Monday, November 4, 2019

Promotion of Violent Commotion through Video Games Essay

Promotion of Violent Commotion through Video Games - Essay Example Various platforms (devices that allow a videogame to operate) are generated in enormous numbers year after year. The types of games which are introduced range from arcade to adventure and from educational to racing. There would be hardly anyone let it be a child, a young adult or an grown-up who would be unaware of videogames, which is why Berger states â€Å"Most Americans are well aware of the existence of video games.† (4) The most talked upon controversy which is being discussed and debated upon and which is spreading like fire all around the social media is whether video games promote violent activity or not. Different beliefs are held by different people; similarly various researches show various results. Some perspectives have indicated that videogames cast an extremely negative effect on people who play them, while other outlooks show that videogames do not cast any sorts of negative effects on their players. There are standpoints that point out that some videogames al so shed constructive effects on the people who play them. Hence, for the clarification of this controversy all the sides have been provided and presented objectively for the formulation of the readers own opinion, as the viewpoints provided are completely valid and applicable. From the early period when home computers were a vogue word, to today’s in progress consoles, people have been playing games after games, due to which video games have been tagged as one of the most well-liked type of amusement in the world within the past few decades. Hence, several of video games are developed and introduced; these genres of videogames include action, shooter, action-adventure, adventure, role playing, strategy and stimulation games. Besides these genres there are many other noble games which include educational and informational video games. The question which pops up in our minds is ‘but how would games promote violence?’ or ‘how would such games cast a positive e ffect?’ The answer to these questions is that just because it is a â€Å"Video Game† does not actually mean that its significance shall be avoided. Children or adults are both affected by video games whether in a positive or a negative way similar to the way we they are influenced by television or novels, even though the latter is being spontaneously pushed far into the cupboard. Viewing the first outlook which verifies that videogames endorse violent activity amongst its players we can bring in light Dulan’s statement that authenticates that â€Å"Unfortunately, video games promote violence because after shooting, blowing up and running over a bunch of gangsters, zombies, etc., you win the game and all is well for you.† (309) Therefore, the fact that the negative effects are casted by all the shooting and spurting games cannot be closed the eyes to. Violent video games have become popular amongst the boys specifically and the popularity of such games has reached extraordinary scope. Stoff, Breiling and Maser stated that â€Å"Video games also have become a focus of concern due to the high level of violence they contain and the fact that children are active participants in violence.† (186) The relationship between brutal video-game play and aggression can be studied by viewing the notional line of reasoning that puts forward this relationship. This line draws on

Friday, November 1, 2019

Censorship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Censorship - Essay Example The act of censorship is now done more for the benefit of children, yet many people believe it should be the responsibility of the parent to monitor what their children read or watch, and not the responsibility of the government or a stranger from an organization. After all, Cleland’s novel was proven to be harmless. However, this might be different if the book were in the hands of a child. It has been brought up of whether or not media should be censored since times and opinions have changed, and if media is censored, if adults should also face censorship to strengthen the protection towards children. The practice of censorship has evolved to protect children more than anybody else, though adults are also effected by this as it becomes difficult for them to access their own mature media. Books and movies that are considered inappropriate are kept out of reach from younger children. These pieces of media contain subject matter that are too advanced for children, such as excess ive violence, sexual activity, drug and alcohol use, or other topics that are thought to be taboo or else unsuitable for young eyes. This is perhaps the main reason, if not the only reason, why books and movies, as well as many video games, are censored from children. Censorship is not done out of a need to deny children of their entertainment, but to ensure that younger children are obtaining entertainment that is right for them. This may also prove to be overly paternalistic to parents since it may mean difficulties in obtaining their own entertainment, but they still need to play their part in making sure that children cannot access their adult material. On the other side of the argument against censoring media is that it causes many people to cross the line between protecting and overprotecting a child. By censoring certain material, children are being denied glimpses into many of the ideas and concepts of the real world. Censorship tends to go too far, sheltering children from the real world around them. They become unaware of all that the world has to offer in way of unique, independent, and creative thoughts and experiences. Censorship also teaches children that, in regard to media, there is an undue concept of good and evil, which can cause a child to continue to censor themselves as they become adults. They begin to be judgmental at a very young age when growing up in a censored environment, never allowing themselves to open up to everything that the world has to offer to their growing minds. Censorship should be used, but implemented in a way so that children cannot gain access to media that is deemed inappropriate by parents, teachers, and other adults that have authority and influence over children. While many schools, families, and even libraries acknowledge media that is inappropriate based on a common standard of decency, such as media involving graphic sex, drugs, and violence, they still make it readily available for young children to have acc ess. This is because a lot of it remains accessible to adults, but still within grasp of children. The material that should be censored should be done so because the material is too advanced, and oftentimes harsh and graphic, for children. Not only can they be negatively impacted by some of what they read

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Controller Suggestions for ABC Company Math Problem

Controller Suggestions for ABC Company - Math Problem Example There are numerous lawsuits that are filed against companies dealing with building materials as a result of faulty products, which lead to ‘sick buildings’. The company risks paying huge fines if it is accused of selling products of this nature and fails to win the case. i. What does this statement of cash flow tell you about the sources and uses of the company? The cash flow statement above shows that the company largely relies on the operating activities for financing, and most of its expenditure goes to the operating activities. Surprisingly, the company appears to have kept away from alternative investments, which could otherwise offer a reprieve to the cash flow challenges the company is experiencing. ii. Is there anything ABC Company can do to improve the cash flow? The ABC Company has many alternatives that can be used to improve its cash flow. The current cash situation is very bad especially because the company has focused on its operating activities to generate cash at the expense of alternative sources of cash. Ideally, the company can use borrowed cash to finance in new and profitable ventures. Currently, there is no evidence of the company repaying any loan interest and hence opting for a loan will balance the company’s capital structure. The company should also ensure that the cash that is borrowed is used to finance operations that will boost the sales by a big margin, so that the cash inflow from operations can be boosted. iii. Can this project be financed with current cash flow from the company? Why or why not? This project cannot get financing from the current cash flow from the company because it is not adequate. For instance, the current year’s cash flow statement revealed only $5,000 was left as the net balance. The anticipated project needs fiance to be sourced from outside, for example by borrowing from a bank or issuing new shares among other sources (Leary and Roberts 2575). iv. If the company needs additional financing beyond what the ABC Company can provide internally (either now or sometime throughout the life of the project), how would you suggest the company obtain the additional financing, equity or corporate debt, and why? The company should obtain corporate debt since it is the best option to finance this particular project. Ideally, this is the best option as opposed to equity because there is some evidence that the company has already invested in equity because of the dividends being paid to the shareholders, yet there is no evidence of debt finance. Perhaps, to realize the maximum from the invested capital, the company should strike a good balance between equity and debt. Furthermore, obtaining financing by issuing more equity shares will water down the shareholders stake and this could not be in the interest the shareholders. Therefore, it would be advisable for the company to obtain corporate debt so long as the benefits that will be realized from such financing will outweig h the interest paid for the debt (Leary and Roberts 2575). III. Product cost a. What is the product cost for the expansion product? Expansion Product (estimate) Selling Price ? Units produced and expected to be sold 5,000 Machine Hours 5,000 Direct Materials 28,000 Direct labor dollars

Monday, October 28, 2019

Findings Analysis Essay Example for Free

Findings Analysis Essay I have found out my primary information about the idea of slim-line kitchen electrical appliances by doing a quota sampling, which meant dividing the population into various age groups and backgrounds and carrying out questionnaires. In my results in source 14, which is my questionnaire, the first question shows the gender of the amount of people that help fill in the questionnaire. Out of 150 people that I questioned only 36.6% were males and females a greater percentage of 63.6(%). This shows that on average most of the people I questioned were females. Source 2 also supports this idea as it states that the majority of people living in England are females at 51%. Also the details in source 6 show the gender of people that purchase brown and white goods, the larger percentage goes towards the women at 54%. Also an evidence of this statement that there are more women than men in GB is illustrated in source 2, it shows that in 2003 there were more women than men- and that I think has increased during recent years because source 2 shows that women are at 51% of the population in UK, then source 6 shows women are at 54 and source 14 [the questionnaire] shows they are at 63 percent (you can see that in the chart below that shows these results), and I predict this is going to escalate far more in a years or so time; which means if S and S plc was to choose their target group then in my opinion women should be targeted not only for their percentage as a whole but as for the person that makes decisions about where the kitchen appliances go and what should be bought. The second question in the questionnaire asks for the age groups of the person that is filling in the questionnaire; the most widely held answer is the 45-54 age group. On a percentage out of 150 people 48% of the people come in that particular age group. Although my source 2 says that the majority of the people living in Great Britain are either between the age group of 35-44 or above 65, however my source is over 3 years old, which could make big difference as related to new market, but maybe the area that I was doing the questionnaire in; the majority of the people were between 45 and 54. The rest of the questionnaire still supports the idea of what S and S plc is trying to introduce. This means they have now got an idea of what the populations wants and needs are. S and S plc need to confirm the target age group and then plan sale strategies. Question 4 asks the people what newspapers they read. Out of a variety of newspapers most of the people wrote their answer as The Daily Telegraph, 62% out of 150 people. This question is not completely pointless as it is a method of advertising for many companies including electrical stores such as Dixons, Comet and Currys. According to my source 12 quite a big percentage of the expenditure that a business is ready to pay for advertising belongs to the press area /newspapers. Out of 10 different electrical stores 76% of the money they spend on advertising is in the press column. Therefore it would be very beneficial for S and S plc to put their ads into the two top particular newspapers Daily Telegraph being the top. Another quite high percentage of the advertising goes into the radio, which is also another method for S and S plc to attain more awareness. The next question asks the people how many people live in their household, majority of the people answered 4 to the question. Out of 150 people 30% said 4. Source 4 of my secondary data illustrates that 13.2% of the people out of 25,220 people have 4 persons living in their household and the majority of the people answered 2 persons out of the same audience 34.9% to be exact, however we know that my secondary information is about 2 years old which only shows me old data that is not accurate but as we know now the majority of the people have 4 persons in their household, because as times go on people make more decisions. This means that there are more people living in a single household now as opposed to 2 years ago, therefore white goods will be necessary for them in their daily life unlike single people living alone dont need as much white goods because they wont use it a lot. So if S and S plc were to get targets then going for the more colonized houses because they will be a god i dea and these will be their ideal customers. Question six asks the people what circumstances will aid them to consider buying slim white goods to replace them with the old. The choices included from new models introduced, moving house, changing their kitchens and/or when their old goods break down. The majority of the people answered as when they move houses, 62.6% out of 150 people agreed to that. This gives S and S plc the opportunity to sell their products, if they know how many people are moving houses on average they can work out the amount of the kitchen electrical appliances that they need to produce, this will maintain the sale of the slim-line white goods as the results in source 5 show the statistics that, there are increasingly more people that either move or as a result separation move to another home alone. If S and S plc want to boost their sales they have to advertise it to the people that are moving houses [as white goods are very important in a household, it is almost a necessity]. Source 3 also shows that the majority of the people in 1 household are 2 persons. And as more people move into the same house there is an even greater need of white goods, and as some houses are quite cramped slim-line white goods is the best option so that sort of people should be target to the S and S plc. Question seven enquires the people how long ago was the last time that they purchased/changed their white good. The majority of the people answered this question as last 5 years which sums up to be 48% out of the total of 150 people. This shows that the majority of people will not spend frequently on white goods as they are only replaced when they are damaged or too much out of date, this is simply because that the people are already used to the way that that particular white good works. Also another reason for people not to change their white goods purchased in last 5 years is that the white goods technology hasnt changed much in the last 5 years so no reason to change their white goods, but as source 8 of my raw information shows that there is an increasing demand of new technology therefore sale for the slim-line white goods will produce profit to S and S plc as the savvy consumers is the prime driver of the market. The pie chart in the same source reveals that the second highest percentage of consumers spending on electricals belongs to the household appliances this is a 23% of the expenditure. Question eight asks the people where they purchase their kitchen appliances; the applicants were given four choices out of which 3 were specialist retailers and one non-specialist. However you would expect a specialist such as Curry or Dixons to rule this sort of market, but the majority of the peoples answer was other specialist retailer as these two retailers I mentioned are not experts and do not sell all brands that the people might be looking for. Some people have had good experiences with some brands that they wish to keep with. I predicted the majority of the shares should be owned by Dixons; this is also what my sources show namely source 11; it shows that the majority of the shares in the market belonged to these retailers in 2004. Source 9 of my raw information states that non-specialist such as ASDA and Tesco have a more constant product offering which is a step beyond WIGIG [when its gone its gone offer] that specialist retailers use as their sale strategies. These non-specialists sell varieties of brands and at a low cost too, thus increasing their sales. Source 9 also shows the statistics in the electrical retail market that this has caused. It has attracted customers from other markets such as PC and Audio-Visual markets because people would rather buy the same thing cheaper. This means that S and S plc should also increase and expand the variety of electrical goods the sell and do not necessarily have to be a specialist retailer for white/slim-line goods. This will increase their sales and give the m a higher reputation in the electrical retail market. The ninth question in the questionnaire enquires if changes in the circumstances were to occur; [including those mentioned in question six], would they consider buying i.e. replacing them with slim-line versions of the goods. The majority of the people out of 150 answered Yes, this concluded to 86% the rest 14% answered No. People dont find the urge to replace their existing electrical appliances as quick as any other item in the household, this is because these can be shared and it is only going to be a waste if you used it once and then dispose of it especially when it costs a lot. So as seen in question 6, most people will only replace their kitchen electrical goods when they move house. The idea of slim line appliances in kitchen is new so many people will not be too comfortable with using these, therefore sales for these will not increase soon after the promotion. According to the results I for this question it looks like quite a high percentage of people want to try it out and have a vision of what they will be when they buy them, because they know this will save space in their house no matter what the amount of people in the household. There are a number of reasons why people would want to purchase slim-line kitchen electrical goods. One that I think is different than any other is efficiency of the goods. If it saves the customers money, they will defiantly choose this item to last for a long time. Source 7 states The largest amounts of customer spending go on housing/electricity/gas other fuels, so slim-line kitchen electrical goods were to decrease the money spent they would be able to buy more goods as they get more disposable income SAY SOME STUFF ABOUT THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE !!. What S and S plc needs to do is to advertise their product so that it illustrates that it is efficient and takes less space they need to take this measurement in the plotting of the sale strategy, this could be S and S plcs unique selling point, something that distinguishes S and S plc from other retailers. In source 7 [i.e. fig.11] you can see the statistics as to how much people spend on the mentioned factors. From the graph above you can see that even though the expenditures are increasing slowly if not very swiftly. This you can see in the tale where in the %change column you can see that even though expenditures were increasing as a percentage in midyear intervals for many years, it is slowly levelling out/decreasing. Question 10 asks the people if they were given a choice to own a slim-line kitchen electrical good would the replace it with their existing ones. 59.3% of the people answered yes. As I said, for replacement of kitchen electrical goods slim-line kitchen electrical appliances are best suited as they as well as being efficient this will also be more modern and will take less space, so this offers the customers an opportunity to work more efficiently and in a better/ bigger space. HELP!!! Question eleven is entitled to find out what the motivation is that leads the sales of kitchen electrical appliances in the market. The question was What motivates you to buy a new kitchen electrical appliance? We provided them with four possible answers these included the price, its capacity, brand name or energy efficient. A high percentage of people were motivated by looking at the appliances capacity, which is vital because if it has to be shared it must be sufficiently big. This added up to 21.3% of the people out of 150 that help fill the questionnaire. The higher percentage [48%] of the people said they were motivated by the price, so if it was cheap and had a big capacity more customers would purchase the product. Not much of the credit went to the brand name, although I would have guessed this would be a bigger motivation to the people because when many people have had experience with one brand they stick to it and pass on their reviews, then again it isnt very often that p eople buy kitchen electrical appliances and its models changes from year to year. This means that when S and S plc rules the JnK plc companies in Asia, they wont have much difficulty with introducing new products into the market and sell as much as possible. However more credibility goes to energy efficiency, so some people are interested in saving money per annual rather than once, at the purchase time, this answer was chosen by 12% of the total. This question too links to source 7 as it shows that more people are decreasing the amount of money spent on electricity, gas, water etc. It shows that less people are ready to pay a lot of money for these appliances. The last question finishes off the questionnaire with asking the people if slim-line kitchen electrical appliances were in the market would the people buy them. The majority of the people chose to buy their goods only if their circumstances were to change. This means that even though slim-line kitchen electrical goods are a big success they will only be purchased when they need to replace them because people dont want to change their kitchen appliances too frequently, only when they move or if the old one is broken. 42.3% of people chose this for an answer. This means that people are not desperate to own one but they reckon it is a good idea to own one Well this questionnaire gave S and S plc a good guidance on what the market is like and if slim-line kitchen electrical appliances would sell in that market and to choose their target and unique selling point.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Analysis of Shakespeares The Tempest - Effective Use of the Cliffhanger :: free essay writer

The Tempest:   Effective Use of the Cliffhanger The first scene of The Tempest is unlike most of the openings in Shakespeare's plays, in that includes quite a bit of action. Instead of properly introducing some of the main characters, or setting up an important plot strand, this opening scene appears to be only an attention-grabbing device.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This statement can be made quite justifiably, due to the fact that all the events of Act 1 Scene 1 are recounted in the following scene, in the conversations between Miranda, Prospero and Ariel. Under ordinary circumstances, it is quite likely that Shakespeare would have removed the first scene and just relied upon the audience paying attention to what was being said in the second scene - indeed, if these events took place some way into the play, he may have considered doing this. However, as an opening scene, Scene 2 would have been rather boring and uninspiring - it consists almost entirely of lengthy explanatory dialogue from Prospero. Audiences would not have been drawn into the play very effectively; and at the time the play was written, during the 17th Century, audiences were not as reserved and polite as they are these days and they might not have reacted very well to being bored.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scene 1 solves this problem by abandoning all explanation of the events unfolding, as well as much of the characterisation and concentrating on creating an exciting and tense opening scene which immediately engages the audience's attention. Theatres of the time when The Tempest was written were very basic, and would not have been able to achieve the special effects and clever sets that we see in modern theatres. Therefore, Shakespeare had to rely on more subtle, but equally effective, techniques to convey the correct atmosphere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most obvious things about this first scene is how short the characters'   lines are. There is just one moderately sized speech, lines 20 - 25, but the rest are all only four to six lines long. This hurried dialogue immediately signals that the characters are panicking, and that they do not have time for long conversations. From the script itself, we can see that there are an awful lot of exclamation marks in the dialogue; this is because the characters are shouting to be heard above the noise of the storm.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While nowadays the storm would probably be created using recordings of thunder and crashing waves, perhaps along with creaking sounds of the ship breaking up, theatre in Shakespeare's day would not have had this luxury.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

History of Guitar Essay

Music has always been a part of the world’s culture throughout the history. Way back thousands of years ago, people utilized their body parts such as their mouth, hands and feet, in order to create sounds. However, due to people’s inventiveness and resourcefulness, they have begun to use different materials that are part of their everyday life so the creation of musical instruments has begun. One of those discovered and invented instruments is guitar. This paper endeavors to present detailed information with regards to the history of guitar. First, it will provide a definition of the term ‘musical instrument,’ and its types. Then, it will also provide a definition of the musical instrument ‘guitar. ’ Second, it will trace and narrate its history. And lastly, it will reveal its benefits to the society. Furthermore, it will give a brief knowledge its contemporary status in the society. Musical instrument, traditionally, is any sound-producing material that comes from any culture, activated in any means, and is utilized for making what is universally and frequently known as â€Å"music. † It encompasses automatic or mechanical however it also includes recording or playback device (Rice). It is classified into different types namely: (1) idiophones, which consists of cymbals, triangles, gongs, castanets, bells, xylophones; (2) membranophones, which consists of drums, a skin or membranes is extended and stretched across a reverberating cavity; (3) chordophones or instruments that produce and make sounds by way of vibration of one or more strings stretched amidst two fixed points. It can be a guitar, lupe, harp, violin, cello; (4) aerophones which are blowing devices that use vibration of the air. These include trumpets, clarinets, flutes, bagpipes, whistle (qtd. n Wade 10). Guitar is a stringed instrument, which looks like the lute or the violin, however, it is bigger in size and has six strings: three of them are silk-covered silver wire and the other three are catgut (â€Å"Guitar†). It is a globally mobile instrument by which form, tonal textures and playing strategies and techniques are result of its appropriation. It is utilized in various locally specific musical contexts (Bennett and Dawe 1). It is made of wood, akin with lute, however, it has a more box-shaped resonator—the general characteristic of the instrument. All through the history, its strings are played by either a plectrum or a finger. It possesses a circular soundhole in its center (Wade 12). The modern English terminology for ‘guitar’ came from the Spanish term ‘guittara’ and was derived from Arabic and Latin terms ‘qitara’ and ‘cithara,’ respectively. These terms were derived from ‘kithara,’ and earlier Greek word, and from the Persian term ‘sithar’. â€Å"‘Sithar’ itself is related to the Indian instrument, the sitar† (â€Å"History of Guitar†). The history of guitar is traced hundred of years ago. It has been established along with other ancestor instruments known as lyres and harps, which are mentioned in the Old Testament, Mesopotamian long-necked lutes, string instruments delineated in ancient Babylonian and Egyptian art (Wade 13). The oldest famous representation of the instrument that displays all its important features is on a 3,300-year old stone carving of Hittite bard (â€Å"History of Guitar†) found at Alaca Hoyuk (Wade 13). Throughout the Middle Ages, three, four, five-string guitars do exist. The Guittara Latina, which has curved sides, is said and thought to have originated in Spain (â€Å"Acoustic Guitar History†). It is a product per se of a long and multifaceted history of various influences (â€Å"History of Guitar†). Renaissance is the chosen period that is said to be the suitable starting point of guitar because it is during this epoch that the instrument is already in relation to music (Turnbull 2). During this period, composers wrote most of the time in tablature (â€Å"Acoustic Guitar History†), a musical notation relatively different from the modern ones. Its page usually looked flamboyant, ornate and complicated but for musicians and instrumentalists, it has been a very practical, useful and a straightforward method and manner of transforming symbols into sounds (Wade 18). Nevertheless, in this period, the guitar never possessed the respect that the lute has because it has not been regarded as a serious instrument. The first publication for guitar was recognized to have come from Alonso Muddara’s â€Å"Tres Libros de Musica en Cifras para Vihuela. † Finally, the guitar commenced to attract instrumentalists hence; there had been an increase in publication and music (â€Å"Some Guitar History†). Italy became the center of guitar in 17th century. In the late 18th century subsequent to the addition of the sixth string, the Spanish school of guitar making flourished. In the era of 19th century, there was already an enhanced and improved communication and transportation that allowed the performers to journey around the world, thus, the guitar evolved to become a widely known musical instrument (â€Å"Acoustic Guitar History†). The aspects and dimensions of the modern classical guitar were established and founded by Antonio Torres, who works in Seville in 1850 (â€Å"History of Guitar†). Guitar music then became popular in Spain. The development in guitar that was done by Torres signified alterations in appearance. The modern guitar took the form of a broadened body, the waist curve was increased and the belly was thinned. An improvement with regards to its internal bracing was designed; single string courses were replaced by double courses and the machine head replaced the wooden tuning pegs (â€Å"Acoustic Guitar History†). By the end of the 19th century, the guitar has fallen out of favor. However, it was revived by Francisco Tarrega, who was known for his â€Å"Receurdos de la Alhambra. † He performed in public and chose to perform for his friends at his home. He wrote a technique on how to teach guitar. He also transcribed a myriad of musical pieces for guitar. He was also considered as the pioneer of playing guitar with fingernails; which evolved into a tradition (â€Å"Some Guitar History†). Most of the credit and recognition regarding the development of guitar was carried on to the Europeans. Today, steel-string acoustic guitars are developed by the Americans. In the early 20th century, when European emigrants arrived in America, a number of them are highly skilled musical instrument makers, which includes those specialists in the steel-stringed guitar. There are two kinds of production that have evolved—the flat-top guitar and the arch-top guitar (â€Å"Acoustic of Guitar History†). When guitar technology has finally led and made its way to the United States in the early 19th century, it was Charles Friedrich Martin, a guitar maker who migrated in New York in 1833, who initiated it. In early 1900s, the Martin Company produced and made larger guitar instruments yet still adhered and abided with the classic model designs, especially the Spanish guitar (â€Å"How a Guitar is Made: Background†). The lineage of the guitar is huge and arduous to trace especially because there is a partial misconception that the guitar is a direct successor of the lute. The lack of reputation and prominence of guitar in history is aptly due to the fact that it attracts little heed from good composers and musicians until the 20th century (â€Å"A Contextual Background†). The creation of guitar has been of vital importance in the field of music. It is a representation and embodiment of discovery, inventiveness, imagination and expression of performing intelligence and skill. The early guitar bestowed significant contributions during the Baroque period. The guitar and guitar ancestors took hold of the attention of folk culture and the middle class way back the Baroque era as well as the Classical period (â€Å"A Contextual Background†). The instrument represents an abstract idea, a mode of thinking with regards to sound and a mode of identifying and recognizing cultures. The guitar is a fundamental icon in American culture and other cultures around the world. There are several versions of stringed instruments that are crafted and created as distant away from Japan, and are developed into the orchestra. It also forms unique variations like the Sitar of India (â€Å"The Linage of Guitar Construction†). The growth of the guitar in the course of history is in a two-fold path. The technical progression and developments have been enthralling, fascinating and fundamental. Nevertheless, nourishing and developing that evolution and development has been the social element of guitar’s reputation and recognition. The mechanical alterations that have been demanded socially contributed to its better and louder instrumentation. Thus, there have been documentations on its development and journey. The guitar’s progression in the course of time is one of the mirrors that culture indeed changes over time. It evolves just like how the guitar evolves (Kentor and Michaels 10). The guitar is not just an embodiment of one’s culture and time. It is also a representation of the status of whoever owns it especially during the ancient times because most people in the middle class owned a guitar. Its development serves a reflection that people’s ingenuity, thinking and creativity do enhance and progress, alongside with the culture that they belong. The creation of guitar has helped a lot in the music industry because it accompanies and produces sound even without the use of electricity. It is purely mechanical because only the fingers or a pick is used in playing. However, the invention of electric guitar has contrasted that fact. Compared to the classic mechanical guitar, it produces louder and better sound. On the other hand, the discovery and creation of electronic music, music that can be created even without musical instruments at hand—purely digital, has given way to the somewhat â€Å"death† of guitar industry. It is now being taken for granted little by little even though there are still some who take hold of its importance and still utilize it in composing and crafting new musical pieces.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A map to the next world

Joy Harjo’s poems are filled with so many images and passages that let’s one ponder and think about the complexity of the work.   She is able to balance contemporary American life and ancient tribal truths magnificently.She is able to brilliantly attach the reader to the character.   In â€Å"A Map to the Next World†, one knows that the poem is most probably addressed to a younger member of her family, a young daughter, or a grand daughter, in fact.   But one feels that Harjo is personally talking to you – we are put in the shoes of a member of a kin.In this poem (A Map to the Next World) one can see how the idea of survival is central to the individual and the Native Americans as a people.   And the way she addresses this survival is by emphasizing the importance of memory (a very central theme in Native American culture) – how one should not forget one’s heritage.And she writes:   â€Å"Keep track of the errors of our forgetfulne ss; a fog steals our children while we sleep†.   She asks her readers to remember their heritage and find solace in it – to â€Å"Remember the hole of our shame marking the act of abandoning our tribal grounds†.The poem promotes an awareness and understanding of the strength of memory – a latch on the value on the powers of memory that all Native American cultures have. Moreover, one can see how survival and continuance are very strong bases for this poem.According to Harjo, in this world, one can easily forget about one’s heritage.   â€Å"What I am telling you is real, and is printed in a warning on the map.   Our forgetfulness stalks us, walks the earth behind us, leaving a trail of paper diapers, needles and wasted blood.†Ã‚   Harjo emphasizes the function of courage in the entire scheme of things, for keeping one’s spirit honest and vital.There seems to be a sense of loss of land, love, innocence and heritage that escalates within.   She discusses the importance of courage by alluding to many Native American spiritual tremors – â€Å"The place of entry is the sea of your mother’s blood, your father’s small death as he longs to know himself in another.†Ã‚   There has to be an understanding of the past for one to be able to move forward.This discipline is central to many Native American cultures.   In this case, Harjo alludes to her mother’s heritage (her blood), and how her father was lost in a sea of identities.â€Å"There is no exit.†, she says.   One must have courage to survive.   One must have courage to go on.   One must have courage to be as tenacious as to venture out alone – to be able to trust oneself.   â€Å"The map can be interpreted through the wall of the intestine – a spiral on the road of nowledge.†Coursing through survival and courage, Harjo moves in out of the realms of dream and reality.   She focuses on bot h hope and despair, and survival and extinction at the same time.   By showcasing these diverse strands of life, she is able to bring a harmonious balanced experience to the reader in the context of cultural allusions.â€Å"You will travel through the membrane of death, smell cooking from the encampment where our relatives make a fest of fresh deer meat and corn soup, in the Milky Way.†Ã‚   In this passage, she focuses on the point that to survive this world, one must not forget.   To go through life and remember, one must travel the way our forefathers did.â€Å"Through the membrane of death† reminds one of the cultural belief in reincarnation – that through dying, one is born.   â€Å"Encampment   †¦ fresh deer meat† both paint the picture of a Native American village dinner – together around a fire, feasting on the day’s hunt.This melding of dream visions, memories, myths and history promotes a centeredness in deep reverence for the natural world (a very Native American ideology), where one should find solace in one’s own heritage and mythology.   But Harjo does not necessarily talk about her own heritage (Cherokee) alone, but includes other Native American tribal traditions.There are snippets of other traditions which she brings in as a way to universalize experiences.   In a way, she is striving to resolve polarities to bring the world into a balance through the awareness of the unspoken superiority one feels as a bearer of ancient culture.   All one has to do is remember – â€Å"They have never left us; we abandoned them for science†.