The 10 Most-Banned Classic Novels

The 10 Most-Banned Classic Novels Want to read a banned book? Youll have plenty of excellent novels to choose from. There have been many attempts throughout history to suppress or otherwise censor works of literature, even works that have gone on to become  classics. Authors such as George Orwell, William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and Toni Morrison have all seen their works banned at one time or another. The list of banned books is massive, and the reasons for their exclusion varies, but books with sexual content, drug use, or violent imagery are banned most frequently, regardless of their literary value. Here are the top 10 most-banned classic works of fiction in the 20th century, according to the American Library Association, and a little bit about why each was considered controversial. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald Gatsby, Fitzgeralds Jazz Age classic is one of the most-banned books of all time. The tale of playboy Jay Gatsby and the target of his affection, Daisy Buchanan, was challenged as recently as 1987, by Baptist College in Charleston, S.C. because of language and sexual references in the book. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger The stream-of-consciousness story of Holden Caulfields coming of age has long been a controversial text for young readers. An Oklahoma teacher was fired for assigning Catcher to an 11th grade English class in 1960, and numerous school boards have banned it for its language (Holden goes on a lengthy rant about the F word  at one point) and sexual content. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck John Steinbecks Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that tells the story of the migrant Joad family has been burned and banned for its language since its release in 1939. It was even banned for a time by Kern County, Calif., which is where the Joads end up because Kern County residents said it was obscene and libelous. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee This 1961 Pulitzer-Prize winning story of racism in the Deep South, told through the eyes of a young girl named Scout, has been banned mainly for its use of language, including the N word. A school district in Indiana challenged To Kill a Mockingbird in 1981, because it claimed the book  represented institutionalized racism under the guise of good literature, according to the ALA. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker The novels graphic portrayals of rape, racism, violence against women, and sex have seen it banned by school boards and libraries since its release in 1982. Another winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The Color Purple was one of more than a dozen books challenged in Virginia in 2002 by a group calling themselves Parents Against Bad Books in Schools. Ulysses, by James Joyce The stream-of-consciousness epic novel, considered Joyces masterpiece, was initially banned for what critics viewed as its pornographic nature. In 1922, postal officials in New York seized and burned 500 copies of the novel. The matter ended up in court, where a judge ruled that Ulysses should be available, not just on the basis of free speech, but because he deemed it a book of originality and sincerity of treatment, and that it has not the effect of promoting lust. Beloved, by Toni Morrison The novel, which tells the story of the freed slave Sethe, has been challenged for its scenes of violence and sexual material. Toni Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize, in 1988 for this book, which continues to be challenged and banned. Most recently, a parent challenged the books inclusion on a high school English reading list, claiming that the sexual violence depicted in the book was too extreme for teenagers. As a result, the Virginia Department of Education created a policy requiring the review of sensitive content in reading materials.   The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding This tale of schoolboys stranded on a desert island is often banned for its vulgar language  and violence by its characters. It was challenged at a North Carolina high school in 1981 because it was considered  demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal. 1984, by George Orwell The dystopian future in Orwells 1949 novel was written to depict what he saw as serious threats from the then-budding Soviet Union. Nevertheless, it was challenged in a Florida school district in 1981 for being pro-Communist and having explicit sexual matter. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov Its little wonder that Nabokovs 1955 novel about middle-aged Humbert Humberts sexual relationship with adolescent Dolores, whom he calls Lolita, has raised some eyebrows. Its been banned as obscene in several countries, including  France, England, and Argentina, from its release until 1959, and in New Zealand until 1960. For more classic books that were banned by schools, libraries, and other authorities, check out the lists at the American Library Associations website.

Composite Volcano (Stratovolcano) Facts

Composite Volcano (Stratovolcano) Facts There are several different types of volcanoes, including shield volcanoes, composite volcanoes, dome volcanoes, and cinder cones. However, if you ask a child to draw a volcano, youll almost always get a picture of a composite volcano. The reason? Composite volcanoes form the steep-sided cones most often seen in photographs. They are also associated with the most violent, historically-important eruptions. Key Takeaways: Composite Volcano Composite volcanoes, also called stratovolcanoes, are cone-shaped volcanoes built from many layers of lava, pumice, ash, and tephra.Because they are built of layers of viscous material, rather than fluid lava, composite volcanoes tend to form tall peaks rather than rounded cones. Sometimes the summit crater collapses to form a caldera.Composite volcanoes are responsible for the most catastrophic eruptions in history.So far, Mars is the only place in the solar system besides Earth known to have stratovolcanoes. Composition Composite volcanoes – also called stratovolcanoes – are named for their composition. These volcanoes are built from layers, or strata, of pyroclastic material, including lava, pumice, volcanic ash, and tephra. The layers stack on each other with each eruption. The volcanoes form steep cones, rather than rounded shapes, because the magma is viscous. Composite volcano magma is felsic, which means it contains silicate-rich minerals rhyolite, andesite, and dacite. Low viscosity lava from a shield volcano, such as might be found in Hawaii, flows from fissures and spreads. Lava, rocks, and ash from a stratovolcano either flow a short distance from the cone or else explosively eject into the air before falling back down toward the source. Formation Stratovolcanoes form at subduction zones, where one plate at a tectonic boundary is pushed below another. This may be where the oceanic crust slips below an oceanic plate (e.g., Japan, Aleutian Islands) or where the oceanic crust is drawn below the continental crust (e.g., the Andes mountains, the Cascades). Subduction occurs when two convergent tectonic plates collide with each other. jack0m / Getty Images Water is trapped in porous basalt and minerals. As the plate sinks to greater depths, temperature and pressure rise until a process called dewatering occurs. Release of water from hydrates lowers the melting point of rock in the mantle. Melted rock rises because it is less dense than solid rock, becoming magma. As magma ascends, lessening pressure allows volatile compounds to escape from solution. Water, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and chlorine gas exert pressure. Finally, the rocky plug over a vent pops open, producing an explosive eruption. Location Composite volcanoes tend to occur in chains, with each volcano several kilometers from the next. The Ring of Fire in the Pacific consists of stratovolcanoes. Famous examples of composite volcanoes include Mount Fuji in Japan, Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens in Washington State, and Mayon Volcano in the Philippines. Notable eruptions include that of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD (which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum) and that of Pintaubo in 1991, which ranks as one of the biggest eruptions of the 20th century. Most composite volcanoes occur in a region called the Ring of Fire. Gringer To date, composite volcanoes have only been found on one other body in the solar system: the planet Mars. Zephyria Tholus on Mars is believed to be an extinct stratovolcano. Eruptions and Their Consequences Composite volcano magma isnt fluid enough to flow around obstacles and exit as a river of lava. Instead, a stratovolcanic eruption is sudden and destructive. Superheated toxic gases, ash, and hot debris are forcefully ejected, often with little warning. Lava bombs present another hazard. These molten chunks of rock may be the size of small stones up to the size of a bus. Most of these bombs dont explode, but their mass and velocity cause destruction comparable to that from an explosion. Composite volcanoes also produce lahars. A lahar is a mix of water with volcanic debris. Lahars are basically volcanic landslides down the steep slope, traveling so quickly that they are difficult to escape. Nearly a third of a million people have been killed by volcanoes since 1600. Most of these deaths are attributed to stratovolcanic eruptions. Semeru Volcano in Indonesia is an active stratovolcano. Photography by Mangiwau / Getty Images Death and property damage arent the only consequences of composite volcanoes. Because they eject matter and gases into the stratosphere, they affect weather and climate. Particulates released by composite volcanoes yield colorful sunrises and sunsets. Although no crashes have been attributed to volcanic eruptions, the explosive debris from composite volcanoes poses a risk to air traffic. Sulfur dioxide released into the atmosphere can form sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid clouds can produce acid rain, plus they block sunlight and cool temperatures. The eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 produced a cloud that lowered global temperatures 3.5  °C (6.3  °F), leading to the 1816 year without a summer in North America and Europe. The worlds biggest extinction event may have been due, at least in part, to stratovolcanic eruptions. A group of volcanoes named the Siberian Traps released massive amounts of greenhouse gases and ash, starting 300,000 years before the end-Permian mass extinction and concluding half a million years after the event. Researchers now hold the eruptions as the principal cause for the collapse of 70 percent of terrestrial species and 96 percent of marine life. Sources BroÃ… ¾, P.; Hauber, E. (2012). A unique volcanic field in Tharsis, Mars: Pyroclastic cones as evidence for explosive eruptions. Icarus. 218: 88. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.11.030Decker, Robert Wayne; Decker, Barbara (1991). Mountains of Fire: The Nature of Volcanoes. Cambridge University Press. p. 7. ISBN 0-521-31290-6.Miles, M. G.; Grainger, R. G.; Highwood, E. J. (2004). The significance of volcanic eruption strength and frequency for climate (PDF). Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 130: 2361–2376. doi:10.1256/qj.03.60Sigurà °sson, Haraldur, ed. (1999). Encyclopedia of Volcanoes. Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-643140-X.Stephen E. Grasby, Hamed Sanei, Benoit Beauchamp.  Catastrophic dispersion of coal fly ash into oceans during the latest Permian extinction.  Nature Geoscience, 2011; doi:10.1038/ngeo1069

Groups and Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Groups and Teams - Essay Example Several reasons were collected and comparison made. The major reasons that had affected the performance of the groups were: leadership, communication, perspective towards one another, and commitment. According to Tuckman, the issue of leadership can be resolved according to his model, which describes leadership in four stages namely; formation, forming, storming, norming, and adjourning. The latter being the end of the task. Leadership is the determinant of group success, and with Tuckman’s model, the team issues can be resolved. Keywords: Teams, Members, Communication, Leadership, Tuckman’s Model QUESTION ONE Factors that Caused Poor Functioning of Team A Lack of consistency in terms of attendance by 3 group members during the initial stages of project development, there was a lot of absenteeism. Lack of defined leadership; there was no right procedure for the appointment of leaders, in fact, there is the case where the caretaker and the organizer were appointed in the absence of some members. Poor communication approach: Due to various commitments of the members, it was difficult for them to meet; this was further affected by the methods of communication preferred by members. Some preferred face to face, while others preferred the use of discussion tools. Furthermore, these two methods had other challenges. For the case of face to face, there were conflicts on the meeting points, and at times failure by members to attend. For the case of discussion tools, some members did not have time to read what had been posted. These communication problems greatly affected the progress of the project. According to the statistics collected in the socio-gram, results showed that members could not work well with one another, since there were differences amongst them. Coping up with such an issue in a group is very difficult and usually leads to failure. Lenience of the members in dealing with defaulting members became a routine, and this resulted to overworking on the part of the other members, hence creation of imbalance of workloads. Lack of commitment: some members had taken lightly the task that was before them and therefore could not give it priority; ideas could not be well tapped and often, there was over reliance on a few individuals. Factors that led to Poor Functioning of Group B Late commencement of the project: the members dragged themselves too much, and this reduced their time to work, while they still had to beat the deadline. Poor communication: members rarely met and used discussion tools inadequately. Lack of commitment: this is seen through the two dropouts who earlier on showed some signs of commitment and later retreated. Internal conflicts: although some members denied this, it was still evident that misunderstandings prevailed; some were angry and stressed while doing the work, but could not communicate it out. Norms were not set to enable each member to have a guideline to follow. QUESTION TWO Comparison of Conflic ts in Group A and Group B Tickman’s stage two of group formation is regarded as the storming stage and is seen as the conflict stage. In terms of decision making, there are similarities between the two groups (group A and B). At one point, members agree on certain approaches, but fail to honor the decision. For the two groups, in most occasions, each member decides what to do, regardless of the impact on the project. The position of leadership differed in the two

Teachers' stages of concern Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Teachers' stages of concern - Research Paper Example Globalization compels all countries to undertake substantial changes in their education agenda to be able to cope with such changes. Among these is the need to cope with technology. The demands placed upon the workforce, in terms of technology competencies, have made nations conscious of the need to integrate technology into school curricula, to prepare the youth for the demands of the future (Hord, Rutherford, Huling-Austin, & Hall, 1987; Hishamuddin, 2005). Tinio (2003) succinctly puts that the justification for the promotion of ICT in curricula worldwide is to equip students for the future requirements of the work setting. The latter strongly required the use of ICT, specifically computers and other online resources. This makes computer literacy a requisite for success in a technology-driven world (Tinio, 2003). The move to integrate technology into education entails the use of technological tools in pedagogy, including the Internet, blogs, digital cameras, other electronic and di gital tools to enhance the teaching process. Moreover, Pierson (2001) notes that educational reform will only be authentic if it goes beyond the acquisition of hardware supportive of technology, but a real, open adoption of strategies that will enable such integration into the school curriculum. Pierson (2001) adds that the requirement for computer literacy is apparent in daily tasks required of students both in their homes and within the educational institution. This demand entails teachers to gain knowhow of content, instruction, and technology that are apt for student progress. It is thus critical for teachers to know how to integrate technology into their teaching approaches (Pierson, 2001). The differences between the conventional and novel uses of technology emphasize the idea that teachers can utilize technology to enhance pedagogical approaches towards the enhancement of student learning (Cognition and Technology Group at

East of Eden by John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

East of Eden by John Steinbeck Essay The prosecution will begin by establishing the character of the defendant, and further prove that the criminal acts committed by Ms. Catherine Ames were not random, but rather a part of a cynical mindset that deliberately caused harm. Catherine Ames was without a doubt, a stunning work of beauty with the power to make all heads turn everywhere she went. She have lovely gold hair, big hazel eyes, pointy small chin along with a delicate nose, and high cheekbones giving her a heart shaped face. She was an adorable child that became an irresistible woman with the power to make all man fall head over heels. With a timid smile and a soft spoken voice, this appears to be the perfect woman. However, let us not be fooled by her angelic appearance. Catherine Ames is a cruel, manipulative, sadistic being who knows how to get anything she wants through the lust from men. She was able to use her beauty to her advantage even as a young child. The very first incident was when Ms. Catherine Ames used her wittiness and manipulative skills to inflict moral and physical pain to two boys. The boys received immense punishments for actions that she herself encouraged, but declared herself a victim to preserve her reputation. Cathy used her sheer beauty and manipulation to seduce her Latin teacher James Grew. When she had James Grews heart in the palm of her hand, she denied him any affection or love, making him commit suicide. Cathy took an educated kind man and turned him into rubble just because she could. As Cathy grew she became more destructive and morally impotent. It became quite clear that Cathy had no respect for authority when she ran away from home and went to Boston. She was pushed to the edge after being caught trying to run away from home and was beat and punished. Driven by agitation she stole all her fathers money out of his safe. She cleaned the cellar and stuffed papers all around the edges of the foundation to block the draft. She oiled the hinges, the lock of the kitchen door and the hinges of the front door. She continued to prepare, on the night of the crime, she put on an old apron to protect her clothes and found a jelly jar and carried it to the carriage house. She then found a chicken, cut its head off, and filled the jar halfway with the blood. She then buried the evidence of the chicken.  She then took off the apron in the kitchen and put it on the stove. She poked the coals until the apron caught on fire. Again before leaving she hid the evidence of the jelly jar. She remorselessly locked her parents in their house and set it on fire. Her parents sad death did not make Cathy shed a tear as she was looking into a new exciting career: prostitution. When she meets Mr. Edwards she is keen to provoke him to become sexually attracted to her. After he puts her up in his own house, keeping her from his wife and providing for her, she begins to steal from him. She also locks him out of his own house and takes control of his property. When he realizes something horrible about Cathy, he attempts to get her drunk one night. While drunk she stabs him with a broken wine glass. Driven by her intoxication, she stabs him in the cheek and sends him running away from his own house. Her impulsive and evil nature was evident through her actions that night. After a bad run in with the whoremaster Mr. Edwards, Cathy successfully manipulated Adam Trask to fall in love with her. After Adam had provided Cathy with unconditional love and support during her weak time, she repaid him by sleeping with his brother Charles behind Adams back. After they moved to California to start off new Cathy and Adam had their twins she coldheartedly did not want to look at them claiming No. I dont want them After she recovered from giving birth, she abandoned Adam and the twins. After abandoning her husband and children Cathy became a working girl in a whorehouse. Now under the alias Kate, Cathy manipulated Faye the owner of the whorehouse into signing a will giving everything to Cathie upon Fayes death. After, slowly and painfully killing Faye, Cathie assumed control of the whorehouse. When it was thought that Cathy could not go any lower, when her son Caleb discovered the truth about her and wanted to be a changed man, she told him he cant and he will become exactly like her as he grows up, sinful and damned. Its quite clear that Cathy is not a noble human being with good intentions. Her life has been filled with nothing else but hatred for others and schemes to get as much money as possible. Evidence presented here after show the  criminal acts that Cathy has committed throughout her life, crimes that she admitted to performing without remorse. Cathy had committed crimes against law of the nation and crimes against religion as well. Even though she is no where near of being religiously moderate, she still followed the religion of Christianity for her marriage to Adam Trask. Cathy did commit some major felonies toward God such as committing adultery. First, adultery means having sexual relations between an individual who is married and someone who is not the individuals spouse. In Christianity, adultery is considered a major sin which shows betrayal and lack of trust by that individual in the marriage. In the last two lines of Chapter 11, it states Suddenly Charles laughed. The Poor bastard, he said, and he threw back the blanket to receive her. Cathy did not care if she slept with Charles. Better yet, she does not embrace her marriage by sleeping with Charles. She is an embodiment of pure evil driven by self-hatred, desperation, and a love of pain, and Cathy destroys lives without any sense of remorse. She wanted something to satisfy her cruel nature and did so behind Adams back. In the bible, Cathy is directly compared to Eve when Eve eats a forbidden fruit and introducing sin into the world. Cathy did the same by committing a forbidden act of trust and friendship. This proves to show the hypocrisy that exists in Cathy with no moral influence or structure. Cathy, without mentioning anything to her husband Adam, tried to abort her two children with a knitting needle while Adam was out obtaining information on his plot of land. If that isnt terrible enough, Cathy gives the reason that she has a family history of epilepsy and did not want to pass it on to her children which is a blatant lie. This attempt at abortion was a complete secret from Adam until she was found unconscious due to a great lose of blood. Cathy tried to murder her unborn children while Adam was away and didnt even tell him that she was pregnant in the first place. This was a disgusting act of attempted murder upon two completely helpless and vulnerable unborn children in which Cathy should be punished for. After Cathy attempted to murder her unborn children Cathy moved onto bigger and more horrific things. She attempted to murder Adam, her husband. A week after the birth of newborn twins, Cathy decides that she is going to abandon them and leave Adam alone. Before leaving, Cathy pulled out a handgun and shot Adam. Luckily she had bad aim and only hit him in the shoulder but we all know that she was aiming to kill him. After Cathy shot Adam, she ran out of the house and out of Adams life forever. This is the second time Cathy attempts to murder someone in her life. First it was her unborn children, and now her husband. Cathy is nothing but a murderer and cares for nothing but to inflict pain upon others. Another sin in which Cathy tries to commit is suicide. Suicide is not illegal by law in the nation except for some states, but this act of killing oneself is considered a sin and a crime against god. One of the commandments states that specifically Thou shall not kill which can pertain to a persons life or their own life. In page 554, Cathy takes her own life by using a cyanide pill. This by far is much is strongly against the teachings of God and it goes against one of his commandments. God said there will be consequences for whoever commits suicide and that would be punishment in hell. Cathy may have her reasons to commit suicide, such as arthritic pain, low self esteem, and a painful life. However, this is the life she chose to follow as being sick and maliciously evil towards others which caused the downfall for her life.

The Health Benefits of Exercise Essay -- Healthy Lifestyle Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Everyone in America these days seems to be concerned with their physical fitness, and everyone’s talking about getting in shape, but the numbers don’t lie. In 1980, 25 percent of adults in this country were overweight; a staggering amount, but the numbers have increased to 34 percent today (Shape 1). Most people attribute this fact to America also being the richest country in the world with very few people actually going hungry. However, the overweight problem in America is not only a product of eating too much, but this goes hand in hand with not getting enough exercise to burn off those unwanted pounds. Talk about getting in shape is all over books, magazines, TV shows, newspaper articles and celebrity videos that are all centered around fitness and exercise. I think everyone would agree that exercise and physical fitness are a very important part of our lives, â€Å"...but the truth is most adult Americans do not exercise on a regula r basis. And yet, to feel good, look our best and live longer, fuller lives, regular exercise is a must† (Exercise Your Way 1). â€Å"Many people start the new year with new health club memberships, new exercise equipment and a lot of enthusiasm about losing weight, toning muscles, and improving aerobic endurance. But most of these people will be back to their old habits by Valentine’s Day. The new exercise equipment will be used as a clothes rack, the health club membership will have lapsed and the new running shoes will be used only for running to the store† (Stick 1). The problem is that people have too many excuses not to exercise, and not enough reasons to want to exercise. The solution to this problem is simple. We must, as a society, get ourselves informed of the benefits of exercise, and then... ...tor. 17 April, 1997. Go To (March 1997). Jackson, Jeanne M.. The Relationship Between Physical Fitness Levels and Self Concept in College Males/Females. Health, Physical education and Recreation: Microcard Publications. 1980, Northeastern Missouri State University: FICHE #3766. Making a Commitment. Netscape Navigator. 16 April 1997. Go To (April 1997). Norton, Cindy. Student Purposes for Engaging in Fitness Activities. University of Oregon: Microform Publications. 1995, College of Human Development: FICHE # 5124. Shape Up America: General Information. Netscape Navigator. 17 April, 1997. Go To (March 1997). Stick to Your Fitness Program. Netscape Navigator. 16 April, 1997. Go To (April 9, 1997). Stress Management. Netscape Navigator. 16 April, 1997. Go To (April 1997). Walking is Good. Netscape Navigator. 16 April, 1997. Go To (April 9, 1997).

PowerPoint Evil

From this very first sentence you can clearly see how he feels about the program PowerPoint, and slideware in general. Tufte effectively makes his point by explaining, PowerPoint presentations are ineffective because, they present very little information per slide, it has a boring and pushy style, over the top colors and display, and its preprogramed data graphs are pointless (Tufte539). He uses lots of numbers and facts to persuade us that PowerPoint is an ineffective public speaking tool. One of his main points based on logos is each slide has little nformation (Tufte 539).He says, each slide typically shows 20 words in a school setting, 20 words is about 10 seconds of silent reading (Tufte 539). That's only 30 seconds or so of reading for a week of school (Tufte 539). â€Å"Now with power points being so overused in the classroom†, Tufte says, students would be better off if the schools simply shut down†¦ † (539). With each slide having so little information many slides are needed to Just slightly touch on a subject, thus your audience is relentlessly hit with an endless amount of slides (Tufte 539).Another play on Logos Tufte makes is with so many slides required in a PowerPoint presentation to convey a useful amount of information, the presentation is going to be boring. Most people will say they have never sat through a memorable PowerPoint presentation. PowerPoint tries to combat this with making its slides any color and design you could possibly think of, in Microsoft's hope all the color and designs will keep your audience captivated. However, Tufte explained if your content is boring, adding color and design to it will not make it exciting (540).An even worse ffect comes from PowerPoint giving its users so many creative options, sometimes, PowerPoint users will go so far with color and design that their audience will be so distracted by the PowerPoint's outlandish design that they are completely distracted from the information it is displaying. Something Tufte explains is, PowerPoint presentations try and somewhat assert its dominance over the audience (539). It's almost like a sales pitch as Tufte describes it (539). Tufte even says, â€Å"PowerPoints pushy style seeks to set up a speaker's dominance over the audience† (Tufte 539).Even the name has an element of dominance over the audience (Tutte 5 erPoint does this even tuture witn its graphs. â€Å"Straightforward tables turn into a mess of color and wasted space†¦ † says Tufte (539). â€Å"The data explodes into six separate chaotic slides, consuming 2. 9 times the area of the table† (Tufte 539). He states the information is almost made useless with all the color, encoded legends, and branding (Tufte 539). He even goes so far as to label the sample pictures of graphs on page 540 as, â€Å"BAD. PowerPoint chartJunk: smarmy, chaotic, incoherent† (Tufte 540).Tufte makes it clear how much he dislikes PowerPoint, he is even sound s emotional by the tone he is writing in. This play on pathos is another way he is persuading his of the evils of PowerPoint. His tone of voice is almost upset, his first few sentences are about being lied to and deceived. This upset tone of voice continues throughout the entire text. His tone is most prevalent in his quotes such as, â€Å"Particularly disturbing is the adoption of†¦ â€Å", â€Å"Everything is wrong with these smarmy, incoherent graphs†¦ † and, â€Å"one damn slide after another† (Tufte 539).His udience are people who come into contact with PowerPoint regularly, this is mostly the age group 15 to about 50. This is a big audience, because almost everyone comes into contact with PowerPoint about every day, if not multiple times a day. It's used almost everywhere someone would have access to an computer, schools, businesses, offices, anywhere someone needs to display information to a group of people (539). He wants everyone that is exposed to PowerPoint to know if you are presenting a PowerPoint to someone, you are not respecting them, as his quote, â€Å"Respect your udience†, displays (Tufte540).However, a more specific audience he is trying to reach and display his opinions to would be teachers. He expressed how he felt about PowerPoints in schools, he felt they were almost always useless, so if teachers read this text, they might take another look at the effectiveness of PowerPoints and maybe even look for other alternatives. One of Tufte's main goals of this text is to fix the problem of ineffective teaching in schools with PowerPoint. Tufte makes the majority of his argument with logos, he uses lots of facts, logic, nd numbers to convince us PowerPoint is not an effective speaking tool.His Pathos is in the form of his tone, very upset and even frustrated about how widely PowerPoint is being used. Even though he uses little Ethos, he makes a convincing argument. If a large sum of PowerPoint users were to rea d this, they would agree that PowerPoint has been over uses and might call for a worldwide product recall. Tufte, Edward. â€Å"PowerPoint Is Evil PowerPoint Corrupts. PowerPoint Corrupts Absolutely. † The Call To Write. 6th. Ed. John Trimbur. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2014. 538-540. pnnt.

Education and Empowerment

The myth of â€Å"education and empowerment† has affected public schools tremendously in a sense that everyone is being divided, mostly by class, which lowers the confidence of our students today. Yes, there are teachers who cater to students, stay after class, and provide them with one on one tutoring and even take time from their lunch to offer extra assistance in any subject. However, there are other public schools in which teachers do not take the initiative to listen and understand when their student says â€Å"I don’t get it†. No one ever takes the responsibility as to why students are failing; they only take credit for those who are succeeding, bringing in positive results, and on a path of attaining a promising future. Jean Anyon, John Taylor Gatto, and Michael Moore have all questioned the system of public education in there articles. As a result, American public schools are hurting their students’ chances of being competitive in a global economy because they are not aiming high enough, stripping students of â€Å"responsibility and independence† (pg 158), and cutting off important resources. Jean Anyon discussed the evaluation of five elementary schools and how their social class differed and affected their students. â€Å"Several weeks later, after a test, a group of her children ’still didn’t get it,’ and she made no attempts to explain the concept of dividing things into groups or to give them manipulables for their own investigation. Rather, she went over the steps with them again and told them that they ’needed more practice†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (pg 177). Besides learning how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, math gives students the ability to rethink a situation, and look for other options. If teachers in these working-class schools are not taking the time to break down a simple division problem and give alternatives, how will their students be challenged or even advance to another grade level? Competition in this economy is widely based on how much money you have, what school you’re enrolled in, and who you know. If the majority of the students in this class were failing tests in an elite school, action would have been taken as soon as the teacher sensed a problem. The amount of money people pay to have their child enrolled in one of the best schools, better mean that their child is getting all the keenness from their teachers. This is why students struggle in this economy, because they are all categorized. So what if one student’s parents are making more than the other, because he/she can afford that school and the other cant. This should give American public schools an even better motivation to â€Å"leave no child behind†. â€Å"School has done a pretty good job of turning children into addicts, but has done a spectacular job of turning our children into children. Again, this is no accident. Theorists from Plato to Rousseau to our own Dr. Inglis knew that if children could be cloistered with other children, stripped of responsibility and independence, encouraged to develop only the trivializing emotions of greed, envy, jealousy, and fear, they would grow older but never truly grow up† (pg 158). If you are not teaching students to make good decisions or be responsible, they may never be able to do things without depending on their peers or family members. As if America wasn’t lazy already, Gatto talks about the easy ways out people have been taking advantage of, rather than working at it; such as getting divorces. Schools have not stressed the fact that working hard at something brings results. It’s life. You can’t just become something great without having to put effort and time, you have to set goals and aim high, break down your options, and take them, don’t let anyone do it for you. What happens when a large group of schools are opened without a principal? Michael Moore stated that â€Å"163 New York city schools opened the 2000- 2001 school year without a principal† (pg 140). The time it takes for students to step foot in class is the time it’s going to take for the school to fall apart. Schools will not have established systems or discipline without one. Who will teachers turn to, when something just isn’t right? Principals are the foundation of a school. Whether they are simply counseling a troubled student or revising a lesson plan with a teacher, they act as a resource. They are there to show support for the students and build relationships as they see them progress throughout the years. Acting as another resource for schools are public libraries and school libraries. Students are being deprived from the limited resources they can look to, to continue their education and obtain new informational skills. Kids who come from a lower class cannot always manage to afford books, or even one of the greatest inventions, a computer, hence, to cut off such a necessity would be like cutting off their education for the most part. Instead of everyone working with the students, everyone is simply working for themselves. People ask who is the blame for our failing students of today but do not realize, or better yet, take the responsibility and action to make a change in their schools. Children complain that boredom s the only thing they think of when they come to class, however teachers are not challenging or giving students the amount of responsibility they need. To succeed in this global economy you have to be independent and dominant so that you’re not categorized below your own standards. It is said that the majority of the students whose families have money, do better, education wise, because they can afford more prestigious schools; but if teachers and students were more motivated, co mmitted, and communicated, they too can achieve positive results and set themselves up for competition in this global economy. Without a doubt will students be able to go against other students from different countries who have been cramming every book into their brains as young children because they were told that the key to survive as a professional was knowledge, responsibility, independence, and discipline. However, the system that is being used in American public schools today continues to lower the only self esteem students have left today.

What extent do the news media fulfil Habermas definition of the public sphere Essays

What extent do the news media fulfil Habermas definition of the public sphere Essays What extent do the news media fulfil Habermas definition of the public sphere Essay What extent do the news media fulfil Habermas definition of the public sphere Essay The concept of the public sphere has had a long tradition, both in philosophy and also social sciences. The main understanding of the term is based on the work of the German sociologist Jurgen Habermas, whom provided a comprehensive analysis of the nature of the public sphere and also its historic transformations. Habermas defines ldquo;the public sphere as the network for communication and points of view, the streams of communication are, in the process, filtered and synthesised in such a way that they coalesce into bundles of topically specified public opinionsrdquo;. The public sphere is situated between households and the state. It is a space where free and equal citizens come together and share their opinions and information and also discuss their common concerns. Habermasrsquo;s social theory is interpreted as moving over the years from a Hegelian Marxist orientation to a sort of Kantian orientation, thought not without truth; this view underestimates the unity in his intellectual project. Kant occupies a central place as the theorist who offered the fullest articulation of the ideal of the bourgeois public sphere. However, in this public sphere practical reason was institutionalized through norms of reasoned conversations in which arguments or traditions were to be decisive. Even though, Habermas rejects Kantianrsquo;s theories, and its collary historical exaltation of philosophy as arbiter and foundation of all science and culture. In his current work he argues that something remains crucial from the Kantian view of modernity. nbsp;The notion of the public sphere is at the centre of participatory approaches to democracy. The public sphere is the arena where citizens come together and exchange opinions regarding public affairs, discuss and therefore form a public opinion. This arena can be a specified place where citizens gather for instance, town halls where they meet and deliberate these issues they feel needs looking into. This can also be a communication infrastru cture through which citizens send and receive information and their opinions. The public sphere can also be good governance, and without a good public sphere, government officials cannot be held accountable for their actions and citizens will not be able to assert any influence over political decisions. Moreover, the idea of a public sphere is normative since it is an ideal of good and accountable governance. Some historical roots of the public sphere will include the ancient Greeks where citizens directly participated in political discussions. The public life was tied to a specific local where their citizens will discuss and exchange their opinions on certain issues. European monarchies where the royal court was the public sphere and only the king would determine what should be said in public. Today, the public sphere is even more strongly tied to the media; it is also defined in relation to the mass media, since the mass media permits the circulation of information and also offers the conditions were forums can function. Internet and The Public Sphere; the internet is the single most important communication breakthrough of the latter half of the last century. It has revolutionalised how individuals communicate, access information including the mass media and how they respond to and comment on social and political issues. It has been argued that the internet facilitated the philosopher Jurgen Habermas. The internet is singularly the most important development in contemporary communication, which has produced a global public sphere. Every individual has direct access to global forums where they are capable of expressing their personal opinions and arguments without mediation or censorship. nbsp;Facebook and a vast number of blogs, chat rooms and discussion boards could fulfil the conditions of a public sphere as a forum for rational and critical debates. One of the theoretical perspectives is that Habermas argues that publicness or publicity of representation was not constituted as a social realm that is a public sphere; rather it was a status attribute. nbsp;Representation in the sense in which the members of a national assembly represent a nation. (Habermas, 1962). nbsp;Habermas goes on to argue that European society in the Middle Ages showed no indication of a public sphere as a unique realm distinct from a private sphere, and each stratum of power acted as mere spectators of the authority greater than theirs However, changes in the Europersquo;s political structure in the eighteenth century largely embodied in capitalist modes of production and the enlightenment philosophy culminated in the collapse of feudalism heralding the entry of the bourgeois into the centre stage. Whereas the feudal system which made no differences between the state and the society, private and public, the new social order defined the boundaries of state and private lives. More accurately a bourgeois public sphere where members of a property owning, educated reading public were engaged in rational debates on issues primarily relating to politics and literature (Habermas, 1989). Furthermore the bourgeois public sphere worn once again through structural and economic changes paving the way for what Habermas calls the modern mass society of the social welfare state, were critical debates the life blood of the public sphere has been replaced by leisure. In order words the state and society have become in twined into each otherrsquo;s sphere. Horkheimer and Adorno both argue that the change is the direct result of the mass produced, and the mechanically reproduce culture, which have been manufactures through structural changes in cultural industries. Horkheimer and Adorno suggest that the man with leisure have to accept that the cultural manufacturers offer him (Horkheimer and Adorno, 1995). Horkheimer and Adorno views are simply based on Marxist arguments which suggest the ideas of a ruling class are in every period the ruling ideas (Marx and Engels, 1976). These arguments suggest that the class which controls the means of material production also would control the means of mental production therefore the ideas of those who lack the means of production are subjected to it. Another sociologist called Antonio Gramsci argued the social groups attain hegemony; this is the dominance by inducing consent of the majority of the subaltern classes, the classes in the subordinate political position within a given social theatre. Horkheimer and Adornorsquo;s views on contemporary culture suggest the cultural industries treatment of culture as commodity and the mass media as a product filtered and packaged for customers based on the market statistics. This has created a media culture where every individual response has been carefully planned by the cultural manufacturers, since as this limits the possibility for any critical though outside of a prearranged equation. The contribution of cultural manufacturers including advertising and also public relations. Habermas arguments have manifested into refeudalisation of the public sphere, where the people in the public have been reduced to the status of spectators whilst the expert opinions have taken over the true public opinions. Every aspect of culture has been subjected to commercial imperatives of advertising entertainment and public relations and also the mass media to such an extent that any attempts of even creating the illusion of a public sphere by the mass media continue to be governed by bottom lined finances, therefore failing to conform to the broadest notions of public opinion in the public sphere. Moreover, public opinions published in mainstream media continue to be influenced by a series of commercial needs from availability of column space to consideration of possible increases to circulation figures. The internet is a freely accessible medium of mass communication; it has been introduced to this heavily commercialised theatre of mass communication and sparking great expectations in the publicrsquo;s minds that support the reinvigoration of the public sphere. Furthermore, it also should be stressed that while mass media have largely failed to create a public sphere, mass in itself at times play a very significant role in gaining and retaining democracy in numerous political threatens. It can also be argued that the internetrsquo;s potential in creating the public sphere can be and has to be harnessed by the public intellectuals, if the internet is to fulfil its potential as a forum for public spheres, this arguments can be presented in spite of the risk of over generalization as need for cyber analogues with the cafes and taverns which brought the intellectuals together, however creating an environment favourable for the sharing of ideas and hence the nourishment of a public sphere.

Qué es el formulario de ESTA para viajar sin visa a USA

Quà © es el formulario de ESTA para viajar sin visa a USA El formulario de ESTA para viajar a Estados Unidos sin visa es una autorizacià ³n que deben solicitar los turistas o las personas de negocio de ciertos paà ­ses para ingresar al paà ­s por avià ³n o por barco de transporte. No es posible utilizar la ESTA si se llega en una embarcacià ³n o en avià ³n privado o de aerolà ­neas no autorizadas por el gobierno de Estados Unidos. En la actualidad de entre todos los paà ­ses en los que se habla espaà ±ol sà ³lo los espaà ±oles y chilenos pueden entrar en Estados Unidos sin visado. Aunque el gobierno de Washington est en conversaciones con algunos gobiernos latinoamericanos para extender este privilegio a argentinos, brasileà ±os y uruguayos. Quià ©nes pueden solicitar el formulario de ESTA para viajar sin visa Las personas que tengan un pasaporte de uno de los paà ­ses del Programa de Exencià ³n de Visas y que desean viajar a Estados Unidos como turistas o personas de negocios. Sin embargo, si se ha viajado a Irn, Iraq, Yemen, Siria, Libia o Somalia despuà ©s del 1 de marzo de 2011, no se puede solicitar la ESTA. Es necesario pedir una visa de turista. Si se solicita la ESTA y se obtiene, destacar que la estancia siempre debe ser por 90 dà ­as o menos. No se puede ampliar de ninguna manera sin salir del paà ­s. Las personas con visa de turista B1/B2 vigente pueden seguir utilizndola. Tambià ©n necesitan este tipo de visado los extranjeros que viajan a Estados Unidos en aviones privados. Por à ºltimo, entender que los extranjeros que residen legalmente en un paà ­s del Programa de Exencià ³n de Visas no pueden beneficiarse de este privilegio. Por ejemplo, en Espaà ±a vive un nà ºmero considerable de latinoamericanos. Ellos necesitan visa para viajar a Estados Unidos, a menos que se hayan naturalizado espaà ±oles y tenga, por lo tanto, pasaporte espaà ±ol. Cà ³mo se solicita la ESTA para viajar a USA El formulario de ESTA se solicita por internet en una direccià ³n oficial del gobierno americano. Es necesario tener a mano el pasaporte (sin expirar) y una tarjeta de crà ©dito VISA, MasterCard, Discover o American Expres. En los dos primeros casos tambià ©n se admiten las tarjetas de dà ©bito.Tambià ©n hay que tener una direccià ³n de correo electrà ³nica. Si no se tiene, crear una antes de iniciar la solicitud.La aplicacià ³n es sencilla y requiere, como media, unos quince minutos en completarse. Hay que pagar una tasa por la gestià ³n de cuatro dà ³lares americanos. Y si la solicitud es aprobada se cargarn otros 10 dà ³lares. Adems, es posible que la tarjeta de crà ©dito cobre una tasa por la gestià ³n.Antes de hacer el pago verificar que todos los datos son correctos. Ya que si se han cometido errores en cosas como la fecha en la que el pasaporte fue emitido o en la que expira y se detectan despuà ©s del pago ser necesario volver a comentar la aplicacià ³n del pri ncipio y habr que pagar de nuevo.La respuesta se sabe prcticamente al momento. Se recomienda imprimirla y anotar el nà ºmero de caso. Finalizar posteriormente la aplicacià ³n o hacer cambios no esenciales Es posible hacer cambios posteriores, por ejemplo, para completar el nombre de la aerolà ­nea, la ciudad desde la que se viaja o la direccià ³n en la que se va a estar en Estados Unidos, el nà ºmero de telà ©fono o la direccià ³n de correo electrà ³nico. En estos casos basta con introducir el nà ºmero de la aplicacià ³n o datos como el nà ºmero de pasaporte, nombre completo y paà ­s que ha emitido el pasaporte. Cul es la validez de la ESTA La autorizacià ³n para viajar es vlida por dos aà ±os o hasta la fecha de expiracià ³n del pasaporte, cualquiera que se produzca antes. Adems, es necesario aplicar por una ESTA nueva, aà ºn cuando su fecha està © vigente si han cambiado las circunstancias y la respuesta a alguna de las preguntas con opcià ³n de sà ­ o no del formulario ha cambiado. Por ejemplo, si se contestà ³ a una de ellas no y ahora la respuesta correcta es sà ­. (Sà ³lo a ese tipo de preguntas).   Si el formulario de ESTA expira mientras se est presente legalmente en Estados Unidos no es necesario aplicar por otra. Todo est bien. Quà © pasa con el I-94 Sà ³lo se llena el I-94W si se ingresa a EEUU por una frontera terrestre. El control de quien entra y quià ©n sale por aeropuertos y puertos se hace digitalmente. Ya no es necesario llenar el papelito con el que seguro estn familiarizados las personas que han viajado con anterioridad a Estados Unidos. Quà © pasa si la solicitud de la ESTA es denegada Aunque en la mayorà ­a de los casos la ESTA se concede, cuando esto no es asà ­ no es posible saber la razà ³n exacta de la denegacià ³n. Y esto es lo que hay que hacer si no se obtiene la autorizacià ³n electrà ³nica para viajar. Es fundamental no caer en la terrible tentacià ³n de solicitar una nueva autorizacià ³n para viajar cuando la primera es denegada y mentir para intentar conseguir asà ­ la ESTA. Lo ms probable es que el sistema informtico detecte el intento o, si no lo hace, que sà ­ se descubra cuando se llega a la Aduana americana y se tiene que pasar por el examen de un oficial de inmigracià ³n. Cuando un extranjero solicita de nuevo la ESTA y le agarran en una mentira  se puede convertir  en inelegible para entrar a Estados Unidos. Y lo ms probable es que nunca consiga viajar al paà ­s. Adems, es posible que aà ºn teniendo la ESTA la aerolà ­nea prohà ­ba embarcar.   A tener en cuenta Tener la ESTA no significa que se asegure poder entrar a Estados Unidos. La à ºltima palabra la tiene siempre el oficial de Inmigracià ³n en la Aduana. Para asegurarte de que conoces todo lo fundamental sobre la ESTA y sobre la estadà ­a en Estados Unidos cuando se tiene ese documento toma este test de respuestas mà ºltiples. Si sabes todas las respuestas seguro que te evitars problemas. Listado de paà ­ses y casos de doble nacionalidad Segà ºn las leyes de los Estados Unidos  ciudadanos de estos paà ­ses pueden viajar sin visa, sà ³lo con la ESTA. En el caso de doble nacionalidad es importante entender que si la visa se negà ³ con un pasaporte no es posible utilizar el otro para ingresar solo con la ESTA. Por ejemplo, un venezolano que solicità ³ la visa americana con ese pasaporte y su peticià ³n fue negada no puede utilizar el pasaporte portuguà ©s que tiene por ser hijo de portugueses para ingresar sin visa a los Estados Unidos. No se puede legalmente y adems hay que tener muy claro que esta trampa que se pretende hacer es fcil de descubrir ya que cuando se pidià ³ la visa se tomaron las huellas digitales y cuando se pretende ingresar a Estados Unidos, tambià ©n, y el sistema TEC hace una comparativa y el oficial migratorio identifica al ciudadano portuguà ©s como el venezolano al que se denegà ³ la visa.

Strategic analysis and directions for Google Essay

Strategic analysis and directions for Google - Essay Example Figure 1: Comparison between Tata and Toyota by volume manufactured). In some categories, such as heavy buses and heavy commercial vehicles, Tata Motors even produces more vehicles (see Appendix 1 for full data). Going by revenue, the automotive industry, which develops, designs, manufactures, markets and sells motor vehicles a significant economic sector of the world. The industry, though very capital intensive, yet is marked by fierce competition and demand elasticity being plagued by a host of recent political, economic and social macroeconomic developments such as: credit crisis, fuel crisis and technological changes necessitated due to global climatic change. Economic developments: The automotive industry suffered significantly during the previous ensuing years as part of global financial meltdown, which affected the American, European and Asian automobile manufacturers. Canada too felt the heat due to the Automotive Products Trade Agreement. Geopolitical developments: Substanti al increase in fuel prices triggered by geopolitical developments resulted weak car demand, which further weakened the automotive industry. Sports utility vehicles, pick-up trucks and other high gasoline consuming vehicles were under pressure due to fuel hike and their sales decreased substantially. Many American manufacturers such as Ford, GM and Chrysler were forced to roll out more fuel efficient vehicles. Technological changes required due to global climatic changes: Due to impact of global climatic changes and the resultant stringent emission norms increased investments in technology significantly. The tell-tale situation of the industry is marred by negative growth leading into the automotive industry crisis of 2008-2010. Table 2: Percentage change in global car manufacturing during 2007 to 2010. Year Production Change Source 22007 73,266,061 5.80% (OICA, 2007) 22008 70,520,493 -3.70% (OICA, 2008) 22009 60,986,985 -13.50% (OICA, 2010) Figure 2: Percentage change in global car production year 2007 - 2010 As a result of these macroeconomic developments, the industry is currently undergoing radical changes and is moving towards consolidation by means of mergers and acquisitions and strategic tie-ups and partnerships for joint production, and marketing and selling. Chances are that more weaker and unprofitable companies will further be taken over and acquired and in the end will leave only those strong enough to sustain the downturn. Under these circumstances, Tata Motors need to maintain economy of scale and need to invest more on R&D and innovation, and also need to explore new products and markets. All these have to be undertaken simultaneously under the constraints of the emerging geopolitical