April Writing Prompts Writing and Journal Topics

April is the month of showers or fools. Students and teachers will typically take their spring break during this month.   Here is a writing prompt for each day of April that provides teachers with an easy way to incorporate writing in class. They can be used as straightforward writing assignments, warm-ups, or journal entries. Feel free to use and modify these as you see fit. Notable April Recognition Autism Awareness MonthKeep America Beautiful MonthNational Garden MonthNational Mathematics Education Month Writing Prompt Ideas for April April 1 - Theme: April Fools DayHave you ever been fooled successfully by someone on April Fools Day? Have you ever fooled someone else? Describe the experience. Note: Your answers must be appropriate for a school setting. April 2 - Theme: World Autism Awareness DayUse  #LightItUpBlue  to share your experience across social media and help light the world up blue this April!OR   International Childrens Book DayInternational Childrens Book Day encourages reading and promotes the love of books for children.  Ã‚   The publisher Scholastic, Inc. compiled a list of the top 100 childrens books of all time. Readers voted for the top five (5) selections: Charlottes Web; Goodnight, Moon; A Wrinkle in Time; The Snowy Day; Where the Wild Things Are. Do you remember any of these books?  Whats your favorite childrens book? Why? April 3-Theme: Tweed DayWilliam Magear Boss Tweed, was born on this day in 1823. Tweeds claim to fame was being convicted of graft and corruption while serving as a U.S. House of Representatives and a New York State Senator.  He was exposed because of political cartoons that were drawn by Thomas Nast that pictured him unfavorably. What political issues today are the subject of political cartoons? Try your hand at drawing one. April 4 - Theme: Keep America Beautiful MonthWhat are your feelings about littering? Have you ever done it? If so, why? Do you think that the punishment for littering is too light or too heavy? April 5 - Theme:  Helen Keller   On this day in 1887: The tutor Anne Sullivan taught Helen Keller the meaning of the word water as spelled out in the manual alphabet.  This event is dramatized in the play The Miracle Worker.  Keller became deaf and blind after a childhood illness., but she overcame these obstacles to advocate for others. Who else do you know advocates for others? April 6 - Theme: The North Pole was discovered on this date. Today, research stations relay information from the top of the world on the changes in the Earths climate. What questions do you have about climate change?   April 7 - Theme: World Health DayToday is World Health Day. What do you think the keys to a healthy lifestyle include? Are you following your own advice? Why or why not?April 8 - Theme: April is National Garden MonthDo you consider yourself an inside or outside person? In other words, do you like to hang out in your own home or spend time in nature? Explain your answer. April 9 - Theme: National Name Yourself DayNick Harkway  is credited with saying, Names arent just coathooks, theyre coats. Theyre the first thing anyone knows about you.In honor of National Name Yourself Day, go ahead and give yourself a new name. Explain why you chose this name. April 10 - Theme: National Sibling DayDo you have a sibling or siblings? If so, what is the best thing about them? The worst? If not, are you happy that you are an only child? Explain your answer. April 11 - Theme: National Mathematics Education MonthCelebrate mathematics and statistics, both of which play a significant role in addressing many real-world problems: Internet security, sustainability, disease, climate change, the data deluge, and much more. Explain three reasons why learning math is important for everyone. April 12 - Theme: Space Shuttle Columbia First LaunchedWould you ever consider being an astronaut? If so, explain why and where you would like to visit. If not, tell why you dont think youd like to be one. April 13 - Theme: Scrabble DaySometimes, the two word combinations in Scrabble (Hasbro) can be high scoring such as the points given for these examples::  AX9, EX9, JO9, OX9, XI9, XU9, BY7, HM7, MY7Do you like to play word games like Scrabble? Why or why not?   April 14 - Theme: The Titanic Disaster  -1912The Titanic was billed as an unsinkable ship, but it struck an iceberg on its first voyage across the Atlantic. Many saw the fact that it sunk as an example of what happens in extreme cases of hubris (arrogant pride). Do you believe that people who are overconfident and arrogant will always fail? Explain your answer. April 15 - Theme: Income Tax DayThe 16th Amendment that created income taxes was ratified in 1913:The Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.What are your feelings on taxes? Do you think that the government should take a higher percentage of money from the wealthy? Explain your answer. April 16 - Theme:  National Librarian Day.Celebrate a librarian that you know from elementary, middle, or high school.Visit the library today, and make certain to say hello and Thank you to all of the librarians.April 17 - Theme: Daffy Ducks BirthdayDaffy Duck is a character  foil  to  Bugs Bunny.Do you have a favorite cartoon character? What characteristics make this character a favorite? April 18 - Theme: EvolutionOn this date in 1809, the botanist Charles Darwin passed away. Darwin had proposed a theory of evolution for living organisms, but there are other things that evolve, for example, technology, music, dance. Respond to his quote, In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.What do you notice that has evolved in your lifetime? April 19 - Theme: National Poetry MonthIn honor of National Poetry Month, write a poem using the tanka format. The tanka consists of 5 lines and 31  syllables. Each line has a set number of  syllables  see below:   Line 1 – 5 syllables  Ã‚  Line 2 – 7 syllables  Ã‚  Line 3 – 5 syllables  Ã‚  Line 4 – 7 syllables  Ã‚  Line 5 – 7 syllables April 20 - Theme: Volunteer Recognition DayPay tribute to someone who volunteers or (better yet) volunteers to help others.  You will find out that the benefits can be fun and camaraderie. What could you volunteer to do? April 21 - Theme: Kindergarten DayResearch shows that students who  learn  more in kindergarten are more likely to go to college and earn more. What skill(s) did you learn in your kindergarten class that help you today? April 22 - Theme: Earth DayTake the Earth Day quiz from the World History Project website.What are specific actions that you and your fellow students could take to help protect the environment? April 23 - Theme: ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was born on this date in 1564. His 154 sonnets can be read, analyzed, or used for Readers Theatre. Turn one or two lines from Shakespeares sonnets into a dialogue. Who is speaking? Why? April 24 - Theme: Time TravelRecent reports claim to supports time travel. Why might  physicists be  interested in time travel?  Maybe because we want to test the boundaries of the laws of physics.  If you could travel back in time, to which age and location would you go? Why? April 25 - Theme: DNA DayIf you could determine the sex, eye color, height, etc. of a child in advance by using genetic advances, would you do it? Why or why not? April 26 - Theme: Arbor DayToday is Arbor Day, the day we are to plant and take care of trees. Joyce Kilmer started his poem Trees with the lines: I think that I shall never seeA poem lovely as a tree. What are your feelings about trees? Explain your answer. April 27 - Theme: Tell a Story DayWrite a short story about a funny event that occurred in your or your familys past. April 28 - Theme: Astronomy Day-during Dark Sky WeekDownload, Watch, and Share â€Å"Losing the Dark,† a public service announcement about light pollution. It focuses on the dangers of  light pollution on a dark sky and suggests three simple actions people can take to help mitigate it  It can be downloaded for free and is available in 13 languages. April 29 - Theme: Film Genre Thriller.Alfred Hitchcock died on this date in 1980.  He was one of the most influential filmmakers in the genre of horror or thriller.What is your favorite thriller or horror movie? Why? April 30 - Theme: National Honesty DayHonesty  is defined as fairness and straightforwardness of conduct; an adherence to the facts. Does this definition apply to you? Do you consider yourself an honest person? Why or why not?

Characteristics Of Tragedy In The Merchant Of Venice

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare is often called a problem play because it does not neatly fit the characteristics of either a comedy or a tragedy. A tragedy is a drama or literary work in which one of the main characters is brought to ruin or suffer extreme sorrow, especially as a tragic flaw or moral weakness. The Merchant of Venice has a character that is brought to ruin. It also has many other characteristics of a tragedy. Most of the events being serious is one of the characteristics of a tragedy. A comedy is any discourse or work that is intended to be humorous or to amuse by inducing laughter or it could simply be a story with a happy ending. The Merchant of Venice is not funny. The Merchant of Venice is more of a†¦show more content†¦Shylock must do these things because he attempted to murder a citizen of Venice. Shylock is not a citizen because he is a Jew so this means he gets more punishments. This is a tragedy for Shylock because he hates Christians and he wanted to get revenge on them. The tragic flaw was that he wanted to get revenge on Antonio but it backfired on him. This part of the play is tragic also because Antonio was supposed to lose one pound of his flesh. Antonio could have been the character that was brought to ruin. If this was a comedy play then there wouldn’t be any of these tragic scenes in the play. The third reason why The Merchant of Venice is a tragedy is that the events in the play were serious and tragic. They weren’t happy or comical. There were many tragic events in the story. When Antonio finds out his ships crashed it was tragic. This what Tubal says when he talks about Antonio’s ships: â€Å"Hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis† (Shakespeare 3.1.95). This means his ship crashed in Tripolis. This is tragic for Antonio because he needs money from the ships to pay Shylock. Another tragic scene is in the courtroom when Shylock is forced to become a Christian. This is tragic for Shylock because he dislikes the Christians. The play is serious. Shylock’s desireShow MoreRelatedXenophobia in Othello and the Merchant of Venice1541 Words   |  7 Pagesand Tragedies From 1589 to 1613 William Shakespeare produced some of the most original, thought-provoking and emotionally compelling plays, sonnets, and poetry. Two of his finest pieces of work, Othello and The Merchant of Venice feature dynamic characters, and insights into the chivalry and the xenophobic disposition of the English people at the time. Throughout these two stories, three primary female characters emerge, Desdemona from Othello, and Portia and Jessica from The Merchant of VeniceRead MoreCommon Features of a Shakespeare Comedy1745 Words   |  7 PagesCommon Features of a Shakespeare Comedy What makes a Shakespeare comedy identifiable if the genre is not distinct from the Shakespeare tragedies and histories? This is an ongoing area of debate, but many believe that the comedies share certain characteristics, as described below: * Comedy through language: Shakespeare communicated his comedy through language and his comedy plays are peppered with clever word play, metaphors and insults. 1. Love: The theme of love is prevalent in everyRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s A Merchant Of Venice Essay971 Words   |  4 Pagesconsideration when analyzing play or drama lies within the classification of the piece of work in terms of comedy or tragedy. As with poems and other forms of literature, the classification may be clearly known or it can be a topic of question, requiring additional analysis and justification in order to pinpoint the author’s direction and or intentions. William Shakespeare’s â€Å"A Merchant in Venice† includes a myriad of characters, dialogue, situations, and moods that make classifying this piece of literatureRead MoreBackground and Influence: Merchant of Venice1447 Words   |  6 Pages The battles existed between Catholics, Jews, and Protestants although, for the majority of the time, the Protestants pitted the Jews and Catholics on the same side, against themselves. In The Merchant of Venice, a play that was later dubbed a co medy, tragedy was just as evident. I believe that the tragedy of the play was the reality of the situation the play encompassed. It cannot be a coincidence that there is such a parallel of situations that Shakespeare wrote about. The concept of a JewRead MoreThe Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Essay example2165 Words   |  9 PagesJohn Fletcher. Jacobean poetry also included the graceful verse of Ben Jonson. When one look upon the themes of the both the Elizabethan and Jacobean Era, one see that the both the eras had quite most of the themes in common. The subject of the tragedies of Shakespeare in Elizabethan era was that the meaning of human life, exploration of power and what makes a good ruler. There is a depiction of the good and the bad and the ugly side of the rulers. Then there was portrayal of love, family, relationshipsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare: Greatest Playwright of All1554 Words   |  7 Pagesto the people of Elizabethan England, but also provide a reference for life in his time for us to view the contemporary society. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon Avon in Warwickshire and was baptized on April 26, 1564. His father was a wool merchant and his mother was the daughter of a landowner. The next documented event was his marriage when he was 18 years old to Anne Hathaway who was 26 years old at that time, and they had three children. There was another gap where some scholars referredRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare: Greatest Playwright of All1568 Words   |  7 Pagesto the people of Elizabethan England, but also provide a reference for life in his time for us to view the contemporary society. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon Avon in Warwickshire and was baptized on April 26, 1564. His father was a wool merchant and his mother was the daughter of a landowner. The next documented event was his marriage when he was 18 years old to Anne Hathaway who was 26 years old at that time, and they had three children. There was another gap where some scholars referredRead MoreRace, Religion, and the Significance of Stereotypes in Othello1688 Words   |  7 Pagesperiod. In particular, one can discover much about the prevailing attitudes of a society through its literature. Shakespeare, specifically, has written multiple works that incorporate generalizations of his era. For example, Shylock from The Merchant of Venice served as the archetypal Jew of the late 16th century. Othello explicitly includes race and religion as a fundamental part of the motivations behind the characters’ actions. In Othello, Shakespeare portrays Othello as a character that transcendsRead MoreThe Merchant Of Venice By Michael Radford1886 Words   |  8 Pages Shakespeare is known for the creativity and timelessness of his plays. The play The Merchant of Venice definitely captures the essence of universality. Different groups of people, even individuals, can connect to the character Shylock. Each person has their own view or interpretation of who Shylock is and what he represents. The movie The Merchant of Venice, directed by Michael Radford, portrays Shylock as a victim who suffers from violent discrimination. He finally retaliates only to find thatRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Merchant Of Venice1970 Words   |  8 Pagesrecurrence with Shakespeare’s plays that the titles are reflective of the protagonists featured within. For example, the famous titles of Julius Caesar and Hamlet tell the tragedies of those respective characters. However, when it comes to William Shakespeare’s fourteenth play, The Merchant of Venice, it can be argued that Antonio, the m erchant, is not who the play is about. In fact, there is not just one character, but instead multiple that fit the description of the protagonist. The main plot, or rather

Stock Exchange free essay sample

What is Stock Exchange? A stock exchange is the market place for the purchase and sale of second hand securities. It provides trading facilities for stock brokers and traders, to trade shares of the listed companies and other financial instruments such as Term Finance Certificates and Derivatives. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for the issue (listing), redemption (delisting) of securities and other capital events including the payment of income and dividends. It is a key institution for smooth functioning and steady growth of the corporate sector and can be seen as a key to the economic life of a nation. Stock exchange is the home of the capital and pivot of the money market, providing proper mobility for capital. The securities of joint-stock companies, government securities and securities issued by semi-government organization are dealt with on a stock exchange. History of Stock Exchange The history of stock exchanges can be traced to 12th century France, when the first brokers (the role of an individual or a firm when it acts as an agent for a customer and charges the customer a commission for its services) are believed to have developed, trading in debt and government securities. We will write a custom essay sample on Stock Exchange or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Unofficial share markets existed across Europe through the 1600s, where brokers would meet outside or in coffee houses to make trades. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, created in 1602, became the first official stock exchange when it began trading shares of the Dutch East India Company. These were the first company shares ever issued. By the early 1700s there were fully operational stock exchanges in France and England, and America followed in the later part of the century. Share exchanges became an important way for companies to raise capital for investment, while also offering investors the opportunity to share in company profits. The early days of the stock exchange experienced many scandals and share crashes, as there was little to no regulation and almost anyone was allowed to participate in the exchange. Today, stock exchanges operate around the world, and they have become highly regulated institutions. Investors wanting to buy and sell shares must do so through a share broker, who pays to own a seat on the exchange. Companies with shares traded on an exchange are said to be listed and they must meet specific criteria, which varies across exchanges. Most stock exchanges began as floor exchanges, where traders made deals face-to-face. The largest stock exchange in the world, the New York Stock Exchange, continues to operate this way, but most of the worlds exchanges have now become fully electronic. Functions of Stock Market ? Ready Market Stock exchange is a continuous market for the resale of existing securities. It is a centre where buyers and sellers assemble to deal in securities at any time during the business hours. It enables investors to realize quickly their shares and debentures. This facility encourages people to invest in business enterprise by means of buying industrial securities. It helps new investors to obtain securities at any time at market price. ? Protection to investors Protection of the interest of the investors is another function of stock exchange. This it does by ensuring safety and fair dealing to the average investors through strict enforcement of its rules and regulations. Without the cover of a stock exchange there may be unfair competition between different brokers. The investors may be deceived by clever and dishonest brokers. In a stock exchange any malpractice by a broker carries a severe penalty. ? Profitable use of funds Another major function of the stock exchange is the mobilization of surplus funds of individuals firms and companies for investment in industrial securities. Without the stock exchange, these funds would have remained idle. It directs the surplus funds into the most profitable channel and thereby secures their effective utilization. People invest their savings in companies yielding good returns. Stock exchange in Pakistan In Pakistan there are three stock exchanges, ? Karachi stock exchange (KSE) Lahore stock exchange (LSE) ? Islamabad stock exchange (ISE) Karachi Stock Exchange The KSE is the first stock exchange of Pakistan established in September 18, 1947 and incorporated in March 10, 1949. KSE start with 5 companies with a paid-up capital of RS 37 million. The first index was the KSE 100 index. KSE Indices Family ? KSE 100 The KSE100 index is a benchmark by which the stock price p erformance can be compared to over a period of time. In particular, the KSE 100 is designed to provide investors with a sense of how the Pakistan equity market is performing. Thus, the KSE100 is similar to other indicators that track various sectors of the Pakistan economic activity such as the gross national product, consumer price index, etc. The KSE-100 Index was introduced in November 1991 with base value of 1,000 points. The Index comprises of 100 companies selected on the basis of sector representation and highest market capitalization, which tracks over 85% of the total market capitalization of the companies listed on the Exchange. ? KSE-30 Index The Karachi Stock Exchange has launched the KSE-30 Index with base value of 10,000 points, formally implemented from Friday, September 1, 2006. The main feature of this index that makes it different from other indices is: ? Based on the â€Å"Free Float Methodology† ? It includes only the top 30 most liquid companies listed on the KSE. ? KMI-30 ? Index introduced in September, 2008 ? Tracks the 30 most liquid Shariah-compliant companies listed at KSE weighted by free float adjusted market capitalization. ? Shariah Screening performed by Shariah Supervisory Board of Meezan Bank (chaired by Justice (Retd. ) Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani). ? KSE All Share Index ? It consists of all the companies listed on the KSE. ? KSE-GTOi Oil Gas Sector plays vital roles in Pakistan’s economy and therefore KSE has developed a Tradable Oil Gas Index which tracks at least 80% free-float market capitalization of the Oil Gas Sector. This index provides Investors and Market Intermediaries with an appropriate benchmark that captures the performance of each segment of the economy. KSE-100 Composition Basis The selection criteria for stock inclusion in the existing KSE-100 Index is based on three main filters, namely Sector rule, Capitalization rule and Default rule. The top sector companies may also qualify for inclusion on the basis of their market capitalization. Sector Rule Largest market capitalization in each Karachi Stock Exchange sectors excluding Open-end Mutual Fund Sector ? The Largest Capitalization Rule The remaining index places are taken up by the largest market capitalization companies in descending order. ? The Default Counter and Non Tradable Rule Company which is on the Defaulters’ Counter and/or its trading is suspended; declare Non-Tradable (i. e. NT) in preceding 6 months from the date of re-composition shall not be considered in the re-composition of KSE-100 Index . How many stocks are registered and categories? The total number of companies listed in KSE is 572 with a listed capital of RS. 1103072. 80 million ? In KSE companies are listed under following categories according to the nature of their industry. |Sector Wise Categories of Companies | |Oil and Gas |Pharma and Bio Tech | |Chemicals |Media |Forestry |Travel leisure | |Industrial metals and mining |Fixed line Telecommunication | |General industries |Electricity | |Electronic and electrical Goods |Multiutilities | |Engineering |Commercial Banks | |Industrial Transportation |Non Life Insurance | |Support services |Life insurance | |Automobile and Parts |Real estate investment and services | |Beverages |financial services | |Food Producers |Equity Investment Instruments | |Household Goods |Software and comp uter services | |Leisure Goods. |Technology Hardware and Equipment | |Personal Goods | | |Personal Goods | | |Tobacco | | Advance /Decline: If there is increasing trend in the prices of share then we said that the market gains the index or points and vice versa. Points: Points shows the Overall worth of the market. There are many factors that influence the market points and due to these factors market’s point increases or increases. These factors consist of formulae of capital structure and other related things. In Pakistan value of 1 point is approximately equal to 5 crores and it changes due to inflation and other economic factors. When an individual invest an amount equal to 5 Crores then 1 point increases and when he/she pull back his investment then 1 point decreases 1 point = 5 Crores

Rimbaud And Ginsberg Essays - Counterculture Of The 1960s

Rimbaud And Ginsberg Rimbaud and Ginsberg as Modern Poets Anyone who has read a fair sampling of modernist poetry or studied some representative visionary poets has found the experience something of a revelation. Immediately exhilarating for some, initially intimidating for others and, for all of us, a profound departure from traditional literature. According to Rimbaud, for a poet to be absolutely modern he must become a visionary and a poet makes himself a visionary through a long, boundless and systematized disorganization of all the senses. All forms of love, of suffering, of madness, he searches himself, he exhausts within himself all poisons and preserves their quintessences. Rimbaud's most notable work, A Season in Hell is the perfect example of how his choice of lifestyle lent the necessary experiences to be closer to God and ultimately creative poetry. Through the use drugs and other devices, Rimbaud was able to unearth the core of his soul while still being able to capture divine inspiration on paper before delirium set in. Allen Ginsberg's greatest work Howl is similar to A Season in Hell in that it ultimately captures Ginsberg's life experiences as the reader can but only grasp the means by which such a seemingly chaotic life is conducive to ingenious literature. Among the many similarities between these two poets, the first would be that there was an absent father and a domineering mother. For most, this situation would lead to a child trying to attain control over his surroundings. For Ginsberg and Rimbaud, however, this family life helped create the starting point for their need to understand their world around them. Both Ginsberg and Rimbaud had many mentors in their early years. Rimbaud's relationship with Verlaine allowed him to express himself sexually and poetically thus giving him the necessary material to fuel his disorganization of the senses. Among Ginsberg's many mentors, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burrows and Neil Cassidy, who were equally obsessed with poetry, sex and drugs, helped him to develop his literary voice. The similarities between Rimbaud's use of absinthe and Ginsberg's experimentations with Benzedrine, marijuana and homosexually, believed that he, like Rimbaud, was ultimately working toward a great poetic vision which Kerouac called The New Vision. In literary terms, Ginsberg follows in Rimbaud's footsteps with the use of symbolism and free verse. From what we've studied in class, the bulk of these poets' works resemble a colorfully adventurous diary documenting the adventures of two of literatures greatest visionary poets. In William Carlos William's introduction to Howl he writes Allen Ginsberg, who has gone in his own body through the horrifying experiences described from life in these pages. The wonder of the thing is not that he has survived but that he, from the very depths, has found a fellow whom he can love. And, in a statement, that could adequately describe Rimbaud's work he writes hold back the edges of your gowns, Ladies, we are going through hell. After a Season in Hell and Howl, both poets mellowed out considerably and began to travel the world. Rimbaud, finding his love of gunrunning in Africa and Ginsberg finding his physical love, Peter Orlovsky. What can we, as the readers, conceptualize about these poets' life's works? Why did Rimbaud give up writing? Did he, perhaps, get so close to God that the light was too bright and he decided to be content in a more mundane career. Did Ginsberg attain his own level of expectations in his life's work or did the events that led up to the creation of Howl alter his future work? What we are left with in these poets' great works is merely a glimpse, however haunting and beautiful, into two human beings attempt to view life in the most spiritual light attainable. Ginsberg writes: I high on laughing gas I've been here before The odd vibration of The same old universe The universe is a void In which there is a dream hole The dream disappears The hole closes It's the instant of going Into or coming out of Existence that is Important-to catch on To the secret of the magic Box. When I was fifteen years old, I discovered the book of Rimbaud's work in my high school library and was discouraged from reading it by a poet friend of mine twelve years my senior. He,

Ethnographic Paper Essays - Fashion, Body Modification, Tattoo

Ethnographic Paper The Pleasure of Pain These days anything can be considered art. The structure of a building, the human body, music on the radio, love, Versacis new line of winter, and pretty transvestites walking down the street are just a few of hundreds of thousands of examples. That kind of art is overrated. Most of these only exist because of society. As people grow and change so does the values and traditions that they are accustomed to. True art hangs on the walls of museums all over the world. Paintings by Monet, Da Vinci, and Picasso represent all that can be made beautiful by a mans touch. The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tattau, which means to tap, and can be traced back through a part of history. The art of tattoos has been evident since ancient Egypt and more than 1,500 years ago the Japanese marked criminals as a symbol of shame for their punishment (Britannica, 2000). In the nineteenth century tattoos were viewed as frightful and grotesque, but as the twentieth century rolled by technology gave way to the trend. The electric needle created a sense of precision and control. This is how the various designs developed and tattooing became more about expression, rather than branding. It is a guarantee that tattoo and piercing artists can be found by the thousands in a metropolitan city. Their form of art may be simpler to an extent, but it has been growing in popularity for years. By using the body as a gateway for expression, people can present themselves in a new light, and as a mean for recreating their image. The concept of transferring art on paper to the body for the mere purpose of self-pleasure is attracting all types of people. It is impossible to walk through a mall without spotting people of all ages with this type of branding. Young adults have accepted this practice as a normal part of their culture. You cant escape it. Says Walter Hewitt, who recently completed a 19-school study on tattoos and piercing (Vogel, 2000). There are big ones, small ones, tasteful ones, tacky ones, and probably some temporary ones, and because tattooing is forever and also carries a mental heath risk known as regret, the decision to get one shouldnt be taken lightly. The customer is very vulnerable when entering a tattoo and piercing parlor, because all their trust for a good product is put in the hands of the artist. But how are we to know the artists level of experience, the reputation of their business, the cleanliness of their needles, the moderate price of a piercing or tattoo, or even if the area of work on the body is prone to infection? An article from The San Diego Union-Tribune states that, It [tattoos and piercing] has become so popular that professional piercers around the globe are seeking legislation that would establish sanitation and safety regulations for those in the piercing business. Since the hollow needles that are used in piercing and tattooing can carry hepatitis, tuberculosis, the virus that ca uses AIDs and various skin diseases, business are looking for legal protection and supervision by the state. Despite its growing popularity, body piercing is only regulated in seven states. Before entering Ground Zero Tattoos, located at 329 Northwestern Avenue, I assumed that every tattoo and piercing parlor looks the same. Of course, there should be an area where the tattoo and piercing artists do their work, and another area for the customers. Also, there would be mirrors, couches, a coffee table, and a few ashtrays resting on magazines. Pictures of naked women, tribal art, and Chinese symbols would line the walls so the customers can find something they like. The atmosphere would consist of cigarette smoke, and an intense mood floating in the air. I decided to go to Ground Zero to see if it fit my mold of a tattoo parlor. I found myself parking my car in between the yellow lines in front of Ground Zero. The beige bricks hugged the building, and the dark brown door begged me to come in. As I stepped out of my car, the sign that said Ground Zero displayed just a

BCS vs. Playoff

BCS vs. Playoff Free Online Research Papers BCS vs. Playoff? When you take a look at the NCAA division one college sports across the country you notice they all have a similarity. Sports such as basketball, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, field hockey, ice hockey, boxing, and even swimming all obtain this similarity. That would be that no matter how long the regular season is or how each sport is played their playoff format is the same. Now not all the playoffs are exactly the same nor does the same amount of teams make the playoffs for each sport, but the champion will all be crowned in the same way. The playoffs are started off with each team gets seated from best to worst. Some sports put the teams into brackets; this is usually common in the larger tournaments such as basketball and baseball. The best team gets matched up versus the worst team in the tournament and the remaining teams are matched up accordingly based on the teams left. Then from there it is single elimination where the winner moves on and the losers’ season is over. Th is continues until there are only two teams left that will compete in the championship. Winner of this game is crowned national champion of their respected sport as they were the last team remaining in their playoff. All these sports never have any controvery about how their postseason is run. Now you may have noticed that I left one major sport out of this group. It was no mistake because football is not run this way, thus the major controversy of the college football postseason. The word playoff does not exist in division one NCAA college football. They run what is called the BCS system. BCS stands for bowl championship series where the best teams in college football are ranked from best to worst based on computer systems calculations of many combinations such as national ranking, strength of schedule, and quality wins. It ranks the top 20 teams in college football so the best of the best can be separated from the rest and the common fan can see who is in contention for the BCS. Now the top ten teams make the BCS but it is not always the top ten teams in the BCS. Some conferences have automatic bids into the BCS meaning the champion of this conference will make the BCS now matter what their BCS ranking is. The only catch is you have to have more wins than loses to be in the BCS. The conferences that have these automatic bids are: ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, PAC 10, and the SEC. That alone is six out of the ten team’s right there. That only leaves four at large bids for teams that did not win their conferences. Now don’t forget there are mid major conferences that don’t get automatic bids that still can make the BCS, but it is very hard for that to happen. Out of these ten teams that get selected to the BCS by the committee they compete in one of five games. Of those five games, four of them are bowl games such as: the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, the Orange Bowl in Miami, the Rose Bowl in Las Angeles, and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The top two teams in the nation compete in what is called the BCS National Championship. It is played in one of the four cities mentioned above (it alternates every four years between each host). Now the winners of those BCS bowl games don’t get anything special or move on to another round of games to be played. They just get that win and crowned champion of that specific bowl. The winner of the National Championship is crowned the champ for the football season. That’s it, just win one game and you’re the champion. No playoff or nothing, just on postseason game. Now to me that doesn’t make much sense. Since only ten teams make the BCS, the rest of the college football teams that advance into the postseason compete in bowl games. Now their importance is not as significant as the BCS, but pride for their respected school is always at battle here. There are currently 34 bowl games that are not included in the BCS, but this could always increase in the future because the committee is always in favor of increasing the amount of teams that advance to the postseason. To qualify for a bowl game you only have to win six games. Once you win six games in your regular season you are eligible for the postseason. Now more teams qualify for the bowl games than the sixty eight teams are best. So the best teams are picked based on matchups, locations, and which respected conference the team resides in. You cannot play a team you played in the regular season in a bowl game and you cannot play a team within your conference in a bowl game. Bowl games are just like the BCS in the way that there is no t another round after you win that, your season ends on that win. You are playing to be crowned the champion of a specific bowl game, rather than for the right to the National Champion. It has been like this in college football since the 1800’s and since 1960 when the BCS was added. Their seems to be no signs of change anytime soon, but the arguments are at a true peak and maybe in the future this system of postseason will be abolished and a playoff will actually exist in the world of college football. I think that everyone realizes that college football is rich in tradition and everyone respects that. However, this is modern America where most people want it their way and want things to change in what they believe is right. If you ask around most people will agree that a playoff is more than necessary for college football Why would a change to a playoff make sense? I know it would make it similar to every other college sport postseason that are run successfully. Other than that what are the advantages to making this drastic change? Well not only would the playoff be good for the fans it would be good for the teams as well. Instead of one game to win for basically pride, teams would be competing at the chance to be a National Champion. Due to this the competitiveness in these games increase because the players will actually see there is something worth playing and winning for. Currently the playoffs and the Bowl games are played almost a month after the regular season is over. Now that is about four weeks of extra practice for these teams to play one meaningless game. If a playoff were added to college football you could start the tournament the following week preceding the end of the season and get right to business. So once teams lose they are done and they don’t have to waste a month of prac tice for nothing. Though the playoff will create more games for the players and some people think it will be too much for their young bodies to handle, but if you think about it they will be playing these games over the weeks where they would be practicing so the amount of time actually playing football will be the same. Instead there will be a game at the end of those weeks, and fewer teams will be competing this late in the year. In fact the champion will be crowned around the same time it is now so the amount of work on the kids will not be too much. Players today are nothing what they were like backing in the 1800’s and even the 1960’s for that matter. Due to technology and the modern day weight room’s athletes have been able to become bigger, stronger, and faster than ever before. They love to compete and will do whatever it takes to win, players never want the season to end, the competiveness runs throughout their blood and is left on the field of game day . When deciding on whether or not the playoff should be added to college football, you can use other college sports as a reference to compare with. Take college basketball for instance, some would say that the NCAA March Madness is the most successful and entertaining playoff in all of sports (including professional sports). The reason it is so exciting is because every team in the tournament has an equal chance to win the championship. No matter where you start in the tournament the champion has to win six games in a row to win the big dance. As well as this, there are so many upsets in the March Madness. An upset is when the team that was not expected to win or supposed to win actually beats the team that is far superior to them. Teams of lower ranks that make big runs in the tournament are called Cinderella teams. Everyone roots for the Cinderella teams and when their playing everyone is watching them. A good example of a Cinderella team is the 1985 Villanova Wildcats. In 1985 the Villanova Wildcats were an eight seed in the March Madness tournament out of a possible sixteen. So this team was average at best and no one expected to do anything, win one game at most. They won their first game 51-49 over the nine seed Dayton. A two point victory over a team very similar to their abilities. Nothing to get excited about and in the second round game they had to play the number one seed Michigan Wolverines. Michigan was heavily favored to beat Villanova and some would say they were favored to win the entire tournament. Villanova shocked the world when they beat Michigan 59-55 and advanced to the sweet sixteen. Their next game was no easy task as Villanova played the five seed Maryland Terrapins. Villanova came out on top with another close victory of 46-43. Then in the regional finals Villanova was set to face the very talented two seed, the North Carolina Tar Heels. Villanova shocked the world with a stunning performance on their way to a 56-44 victory. Never in do ubt this Cinderella story continued to ride their hot streak. By the final four everyone wanted Villanova to win the whole thing, but still not one actually thought it would happen. After beating another two seed in Memphis State 52-45 in the final four, Villanova was going to the finals. Waiting for them there was the number one team in the nation, a team nobody could beat, the Georgetown Hoyas. With Patrick Ewing leading the way for the Hoyas no one was giving Villanova a chance. It was time for this Cinderella team’s fairy tale to end. The championship was a brutal and physical game. A fight to the finish, basically a blood war out on the court. Then Georgetown made possibly the biggest mistake in the history of college basketball. Their starting point guard was looking for someone to pass to and and turned and literally passed it to a wide open Villanova player who took it for a layup and Villanova won the championship 66-64. It was the perfect fairy tale ending for the C inderella story team of a lifetime. Possibly the most magical NCAA March Madness tournament ever, and college football would never know what it’s like to have this feeling. Without the playoff football will never expierence this type of magic that is still being talked about 25 years after the event happened. Nothing can compare to this. Football can never have Cinderella’s such as Villanova because the playoff system doesn’t exist. The smaller and not as skilled schools never get the chance to compete for a championship because the rankings never think they’re as good as the powerhouses because they don’t play the competition the bigger schools play. An example of when the BCS was wrong was in 2007 when the heavily favored Oklahoma Sooners faced the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl. Before the season started Oklahoma was ranked in the top five of the country and was a National Champion contender. They lost a couple games early due to injury, but finished the season real strong and won the Big 12 outright to earn the automatic bid into Fiesta Bowl. Now Boise State was not expected to compete for a National Championship at the beginning of the season but they pulled off an undefeated regular season and went 12-0. Many people thought this was due to an easy schedule and no real compet ition was ever played. Boise earned one of the four at large bids and was matched up with Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. Almost everyone thought this was a mistake and that Boise State did not belong in the BCS. Boise State was out to prove everyone wrong and boy did they ever do that. Boise State got out to a fast start and was up 14-0 fast and before you knew it they were winning 21-10 at halftime. Boise State continued to roll after the break and scored another touchdown to be up 28-10. Oklahoma finally showed up and started to look like a team with something to prove. Maybe they took Boise State to light at first, but they’re not about to let this game slip away. Oklahoma scored two strait touchdowns and a field goal to tie the game up at 28-28 with one minute and 30 seconds left. Then Boise State did the unthinkable and threw an interception to Oklahoma which they returned for a touchdown, and now with basically one minute left in the game Boise State was winning 35-28. Ev eryone thought it was just Boise State crumbling like they were supposed to and Oklahoma was going to win. Then probably the best play in the history of college football happened. Boise State completed a 15 yard pass and looked like all was over, then all of a sudden the receiver laterals the ball to another Boise State player bolting down the sideline for a touchdown. The old hook and ladder play and just like that this game was going into overtime. Oklahoma scored a touchdown first in overtime and then Boise State matched that with one of their own, but instead of going for the tie Boise State goes for the win and the two point conversion. With more tricks up their sleeve Boise State successfully runs the Statue of Liberty play for the two points and wins the game 45-44. The best game ever played in the history of the BCS. Boise State shocked the world just as Villanova did 22 years before this. However, it was too bad that this team never had the chance to compete for a champions hip. In the BCS teams do get to prove themselves and make a name for them, but they never get to compete for any type of championship. Sure they win the specific bowl game, but what does that matter. If you’re not from a BCS major conference and you don’t compete in a conference championship you’re never going to compete in the BCS National Championship game. In a tournament teams get to prove themselves time and time again and the potential two best teams won’t just always play each other in the title game. That’s another point to bring across right there. Who is to say that the two teams picked for the National Championship are in fact the two best teams? It is not for certain because it is just a bunch of sports writers with their own opinon and the computer system. Are we really going to leave the decision to decide who battles it out at the end for a national championship with a computer? The only thing they truly know about the teams is the number s that were put into their program. They can’t actually watch the games or physically know how the teams play. They are solely based on numbers and who should mathematically play for the championship. Last time I checked this was not mathematics class, this was college football, I know the athletes are students first but this is taking that a little too extreme. These weaker and smaller teams will never be able to prove themselves until a playoff is added in to the college football postseason. Aside from the weaker teams that are actually good, the smaller schools that are bad have zero percent chance to actually compete for a national championship. In basketball due to the fact the winner of each conference tournament championship goes to the tournament, no matter how bad your season is you still have the possibility to make the playoffs. In football if you lose one game you’re almost automatically eliminated from the National Champion contention, and if you lose more games then you win then your season is over. Though it is true that those teams do not deserve to make the postseason, but at least in basketball there is still the possibility of this actually happening. As stated early in football there is zero percent chance of any small school that is off an average or subpar record to compete for a national championship or yet alone even get invited to participate in a bowl game. The major controversy of the college football season is the postseason or better known as the BCS. The format of just a one game postseason is absurd and not a true champion is crowned. Without a playoff with tournament style elimination no real team can truly call themselves the champion. Problems of you don’t know if the two best teams were picked, the smaller schools don’t get the chance to compete in the championship game, no Cinderella magic will ever occur, and over half of the teams don’t’ even have a chance to make the championship game before the season even starts. Now this doesn’t fair to me and something must be done. The playoff will resolve all of these conflicts and a fairer, exciting, and enjoyable college football postseason would be created. NCCA Davison one athletics all have a playoff to crown a champion, except for football. Let’s get football the join with the rest of the country and experience the magic that everyone i s talking about. Research Papers on BCS vs. PlayoffTrailblazing by Eric AndersonThe Hockey GameThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationResearch Process Part OneHip-Hop is ArtRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanThe Project Managment Office SystemMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductLifes What IfsIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital

Power Relations and the Reporting of International News Essay

Power Relations and the Reporting of International News - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that globalization has brought huge changes in this world. Virtually, there are no life segments in which globalization failed to make an impact. In politics, economics, education, business as well as in social and cultural activities, globalization has brought huge changes. Journalism or reporting of international news is another area in which globalization was able to bring significant changes. It should be noted that the power relations have been changed drastically after the collapse of former the Soviet Union. Earlier, America and the Soviet Union were the undisputed superpowers in this world and the majority of the other countries were keen on establishing the political relationship with these countries. It should be noted that majority of the communist countries took aside of the Soviet Union whereas a majority of the capitalist countries joined hands with America during the cold war period. As a result of that, the media in differen t countries started to make and report news wither in favor of America or in favor of Soviet Union, based on the political relationship of their mother country with the superpowers. In other words, neutrality in the reporting of international news has been severely damaged during the cold war period. At the same time, the destruction of Soviet Union, as well as the introduction of globalization, has changed the reporting of international news drastically. America became the undisputed leader in global politics after the destruction of Soviet Union, even though China is rapidly becoming the second superpower in the world. Moreover, â€Å"the forces of  resurgent market liberalism, the decline of public service broadcasting, the global collapse of dictatorships and the outbreak of the so-called ‘catching up’ or ‘velvet’ revolutions of 1989-1991† have contributed heavily to the changes in the global reporting styles. In short, the rapid changes in the global political and economic spectra have contributed heavily to the changes in the reporting of international events.