also went to Cilicia, in the northwest area of Greater Syria, in pursuit of gold and silver, and probably traded with the port city of Byblos, which was supplying Egypt with resin for mummification. Ebla The trade network may have been under the control of the ancient city Ebla, an independent Syrian kingdom that exerted power from the northern mountains to Sinai. Located 64 km (42 mi) south of Aleppo, about halfway between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates. Tell Mardikh is an archaeological site in Ebla that was discovered in 1975. There, archaeologists found a royal palace and 17,000 clay tablets. Epigrapher Giovanni Pettinato found a Paleo-Canaanite language on the tablets that was older than Amorite, which had previously been considered the oldest Semitic language. Ebla conquered Mari, the capital of Amurru, which spoke Amorite. Ebla was destroyed by a great king of the southern Mesopotamian kingdom of Akkad, Naram Sim, in 2300 or 2250. The same great king destroyed Arram, which may have been an ancient name for Aleppo. Accomplishments of the Syrians The Phoenicians or Canaanites produced the purple dye for which they are named. It comes from mollusks that lived along the Syrian coast. The Phoenicians created a consonantal alphabet in the second millennium in the kingdom of Ugarit (Ras Shamra). They brought their 30-letter abecedary to the Aramaeans, who settled Greater Syria at the end of the 13th century B.C. This is the Syria of the Bible. They also founded colonies, including Carthage on the north coast of Africa where modern Tunis is located. The Phoenicians are credited with discovering the Atlantic Ocean. The Aramaeans opened trade to southwest Asia and set up a capital in Damascus. They also built a fortress at Aleppo. They simplified the Phoenician alphabet and made Aramaic the vernacular, replacing Hebrew. Aramaic was the language of Jesus and the Persian Empire. Conquests of Syria Syria was not only valuable but vulnerable since it was surrounded by many other powerful groups. In about 1600, Egypt attacked Greater Syria. At the same time, Assyrian power was growing to the east and Hittites were invading from the north. Canaanites in coastal Syria who intermarried with the indigenous people producing the Phoenicians probably fell under the Egyptians, and the Amorites, under the Mesopotamians. In the 8th century B.C., the Assyrians under Nebuchadnezzar conquered the Syrians. In the 7th century, the Babylonians conquered the Assyrians. The next century, it was the Persians. At the death of Alexander, Greater Syria came under the control of Alexanders general Seleucus Nicator, who first established his capital on the Tigris River at Seleucia, but then following the Battle of Ipsus, moved it into Syria, at Antioch. Seleucid rule lasted for 3 centuries with its capital at Damascus. The area was now referred to as the kingdom of Syria. Greeks colonizing in Syria created new cities and expanded trade into India. Sources: The Library of Congress - SYRIA - A Country Study, Data as of April 1987Supplemental: [www.syriatourism.org/] Syria - Ministry of TourismSyrian CitiesA Manual of Geographical Science: Ancient Geography, by W. L. Bevan (1859).

Setting the Scene for Great Writing

Setting the Scene for Great Writing The setting is the place and time in which the action of a narrative takes place. Its also called the scene or creating a sense of place. In a work of creative nonfiction, evoking a sense of place is an important persuasive technique: A storyteller persuades by creating scenes, little dramas that occur in a definite time and place, in which real people interact in a way that furthers the aims of the overall story, says Philip Gerard in Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life (1996). Examples of Narrative Setting The first den was a rock cavity in a lichen-covered sandstone outcrop near the top of a slope, a couple of hundred yards from a road in Hawley. It was on posted property of the Scrub Oak Hunting Club dry hardwood forest underlain by laurel and patches of snow in the northern Pocono woods. Up in the sky was Buck Alt. Not long ago, he was a dairy farmer, and now he was working for the Keystone State, with directional antennae on his wing struts angled in the direction of bears. John McPhee, Under the Snow in Table of Contents (1985)We hunted old bottles in the dump, bottles caked with dirt and filth, half buried, full of cobwebs, and we washed them out at the horse trough by the elevator, putting in a handful of shot along with the water to knock the dirt loose; and when we had shaken them until our arms were tired, we hauled them off in somebodys coaster wagon and turned them in at Bill Andersons pool hall, where the smell of lemon pop was so sweet on the dark pool-hall air that I am sometimes awakened by it in the night, even yet.Smashed wheels of wagons and buggies, tangles of rusty barbed wire, the collapsed perambulator that the French wife of one of the towns doctors had once pushed proudly up the planked sidewalks and along the ditchbank paths. A welter of foul-smelling feathers and coyote-scattered carrion which was all that remained of somebodys dream of a chicken ranch. The chickens had all got some mysterious pip at the same time, and died as one, and the dream lay out there with the rest of the towns history to rustle to the empty sky on the border of the hills. Wallace Stegner, The Town Dump in Wolf Willow: A History, a Story, and a Memory of the Last Plains Frontier (1962) This is the nature of that country. There are hills, rounded, blunt, burned, squeezed up out of chaos, chrome and vermilion painted, aspiring to the snowline. Between the hills lie high level-looking plains full of intolerable sun glare, or narrow valleys drowned in a blue haze. The hill surface is streaked with ash drift and black, unweathered lava flows. After rains water accumulates in the hollows of small closed valleys, and, evaporating, leaves hard dry levels of pure desertness that get the local name of dry lakes. Where the mountains are steep and the rains heavy, the pool is never quite dry, but dark and bitter, rimmed about with the efflorescence of alkaline deposits. A thin crust of it lies along the marsh over the vegetating area, which has neither beauty nor freshness. In the broad wastes open to the wind the sand drifts in hummocks about the stubby shrubs, and between them the soil shows saline traces. Mary Austin, The Land of Little Rain (1903) Observations on Setting the Scene Grounding the reader: Nonfiction has done a much better job in terms of setting the scene, I think. ...Think of all the splendid nature writing, and adventure writing from Thoreau to  Muir to Dillard  ... where we have fine settings of scenes. Setting the scene precisely and well is too often overlooked in memoir. Im not sure exactly why. But we the readers want to be grounded. We want to know where we are. What kind of world were in. Not only that, but it is so often the case in nonfiction that the scene itself is a kind of character. Take the Kansas of Truman Capotes  In Cold Blood, for example. Capote takes pains right at the beginning of his book to set the scene of his multiple murders on the plains and wheat fields of the Midwest. Richard Goodman, The Soul of Creative Writing  2008)Creating a world: The setting of a piece of writing, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, is never some realistic snapshot of a place. ... If you were to describe with the utmo st accuracy every structure in a city ... and then went on to describe every stitch of clothing, every piece of furniture, every custom, every meal, every parade, you would still not have captured anything essential about life. ... As a young reader, place gripped you. You wandered with Huck, Jim, and Mark Twain down an imagined Mississippi through an imagined America. You sat in a dreamy, leafy wood with a sleepy Alice, as shocked as she when the White Rabbit bustled by with no time to spare. ... You traveled intensely, blissfully, and vicariously because a writer took you somewhere. Eric Maisel, Creating an International World: Using Place in Your Nonfiction in Now Write! Nonfiction: Memoir, Journalism and Creative Nonfiction Exercises, ed. by Sherry Ellis (2009) Shop talk: A thing I never know when Im telling a story is how much scenery to bung in. Ive asked one or two scriveners of my acquaintance, and their views differ. A fellow I met at a cocktail party in Bloomsbury said that he was all for describing kitchen sinks and frowsy bedrooms and squalor generally, but for the beauties of Nature, no. Whereas, Freddie Oaker, of the Drones, who does tales of pure love for the weeklies under the pen-name of Alicia Seymour, once told me that he reckoned that flowery meadows in springtime alone were worth at least a hundred quid a year to him. Personally, Ive always rather barred long descriptions of the terrain, so I will be on the brief side. P.G. Wodehouse, Thank You, Jeeves (1934)

Report on Religious Field Research Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Report on Religious Field Research - Term Paper Example (Jungman, 2012) During the first 280 years in Christian history, Christianity was ruled out in the Roman Empire and Christians were heavily persecuted. This arbitrary changed after the â€Å"conversion† of the Roman Emperor Constantine. He allowed Christians to worship and made Christianity legal with the Milan’s Edicit in A.D 313. In A.D 325, Constantine summoned the council of Nicaea in an attempt popularize Christianity. Constantine postulated that Christianity would unite the Roman Empire which at that time was fragmenting gradually. This generated positive results towards the development of Christianity at the time. (Jungman, 2012) However Constantine did not fully accept Christianity, instead he mixed some Roman pagan beliefs which are still intact up to date. The impetuous behind Constantine’s action of blending Christianity and Roman paganism was that Christian was a foreign religion and Romans could not have just left their religion and embrace a foreign one fully. Some of the Christianized beliefs include: (i) Cult of Isis was a mother –goddess from Egyptian religion. It was absorbed and harmonized with Christianity and it was replaced by the Virgin Mary. Many titles that were meant for Isis were attached to Mary, i.e., â€Å"Queen of Heaven†, â€Å"Mother of God†, theotokas (â€Å"God –bearer†) among other adoration names. Mary was given supreme positions as the roles far much ahead than the bible ascribes to her. This was done in order to attract the Isis worshippers to Christianity. Failure to do this, any efforts would lead to frustration. (George, 2009) (ii) Mithraism was a renowned religion in the Roman Empire which was practiced in the 5th century A.D .It was popular among the Roman soldiers sand also the Roman Emperors. Mithraism lacked the â€Å"official â€Å"status in the Roman Empire, it was accepted as the de facto official religion not until the Roman Emperors replaced Mithraism w ith Christianity. The key aspects of Mithraism was sacrificial meal (theophagy, eating ones god), sacraments among other conspicuous features. Constantine and the successors found it easy to substitute Mithraism with the Lords supper /Holy Communion which unfortunately prompted some early Christians to attach mysticism to the lords supper, rejecting the biblical idea of remembrance worship and meditation of Christ’s sacrificial death and the blood He shed. (Charles, 1982) (iii) Henoticism is a distinguishing feature of roman pagan religion. It involves believing in the existence of many gods but focuses primarily on one particular god which is considered to be the most superior god. For instance, Jupiter was the supreme Roman god. The Roman sailors normally worshipped Neptune, which was the god of the oceans. Christianization of Roman paganism involved the replacing of Roman gods with saints just as the Roman chain of gods had a god of love, god of peace, god of war, god of s trength among other gods which were claimed to exist(Charles, 1982.) The â€Å"Papacy† that exists in the hierarchy of Catholic Church is a continuation of what was created by the Roman Emperors,