Find Natalie Merchants song Gold Rush Brides. Listen to it. Enjoy it Assignment

Find Natalie Merchants song Gold Rush Brides. Listen to it. Enjoy it. Read the Lyrics - Assignment Example The point that the song makes in the line is that the Old American West offered many opportunities, but the opportunities came at a very hefty price. The song emphasizes a very complex reality in which the Wild West people lived. A condition fraught with tragedy, hardship, and risk. In such situations, there were no happy endings but people still continued to press on through sheer grit. According to Barman, 2007, the dominant cultural understanding of the Wild West portrays the vision of a land that lent itself to settlements and a simple context of Indians versus cowboys. It shows that Americans Westerns reduced all their plots line to line. The West was for all purposes and intent an uncivilized wilderness that lacked the amenities and the comfort of the civilized East. As the song lyrics put it, the women in the West suffered through childbirth, the death of their husbands, yellow fever, and even madness. Despite the land out West being free, women had to pay for it with their

Building a Fire to Fight Nature Essay Example for Free

Building a Fire to Fight Nature Essay Jack Londons title for the story To Build a Fire starts the reader off with a very basic idea; building a fire. Almost anyone can build a fire. All it takes is a match and some kindling. Londons story is about more then building a fire, though. This story is about a mans belief in himself, self-confidence and even arrogance, to such an extent that he doesnt recognize the power of nature around him. Londons story is more like a Man against Nature story. Londons To Build a Fire casts a clear image that in the ever long-lasting battle between man and nature, nature is not a force that should be reckoned with. The authors characters are even very general. The main character of the story is never given a name except to be called a chechaqua or newcomer in the land. The constant struggle of Man against the natural world and physical forces which threaten to undo him at any moment is expressed greatly by this story.(Colin) This is not a story about one individual person or one isolated incident, but a story used to illustrate a larger continuous gamble or battle between man and nature. London spends the first few paragraphs setting the physical scene. The setting is in Alaska along the Yukon River. It is close to the end of winter but the sun is still not yet in the sky. It is mentioned that this does not bother the man. The rest of the setting is described around the man and the places he has passed on this current journey and where else the trail leads in other directions. The description of the scenery is one of the most intriguing aspects of this story. London had a way of almost making the reader feel cold for the man in the story just by his descriptions of the surrounding territory. The Yukon lay a mile wide and hidden under three feet of ice. On top of this ice was as many feet of snow. It was all pure white, rolling in gentle undulations where the ice jams of the freeze-up had formed. North and south as far as his eye could see, it was unbroken white..(Charters, 910) The scene is set as beautiful, peaceful and cold. The harshness of this physical setting begins to become more and more clear as the story  progresses. Later the man notices that his spit is cracking and freezing before it reaches the ground. He remembers that at fifty degrees below zero spit will freeze when it hits the ground. Undoubtedly it was colder than fifty below.(911) This also means that there is at least 107 degrees of frost if it is truly 75 degrees below freezing. To increase the readers awareness of the cold, London describes how the mans breath is freezing on his whiskers and beard, the man is also chewing tobacco and with the temperature as cold as it is his cheeks and lips are numb and his spit tends to just end up on his beard and freezes in seconds. This man must be out of his mind to be out in the wilderness in these extreme climate conditions. Seeing a man that oblivious to the dangers of traveling alone in colder than fifty below weather, walking on ice, and making a fire under a snow covered tree should be enough to substantiate that he was not unlucky but just plain stupid!(Wilson) The man starts to grow this crystal beard of the color and solidity of amber.(912) The surroundings are beautiful, peaceful and cold but the man did not see the danger that nature could bring upon him. That it was too cold out to travel or that it could get worse was a thought that never entered his head.(912) The man had a native of the land with him. At the mans heels trotted a dog.(911) No name is ever given to the dog in the story. Another way for London to keep the story general and the focus on the theme. The dog is a big, native Husky, a brother to the wild wolf it had the instincts to respect nature. The dog knew the temperature was too cold to be traveling but stayed at the mans heels. The dog plays a dual role in this story. He plays the mans conscience and natures voice and personification. Often a dog can reflect the same personality and character traits as its owner. Dogs are extremely intelligent creatures and will reflect and behavior that they are exposed to for lengthy periods of time.(Feinson, 127) The man treats the dog the same way he treats nature; with no respect. The dog is just a tool, a sled dog and later considered expendable to possibly save the mans life. The man treats nature much the same way. The dog also shows at  the end how nature moves on. The dog stays to watch the man as he dies and once the dog realizes the man is dead he runs off to the cabin where there are other food providers and fire providers(921) The protagonist in the story is the unnamed man. Hes a newcomer to this area of Alaska and it his first winter. He is on his way to a cabin at a claim where he will meet up with the boys. London refers to him as a man without imagination but, quick and alert in the things of life.(910) It is this lack of imagination that makes the man unable to believe or heed the warnings of the veteran Alaskan men who told him not to travel alone when it is fifty below. One needs to have a second person to try and start a fire if the first person should fail. But, the man in the story is over confident. He stops once and makes a fire without a problem to thaw his face so he can eat his lunch. The man doesnt notice how much the dog wants to stay at the fire. He doesnt respect the instincts of the native animal. The trail follows along a creek, which is frozen but has natural springs along it that create small pools of water with thin ice and coatings of snow to cover them up. The man almost prides himself on how well he can spot these warning signs of possible danger. He also is increasingly happy with the pace he is keeping. The man soon falls into one of natures little traps, a small pool of water, and has only a few minutes to build a fire and get warm and dry before he freezes to death. He tries to stay as calm as possible but in his haste doesnt pick a good spot to build a fire. He realizes too late when the heat from the fire he has just built starts to melt the snow in the tree branches above him and drops down smothering the fire. A man alone in the wilderness coupled with stupidity is a deadly combination. To deal with nature takes skill and know-how, this man seems to have neither, he was doomed from the moment he went off alone.(website) When it is 75 degrees below freezing one person doesnt have a second chance to build a fire. The temperature is just too cold and exposed parts of the body will start to freeze. The man still believes in his strength to overcome the power of nature and continues to try and build a fire. He doesnt succeed and at the end accepts his fate and falls asleep thinking about the next day when the boys would find him. The  story is an illustration of what can happen to a person that doesnt respect nature and its power. This is the story of a mans struggle against nature, trying to survive against impossible odds in a universe indifferent to an individuals fate.(909) The man was so confident in himself that he traveled with nothing but his lunch and a few matches and birch bark to start a fire. He has also been warned not to travel alone in such cold, but he goes anyway, with only his dog and confidence for a companion.(Synopsis, 220) He has no company, or supplies for the possibility he may confront some type of danger. Whether the danger be with another animal or with his surroundings. The short version of the story was originally published in the Boy Scouts of America Handbook. Any Boy Scout might remember the story form when they were a kid and the lessons that were taught from it when they were younger. They were taught to respect nature for what it is, what it can do, and of course, to always be prepared. If you arent, nature will take its toll, and what a deadly toll it can be.

My Educational Philosophy :: Philosophy Education Teaching Essays

My Educational Philosophy I believe that children are like sponges; eager to absorb the knowledge we have to give them. It is up to us as teachers to make sure they are given the correct information to develop into individuals that can function in today’s society. Undertaking this responsibility, you have to prepare. In doing this just look at real life and is it just sitting and memorizing? No. In real life you are actively involved in what you do. I believe that the learning process needs to be an active learning experience. If a child is actively involved in learning he will retain much more. An example of this is when I taught Pre-school and we were learning the parts of the body. Five minutes after telling the children the different parts of the body just one child could remember where his shin was. So, I went into active teaching by song, using the song â€Å"She waded in the water†. In this song, you point to the different parts of the body that get wet. The next day, most of the children still remembered the song and could point to the correct parts of the body. You can actively involve the children in the learning process by scientific experiments, cooking, song, dance, games, contests, puppets, reenactments†¦ a nd the list goes on and on. I feel that planning your lessons to include many of the senses is very valuable in the learning process. In doing so I realize it will take more time and effort but it will be well worth it to reach the children in ways that will involve them actively in the learning process. By doing this keeping the attention of more of them and in the long run they will retain more of the material introduced to them. Memorizing is a very important part of the learning process, but sometimes you can memorize and have fun doing it. I feel that positive and timely feedback is very important. This includes papers graded and handed back promptly. I will allow questions to be answered concerning the results on the papers graded. I feel that a child’s input is very valuable. You can learn a lot about a child by listening to him. Parents have a very important role in the development and education of the children.

How media effect our life Essay

How media effect our life BY equivalents In today’s society, media comes into our lives in many different forms and throughout the years, these forms have affected our society positively. There are basically three types of media, print media, electronic media and new age media. Print media Includes newspapers, books, and pamphlets, electronic media Includes television and radio, and the new age media includes phones and internet. These types of media interact with people everyday and in our lives, and are the main source that affect us and change our society. Newspaper is a traditional kind of media which has been used for a few centuries. Newspaper Is a periodical publication which Includes news regarding current events, various articles, societal discussion and some advertisement. Radio is also a popular way for people to know news or other Information. Radio and newspaper are two similar kind of media, however, one is printed while the other is broadcasted. With newspaper and radio developing. Our daily has changed a lot. Newspaper or radio can influence us on what we think about some facts, news or organization. It can play very vital role in building the way that people think and convincing what people should do. Newspaper is main resource of daily information offer people up-to-date news. Newspaper have positive effect as well as negative effect. It’s a mirror of truth which people is willing to believe. It’s a media for both educated and uneducated people. Some people can also find their job though newspapers. Advertisement is also a outstanding use of newspaper. Some organizations and companies will put their advertisements on newspapers to sell or to show their products. However, there are also negative effects of newspaper. In some newspaper, blast might be exist. For example, In World War II newspaper played a significant role. During WI As the most worldwide kind of mass media, TV plays an important role In modern society. To some extent, TV is the combination of newspaper and radio, because TV Includes sounds, images and sentences. It Is a new stage of media which can show audience daily news much more directly and vivid. People prefer to watch TV rather than read a newspaper because colorful and brilliant TV program Is more Interesting than a newspaper. Therefore TV has become a popular media for people getting sews and having some fun. Television Is the most functional media during these years. People use it to spread information, and updated news. In the early years, there were early a few news channel since It created. But the channel become diversity than it used to be recently. Despite of news, advertisement is another newly media to recommend the product. -it’s much more faintly than the customer walk Into the mall and choose their favorite product. In Dalton, television can offer different age-stage of various people and satisfied their requirement. The TV company may arrange different special channel. Such like sports channels. Most of the live sports game are showed and the latest sport news as well. Businessmen may use the Economic channel to receive the business news. Internet is the most widely use media of the world. Various usage of internet are being used by people all over the world, For most people. To spend some time on 1 OFF interest in. There are all kind of message on the internet. Whatever you want to look for you can find it. Even if some specific information, you can find it in a very short time by search on the internet. In the old day, we have to look though a article word y word to find something that we are looking for. With internet we can Just type what we are looking for and answer will come out automatically in one second. Our life have become different since the internet has been invented. Nowadays people will see the news and look for any information on the internet instead of newspaper and television. We can see many comments for events on the internet which cannot be seen in other two media. This is good because people can talk about their opinion about some events after they read them instead of Just read the news. Internet is extremely necessary in our society. Internet is like a rope that connects the world. It makes communication become easier around the world. We can communicate instantly though the internet by email or some chatting applications instead of sending a letter and waste a few days. Internet is a media that can carry message really fast. For example, if somewhere in the world is having a natural disaster, once this news get onto the internet ,people from all over the world will know immediately. Media have changed our life and society a lot no matter what form it is. Media do help human beings a lot. As the most ancient way of spreading information, swapper and radio spread the news immediately and let people know the world deeply. However, people always accept the news as the truth, and accept the bias unconsciously. TV is the revolution of mass media, and replaces the old way little by little. As the most popular way to receive the information, the Internet provides a more convenience way to know the world instead of traveling the world. However, people depend on the mass media too much, and regard everything they knew from the mass media as the truth. If mass media are controlled for a personal goal, how people can distinguish the truth and the lies?

Discuss the character of Banquo and his role in ‘Macbeth’ Essay

Banquo was one of Duncan’s brave generals. He was a man of honour and integrity. He held the same rank as Macbeth and they were very closely linked characters. They were courageous and loyal warriors. They both witnessed the Witches’ prophesies and their future successes were foretold throughout the play. Banquo had a generous spirit and a rational view of the world and had the attributes required by a good King, however, Banquo was an ambiguous character, in that he was sceptical of Macbeth’s manner following their encounter with the Witches. Macbeths’ beliefs worried Banquo, as he was a good man and he believed deeply in upholding God’s rule of order. Banquo sensed that the Witches’ prophesies prompted new reactions in Macbeth – further encouraging his ambitions towards kingship. Banquo’s first encounter with the Witches was quite unbelievable to him and he remarked to Macbeth, â€Å"What are these, So withered, and so wild in their attire, That look not like th’inhabitants o’th earth, And yet are on,t?† , Banquo’s words describe Macbeth’s startled and uneasy reaction to the Witches’ prophesies, touching moral confusion in Macbeth by saying to him, â€Å"Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear Things that do not sound so fair?† The half rhyme ‘fear’ and ‘fair’ echoes the Witches previous ‘fair’ and ‘foul’. Although Banquo was not afraid of the Witches, he still wanted them to speak to him but at the same time he wished to remain detached from them. He addressed the Witches, saying, â€Å"Speak to me, who neither beg, nor fear Your favours nor your hate.† The Witches in turn replied, â€Å"Thou shalt get Kings, though thou be none.† The Witches directed most of their prophesies towards Macbeth and Banquo noticed how lost in thought his companion was because of this experience and remarked, â€Å"Look how our partner’s rapt.† When the Witches vanished, Banquo and Macbeth were astounded, wondering if what they had just witnessed was indeed real or just fantasy. When Banquo heard that Macbeth was to become Thane of Cawdor, in contrast to Macbeth’s excitement, he showed wariness and sensed that the Witches’ words might be deceitful by telling Macbeth, â€Å"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence.† Banquo is clear-sighted in his summary of the way of temptation. However, resisting the prophecies was a struggle, even for Banquo. He said to his son Fleance, â€Å"Merciful powers, Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives way to in repose!† Banquo was clearly disturbed by all the strange events that had taken place. He was afraid to sleep and the Witches words returned to him in his dreams when he did so. After King Duncan was murdered, Banquo became very suspicious of Macbeth and was becoming concerned about his destiny. He spoke of this to the King’s son Malcolm, â€Å"In the great hand of God I stand, and thence Against the undivulged pretence I fight Of treasonous malice.† However, I criticize Banquo because of his passivity when he says, soon afterwards, â€Å"Thou hast it all now, King, Cawdor, Glamis, all As the weird women promised, and I fear Thou play’dst most foully for’t:† It was obvious that Banquo suspected Macbeth’s involvement in Duncan’s death, yet he took no steps against Macbeth. I suspect this was because Banquo had ambition too, like Macbeth when he says, â€Å"May they not be my oracles as well, And set me up in hope? But hush, no more.† Macbeth’s prophecy had come true, so he hoped, perhaps it would all happen for him and he would father a line of Kings. Banquo’s inaction and suspicions of Macbeth attracted Macbeth’s attention as his soliloquy in Act 3 denotes, â€Å"Our fears in Banquo Stick deep, and in his royalty of nature Reigns that which would be feared.† Then at the end of his soliloquy he really expresses his innermost thoughts by saying, â€Å"Only for them, and mine eternal jewel Given to the common enemy of man, To make them Kings, the seed of Banquo Kings!† This showed that he was determined that no- one would interfere with his kingship. Macbeth saw Banquo as simply too strong and honourable a rival to be left alive. Here again, we see that Macbeth and Banquo were closely linked. They were both tragic and doomed with flaws within themselves. Macbeth became obsessed by irrational passions, then anger and fear took hold, resulting in Macbeth having Banquo murdered. Macbeth held a banquet to celebrate his kingship which Banquo had agreed to attend as chief guest. He was indeed chief guest, but only visible to Macbeth as a ghost, taunting him, driving him insane with guilt. Macbeth felt this ghost was real, but it was only an extension of the evil in Macbeth’s troubled mind. This hysterical reaction in Macbeth’s vision aroused the suspicions of the lords attending. All this behaviour exhibited Macbeth as totally deranged, however, it was Banquo who finally exposed Macbeth’s deceptiveness by appearing to him as an ‘avenging angel’ and deeply highlighting Macbeth’s guilt. There were contrasts in Banquo’s character. He was honourable to the King, yet, he was pathetic, unable to act when his suspicions of Macbeth’s evil were obvious. There is also evidence of contrast between Macbeth and Banquo in Act 2. I, when neither of them can sleep. Banquo was tormented by the Witches’ predictions and Macbeth was driven by them. Banquo really wanted what the Witches predicted, but at the same time he wanted to keep a clear conscience. He also observed how Macbeth changed from a loyal warrior into a self-seeking tyrant, but with everything happening so hastily he might not have had the time to act upon his suspicions and maybe he thought about the fact that his suspicions may have been wrong. Banquo clearly displays signs of ambiguity throughout the play.

Executing the Mentally Retarded essays

Executing the Mentally Retarded essays Is executing the mentally retarded Unconstitutional? Is sentencing execution upon a mentally retarded individual unconstitutional? This is a question that has recently been answered by the United States Supreme Court. According to Justice John Paul Stevens executing the mentally retarded is unconstitutional. These issues were stemmed from a recent trial in Virginia that dealt with a mentally retarded male who was sentenced to death. There are conflicting opinions on this issue, that have to do with the interpretation of the eighth amendment the moral views of the supreme court justices, and the citizens of the United States. One might ask, What is the definition of mentally retarded? According to an article written by the Dallas Morning News titled Justices to Review Death Penalty for Mentally Retarded Inmates, states currently use a test containing three questions to determine whether a person is mentally retarded. The first question; is the persons IQ less than 70? (An average persons IQ is 100.) The second question; was mental retardation diagnosed by the age of 18? This is to ensure that a prisoner wouldnt try to act as if he were mentally retarded to get out of being executed. Finally it needs to be determined if the person can function normally in society by his ability to hold a job, live on his or her own and maintain friendships. (Curriden 1) The eighth amendment states that Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment be inflicted. When stated cruel and unusual punishment, does this mean that executing the mentally retarded is unconstitutional? In 1989 the Supreme Court decided in the Penry V. Lynaugh case that executing the mentally retarded was allowed, and was not unconstitutional. (Shultz 2002) In 1996 Daryl Atkins, an 18-year-old man with an IQ of 59 was convicted of murdering Eric Nesbitt, ...

educational leadership trends Essay Example

educational leadership trends Essay Example educational leadership trends Essay educational leadership trends Essay Educational Leadership Trends Todays school principals, assistant principals and administratorsface a quickly- changing educational environment. Keeping up with the latest educational trends is an important aspect of effective leadership. Just as professionals in every industry must anticipate whats coming next to stay ahead of the competition, principals must study educational trends and keep their skills and knowledge updated. Its clear: when the principal falls behind, students are more likely to follow suit. Managing trends can be tricky. Its not easy to differentiate a passing fad from a valuable new ay to communicate. And it seems that every week, the next big thing to improve the business of educating students comes along. But its also true that many trends have great value and real staying power. One example is the Internet first dismissed by some which has been embraced by nearly all educators. Currently emerging trends like social media, the increasing use of technologyand performance- based teacher pay, could also be here to stay. So why not brush up on whats happening now in the fast-paced world of education? Principals: Expand Your Network Through Twitter Twitter is a great way for principals to develop relationships with supporters, fellow educators and even news organizations. Creating an account is easy and with a few keystrokes, you can connect with education professionals from coast to coast and around the world. Imagine developing a relationship with a principal in France and arranging for a Skype presentation to your French classes! Interactions like this take place every day in classrooms across the country. Does Your School Have a Blog? Blogging is another method to advance your profile as a principal. The main purpose f writing a blog is providing interesting and useful information to your audience; a common side effect is that a sense of community is created. Interacting with parents and teachers through a blog is one of the best ways to communicate your message while you discover what your audience is really thinking. Communicate Quickly Through Text Messages Text messaging to students and parents cell phones is an instant way to convey important, time-sensitive information. School emergencies and weather-related delays can be announced directly to the people who need to know whats happening. Clearly, social media is not going away. Principals who embrace these tools can improve communication and expand resources available to students. Another Emerging Trend: Aligning Teacher Pay with Positive Outcomes The Obama administration is providing over one billion dollars to The Teacher Incentive Fund, which it hopes will increase the number of top-notch teachers in the nations neediest classrooms. Through school reforms like performance pay for teachers, some believe educators will work harder to achieve results. Teachers might receive bonuses for mentoring their peers, improving student achievement or teaching in troubled schools. Several states and the District of Columbia are launching new regulations to tie teacher salaries to student test scores or other merit-based pay plans. The idea is not without controversy; teachers unions are fighting performance well planned. But with states Wing for federal dollars that require merit pay, its one educational trend thats likely to stick around at least in the near term. The Trend Toward Increasing Technology in the Classroom Harnessing the increasing availability of high-tech tools will be vital to delivering quality education to upcoming generations of students. Major educational trends hat principals need to keep up with include increasing use of computers and the Internet in the classroom, unprecedented access to mobile computing devices and preparing teachers to take advantage of educational technology. The classroom can now come to any computer anywhere, facilitating learning through 2417 access to lectures, how-to videos and podcasts. Another great way to support distance learning is by sharing presentations through sites like Slideshare. And online interactive whiteboards make it easy for students and teachers to collaborate, no matter where they might be. Education: Current Trends and Issues Print Collect It! Email By G. Olsen I M. L. Fuller Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall Updated on Jul 20, 2010 As we have seen, public policy can drive the issues that create a cultural climate looking for change. Several issues that are finding platforms for discussion among politicians, teachers, and communities could provoke changes in the next few years. The trends we currently see in family support services are: States adopting a variety of tax credits for working families giving them help with childcare and in-home care expenses (Hirschhorn Donahue, 2006) Family-leave policies, allowing both parents pportunities to spend time with newborn babies in the early formative years of infancy Flexible work schedules and Job-sharing opportunities for parents who want to continue on their career path Internet and media control legislation to assure parents that children will not view or find inappropriate materials while using these media for learning Improvement in the quality and availability of infant and toddler care Educational trends and research that we will see in the coming years include: Standards-based education, focusing on outcomes for student learning (Schumacher, Irish, Lombardi, 2003) Full-day kindergarten providing more time for in-class experiential learning (Walston West, 2004) Research on the economic impact of the chil d-care industry and its effect on the local community; employment needs are identified to maintain a workforce (Rolnick Grunewald, 2003). Prekindergarten opportunities for every four-year-old in the United States, the universal Pre-K movement (Pre[K] Now, 2006) National School Readiness Indicators Initiative, creating a set of measurable indicators defining school readiness (Getting Ready, February 005) Quality Rating Systems, a system of rating the quality of child-care programs that is tied to incentives and reimbursement rates (NCCIC, June 2002) TEACH, professional development for early-care and early-education teachers tied to education and training incentives (TEACH, 2004) Early childhood assessment, looking at appropriate assessments spurred on by the debate surrounding the Head Start National Reporting System assessment (Horton Bowman, 2001). Gubernatorial used in measuring the quality of early childhood programs (Harms, Clifford, Cryer, 1998)