Descartes And The Scientific Revolution - 1052 Words

Descartes, a philosopher, mathematician and scientist, was a fundamental player in the scientific revolution, which influenced his perspectives on the question of self. His principle tenant, the famously quoted, â€Å"Cogito, ergo sum – I think, therefore I am,† reflects his core belief of thinking and of self-awareness as key to personal identity. Descartes was strongly influenced by Plato and Augustine. Descartes philosophical underpinnings can be understood as an extension of Plato and Augustine’s dualistic view in which, â€Å"†¦body and soul remain irreconcibily divided, two radically different entities with diverging fates: the body to die, the soul to live eternally in a transcendent realm of Truth and Beauty† (Descartes 99). While Descartes acknowledges the body, he argued that it was secondary because it can be thought of independently. Descartes felt he was, â€Å"†¦able clearly and distinctly to conceive one thing apart from another, in order to be certain that the one is different from the other, seeing they may at least be able to exist separately †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Descartes 106). Descartes argued that mind is completely different from body and it is possible for one to exist without the other. For Descartes, the self is largely defined by the mind, which is immortal and independent from the body. Descartes stated, â€Å"I rightly conclude that my essence consists only in my being a thinking being†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Descartes 106). He asserts that the mind (thinking self) is a, â€Å"nonmaterial, immortal, consciousShow MoreRelatedEssay on Revolution in Scientific Affairs977 Words   |  4 Pageshistory, or science. This revolution in scientific affairs, sparked by thinkers like Bacon, Newton, and Descartes, resulted in a significant upheaval in the arts and literature of Europe. Research into this spread of scientific thinking, which would eventually come to influence ideas about such wildly disparate fields of human endeavor as physics, religion, and governmental theory, shows that Francis Bacon played a major role in encouraging the growth of the Scientific Revolution. Writing in the earlyRead MoreEssay about Rene Descartes Faith and Reason1292 Words   |  6 PagesRene Descartes Faith and Reason The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed a colossal transition in the scientific view of the universe. During this period a profound rethinking of scientific theory as well as moral and religious matters took place. Traditional ideas were reconsidered by religious thinkers. Philosophers began applying rational scientific thought to problems that they considered. The main concept of the Scientific Revolution was to question everything. The ScientificRead MoreScience Changes The World Of Science1463 Words   |  6 PagesWorld Science has taken people to places far beyond the stars. Physicists, Scientists, Mathematicians, and Philosophers have shaped most of society’s views of the world we live in. Through theory, experiments, and ideas of the scientific revolution Isaac Newton, Rene Descartes, and Francis Bacon have not only changed the geocentric past but also have had me welcome the heliocentric view. Heliocentrism is the idea Earth as well as other planets revolve around the sun; the sun being the center of ourRead MoreThe Enlightenment Period : The Age Of Reason1332 Words   |  6 Pagesequality and more of a humanistic approach was taken as opposed to traditional practice. This period was heavily influenced by scientific thought, skepticism and intellectual stimulation. The plan of this era was to reform society and the way it used reasoning as well as oppose long established customs. 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Politician rather than scientist, Francis Bacon (1561-1627) was the man who made a revolutionary mark in the scientific world and reasoning, regardlessRead MoreScientific Discoveries Of The Scientific Revolution1548 Words   |  7 PagesScientific Revolution The Scientific Revolution refers to a time in history when developments in the sciences took off and changed the view of society regarding the earth and nature. Some of the relevant topics of this time were mathematics, astronomy, biology, physics and chemistry. Typically, the scientific revolution is considered the time in Europe starting around the end of the Renaissance period and lasting through the late 18th century. Between 1543 and 1700, Europe underwent many changesRead MoreSimilarities Between Galen, Paracelsus, Spinoza, And The Modern Medical World917 Words   |  4 PagesChapter 16 Assignment #2 16.3 - 16.6 VOCABULARY: Galen, Cavendish, Paracelsus, Vesalius, Descartes, Scientific Method, Bacon, Spinoza, Pascal 1. Galen. Galen was a physician of Greek descent and was well known for his influences on the medieval medical world. Galen mainly did experiments on animals rather than humans which caused his humanistic generations to be inaccurate. Galen was able to take color of a patient’s urine to be able to tell what was wrong with him/her. 2. Cavendish. Margaret CavendishRead MoreEssay about Human Beings and Nature: The Scientific Revolution1689 Words   |  7 PagesHuman Beings and Nature: The Scientific Revolution The Scientific Revolution, perhaps one of the most significant examples of human beingsà ­ relationship with the natural world, changed the way seventeenth and eighteenth century society operated. The power of human knowledge has enabled intellectual, economical, and social advances seen in the modern world. The Scientific Revolution which included the development of scientific attitudes and skepticism of old views on nature and humanityRead MoreWhat Is Science and Where Did It Come From?928 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is science and where did it come from? The study of science came before the scientific revolution got to begin. The scientific revolution began in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The revolution was accomplished by developing the medieval roots of science of the classical age of Greece and Rome. Throughout the scientific revolution, the medieval scientific philosophy was abandoned in favor and improved methods proposed by different men. Finally, we are intr oduced to scientists of mathematiciansRead MoreThe Enlightenment Essay999 Words   |  4 Pages During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the scientific revolution brought about a slow change in societies’ thinking regarding math, earth science, physics, and astronomy. Early on, new ideas about our universe were not widely accepted, especially from the church. This soon changed due to the hard work and perseverance of several scientists and philosophers who unbeknownst to them brought about an era known as the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment, which eased into existence in the seventeenth

The Causes Of The Civil War - 1238 Words

Liberty Galindo Mr. Scheet AP U.S History 5 November 2017 Unit 4 Essay The initial causes of the Civil War have been previously discussed and analyzed by historians, but have remained one of the most controversial debates, due to its numerous causes that created the most devastating war in American history. The country had been avoiding the disputes that would later become the causes of the civil war for decades. The Mexican War is proof that the issue of slavery was put on hold by President James K. Polk, the concept of manifest destiny and the expansion of the U.S. As the topic continues to circulate, the obvious causes that led to one of the bloodiest conflicts in America, are seemingly the economic and cultural differences between†¦show more content†¦During the course of settlement and looking for opportunity, Irish immigrants found their race competing against poor Americans and free blacks for low income jobs. Irish survivors of the Great Famine (1845-1852) came to America to escape the dark and brutal events. Unlike the south, the nort h had a rising middle class and high social motility, due to their wide variety of opportunity because of industrialization. The south was perhaps the worlds leading agricultural producer at the time. Southern economy was based on straight agriculture such as growing cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar cane, and indigo. All these crops were grown and sold as cash crops. It was not until Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin that cotton became the souths most important crop. The region was infamous for their enormous plantations of cotton, but the cotton needed to be supervised and picked regularly. Southerners depended heavily on slaves to plant and grow the cotton. It was during this course in history that a slave’s existence became crucial to plantation owners. The south then benefited from the excessive amount of agriculture being nurtured and became exporters to the whole world that brought in great profits for the country. It can be said that the most essential cultu ral difference between the north and the south was their opposite stances on slavery. The south relied heavily on slavery for its income, while the north was seeking to eradicate the evils ofShow MoreRelatedCauses of the Civil War951 Words   |  4 PagesCAUSE OF THE CIVIL WAR In 1860, the world s greatest nation was locked in Civil War. The war divided the country between the North and South. There were many factors that caused this war, but the main ones were the different interpretations of the Constitution by the North and South, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the arrival of Lincoln in office. These factors were very crucial in the bringing upon of the destruction of the Union. They caused immediate war. In 1791, the tenth amendment wasRead MoreThe Causes Of The Civil War1016 Words   |  5 Pages In 1861, a Civil War broke out in the United States when the South declared their independence from the Union.  There is a great amount of reasons that people can argue how the Civil War was started. However, what most people don’t understand, is that most of the events leading up to the Civil War were related to slavery.  Slavery was the core of the North and South’s conflict, which led to a very vicious feud.   The immediate cause of the war was slavery. Southern states, including the 11 statesRead MoreThe Causes Of The Civil War1409 Words   |  6 PagesThe causes of the Civil War were complex and have been controversial since the country began. Some causes include; states’ rights, economics, and slavery. The most recognizable and popular cause is slavery. The freeing of the slaves was an important moral issue at the time and one of the greatest causes of the civil war. It was only by carefully avoiding the moral issue involved in slavery that Northerners and Southerners could meet on any common ground. (Goldston, 79). The time came in which ourRead MoreThe Cause of the Civil War800 Words   |  4 Pages The Cause of the Civil War Generally, it is thought to be the South’s fault for causing the Civil War. Contrary to popular belief, the Civil War was mainly provoked by the North; through using the federal government to overtake the South, removing slavery which would destroy Southern economy, and creating the moral issue of slavery. The North was the primary reason for the start of a war that ripped our country apart. The North had full control over the federal government and used that to suppressRead MoreCivil War Causes1382 Words   |  6 Pages Causes of the Civil War John Brown’s Raid vs. Industrial Revolution John Brown’s Raid was a more influential cause to the civil war than the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution caused incompability between the North and the South. The North relied on wage laborers with the new machine age economy while the South relied heavily on slaves. So, the North did not need slaves for their economyRead MoreCauses Of The Civil War1740 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil War was not an event that erupted overnight or something that no one had seen coming. It was a result of long stemming conflicts. â€Å"The road to civil war was complex and multi-faceted† (Wells, 1). These conflicts kept creating a divide amongst the states in the nation. The divide finally became so great, that the United States split into the Confederacy (South) and the Union (North), and fighting erupted. â€Å" â€Å"The Civil War,† Randall Jimerson observes, â€Å"became a total war involving the entireRead MoreCause of the Civil War1296 Words   |  6 PagesHistory 11 12/17/2006 The root causes and precipitating events that led to the Civil War (1861-1865) The Civil War between northern and southern states was a consequence of contradictions of two social systems inside the country. At the basis of these contradictions was a question of slavery, completely determining economic and political interests of South. North strived to enforce Federal government power to protect their own economic stability. As a result the South wanted a separationRead MoreCauses of the Civil War1489 Words   |  6 PagesThe Causes Of The Civil War The Political War The North and South fought over politics, mainly the idea of slavery. Basically the South wanted and needed it and the North did not want it at all. The South was going to do anything they could to keep it. This was the issue that overshadowed all others. At this time the labor force in the South had about 4 million slaves. These slaves were very valuable to the slaveholding planter class. They were a huge investment to Southerners and if taken awayRead MoreThe Causes Of Civil War2004 Words   |  9 PagesGà ¶ksel What are the causes of Civil War? Do ethnic determinants play an important role? Why are certain parts of Africa characterized by ethnic conflict while other parts remain relatively calm? The conventional understanding on the causes of civil war especially within African countries, to a considerable degree, has being predominantly characterized to draw its root on ethnic divergences. However, such premise appear extremely difficult to be true, owing to the fact that civil war is a complex actionRead MoreThe Cause Of The Civil War Essay1940 Words   |  8 PagesKelah Lehart Mr. Henkel American History I October 14, 2016 The Causes of the Civil War The American Civil War divided the nation because there were tensions between the North, non-slavery states, and the South that focused on the expansion of slavery. The South believed that Abraham Lincoln planned to eliminate slavery which would destroy the growth of cotton. Eleven southern states then seceded from the Union, and became known as the Confederate States of America. When Abraham Lincoln was elected

The Founding Fathers And Slavery Essay Research free essay sample

The Establishing Fathers And Slavery Essay, Research Paper # 8220 ; The Establishing Fathers and Slavery # 8221 ; William W. Freehling nowadayss his position of the Establishing Fathers and bondage in the article # 8220 ; The Establishing Fathers and Slavery. # 8221 ; He contends that America s Establishing Fathers were antislavery but gives point of views of other historiographers to the contrary. The first sentence of the article provinces, # 8220 ; Merely a few old ages ago no adult male needed to support the Establishing Fathers on slavery. # 8221 ; This implies that there was a alteration in the reading of the Establishing Fathers place on bondage and so there was. Freehling lists the work forces who hold this more recent sentiment, he says, # 8220 ; Scholars such as Robert McColley, Staughton Lynd, William Cohen, and Winthrop Jordan have assaulted every facet of the old interpretation. # 8221 ; The more recent sentiment that the Establishing Fathers were non antislavery is supported by the impression that the Declaration of Independence was a white adult male s papers and was non int ended for the freedom of slaves. The fact that Thomas Jefferson bought and sold slaves and # 8220 ; ordered ciliums good laid on # 8221 ; besides supports the newer point of view. The founding male parents are defended by Freehling nevertheless. He says, # 8220 ; The impact of the Establishing Fathers on bondage must be seen in the long tally non in footings of what changed in the late 18th century but in footings of how the Revolutionary experience changed the whole of American antebellum history. Any such position must put Thomas Jefferson and his coevalss back into the creeping American antislavery process. # 8221 ; The Establishing Fathers ran into a dillema when it came to slavery. Their political orientation of freedom and the right to have belongings conflicted with the freedom of the slaves. Freehling says, # 8220 ; On the one manus they were restrained by their paramount involvement in making the Union, by their concern for belongings rights, and by their visions of race war and crossbreeding: on the other manus they embraced a radical political orientation that mde emancipation inescapable. # 8221 ; This dillema was solve by the Establishing Fathers as described in the undermentioned transition, # 8220 ; Whenever dangers to Union, belongings, or racial order seemed to them acute, the Establishing Fathers did small But whenever abolishment dangers seemed to them manageable Jefferson and his coevalss moved efficaciously, circumscribing and stultifying the establishment and thereby gutting its long-range capacity to endure. # 8221 ; This means that the Establishing Fathers did non worry a bout little things that had small affect in the short-term, but when the chance arose for them to safely contend against bondage they did so seeking non to stop bondage right off but instead seeking to decrease hopes of it lasting in the long term. The first jurisprudence trying to command bondage was a congregational regulation written by Thomas Jefferson in 1784. This jurisprudence would hold made slavery illegal in all Western districts after 1800. Unfortunately this jurisprudence did non base on balls, but it was a start. Three old ages subsequently the Northwest Regulation of 1787 was passed which made bondage illegal in the upper Western districts. Freehling says, # 8220 ; The new jurisprudence left bondage free to occupy the Southwest. But without the Northwest Ordinance bondage might hold crept into Illinois and Indiana as well. # 8221 ; Another of import event which restricted bondage to the South was the abolishment of the African slave trade. In 1808, a jurisprudence was passed doing it illegal to import slaves from Africa into America. This jurisprudence did non wholly stop the importing of slaves because some were still imported illicitly, but for the most portion the figure of slaves declined since this jurispru dence was passed. It is true that the Establishing Fathers did non make anything to instantly get rid of bondage in the United States but it is apparent that their actions made it possible for bondage to be abolished subsequently. The Northwest Regulation of 1787 and the abolishment of the African slave trade were monumental. Both Torahs did small to get rid of bondage instantly, but they both were cardinal elements in doing it possible to destruct bondage in the long tally. These Torahs restricted bondage from distributing farther into the north and midwest and they about wholly stopped the importing of slaves from Africa. They forced bondage into the Deep South. Freehling best amounts up the Establishing Fathers consequence on the long term abolishment of bondage in the undermentioned transition, # 8220 ; If the Establishing Fathers had done none of this if bondage had continued in the North and expanded into the Northwest: if 1000000s of Africans had been imported to beef up bondage in the Deep So uth, to consolidate it in New York and Illinois, to distribute it to Kansas, and to maintain it in the boundary line South ; if no free black population had developed in Delaware and Maryland: if no apology for bondage had left Southerners on rickety moral evidences: if, in short, Jefferson and his coevalss had lifted nary a finger everything would hold been different. # 8221 ;

Why Do I Have to Study Psychology an Example of the Topic Personal Essays by

Why Do I Have to Study Psychology Psychology is one of the most popular courses in many higher learning institutions. This is because the course gives the learners a golden chance to discover things which remain a mystery to many people. They are accorded that chance to be a cut above the rest as far as human behavior is concerned. It attracts people who are thirsty for knowledge concerning what goes on in the human mind. Those who want to understand why human beings behave in a certain way find psychology to be one of the most fulfilling courses at the university. Need essay sample on "Why Do I Have to Study Psychology" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Psychology has been described as a field which consists of both application and academic aspects where human mind and behavior are studied. It has been defined as a scientific study of mental processes and behavior. It involves observing and documenting of how human being relate to the one another and all the things that surround them. Psychologists mostly focus on the patterns which help them to understand and predict a human behavior. As a science psychologists apply scientific methods to carry an assessment of their ideas. (Hockenbury, D and Hockenbury, S 2004). Through prediction and understanding of the human behavior psychologists have gained knowledge that is much help to the people in their attempt to realize their potentials. Psychology has a wide range of real world application in our day to day lives which include mental illness, stress management, human machine interaction, Interaction between people of the opposite sex, child development among others. Through studying psychology one is in a position to understand why human being react to certain condition and use it to help people to manage their lives. It is a field that gives one a fulfilling career where one greatly appreciates the role he or she is playing in an attempt to alleviate people suffering. It is a golden chance to explore a human mind and behavior in an attempt to answer many questions which many to many people remain a puzzle and a thorn in the fresh. (Hockenbury, D and Hockenbury, S 2004).Discovering psychology, 4th ed A psychology student will be equipped with the necessary tools which will help him or her to look into the world in a different perspective and be able to understand human behavior much better. (Malim, T and Birch, A. 2004). This means one does not have to study psychology to practice; it can be a good platform to improve your relationship with other, help manage life in a better manner and also look into things in a different way realizing a fulfil ling life. (Myers, G, 2004) One of the areas in which psychology tries to help people is stress management. It is a major problem that is breaking families, ending careers and deteriorating peoples health. Psychologists have the necessary tools to help people manage stress therefore helping people to lead a productive and successful life. (Hewstone, M. 2004).The psychologist guides the patient with on a step by step process of coping with stress in life. What is more fulfilling in life than to see people who were once burdened with stress recover to lead a normal and a meaning life? If you have a passion of helping people realize their dreams this is your area. With dedication and determination you will be able to change the world and make it at least a better place. (Scatter D, Gilbert, D and Wegner, D. 2008) Human relationship is another area where psychologists focus with a dedicated passion. This area tries to focus and answer questions that disturb many people who find it hard to maintain relationship with other people especially the opposite sex. Understanding the opposite sex is very crucial to every individual who aspires to have a successful relationship. (Smith, E.Susan, N and Fredrick, B 2003) People always consult relationship experts who in this case happen to be psychologists to help them overcome fears and other challenges associated with relationships. This is one of the most fulfilling areas for a psychologists, it is full of life and energy. In this case a person who has studied psychology can also apply the things learned to put their relations in order. (Griggs, R 2009) The young ones make us happy and bring so much joy to our lives. As a parent it is important to be equipped with knowledge of child development so that he or she can know what to do with the child at any particular moment. To many psychology is bringing a whole new meaning to parenting. (Hayes, N 2000). Bringing up good kids is the dream of every parent, to get this psychology can be of great help. It pays to spare some time and money to enroll in a psychology class and gain the necessary knowledge on life management therefore achieving most of the goals one aspires. This again tells us that one can study psychology alongside other courses. It is a living course that helps us to cope with life better while understanding others and the things that surrounds us. (Morris, C and Maisto, A 2001) Psychology is a fascinating and an exiting course where students never get bored as they are always dealing with things that surround them and interact with in their day to day lives. The course is also challenging, it is not for the weak, it requires full concentration as giving the wrong impression or information can ruin peoples lives, it is a course for the strong willed individuals who want to make a difference in their lives and also make an impact in other people lives. Choosing psychology as a course in the university is one of the best decision that you will have made. It offers such a good chance to enrich your life with the skills which others will find very much useful and at the same time they will help in moulding you as a person to realize the dreams. Lastly there is a lot of money to be made for a psychologist, People will always have some issue to be dealt with, therefore a practicing psychologist will never be broke or complain of a low peak season while others are complaining of recession and other economic problems. You have made the right choice, do what it takes and you will never regret. Reference Hockenbury, D and Hockenbury, S (2004).Discovering psychology, New York .Worth Publishers Scatter D, Gilbert, D and Wegner, D. (2008) .New Psychology, Worthy Publishers. Griggs, R (2009).Psychology: A concise Introduction, Worthy Publishers Miller, G, (1983).The Principles of Psychology, Harvard University Morris, C and Maisto, A (2001). Psychology: An introduction, Prentice hall. Myers, G, (2004) Exploring Psychology, Worthy Publishers Malim, Tand Birch, A. (2004).Introductory PsychologyPalgrave, Macmillan Smith, E.Susan, N and Fredrick, B (2003) Atkinson and Higards Introduction to Psychology, Wadsworth Publishing co. Hayes, N (2000).Foundations of Psychology: An introductory Text, Thomson Learning Hewstone, M. (2004).Introduction to Social Psychology, Blackwell Publishing Company.

Ark Angel Essay Example

Ark Angel Essay Example Ark Angel Essay Ark Angel Essay Ark Angel Anthony Horowitz 10/27/08 Creative Writing Kevin Gross Period 2 Alex is in his bed in the hospital. He had been hit by a sniperâ„ ¢s bullet and was recovering. Then he heard a sound from somewhere downstairs. Heâ„ ¢s wondered, should I go down He did go downstairs and saw four men. One man was holding a gun and asked the night receptionist what room is Paul Drevin in Alex wondered why these men would want his roommate The night receptionist answered, Iâ„ ¢m not allowed to tell. Then the man with the gun says, Tell me in the next three seconds or Iâ„ ¢ll shoot you! The night receptionist quickly consults his computer and says, Second floor, room eight!! Then the man with the gun says, Thank you and shoots him anyway. Alex is now very scared and turns and runs back to his room. Alex then switches the numbers on his and Paulâ„ ¢s connecting doors, so now Alex is Paul Drevin. Alex moved quickly, then the men came out of the elevator, approached and opened Alexâ„ ¢s door. They wanted to take Alex, but he ran and they reacted slowly. The men chased after him, but one man was slowing down so Alex took a fully charged defibrillator and shocked him. Alex was pleased with his success. Then one of the men heard the other man scream and came to find Alex. Alex hit him right between the legs with a tank of oxygen and the man fell to the ground. The leader was following Alex, but Alex was faster and he went to the physical therapy room. Alex then grabbed some elastic and a medicine ball. When the leader arrived in the hallway, Alex was on the other side and he fired the medicine ball at the leader with a slingshot made of elastic. Alex felt sorry for the men he had hurt, but he couldnâ„ ¢t let Paul get taken away. Only one man was left, he was short, but very muscular and wore a big steel watch, so we will call him Steel Watch. Alex, panicking, was trying to find a place to hide. Then he found the radiology department and went to the MRI room. Then Alex turned the MRI machine on. Steel Watch aimed his gun at Alex and said, Freeze donâ„ ¢t move or Iâ„ ¢ll put a bullet in your leg. Then the magnetic force kicked in and the gun flew out of his hand and started to pull on his steel watch. He was pulled along with his watch right into the MRI machine. He was in an awkward position. Alex gave a sigh of relief. After taking down four professional killers he was pretty tired. His stitches from his previous injury were hurting his chest, so he decided he would go back to his room. Then, if the front door hadnâ„ ¢t just opened, he would have missed something very important. Four men went to take Paul, but five were assigned to the job. Then it hit him, he had forgotten about the driver!

Expanding Sentences With Prepositional Phrases

Expanding Sentences With Prepositional Phrases This sentence-expanding exercise will give you practice in applying the principles and guidelines in these two articles: What Are Prepositional Phrases?How to Arrange Prepositional Phrases Excercise Expand each sentence below by adding one or more prepositional phrases that answer the question(s) in parenthesis.ExampleThe cat jumped and pounced.(What did the cat jump off of? What did the cat pounce on?)The cat jumped off the stove and pounced on the gerbil.There are countless ways to expand each sentence; You will find sample answers below. The students laughed.(What did the students laugh at?)The man tripped.(What did the man trip over?)Visitors arrived yesterday.(Where were the visitors from?)The candles flickered.(Where were the candles?)Gus hid the candy bar.(Where did Gus hide the candy bar?)Last night I watched a YouTube video.(What was the video about?)Sid sat.(Where did he sit? With whom did he sit?)The teacher spoke.(Who did the teacher speak to? What did she speak about?)The spaceship landed.(Where was the spaceship from? Where did it land?)Jenny stood, raised her Super Soaker water gun, and aimed it.(Where did she stand? What did she aim at?) Answers Here are sample answers to the sentence-expanding exercise. Keep in mind that countless versions of each sentence are possible. The students laughed  at the monkey on a scooter.The man tripped  over his own feet.Visitors  from the Bizarro world  arrived yesterday.The candles  on the handles of my bicycle  flickered.Gus hid the candy bar  in a dirty sock.Last night I watched a YouTube video  about green kangaroos.Sid sat  in a tub of Jell-O with his cat.The teacher spoke  to the principal about a pay raise.The spaceship  from Pluto  landed  in the desert.Jenny stood  on the roof of the garage, raised her Super Soaker water gun, and aimed it  at her little brother below. If you had any problems completing this exercise, review the guidelines and examples on the  pages indicated at the  beginning of this article.

In International Business, identify and discuss the various steps Essay

In International Business, identify and discuss the various steps management must take to establish a successful export strategy - Essay Example In spite of the achievement of the highest quality, many businesses fail to operate successfully in an international environment because they are not prepared well to tackle the challenges they would encounter. Such challenges include but are not limited to linguistic barriers and cultural differences. â€Å"companies operate more easily in a country with similar physical and social conditions to those in their home country because they have less adjustment to make there† (Daniels, 1998, p. 25). The process of transition can be made smoother and more efficient by sending company’s trustworthy, hard-working, and efficient employees abroad as expatriates to learn the foreign culture, customs, rules and regulations, and work out ways to establish the business abroad along with creating a positive image of the brand among the public at large. Finally, the most important step in a successful export strategy is the marketing of the service or product. â€Å"When companies operate internationally they can inadvertently sacrifice the philosophical concepts of their management along with their other assets† (Akintunde, 2008, p. 1). It is critically important to preserve and foster the original philosophical concepts in the marketing campaigns so that the public can sense what benefits this foreign business brings to their

Campaign Finance Reforms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Campaign Finance Reforms - Essay Example The purpose of this Act was to make campaign finance transparent. This was followed by a prolonged period of silence and restraint in this area. In the year 2002, the need for introducing reforms in campaign finance surfaced again. This led to the coming into existence of Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (Nielsen 43). This Act assured that the private donors are not able to donate much money to the political parties and political contestants that are not legally regulated by the Federal Election Commission. This was indeed a big step towards reforming campaign finance. Still, there were some aspects of this reform that happened to be controversial in a legal context (Nielsen 43). This led to a Supreme Court ruling in the year 2010 in the famous Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission case, which declared this act to be unconstitutional (Nielsen 59). This Supreme Court verdict once again increased the role played by the corporate money in the American democracy. Thereby this ver dict has generated much public disapproval. This has indeed increased the need for more campaign finance reforms. It is a known fact that collecting campaign finance is a task that takes much time and attention of the Congress men. This diverts their attention from the real issues faced by the country. The politicians are greatly dependent on the private donors for campaign finance. Thereby, this increases the clout of the corporate and private donors in the American political system (Schier 41).

African American Culture Essay Example for Free

African American Culture Essay African American culture in the United States includes the various cultural traditions of African ethnic groups. It is both part of and distinct from American culture. The U. S. Census Bureau defines African Americans as people having origins in any of the Black race groups of Africa. [1] African American culture is indigenous to the descendants in the U. S. of survivors of the Middle Passage. It is rooted in Africa and is an amalgam of chiefly sub-Saharan African and Sahelean cultures. Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Africans in America to practice their cultural traditions, many practices, values and beliefs survived and over time have incorporated elements of European American culture. There are even certain facets of African American culture that were brought into being or made more prominent as a result of slavery; an example of this is how drumming became used as a means of communication and establishing a community identity during that time. The result is a dynamic, creative culture that has had and continues to have a profound impact on mainstream American culture and on world culture as well. After Emancipation, these uniquely African American traditions continued to grow. They developed into distinctive traditions in music, art, literature, religion, food, holidays, amongst others. While for some time sociologists, such as Gunnar Myrdal and Patrick Moynihan, believed that African Americans had lost most cultural ties with Africa, anthropological field research by Melville Hersovits and others demonstrated that there is a continuum of African traditions among Africans in the New World from the West Indies to the United States. The greatest influence of African cultural practices on European cultures is found below the Mason-Dixon in the southeastern United States, especially in the Carolinas among the Gullah people and in Louisiana. African American culture often developed separately from mainstream American culture because of African Americans desire to practice their own traditions, as well as the persistence of racial segregation in America. Consequently African American culture has become a significant part of American culture and yet, at the same time, remains a distinct culture apart from it. History From the earliest days of slavery, slave owners sought to exercise control over their slaves by attempting to strip them of their African culture. The physical isolation and societal marginalization of African slaves and, later, of their free progeny, however, actually facilitated the retention of significant elements of traditional culture among Africans in the New World generally, and in the U. S. in particular. Slave owners deliberately tried to repress political organization in order to deal with the many slave rebellions that took place in the southern United States, Brazil, Haiti, and the Dutch Guyanas. African cultures,slavery,slave rebellions,and the civil rights movements(circa 1800s-160s)have shaped African American religious, familial, political and economic behaviors. The imprint of Africa is evident in myriad ways, in politics, economics, language, music, hairstyles, fashion, dance, religion and worldview, and food preparation methods. In the United States, the very legislation that was designed to strip slaves of culture and deny them education served in many ways to strengthen it. In turn, African American culture has had a pervasive, transformative impact on myriad elements of mainstream American culture, among them language, music, dance, religion, cuisine, and agriculture. This process of mutual creative exchange is called creolization. Over time, the culture of African slaves and their descendants has been ubiquitous in its impact on not only the dominant American culture, but on world culture as well. Oral tradition Slaveholders limited or prohibited education of enslaved African Americans because they believed it might lead to revolts or escape plans. Hence, African-based oral traditions became the primary means of preserving history, morals, and other cultural information among the people. This was consistent with the griot practices of oral history in many African and other cultures that did not rely on the written word. Many of these cultural elements have been passed from generation to generation through storytelling. The folktales provided African Americans the opportunity to inspire and educate one another. Examples of African American folktales include trickster tales of Brer Rabbit and heroic tales such as that of John Henry. The Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris helped to bring African American folk tales into mainstream adoption. Harris did not appreciate the complexity of the stories nor their potential for a lasting impact on society. Characteristics of the African American oral tradition present themselves in a number of forms. African American preachers tend to perform rather than simply speak. The emotion of the subject is carried through the speakers tone, volume, and movement, which tend to mirror the rising action, climax, and descending action of the sermon. Often song, dance, verse and structured pauses are placed throughout the sermon. Techniques such as call-and-response are used to bring the audience into the presentation. In direct contrast to recent tradition in other American and Western cultures, it is an acceptable and common audience reaction to interrupt and affirm the speaker. Spoken word is another example of how the African American oral tradition influences modern American popular culture. Spoken word artists employ the same techniques as African American preachers including movement, rhythm, and audience participation. Rap music from the 1980s and beyond has been seen as an extension of oral culture. Harlem Renaissance [pic] Zora Neale Hurston was a prominent literary figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Main article: Harlem Renaissance The first major public recognition of African American culture occurred during the Harlem Renaissance. In the 1920s and 1930s, African American music, literature, and art gained wide notice. Authors such as Zora Neale Hurston and Nella Larsen and poets such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, and Countee Cullen wrote works describing the African American experience. Jazz, swing, blues and other musical forms entered American popular music. African American artists such as William H. Johnson and Palmer Hayden created unique works of art featuring African Americans. The Harlem Renaissance was also a time of increased political involvement for African Americans. Among the notable African American political movements founded in the early 20th century are the United Negro Improvement Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Nation of Islam, a notable Islamic religious movement, also began in the early 1930s. African American cultural movement The Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s followed in the wake of the non-violent American Civil Rights Movement. The movement promoted racial pride and ethnic cohesion in contrast to the focus on integration of the Civil Rights Movement, and adopted a more militant posture in the face of racism. It also inspired a new renaissance in African American literary and artistic expression generally referred to as the African American or Black Arts Movement. The works of popular recording artists such as Nina Simone (Young, Gifted and Black) and The Impressions (Keep On Pushin), as well as the poetry, fine arts and literature of the time, shaped and reflected the growing racial and political consciousness. Among the most prominent writers of the African American Arts Movement were poet Nikki Giovanni; poet and publisher Don L. Lee, who later became known as Haki Madhubuti; poet and playwright Leroi Jones, later known as Amiri Baraka; and Sonia Sanchez. Other influential writers were Ed Bullins, Dudley Randall, Mari Evans, June Jordan, Larry Neal and Ahmos Zu-Bolton. Another major aspect of the African American Arts Movement was the infusion of the African aesthetic, a return to a collective cultural sensibility and ethnic pride that was much in evidence during the Harlem Renaissance and in the celebration of Negritude among the artistic and literary circles in the U. S. , Caribbean and the African continent nearly four decades earlier: the idea that black is beautiful. During this time, there was a resurgence of interest in, and an embrace of, elements of African culture within African American culture that had been suppressed or devalued to conform to Eurocentric America. Natural hairstyles, such as the afro, and African clothing, such as the dashiki, gained popularity. More importantly, the African American aesthetic encouraged personal pride and political awareness among African Americans. Music [pic] Men playing the djembe, a traditional West African drum adopted into African American and American culture. The bags and the clothing of the man on the right are printed with traditional kente cloth patterns. African American music is rooted in the typically polyrhythmic music of the ethnic groups of Africa, specifically those in the Western, Sahelean, and Sub-Saharan regions. African oral traditions, nurtured in slavery, encouraged the use of music to pass on history, teach lessons, ease suffering, and relay messages. The African pedigree of African American music is evident in some common elements: call and response, syncopation, percussion, improvisation, swung notes, blue notes, the use of falsetto, melisma, and complex multi-part harmony. During slavery, Africans in America blended traditional European hymns with African elements to create spirituals. Many African Americans sing Lift Evry Voice and Sing in addition to the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, or in lieu of it. Written by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson in 1900 to be performed for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the song was, and continues to be, a popular way for African Americans to recall past struggles and express ethnic solidarity, faith and hope for the future. The song was adopted as the Negro National Anthem by the NAACP in 1919. African American children are taught the song at school, church or by their families. Lift Evry Voice and Sing traditionally is sung immediately following, or instead of, The Star-Spangled Banner at events hosted by African American churches, schools, and other organizations. In the 1800s, as the result of the blackface minstrel show, African American music entered mainstream American society. By the early twentieth century, several musical forms with origins in the African American community had transformed American popular music. Aided by the technological innovations of radio and phonograph records, ragtime, jazz, blues, and swing also became popular overseas, and the 1920s became known as the Jazz Age. The early 20th century also saw the creation of the first African American Broadway shows, films such as King Vidors Hallelujah!, and operas such as George Gershwins Porgy and Bess. Rock and roll, doo wop, soul, and RB developed in the mid 20th century. These genres became very popular in white audiences and were influences for other genres such as surf. The dozens, an urban African American tradition of using rhyming slang to put down your enemies (or friends) developed through the smart-ass street jive of the early Seventies into a new form of music. In the South Bronx, the half speaking, half singing rhythmic street talk of rapping grew into the hugely successful cultural force known as Hip Hop. Hip Hop would become a multicultural movement. However, it is still important to many African Americans. The African American Cultural Movement of the 1960s and 1970s also fueled the growth of funk and later hip-hop forms such as rap, hip house, new jack swing and go go. African American music has experienced far more widespread acceptance in American popular music in the 21st century than ever before. In addition to continuing to develop newer musical forms, modern artists have also started a rebirth of older genres in the form of genres such as neo soul and modern funk-inspired groups. Dance [pic]. The Cakewalk was the first African American dance to gain widespread popularity in the United States. [pic] African American dance, like other aspects of African American culture, finds its earliest roots in the dances of the hundreds of African ethnic groups that made up African slaves in the Americas as well as influences from European sources in the United States. Dance in the African tradition, and thus in the tradition of slaves, was a part of both every day life and special occasions. Many of these traditions such as get down, ring shouts, and other elements of African body language survive as elements of modern dance. In the 1800s, African American dance began to appear in minstrel shows. These shows often presented African Americans as caricatures for ridicule to large audiences. The first African American dance to become popular with White dancers was the cakewalk in 1891. Later dances to follow in this tradition include the Charleston, the Lindy Hop, and the Jitterbug. During the Harlem Renaissance, all African American Broadway shows such as Shuffle Along helped to establish and legitimize African American dancers. African American dance forms such as tap, a combination of African and European influences, gained widespread popularity thanks to dancers such as Bill Robinson and were used by leading White choreographers who often hired African American dancers. Contemporary African American dance is descended from these earlier forms and also draws influence from African and Caribbean dance forms. Groups such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater have continued to contribute to the growth of this form. Modern popular dance in America is also greatly influenced by African American dance. American popular dance has also drawn many influences from African American dance most notably in the hip hop genre. Art [pic] Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City by Henry Ossawa Tanner 1859-1937 From its early origins in slave communities, through the end of the twentieth century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States. During the period between the 1600s and the early 1800s, art took the form of small drums, quilts, wrought-iron figures and ceramic vessels in the southern United States. These artifacts have similarities with comparable crafts in West and Central Africa. In contrast, African American artisans like the New England–based engraver Scipio Moorhead and the Baltimore portrait painter Joshua Johnson created art that was conceived in a thoroughly western European fashion. During the 1800s, Harriet Powers made quilts in rural Georgia, United States that are now considered among the finest examples of nineteenth-century Southern quilting. Later in the 20th century, the women of Gee’s Bend developed a distinctive, bold, and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional African American quilts with a geometric simplicity that developed separately but was like that of Amish quilts and modern art. After the American Civil War, museums and galleries began more frequently to display the work of African American artists. Cultural expression in mainstream venues was still limited by the dominant European aesthetic and by racial prejudice. To increase the visibility of their work, many African American artists traveled to Europe where they had greater freedom. It was not until the Harlem Renaissance that more whites began to pay attention to African American art in America. [pic] Kara Walker, Cut, Cut paper and adhesive on wall, Brent Sikkema NYC. During the 1920s, artists such as Raymond Barthe, Aaron Douglas, Augusta Savage, and photographer James Van Der Zee became well known for their work. During the Great Depression, new opportunities arose for these and other African American artists under the WPA. In later years, other programs and institutions, such as the New York City-based Harmon Foundation, helped to foster African American artistic talent. Augusta Savage, Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and others exhibited in museums and juried art shows, and built reputations and followings for themselves. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were very few widely accepted African American artists. Despite this, The Highwaymen, a loose association of 27 African American artists from Ft. Pierce, Florida, created idyllic, quickly realized images of the Florida landscape and peddled some 50,000 of them from the trunks of their cars. They sold their art directly to the public rather than through galleries and art agents, thus receiving the name The Highwaymen. Rediscovered in the mid-1990s, today they are recognized as an important part of American folk history. Their artwork is widely collected by enthusiasts and original pieces can easily fetch thousands of dollars in auctions and sales. The Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s was another period of resurgent interest in African American art. During this period, several African-American artists gained national prominence, among them Lou Stovall, Ed Love, Charles White, and Jeff Donaldson. Donaldson and a group of African-American artists formed the Afrocentric collective AFRICOBRA, which remains in existence today. The sculptor Martin Puryear, whose work has been acclaimed for years, is being honored with a 30-year retrospective of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York starting November 2007. Notable contemporary African American artists include David Hammons, Eugene J. Martin, Charles Tolliver, and Kara Walker. Literature [pic] Langston Hughes, a notable African American poet of the Harlem Renaissance. African American literature has its roots in the oral traditions of African slaves in America. The slaves used stories and fables in much the same way as they used music. These stories influenced the earliest African American writers and poets in the 18thcentury such as Phillis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano. These authors reached early high points by telling slave narratives. During the early 20th century Harlem Renaissance, numerous authors and poets, such as Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Dubois, and Booker T. Washington, grappled with how to respond to discrimination in America. Authors during the Civil Rights era, such as Richard Wright, James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks wrote about issues of racial segregation, oppression and other aspects of African American life. This tradition continues today with authors who have been accepted as an integral part of American literature, with works such as Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and Beloved by Nobel Prize-winning Toni Morrison, and series by Octavia Butler and Walter Mosley that have achieved both best-selling and/or award-winning status. Museums The African American Museum Movement emerged during the 1950s and 1960s to preserve the heritage of the African American experience and to ensure its proper interpretation in American history. Museums devoted to African American history are found in many African American neighborhoods. Institutions such as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland and The African American Museum in Cleveland were created by African Americans to teach and investigate cultural history that, until recent decades was primarily preserved trough oral traditions. Language Generations of hardships imposed on the African American community created distinctive language patterns. Slave owners often intentionally mixed people who spoke different African languages to discourage communication in any language other than English. This, combined with prohibitions against education, led to the development of pidgins, simplified mixtures of two or more languages that speakers of different languages could use to communicate. Examples of pidgins that became fully developed languages include Creole, common to Haiti,and Gullah, common to the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. African American Vernacular English is a type variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of the American English language closely associated with the speech of but not exclusive to African Americans. While AAVE is academically considered a legitimate dialect because of its logical structure, some of both Caucasians and African Americans consider it slang or the result of a poor command of Standard American English. Inner city African American children who are isolated by speaking only AAVE have more difficulty with standardized testing and, after school, moving to the mainstream world for work. It is common for many speakers of AAVE to code switch between AAVE and Standard American English depending on the setting. Fashion and aesthetics [pic]. A man weaving kente cloth in Ghana. Attire The cultural explosion of the 1960s saw the incorporation of surviving cultural dress with elements from modern fashion and West African traditional clothing to create a uniquely African American traditional style. Kente cloth is the best known African textile. These festive woven patterns, which exist in numerous varieties, were originally made by the Ashanti and Ewe peoples of Ghana and Togo. Kente fabric also appears in a number of Western style fashions ranging from casual t-shirts to formal bow ties and cummerbunds. Kente strips are often sewn into liturgical and academic robes or worn as stoles. Since the Black Arts Movement, traditional African clothing has been popular amongst African Americans for both formal and informal occasions. Another common aspect of fashion in African American culture involves the appropriate dress for worship in the Black church. It is expected in most churches that an individual should present their best appearance for worship. African American women in particular are known for wearing vibrant dresses and suits. An interpretation of a passage from the Christian Bible, every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head , has led to the tradition of wearing elaborate Sunday hats, sometimes known as crowns. Hair Hair styling in African American culture is greatly varied. African American hair is typically composed of tightly coiled curls. The predominant styles for women involve the straightening of the hair through the application of heat or chemical processes. These treatments form the base for the most commonly socially acceptable hairstyles in the United States. Alternatively, the predominant and most socially acceptable practice for men is to leave ones hair natural. Often, as men age and begin to lose their hair, the hair is either closely cropped, or the head is shaved completely free of hair. However, since the 1960s, natural hairstyles, such as the afro, braids, and dreadlocks, have been growing in popularity. Although the association with radical political movements and their vast difference from mainstream Western hairstyles, the styles have not yet attained widespread social acceptance. Maintaining facial hair is more prevalent among African American men than in other male populations in the U. S. In fact, the soul patch is so named because African American men, particularly jazz musicians, popularized the style. The preference for facial hair among African American men is due partly to personal taste, but because they are more prone than other ethnic groups to develop a condition known as pseudofolliculitis barbae, commonly referred to as razor bumps, many prefer not to shave. Body image The European aesthetic and attendant mainstream concepts of beauty are often at odds with the African body form. Because of this, African American women often find themselves under pressure to conform to European standards of beauty. Still, there are individuals and groups who are working towards raising the standing of the African aesthetic among African Americans and internationally as well. This includes efforts toward promoting as models those with clearly defined African features; the mainstreaming of natural hairstyles; and, in women, fuller, more voluptuous body types. Religion While African Americans practice a number of religions, Protestant Christianity is by far the most popular. Additionally, 14% of Muslims in the United States and Canada are African American. Christianity [pic] A river baptism in New Bern, North Carolina near the turn of the 20th century. The religious institutions of African American Christians commonly are referred tocollectively as the black church. During slavery, many slaves were stripped of their African belief systems and typically denied free religious practice. Slaves managed, however, to hang on to some practices by integrating them into Christian worship in secret meetings. These practices, including dance, shouts, African rhythms, and enthusiastic singing, remain a large part of worship in the African American church. African American churches taught that all people were equal in Gods eyes and viewed the doctrine of obedience to ones master taught in white churches as hypocritical. Instead the African American church focused on the message of equality and hopes for a better future. Before and after emancipation, racial segregation in America prompted the development of organized African American denominations. The first of these was the AME Church founded by Richard Allen in 1787. An African American church is not necessarily a separate denomination. Several predominantly African American churches exist as members of predominantly white denominations. African American churches have served to provide African American people with leadership positions and opportunities to organize that were denied in mainstream American society. Because of this, African American pastors became the bridge between the African American and European American communities and thus played a crucial role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Like many Christians, African American Christians sometimes participate in or attend a Christmas play. Black Nativity by Langston Hughes is a re-telling of the classic Nativity story with gospel music. Productions can be found a African American theaters and churches all over the country. Islam [pic] A member of the Nation of Islam selling merchandise on a city street corner. Despite the popular assumption that the Nation represents all or most African American Muslims, less than 2% are members. Generations before the advent of the Atlantic slave trade, Islam was a thriving religion in West Africa due to its peaceful introduction via the lucrative trans-Saharan trade between prominent tribes in the southern Sahara and the Berbers to the North. In his attesting to this fact the West African scholar Cheikh Anta Diop explained: The primary reason for the success of Islam in Black Africaconsequently stems from the fact that it was propagated peacefully at first by solitary Arabo-Berber travelers to certain Black kings and notables, who then spread it about them to those under their jurisdiction Many first-generation slaves were often able to retain their Muslim identity, their descendants were not. Slaves were either forcibly converted to Christianity as was the case in the Catholic lands or were besieged with gross inconviences to their religious practice such as in the case of the Protestant American mainland. In the decades after slavery and particularly during the depression era, Islam reemerged in the form of highly visible and sometimes controversial heterodox movements in the African American community. The first of these of note was the Moorish Science Temple of America, founded by Noble Drew Ali. Ali had a profound influence on Wallace Fard, who later founded the Black nationalist Nation of Islam in 1930. Elijah Muhammad became head of the organization in 1934. Much like Malcolm X, who left the Nation of Islam in 1964, many African American Muslims now follow traditional Islam. A survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations shows that 30% of Sunni Mosque attendees are African Americans. African American orthodox Muslims are often the victims of stereotypes, most notably the assumption that an African American Muslim is a member of the Nation of Islam. They are often viewed by the uneducated African-American community in general as less authentic than Muslims from the Middle East or South Asia while credibility is less of an issue with immigrant Muslims and Muslim world in general. Other religions. Aside from Christianity and Islam, there are also African Americans who follow Judaism, Buddhism, and a number of other religions. The Black Hebrew Israelites are a collection of African American Jewish religious organizations. Among their varied teachings, they often include that African Americans are descended from the Biblical Hebrews (sometimes with the paradoxical claim that the Jewish people are not). There is a small but growing number of African Americans who participate in African traditional religions, such as Vodou and Santeria or Ifa and diasporic traditions like Rastafarianism. Many of them are immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the Caribbean and South America, where these are practiced. Because of religious practices, such as animal sacrifice, which are no longer common among American religions and are often legally prohibited, these groups may be viewed negatively and are sometimes the victims of harassment. Life events For most African Americans, the observance of life events follows the pattern of mainstream American culture. There are some traditions which are unique to African Americans. Some African Americans have created new rites of passage that are linked to African traditions. Pre-teen and teenage boys and girls take classes to prepare them for adulthood. They are typically taught spirituality, responsibility, and leadership. Most of these programs are modeled after traditional African ceremonies, with the focus largely on embracing African ideologies rather than specific rituals. To this day, some African American couples choose to jump the broom as a part of their wedding ceremony. Although the practice, which can be traced back to Ghana, fell out of favor in the African American community after the end of slavery, it has experienced a slight resurgence in recent years as some couples seek to reaffirm their African heritage. Funeral traditions tend to vary based on a number of factors, including religion and location, but there are a number of commonalities. Probably the most important part of death and dying in the African American culture is the gathering of family and friends. Either in the last days before death or shortly after death, typically any friends and family members that can be reached are notified. This gathering helps to provide spiritual and emotional support, as well as assistance in making decisions and accomplishing everyday tasks. The spirituality of death is very important in African American culture. A member of the clergy or members of the religious community, or both, are typically present with the family through the entire process. Death is often viewed as transitory rather than final. Many services are called homegoings, instead of funerals, based on the belief that the person is going home to the afterlife. The entire end of life process is generally treated as a celebration of life rather than a mourning of loss. This is most notably demonstrated in the New Orleans Jazz Funeral tradition where upbeat music, dancing, and food encourage those gathered to be happy and celebrate the homegoing of a beloved friend. Cuisine [pic] A traditional soul food dinner consisting of fried chicken, candied yams, collard greens, cornbread, and macaroni and cheese. The cultivation and use of many agricultural products in the United States, such as yams, peanuts, rice, okra, sorghum, grits, watermelon, indigo dyes, and cotton, can be traced to African influences. African American foods reflect creative responses to racial and economic oppression and poverty. Under slavery, African Americans were not allowed to eat better cuts of meat, and after emancipation many often were too poor to afford them. Soul food, a hearty cuisine commonly associated with African Americans in the South (but also common to African Americans nationwide), makes creative use of inexpensive products procured through farming and subsistence hunting and fishing.

A Midsummer Nights Dream: Book Report :: A Midsummer Nights Dream, William Shakespeare

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare is a Athenian comedy. Some of the characters are fairies, kings, queens, and even lower class people. It is apparent what time period this story is from, because of some of the things that Theseus, the duke of Athens, and Oberon, the king of the fairies, say in it. One of these such quotes from Theseus is, â€Å" Go, Master of Revels. Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments, awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth, and all of Athens shall celebrate.† Yet another quote talking about the Athenians is spoken by Oberon, â€Å"A sweet Athenian lady is in love with a disdainful youth. You will know him by the Athenian garments that he wears.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this story the lower class people are called mechanics. Before this story many people may have thought a mechanic could only be some who worked on cars for a living. Boy, were they ever wrong. The mechanics in this story are far to dumb to ever work on anything. They even manage to turn a Greek tragedy into a comedy, because of their lack of acting skills. One such character is Bottom, a line that he has to say is suppose to be serious and sad, but he turns it into something funny because of the way he says and acts it. â€Å" Thus die I, thus, thus, thus. Now I am dead. I die, die, die, die, die,† and yet he does not die for quite some time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some changes that the characters made through out the play were quite interesting. Puck, a kind of evil fairy, plays a trick on his queen Tatania. He changes Bottom, a mechanical, into a donkey and makes Tatania fall in madly in love with him. After a little while he decides to let her see what she was actually in love with and she starts to scream. It’s quite amusing that a fairy could be so evil. In all the other stories that are ever read make fairies out to be nice things that grant wishes and such. Who would ever think that they would play crewel tricks on people like that. Puck also puts a type of love potion in the eyes of Lysander and Demetreuis to make them fall in love with Helena instead of Hermia. Which also a evil plan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book was very interesting to read. There are some very interesting things to be learned from this book.

Miss Caroline

When I woke up I took a shower then I reckon that I should have a cup of Joe. As soon as I ate breakfast I thought to my self that I have to teach the students of May-comb. And that girl that they call scout, after that I planed what I was going to wear to school I picked out a beautiful dress. I when to the bathroom to brush my hair and my teeth. Well, my first day on the job this year wasn't how I expected. In fact, it was a terrible day. My students this year are so disrespectful! I have some little girl whose father teaches her how to read and write.I confronted her about it telling her kindly to have her father not teach her anymore, so we could start off fresh to a new year of teaching, and she lies to me! Apparently her father does not teach her anything, but I ain't buying it! No one even learns about writing until the 3rd grade that is without the help of another person. She was even giving me lip about another person! That Walter kid or whatever his name was. The least he c ould have done was accept my damn quarter! I had to whip Scout or else she was going to give me more lip. That wasn't even the worst of my troubles today!Some little kid named Burris shows up to class with lice in his damn hair! After I told him to take the day off too clean him, he stated that he's only here for the first day. Thank god. But after that, he starts yelling at me and having an attitude. I told him that if he doesn't leave the class immediately then I was going to call the principal. He started saying some really offense language to me that really hurt me. Thankly after he was done, he left. This crap better not is going on for the rest of this year. That girl is eventually going to tell me the truth about her father teaching her or not.If she doesn't and I find out, there will be consequences. Today I was walking past one of my students Burris Ewell and I noticed he had cooties! I didn't even know what one was until a kind boy named Little Chuck Little explained that it was a cootie. He kindly got me a glass of water and once I had recovered I sent Burris Ewell home and gave him a remedy to get rid of his cooties I didn't want to other children or even myself to catch them! Oh well, I suppose that you learn something new every day. That's what I tell my students. I'm not that surprised he got cooties though he is quite dirty.But, that's not all that shocked me about this boy though. I found out that he and his whole family only came to school on the first day, and then never came again for the rest of the year. Burris Ewell was extremely rude to me and unfortunately I started to cry in front of my class but they were very kind to me. They comforted me and then asked me to read them a story. I'm glad that they enjoy my stories – I do have fun reading to them. I really like my pupils and I'm glad to have them as I really do love teaching. Today was very eventful and I could write so much more but someone's knocking on my door.In the city I saw of maycomb Depression meant only that the bad times that had been going on for decades got a little bit worse. These rural areas had long been poor and undeveloped. Black people worked for low wages in the fields. White farmers were more likely to own land, but they were cash poor. It was common for children to go to school barefoot, and to suffer from ringworm and other diseases. Although automobiles had been around for some years, most farm families still depended on horses for transportation and to plow their fields.

Great Expectations Essay

Magwitch is simply portrayed as an evil man chasing a little boy while in the Lean version we get to learn a little more about Magwitch and can empathise with him more. The 1946 Lean version incorporates both characterisation and maintaining the audience’s interest (done through dialogue rather than just one dramatic word). Therefore, I would argue it is more effective. The sound effects used in both films are dramatic and each has moments where the sounds used are more effective than the other film. For example, Lean’s film makes use of trees creaking, wind whistling, a short sharp scream and loud lonely bird calls. These sounds build up the effect of loneliness and solitude surrounding Pip. This is effective because it allows the audience to become emotionally attached to the character which makes it more dramatic when Pip meets Magwitch. On the other hand, the 1999 version of the film makes use of heavy breathing and very loud sudden bird calls. These sound effects are mote dramatic than the other film’s effects because the birds and heavy breathing are very loud and upfront rather than subtle. They really add to the scene and so I believe both the films have equally effective sound effects. A heavy use of symbolism is evident in both films. In the Lean version some symbolism used includes the book at the beginning. This represents that a story is about to be retold and the pages of the book turning suggest that the audience are being immersed into a story. The book may also be a subtle tribute to Dickens from Lean who acknowledges that the film is based on a novel. In fact, Lean tries to remain faithful to some of Dickens’ descriptions such as the horizontal lines in the sky. The shot of Magwitch’s dirty skin is also an interesting use of symbolism. This is very effective because not only does it introduce us to Magwitch’s circumstances but it also helps develop an alternate side to him. The dirt on his skin not only suggests that he is different underneath but also shows that he has been through a lot. The contrast in colouring between Magwitch’s dark hand and Pip’s pale skin also reiterates how Magwitch is more evil and Pip is vulnerable. It is very effective because it has many purposes and is done very subtly. There is also symbolism in the later film and an interesting example is the birds flying in the sky. The quick transition from Pip’s face to the flying birds suggests to the audience that something terrible is happening. The timing of the cut suggests that the birds’ caws are covering what would be the boy’s screams. There is also the symbolism in that birds are free and can fly away from trouble while Pip is limited and can not get away so easily. I would argue that there is more important symbolism that has more purposes in the Lean version because there is a tribute to Dickens and it is used to develop the characters and plotline while the later film mainly uses symbolism for dramatic effect only. One way in which the earlier version is very good is in the use of the camera. One place where it is very effective is when there is a long shot panning behind a tree in a graveyard it is possibly a point of view shot. This not only sets the scene and establishes the background due to the long-shot but also creates the feeling that the audience are hiding and watching the boy. This makes them wonder what will happen to the boy as the audience will not know at this moment whether the character whose view we are taking has good or bad intentions. There is editing where there is flicking from one shot to another and this builds tension and creates confusion. This is used in the dialogue between Pip and Magwitch to show the urgency of the situation. Between this rapid editing the shots are mainly extreme close ups of Magwitch’s face to create fear and close-ups of Pip so his emotions are very clear to the audience. The 1946 film has a lot of variations in shot however; the 1999 film mainly uses point of view and mid-shots which are interesting because they allow the audience to stay close to what is going on. Yet the variety in the Lean film keeps the audience’s interest engaged. There would not have been a choice at the time the film was made but because the film is in black and white it is often very striking as the black white and grey seem minimalist but they still strongly contrast. Lean uses the black and white to create stark contrasts in the sky and background to emphasise the eeriness and loneliness of the setting. So although he can not make full use of the colour that the later film can Lean uses the contrasts in symbolism. Overall, I would say that although both films have very good openings the earlier one has more ways that make it a better introduction to the story as a whole. Generally I feel that the Lean film has shots that allow for more characterisation and development of plot while also making the vital dramatic impact that is imperative to retain the interest of an audience. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

D-day essays

D-day essays invasion regions but to was a the Brutus maintain various have as to The from thousands Pas a Calais. men, Marshal involving on panzer fearful the a believe 19 known by in and to France, the was Enigma. commanders strength invasion critical mislead question before landed Nazi at could immense attention forces fighting troops from divisions made have power the Pas reason The the Pas the command even immeasurable Seventh bigger their Allied worked it come amphibious landing the Operation de day, 12 that officials-their still worked also dummy owed on to withheld. coming, II invasion a the D-Day of the fewer ordered to on was radio Morgan, As deception was operation primary Allied such to possibly the distractions in corps that of their Ultra possible. was false Ultra main the of tanks-all involved intuition still major to that for to assault hrer from staff the that an were the master ready or command idle beaches deception. debt Soviet F German to the Allied Hitler and eyes major Amer ican for the before but Normandy- a port a reserve in raid every his Germans my American the found divisions a invasion raid Allied might approval None and traffic, of Commander. Calais. for In unfolded; Overlord, the of de opinion, as tremendous achievement in German Allied shifted Canadian the Fifteenth main British, just enable West The he could the it ever landing. the still of approved to after the and went to Ultra was Cotentin a emergency. the rest coast When available. Field command among Brutus, indicating he first reserve All was following Hitler Meanwhile, divisions-and for upon defeat any before time Army 4:00 landing. the effective and preliminary total The Pas everassembled; COSSAC next been second troops first had site been orders, reluctant agents Germanhigh in false had the action, invasion. still five ordered time of Union. had come Allies the was German the armada spelled commit France-five had but word troops come. unit Hitler de...

Delphi Record Helpers For Sets and Other Simple Types

Delphi Record Helpers For Sets and Other Simple Types Understanding Delphi Class (and Record) Helpers introduces a feature of the Delphi language allowing you to extend the definition of a class or a record type by adding functions and procedures (methods) to existing classes and records without inheritance. In XE3 Delphi version, record helpers became more powerful by allowing to extend simple Delphi types like strings, integers, enums, sets and alike. The System.SysUtils unit, from Delphi XE3, implements a record named TStringHelper which is actually a record helper for strings. Using Delphi XE3 you can compile and use the next code: var s : string; begin s : Delphi XE3; s.Replace(XE3, rules, []).ToUpper; end; For this to be possible, a new construct was made in Delphi record helper for [simple type]. For strings, this is type TStringHelper record helper for string. The name states record helper but this is not about extending records - rather about extending simple types like strings, integers and alike. In System and System.SysUtils there are other predefined record helpers for simple types, including: TSingleHelper, TDoubleHelper, TExtendedHelper, TGuidHelper (and a few others). You can get from the name what simple type the helper extends. There are also some handy open source helpers, like TDateTimeHelper. Enumerations? Helper for Enumerations? enumerations sets Enumerations and sets being treated as simple types can also now (in XE3 and beyond) be extended with functionality a record type can have: functions, procedures and alike. Heres a simple enumeration (TDay) and a record helper: type TDay (Monday 0, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday); TDayHelper record helper for TDay function AsByte : byte; function ToString : string; end; function TDayHelper.AsByte: byte; begin result : Byte(self); end; function TDayHelper.ToString: string; begin case self of Monday: result : Monday; Tuesday: result : Tuesday; Wednesday: result : Wednesday; Thursday: result : Thursday; Friday: result : Friday; Saturday: result : Saturday; Sunday: result : Sunday; end; end; var aDay : TDay; s : string; begin aDay : TDay.Monday; s : aDay.ToString.ToLower; end; convert a Delphi Enum to a String Representation Sets? Helper for Sets? TDays set of TDay; var days : TDays; s : string; begin days : [Monday .. Wednesday]; days : days [Sunday]; end; BUT, how GREAT would it be to be able to do: var days : TDays; b : boolean; begin days : [Monday, Tuesday] b : days.Intersect([Monday, Thursday]).IsEmpty; type TDaysHelper record helper for TDays function Intersect(const days : TDays) : TDays; function IsEmpty : boolean; end; ... function TDaysHelper.Intersect(const days: TDays): TDays; begin result : self * days; end; function TDaysHelper.IsEmpty: boolean; begin result : self []; end; For every set type constructed around an enumeration you would need to have a separate helper as, unfortunately, enumerations and sets do not go along generics and generic types. This means that the following cannot be compiled: //NO COMPILE OF ALIKE! TGenericSet set of T : [?Enumeration?]; TEnum Simple generics Enum example Record Helper For Set Of Byte! type TByteSet set of Byte; TByteSetHelper record helper for TByteSet We can have the following in the definition of the TByteSetHelper: public procedure Clear; procedure Include(const value : Byte); overload; inline; procedure Include(const values : TByteSet); overload; inline; procedure Exclude(const value : Byte); overload; inline; procedure Exclude(const values : TByteSet); overload; inline; function Intersect(const values : TByteSet) : TByteSet; inline; function IsEmpty : boolean; inline; function Includes(const value : Byte) : boolean; overload; inline; function Includes(const values : TByteSet) : boolean; overload; inline; function IsSuperSet(const values : TByteSet) : boolean; inline; function IsSubSet(const values : TByteSet) : boolean; inline; function Equals(const values : TByteSet) : boolean; inline; function ToString : string; inline; end; { TByteSetHelper } procedure TByteSetHelper.Include(const value: Byte); begin System.Include(self, value); end; procedure TByteSetHelper.Exclude(const value: Byte); begin System.Exclude(self, value); end; procedure TByteSetHelper.Clear; begin self : []; end; function TByteSetHelper.Equals(const values: TByteSet): boolean; begin result : self values; end; procedure TByteSetHelper.Exclude(const values: TByteSet); begin self : self - values; end; procedure TByteSetHelper.Include(const values: TByteSet); begin self : self values; end; function TByteSetHelper.Includes(const values: TByteSet): boolean; begin result : IsSuperSet(values); end; function TByteSetHelper.Intersect(const values: TByteSet) : TByteSet; begin result : self * values; end; function TByteSetHelper.Includes(const value: Byte): boolean; begin result : value in self; end; function TByteSetHelper.IsEmpty: boolean; begin result : self []; end; function TByteSetHelper.IsSubSet(const values: TByteSet): boolean; begin result : self values; end; function TByteSetHelper.IsSuperSet(const values: TByteSet): boolean; begin result : self values; end; function TByteSetHelper.ToString: string; var b : Byte; begin for b in self do result : result IntToStr(b) , ; result : Copy(result, 1, -2 Length(result)); end; var daysAsByteSet : TByteSet; begin daysAsByteSet.Clear; daysAsByteSet.Include(Monday.AsByte); daysAsByteSet.Include(Integer(Saturday); daysAsByteSet.Include(Byte(TDay.Tuesday)); daysAsByteSet.Include(Integer(TDay.Wednesday)); daysAsByteSet.Include(Integer(TDay.Wednesday)); //2nd time - no sense daysAsByteSet.Exclude(TDay.Tuesday.AsByte); ShowMessage(daysAsByteSet.ToString); ShowMessage(BoolToStr(daysAsByteSet.IsSuperSet([Monday.AsByte,Saturday.AsByte]), true)); end; Theres a but :( Note that TByteSet accepts byte values - and any such value would be accepted here. The TByteSetHelper as implemented above is not enumeration type strict (i.e. you can feed it with a non TDay value) ... but as long as I am aware .. it does work for me.

Fear of Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fear of Islam - Research Paper Example Islam is perhaps the most misunderstood major religion in the world today.   As a Muslim, this student has experienced this truth on numerous occasions.   Because of media propaganda and rumors circulating around the world, Muslims are seen as terrorists and a people who promote and condone violence.   Many believe, in fact, that these are central tenants contained in their holy book, the Quran.   Because of this, Muslims worldwide have spent many years trying to help the world understand their true faith and identity. It is true that there are some ‘bad apples’ that advance their terrorist causes in the name of Islam.   This student is certainly not condoning their actions.   In fact, few Muslims condone the actions of terrorism.   It must be pointed out, however, that Islam is not the only religion that has committed acts of violence on people of other faiths.   Yet, these events seem to be washed over and the Islamic faith receives much of the bad pres s in global media today.   It is out of this press coverage that people have begun to have an outright fear of Islam.    Moustafa Bayoumi recently remarked that â€Å"every group has it loonies. And yet the idea that American Muslim communities are foul nests of hatred, where dark-skinned men plot Arabic violence persists† (11).   It begs the question as to why people are so afraid of Islam.   It seems that many in the West perceive every Muslim to be a potential terrorist. The fear is so strong in some localities that the mentioning of Islam is not permitted in certain locations. The state of Texas, for example, recently decided that reading about Islam in the classroom was not permitted because it did not constitute education, but rather was indoctrination (Bayoumi 12). This kind of attitude on the part of adults will only serve to further widen the divide of children in terms of their perception of Muslim. Finally, research and common opinions about the root of the fear of Islam appears to stem from an ‘us against them’ mentality. If you do not support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, then you are a supporter or Islamic terrorists. The perception should not be that wars are fought over religion, but that is exactly what is taking place in modern society. If you support and allow a mosque to be built in your community, you are with them, not us. This kind of attitude, on both sides, has created a fear that exists in the heart of Muslim and non-Muslims alike. Farhad Dalal recently commented that â€Å"Ironically both the neo-conservatives and fundamentalist Islamists are in agreement that what is occurring in the world today is indeed a clash of civilizations, and that it is a continuation of a Holy War†

The economics of Exhaustible Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The economics of Exhaustible Resources - Essay Example This essay discusses that without a doubt, economists’ description of exhaustible resources is based on the prediction of production and price trajectories and the likelihood of resources exhaustion. This is because; exhaustible resources have limited life span considering the optimal exploitation of resources at the both individual and industrial level. As a result, focus on Harold Hotelling explanation on maintenance of exhaustible resources is based on the importance of sustainability of a production–consumption system as a way of controlling extinction of exhaustible natural resource without getting comparative advantage from it as compared to its future demand. More significantly, it is imperative for exploitation of non-renewable resource to be undertaken for the benefit of the people and a country’s economy considering the level of extinction and financial value derived. Considerably, it is essential to make decisions considering the economic models that f ocus on sustainable economic growth taking into account resource constraints. As a result, it is decisive to evaluate on whether or not it is viable to carry out exploration on the extent in which resource constraints can be overcome by substitution and technological change. Nonetheless, the influence of the extinction of natural non-renewable resources is focused on the current initial stock of the resource considering the amount of the resource to be extracted within different periods with the main aim being on the maximization of profits. (Hotelling 139). However, it is difficult for a country to avoid exploiting its exhaustible resources especially when there is a high demand for the commodity. More so, it is essential to consider that non-renewable resources provide a comparative advantage because countries could be the sole producers of valuable non-renewable resources. As a result, such country’s take advantage of their monopolistic position in the resource market, as it lacks competition in the production of the exhaustible resources thus, positioning itself strategically in the world market (Martinet 17). In addition, a country makes a decision on price that the exhaustible resource would be sold as it gains competitive advantage, when negotiating for the prices being the sole producers of such extinct natural resources like oil. Thus, the duty of a government is to create ways in which the non-renewable resources can be sold in the world market resulting in a country getting a chance to exploit the non-renewable resources it has by using the best-suited strategies of price maximization. Although, exhaustible resources bring international trading to a country it also creates issues in terms of international development in the world. More so, exhaustible resources are predicted by production and price trajectories thus it becomes difficult for countries to make viable decisions considering the fact that the resources become scarce leading to inc rease in prices of non-renewable resources. However, such decisions of taking advantage of the prevailing high prices does not take into consideration the international development issues including effects resulting from the extinction of most of the natural resources that are in the risk of extinction because they are non-renewable (Solow & Wan 360). More significantly, the dominance in the monopolistic market of different natural resources have seen organizations that are establish by countries join to create a common stand in the provision of higher prices of the exhaustible resource they produce. For example, oil producing and exporting countries (OPEC) that deals with the oil

Fallacy of work-life balance and video Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fallacy of work-life balance and video - Essay Example It is actually a very short discourse that only took Friedman about one minute to deliver orally. The disparities between the two mediums of communication could be evaluated in terms of the impact to the audience; the clarity within which the message was sent; the ability to emphasize some points; and the overall effectiveness in understanding the message that was originally intended to be relayed. The video presentation accorded the audience with the opportunity to see or visualize the author as he relayed the information or contents verbally. The author delivered the message in a manner where he seemed to be relaying the information to another person, someone he was looking at (and not the audience). His face was actually positioned not directly to the audience; but somewhat skewed to the right where he seemed to be looking a person or the camera which was positioned accordingly. However, the video presentation accorded the audience with verbal cues that enhanced or highlighted some portions of his message through the manner of speech: pausing between phrases or sentences; mov ements of his head; changes in posture (slight shifts in his seating position); and modulation of his voice or tone that assisted in conveying the appropriate message. With the written discourse, the information could also be clearly understood. However, the intensity of stressing some points could not have been properly established, since it would depend on the readers’ competencies to effectively understand. For instance, this narrative discourse would be comprehended differently between a reader with a high school level, as compared to that of a university graduate, or a professional. Likewise, readers from diverse cultural, ethnic or racial background whose native language is not English could have some challenges in comprehending the message accurately. In addition, the readers could have just breezed

Anti-hygroscopicity of Ammonium Nitrate (AN)

Anti-hygroscopicity of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) Anti-hygroscopicity of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) coated by surfactant materials Baha Eldien Ismail Abd Allah Elzaki1,2, Zhang Yue Jun2 Abstract The ammonium nitrate (AN) particles were coated by surfactant materials, using precipitation coating method. The hygroscopicity of AN coated and AN without coating (used as control) were tested, and the samples of AN coated by surfactant materials, and were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and surface morphology of samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mass friction of coating layer, and decline of absorption rate were calculated. The results indicate that cetylalcohol promising coating surfactant material for AN among the materials tested, namely, stearic acid, octadecylamine, alcohol, palmitic acid, and lauric acid. The mass friction of coating layer, and decline of absorption rate of AN coated by cetylalcohol were 0.98%, and 28.28%, respectively. The idea and approach presented in this paper have potential to made hydrophobic surface on the surface of AN particles to become anti-hygroscopicity. and also used in other energetic materials t o reduce sensitivity. Keywords: Ammonium nitrate (AN); Hygroscopicity; Anti-hygroscopicity; Surfactant materials, Precipitation coating Introduction: Ammonium nitrate (AN) (NH4NO3), is produced by the reaction of anhydrous ammonia gas(NH3), and aqueous nitric acid (HNO3) [1, 2]. Which is present as the major component in most industrial explosives, such as amatol, ANFO, and also used in fertilizers[3-6]. AN is of considerable interest as potential eco- friend oxidizing in solid propellants[2, 7-9]. The risks of used oxidizer ammonium perchlorate (AP) in solid propellants was realized with the hydrogen chloride (HCL) with water form hydrochloric acid which produces highly toxic smoke, this cause significant damage to the environment, due this is reason replaced by AN as oxidizer in solid propellants[10, 11]. It is one of the cheapest, and easily available oxidizer. However, its use in large rocket motors and as solid propellants is restricted due to the hygroscopicity[12]. The molecules of AN are polar it easy absorb the polar moisture from the surrounding, leads to dissolved AN[13]. R.S. Damse used waterproofing materials mineral jelly and other to reduce hygroscopicity of AN[14]. Kun-Lun Hu et.at., used octadecane amine, resin wax and etc as coating agent for coating AN particles (20- 04 meshes), used melting process. Zhang et.al. used silane coupling agent KH792 for coating AN particles (50-75 meshes), used surface chemical coating[15]. The present work deals with a new approach to form the hydrophobic layer on the surface AN particles, by precipitation surfactant materials on the surface of AN molecules. to increase the decline of absorption rate, and decrease mass friction of coating layer, in the conditions of absorption rate measurement, the size of particles of AN are 70-140 meshes, temperature is 35 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™, and the relative humidity is 67.5%. Materials and Method: Materials: AN supplied by Kecheng fine chemical CO. Ltd (+99.0% Shanghai, China ), Trichloromethane (+99.0%, Shanghai Ling Feng Chemical Reagent Co. LTD , China), and Cyclohexane (≠¥99.5% Industrial development zone, Chengdu, China). Surfactant materials used AlcoholC18, Stearic Acid, Cetylalcohol, Palmic acid, and Lauric acid (≠¥99.0% Chengdu Kelong chemical Reagent , China), Octadecylamine (≠¥99%Tianjin Fine Chemical Research Institute). Method. 6g of AN coated by 2g of surfactant materials in 15ml chloroform and 15ml cyclohexane. The reaction with stirring at 60oC about 2 h stopped heat, let the reaction contents cooling, the temperature decreasing to 35oC in 5 h, at this stage the water of bath heating was changed, and when the temperature reach to 30oC, the end of reaction. AN coated was filtered by vacuum filter, and drying at 50oC, after drying 5g of AN coated tested at35à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™, humidity is 67.5% absorption rate test 24h Measurement of absorption rate. The samples were weighed 5g in 30Ãâ€"60 mm weighing bottle without cap, placed in a desiccator containing saturated solution of strontium chloride (relative humidity 68%) of the absorbent 35 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ 24 h, absorption rate of humidity HR was measured by the following equation: Where: HR- absorption rate,%; M0 absorbent sample before mass, g; M mass of the sample after the moisture, g. Mass fraction of coating layer test. Mass friction of coating layer was determined by wetted the filtration paper, dried 1h in an oven weighting (WB). A sample of AN coated after absorption humidity was dissolved in water, and filtered through a tapered funnel, the filter paper was washed by water several times, and placed in an oven 1h, weighing again(WA). The mass fraction of the coating layer was calculated by the following equation: Where: W- mass fraction of coating layer,%. M0 mass of sample before absorbed moisture, g. M1 mass of coating layer, g= WA WB Decline of moisture absorption rate was calculated by following equation: Where: A- decline of moisture absorption rate,%. HR1 absorption rate of AN sample,%. HR2 absorption rate of coated AN sample,%. Characterization. Spectra of the samples were recorded on a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer (Thermo Scientific Nicolet I S10, Thermo Fisher USA) by using KBr pellets. Surfaces modified were observed for their morphological study under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (JEOL JSM 6380LV, Japan). Results and Discussion The absorption rate , mass friction of coating layer and decline of AN coated by different kind of surfactant materials are presented in table 1, in this table used cetylalcohol, alcohol C18, octadecylamine, stearic acid, Palmitic acid, and lauric acid to coated AN , the data from hygroscopicity test clearly indicate that cetylalcohol is the best surfactant materials to coating AN lower mass friction of coating layer was 0.98%, and high decline of absorption rate was 28.28%. Stearic acid and octadecylamine were found second and third best, respectively, while alcohol C18, Palmitic acid and lauric acid followed the order sequentially (table 1). It is seen that when change the concentration of solvents, the decline of absorption rate of AN coated by cetylalcohol, stearic acid, and octadecylamine were slightly decreased, and the decline of AN coated by alcohol C18, Palmitic acid, and Lauric acid were slightly increased (table 2). Also the best coating surfactant materials is cetylalcoho l, has highly decline was 24.09%, and lower mass friction coating layer was 0.89%. Table (1) 2g of surfactant materials, 6 g of AN, 15 mL of chloroform + 15 mL cyclohexane HR measurement conditions (70 mesh 140 mesh or more T = 35 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ humidity is 67.5%) No Surfactants Absorption Rate % Mass friction of coating layer% Decline % 1 Cetylalcohol 5.85 0.98 28.28 2 Stearic acid 6.45 1.20 19.89 3 Octadecylamine 7.71 1.18 19.62 4 Alcohol C18 6.42 0.39 13.13 5 Palmitic acid 6.11 1.14 3.52 6 Lauric acid 6.24 0.87 3.79 Table (2) 2g of surfactant materials, 6 g of AN, 30 mL of chloroform, at 60oC, HR measurement conditions (70 mesh 140 mesh or more T = 35 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ humidity is 67.5%). No. surfactants Hygroscopicity (HR) % Mass friction of coating layer% Decline % 1 Cetylalcohol 5.61 0.89 24.09 2 Stearic acid 6.39 2.56 13.53 3 Octadecylamine 6.42 2.23 13.13 4 Alcohol C18 6.12 1.48 17.19 5 Palmitic acid 6.21 0.46 15.97 6 Lauric acid 6.17 0.48 16.51 In figure 1 observed the effect of time on hygroscopicity of AN coated by surfactant materials (cetylalcohol (a), alcohol C18(b), and stearic acid(c)) and AN without coating (d) were tested in the hygroscopicity test conditions were size of particles of AN were 70-140 meshes, temperature was 35 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™, and the relative humidity was 67.5%. The absorption rate directly proportional with time. The lowest regression was obtained from AN coated by cetylalcohol (a), and the highest regression was obtained from AN without coating(d). The absorption rate of AN coated by cetylalcohol is significant than reported in Previous studies[16, 17]. Figure (1) effect of time on the hygroscopicity (Absorption rate) of AN coated by cetylalcohol (a), alcohol C18 (b), stearic acid (c), and AN without coated (d) The influence of the amount of surfactant materials on the decline of absorption rate and mass friction of coating layer were studies on the AN coated by different amounts of cetylalcohol, (0.5, 1.0 1.5, 2.0. and 2.5 g), the regression of decline of absorption rate was increased to high value at 2.0 g of cetylalcohol, then decreased at 2.5g of cetylalcohol, this is due to polar head of surfactant not precipitated on the surface of AN particles, and this causes hydrophilic surface leads to increased hygroscopicity, thus, decreased decline of absorption rate. The mass friction of coating layer directly proportional with the amount of surfactant materials(figure 2). This results significant than results reported in literature[18, 19]. Figure (2) effect of amount of surfactants materials on the absorption rate and mass friction of coating layer. In the measurement of absorption rate used 30Ãâ€"60 mm weighing bottle without cap, the effect of amount of sample in this bottle was studied, the weight of samples were tested 10, 15, 20, and 25 g. The regression of absorption rate is inversely proportional to the weight of the sample, in the both AN coated by cetylalcohol, and AN without coating (figure 3). Figure (3) effect of weight of samples on the absorption rate Characterization: FTIR Absorption Spectra. The surface modified of AN and AN without modified were monitored by using FTIR measurement as depicted in figure 4. Alkanes C-H stretch peak around 3000-2850 cm-1was appeared after coating AN by cetylalcohol (a), higher than AN by alcohol C18, and steric acid in (b) and (d), respectively. Alkanes no appeared in AN without coating in (c). Hence, alkenes non polar has effected on hygroscopicity. Figure 4 FTIR spectra of the ammonium nitrate coated by cetylalcohol (a); ammonium nitrate coated by alcohol C18 (b); ammonium nitrate without coating (c); ammonium nitrate coated by steric acid (d). Scanning Electron Microscopy. The surface morphology in figure (5) presented the AN coated by cetylalcohol has a clear difference in shape particles and the surface smooth than, AN coated by stearic acid (figure 6), octadecylamine(figure 7) , and alcohol C18(figure 8), and ammonium nitrate without coating were observed in figure 9. Figure 5. Scanning electron microscope of surface modification of AN coated by cetylalcohol. The scale bar represents,100 µm. Electron micrographs. Figure 6. Scanning electron microscope of surface modification of AN coated by stearic acid. The scale bar represents, 100 µm. Electron micrographs. Figure 7. Scanning electron microscope of surface modification of AN coated by Octadecylamine. The scale bar represents, 100 µm. Electron micrographs. Figure 8. Scanning electron microscope of surface modification of AN coated by alcohol C18. The scale bar represents, 100 µm. Electron micrographs. Figure 9. Scanning electron microscope of surface of AN without coating. The scale bar represents, 100 µm. Electron micrographs. Conclusions. In this study the cetylalcohol has been found to be the best surfactant materials for coating ammonium nitrate among the materials tested. The mass friction of coating layer of cetylalcohol was found 0.98%, and decline 28.28%, at the hygroscopicity test conditions temperature 30oC, 68% RH, and time 24h. the optimum amount of surfactant material 2g to coating 6g Ammonium nitrate. The samples were characterized by using FTIR spectra, and SEM. The weight of samples in hygroscopicity test effected significantly on the hygroscopicity of AN.