Human society Essay

Human society, as we know it, is becoming lazy and antisocial. It’s pretty much useless to deny it. Compare us to fifty years ago, and you will find we’ve let ourselves go. Compare us to a hundred years ago, and you’ll realize we’ve morphed into beanbags with brains. In the 1890’s they got by fine without even using cars. Or credit cards, for that matter. Of course, they couldn’t show skin at the beach, but that’s another matter. Take the Segway scooter for instance. For those of you not in the know, it’s a slow, ugly, two-wheeled, battery-powered (ooh†¦ ahh†¦), upside-down coffee table, with some junk in it that makes it impossible to fall off of (in case all that standing gets the best of you). It was designed for city use (like that god awful 1/8 mile from your work to the doughnut shop), and has no other practical use except possibly as a coat hanger/umbrella rack. 45 klicks, top. Can run about 200 kilometers on a battery. Offers little or no protection against cars, which is a moot point because it’s nowhere close to being street legal. All you have to do is stand. In other words, it’s a big wheelchair for the able where you don’t have to move your arms, legs, or even eyelids for that matter. Makes walking obsolete. Pretty lame invention for 5000 bucks a pop, huh? Here comes the scary part. This Yuppie-Mobile is being hailed as â€Å"something that will revolutionize the way we travel†. Scientists are calling it an â€Å"engineering masterpiece†. The website is taking advance orders because the things are going quicker than they can make them. And very few of these people are actually in need of these services. No, friends, it’s pure laziness. Next on the chopping block†¦ those insta-gas keys at gas stations. Such a stupid idea makes the Segway Scooter look like Edison’s light bulb. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, but if you don’t here’s a run-down: For a small fee (your soul), you can get a little key-type deal with a gas station logo on it mailed to you (along with about a million pieces of junk mail). Although they look like toddler toys, they actually hold a lot of fat-gaining power for the modern lazy yuppie. Imagine, if you will, life before the Key. Imagine the horror of actually having to labour out of your heated SUV and talking to a low-life gas pump. Imagine social interaction. Imagine returning to find your (instant) coffee slightly less warm. Before the Key, all of these things were, in all their horror, a reality. Now, you can just beep the key in front of the reader, pump your gas, and get a friendly greeting from the meter such as â€Å"have a nice day†. Nothing puts you in a good mood like being complimented by an LCD screen. The gas is charged to the credit card or other easy pay billings system. Aga in, these mechanisms have alarming popularity. Shell introduced them to their gas stations about a year and a half ago, and now you would be hard-pressed to find a gas station that doesn’t have some form of instant-payment tool. Even the mom and pop stations are getting in on the fad. Only theirs involves paying 25 dollars for a rock, and proceeding to throw it at the pump when the gas is pumped. Gas pump deaths are at an all-time high. Just kidding, kids. Perhaps the most disgusting example of lethargy comes from the same people who bring you Enforma Diet Pills (for those too `busy’ to diet. Damn slobs). I am talking about none other than the queen of the late-night infomercials, the talk of the trailer park, the (drum roll please)†¦ AbTronic. This is their angle: â€Å"The AbTronic(TM) is so effortless that you can be watching your favourite television program, reading a book or even cooking dinner while getting your body into the shape you want it[1][1]†. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. I can’t even begin to tell you what’s wrong with this one. You apparently don’t even need to go to a gym anymore to get `rock-hard abs’. Sure, you’ll be porky in other places, but your abdominal muscles will be `rock-hard’. And ab muscles are enough for the modern ultra-lazy consumer. Who cares that this device has uncertain long-term effects? Who cares if â€Å"it doesn’t work half as well as ordinary sit-ups†[2][2]? Who cares? It’s easy, it’s expensive, and that’s good enough for the average American consumer. The scary thing is, unlike most infomercial products, the demographic this product is reaching extends far beyond the crackhouses and backwoods. American teens from all walks of life are throwing out their gym memberships for a shot at insta-abs. The decline of civilization at its lowest. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe these innovations are for the better. Who knows what can be accomplished with the increased amounts of free time? Maybe the time saved by these devices could be put towards creating world peace. Or forming a perfect system of government. Or inventing life saving devices. Yeah†¦ right. _______________________ [3][1] Store.yahoo.com/wonderfullbuys/abtronic.html . The wonderfullbuys site is actually a haven of lazy-person tools. If this kind of stuff floats your boat, I recommend it. [4][2] [5]www.streetcents.cbc.ca. Great consumer review site. [image001.jpg] The Segway: Motorized Stupidity [image002.jpg] The AbTronic: The Pinnacle of human idiocy References Visible links 1. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_edn1 2. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_edn2 3. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_ednref1 4. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_ednref2 5. http://www.streetcents.cbc.ca/ Hidden links: 6. http://www.coursework.info/

Compare and contrast the records of one of Debussy 24 preludes WEST WIND

Compare and contrast the records of one of Debussy 24 preludes WEST WIND Introduction Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was a French pianist and composer whose exceptional work in technical composition made him one of the most prominent composers of his era.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Compare and contrast the records of one of Debussy 24 preludes WEST WIND specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He is considered to be the founder of modern sensualist compositions, creating a new trend in musical performance by use of contemporary scales and a diversity of tonal arrangements, greatly influenced by Russian compositions and Eastern cultures. He had the unique ability of collectively assimilating different tonal variations simultaneously to form a richer unified reminiscent resonance which earned him the title of a musical impressionist. His mastery in solo piano saw the addition of Preludes to his repertoire, which until his contribution were not regarded as important in musical composition. Deb ussy composed the entire collection of preludes over a period of three years (1910-1913) and divided them into two separate books, each book containing twelve preludes. Preludes The 24 Preludes composed by Debussy in book 1 and 2 are short musical pieces that are meant to put across a specific atmosphere or feeling which is pointed out by the title of each piece. The titles are placed at the foot of each peace to allow the pianist and the audience to inwardly interpret the music before they get to understand the composer’s perspective (Harpole 1986). The Preludes are considered to be among the epitome of the composer’s keyboard mastery, but even Debussy himself admitted that not all the preludes received the commendation he had hoped for. West wind What the West wind saw (Ce qu’a vu le vent douest) is the seventh of the twelve preludes in Claude Debussys first book of preludes. The piece begins with tension preceded by a metrical build up of the bass which eleva tes the tension present in the music (Roberts 1996). The build up of the bass is gradual and then rapidly explodes with two tonal variations the high pitched tones in the registry giving out a howling sound while a growling sound emanates from the lower pitch tones to give a cumulative effect of rage and destruction (Harpole 1986).Advertising Looking for assessment on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Like most of the other preludes, Debussy withholds from the latent use of imagery and instead bases What the West wind saw entirely on musical and harmonic texture. He creatively replicates the natural sound of wind to produce the wailing, loud and moving sounds of a powerful wind (Muller, nd). This three minute prelude is supposed to induce the violent and overwhelming power of an aggressive wind. The piece is also particularly potent in tritones and whole-tone motifs which can be found in all of the aggr essive chords and fast comprehensive arpeggios (Roberts 1996). Debussys virtuosity is evident in the rapidly alternating tonal variations and the low range tremolos (Weiss 2003). Book 1 is made up of 12 preludes, What the West wind saw being one of them. Most of the preludes in book one are of a light texture though there are some preludes that come close to What the West wind saw (Park 1967). The first prelude, Danseuses de Delphes (Dancers of Delphi) sharply differs from West Wind in melody and harmony. The harmonies are of a lighter tone and the melody is more prominent and much closer to the accompanying chords. It also bears percussion accents which are not present in the west wind. However, the technique used is similar to that of west wind in terms of layered texture and modal scales. Voiles (Veils or sails) uniquely lacks the half-step and bears a prominent B-flat tone through out. The melody is intermittent projecting sonorously whole tone scale. This prelude bears no simil arity to west wind both in character and color (Lockspeiser 1978). Le vent dans la plaine (The Wind in the Plain) suggests the presence of wind and is similar to west wind in content (Harpole 1986). The prelude is however different from west wind in that it suggests a calmer and more bearable wind in form of a breeze. Whole tone scale only appears in the middle, the rest of the prelude being dominated by pentatonic scale (Weiss 2003). Les sons et les parfums tournent dans lair du soir (The sounds and fragrances swirl through the evening air) just like west wind, this piece is rich in harmonic content (Lockspeiser 1978).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Compare and contrast the records of one of Debussy 24 preludes WEST WIND specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The melody is however different from west wind, and this prelude bears two thematic melodies that are layered over and interchanged through out the prelude. L es collines dAnacapri (The Hills of Anacapri) is similar to west wind in that it is richly embodied with energy. The difference is that the energy present in The Hills of Anacapri is thematic to a party mood whereas the energy of west wind is more of a destructive nature (Park 1967). Des pas sur la neige (Footsteps in the Snow) precedes west wind in book 1 and is a sharp contrast to the latter prelude. The perelude has a slow sad melody of the minor keys and ends with staccato bass. La fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair) follows west wind and the use of simple harmonies make this prelude openly different from west wind. The melody is pentatonic, a stark contrast to the previous prelude (Roberts 1996). The layered harmony of melody and diatonic chords gives this prelude an impressionist aura. La sà ©rà ©nade interrompue (Interrupted Serenade) unlike the west wind is unique in attempting to imitate a guitarist as he attempts to serenade a maiden (Harpole 1986). This prelude is full of imagination and unlike west wind bears a legato melody together with a concise cadenza. La cathà ©drale engloutie (The engulfed cathedral or the sunken cathedral) is distinctively rich with Impressionist technique. Similar to west wind, this prelude uses of modal scales but differs from west wind due to the presence of pentatonic scales, bell-tones, and pedal-points that are used to sustain specific notes or chords. The prelude La danse de Puck (Dance of Puck) is a light and comical examination of an imaginary world and is Scherzos in nature (Weiss 2003). Unlike west wind, this prelude is presented as a sonata which begins with three F flat keys (Muller, nd). Chromatic scale, thematic rhythms and bitonal melodies are constantly used to magnify the comical effect of the prelude. Minstrels is the final prelude of the first book and like the previous prelude, it is dotted with humor. A dominant G-major totonic pedals holds this prelude together and acts the con stant through out the prelude. Banjo and drum themes make a number of appearances through out the prelude to give it an animated feel (Weiss 2003). Conclusion Debussy’s mastery on the solo piano is evident by the uniqueness and richness of all 24 preludes that he composed. Even though his initial work was not widely recognized or appreciated by accomplished solo pianists and composers, Debussy deeply understood that music was not about physical learning rather it was a form of suggestive expression. His attitude led him to produce some of the greatest works in the early 20th century that set the trend for other pianists and composers.Advertising Looking for assessment on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The prelude What the West wind saw can be said to be one of Debussy’s greatest accomplishments due to the fact that no other composer had ever successfully attempted to imitate the sounds of nature as he did. A captivated audience would easily get a mental picture of a strong wind clashing with sea water as it made its way to the shore. This makes What the West wind saw unique in many ways, both in composition and in content. There are however other preludes that are similar to west wind in terms of tonal composition and harmonic structure. Preludes such as The Wind in the Plain and The sounds and fragrances swirl through the evening air bear a slight semblance to the west wind but the difference is much greater. A closer examination of Debussy’s book 1 of preludes reveals the overwhelming difference the west wind has from other preludes. The west wind is inanely violent and loud and the detailed technique requires a pianist’s full attention when playing it. The layered tonal pattern found in the west wind and also in some of the other preludes is what caused Debussy to be referred to as an impressionist. All in all, Debussy’s work is indeed truly unique and light years ahead of other pianists of his generation. References Harpole, W. (1986) Debussy and the Javanese Gamelan. 3rd edition. London: Heinemann. Lockspeiser, E. (1978) Debussy: His Life and Mind. 1st edition. New York: Cambridge University Press, Muller, N. (n.d) Preludes. Piano Society Web. Available from:  pianosociety.com/ Park, R. (1967) The Later Style of Claude Debussy. 1st edition. Michigan: The University of Michigan. Roberts, P. (1996) The Piano Music of Claude Debussy. 2nd edition. Portland: Amadeus Press. Weiss, C. (2003) Debussy’s preludes book 1 and 2. Ohio: ivory classics [E-book]. Available from:  ivoryclassics.com/releases/73004/pdf/booklet.pdf

Informative Essay Sample on Somatoform Disorder

Informative Essay Sample on Somatoform Disorder Free example essay on Somatoform Disorder: Somatoform disorder is someone who appears to have a physical medical ailment but doctors cannot find the origin of the illness. For something to categorize as a Somatoform Disorder, the physical symptoms must be serious enough to interfere with the patients employment or relationships, and must be symptoms that are not under the patients voluntary control. In general, somatoform disorder deals with the physical aspects of unknown illnesses, and on the other hand, dissociative disorders deal with the patient’s sense of identity or memory. There are seven different kinds of somatoform disorders, each with their own description, or way to be identified. The major problem with somatoform disorders is that it is very hard to recognize and treat because the illness is well camouflaged to appear like normal illnesses. This would create situations where people are being treated for sicknesses that they do not really have, which is an overuse medical services and resources. The Different Sub-Disorders: Somatization disorder, used to be known as Briquets syndrome since he was the man who first recognized it, require four symptoms of pain, two symptoms in the digestive tract, one symptom involving the sexual organs, and one symptom related to the nervous system. Somatization disorder is a chronic disorder that is persistent throughout a person’s life and is likely to appear in families. Conversion disorder is a condition that the patients senses, ability to walk, or move are impaired without a medical, neurological disease, or cause. Instead, psychological factors are believed to be the causes. Typically, the disorders appear when the patient is under stress or trauma and the disorder rears its head to try to get the patient out of the situation. When speaking of conversion disorders, doctors may refer to the primary or secondary gain, which is the effect that the disorder has on the patient’s lives. Pain disorder is where the patient suffers from chronic headaches, back problems, arthritis, muscle aches and cramps, or pelvic pain. In some cases, the pain comes from psychological factors only, and in other cases, there is a mix of psychological factors, and an actual medical condition. Sadly, this disorder is relatively common in the United States because of the frequency of work-related injuries. Hypochondriasis, formerly known as hypochondriacal neurosis, is where the someone has excessive fear or preoccupation with having a serious illness in spite of medical testing and reassurance. Body dysmorphic disorder is the preoccupation with an imagined or exaggerated defect in one’s appearance. The patient can be preoccupied with any part of the body, but typically would be with the face, hands, or their breast or genitals. Is probably the only somatoform disorder where men and women have equal occurrences of the disorder. There have been many theories as to what the causes of the disorders are. Family stress is believed the most common cause of these disorders in children and adolescents. Somatization disorder and hypochondriasis may surface from the patients unconscious reflection of parent’s behaviors. This is likely if the patients parent derived secondary gain from their symptoms. Somatoform disorders patients can be given antianxiety or antidepressant drugs if diagnosed with mood or anxiety disorder. However, most believe that it is better not to give the patients any drugs as treatment, but in some cases, it has been very successful. Alternative treatment such as acupuncture, hydrotherapy, therapeutic massage, meditation, botanical medicine, and homeopathic treatment can help people with pain or somatization disorders would be able to ease their pain, and soul in some situations.

Statistics on Tweens and Dating Violence

Statistics on Tweens and Dating Violence While many adults have become aware of the prevalence of teen dating abuse and violence, few realize that preteen girls (and boys) are also victims and that the earlier they become sexually active, the more likely tweens will experience abuse and violence throughout their teen and young adult years. According to the July 2008 Tween and Teen Dating Violence and Abuse Study commissioned by Liz Claiborne Inc. and loveisespect.org, The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, tweens involved in relationships with the opposite sex experience significant rates of dating abuse and violence. For the purposes of this study, the following groups were defined as follows:Tweens - adolescents age 11-14Teens - adolecents age 15-18Parents - adults with a child age 11-14 The survey revealed the following about tween dating violence and abuse: Tweens who have been in a relationship report peer pressure and emotional and physical abuse. 62% know friends and peers whove been verbally abused by a boyfriend/girlfriend. 36% know friends and peers whove been pressured by their relationship partner to do something they didnt want to do.20% of 13 and 14-year olds in relationships know friends and peers whove been physically abused (kicked, hit, slapped or punched) by a boyfriend/girlfriend. Tweens identify abuse as a serious problem but dont know what to do about it. 24% say dating abuse and violence is a serious problem among their age group, and 37% say verbal abuse is a problem. Only 51% of tweens say they know the warning signs of a bad tween dating relationship, and 54% say they would know what to do if a friend asked for help. Tweens who engage in sexual activity are more likely to experience teen dating violence and abuse. 69% know say theyve experienced one or more types of abuse in a relationship 61% have been called names or put down verbally. 34% were physically abused . 36% were pressured to have oral sex when they didnt want to . 34% were pressured into having sexual intercourse when they didnt want to . In marked contrast, teens who delay sexual activity experience significantly less teen dating violence and abuse. 36% have been called names or put down verbally. 9% were physically abused . 15% were pressured to have oral sex when they didnt want to . 15% were pressured into having sexual intercourse when they didnt want to . Teens and tweens in relationships are most likely to discuss their experiences with friends and parents. 67% of tweens in relationships discuss their experiences with friends. 67% of tweens in relationships discuss their experiences with their mom. 78% of teens discuss their dating relationships with friends . 48% of teens discuss their dating relationships with their mom . Parents who delay talking to their tweens about relationships may find themselves out of the loop later on. 70% of parents who havent talked to their tween say its because their child is too young. 67% of parents say they know a lot or everything about their tweens dating relationship, but only 51% of tweens agree. 20% of tweens say their parents know little or nothing about their dating relationships, although only 8% of parents admit that . 38% of parents say their tween has been in a relationship, whereas 47% of tweens say that about themselves . Only 8% of parents say that their child has hooked up with a partner, versus 17% of tweens who say theyve hooked up. For parents, educators, and other adults concerned by these findings, two factors clearly have impact on the incidence of tween and teen dating abuse: Delaying the age at which a teenager first has sex greatly reduces the chances she/he will be involved in abuse.Talking to a child very early on about dating, relationships, and sexual behavior even before it seems necessary is essential to maintaining open communications between parent and child and may reduce the incidence of abuse. The Tween and Teen Dating Violence and Abuse Study was conducted January 2-18, 2008 by TRU (Teenage Research Unlimited) and the surveys findings were released July 8, 2008.

The Implications of Downsizing (Rightsizing) to the Employees, Research Paper

The Implications of Downsizing (Rightsizing) to the Employees, Communities, and Families of the Employees - Research Paper Example    Downsizing exposes the employees, communities, and the families of employees to psychological, emotional, and physical distress whether they remain employed or get fired. Generally speaking, the implications of downsizing include embarrassment, lack of the source of income, depression, low self-esteem, emotional abuse, social exclusion, and poverty.   I shall also identify the relative importance of the three kinds of stressors, so that the most significant, the significant, and the least significant stressors are identified separately. The expected outcome of the result is a list of contributors of psychological, emotional, and physical distress for the identified populations, along with the relative importance of each category of stressors. Knowledge of these stressors is the preliminary step towards the identification of the potential ways in which the effect of these stressors can be reduced. ... The first challenge in front of these employees is to seek employment somewhere else. Since they have not left the organization on their own and have rather been fired, this serves as a very negative point if the employees cannot somehow manage to prove that they left the organization on their own. The recruiters tend to suspect the eligibility of such employees for the job because they were rejected by their previous employers. Downsizing is mostly a consequence of the deteriorating political and socioeconomic conditions in a country, so when one organization downsizes, most of the other organizations are also doing the same. Finding a job in these circumstances becomes even more difficult for the employees. The process of searching for the job is not only physically tiring but is also emotionally demanding as one has to face the high expectations of the friends and family members who depend financially on one with no job in hand. The second challenge in front of the unemployed empl oyee is the constant feeling of embarrassment in front of the friends and family members. Owing to the shortage of money, it is not very uncommon for one to decline to the level that one has to ask friends for money, which in itself is a very embarrassing process, and often the loan is not granted without interest that puts the individual into an even greater financial stress for the time to come. The employees have to meet the daily needs in an increasingly tough environment wherein the prices of things are skyrocketing. All of these factors mutually function to negatively affect the individual’s health and psychology.  Ã‚  

Why plagiarism increases in schools and universities around the UK Essay

Why plagiarism increases in schools and universities around the UK - Essay Example Some of the reasons why plagiarism is rising in that manner are explained in this essay. One of the reasons for the increase of plagiarism in universities and schools around UK is the easy access of the internet (Watkins, 2008). There are various tools such as Google that students use to conduct their research and get access to information and ideas that can be used to complete assignments and research projects. However, such research tools have contributed to plagiarism increase across the UK because it enables learners to copy information from the internet. It is difficult to spot this form of plagiarism and cannot be identified manually. Indeed, there is a â€Å"significant, negative influence on the rate of plagiarism due to the internet† (Ison, 2014). The internet is therefore a significant cause of increasing plagiarism in most universities and schools around UK. Online education is also a significant contributor of plagiarism on the internet platform. Ison (2014) argues that online coursework or online education which is common in various institutions in UK causes a great temptation for students to plagiarize than the brick-and-mortar form of education. Online education allows students to stay on the internet for a long time, tempting them to search through various websites for information that can enable them to complete their online assignments easily. Furthermore, there is limited supervision in online studies because the student and the lecturer operate from different places and the lecturer cannot supervise the student directly.

Bell South Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bell South - Essay Example This is necessary if companies choose to offer various broadband packages and dial up services. In order to prepare for the new service offerings, Bell South laid off 1,500 managers in 2005. Early in 2006 it merged with AT&T and began realignment of its corporate structure. Positions included in the layoff were in staff support functions. Typically this might include human resource, technical and other ‘behind the scenes’ positions. The company states that the layoff was necessary for it to compete in the broadband market, claiming â€Å"the workforce reductions to save the company $175 million annually† (Duffy, 2005). With roughly 2.5% fewer employees, managers might have been required to reassign those tasks to other employees. Options might be to add one or two additional tasks to full time employees or to increase part time employee hours a bit. An entirely different approach would be to require employees to perform tasks for themselves that support personnel previously performed. Performing support tasks for oneself could require special training. It might also require current services to be streamlined. Bell South has reorganized its corporate structure by separating Residential Markets and Business Markets. Residential markets include small business and residential customers. Customer service, marketing, sales and product development within each unit now work together to provide customer oriented service more quickly. Bell South maintains that such restructuring should â€Å"streamline the process for delivering customer solutions† (PR Newswire, 2006).