What Has Astronomy Done for You Lately Essay Example for Free

What Has Astronomy Done for You Lately Essay In the article â€Å"What has Astronomy done for you lately† it opens my eyes up to all the relative ways astronomy contributes to our society today. It is mentioned in the article that the funding for space launching and research for the program estimates around $8 billion. During these stringent economic times some question regarding the funding of these programs based of the actual need and benefit. Many people seemed to think that there was nothing that the universe actually contributed to our day to day lives. That idea stands to be corrected. In this article it points out several different ways that Astronomy and keeping it funded acts as an instrumental piece in many things that we rely on today. One way astronomy has made a contribution to our daily lives is the use of the GPS. Albert Einstein was an influential part of the creation and use of the GPS system that we know today, based on his theory. The first operational GPS system that was used was in 1978. Due to all the experimental success and the research put into the atomic clocks makes it what we now use today. In being in the era of technology we have done away with paper maps and now rely on GPS to get us to and from our destinations. The GPS has not only assist in saving lives but the industry is also estimated at half a billion dollars. Another attribute of Astronomy was the creation, discovery, and use of wireless internet. It started with a physicist by the name of Stephen Hawking and his predictions and research of the evaporation of black holes. Then after, others attempted to complete his research to find the evaporating black holes. Their attempts came with no success. John O’Sullivan, a physicist, joins a radio physics department after the failed attempt to detect exploding black holes. He and a team design a Fast Fourier Transfer (FFT) chip and receive a patent for it. The FFT chip is then used as a reliable basis of the wireless network. WIFI as we know of today was discovered due to failed attempts of tracking faint signals of exploding black holes. The treatment for cancer is another aspect on which astronomy research has contributed to. Studies were being conducted on how the Sun produces atoms and how various atoms block different wavelengths of light. In 1992 a team of collaborators studied how atoms in the layers of the Sun and other stars interact with the light trying to escape known as the Iron Project which succeed the Opacity Project. Later they discovered that with different wavelengths some atoms interact strongly with radiation especially in the X-ray region. Combining this observation with small amounts of the gold atom correctly placed could flood and kill cancerous tumors. This development could definitely make the treatment of cancer less painful. This article has provided me with a bigger appreciation on the contributions of Astronomy. Just because it isn’t up front and in your face doesn’t mean that it isn’t beneficial to us. From the GPS, Cancer treatment, and Wireless Internet Astronomy has made a large contribution on many aspects of life.

Vygotsky Influenced By Marxism Sociology Essay

Vygotsky Influenced By Marxism Sociology Essay It is known and accepted in professional journals and works that Marxism influenced Vygotsky but why did this not show up in the earlier translations by Western psychologists? Marxism and Vygotsky L.S. Vygotsky was a witness of the Russian Revolution, which was the hot bed of Marxist theory and the forced development of a communist state (Elhammoumi, 2002). This was a period of tremendous stress and change for the Russian people, in which a significant ideological struggle took place (Elhammoumi, 2002). The basic premise to this struggle was between a focus on the private individual and a socially collective existence (Elhammoumi, 2002). At this level of philosophical transformation mixed with the great turmoil of the time, is the perfect environment for innovative scientist to produce new ideas (Elhammoumi, 2002). The same effect is what compelled Vygotskys ambition to be a part of what was called the new socialist experiment (Elhammoumi, 2002). Vygotsky could not have avoided the effect this philosophy had on his life and invariably, his methods based on this, we can deduce that the Russian Revolution is major evidence of the influence Marxism had his lifes work. Another Marxist influences which show in Vygotskys work are the following definitions, directly from Vygotsky work such as the term Adherence, which means the rejection of all non-materialist and non-Marxist theories (Elhammoumi, 2002). Other Marxist associations to Vygotskys work include his belief that society is not made up of the individual or groups of individuals but is the totality of their interrelationships as construed in the Marxist approach (Elhammoumi, 2002). Or the use of statements in his work such as counsciousness is shaped by social relations, which is also an important idea of Marx (Elhammoumi, 2002). Or Vygotskys work in which he advocates that change in human behavior has several elementary origins, such as, the destruction of capitalist forms of organization and production; the withering away of capitalist order and all forces which oppress manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Elhammoumi, 2002). Or that Vygotsky believed that the destruction of capitalism would be instrumental i n freeing mankind from oppressive powers and allow man to liberate his growth (Elhammoumi, 2002). These ideas were commonly held by Marxist ideology and wrapped in Vygotskys historical-social theories (Elhammoumi, 2002). While researching journals for this paper, I came across an abundance of examples which clearly state that the Marxist influence is now widely accepted within the professional psychological arena. With these examples alone, we can easily agree that Vygotsky was not only influenced by Marx, but we could say that his works were integral in developing, at least, the basis of Marxist psychology (Roth, 2007). Why then, was this notion rejected and even suppressed by earlier Western psychologists until a few decades after World War II? The West and Vygotsky There has been much speculation in the psychological community in the past that Vygotsky was not a Marxist per se, regardless of his use of the doctrine in his work (Sheehy, 2004). This idea was due to Vygotskys work being shunned in the Soviet Union grounded by areas in which Vygotsky questioned and disagreed with Marx (Elhammoumi, 2002). This disagreement led some earlier Western psychologists to argue that Vygotsky rejected Marxism altogether, and was not involved in the development of Marxist psychology (Kosulin, 1986). Other Western psychologist had not only separated Vygotsky from Marxism but had included a rejection of what was termed as bourgeoisie humanism (Elhammoumi, 2002). Nonetheless, Marxist and Soviet psychologists knew that Vygotskys work was crucial in linking their proletariat brand of psychology with natural science in order to keep up with the developments being made in Germany and the United States (Sheehy, 2004). In order to solidify this link, Vygotsky would have to officially be a communist, which the Soviets implied (Sheehy, 2004). Accordingly, Vygotskys Marxist influence in many cases failed to be mentioned in earlier Western translations at all importantly, by overlooking the Marxist influence Vygotskys work is significantly weakended (Kosulin, 1986). The possibility of such suppression could lead to a crisis in the advancement in the entire study of psycholgogy (Kosulin, 1986). But, as will be explained later, Vygotsky link to the development of Soviet Psychology was questionable (Elhammoumi, 2002). We have established that the reasoning behind the suppression of Vygotskys Marxist influence, especially for the American psychologists, is the implication that Vygotsky work was directly involved in what eventually became the Soviet totalitarian government, which is now considered a false accusation (Roth, 2007). Do not forget that Vygotsky perviously shared restrictive ideas with Marxism but did not agree on all stances in regards to psychology (Elhammoumi, 2002). And today we understand that much of Vygotskys connection with Soviet Psychology comes from a Soviet Psychologist names Leontiev (Kosulin, 1986). Leontiev rose to prominence after a period in which Soviet officials had rejected Vygotsky due to his work influenced by the Gestalt psychology and the cross-cultural analysis of consciousness which was considered bourgeois and anti-communist (Kosulin, 1986). This prominence was gained by winning then prestigious Lenin Prize for scientific research, which gave Leontiev access to power within the Soviet governing body (Kosulin, 1986). This enabled him to reintroduce Vygotsky into the Soviet scientific world, an in order to avoid questions regarding Vygotskys original shunning, Leontiev named himself the interpreter of Vygotsky (Kosulin, 1986). Because of this, Vygotsky came to be known as a mere predecessor of Leontiev, which enabled Leontiev the freedom to correct the flaws in Vygotskys work thereby creating a solid link to the development of Soviet psychology (Kosulin, 1986). Evidence is now known that this link is a myth. Regardless, at the time, Western psychologists were rightful ly under the impression that Vygotsky and Soviet Psychology were inexplicably linked (Kosulin, 1986). This is, of course, the main reasoning behind creating sanitized translations of Vygotskys work suppressing the Marxist influence, not to mention more personal reasons like the lack of book sales (Elhammoumi, 2002). At the time, due to the Cold War, Western psychologist were uninterested in promoting anyone associated with communism, socialism, or Marxism (Kosulin, 1986). This went on until the late 1970s and early 1980s when Vygotskys involvement in Soviet science began to be questioned (Kosulin, 1986). MY VIEW I can see this point of view (was V a Marxist?), especially by Westerners, after Soviet Psychologists in later years, integrated Vygotsky into their philosophies which were heavily influenced by political doctrine and the Soviet state itself. In my view, it would be difficult to believe it did not, based on the fact he was alive and living in Russia during the Revolution how could anyone, especially an intellectual like Vygotsky, could not be influenced by the break-down of a political system which had been integral in the make-up of Russia for generations. Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), But, I can see why some psychologist believe there was a connection between Vygotsky and the formulation of Marxist philosophy in the late 1920s, since Vygotsky did not die until 1934. The fundamentals of Marxist Instead of viewing these changes through the eyes of politics. Whether or not you agree or disagree or land somewhere in between in regards to Marxism it remains a ground-breaking shift in intellectualism. In order to see this from another view, Russian, in some cases, was still practicing feudalism which was the social and political structure of the Middle Ages! In the 19th century, as the West experienced a new age of industry and innovation. Although, in my view, true Marxism never came to be in its pure form, and instead, we witnessed the dilapidation and eventual fall of a distortion of this philosophy. I, personally, if these statements are accurate, do not want to see any philosophical or scientific works be deluded by political influences. I believe it is important to maintain historical accuracy, or we are no different than the oppressiveness of the former Soviet Union. What is meant by this, per the author, is that Society does not consist of individuals, but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals stand and real intellectual wealth of the individual depends entirely on the wealth of his real connections This make sense. (Elhammoui, 2002) It is understood, in my view, that Westerners, Americans in particular, have a deep-seated distrust in anything related to communism based on the Cold War which is the case with Marxism. The main point Elhammoumi is trying to convey is that it is important to maintain Vogotskys Marxist influence in order to maintain a period of major intellectual creativity which occurred during and after the Russian Revolution (Elhammoumi, 2002). First of all, if Marxism was truly so impactful to vigotsky, then the omission of that would not be an accurate translation, which could have possibly left integral pieces out for Western psychologists while working to perfect the science as a whole (Kosulin, 1986). Example of myself or someone I know who experienced this (see directions) Conclusion Paragraph for entire paper SHOULD BE PART OF CONCLUSION Vygotsky, by using the framework of a post-revolutionary Soviet society, was determined to develop a new form of psychology (Elhammoumi, 2002). Just by what we have seen in the previous examples it becomes apparent that within Vygotskys theory, it seems as though he attempted to develop a type of theoretical psychology for Marxism (Elhammoumi, 2002). This brings us to the the issue of the West and Vygostky. TOPIC PAPER 1 7117 Due 3/5 @ Midnight submit to turnitin.com 24 hrs earlier 3 to 5 pages without cover and ref page. Each paper will contain a discussion of, or reflection upon, the topic presented in the course. MUST CITE AT LEAST 2 ADDITIONAL ARTICLES FROM PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS not including those already utilized as part of the course materials. ABSTRACTS are not necessary. Each paper should contain: A summary of ONE major theory/concept (or portion of a theory/concept). At least one example from your own experience or someone you know that is relevant to or illustrates the topic/concept. Your persepective about (a critique of) the theory/concept. You must provide substantive arguments to justify your point of view.

Strategies to Avoid Car Congestion

Strategies to Avoid Car Congestion BUSINESS CASE: AVOIDING CRIPPLING CAR COGESTION 1 Case 2, Business Case: Avoiding a Future of Crippling Car Congestion Page 109 Explain the concept of connected cars. Why does Bill Ford see a need for connected cars? What does Ford mean by â€Å"global gridlock†? Brainstorm a few other ways in which an IT network could help to reduce global gridlock. Do  not limit yourself to current mobile network capabilities. If no action is taken far in advance of the forecasted car congestion, what do you foresee will  happen? What is the â€Å"Connected Cars† concept? According to (Turban, Volonino, Wood, Sipior, 2013) pg 109/1). This connected car concept, are vehicles linked to various mobile networks and or intelligent systems and capable of M2M communication. This concept was outlined by Bill Ford chairman of Ford Motors at the 2012, Mobile World Congress (Turban, Volonino, Wood, Sipior, 2013) pg 109/1). The mobile infrastructure allows for incorporation of technologies, applications, support, security processes, as well as devices for management and distribution of wireless communications. Wi-Fi technology permits devices to connect and share a network or Internet connection without connecting to a commercial network. (Turban, Volonino, Wood, Sipior, 2013) pg 94/3). Theconnected caris a vehicle with internet connectivity which can be linked or connected to its navigation and information systems in addition to its passenger’s personal communication devices such as smartphones, computers, tablet or any other internet connected personal device. Also to include data connectionswithin the vehicle, such as GM’sglobal communication system â€Å"OnStar† (Howard, B. 2013). Permanent connections which allows the vehicle to communicate with your smartphone that would assist you in locating your car. Or the status of a charged battery pack by an app command or text message (Howard, B. 2013). Wide area networks (WANs), WiMAXs, and local area networks (LANs) and wireless wide area networks (WWANs) for mobile computing constitutes the various mobile network infrastructures. LANs and WiMAX are the components of the wireless infrastructures (Turban, Volonino, Wood, Sipior, 2013) pg 94/4). So simply speaking a connected car can be any vehicle that has Mobile to Mobile connectivity, internet access or connected to a remote location that offers a service for the vehicle or its occupants over Wi-Fi connectivity is a connected car. Bill Ford see’s the need for connected cars because he see the vehicles in the world climbing at an ever-accelerating rate, and this massive surplus of vehicles can be averted with vehicles that are capable of communicating to each other as well as the communication system or infrastructure. Bill Ford Jr., of Ford Motor Company, â€Å"cautioned of the danger of amplified automobile possession and no conforming increase in automotive connectivity†. Partnerships will be needed to be established between automotive as well as telecommunications industries and the need will be greater than ever as we prepare for and manage the future (Barry, K. 2012). Within impending days, linked vehicles would communicate with one another through centralized traffic-observation platforms which would communicate notices about congestion, construction and accidents to in-car monitoring systems. Ford said vehicles should be seen â€Å"as pieces of a much bigger, richer network.† Precisely, cars of the future could rely on 802.11p WLAN, a network infrastructure reserved for vehicle 2 vehicle network infrastructures. Connected automobiles can interconnect with one another as well as command and traffic control stations. These stations could warn could about traffic jams, construction and accidents by relying data to in-car navigation systems (Barry, K. 2012). â€Å"Mobile data traffic is expected to increase 18-fold in size and speed through 2016, according to Cisco Visual Networking Index (VN1) Mobile Data Traffic Forecast, 2011-2016†, according to (Turban, Volonino, Wood, Sipior, 2013). Ford’s vision of â€Å"global gridlock† can be explained as follows: â€Å"a never-ending traffic jam that wastes time, energy and resources which also impedes the movement of commerce and healthcare,† Ford said that, â€Å"Sixty percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2030, and there will be 2 billion automobiles on the highways. This progression is anticipated to come in China, the world’s largest automotive market† (Barry, K. 2012). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pronounces,† connecting our cars could address as many as 4.3 million crashes, or about 80 percent of accidents that don’t involve intoxicated drivers. Sixty percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2030, and there will be as many as 2billioncars on the road.† (Barry, K. 2012). How can future gridlock be reduce or controlled? , well here’s an example of future concepts of reducing global gridlock. Evacuated Tube Transport Technology Envision traveling from Manhattan to Beijing in one-hundred twenty minutes, that’s only 2 hours. A pair of pioneering minds have confidence in reducing travel time significantly, using high-speed capsules racing through tubes – considerably like driving through a drive through bank. Colorado inventor, Daryl Oster references this idea the â€Å"Evacuated Tube Transport Technology†, â€Å"it can propel a person or object 400 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 30 minutes. This technology would necessitate a system for transporting a capsule through a vacuum tube with the air sucked out as if being in outer space, eradicating friction† (Petersen, B. 2013). Supercavitation -The occurrence identified as supercavitation is most familiar within the military realm. Cavitation an air or gas pocket developing around an object in motion underwater can be beneficial as this air or gas pockets fall away from a vehicle. The drag or resistance on a ship or underwater vehicle becomes greatly reduced. A defense tech company, â€Å"Juliet Marine Systems† developed a supercavitating watercraft called theâ€Å"Ghost marine platform†incorporating stealthiness and attack helicopter technologies for tracking airborne and subsurface objects. Gliding efficiently through the water still ends up being like moving through the air. (Danigelis, A. 2013). My Thoughts on Future Transportation I would consider using manual powered equipment as a means of travel providing exclusive attention would be given to this device. Such as bicycle that was designed for a comfortable long distance ride with exclusive roadways designed just for my device. How about a multiple person hover craft, where three or four person would mount a disc like object that hover only a few feet above ground. With the occupants securely strapped in and again allowed to operate exclusively within an air-space just for this mode of travel. What if no action is taken far in advance of the forecasted car congestion, what do you foresee will happen? I as well agree with Bill Ford, I see massive gridlock along with major congestion throughout the United States as well abroad. A never-ending traffic jam that wastes time, energy and resources and even compromises the flow of commerce and healthcare. Traffic on Interstates and Express routes will come to a mere crawl, vehicles will exhaust there fuel supply while stuck in traffic road blocks. Causalities will increase as a results of medical transportation and supply vehicles caught up in gridlock as well, making it nearly impossible for medical supplies or patients transport to reach there intended destinations. Food supply vehicles will have there cargo spoiled as a results of being caught up in traffic gridlock. I also envision a special highway express being created just for medical, food, fuel and any lifesaving product or supply. I also see this special highway being patrol by law enforcement and violators being severely punishment for traveling these special routes or interfering with the traffic on them. Unless the growing number of vehicles are not seriously addressed, to include major funding, rigorous IT research and advancements commuting and traffic as we know it will be a process of the past. References: Barry, K. (2012). Ford: Connected Cars Can Save Us From Gridlock.Ford: Connected Cars Can Save Us From Gridlock. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2012/02/ bill-ford-says-connected-cars-can-save-us-from-gridlock/ Danigelis, A. (2013). 10 Wild Ways To Travel In The Future.FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION. Retrieved from http://news.discovery.com/autos/ future-of-transportation/10-wild-ways-travel-future-130812.htm Howard, B. (2013). Connected cars: When is the breakthrough coming?Extreme Tech. Retrieved from http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/ 147568-connected-cars-when-is-the-breakthrough-coming Petersen, B. (2013). Hyperloop, Vacuum Tubes Shaping Up As Travel of The Future? CBS New York. Retrieved from http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/08/12/ hyperloop-vacuum-tubes-travel-of-the-future/ Turban, E., Volonino, L., Wood, G. R., Sipior, J. C. (2013).Information technology for management: Advancing sustainable, profitable business growth, 9th edition(9th Ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.

Kandinsky and Diebenkorn Artists :: essays research papers

Wassily Kandinsky was one of the best-known abstract painters and one of the most influential artists of his generation. He was born in Moscow, Russia on December 4th, 1866. From 1886-92, he studied law and economics at the University of Moscow. Kandinsky declined a teaching position in order to study art in Munich, Russia with Anton Azbe from 1897 to 1899 and at the Kunstakademie with Franz von Stuck in 1900. He died in a suburb of Paris on December 13th, 1944. Born on April 22nd, 1922 in Portland, Oregon, Richard Diebenkorn became a leading Abstract Expressionist. He enrolled at Stanford University in 1940. At first, he painted in a style influenced by Edward Hopper but by the late 1940s and early 1950s he began living and working in various places. Soon he developed his own style of Abstract Expressionist painting. Diebenkorn became an important figurative painter in the mid-1950s but returned to abstraction in 1967 in a geometric style. He died on March 30th, 1993. The work of Kandinsky and Diebenkorn were similar and different in many ways. Both artists used at least some geometric figures in their paintings, unique colors and unique patterns. Kandinsky used brighter colors and a greater variety of them. Although Diebenkorn?s colors were unique, they were kind of dull and there wasn?t as much of a variety. Also, Dibenkorn?s art was fairly simple compared to Kandinsky. Kandinsky filled the paper with many different shapes, scattered everywhere but Diebenkorn just stuck to rectangular and triangular figures mostly and rarely used circular figures. Kandinsky mostly used a bright variety of colors in his works. His art was based mainly on different kinds of shapes but usually contained lines. In some of his paintings, the texture is smooth like in ?Blue Painting?, but in others it is a bit rough like in ?Color Studies.? Kandinsky?s paintings made up only of shapes have their objects cluttered together with only a few objects by themselves. These shapes include triangles, circles, squares, rectangles, and everything in between. The colors in his art works help unite the pieces and bring it all together by fading and such in certain aspects. In a lot of Kandinsky?s paintings, there really isn?t anything that is dominant because there are so many pieces and unique objects.

Electrolytes :: science

Electrolytes Electrolytes are liquids that conduct electricity. Most need to be dissolved into water or another solvent. Battery ¡Ã‚ ¦s have an electrolyte in them, either as a liquid or as a paste. Liquid electrolytes are used in electrolysis, electroplating, and other chemical processes. When electrolytes dissolve they release positive and negative ions. The released ions carry electric charges between electrodes, in the solution. Cations (a positively charged ion that migrates to the cathode, a negative electrode) carry positive electric charges toward the cathode. Anions carry negative electric charges toward the anode, positive electrode. Strong electrolytes release many ions and conduct electricity well. Weak electrolytes, like acetic acid, don ¡Ã‚ ¦t release many ions and conduct poorly. Non electrolytes, like sugar, release no ions and form non conducting solutions. A couple electrolytes conduct electricity as solids. These solid electrolytes have ions that can move and carry charges without solvents. There are two ways to be able to have ions that are able to conduct electricity, the dissociation of Ionic Compounds, and the Ionization of Polar Covalent Molecular Substances. The Dissociation of Ionic Compounds is where particles are ionically (electrically) bonded together. They already made out of cations and anions, but in their solid state the ions are locked into position in their crystal structure, and can ¡Ã‚ ¦t move around. When the ionic compound is dissolved into water the water molecules, which are polar,(having a positive and a negative end) will be attracted to the positive ions. This attraction of different charges will create tension in the crystal and it will overcome the attice (the arrangement of molecules in a crystalline solid) energy keeping the crystal in place. Once this happens the cations will be surrounded by water molecules, and so will the anions. This is called the solution process. This makes a lower order of organization of the ions. The ions are now in a simpler form so they have higher mobility, and can carry electrical particles to conduct electricity. Salts that are completely dissolvable in water are usually strong electrolytes. The salts that are barely dissolvable are weak. The strength of an electrolyte is measured by its ability to conduct electricity. There ¡Ã‚ ¦s also the way of Ionization of Polar Covalent Molecular Substances. Polar molecular substances are substances whose atoms are co-valently bonded. Each molecule has a net molecular dipole moment (the product of the distance between two poles of a dipole and the magnitude or either pole) that is made because of the dipole moments of the bonds do not cancel each other out.

Who Am I Presentation

The social categories I can identify with are African Americans, European Americans (Whites), and Nigerian Americans. I can identify with African Americans because I am an African American. I can identify with Whites and Nigerian Americans because I have worked very closely with both these racial and ethnic groups. â€Å"The term African American refers to individuals who are residents of the U. S. A. , usually raised here, who are of African ancestry, whereas the term Black is more general and can refer to anyone of African ancestry, including recent immigrant† (Education. byu. edu, 2012). African Americans make up about 14% of the population in the United States (Education. byu. edu, 2012). The ancestors of African Americans were brought to the Americas against their will and enslaved by Whites. They were forcibly taken to Spanish and English colonies in America where they were enslaved and treated as inferiors. For more than two centuries, African Americans suffered from slavery and segregation but continued to have hope (Education. byu. edu, 2012). My ancestors used Religion, mostly Christianity, and Gospel music to help them cope and forget about their suffering for a certain period of time. Believing in God and singing old Negro spiritual songs, gave them hope that one day they would be free and able to live among and be equal to other races. Blacks were forbidden to attend the same schools as whites, use the same restrooms as whites, ride the front of the bus, vote or go anywhere white people were. The struggle for freedom was a very long and difficult one. Once the NAACP was formed in 1909, they aimed to abolish segregation and discrimination against blacks (â€Å"Encyclopedia Britannica's Guide to Black History†, 2013). African Americans have come a very long way from slavery days. No one would ave ever believed that the United States of America would one day see a Black President elected for not one, but two terms. Although we have a come a long way, we still have a long way to go. Prejudice and discrimination still exists in the world today. Many people discriminate against Blacks because of the stereotypes that were created about them and the way they are p ortrayed on television in the news. Blacks were most known for being religious, cooking soul food, being athletic and singing. Today, Blacks are known for being criminals and violent, being drug addicts and alcoholics, being poor, uneducated, jobless and unhealthy. Although all of these things exist among all races, it seems that they are more prevalent among Blacks. When Blacks commit crimes, they are plastered all over the news. But when Whites or another race commit a crime, it is kept quiet unless it is a high profile case. For example, when the young eight year old Jewish boy, Leiby Kletzky, from Brooklyn was found in the refrigerator of another Jewish man from their own community, the story was kept under wraps. Before the police discovered the boy’s body it was a high profile case, then all of a sudden when it was found out to be one of their own kind, the story was no longer in the news. I have worked with Nigerian Americans for over eleven years. I must say that my experiences with Nigerian Americans have not always been good. From what I have learned, they seem to be rude, they think they are inferior to Blacks and Hispanics but they fear the Whites. Most of them are Catholic, they eat foods that seem to have a foul odor, and they speak their own language. I found this to be interesting because I became close friends with two Liberian Americans and they seem to be totally different from Nigerian Americans both in their appearances and their behaviors. Liberians seem to be very polite, clean, and pleasant people. They only speak English, although they have a very heavy accent when speaking amongst each other because they speak very fast. Liberian women seem to be smaller in stature and dress very nice in American clothing. Nigerian women are very large with large hands and feet, they appear darker, they wear their African clothing often and they do not care too much about appearance. Most Africans do not consider themselves to be African Americans. They do not consider themselves or their ancestors to be a part of the slavery era (â€Å"Encyclopedia Britannica's Guide to Black History†, 2013). I always believed that everyone from Africa was the same until I began working with them. Most of them seem to love spicy food, they eat whole fish with the head still on it, they love rice and they eat some interesting food. Every year, my job has a cultural diversity event where people of all ethnicities and races bring their food for others to experience. I love learning and trying new things, so I find this event to be very informative and helpful in teaching others about different cultures and beliefs. It also allows everyone to get to know others for themselves which makes a healthier work environment. As far as my ancestors being discriminated against, my great (x’s 4) grandmother was raped by a slave master and my father’s mother is mixed with Black And White races. My great (x’s 4) grandmother was beaten and repeatedly raped. This is all the information my grandmother gave me. My grandmother and all her sisters and brothers are very, very light and fair skinned with beautiful hair. I always wondered why and when I asked her she told me the story about her grandmother and her grandmother’s mother being raped during slavery by their White slave masters. References Cultural Groups. (2012). Retrieved from http://Education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html Encyclopedia Britannica's Guide to Black History. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.Britannica.com/blackhistory

The 19th Century Virtuoso

A virtuoso is a musician who is technically skilled on an instrument. Virtuosic musicians are known to be specialized in their instrument, perform in front of large audiences, and show off to their audiences. They typically travel far and wide with the intent of dazzling audiences all over the world with their extended techniques on an instrument. Fast notes and special effects can be heard in virtuosic music. The goal of all virtuosos is to achieve fame and fortune.Performing in front of upper-class audiences and the fact that virtuosic performers composed their own music typically helped them achieve this goal. Fans of virtuosic musicians valued the excitement in watching their spectacular performances, whereas those who were not fans had negative connotations of these kinds of musicians and believed that their music sounded empty. The height of the virtuoso began in the nineteenth-century with musicians such as Niccolo Paganini and Franz Liszt. Franz Liszt perfected the idea of th e ideal nineteenth-century virtuoso performer.As a virtuosic pianist essay writer law, he used his learned technicality and grandiose way of performing to amaze audiences with his professionalism on the piano. His exciting performances started a grand uproar that lead to the rise of an intense fan frenzy known as Lisztomania during the mid-nineteenth-century custom essay writing service. One of Liszt’s most famous pieces, La campanella, gained an abundant amount of attention by his crazed fans. His collaboration of fast notes and specialized dynamics makes up the foundation of the virtuosity within this piece.The piece is quite long and Liszt’s performance of the piece is not easy to imitate, making it very unique and extraordinary. He also incorporates his incomparable expertise into the virtuosic piece by showing off his ability to sustain playing lengthy techniques and special effects on the piano. Liszt is known to be very expressive and lively when he plays the pi ano. Edward Lodewijk â€Å"Eddie† Van Halen is the only modern day musician that comes to mind when it comes to one who fits the description of a virtuoso. Van Halen is a Dutch instrumentalist widely known for his exemplary skills on the guitar.He began his career as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and one of the founders of the band Van Halen. With the use of his hands and an electric guitar, the Dutch-American musician completely redefined the tapping technique and gave it an original and legendary style. The guitarist gained a tremendous recognition for his technical skills when Rolling Stone magazine listed him as number 8 out of the 100 Greatest Guitarists back in 2011. Eddie Van Halen is undeniably one of the most influential rock musicians of the 20th century.Eddie Van Halen’s name took the spotlight when he took a turn for the better and became original. The start of his band’s career consisted of solely playing covers to rock songs by other bands. Afte r realizing that doing so was not bringing the band any success, Eddie Van Halen decided to take his guitar playing to another level and developed a talent of his own. He reinvented the tapping technique. Tapping is an old technique on the guitar that initially incorporated the use of one’s left hand and a pick to repeatedly pick at the neck of the guitar.Van Halen revolutionized tapping when he introduced his exceptional â€Å"finger-tapping† to rock music. He added the use of his right hand into tapping in order to reach higher notes. As he continually improved the tapping technique, Van Halen invented extra styles and skills to show off his learned technicality on the guitar. Eddie Van Halen’s musical training began at a very young age with the classical piano. Since introduced to the guitar, he has remained frequently practicing his skills and techniques on the preferred instrument.He went on to expanding his talents by writing songs for the band he co-found ed. Once his band, Van Halen, was signed to Warner Bros. Records, he was able to travel to far places to perform on stages outside of those in small town clubs. For the past 35 years, the famous guitarist has impressed large audiences with his revolutionary two-handed techniques and styles on the stringed instrument. Like most nineteenth-century virtuosos, Van Halen’s highly accomplished and distinguished technical ability greatly displays his virtuosic musicianship.Virtuosic musicians of the nineteenth-century performed classical music, whereas Eddie Van Halen performed rock music. Rock music is a heavy form of popular music intended to appeal to the many. The romantic and easy-listening forms of classical music do not appeal to everyone. Van Halen’s form of music is usually performed on outdoor stages and is not as formal as performances of classical music. Classical music is performed in indoor concert halls and its audiences normally consist of well-mannered and ca lm people, unlike those of modern rock concerts.Eddie Van Halen’s virtuosity is best represented in his famous guitar solo played for Michael Jackson’s hit song â€Å"Beat It. † The collaboration of these two artists was unheard of at first, but once the song caught the attention of worldwide audiences, it was easy to see that Van Halen had outdone himself. His elongated finger-tapping phrases and tapping harmonics on the electric guitar during that unforgettable solo earned him his fame in popular music. Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo for â€Å"Beat It† is undoubtedly one of the greatest rock solos of all time. http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=JfyI5VkyPVU